The Criterion

to revive the barren land and provide water for many creatures, cattle, and people.

Blessed is He who has revealed the criteria (for discerning truth from falsehood) to His servant so that He could warn mankind.

To Him belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He has not begotten any sons, nor does He have any partner in His kingdom. He has created all things with precisely accurate planning.

Yet they have chosen for themselves other deities besides Him, who do not create anything but rather are themselves created, who have no power over their own benefits, or trouble, and who have no control over life, death, and resurrection.

The unbelievers say, "This (Quran) is no more than a slanderous statement which he (Muhammad), with the help of some other people, has falsely invented." Certainly, this statement is unjust and sinful.

They have also said, "It, (the Quran), is only ancient legends, which were written down while they were dictated to him in the mornings and the evenings".

(Muhammad), tell them, "The One who knows all the secrets of the heavens and the earth has revealed it; He is All-forgiving and All-merciful."

They say, "Why does this Messenger eat food, and walk in the streets? Why has not an angel been sent to him so that they could preach the message together?

Why has a treasure not been laid out for him or a garden from which he could eat been given to him." The unjust ones say, "You are merely following a bewitched person".

Look at their various views about you! They have gone astray and are not able to find the right path.

Blessed is He who could give you palaces and gardens wherein streams would flow, far better than what they want you to have.

They deny the Hour of Doom so We have prepared for them a burning fire.

Even if they were to see [this fire] from a distant place, they would only listen to its raging and roaring.

When they are thrown, bound, into a narrow place therein, then only will they wish for their death.

They will be told, "Do not pray to die only once but pray to die many times."

(Muhammad), ask them, "Is what you want better or the eternal garden promised to the pious ones as their reward and dwelling?

Therein they will eternally have whatever they want. This is a binding promise from your Lord."

On the day when the unbelievers and whatever they had been worshipping besides God will be resurrected, He will ask the idols, "Did you mislead My servants or did they themselves go astray from the right path?"

They will reply, "Lord, You alone deserve all glory! We were not supposed to choose any guardian other than you. Since you have been benevolent to these people and their fathers, they forgot Your guidance and, thus, became subject to perdition."

God will say (to the idolaters), "Your idols have rejected your faith. You cannot avoid their rejection nor can you find any help. Anyone of you who commits injustice will be made to suffer a great torment."

All the Messengerss whom We sent before, certainly, ate food and walked through the streets. We have made some of you (people) a trial for the others. Would you then exercise patience? Your Lord is All-aware.

Those who have no desire to meet Us have said, "Would that the angels had been sent to us or that we could see our Lord." They are really filled with pride and have committed the greatest and worst kind of rebellion and hostility.

On the day when the criminals see the angels, there will, certainly, be no rejoicing for them. Rather, they will plead to the angels, "Please keep away from us (do not drive us into hell)."

We shall call their deeds into Our presence and scatter them into the air as dust (turn them devoid of all virtue).

The dwellers of Paradise on that day will have the best residence and resting place.

On that day the sky will be crystal blue, clear of clouds. The angels will descend in groups

and the Absolute kingdom will belong to the Beneficent God.

It will be a hard day for the unbelievers. It will be a day when the unjust will bite their fingers, (regretfully) saying, "Would that we had followed the path of the Messengers.

Woe to us! Would that we had not been friends with so and so.

He led me away from the true guidance after it had come to us. Satan is a traitor to people."

The Messengers will say, "Lord, my people had abandoned this Quran."

Thus, from the sinful people We made enemies for every Prophet. Your Lord is a Sufficient Guide and Helper.

The unbelievers have said, "Why was the whole Quran not revealed to him at once?" We have revealed it to you in gradual steps to strengthen your hearts and give you explanations.

We will support you with the Truth and the best interpretation whenever the infidels argue against you.

Those who will be driven headlong into hell will have a terrible dwelling; they have certainly gone astray.

We gave the Book to Moses and made his brother Aaron his Minister.

We told them, "Both of you go to the people who have rejected Our revelations." We completely destroyed these unbelievers.

We drowned the people of Noah because of their rejection of the Messengers and made them evidence of the Truth for mankind. We have prepared a painful torment for the unjust ones.

To each of the tribes of Ad, Thamud, the settlers around the well and many generations in between

We gave guidance and drove each to destruction.

Our Messengers came into the town which was struck by a fatal rain. Did they (unbelievers), not see what had happened to this town? In fact, they had no faith in the Resurrection.

(Muhammad), when they see you, they will only mock you and say, "Has God really sent him as a Messengers?

Had we not been steadfast he would almost have led us astray from our gods." On facing torment they will soon know who had really gone astray.

How can you be the guardian of those who have chosen their own desires as their Lord?

Do you think that most of them listen and understand? They are like cattle or even more, straying and confused.

Have you not seen that your Lord increases the shadow. Had He wanted He would have made it stationary], and has made the sun their guide.

Then He reduces it in gradual steps.

It is He who has made the night as a covering for you, sleep as a rest for you, and the day for you to rise again.

It is He who sends the winds to you with the glad news of His mercy and who sends purifying rain from the sky

We send them rain from time to time so that they may take heed. Many people have responded, but ungratefully.

Had We wanted We could have sent a Prophet to every town.

Do not yield to the unbelievers but launch a great campaign against them with the help of the Quran.

It is He who has joined the two seas; one palatable and sweet, the other bitterly salty and has established a barrier between them as a partition.

It is He who has created the human being from water to have relationships of both lineage and wedlock. Your Lord has all power.

They worship besides God things that can neither benefit nor harm them. The unbelievers are defiant against their Lord.

We have sent you for no other reason but to be a bearer of glad news and warning.

Tell them, "I ask no recompense for my preaching to you, except the fact that whoever wants should choose the way of God."

Also trust in the Living One who never dies and glorify Him with His praise. He has sufficient knowledge of the sins of His servants.

It is He who created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six days and then He established His domination over the Throne. He is the Beneficent God. Refer to Him as the final authority.

When they are told to prostrate themselves before the Beneficent God, they say, "Who is the Beneficent God? Why should we prostrate ourselves before the one whom you have commanded us to?" This only increases their rebelliousness.

Blessed is He who has established constellations in the sky and made therein a lamp and a shining moon.

It is He who has made the night and the day, one proceeding the other, for whoever wants to take heed or give thanks.

(Among) the servants of the Beneficent God are those who walk gently on the earth and when addressed by the ignorant ones, their only response is, "Peace be with you."

They are those who spend the night worshipping their Lord, prostrating, and standing,

who pray, "Lord, protect us from the torment of hell; it is a great loss.

It is a terrible abode and an evil station,"

who in their spending are neither extravagant nor stingy but maintain moderation,

who do not worship idols besides God, nor without a just cause murder a soul to whom God has granted amnesty, who do not commit fornication, for those who do so have committed a sin

and on the Day of Judgment their torment will be double. They will suffer forever in disgrace.

But only those who repent and believe and act righteously will have their sins replaced by virtue; God is All-forgiving and All-merciful.

Those who repent and act righteously have truly returned to God,

those who do not testify falsely and when they come across something impious, pass it by nobly,

who, when reminded of the revelations of their Lord, do not try to ignore them as though deaf and blind. Rather, they try to understand and think about them.

They pray, "Lord, let our spouses and children be the delight of our eyes and ourselves examples for the pious ones."

They will all receive Paradise as their reward for their forbearance and patience, where they will be greeted with, "Peace be with you."

They will live therein forever, the best abode and place of rest.

(Muhammad), say (to the disbeliever) "It does not matter to my Lord whether you worship Him or not. You have rejected His guidance and your punishment is inevitable."