The Thunder

AlifLaamMeemRa. Those are the verses of the Book. That which is sent down to you (Prophet Muhammad) from your Lord is the truth, yet most people do not believe.

It is Allah who raised the heavens without pillars that you see. Then He willed to the Throne and subjected the sun and the moon, each pursuing an appointed course. He directs the affair. He makes plain His verses so that you will firmly believe in meeting your Lord.

It is He who stretched out the earth and placed upon it firm mountains and rivers. And of all fruits, He has put in it two pairs and drew the veil of night over the day. Surely, in these there are signs for a nation who think.

And in the land, there are adjoining plots, gardens of vines, sown fields and palmtrees in pairs and single that are watered with one water, yet We make some excel others in produce. Surely, in that are signs for a nation who understand.

If you would wonder, then wondrous is their saying: 'When we are dust, shall we be raised to life again, a new creation' Such are those who disbelieve in their Lord. Their necks shall be fettered. They shall be the inhabitants of the Fire, in it they shall live for ever.

They bid you to hasten the evil before the good, yet examples have passed away before them. Your Lord is Forgiving to people despite their evildoing; yet your Lord is Stern in retribution.

The unbelievers say: 'Why has no sign been sent down to him from his Lord' You are only a warner, and there is a guide for every nation.

Allah knows what every female bears, and what shrinks and swells the womb. And everything with Him has its measure.

(He is) the Knower of the unseen and the seen, the Great, the Exalted.

Similar to yourself is he who conceals his saying, and he who proclaims it, he who hides himself in the night, and he who goes forth by day,

he has attendant angels before him and behind him, who, by the Command of Allah watch over him. Allah does not change what is in a nation unless they change what is in themselves. Whenever Allah wants evil for a nation, none can ward it off. Other than Him, they have no guardian.

It is He who shows you the lightning, for fear and hope, and Who produces laden clouds.

The thunder exalts His praise, and so are the angels are in awe of Him. He looses the thunderbolts and smites whosoever He will. Yet they dispute aboutAllah who is Mighty in power.

To Him is the Call of truth. Those to whom they call, other than Him, give them no answer. They are like he who stretches out his hands to the water andbids it rise to his mouth, it does not reach it! The prayers of the unbelievers goes astray.

All who dwell in the heavens and earth shall prostrate themselves before Allah, either willingly or unwillingly; as do their shadows in the mornings andevenings.

Say: 'Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth' Say: 'Allah' Say: 'Why then have you chosen guardians other than Him, even though they have neither the power to benefit nor harm themselves' Say: 'Are the blind and the seeing equal? Are darkness and light equal? Or, have they ascribed to Allah associates who create as He creates so that all creation is alike to them?" Say: 'Allah is the Creator of everything. He is the One, the Conqueror'

He sends down water from the sky and the valleys (wadis) flow each in their measure, and the torrent carries a swelling scum; and fire from that which they kindle; desiring ornament or ware, from that rises a scum like it. As such, Allah strikes both the truth and the false. As for the scum it is cast away as jetsam, but, that which profits people remains on the earth. As such Allah strikes the parables.

For those who answer their Lord is a most fine reward. But for those who do not answer Him if they possessed all that the earth contains, and as much besides, they would offer it for their ransom. Theirs shall be an evil reckoning. Gehenna (Hell) shall be their refuge, an evil cradling!

Then is he who knows what is sent down to you from your Lord is the truth like he who is blind? Indeed, only those possessed with minds remember

who fulfill their promise to Allah and do not break their pledge;

who join together what Allah has bidden to be united; who fear their Lord and dread the evil reckoning.

Patient men, desiring the Face of their Lord, establish their prayers, and spend of what We have given them in private and in public; and who wardoff evil with good. Theirs shall be the Ultimate Abode.

They shall enter the Gardens of Eden together with the righteous among their fathers, their wives, and their descendants. From every gate the angels will come to them,

'Peace be to you, for that you were patient' Best is the Ultimate Abode.

As for those who break the covenant of Allah after accepting it, who part what He has commanded to be united and worked corruption in the land, a curse shall be laid on them, and they shall have an evil abode.

Allah gives abundantly and sparingly to whom He will. They rejoice in this present life; but this present life, beside the Everlasting Life, is nothing but a passing enjoyment.

And those who disbelieve say: 'Why has no sign been sent down to him by his Lord' Say: 'Allah leads astray whom He will, and guides those who repent,

those who believe, and whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of Allah. Is it not with the remembrance of Allah that hearts are satisfied.

For those who believe and do good works is blessedness and blessed resort'

As such, We have sent you forth to a nation before whom others have passed away in order that you recite to them what We have revealed to you. Yet they disbelieve the Merciful. Say: 'He is my Lord. There is no god except He. In Him I have put my trust, and to Him I turn'

If only a Koran whereby the mountains were set in motion, or the earth cleaved asunder, or the dead spoken to. No, but to Allah is the affair altogether. Do those who believe know that had Allah willed He could have guided all people? As for those who disbelieve, because of what they do, disaster will not cease to afflict them, or it alights near their home until the promise of Allah comes. Allah will not break His promise.

Other Messengers were mocked before you but I respited the unbelievers, then I seized them. And how was My retribution!

What, He who stands over every soul for what it has earned, yet they made partners for Allah. Say: 'Name them. Or would you tell Him of that which is unknown in the earth to Him? Or in outward speech only' Indeed, their devising seems fair to the unbelievers, for they are barred from the Right Way. None can guide those whom Allah leads astray.

They shall be punished in this life but the punishment of the Everlasting Life is more grievous. None shall defend them from Allah.

The likeness of Paradise which the righteous have been promised beneath it rivers flow, its produce and shade are eternal. Such is the payment of the righteous. But the payment of the unbelievers is the Fire.

Those to whom We have given the Book rejoice in what is sent down to you, while some factions reject a part of it. Say: 'I am commanded to worship Allah and to associate none with Him. To Him I supplicate, and to Him I turn'

And as such We have sent it down an Arabic judgment. And if you follow their desires, after the knowledge that has come to you, you shall have no guardian other than Allah, nor yet a defender.

We have sent forth other Messengers before you and given them wives and descendants. Yet none of them could bring a sign except by the permission of Allah. Every term has its Book.

Allah blots out, and He establishes what He will. With Him is the Essence of the Book.

Whether We show you part of that We promise them, or We call you to Us, it is only for you to deliver the Message, and Ours is the accounting.

Do they not see how We come to the land and reduce its extremities? Allah judges; none repel His judgement. Swift is His reckoning.

Those who have gone before them devised, but to Allah is the devising altogether. He knows what every soul earns. The unbelievers shall know without doubt for whom is the Ultimate Abode.

Those who disbelieve say: 'You are not a Messenger' Say: 'Allah is a Sufficient witness between me and you, and whosoever possess knowledge of the Book'