The Sovereignty

Say: 'It is He who scattered you in the earth, and unto Him you shall be mustered.'

They say, 'When shall this promise come to pass, if you speak truly?'

Say: 'The knowledge is with God; I am only a clear warner.'

Then, when they see it nigh at hand, the faces of the unbelievers will be vexed, and it will be said, 'This is what you were promised.'

Say: 'What think you? If God destroys me and those with me, or has mercy on us, then who will protect the unbelievers from a painful chastisement?'

Blessed be He in whose hand is the Kingdom -- He is powerful over everything --

who created death and life, that He might try you which of you is fairest in works; and He is the All-mighty, the All-forgiving --

who created seven heavens one upon another. Thou seest not in the creation of the All-merciful any imperfection. Return thy gaze; seest thou any fissure?

Then return thy gaze again, and again, and thy gaze comes back to thee dazzled, aweary.

And We adorned the lower heaven with lamps, and made them things to stone Satans; and We have prepared for them the chastisement of the Blaze.

And for those who disbelieve in their Lord there awaits the chastisement of Gehenna -- an evil homecoming!

When they are cast into it they will hear it sighing, the while it boils

and wellnigh bursts asunder with rage. As often as a troop is cast into it, its keepers ask them, 'Came there no warner to you?';

They say, 'Yes indeed, a warner came to us; but we cried lies, saying, "God has not sent down anything; you are only in great error.

They also say, 'If we had only heard, or had understood, we would not have been of the inhabitants of the Blaze.'

So they confess their sins. Curse the inhabitants of the Blaze!

Surely those who fear their Lord in the Unseen -- there awaits them forgiveness and a great wage.

Be secret in your speech, or proclaim it, He knows the thoughts within the breasts.

Shall He not know, who created? And He is the All-subtle, the All-aware.

It is He who made the earth submissive to you; therefore walk in its tracts, and eat of His provision; to Him is the Uprising.

Do you feel secure that He who is in heaven will not cause the earth to swallow you, the while it rocks?

Do you feel secure that He who is in heaven will not loose against you a squall of pebbles, then you shall know how My warning is?

Those that were before them also cried lies; then how was My horror!

Have they not regarded the birds above them spreading their wings, and closing them? Naught holds them but the All-merciful. Surely He sees everything.

Or who is this that shall be a host for you to help you, apart from the All-merciful? The unbelievers are only in delusion.

Or who is this that shall provide for you if He withholds His provision? No, but they persist in disdain and aversion.

What, is he who walks prone upon his face better guided than he who walks upright on a straight path?

Say: 'It is He who produced you, and appointed for you hearing and sight and hearts; little thanks you show!'

Say: 'He is the All-merciful. We believe in Him, and in Him we put all our trust. Assuredly, you will soon, know who is in manifest error.

Say: 'What think you? If in the morning your water should have vanished into the earth, then who would bring you running water?'