for We know all things.
82And We made some of the demons
dive into the sea for him,
and do other work,
while We watched over them.
83When Job cried out to his Lord,
“Misfortune is upon me,
yet You are the Most Merciful
of the merciful,”
84We answered him,
removing his misfortune,
restoring his family to him,
and its like along with them,
as a mercy from Our grace
and a reminder to Our servants.
85And then there were Ishmael, Idris,
and Ezekiel, all steadfast in patience,
86whom We received into Our mercy,
for they were undoubtedly righteous.
87And Jonah strode off in anger,
imagining We had no sway over him.
But then he called out
through the dark depths,
“There is no god but You.
Glory be to You.
It was I who was wrong.”
88So We answered him,
and saved him from distress—
as We save believers.
89When Zachariah called to his Lord,
“My Lord, don’t leave me childless
and alone—though You are doubtless
the best of heirs,”
90We answered him,
and gave him a son, John,
curing his barren wife.
They would always hasten
to do good deeds,
and would call upon Us
in hope and fear,
humbling themselves before Us.
91We breathed Our spirit into Mary°
who preserved her chastity;
We made her and her son
a sign for all peoples.
92This community of yours is one,
and I am your Lord, so worship Me.
93But [subsequent generations]
became divided into sects—
to Us they shall all return.
SECTION 6
94The labor of those
who do good deeds and are believers
shall never be rejected,
and We shall record it on their behalf.
95But no town
that We have wiped out
shall rise again°
96till the people of Gog and Magog°
are unleashed, swarming down
from every slope,
97and the true promise draws near.
Then, the eyes of the disbelievers
will stare in horror, and they will say,
“Shame on us, we were heedless
of this—we did wrong.”
98You polytheists and those
you worship instead of God
shall be fuel for hell—to which
you shall assuredly come.
99If these idols had been gods,
they would not have ended up there;
but there they shall all stay forever.
100There, the disbelievers
shall groan in anguish,
and they shall hear nothing.
101But those to whom
We have promised good things
shall be far removed [from hell];
102they will not hear a whisper
from it, and will live forever
with all that they desire.
103The great horror
shall not grieve them;
angels shall greet them,
“This is your promised day.”
104On that day We shall
roll up the heaven, like a scroll
folding away its writing.
Just as We induced the first creation,
so We shall reproduce it anew—
This is Our promise,
which We shall fulfill.
105In the Psalms, as in earlier scriptures,
We declared, “My righteous servants
shall inherit the earth.”°
106This Quran bears a message
for those who worship God.
107We sent you, Prophet, only
as a mercy to humankind.
108Say, “What has been revealed
to me is that your god is One God—
so will you not submit to His will?
109But if they turn away from you,
say, “I have proclaimed the message
to all of you alike.
But it’s not for me to know
if the judgment promised you
is near or far.
110“It is He Who knows
what is openly spoken,
and what you hide.
111“I do not know if this
is a trial for you—
a brief time of enjoyment.”
112Say,° “My Lord, judge justly—
our Lord, the All Merciful,
Whose help we seek against
the falsehoods you ascribe to Him.”
SURA 22
The Pilgrimage (Al-Hajj)
Both Meccan and Medinan, this sura totals 78 verses. They underscore the antiquity of the Hajj rite going back to Abraham (vv. 25–29) but also herald the ubiquity of hope for all those who believe (v. 17). While reinforcing the need to struggle and strive on behalf of truth (vv. 39ff.), this sura acknowledges that God has “assigned rites of worship for every people to perform” (v. 67). The Prophet’s duty is to remind them (of their rites), but defer until the day of resurrection all matters on which they dispute with him (vv. 68–69).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Humankind, be mindful of your Lord,
for the trepidation° of the hour
shall be a tremendous thing.
2The day you see that dreadful hour,
every nursing mother shall forget
her child, and every pregnant female
miscarry her fetus, and you’ll see
people seeming to move
in drunken stupor, though not drunk—
so severe will be the wrath of God.
3Yet some people still argue about God,
without knowledge; they follow every
obstinate, rebellious devil.
4As decreed, the devil will lead astray
those who turn to him, guiding them
to the punishment of blazing fire.
5Humankind, if you are in doubt
about the resurrection, know that
We created you from dust, then
from sperm, then a clot of fluid,
and then an embryonic mass,
both formed and unformed—
to make clear to you [Our Power].
We allow what We will
to stay in the womb for a fixed term,
then We bring you out as infants,
to grow and reach maturity.
Some of you die young,
while others reach senility,
bereft of the knowledge they had.
You see the earth barren;
then We send rain to make it stir
and swell, sprouting exquisite
[plants of] all kinds in their pairs.
6For God is the True Reality,°
He Who brings life to the dead,
He Who has Power over all things.
7And the hour is on its way—
let there be no doubt about this,
or that God will raise up
all people from their graves.
8But among the people are some
who argue about God,
without knowledge, or guidance,
or any illuminating Book,
9twisting their necks away
in disdain that they may
lead some people astray
from God’s path.
Disgraced in this world,
We will yet make them taste
the torment of the blaze
on the day of reckoning,
10telling them, “This is for the deeds
you amassed with your own hands,
for God never wrongs His servants.”
SECTION 2
11Some of the people serve God
as if on the verge [of doubt]—
if good fortune falls to them,
they feel content.
But if they are tested,
their faces turn about, reverting—
they have lost both this world and
the hereafter—a distinct loss.
12They call on gods other than God
—who can neither harm nor help them—
and thereby stray far away.
13They call on one more disposed
to harm than help°—a wicked patron,
a wicked companion.
14God will usher those who believe
and do good deeds into gardens,
beneath which rivers flow—
for God does all that He intends.
15Whoever thinks that God
will not help him in either this world
or the hereafter, let him stretch
a rope to the ceiling, [hang himself
from it,] and cut off his life,
to see if his recourse
removes the source of his rage.°
16We reveal the Quran
in clear verses;
God guides whom He will.
17Those who believe,
and the Jews, Sabians, Christians,
Magians,° and polytheists—
God will judge between them
on the day of resurrection,
for God is Witness to all things.
18Do you not see that all things
in the heavens and on the earth
bow down before God—
the sun, moon, stars, mountains,
trees, animals, and many people,
though many deserve to be punished?
No one can raise to honor
those whom God disgraces,
for God does all that He will.
19Both believers and unbelievers
dispute over their Lord.
A robe of fire shall be tailored
for those who deny, and scorching
water poured over their heads,
20melting their insides and skins,
21iron maces restraining them.
22Whenever they venture, in anguish,
to break out, they shall be forced back
and told, “Taste the suffering of fire.”
SECTION 3
23But God will usher those who believe
and do good deeds into gardens
beneath which rivers flow. Bracelets
of gold and pearl shall adorn them,
and their clothes shall be of silk.
24For they were guided
toward virtuous words,
and toward the path
of the Praiseworthy.
25As for the disbelievers, who
bar people from the path of God
and the sacred mosque
(which We made for humankind,
residents and visitors alike),°
the disbelievers who
aim to deviate and do wrong—
We shall make them taste
a painful torment.
SECTION 4
26We entrusted to Abraham the site
of the sacred house, saying,
“Do not join other gods with Me
in worship, and purify My house
for those who circle round it,
those who stand to pray, and those
who bow and prostrate themselves.
27“And proclaim to all people
the duty of pilgrimage.
They will come to you on foot,
and on every kind of swift camel;
they will come out from every
far and deep mountain pass,
28“so they might see some gain
and remember the name of God
on the designated days,
pronounced over the cattle
He has provided for them.
Eat from them, and also
feed those who are destitute, poor.
29“Then let them complete their rites
of cleansing, fulfill their vows,
and circle the ancient house.”°
30This [is how to perform
the pilgrimage]: those who honor
the sacred rites of God
will find this better for them
in the sight of their Lord.
And livestock are lawful to you,
except what is already banned.°
Refrain from the abomination
of worshipping idols, and refrain
from uttering what is false.
31Be upright in faith to God,
never joining other gods with Him;
whoever does this is like a person
who has fallen from the sky
and is plucked away by birds, or
blown by the wind to a far-off place.
32This is how it is—those
who honor the rituals of God°
do so from the piety of their hearts.
33Livestock will yield benefits
for you, for a limited time;
then, their place of sacrifice
shall be near the ancient house.
SECTION 5
34We designated rites of sacrifice
for every community, so they might
remember the name of God over
the livestock he gave to sustain them.
For your God is One God,
so submit to Him alone,
and give joyous news to those
who humble themselves,
35those whose hearts fill with awe
when the name of God is spoken,
who show patience
when adversity strikes them,
those who are steadfast in prayer,
and spend in charity from what
We have given them.
36We have made for you
among the rituals of God
the sacrificial camels and cows;
in them is much good for you.
So, invoke the name of God
over them as they are lined up
for sacrifice. Then, when they
are fallen, lifeless, on their sides,
eat from them, and feed the needy,
those who ask and those who don’t.
Hence We subdued to your use
these sacrificial beasts,
that you might give thanks.
37It is not their meat that reaches God,
nor their blood; what reaches Him
is your piety. Hence He subdued them
to your use, that you might glorify God
for guiding you. So give joyous news
to those who do good deeds.
38God will defend the believers;
He has no love for the traitors
or those who are ungrateful.
SECTION 6
39Permission to fight is given
to those who are attacked,
for they have been wronged.°
And God is All Powerful
in His support of them—
40those driven out of their homes unjustly
—merely for saying, “Our Lord is the One God.”
If God did
