and brought their people to settle
in the house of perdition,
29hell, where they will burn—
an evil home?
30And they have set up idols
as equal to God, to mislead people
from His path.
Say, “Enjoy [your time here]
but your path leads to the fire.”
31Tell My believing servants
to be steadfast in prayer,
and to spend in charity
—both secretly and openly—
from what We have given them,
before the coming of a day that
brooks neither trade nor friendship.
32It is God Who created
the heavens and the earth,
Who sends down rain from the sky,
bringing forth fruits to sustain you.
He subdued to your use
the ships° that sail the ocean
by His command, and subdued
to you the rivers too.
33And He subdued to your use
the sun and moon, both sailing
steadfast in their orbits;
and He subdued to you
both night and day.
34And He has given you
all that you asked of Him.
If you tried to count the favors
of God, you could never
number them. Humankind
is truly unjust, ungrateful.
SECTION 6
35Remember when Abraham said,
“My Lord, make this town secure,
and keep me and my sons
from worshipping idols.
36“My Lord, those idols
have led many people astray.
Whoever follows me is with me;
as for those who disobey me—
You are Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
37“Our Lord, I have settled some
of my offspring in an arid valley,
near your sacred house, so that
they might be steadfast in prayer, our Lord.
So, turn people’s hearts toward them,
and sustain them with fruit, so that
they might be grateful.
38“Our Lord, you know
what we conceal and what we reveal,
for nothing whatsoever
on earth or in heaven
is hidden from God.
39“All praise be to God, Who granted
Ishmael and Isaac to me in my old age—
My Lord is the One Who Hears prayer.°
40“My Lord, make me steadfast
in prayer, and my offspring too—
our Lord, accept my prayer.
41“Our Lord, grant forgiveness
to me, my parents, and the believers
on the day the reckoning comes.”
SECTION 7
42Do not think, Prophet, that God
ignores the deeds of those who do wrong;
He merely grants them respite
till a day when their eyes
will stare [in horror],
43racing forward, their heads
craned back, their gaze fixed rigid,°
and their hearts void.
44So warn the people of a day
when Our torment will fall on them.
Then, the wrongdoers will say,
“Our Lord, grant us respite,
if only for a short while: we’ll
answer your call, and we’ll follow
the messengers.” They will be told,
“But didn’t you always swear
that your [power] would never fade?
45“And you lived in the houses
of those who wronged themselves,
though you were clearly shown
how We dealt with them—
Did We not give examples for you?”
46Yes, they contrived their plot,
but God has the measure of their plot—
even if their plot could move mountains.
47So, Prophet, do not think that God
will fail in His promise to His messengers;
God is Almighty, Lord of Requital.
48One day, when this earth
becomes another earth,
this heaven, another heaven,
with people all exposed before God,
the One, Omnipotent,
49you, Prophet, will see the sinners
bound together in chains,
50in garments of tar, their faces
covered by fire—
51so that God might reward
each soul for what it has reaped—
God is Swift in Reckoning.
52Here is a message for humankind,
to be warned by it, and to know
that He is the One God, so those
with insight might be reminded.
SURA 15
The Rocky Plain (Al-Hijr)
From the middle Meccan period, this sura of 99 short verses takes its name from a place just north of Medina, where the Thamud tribe lived (vv. 80–84). Several passages extol nature and creation but also warn of punishment (vv. 49–84). Among its unusual features is a notable reference to the initial sura, Sura al-Fatiha, as “the seven much-recited verses” (v. 87).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Alif. Lam. Ra.°
These are the verses of the Book,
a clear Quran.
2Those who disbelieve may soon wish
they had yielded to God’s will.
3Leave them to eat
and please themselves,
beguiled by hope; soon
they will come to know.
4We never destroy any town
without decreeing for it a fixed term.°
5No community can hasten
its term or delay it.
6They scoff, “You—the one
this message is revealed to—
you are truly mad.°
7“Why don’t you bring the angels
to us, if you’re speaking the truth?”
8We send down the angels
only to bring the truth—and then
there would be no reprieve
[for those who disbelieve].
9It is We who revealed the message,
and it is We Who watch over it.
10We sent messengers before you
to former communities,
11but they mocked every messenger
who came to them.°
12And so We let it slip
into the hearts of sinners
13that they would deny the message—
the practice of former peoples.°
14And even if We opened for them
a gate to heaven, and they rose
through it, higher still and higher,
15they would only say, “Our eyes
are dazzled—yes, we’re bewitched.”
SECTION 2
16We have laid stars out in the sky
in their ordered constellations,
sublime to all who gaze on them,
17and We guard them against
every accursed devil.°
18Though any devil who eavesdrops
shall be chased by a luminous flame.°
19And We have laid out the earth,
set sturdy mountains upon it,
and brought forth on it
all things in due proportion.
20And We placed in it provision
for you and also for those
outside your care.
21The treasures of all things
rest with Us, and We send them
down only in due measure.
22We send the fructifying winds, and
water from the sky for you to drink,
though you cannot store it.
23It is We who give life,
and We who bring death, and We
shall inherit all things.
24We know those who go first among you
and We know those who lag behind.
25It is your Lord who will
gather them together; He
is the All Wise, All Knowing.
SECTION 3
26We created humankind
from dried clay,
molded from dark mud.
27and before that We created jinn
from a scorching fire.
28Your Lord said to the angels,
“I shall create a human from dried clay,
molded from dark mud.”
29“Once I have proportioned him,
and breathed My spirit into him—
fall down and bow before him.”°
30So the angels all bowed down,
31except Iblis, who refused to bow
with the others.
32God demanded, “Iblis, why
did you not bow with the others?”
33Iblis retorted, “I will not bow
to a human, whom you created from
dried clay, molded from dark mud.”
34God answered, “Go out, then,
from here, for you are surely cursed.
35“And the curse shall stay with you
until the day of reckoning.”
36Iblis implored, “My Lord,
grant me respite, till the day when
all are raised up from the dead.”
37“You shall have respite,” said God,
38“until the appointed day.”
39Iblis said, “My Lord,
because you have left me to stray,
I will entice them on the earth,
and lead them astray—all,
40“except those among your servants
who are chosen.”
41God affirmed,
“This is a straight path to Me
[for those who are chosen].
42“You shall have no authority
over My servants, except those
who err, who choose to follow you.”
43And hell is the end
promised for all of them.
44It has seven gates,
each assigned its share of them.
SECTION 4
45Those who fear God shall be
amid gardens and fountains;
46[They shall hear the greeting],
“Enter in peace and safety.”
47And We will purge their hearts
of rancor, and they will be kin,°
arrayed on couches, face-to-face.
48No fatigue shall reach them there,
nor will they be made to leave.
49Let My servants know that I am
Forgiving, Ever Merciful,
50and that My punishment
is a most painful punishment.
51And let them know about
the guests of Abraham.
52When they came to him,
saying, “Peace,” he said,
“We’re afraid of you.”
53They said, “Don’t be afraid;
we bring you good news—of a son,
to be endowed with knowledge.”
54He answered, “Do you bring
such good news, when old age
is already upon me?
What kind of news is this?”°
55They said, “We bring you
good news that is true,
so don’t despair.”
56Abraham replied,
“Who but those who’ve gone astray
despair of their Lord’s mercy?”
57Then he inquired,
“So, what is your mission,
you messengers?”
58They said, “We have been sent
to a people who are sinful,
59“except the family of Lot,
of whom We shall save all
60“but his wife. We decreed
that she would be with those
who stayed behind.”
SECTION 5
61When the messengers came
to the family of Lot,
62he said, “You people
are unknown to us.”
63They responded, “True,
but We have brought you
the [very punishment
the sinners] doubted.
64“We have brought you the truth,
and we are being truthful.
65“So, leave, with your family,
in the dead of night,
and stay behind them,
and let none of you look back,
but keep going to where
you are commanded.”
66And We made known to him
Our decree: the last of those people
would be wiped out by morning.
67The people of the town
came by, exulting.°
68Lot cautioned them,
“These people are my guests,
so don’t shame me.
69“Be mindful of God,
and don’t disgrace me.”
70The townspeople said,
“Didn’t we forbid you from hosting
or protecting anyone?”°
71He said, “Here are my daughters,
if you would behave [acceptably].”°
72By your very life, Prophet,
they stumbled blindly in their stupor.
73But the thunderous blast
struck them at dawn,
74and We turned [their town]
upside down, and rained upon them
stones of hardened clay.
75In this are signs
for the discerning.
76[And its ruins haunt]
a road that is still there.
77In this is a sign
for those who believe.
78And the forest dwellers
were also wrongdoers,°
79We requited them also.
Both lie on an open road,
for all to see.
SECTION 6
80The natives of al-Hijr°
also denied the messengers.
81We sent them Our signs,
but they always turned
away from them.
82They carved their houses
out of the mountains—
seeming secure.
83But the thunderous blast
shook them in the morning,
84And the deeds they had done
were of no help to them.
85We did not create the heavens
and the earth, and all between them,
without true purpose.
And the hour is surely coming,
so show them, Prophet,
gracious forbearance.
86For your Lord is the Creator,
the All Knowing.
87We have given you
the seven much-recited verses
and the exalted Quran.°
88Don’t strain both your eyes
gazing at what We have given
some people to enjoy [while it lasts];
nor grieve over them;
but lower your wing° [in mercy]
over the believers,
89and say, “I am someone
who gives clear warning.”
90Just as We sent warning
to those who sought division,
91dividing the Quran
into discrete segments.
92By your Lord, We shall
question them all
93for their deeds.
94So proclaim openly what you
have been commanded to say,
and turn away from those
who join other gods with God.
95We offer ample defense for you
against those who mock,
96those who devise, besides God,
some other god—soon
they will come to know.
97We well know how your heart
is stressed by what they say.
98So glorify your Lord with praise,
and join those who bow low to Him.
99And worship your Lord until
[death in its] certainty comes to you.°
SURA 16
The Bee (Al-Nahl)
From the late Meccan period, though the final verses may be Medinan, this sura of 128
