and show the utmost insolence.
22On the day they see the angels—
that day, there will be no
welcome news for the sinners.
The [inmates of hell] will cry,
“A barrier, forbidden!”°
23Then We shall proceed to consider
their deeds, and scatter them like dust.
24On that day,
the people of paradise
will be in a better home,
reposing in a fairer place.
25On the day the sky with its clouds
is burst asunder,
and hosts of angels are sent down—
26on that day, the Most Merciful
shall have true dominion—
a bitter day for unbelievers.
27On that day the wrongdoer
will bite his own hands, and cry,
“If only I had taken
the path with the messenger!
28“A pity for me°—if only I hadn’t
taken so and so for a friend.
29“They diverted me from
remembrance [of the Book]
after it had come to me—
Satan always betrays humankind.”
30The messenger said, “My Lord,
my people have forsaken this Quran.”°
31In this way We gave every prophet
enemies among the sinners;
but your Lord suffices
as a guide and a helper.
32The disbelievers ask,
“Why wasn’t the Quran revealed
all at once?” We revealed it
like this so it might fortify your heart,
reciting it in due measure, over time,°
33and so they can’t bring
any example to you
that We don’t explain best,
bringing you its truth.
34Those gathered into hell,
lying on their faces,
shall be in an evil place,
farthest astray from a straight path.
SECTION 4
35We gave Moses the Book,
and his brother Aaron to help him.
36And We commanded,
“Go, both of you, to the people
who have denied Our signs”—
Then, We destroyed the people.
37And when the people of Noah
denied the messengers,
We drowned them—
making them a sign for humankind.
We have prepared a painful torment
for those who do wrong.
38So too with the people of ʿAd,
Thamud, and Rass,°
and many generations in between.
39We produced parables
warning each of them,
and each We destroyed.°
40Disbelievers must have come upon
the town showered with brimstone°—
did they not see it? No—they don’t
expect to be resurrected.
41When they see you,
they merely mock you,
“Is this the one whom God sent
as a messenger?
42“He might have led us astray
from our gods, had we not stayed
steadfast by them.”
But soon they shall know
—when they see the punishment—
who is more astray from the true way.
43Have you seen those who take
their own desire as their god?
Are you their guardian?
44Do you think most of them listen
or understand? They’re like cattle—
even more astray from the true way.
SECTION 5
45Don’t you see how your Lord
lengthens a shadow? If He wished,
He could make it stand still—
We made the sun its sign,
46then We draw it in toward Us,
phase by phase.
47It is He Who makes the night
a robe for you, and sleep a repose,
and the day for you to rise again.
48And it is He Who sends the winds
as omens, heralding His mercy;
and We send pure water from the sky
49to give life thereby to a dead land,
and drink to those We created—
so many livestock and people:
50We have distributed
[the water] among them,
that they might remember.
But most of them refuse
to be anything but thankless.
51Had We wished, We could have
sent someone to warn every town.
52So don’t heed the unbelievers
but strive hard against them,
using the Quran.
53It is He Who merged the two seas
—one fresh and sweet, the other
salty and brine—and placed between
them a barrier, forbidden.°
54And it is He Who created
the human being from water,
and ties of blood and marriage;
for your Lord is All Powerful.
55Yet they worship, besides God,
things that can neither profit
nor harm them; and the disbeliever
always helps those opposed to God.
56We sent you, Prophet, only as a
bearer of joyous news and warning.°
57Say, “I ask no reward for what I do,
only that those who desire it
take the path to their Lord.”
58And trust in the Living God
who never dies, and hymn His praise;
for He is Well Aware
of the sins of His servants.
59It is He Who created the heavens
and earth and what lies between them
in six days, then took up
the throne—the Most Merciful—
ask a learnèd person about Him.
60When they are told, “Bow down
before the Most Merciful,” they ask,
“What is the Most Merciful?
Shall we bow down
to anything you command us to?”
So their aversion grows.
SECTION 6
61Blessed is He Who graced the skies
with starry constellations, placing there
a beaming lamp and gleaming moon.
62It is He Who made night and day
in seamless sequence so that
those inclined might be mindful
or show that they are grateful.
63The worshippers of the Most Merciful
are those who walk humbly upon the earth,
and, when the ignorant address them,
respond with “Peace”;
64those who spend the night bowing
and standing [in prayer] before their Lord;
65those who plead, “Our Lord,
avert from us the torment of hell,
for its torment always cleaves—
66“it is an evil home
an evil place to repose—”
67those who are neither prodigal
in spending, nor miserly,
but achieve a mean between these;
68those who don’t invoke
any other god than the One God,
nor take a life—that God
has made sacred—without just cause,
nor engage in fornication.
Those who do these things
shall face a penalty,
69their torment doubled on the day
of resurrection, and there
they shall stay forever, disgraced—
70except those who repent,
and do good deeds.
God will displace their bad deeds
with good ones;
for God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
71And those who repent
and do good deeds
have truly turned again to God;
72those who refrain
from bearing false witness; who,
when they hear vain talk, pass it by,
retaining their dignity;
73those who, when reminded
of the signs of their Lord,
do not stumble over them
as if they were deaf or blind;
74and those who pray, “Our Lord,
grant us spouses and offspring
who will bring comfort to our eyes,
and make us leaders of the righteous.”
75Those are the ones to be rewarded
with the highest mansion in paradise,
—for they were patient—where they
will be met with greetings and peace,
76to live there forever—a beautiful
home, a beautiful place of repose.
77Say to the disbelievers,
“My Lord will not care for you
if you do not call on Him.
You have denied Him, and soon
the inexorable torment
will fall upon you.”
SURA 26
The Poets (Al-Shuʿara)
Middle Meccan, this sura contains terse narratives in short verses of several prophets, beginning with Moses and Abraham, but also including Noah, Hud, Salih, Lot, and Shuʿayb. The final verses (192–227) extol belief, and caution against poets (hence the title) who go astray and lead others to follow them (223–26).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 1
1Ta. Sin. Mim.°
2These are verses of the clear Book.
3Prophet, you would perhaps
distract yourself to death
[grieving] that they won’t believe.
4If We wished, We could send
down to them a sign from heaven,
before which their necks
would humbly bow.
5But as soon as a reminder comes
to them from the All Merciful,
they turn away from it.
6Yes, they deny it, but soon
the truth of what they scorn
will come to them.
7Don’t they see the earth—
how many noble species
We have caused to grow in it?
8In this is a sign,
yet most of them won’t believe.
9And your Lord Alone
is the Almighty, Ever Merciful.°
SECTION 2
10When your Lord called to Moses,
“Go to the people who do wrong,
11“the people of Pharaoh—
will they not be mindful of God?”
12He said, “My Lord, I fear
that they’ll say I am lying.
13“My chest will tighten,
and my tongue will falter,
so send Aaron also.
14“Besides, they have charged me
with a crime,°
and I fear they’ll kill me.”
15God answered, “Never.
Go, both of you, with Our signs.
We will be with you, listening.
16“So present yourselves
before Pharaoh, both of you,
and say, ‘We bring a message
from the Lord of the universe—
17“ ‘that you send with us
the children of Israel.’ ”
18Pharaoh retorted, “Did we not
nurture you as a child among us,
and did you not stay among us
for many years of your life?
19“Yet you committed that deed,
ungrateful as you are.”
20Moses replied, “I did it
at a time when I was astray,°
21“Then I fled from you
when I was afraid of you;
but my Lord granted me wisdom,
and made me one of the messengers.
22“And is this the favor
you have done me—that you
enslaved the children of Israel
[but spared me]?”
23Pharaoh inquired, “And what is
this Lord of the universe?”
24Moses responded, “The Lord
of the heavens and the earth,
and all that lies between them—
if only you could be convinced.”
25Pharaoh said to those around him,
“Do you not hear what he says?”
26Moses continued, “Your Lord,
and the Lord of your forefathers.”
27Pharaoh retorted, “Your messenger,
the one sent to you, is surely a madman.”
28Moses went on,
“Lord of the East and the West and
all that lies between them—
if only you could use reason.”
29Pharaoh said,
“If you take anyone but me as god,
I shall have you imprisoned.”
30Moses asked, “Even if I bring
before you convincing proof?”°
31Pharaoh said, “Bring it, then,
if you speak the truth.”
32So Moses threw his staff,
and behold, it became,
quite plainly, a snake.
33And he drew out his hand,
and behold, it gleamed white
for all to see.
SECTION 3
34Pharaoh said to the courtiers
around him, “This is indeed
an expert magician!
35“He wants to drive you
from your land by magic.
What do you advise?”
36They said,
“Detain him and his brother,
while you send
scouts to the cities to gather
37“and bring before you all
the expert magicians.”
38So the magicians were gathered
at an appointed time
on an announced day,
39and the people were asked,
“Will you too gather?”
40They replied, “We might follow
the magicians if they prevail.”
41So when the magicians arrived,
they asked Pharaoh,
“There’ll be a reward for us,
of course, if we win?”
42He replied, “Of course,
and you shall be among
my inner circle.”
43Moses said to them,
“Throw down whatever
you want to throw!”
44So they threw their ropes
and their staffs, saying,
“By the might of Pharaoh,
it is we who will win!”
45Then Moses threw down his staff,
and it soon devoured their concoctions.
46Then the magicians fell down, prostrate,
47exclaiming, “We believe
in the Lord of the universe,
48“the Lord of Moses and Aaron.”
49Pharaoh said,
“You believed in Him
before I gave you permission?
He must be your elder, who has
taught you magic. But soon
you shall know! I shall cut off
your hands and feet on either side,
and crucify you all.”
50They said,
“No harm shall befall us;
we shall turn back
to our Lord.
51“We hope our Lord
will forgive us our sins,
since we were the first to believe.”°
52And We inspired Moses—
“Travel by night, with my servants,
for you will be pursued.”
SECTION 4
53Then Pharaoh sent scouts
to all the cities,
54saying, “These Israelites
are a feeble band of men,
55“yet they have enraged us,
56“and we are a large force,
on full alert.”
57So We expelled [the Egyptians]
from their gardens and springs,
58their treasures and noble homes.°
59So it was. And later
