The Criterion

so, that with it We revive dead lands and provide drink for the cattle and the human We created.

Blessed is He who has sent down the Criterion to His worshiper (Prophet Muhammad), that he is a warner to all mankind;

to whom the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs, who has not taken a son, nor does He have an associate in the Kingdom, and He created everything, then He ordained it very precisely.

Yet they worship, other than Him, gods which cannot create anything and were themselves created. They own neither harm nor benefit for themselves, neither do they own death nor life, nor a resurrection.

The unbelievers say: 'This is but a falsehood he has forged? another nation has helped him' So they have come with wrong and falsehood.

They say: 'He has written tales of the ancients, they are recited to him at dawn and at the evening'

Say: 'It was sent down by Him who knows the secrets of heavens and earth. He is Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

They also say: 'How is it that this Messenger eats food and walks about the markets? Why has no angel been sent down with him to warn us?

Or, why has no treasure been thrown to him, or a garden for him to eat from' And the harmdoers say: 'The man you follow is surely bewitched'

See how they strike examples for you, surely they have gone astray and are unable to find a way.

Blessed be He who, if He wills, can assign you better things than these; gardens underneath which rivers flow, and He shall assign for you palaces.

No, they belied the Hour. We have prepared for him who belied the Hour a Blaze.

When it sees them from a far off place, they shall hear it raging and sighing.

And when, chained in (iron) fetters, they are cast into some narrow space of the Fire, they will call out for destruction.

'Do not call out today for one destruction; call out for many destructions'

Say: 'Is that better, or the Garden of Eternity which the cautious have been promised? It is their recompense and their arrival'

Living there for ever, they shall find in it all that they desire. That is a promise binding upon your Lord, and to be asked of Him.

On the Day when He gathers them with all that they worship, other than Allah, He will say: 'Was it you who misled My worshipers, or did they themselves go astray'

They will answer: 'Exaltations to You. We should not have taken others for a guardian, but You gave them and their fathers enjoyment until they forgot Your Remembrance and they were a destroyed nation'

So they belie what you say, and you can neither turn it aside, nor find any help. Those of you who have done evil, We let them taste a great punishment.

We did not send Messengers before you but that they ate food and walked about in the markets, We have appointed some of you to be a trial for others. Will you endure? Your Lord is the Seer.

Those who do not hope to meet Us ask: 'Why have no angels been sent to us? Why can we not see our Lord' How proud they are within themselves, and have become greatly disdainful.

On the Day when they behold the angels, there will be no glad tidings for the sinners. They will say: 'A refuge which is forbidden'

Then We shall advance upon the work which they have done and render it as scattered dust.

On that Day, the companions of Paradise (will have) a better abode and a finer restingplace.

On that Day, the heaven is split asunder with clouds and the angels are sent down in majesty,

the true Kingdom on that Day shall belong to the Merciful a harsh day for the unbelievers.

Upon that Day the harmdoer shall bite his hands, and say: 'Would that I had taken a Path with the Messenger!

Would that I had never chosen soandso for my companion!

He led me astray from the Remembrance after it had reached me, satan is ever the foresaker of humans'

The Messenger says: 'O my Lord, my people have taken this Koran while deserting it'

To every Prophet We have appointed an enemy among the harmdoers; your Lord is Sufficient for you, a Guide and a Helper.

The unbelievers ask: 'Why was the Koran not sent down to him all at once' As such We strengthen your heart thereby, and We have recited it very distinctly.

They do not bring to you any parable but that which We bring to you is the truth and better in explanation.

Those who will be gathered into Gehenna (Hell) upon their faces shall be in the worst in place, and have gone further astray from the Path.

We gave the Book to Moses and gave him his brother Aaron as a minister.

(Then) We said: 'Go to the nation who have belied Our signs' And We utterly destroyed them.

The nation of Noah, We drowned them when they belied their Messenger, and made of them a sign to the nation. For the harmdoers We have prepared a painful punishment

also to Aad and Thamood and the nation of ErRass and many generations in between;

to each of them We gave examples, and each of them We utterly ruined.

They have surely passed by the village which was rained upon by evil rain (of stones); what, have they never seen it? No, they look for no resurrection.

Whenever they see you, they mock you (saying): 'Is this whom Allah has sent as a Messenger?

He would have mislead us from our gods, if we had not been steadfast to them' But they shall know who is further astray from the Path when they see the punishment.

Have you seen him who has made gods of his own desires? Would you be a guardian over him?

Do you think that most of them can hear or understand? They are like cattle, no, they are further astray from the Path.

Do you not see how your Lord stretches the shadow? Had it been His will, He could have made it constant. Then He appointed the sun to be a guide to it;

thereafter We seize it to Us withdrawing it gently.

It is He who has appointed the night a mantle for you and sleep for a rest. The day He has appointed for rising.

It is He who loosens the winds, bearing glad tidings before the Hands of His Mercy, and We have sent down pure water from the heaven,

We have indeed turned it about them, so that they remember; yet most people refuse all except disbelief.

Had it been Our will, We could have raised a warner in every village.

So do not obey the unbelievers, but struggle mightily with it (the Koran).

It was He who let forth the two seas, this one is palatably sweet and this salt, a bitter taste, and He set a barrier between them, and a refuge which is forbidden.

And it is He who created the human from water and gave him kindred of blood and of marriage. Your Lord is the Powerful.

Yet they (the unbelievers) worship, other than Allah, that which can neither benefit nor harm them. Surely, the unbeliever is ever a partisan against his Lord.

We did not send you but as a bearer of glad tidings and as a warner.

Say: 'I demand of you no wage for this except for he who wishes to take the Path to his Lord'

Put your trust in the All Living who never dies, and exalt with His praise, He is sufficiently aware of His worshipers' sins.

(It is) He who, in six days created the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them, and then He willed to the Throne. The Merciful; ask about Him from he who knows Him.

When it is said to them: 'Prostrate yourselves before the Merciful', they ask: 'And what is the Merciful? Shall we prostrate ourselves to whatever you bid us' And it increases their aversion.

Blessed be He who has set the constellations in the heaven, and set amongst them a sun, and an illuminating moon.

It is He who has made the night and day follow each other for those whom He desires to remember or He desires to be thankful.

The worshipers of the Merciful are those who walk humbly on the earth, and when the ignorant address them say: 'Peace'

who pass the night prostrating and standing to their Lord.

Who say: 'Our Lord, turn from us the punishment of Gehenna, for its punishment is the most terrible;

it is an evil settling, and an evil residence'

who when they spend are neither wasteful nor miserly, between that is a just stand,

who do not call upon another god with Allah, nor slay the soul which Allah has forbidden except by right; who do not fornicate, for he who does this shall face punishment

doubled for him on the Day of Resurrection is his punishment, and therein he shall live, humbled,

except he who repents and believes and does good works those, Allah will change their evil deeds into good deeds; Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.

He who repents and does good works truly turns to Allah in repentance,

and those who do not bear false witness, and when they pass by idle talk, pass by with honor

and who when they are reminded of the verses of their Lord, they do not fall down deaf and blind.

Those who say: 'Lord give us of our wives and children what pleases our eyes and make us leaders to the fearful'

Those shall be recompensed with the highest rank for their patience. There they shall receive a greeting, and peace!

There they shall live for ever; a fine dwelling place, and residence.

Say: 'My Lord cares little for you if it was not for your supplication, indeed you have belied (the Messenger and the Koran) so it (the punishment) will be fastened'