The Quran (English translation)

Contents
The Quran
Sura 1, The Opening (Al-Fatiha)
Sura 2, The Cow (Al-Baqara)
Sura 3, The Family of ʿImran (Al ʿImran)
Sura 4, Women (Al-Nisa)
Sura 5, The Table Spread (Al-Maʾida)
Sura 6, Cattle (Al-Anʿam)
Sura 7, The Heights (Al-Aʿraf)
Sura 8, The Spoils of War (Al-Anfal)
Sura 9, Repentance (Al-Tawba)
Sura 10, Jonah (Yunus)
Sura 11, Hud (Hud)
Sura 12, Joseph (Yusuf)
Sura 13, Thunder (Al-Raʿd)
Sura 14, Abraham (Ibrahim)
Sura 15, The Rocky Plain (Al-Hijr)
Sura 16, The Bee (Al-Nahl)
Sura 17, The Night Journey (Al-Israʾ)
Sura 18, The Cave (Al-Kahf)
Sura 19, Mary (Maryam)
Sura 20, Ta Ha (Ta Ha)
Sura 21, The Prophets (Al-Anbiyaʾ)
Sura 22, The Pilgrimage (Al-Hajj)
Sura 23, The Believers (Al-Muʾminun)
Sura 24, Light (Al-Nur)
Sura 25, The Criterion (Al-Furqan)
Sura 26, The Poets (Al-Shuʿara)
Sura 27, The Ants (Al-Naml)
Sura 28, The Story (Al-Qasas)
Sura 29, The Spider (Al-ʿAnkabut)
Sura 30, The Byzantines (Al-Rum)
Sura 31, Luqman (Luqman)
Sura 32, Prostration (Al-Sajda)
Sura 33, The Allied Forces (Al-Ahzab)
Sura 34, Sheba (Sabaʾ)
Sura 35, The Originator (Fatir)
Sura 36, Ya Sin (Ya Sin)
Sura 37, Arrayed in Ranks (Al-Saffat)
Sura 38, Sad (Sad)
Sura 39, The Crowds (Al-Zumar)
Sura 40, The Forgiving (Al-Ghafir)
Sura 41, Explained in Full (Fussilat)
Sura 42, Consultation (Al-Shura)
Sura 43, Gold Adornments (Al-Zukhruf)
Sura 44, Smoke (Al-Dukhan)
Sura 45, Kneeling (Al-Jathiya)
Sura 46, Sand Dunes (Al-Ahqaf)
Sura 47, Muhammad (Muhammad)
Sura 48, Victory (Al-Fath)
Sura 49, The Private Apartments (Al-Hujurat)
Sura 50, Qaf (Qaf)
Sura 51, Scattering Winds (Al-Dhariyat)
Sura 52, Mount Sinai (Al-Tur)
Sura 53, The Star (Al-Najm)
Sura 54, The Moon (Al-Qamar)
Sura 55, The All Merciful (Al-Rahman)
Sura 56, The Inexorable Event (Al-Waqiʿa)
Sura 57, Iron (Al-Hadid)
Sura 58, The Woman Who Pleads (Al-Mujadila)
Sura 59, The Gathering (Al-Hashr)
Sura 60, The Woman Tested (Al-Mumtahana)
Sura 61, In Ranks (Al-Saff)
Sura 62, The Friday Prayer (Al-Jumuʿa)
Sura 63, The Hypocrites (Al-Munafiqun)
Sura 64, Mutual Fraud (Al-Taghabun)
Sura 65, Divorce (Al-Talaq)
Sura 66, Prohibition (Al-Tahrim)
Sura 67, Dominion (Al-Mulk)
Sura 68, The Pen (Al-Qalam)
Sura 69, Reality (Al-Haqqa)
Sura 70, The Paths of Ascent (Al-Maʿarij)
Sura 71, Noah (Nuh)
Sura 72, The Jinn (Al-Jinn)
Sura 73, The One Enwrapped (Al-Muzzammil)
Sura 74, The One Enfolded (Al-Muddaththir)
Sura 75, Resurrection (Al-Qiyama)
Sura 76, Humankind (Al-Insan)
Sura 77, Those Sent Out (Al-Mursalat)
Sura 78, The Announcement (Al-Nabaʾ)
Sura 79, Those Who Force Out (Al-Naziʿat)
Sura 80, He Frowned (ʿAbasa)
Sura 81, The Folding Up (Al-Takwir)
Sura 82, The Cleaving Asunder (Al-Infitar)
Sura 83, Those Who Defraud (Al-Mutaffifin)
Sura 84, The Splitting Asunder (Al-Inshiqaq)
Sura 85, The Constellations (Al-Buruj)
Sura 86, The Night Traveler (Al-Tariq)
Sura 87, The Most High (Al-Aʿla)
Sura 88, The Overshadowing Event (Al-Ghashiya)
Sura 89, The Breaking Dawn (Al-Fajr)
Sura 90, The City (Al-Balad)
Sura 91, The Sun (Al-Shams)
Sura 92, Night (Al-Layl)
Sura 93, Morning Light (Al-Duha)
Sura 94, The Broadening (Al-Sharh)
Sura 95, The Fig (Al-Tin)
Sura 96, Clot of Blood (Al-ʿAlaq)
Sura 97, The Night of Decree (Al-Qadr)
Sura 98, Clear Proof (Al-Bayyina)
Sura 99, The Earthquake (Al-Zalzala)
Sura 100, Racing Steeds (Al-ʿAdiyat)
Sura 101, The Thundering Calamity (Al-Qariʿa)
Sura 102, Competing for Worldly Gain (Al-Takathur)
Sura 103, Time (Al-ʿAsr)
Sura 104, The Backbiter (Al-Humaza)
Sura 105, The Elephant (Al-Fil)
Sura 106, Quraysh (Quraysh)
Sura 107, Small Kindnesses (Al-Maʿun)
Sura 108, Abundance (Al-Kawthar)
Sura 109, Those Who Disbelieve (Al-Kafirun)
Sura 110, Help (Al-Nasr)
Sura 111, The Palm Fiber (Al-Masad)
Sura 112, Unity/Sincerity (Al-Ikhlas)
Sura 113, The Dawn (Al-Falaq)
Sura 114, Humankind (Al-Nas)
Acknowledgments
Glossary
The Beautiful Names of God
Notes
Introduction


The Quran A Verse Translation M. A. R. Habib and Bruce B. Lawrence
 
 
The Quran
 
 
SURA 1
The Opening (Al-Fatiha)
Some scholars suggest that the opening sura is also known as umm al-kitab, the Mother of the Book, and sabʿan min al-mathani, the often repeated seven (verses). One of the earliest revelations, it accents the divine attributes of mercy and might, guidance and judgment in succinct, lyrical form.
1In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful°
2All praise° be to God,
Lord of the universe;°
3The All Merciful,
Ever Merciful;
4Ruler of the day
of reckoning.°
5You alone we worship;°
and You alone
we implore for help.
6Guide us to the straight path,
7the path of those
whom You have favored,
not of those
who have incurred Your° wrath,
nor of those
who have gone astray.
 
 
SURA 2
The Cow (Al-Baqara)
The longest sura, it numbers 286 verses and is named “The Cow,” designated by God as a sacrificial offering (vv. 67–73). Revealed in Medina, it relates to several prophets, Adam, Moses, and Abraham, with Abraham’s home in Mecca depicted as God’s house. Detailed instructions cover food, fasting, almsgiving, and prayer but also address fighting, retaliation, writing wills, marriage, divorce, and usury. It has several breaks, allowing the reader to absorb its component parts, especially v. 255, the Verse of the Throne, perhaps the most famous and frequently invoked verse in the entire Quran.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Alif. Lam. Mim.°
2This is the Book,
free of doubt—
a guide for those
mindful of the Divine;
3those who
believe in the unseen
are steadfast in prayer
and give in charity
from what We have given them;
4those who believe
in what was revealed to you,°
and revealed before you,
those assured
of the hereafter;
5they are the ones
guided by their Lord
and they are the ones
who will flourish.
6As for those
who don’t believe,
it is the same
whether you warn them or not—
they won’t believe.
7God has set a seal
over their hearts
and their hearing,
and over their sight is a veil—
and they shall face
great torment.
8Some of the people say,
“We believe in God and
in the last day”—but they do not°—
9they would deceive God
and those who believe
but they deceive only themselves
though they don’t perceive it;
10their hearts are filled with disease
that God increases, and they
shall face painful torment
for their lying ways.
11When told, “Don’t sow corruption
through the earth,” they reply,
“We are just reformers.”
12Wrong—they do spread corruption,
though they don’t perceive it.
13When told, “Believe,
like the others do,” they retort,
“What, shall we believe,
like the fools?”
Wrong—they are the fools,
though they don’t know it.
14When they meet believers
they say, “We believe,” but
when alone with their demons,°
they say, “Really, we’re with you—
we were merely mocking them.”
15It is God Who mocks them,
and prolongs their transgression,
leaving them to wander blindly;
16it is they who have exchanged
guidance for error,
but their trading is profitless,
for they are not guided.
17They’re like people who kindle a fire—
as it lights up their surroundings,
God banishes their light, leaving them
in darkness, unseeing—
18deaf, dumb, blind—
they shall never return [to the path]
19or, like people hunched beneath
a rainstorm bursting from the sky,
with darkness, thunder, lightning—
at the thunderclaps, they cover
their ears with their hands,
in dread of death—
God besieges the unbelievers
from all sides;
20the lightning all but blinds their sight;
whenever it flashes around them,
they walk on,
but when darkness falls upon them,
they stand, transfixed.
Had God willed,
He could have seized
their hearing
and their sight.
He has Power over all things.
SECTION 2
21Humankind, worship your Lord
Who created you and those before you,
that you might be mindful of God,
22Who made the earth
a couch for you,°
and the sky a canopy,
Who sent down rain from the sky,
and brought out from the earth
fruits to sustain you—
so don’t set up rivals with God,
when you know [the truth].
23And if you doubt
what We have revealed
to Our servant, then produce
a sura like this; and call
whatever witnesses you have
besides God,
if you are being truthful;
24but if you are unable—and
you will never be able—to do this,
then fear the fire, to be fueled
by humans and stones, prepared
for the unbelievers.
25And give joyous news
to those who believe
and do good deeds,
that they shall have gardens
with flowing rivers beneath;
whenever they are fed with its fruits,
they will say, “This
is what we were fed before,”
for they were given the same;
and there they shall have
pure spouses,
and live there forever.
26God does not recoil
from coining similes
using a lowly mosquito
or higher creatures.
Those who believe
know it is the truth from their Lord.
Those who disbelieve say,
“What does God mean
by this simile?”
We lead many astray by it
and many We guide by it
but We lead astray by it
only the stoutly disobedient.
27Those who break God’s covenant
after it was ratified,
and sever the bonds ordained by God
and spread corruption on the earth—
they will be the ones in loss.
28How can you deny God,
when you were dead
and He gave you life?
Then He will bring you death,
and life again, and to Him
you shall be brought back.
29It is He who created for you
all that is on the earth;
then, turning to the heavens
He fashioned them
as seven heavens°
for He Knows all things.
SECTION 3
30When your Lord said to the angels,
“I will place a regent on the earth,”°
they said, “Will you place there
one who will sow corruption
and shed blood
while we glorify You with praise
and sanctify you?” He responded,
“I know what you
do not know.”
31And He taught Adam
the names of all things,°
and He brought these things
before the angels, saying,
“Inform Me of their names
if you are right.”°
32They replied, “Glory be to You;
we have no knowledge beyond
what You taught us. You
are the Knowing, the Wise.”
33He said to Adam,
“Inform the angels
of the names of things.”
When Adam had done so,
God said, “Did I not tell you
that I know what is unseen
in the heavens and the earth,
that I know what you reveal
and what you conceal?”
34And when We said to the angels,
“Bow down before Adam,”
they bowed down—all
but Iblis;° he refused, proud—
he became a disbeliever.
35We said, “Adam,
you and your wife may live
in the garden, and eat from it
wherever you will;
but do not approach this tree
or you will both do wrong.”
36Then Satan caused them
to fall from the garden,
and dislodged them
from their state in it. And We said,
“Go down, all of you,
as enemies of one another;
on earth you shall have a place to live
and livelihood for a while.”°
37Yet Adam was taught words
[to beg repentance from his Lord],
Who turned to him, relenting—
He is the Ever Relenting,
Ever Merciful.
38We said, “Go down from here,
all of you. But when My guidance
comes, as it will, those who
follow it shall have no fear,
nor shall they grieve.
39“But those who disbelieve
and deny Our signs
shall be inmates of the fire,
abiding there forever.”
SECTION 4
40Children of Israel, remember
the blessing I bestowed upon you,
and fulfill your covenant to Me
as I fulfill My covenant to you
and fear Me, alone,
41and believe in what
I have revealed,
confirming the scripture
already with you;°
don’t be the first to deny it,
nor sell My signs for a paltry price
and be mindful of Me, alone;
42and don’t confound truth
with falsehood, nor conceal
the truth, when you know it.
43Be steadfast in prayer,
practice charity,
and bow down
with those who bow in worship.
44Do you command people
to righteousness—and
forget it yourselves—
while reciting the Book?
Will you not use reason?
45Seek God’s help, through
patience and prayer—though
this is hard, except for
those who are humble,
46those assured that they
will meet their Lord, and that
to Him they shall return.
SECTION 5
47Children of Israel, remember
the blessing I bestowed upon you,
and that I favored you
over all peoples°—
48so be fearful of a day
when no soul can help another
nor shall any intercession
from it be accepted
nor any compensation—
none shall be helped.
49And remember when We saved you
from the forces of Pharaoh, who
scourged you with terrible torments,
slaughtering your sons,
sparing only your women.
This was a tremendous trial
from your Lord,
50and We parted the sea for you,
saving you, and drowning
the forces of Pharaoh
as you looked on.
51We arranged for Moses to stay
for forty nights [on Mount Sinai];
then, [while he was gone], you took
the calf as an idol°—you did wrong.
52Even after this, We pardoned you
that you might be thankful,
53and We gave Moses the Book
and the criterion of right and wrong°
that you might be guided;
54and Moses said to his people,
“My people,
You have wronged yourselves,
worshipping the calf. So turn,
in repentance, to your Maker,
and kill [the evil in] yourselves.°
That will be better for you
in the sight of your Maker.”
Then God relented to you—
He is Relenting, Ever Merciful.
55And you said, “Moses,
we’ll never believe in you
until we see God, appearing.”
Then the thunderbolt
struck you, as you looked on.
56Then We raised you up, after death,
that you might be thankful,
57and [We brought down]
clouds to shade you,
and We sent down
to you manna and quail, saying,
“Eat of the good things
We have given you,”
for they did not wrong Us
but wronged themselves.
58And We said, “Enter this town
and eat freely there, wherever
you will, but enter the gate
bowing low, voicing repentance.
We will forgive your mistakes
and increase the reward
of those who do good.”
59But the wrongdoers distorted
the word they had been given,
so We sent down upon them
a plague from the sky
for they were disobedient.
SECTION 6
60And remember when
Moses prayed for water
for his people. We said,
“Strike the rock with your staff.”
Twelve springs gushed out from it,
and each tribe° knew
its drinking place.
“Eat and drink from what God gives,
and refrain from wicked action, sowing
corruption in the land.”
61And you° said, “Moses,
we can’t abide just one kind
of food, so entreat your Lord,
for us, to bring out what
the earth grows—its herbs,
cucumbers, garlic, lentils,
and onions.” He replied,
“Would you exchange
what is better for what is worse?
Go down to any town,
and you shall get what you ask for.”
They were struck
with humiliation and misery,
drawing upon themselves
the wrath of God.
They always denied God’s signs
and killed the prophets unjustly:
they were always disobedient,
always transgressing.
SECTION 7
62Those who believe, including
the Jews, Christians, and Sabians°–
all who believe in God
and the last day
and do good works—
they shall have
a reward from their Lord,
and they shall have no fear,
nor shall they grieve.
63And We took a pledge from you,
and raised the Mount [of Sinai],
towering above you,
[saying], “Hold fast to what
We gave you, and remember
what it contains, that you might
remain mindful of God.”
64But you turned back,
even after that, and
were it not for God’s grace
upon you, and His mercy,
you would be in loss.
65You knew those among you
who broke the Sabbath;
We said to them,
“Become apes, despised.”°
66We made this a deterrent
to those present, as well as those
who came after them—a warning
for those mindful of God.
67And when Moses told his people,
“God commands you
to sacrifice a cow,”
they retorted,
“Are you making fun of us?”
He responded, “God forbid
that I should be so ignorant.”°
68They said, “Pray to your Lord
to make clear to us what cow it is.”
He replied, “He says it should be
neither old nor young
but of middle years;
so do as you’re commanded.”
69They said, “Pray to your Lord
to tell us what color it should be.”
He replied, “He says it should be
bright yellow, pleasing
to those who see it.”
70They said, “Pray to your Lord°
to tell us exactly which cow—
to us all cows are alike.
We will be guided, if God wills.”
71Moses answered, “He says
it should be a cow not trained
to till the soil, nor
to water the fields;
perfect, without blemish.”
They exclaimed, “Now you’ve provided
the facts!”°
Then, still vacillating,
they offered her in sacrifice.
SECTION 8
72And when you Israelites
killed someone and argued
about who was to blame,
God revealed what
you had concealed.
73So We said, “Strike
the dead body with a piece
of the cow.” This is how
God brings the dead to life
and shows you His signs,
that you might use reason.
74Yet, even after that, your hearts
were hardened—like rocks,
or harder—for there are rocks
from which rivers gush forth,
and some which split to yield
streams running out,
and others that fall down
in fear of God;
for God is not heedless
of what you do.
75So, can you believers really hope
that they will believe you,
when a group of them
used to hear the words of God
and distort them willfully,
though they understood them?
76When they meet the believers,
they say, “We believe.” But when
they are with one another in private,
they say, “Why would you tell them
what God has revealed to you—
just so that they could argue it
against you before your Lord?
Do you not understand?”
77Do they not know that God
knows well what they conceal
and what they reveal?
78Among them are unlettered people
who don’t know the Book;
they take from it notions
to please themselves,
and merely conjecture.
79And woe to those who write
the Book with their own hands,
claiming, “This is from God”—
selling it for a paltry price.
Woe to them for what
their hands have written,
and what they earn by this.
80And they say, “The fire will
touch us only for some days.”
Say, “Has God promised you this?
—for God never breaks his promise—
Or, are you imputing to God
what you do not know?”
81No, those who reap evil,
engulfed by their sins,
shall be inmates of the fire,
where they shall stay forever.
82But those who believe
and do good works
shall live in the garden,
where they shall stay forever.
SECTION 9
83We made a covenant
with the children of Israel,
“Worship none but the One God,
and treat kindly your parents
and family, as well as orphans
and the poor. Speak kindly to people,
be steadfast in prayer,
and give what is due in charity.”
But then, all but a few of you
turned back—
and still you turn away.
84We made a covenant
with you: do not shed
one another’s blood, nor
drive one another from your homes;
you pledged this,
as you yourselves bore witness.
85Yet now, you are the ones
killing one another, driving
some from their homes,
helping one another in sin
and wronging them;
and if they come to you as captives,
you ransom them, though you were
forbidden to expel them.
Do you, then, believe in part
of the Book but deny another part?
What is the reward for those of you
who act like this except
disgrace in this life, and to be
sent back [to your Creator]
for the harshest torment
on the day of resurrection?
God is not heedless of what you do.
86These are the people who
trade the hereafter
for the life of this world;
their torment shall not be lightened,
nor shall they be helped.
SECTION 10
87We gave Moses the Book,
and We sent after him a series
of messengers. We gave clear signs
to Jesus, son of Mary, whom We
strengthened with the holy spirit.°
Whenever a messenger
came to you, bringing what you
did not desire, did you not grow proud,
denying some and killing others?
88They say, “Our hearts are closed
[against what you say.]” No—
God curses them for their disbelief;
and little do they believe.
89When there came to them
a Book from God, confirming what
they had before—and though they
had been praying for victory
against those who disbelieved—
even when they knew the truth
had come to them, they denied it;
and God curses the disbelievers.
90They have sold their souls
for a wicked price, by denying
what God has revealed, grudging
that God bestows His grace upon
whom He chooses of His servants.
So they have brought upon
themselves wrath upon wrath;
and the disbelievers will face
disgraceful torment.
91When they are told, “Believe
in what God has revealed,”
they say, “We believe
in what was revealed to us,”
but they deny what came after it,
even though it is the truth
confirming [the message]
they already had.
Say, “If you are believers, why
did you kill God’s prophets before?
92“Moses came to you
with clear signs; then,
while he was gone, you took
the calf as an idol—you did wrong.”
93And We took a pledge from you,
and raised Mount [Sinai],
towering above you,
[saying], “Hold fast to what
We have given you, and hear Us,”
they said, “We hear and disobey.”
And, through their disbelief,
their hearts were made to drink
devotion to the calf.
Say, “If you are believers,
what your faith commands
you to do is wicked.”
94Say, “If the final home with God
is for you alone, of all peoples,
you should hope for death—if
you are being truthful.”
95But they will never hope
for death—on account of
the deeds they have accrued;°
and God Knows all
that the wrongdoers do.
96You will find that they
are the people most attached to life—
even more than the polytheists.
Every one of them would love
to be granted life for a thousand years.
But that life-span would not drag them
away from the punishment,
for God Sees all that they do.
SECTION 11
97Say, “As for those who declare
themselves enemies of Gabriel—
know that it is he
who brought down [this message]
to your heart, by God’s leave,
confirming the previous scriptures
you already have, with guidance
and joyous news for the believers—
98“As for the disbelievers who are
enemies of God, His angels,
and His messengers
—as well as Gabriel and Michael°—
God is their enemy.”
99We have revealed to you
clear signs, and only
the disobedient deny them.
100Whenever they make a covenant,
why does a group of them throw it
aside? Most of them don’t believe.
101And when a messenger came
to them from God, confirming
the scripture they already had,
a group of those among
the people of the Book
ignored the Book of God,°
as if they had not known of it.
102They followed what
the demons recited about the reign
of Solomon;° it was not Solomon
who disbelieved, but the demons—
they taught people magic and what
was revealed to the two angels
in Babylon, Harut and Marut.°
Yet before they taught anyone,
these two always warned,
“We are only testing you.
So don’t disbelieve.”
From these two, [the disbelievers]
learned only to sow discord
between husband and wife,
though they could not harm anyone
by it except with God’s leave.
And they learned only things
that could harm them, not profit them—
knowing that whoever bought
this magic would have no share
in the hereafter.
They sold their souls at
a wicked price—if only they knew.
103Had they believed and been
mindful of God, they would have had
a better reward from their Lord—
if only they knew.
SECTION 12
104You who believe, don’t say,
“See us,” but “Look at us”—and
listen to him.° For the unbelievers
shall face painful torment.
105The disbelievers among
the people of the Book and
the polytheists don’t ever wish
anything good to be sent down
to you from your Lord. But God
chooses for His mercy whom He will;
for God’s grace is great.
106Whenever We abrogate a verse,°
or let it be forgotten, We bring
one better than it or similar.
Do you not know that God
has Power over all things?
107Do you not know
that God holds dominion
over the heavens and the earth,
and that beyond Him you will find
no protector or helper?
108Would you question
your messenger, as Moses
was questioned earlier?
Whoever exchanges belief
for disbelief undoubtedly
strays from the even path.
109Among the people of the Book
many wish they could turn you
back from belief to disbelief—
out of envy in themselves—even after
receiving the clear truth.
But forgive them and forbear
until God’s command comes,
for God has Power over all things.
110Be steadfast in prayer,
and practice due charity,
for whatever good you do
for yourselves, you will find it
laid up with God°—
God Sees all that you do.
111And they say, “No one
shall ever enter paradise unless
they are Jews or Christians.” This
is nothing but their fancy. Say,
“Bring your proof, if
what you say is true.”
112Rather, it is those who
submit their entire self° to God,
and do good, who shall have
their reward with their Lord;
they shall have no fear,
nor shall they grieve.
SECTION 13
113The Jews say, “Christians
have no basis [for their beliefs],”°
while the Christians say, “Jews
have no basis [for their beliefs].”
Yet they both read the Book,
and those with no knowledge
say the same thing.
But God will judge between them
on the day of resurrection,
about the issues they dispute.
114And who is more unjust
than someone who prevents
the remembrance of God’s name
in houses of worship,
and strives to desolate them?
Such people should enter
these houses only with awe;
they will face disgrace
in this world, and great torment
and in the hereafter.
115To God belong the East
and the West. Wherever you turn—
there is His Face—God,
the All Embracing, All Knowing.
116They say,
“God has begotten a child.”
Wrong—Glory be to Him—
to Him belongs all
that is in the heavens and the earth.
All things devoutly obey Him.
117He is the Originator
of the heavens and the earth.
When He decrees something,
He says to it, “Be!”—and it is.
118And those with no knowledge say,
“Why does God not speak to us?”
or “Why does no sign come to us?”
Those before them said the same—
their hearts are alike.
We have indeed made the signs
clear to people of firm faith.
119Yes, We have sent you,
[Prophet,] with the truth,
to give joyous news and
to give warning. But it’s not you
who must answer for
the inmates of the blazing fire.
120The Jews and Christians will
never be content until you adopt
their creed. Say, “The only guidance
is God’s guidance.”
If you were to comply with their desires
after the knowledge that has come to you,
you would have neither protector
nor helper against God.
121Those to whom We gave the Book,
those who recite it rightly—
they are the ones who believe in it;
but those who deny it—
they will be the ones who lose.
SECTION 14
122Children of Israel, remember
the favor I showed you,
choosing you over all peoples—
123so be fearful of a Day
when no soul can help another,
nor shall any compensation
from it be accepted,
nor shall any intercession
be of benefit to it—
none shall be helped.
124When Abraham was tried
by his Lord with certain commands,
which he fulfilled, God said,
“I will make you a leader of nations.”
Abraham asked,
“And my descendants also?”
God responded,
“My promise does not extend
to those who do wrong.”
125And We made the House [in Mecca]
a place of assembly for people,
and of sanctuary, saying,
“Take the station of Abraham°
as your place of prayer,” and
We made a covenant
with Abraham and Ishmael
that they should purify My House
for those who walk around it,
or stand there in devotion,
or bow and prostrate
themselves in prayer.
126And when Abraham said,
“My Lord, make this town
a sanctuary, and sustain its people
with fruits—those of them
who believe in God
and the last day,” God responded,
“As for those who disbelieve,
I will grant them enjoyment
for a short while, and then
drive them to the torment
of the fire—an evil end.”
127So Abraham and Ishmael
erected the foundations
of the House, saying, “Our Lord,
accept this from us, for You
are the All Hearing, All Knowing.”
128“Our Lord, make us both,
and our descendants,
a community that submits
to Your will.° Show us
the due rites of pilgrimage,
and relent to us.
You are the Ever Relenting,
Ever Merciful.”
129“Our Lord, raise among them
a messenger of their own, reciting
to them Your verses, teaching
them the Book and wisdom,
purifying them. You—
You alone are Almighty, All Wise.”°
SECTION 15
130And who would turn away
from the creed of Abraham
but those who fool themselves?
We chose him in this world,
and in the hereafter he will be
among the righteous.
131When his Lord said to him,
“Submit to My will,” he complied:
“I submit to the Lord
of the universe.”
132And Abraham urged his sons,
as did Jacob, “My sons,
God has chosen this religion for you,°
so be sure that you die
submitting [to His will].”
133Did you witness Jacob’s death?°
In fact, when he asked his sons,
“What will you worship after me?”
They said, “We will worship
your God, and the God
of your fathers, of Abraham,
Ishmael, and Isaac—the One God—
and to Him we submit our will.”
134That community° is gone;
what they earned was for them,
and what you earn is for you;
you shall not be questioned
about their deeds.
135They say, “Become Jews
or Christians—to be rightly guided.”
Say, “No—ours is the creed
of Abraham, the upright, who
never ascribed partners to God.”
136Say, “We believe in God,
in what has been revealed to us,
and what was revealed to Abraham,
Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes,
and in the Books given to Moses,
Jesus, and the prophets,
from their Lord;
we make no distinction between
any among them,
and to God we submit our will.”
137If they believe as you believe,
they will be rightly guided; but if
they turn back, they will quarrel.
God is enough to guard you
against them, for He is
All Hearing, All Knowing.
138[Our religion takes its] color
from God—and who better
to imbue color than God?°
So we worship Him alone.
139Say [to the Jews and Christians],
“Do you dispute with us about God
when He is our Lord and your Lord?
Your deeds are yours,
and our deeds are ours,
and we are true to Him alone.
140“Or do you say that Abraham,
Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and
the tribes were Jews or Christians?”
Say, “Do you know better
than God? Who is more unjust
than someone who hides
the testimony he has from God?
For God is not unmindful
of what you do.”
141That community is gone—
what they earned was for them,
and what you earn is for you;
you shall not be asked
about their deeds.
SECTION 16
142The fools among the people
will say, “What has turned them
from the direction of prayer
they used to face?”°
Say, “To God belong the East
and the West; He guides
whom He will to a straight path.”
143And so We made you
a community of moderation°—
to witness the truth
against humankind,
and the messenger a witness
against you.
And We set the direction
you used to face in prayer
that We might set apart°
those who followed the messenger
from those who turned on their heels;
that test was hard except for those
whom God guided;
God would never let your faith
go to waste—
God is Most Kind, Ever Merciful,
toward humankind.
144We see you [Prophet] turning
your face for guidance toward
the heavens. We will turn you toward
a direction that will please you—
turn your face
toward the sacred mosque [in Mecca];
wherever you are,
turn your faces toward it.
And those granted the Book
know it is the truth from their Lord.
Nor is God heedless of what they do.
145Even if you brought all the signs
to those granted the Book,
they would not follow
your direction,
nor shall you follow
their direction,
nor will they follow
one another’s direction.
Were you to follow their desires,
after the knowledge
that has come to you,
you would be among
those who do wrong.
146Those to whom
We granted the Book
know the Prophet
as well as they know
their own sons; but a group
of them conceal the truth
even though they know it.
147The truth is from your Lord,
so don’t be one of those who doubt.
SECTION 17
148Each community° has
a direction toward which it turns;
so compete in good works.
Wherever you are, God shall
finally bring you all together—
God has Power over all things.
149Wherever you start from,
turn your face toward
the sacred mosque—
this is the truth from your Lord,
nor is God heedless
of what you do.
150Wherever you start from,
turn your face toward
the sacred mosque; wherever you are,
turn your faces toward it, so that
people have no dispute with you,
except the wrongdoers among them;
and do not fear them, but fear Me,
that I might perfect My favor to you,
and that you might be rightly guided,
151just as We have sent you
a messenger, from among you,
reciting Our signs, purifying you,
teaching you
the Book and wisdom,
and teaching you
what you did not know.
152So, remember Me—
and I will remember you.
Show thanks to Me, and
do not be ungrateful.
SECTION 18
153You who believe, seek help
through patience and prayer;
God is with those who show patience.
154And do not say of those
killed in the cause of God
that they are dead. No—
they are living, though
you don’t perceive it.
155We will try you
with fear and hunger, with loss
of wealth and life and crops;
but give joyous news to
those who show patience,
156who say, when struck
by calamity, “To God we belong,
and to God we shall return.”°
157They are the ones on whom
their Lord sends blessings and mercy;°
they are the rightly guided ones.
158The hills of Safa and Marwa
are among the symbols of God,°
so for those performing
the major or minor pilgrimage,°
there is no fault in walking
between them; and if anyone
does good of his own accord,
God is Appreciative, All Knowing.
159As for those who conceal
the clear signs and guidance
We have revealed
—after We made them clear
in the Book for humankind—
they are the ones whom
God curses and others curse,
160except those who repent,
reform themselves, and openly
declare [the truth]. To those I relent,
for I am Relenting, Ever Merciful.
161The curse of God, the angels,
and all humankind shall fall
upon those who disbelieve,
and die as disbelievers.
162They shall endure this state
forever, without any lightening
of their torment or respite.
163Your God is One God—
there is no god but He,
the Most Merciful, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 19
164In the creation
of the heavens and earth,
in the revolving
of night and day,
in the ships that sail upon the sea
for the gain of humankind,
in the rain that
God sends from the sky,
bringing life to the earth
after its death,
in the spreading of every
kind of beast through it,
in the directing of the winds
and clouds, floating
between heaven and earth—
in all these are signs for
people who use reason.
165Yet some people take others
as equal to God, loving them
as they should love God.
But those who believe
are stronger in their love for God.
If only the wrongdoers could see—
as when they will see
their punishment—that all power
belongs to God, and that God
is Severe in Punishment.
166When those who were followed
disown their followers, and they
see the punishment, and all bonds
among them are severed,
167the followers will say,
“If only we could go back,
we would disown them
as they now disown us.”
So God will make them
see their deeds with deep regret,
they will never escape the fire.
SECTION 20
168“People, eat from what is lawful
and good upon the earth, and
don’t follow in the footsteps
of Satan; for he
is your open enemy.
169“For he commands you
to evil and indecency,
and to say of God
what you do not know.”
170When told, “Follow what
God has revealed,” they say,
“No. We follow the ways
of our fathers.” What?
Even though their fathers
understood nothing
nor were rightly guided?
171Those who disbelieve
can be compared to one who
shouts like a shepherd to flocks
who hear nothing
but a cry and a call—
deaf, dumb, blind,
they are bereft of reason.
172You who believe,
eat of the good things
We have given you,
and be thankful to God,
if it is Him you worship.
173He has forbidden for you
only carrion, blood, the flesh
of swine, and anything on which
some name other than God’s
was invoked. But whoever
is constrained—without wanting
to disobey or transgress—
shall remain blameless.
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
174Those who conceal what
God has revealed in the Book
and trade it for a paltry price—
they shall swallow into their bellies
nothing but fire—
God shall not speak to them
on the day of resurrection, nor
purify them; theirs shall be
a painful punishment.
175They are the ones who trade
guidance for error, forgiveness
for punishment; how shall they
endure the fire?
176That is because God revealed
the Book, with truth,
and those who dispute the Book
have gone far astray, in discord.
SECTION 21
177Righteousness
does not reside
in turning your faces
toward East or West;
rather, it resides in those—
who believe in God
and the last day,
in the angels, the Book,
and the prophets;
who give their wealth
—despite their love of it—
for kin, for orphans, the needy,
the traveler, for those who ask,
and for freeing slaves;
who are steadfast in prayer,
who give in charity,
keeping their covenants;
who suffer in patience
hardship, pain, and
times of conflict—
they are the ones
who are truthful, and
they are the ones
mindful of God.
178You who believe, you are
commanded to be fair in requital
for murder—free man for free man,
slave for slave, woman for woman.
But if the culprit is pardoned
by his injured brother, he should
seek suitable recompense,
given graciously. This is a mitigation
and a mercy from your Lord.
Whoever transgresses after this
shall face painful torment.
179The rule of retaliation
preserves life for you—
you people with insight,
so that you might be righteous.
180When death approaches any of you
who leaves wealth behind—
you are commanded
to make a suitable bequest
to parents and close relatives;
this is a duty imposed on those
who are mindful of God.
181Anyone who alters the bequest
after hearing it commits a sin—
God is All Hearing, All Knowing.
182But if anyone suspects that
the testator is mistaken or biased,
it is no sin for him
if he reconciles the two parties.
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 22
183You who believe,
fasting is ordained for you,
as it was ordained for those
before you, so that you might
be mindful of God—
184fasting for a fixed number
of days. But if any of you is ill,
or traveling, then for a fixed number
of other days.
Those who find it difficult
may compensate by feeding
a needy person. But if anyone
does good of his own accord,
it will be better for him.
And fasting is better for you,
if only you knew.
185It was in the month of Ramadan
that the Quran was sent down,
as a guide for humankind,
with clear signs of guidance and
criteria of right and wrong.
So whoever among you
is present during the month
should fast in it.
And whoever is ill, or on a journey,
should make up a fixed number
of other days. God intends ease,
not hardship, for you—and that
you complete the ordained period,
so that you might magnify Him
for His guidance, and be thankful.°
186Prophet, when My servants
ask you about Me, I am indeed Near;
I answer the prayer of those
who pray to me. So let them
respond to Me, and believe in Me,
that they might be rightly guided.
187You are allowed, on the night
of fasting, to approach your wives;
they are your garment and
you are their garment.
God knows that you used to betray
yourselves,° but He turned to you
and pardoned you; so now,
be intimate with them and seek what
God has ordained for you.
Eat and drink until you can
distinguish the white thread of dawn
from the black thread. Then
complete your fast until nightfall,
and don’t be intimate with your wives
while you are secluded in devotion
in the mosques.
These are the limits set by God,
so do not venture near them.
This is how God makes clear
His signs to humankind,
so that they might be mindful of Him.
188Do not wrongfully consume
one another’s property,
and do not use it to bribe judges
in order to consume a portion
of other people’s property,
sinfully—and knowingly.
SECTION 23
189They ask you, Prophet,
about the new moons. Say,
“They signify fixed periods
for people, and for the pilgrimage.
Also, it is not righteous for you
to enter houses by the back door;°
righteousness resides in being
mindful of God.
Enter houses by their main doors.
And be mindful of God
that you might flourish.”
190Fight in the cause of God
against those who fight you,
but do not transgress due limits;
for God dislikes transgressors.
191And kill them where you
find them, and drive them out
from where they drove you out—
for persecution is worse
than killing.° But do not
fight them at the sacred mosque
unless they fight you there.
But if they do fight you, kill them.
This is the disbelievers’ reward.
192But if they should stop—God
is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
193Fight them until there is
no more persecution,
until worship at the sacred mosque
is for God alone. But if they stop,
let there be no more hostility
except against aggressors.
194Sacred month for sacred month;°
and for all violations, a fair requital.
If anyone assaults you, you may
respond in kind, equally, against them;
but fear God, and know that God
is with those who fear Him.
195Spend in the cause of God, to
avoid bringing ruin upon yourselves,°
and practice good deeds, for
God loves those who do good.
196Complete the major or minor pilgrimage
for the sake of God; if you are
prevented from this, then sacrifice
whatever animal you can,
and do not shave your heads
until the animal reaches
the sacrificial site.
If any of you is ill or has
a malady of the head,
they can compensate by fasting,
or charity or ritual sacrifice.
When you feel secure, those who
have the chance to perform
the minor along with the major pilgrimage
should offer whatever sacrifice
they can afford; those without
the means should fast for three days
during the major pilgrimage, and seven days
upon your return, ten days in all.
This is for people whose house
is not near the sacred mosque.
Be mindful of God, and know
that God is Severe in Requital.
SECTION 24
197The major pilgrimage occurs during
the ordained months; those who
perform the duty of pilgrimage then
should refrain from lewdness,
or wickedness, or quarreling.
And whatever good you do,
God knows it.
Take provision for your journey—
but the best provision
is mindfulness of God.
Be mindful of Me,
you who understand.
198There’s nothing wrong with your
seeking the bounty of your Lord
[while the pilgrimage goes on].°
Then when you leave, going down
from Mount ʿArafat, remember God
at the sacred site of Muzdalifa.°
Remember Him, for He guided you
before, when you were astray.
199Then leave, going down,
where all the other people go down,
and ask forgiveness of God; for
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
200When you have finished
your rites of worship, remember
God—as you remember
your fathers, or with more fervent
remembrance. For some people
pray, “Our Lord, grant us good
in this world”—they shall have
no share in the hereafter.
201There are others who pray,
“Our Lord, grant us good in
this world and in the hereafter,
and deliver us from
the torment of fire.”
202They shall have what they earned;
for God is Swift in Reckoning.
203And remember God
during the appointed days,°
but if anyone leaves earlier
—in two days—this is no sin,
nor if anyone stays longer,
for those who fear God.
So fear God, and know that
you will be gathered to Him.
204There’s a kind of person
whose talk in this worldly life
might please you, and they call
on God to witness
what is in their heart—
yet they are the most
contentious of opponents.
205When they turn to go away,
they strive to sow corruption
in the land, and to destroy
crops and livestock—
and God despises corruption.
206When urged, “Be mindful
of God,” their pride leads them to sin.
Hell shall be ample for them—
an evil end.
207But there are also people
who would sell their own selves
seeking to please God—and
God is Most Compassionate
toward His servants.
208You who believe,
submit yourselves entirely,
and don’t follow
in the footsteps of Satan—
your open enemy.
209If you backslide, after
clear signs have come to you,
you should know that God
is Almighty, All Wise.
210Are they waiting for God
to come to them in the shadows
of clouds, with a train of angels?
No—the entire matter is settled.
All matters revert to God.
SECTION 25
211Ask the children of Israel
how many clear signs
We sent to them.
But those who alter
the blessings of God
after what has come to them,
should know that
God is Severe in Requital.
212This worldly life is alluring
to those who disbelieve, and they
mock those who do believe.
But those who are mindful of God
will be higher than them
on the day of resurrection, and
God provides without measure
for those whom He will.
213Humankind was one community,
[then they quarreled]
so God sent prophets to bear
joyous news and to warn people.
He sent with them the Book,
with truth, to judge between people
in the things they disputed.
But, in their mutual envy,
those who were given the Book
quarreled, even after receiving
clear signs. So, God guides
the believers to the truth, by His will,
in the things they dispute.
And God guides whom He will
to a straight path.
214Or, do you think you will
enter the garden without facing
the trials imposed
on those before you?
They were struck by misfortune
and hardship, and were so shaken
that their messenger and those
who believed with him
cried, “When will the help
of God come?” Without doubt,
the help of God is near.
215They ask you what they
should spend in charity.
Say, “Whatever you spend for good
should be for parents, close kin,
orphans, the poor, and travelers.
And whatever good you do,
God Knows it.”
216Fighting is ordained for you
though you find it abhorrent.
But it may be that you abhor
something which is good for you,
and love something
which is bad for you;
for God knows—and you do not.
SECTION 26
217They ask you about fighting
during the sacred month. Say,
“Fighting in it is a grave offense,
but hindering people from
God’s path, disbelieving in Him,
barring access to the sacred mosque,
and driving out its people
are even more grave in God’s eyes,
for persecution is worse
than killing.” They won’t stop
fighting you until they turn you back
from your religion, if they can.
And those of you who turn back
from their religion and die
as disbelievers—their deeds
shall be vain in this life
and in the hereafter,
and they shall be inmates
of the fire—forever.
218Those who have believed,
migrated, and striven in God’s cause
can hope for God’s mercy—
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
219They ask you about wine
and gambling. Say, “In them both
is great sin, and some gain for people;
but their sin is greater than their gain.”
They ask you what they should spend
in charity. Say, “Whatever
you can spare.” In this way,
God makes clear for you His signs,
that you might reflect,
220both in this life
and the hereafter.
And they ask you about orphans.
Say, “Improving their state is best.
and if you mix with them,
bear in mind that they
are your brothers; for God knows
the difference between those
who corrupt and those who reform.
Had He wished, He could have
made things difficult for you.
God is Almighty, All Wise.”
221Do not marry women who
are polytheists, until they believe—
for a believing female slave
is better than a polytheist,
however alluring she is to you;
nor give your women in marriage
to men who are polytheists,
until they believe—
for a believing male slave
is better than a polytheist,
however alluring he is to you.
These beckon you to the fire—
while God beckons to the garden,
and forgives by His leave;
He makes clear
His signs to humankind
that they might take heed.
SECTION 27
222They ask you about menstruation.°
Say, “It is an infirmity, so keep away
from women during menstruation;
don’t approach them
until they are purified. When pure,
you may approach them
as God has ordained.”
God loves those who turn to Him,
and He loves those
who keep themselves pure.
223Your wives are your fields
so go into your fields
as you please, advancing
good deed for yourselves,°
and be mindful of God;
know that you will meet Him, and
give joyous news to the believers.
224And don’t make
your oaths to God an excuse
for neglecting good deeds
or being mindful of God,
or reconciling between people,
for God is All Hearing, All Knowing.
225God will not call you to account
for oaths you spoke unintentionally,
but He will call you to account
for what your hearts have earned—
God is Forgiving, Most Forbearing.
226For those who swear
to abstain from their wives,
there will be a waiting period
of four months—and if
they go back [to them],
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.°
227But if they resolve on divorce,
they should know that God
is All Hearing, All Knowing.
228Divorced women shall wait
for three monthly periods
[before marrying again],
and it is not lawful for them
to hide what God has created
in their wombs—if they believe
in God and the last day.
If their husbands want to reconcile,
they have more warrant
to take them back during this time.
And their rights are similar
to the rights over them,
as in what is known to be fair;
though husbands have
a degree [of right] over them—
God is Almighty, All Wise.
SECTION 28
229Divorce [can be revoked] twice.
Each time, keep your wife
on equitable terms, or
release her in a kindly manner.
It’s not lawful for you to take back
anything you gave her, unless
you both fear that you can’t adhere
to the limits set by God;
if you fear this, there is no blame
on either of you if the woman
gives a sum for her release.
These are the limits set by God,
so do not transgress them.
Those who do so are wrongdoers.
230If a husband then divorces his wife,
it’s not lawful for him
to remarry her unless she has married
another husband; if he divorces her,
then there is no blame if she and her
first husband return to each other,
if they think they can adhere
to the limits ordained by God.
These are the limits set by God,
which He makes clear
for those who know.
231When you divorce women,
and they finish their waiting period,
either keep them or release them
on fair terms; but don’t keep them
with intent to harm them, so as to transgress.
Whoever does this
wrongs himself. Do not take
the signs of God in jest—
remember God’s favor to you
and the Book and wisdom
He revealed, to instruct you.
Be mindful of God, and know
that God Knows all things.
SECTION 29
232When you divorce women,
and they finish their waiting period,
don’t prevent them from marrying
their former husbands, if they
both agree, on fair terms.
This is counsel for those of you
who believe in God and the last day
to make you more virtuous and pure,
for God knows—and you do not.
233Mothers suckle their offspring
for two whole years, if they wish
to complete the term; the father
should maintain and clothe them
in a suitable manner. No one should
be burdened beyond their limit.
The mother shall not suffer
on account of her child, nor
the father on account of his.
The same duty falls upon
the father’s heir. And there’s no fault
if the couple, by mutual consulting
and consent, want to wean the child,
nor if you procure a wet nurse
for your child, provided you give
fair payment. Be mindful of God,
and know that God
Sees all that you do.
234If any of you die and leave
widows behind, they shall wait
for four months and ten days [before
remarrying]; and when they reach
this appointed term, there is no blame
on you [the guardians] if they then
conduct their affairs honorably.°
God is Aware of all that you do.
235There is no blame on you whether
you hint at a proposal of marriage
to these women or don’t disclose it.°
God knows that you want to propose
to them. Don’t make a secret contract
with them but speak honorably to them;
and don’t bind the knot of marriage
until the appointed period expires.
And know that God knows what is
within you; heed Him, and know
that God is Forgiving, Forbearing.
SECTION 30
236There is no blame on you
if you divorce women before
you consummate the marriage
and you have not fixed their dowry.
But provide a suitable gift for them,
the rich according to their means,
and the poor according to theirs—
a duty for those who do good.
237If you divorce women before
you consummate the marriage but
after you have fixed their dowry,
then give them half of the dowry,
unless they—or those holding
the marriage tie°—waive it.
Waiving it comes closer
to being mindful of God. So do not
forget to be generous to one another.
God Sees all that you do.
238Preserve your practice of prayers,
especially the midafternoon prayer,
and stand before God in devotion.
239If you are in fear of [an enemy],
then pray on foot, or while riding;
but when you are safe, remember God
in the way He taught you,
which you did not know before.
240Those of you who die
and leave widows behind
should bequeath your widows
a year’s provision, and not
expel them. But if they leave,
there is no blame on you
[the guardians] if they then
conduct their affairs honorably.°
God is Almighty, All Wise.
241Divorced women should be
fairly provided for—a duty
for those who are mindful of God.
242This is how God makes clear
His signs, so that you might
use your reason.
SECTION 31
243Won’t you reflect on those
who abandoned their homes,
though in their thousands, in fear
of death? God commanded them,
“Die!” But then He brought them
back to life. God is full of favor
toward humankind, yet
most are ungrateful.
244So fight in the cause of God,
and know that God
is All Hearing, All Knowing.
245Who will lend to God
a beautiful loan, which He might
multiply for them many times?
It is God who withholds or
grants in abundance—and to Him
you shall be returned.
246Won’t you reflect on the chiefs
of the children of Israel
after the time of Moses?
When they said to the prophet
among them, “Appoint for us a king,
so that we might fight
in the cause of God,”° he answered,
“Perhaps if you were commanded
to fight, you might not fight?”
They said, “How could we not
fight in the cause of God
after we have been turned out
of our homes, with our children?”
Yet when they were commanded
to fight, they turned back
—all but a few—
God Knows those who do wrong.
247Their prophet said to them,
“God has appointed Saul as your King.”
They said, “How can he be our king
when we have more right to kingship than him?
And he has not even been granted
much wealth.” The prophet replied,
“God has chosen him over you, and
has granted him much knowledge,
and a fair form.
God grants kingship to whom He will,
for God is Expansive, All Knowing.”
248And their prophet said to them,
“A sign of his kingship is that
the ark of the covenant° shall come
to you; it shall bear reassurance
from your Lord and relics from
the family of Moses and of Aaron,
which the angels shall bear.
In this is a sign for you
if you are true believers.”
SECTION 32
249Then, when Saul set out with
his armies, he said, “God will test you
at the river. Whoever drinks from it
shall not belong with me, and
whoever refrains from tasting it
shall be with me, though those who
take a handful will be excused.”
But all except a few drank from it.
When they crossed the river,
he and the believers with him said,
“We lack strength this day against
Goliath and his forces.” But those
assured of meeting God responded,
“How often has a small force
vanquished a large one,
by God’s leave? For God
is with those who show patience.”
250When they advanced against
Goliath and his armies, they prayed,
“Our Lord, fill us with patience,
make firm our feet, and help us
against a disbelieving people.”
251So they defeated them,
by God’s leave, and David
killed Goliath; God gave David
sovereignty and wisdom, and
taught him what He wished.
If God did not restrain
some people by others, the earth
would be corrupt—but God is
Full of Grace to humankind.
252These are the signs of God;
We recite them to you, the truth,
for you are one of the messengers.
253We favored some
of these messengers over others.
God spoke to some, and raised others
in rank. We gave Jesus, son of Mary
clear proofs, and strengthened him
with the holy spirit. If God had willed,
their descendants would not have
fought one another after clear signs
had come to them. But they disputed,
some believed, others disbelieved;
had God willed, they would not have
fought—but God does as He intends.
SECTION 33
254You who believe, spend
in charity from what We give you—
before there comes a Day
when there will be
no bargaining,
nor friendship,
nor intercession;
for the disbelievers are wrongdoers.
255God—there is no god but He,°
the Living, the Self-Subsisting.
Never can slumber seize Him,
nor sleep. To Him belongs
all that is in the heavens, and
all that is on the earth.
Who can intercede with Him
except by His leave? He knows
what lies ahead, and
what lies behind.
None can approach His knowing,
only as He wills.
His throne extends
over the heavens and the earth,
which He guards and preserves
with no fatigue,
for He is Most High,
Supreme.
256There shall be no compulsion
in religion; true guidance is now
distinct from error.
Whoever denies false gods
and believes in the One God
has grasped the firmest handhold,
which shall never break—for God
is All Hearing, All Knowing.
257God is the Protector of those
who believe, Who leads them
from darkness into light;
but the protectors of those
who disbelieve are false gods,
who lead them from light
into darkness. They shall be
inmates of the fire—forever.
SECTION 34
258Have you reflected on the man
who argued with Abraham about
his Lord because He granted him
sovereignty?° When Abraham said,
“My Lord is He Who brings life
and death,” he replied, “I bring life
and death.” Abraham responded,
“My Lord brings up the sun
from the East—why don’t you
try to bring it from the West?”
So the disbeliever was speechless;
God does not guide
a people who do wrong.
259Or like the man who passed by
a ruined city, its roofs overturned,
and remarked, “How will God
bring it to life after its death?”
Then God made him die
for a hundred years, and
raised him up again.
God asked him,
“How long have you been here?”
He answered,
“I have been here a day or part
of a day.” God said,
“No, you have been here
a hundred years;
look at your food and drink—
they have not changed;
and look at your donkey.
“We shall make you a sign
for people.
And look at the bones,
how We raise them and cover
them with flesh.”
When it was made clear to him,
he said, “I know that God
has Power over all things.”
260When Abraham said,
“My Lord, show me how
you give life to the dead,”
He said, “Do you not believe?”
He replied, “Yes, but to satisfy
my heart.” God said,
“Take four birds, train them
to return to you, then
place pieces of them
on each hill, and call to them.
They will fly back to you in haste—
know that God is Almighty, All Wise.”
SECTION 35
261A parable: those who spend
their wealth in God’s cause are like
a grain of corn that grows seven ears,
and each ear bears a hundred grains.
God gives in abundance
to whom He will,
for He is Expansive, All Knowing.
262Those who spend their wealth
in God’s cause—without reminders
of their kindness or words that hurt—
their reward is with their Lord;
they shall not fear, nor grieve.
263Kind words and forgiveness
are better than charity followed
by hurt—and God
is Self-Sufficient, Forbearing.
264You who believe, don’t annul
your acts of charity by reminders
or hurtfulness, like those who
spend their wealth only to be seen
of people—those who don’t
believe in God and the last day.
They are like a smooth rock
covered with soil;
heavy rain falls on it
and leaves it bare.
They have no power
over what they reap,
for God does not guide
a people who disbelieve.
265Another parable: those
who spend their wealth seeking
to please God and assure their souls
are like a garden lodged on a height;
heavy rain falls on it and its yield
is doubled; and if not heavy rain,
even the dew will water it—
God Sees all that you do.
266Would any of you wish
to have a garden with date palms
and grapevines, and rivers
flowing beneath, in which they have
all kinds of fruit, only to be struck
by old age while their children
are vulnerable, and for it to be
engulfed by a whirlwind of fire
and burned up? This is how
God makes clear for you His signs,
that you might reflect.
SECTION 36
267You who believe, give
charitably of the good things
you have earned, and of what
We have brought out for you
from the earth; and don’t aim
to give shabby things which you
yourselves would only accept
with closed eyes;
and know that God
is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.
268Satan promises you poverty,
and incites you to indecency;
but God promises you His grace
and forgiveness; for God is
All Embracing, All Knowing.
269He grants wisdom to whom
He will, and whoever gains wisdom
has been granted great good;
but only those with insight
will take heed.
270Whatever you spend
or vow to spend in charity,
God knows it; and the wrongdoers
shall have none to help.
271If you reveal your deeds
of charity, that is fine; but if you
conceal them, and give to the poor,
this is better for you, and will atone
for some of your bad deeds,
for God is Aware of all that you do.
272It is not for you, Prophet,
to guide them; God guides whom
He will. Whatever you spend
for good, it is for your own souls,
if you spend it solely seeking
the Face of God.
Whatever you spend for good
shall be fully returned to you
and you shall not be wronged.
273Give in charity to the poor
who are committed to God’s cause
and unable to travel in the land.
The ignorant might think them rich
on account of their self-restraint
but you will recognize them
by their trait of refraining from
begging insistently; and whatever
you spend for good, God Knows it.
SECTION 37
274Those who spend of their wealth
in charity, by night and by day,
in private and in public—
they shall have a reward
with their Lord;
they shall not fear,
nor shall they grieve.
275Those who devour money
through usury° will stand on the day
of resurrection as people confounded
by Satan’s touch. That is because
they say, “Usury is merely like trade.”
But God has allowed trade
and forbidden usury. Those who desist
after receiving admonition
may retain their previous gains,
and their case shall be judged by God.
But those who persist in its practice
shall be inmates of the fire; there
they shall stay forever.
276God will nullify gain from usury
and bless deeds of charity
with increase, for God
dislikes ungrateful sinners.
277Those who believe,
and do good deeds,
are steadfast in prayer,
and practice charity,
shall have a reward with their Lord;
they shall not fear, nor grieve.
278You who believe,
be mindful of God
and give up any
gain left from usury
if you are truly believers.
279If you do not, be warned of
war from God and His messenger.
But if you repent, you can keep
your capital, without wronging
others or being wronged.
280If the debtor is in hardship,
grant postponement
until their plight is eased.
But if you charitably
forgo the loan,
this is better for you,
if only you knew.
281And fear the day
when you shall be
brought back to God.
Then every soul shall
be paid what it earned,
and none shall be wronged.
SECTION 38
282You who believe, when you
contract a debt for a fixed term,
put it in writing;° let a scribe
write it down equitably
between you, and let the scribe
not refuse to write it; let him inscribe
as God has taught him.
So let him write, and
let the debtor dictate and let him
be mindful of God, his Lord,
and not reduce [the debt] at all.
If the debtor is mentally disabled
or weak or unable to dictate, then
let his guardian dictate equitably,
and call two witnesses from your men.
If there are not two men, then one man
and two women whom you approve
as witnesses; if one forgets,
the other can refresh her memory.
The witnesses should not refuse,
when called. And do not neglect
to write the debt down, whether
small or large, and its term.
This is more equitable in the sight
of God, more upright as testimony,
and more apt to forestall doubts
between you—unless it is
a transaction you conduct
on the spot between you—
then there is no blame on you
if you don’t write it down.
And be sure to summon witnesses when you
conduct a commercial transaction,
and neither the scribe nor the witness
should be harmed; doing this
is a sin for you. So, be mindful
of God, for it is God
Who will teach you—
God Knows all things.
283If you are on a journey,
and cannot find a scribe,
then some goods should be
handed over as surety;
but if you trust one another,
let the trustee fulfill his trust and
let him be mindful of God, his Lord.
And do not conceal testimony, for
whoever does so has a sinful heart;
and God Knows all that you do.
SECTION 39
284To God belongs
all that is in the heavens, and
all that is on the earth;
and whether you reveal
what is within you or conceal it,
God will call you to account for it.
He forgives whom He will, and
He punishes whom He will,
for God has Power over all things.
285The messenger believes
in what was revealed to him
by His Lord, as do the true believers.
They all believe in God, His angels,
His Books, and His messengers.
[They say], “We make no distinction
between any of His messengers.”
And they say, “We hear and we obey.
We seek your forgiveness, our Lord,
and to you is our final journey.”
286God burdens no soul beyond
its means; what it earns
will be for it or against it.
“Our Lord, don’t take us to task
if we forget or err.
Don’t burden us with the load
you laid upon those before us.
Our Lord, don’t lay a burden on us
which we lack strength to bear.
Pardon us, forgive us, and
show mercy to us.
You are our Protector, so help us
against people who disbelieve.”
 
 
SURA 3
The Family of ʿImran (Al ʿImran)
The Family of ʿImran, named after the family of Moses and Jesus (v. 33), numbers 200 verses. It was revealed in Medina following two early battles against Meccan opponents (Badr, 624, and Uhud, 626), though only the first, Badr, is mentioned by name (v. 123). After addressing the divine origin of the Quran, it narrates stories of Zachariah, Mary, and Jesus, before critiquing unobservant Jews, then exhorting believers to persist in the face of expulsion, warfare, and also the death of some companions.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Alif. Lam. Mim.°
2God—there is no god but He,
the Living, the Self-Subsisting.
3He revealed to you the Book
bearing the truth, confirming
what had come before.
He revealed the Torah and the Gospel
4before, as guidance for humankind.
And He revealed the criterion
[of right and wrong]. Those
who deny the signs of God
shall face severe torment,
for God is Almighty,
Lord of Requital.
5Nothing on the earth
or in the heavens
is hidden from God.
6It is He who shapes you
in the womb as He wishes.
There is no god but He,
the Almighty, the Wise.
7It is He who revealed to you
the Book. Some of its verses
are clear in meaning—these
are the basis of the Book°—
while others are allegorical.
The perverse in heart
follow what is allegorical,
seeking discord, seeking
its deeper meanings.° But none knows
its deeper meaning except God.
Those firmly grounded in knowledge
say, “We believe in it. All of it
is from our Lord.” But only those
who understand will take heed.
8“Our Lord,” they say,
“Let our hearts not deviate
after You have guided us,
but bestow upon us Your mercy;
You are the Ever Giving.
9“Our Lord, You shall gather
humankind together on a day
of which there is no doubt.
God never breaks His promise.”
SECTION 2
10As for those who deny the truth—
their wealth and their children
cannot help them at all against God;
and they shall be fuel for the fire.
11Like the people of Pharaoh
and those before them, they denied
Our signs, so God seized them
for their sins; and God
is Severe in Retribution.
12Tell those who disbelieve,
“Soon you will be overcome, and
gathered into hell—an evil end.°
13“You had a sign already
in the two armies that met,° the one
fighting in God’s cause, the other
disbelieving. The first saw
with their own eyes that the other
was twice its size; but God
reinforces with His help whom
He will. Here is a lesson
for those who perceive.”
14Men’s° eyes are allured by love
of what they desire—women,
children, treasures of gold and silver,
branded horses, cattle, arable land—
these are provisions of this
worldly life; but the finest home
for our return is with God.
15Say, “Shall I tell you of things
finer than these, for those mindful
of God? Gardens in God’s presence,
with flowing rivers beneath,
abiding there forever, with
pure spouses, and God’s good pleasure.
For God Sees His servants—
16“those who say,
‘Our Lord, we do believe, so
forgive us our sins, and save us
from the torment of hellfire,’
17“those who are patient, truthful,
and devout, who spend in charity,
and pray for forgiveness
during the early morning hours.”
18God bears witness that
there is no god but He—
as do the angels and those
with knowledge, who uphold
justice. There is no god but He,
the Almighty, the Wise.
19True religion in the sight of God
is submission° [to His will].
Those who were given the Book
dissented from it through
mutual envy, only after knowledge
had been given to them.
Whoever denies the signs of God
[should know that] God
is Swift in Reckoning.
20So if they dispute with you,
say, “I have submitted
my whole self to God,°
along with those who follow me.”
And ask those given the Book,
as well as those with no scripture,°
“Do you submit yourselves
to God?” If they do submit,
they are rightly guided,
but if they turn away, your task
is only to convey the message.
For God Sees all things
concerning His servants.
SECTION 3
21As for those who deny the signs
of God, killing the prophets unjustly,
and killing those who exhort people
to be just—announce for them
a painful punishment.
22They are the ones whose works
are vain—in this world and
the hereafter; and they shall have
none to help them.
23Have you not seen those
who were given part of the Book?
When asked to use God’s Book
to judge between them, a group
of them turned away, averse.
24For they say, “The fire shall
touch us but for a few days.”
What they have forged
deludes them in their faith.
25So how will it be for them
when We gather them together
on a day [whose coming]
is beyond doubt
—when each soul
shall be paid in full
for what it earned—
without being wronged.
26Say, “O God, Dominion
is Yours. You give dominion
to whom You will, and wrest it
from whom You will.
You exalt whom You will,
and debase whom You will;
all good is in Your Hand; You
have Power over all things.
27“You fade night into day,
and day into night;
You bring the living from the dead,
and the dead from the living;
and You give provision
to whom You will, without measure.”
28Believers should not take
unbelievers as allies, rather than
believers; those who do this
will have no kind of bond
with God—unless you do this
out of fear, to protect yourselves.
And it is God Himself
Who warns you°—to God
you will finally return.
29Say, “Whether you conceal
what is in your hearts or reveal it,
God knows it; and He knows
what is in the heavens and the earth,
for God has Power over all things.”
30“On the day when each soul is
confronted with the good and evil
it has done, it will wish [that evil]
were far, far away. It is God Himself
Who warns you, though He is
Most Kind toward His servants.”
SECTION 4
31Say, “If you love God,
follow me. God will love you
and forgive you your sins, for God
is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.”
32Say, “Obey God
and the messenger.”
But if they should turn away,
God does not love the unbelievers.
33God chose Adam and Noah
and the family of Abraham
and the family of ʿImran
over all peoples,°
34making them offspring
of one another; and God
is All Hearing, All Knowing.
35When the wife of ʿImran said,
“My Lord, I vow to you
what is growing in my womb—
to be dedicated to your service,
for You are the All Hearing,
the All Knowing”—
36then she gave birth, and said,
“My Lord, I have given birth
to a girl.” And God knows best
to what she gave birth, for the male
is not like the female.°
“I have named her Mary,
and I seek refuge in You
from the accursed Satan—
for her and her offspring.”
37Her Lord graciously accepted her,
nurtured her immaculately,
entrusting her to the care
of Zachariah. Whenever
he entered her sanctuary, he found her
supplied with provisions. He asked,
“Mary, where did you get these?”
She replied, “They are from God.
God provides without measure
for those whom He will.”
38Then Zachariah
called upon his Lord, “My Lord,
grant me from Your grace°
a pure child. You are the One
Who Hears prayer.”
39The angels called out to him
while he stood praying
in the sanctuary, “God gives you
joyous news of a son, John,
confirming God’s Word°—
one noble and chaste, a prophet,
one of the righteous.”
40He asked, “My Lord,
how can I have a son
when old age has withered me
and my wife is barren?”
The angel responded,
“This is how it is:
God does what He will.”
41He said, “My Lord, give me
a sign.” The angel said, “Your sign
is that you will not speak to people
for three straight days,
except by gestures.
And remember your Lord often,
glorifying Him evening and morning.”
SECTION 5
42The angels proclaimed,
“Mary, God has chosen you
and purified you;
He has chosen you
above all women.”
43“Mary, devote yourself
to your Lord; prostrate yourself
in worship, and bow in prayer
with all those who bow.”
44This is a disclosure from
the unseen, which We reveal to you,
Prophet, for you were not
among them when [the priests]
cast lots to see which of them
should have charge of Mary;
you were not among them
when they argued about this.
45The angels said, “Mary,
God gives you joyous news
of His Word—He shall be called
the messiah, Jesus, son of Mary,
and he shall be honored in this world
and the hereafter, and he shall be
among those closest to God.
46“He shall speak to the people
from the cradle and in adulthood,
and he shall be among those
who do good.”
47She said, “My Lord, how
shall I have a son, when no man
has touched me?” He replied,
“So it is—God creates what He will.
When He decrees a thing,
He merely says to it, ‘Be’ and it is.”
48“And God will teach him
the Book, and wisdom,
the Torah, and the Gospel,
49“and appoint him as a messenger
for the Children of Israel,
‘I have come to you with a sign
from your Lord: I will create for you
the form of a bird from clay, and
breathe into it so that it becomes
a living bird, by God’s leave.
“ ‘I heal the blind and the leper,
and I bring the dead to life,
by God’s leave. And I inform you
of what you can eat, and what
you should store in your homes.
In this is a sign for you,
if you are believers.
50“ ‘And I have come to confirm
the Torah that came before me,
and to make lawful part of what
was forbidden to you.
And I have come to you with a sign
from your Lord, so be mindful
of God, and obey me.
51“ ‘God is my Lord
and your Lord,
so worship Him:
this is a straight path.’ ”
52When Jesus sensed some
disbelief among them, he said,
“Who will help me
[in calling people] to God?”
The disciples said,
“We will help in God’s cause.
We believe in God: so bear witness
that we submit to God’s will.”°
53“Our Lord, we believe
in what You have revealed,
and we follow the messenger.
List us, then, among the witnesses.”
54And the unbelievers schemed;
but God also schemed. And God
is the best of schemers.
SECTION 6
55God said, “Jesus, I will take you
back and raise you to My presence.
I will purge you of the company
of disbelievers. On the day
of resurrection, I will place those
who follow you above those
who disbelieve. Then you shall all
return to me and I shall judge
between you on the things
you dispute.
56“As for those who disbelieve,
I shall afflict them with
severe torment in this world
and the hereafter, and they
shall have none to help them.
57“As for those who believe and
do good deeds, God will give them
their full reward; for God
does not love the wrongdoers.
58“In this way, We recite to you,
Prophet, some of the signs—
and the wise reminder.”
59In the sight of God,
Jesus is like Adam;
He created him from dust,
saying to him, “Be”—and he was.
60The truth is from your Lord;
so don’t be one of those who doubt.
61If someone argues with you
after the knowledge given to you,
say to them, “Come, let us call
our sons and your sons,
our women and your women,
ourselves and yourselves,
then let us pray earnestly
and invoke the curse of God
upon those who lie.”°
62—This is the true narrative.
There is no god but the One God,
and God is Almighty, All Wise.
63If they then turn away,
God Knows all about
those who wreak mischief.
SECTION 7
64Say, “People of the Book, come,
let there be a common word
between us and you—that we
worship none but the One God,
and associate none with Him,
and not take one another
as lords—only God.”
And if they turn away, say,
“Bear witness that we
submit to God’s will.”
65People of the Book,
why do you dispute about Abraham,
when the Torah and the Gospel
were not revealed until after him?
Will you not use reason?
66You are the ones who argued
over things you knew,
so why do you argue now
over things you don’t know?
God knows—and you do not.
67Abraham was not a Jew
nor a Christian; rather,
he believed only in the One God,
submitting to God’s will,°
not one of those who
join other gods with God.
68The nearest among people to
Abraham are those who follow him,
this messenger, and believers.
And God is the Protector
of those who believe.
69A group of the people of the Book
wish to misguide you, but they
misguide only themselves,
though they don’t realize it.
70People of the Book, why do you
deny the signs of God, when you
yourselves are witness to their truth?°
71People of the Book, why do you
confound truth with falsehood, and
hide the truth, when you know it?
SECTION 8
72A group of the people of the Book
say, “Believe in what was revealed
to the believers at the beginning
of the day, then reject it at the end
of the day; perhaps the believers
too will turn back.”
73[And they say,] “Believe only those
who follow your religion.”
Tell them, Prophet, “All guidance
is guidance from God.” [They say,
“Don’t believe] that
anyone can be given
what you have been given,
or dispute with you
before your Lord.”
Say, “All grace is in God’s hand;
He gives it to whom He will.
For God is Expansive,
All Knowing.”
74He chooses whom He will
for His mercy—
God’s grace is great.
75Among the people of the Book
are some who, if you entrust them
with a great treasure, they’ll return it;
and others, if you entrust them
with one dinar,° won’t return it unless
you stand watching over them,
for they say, “We have no obligation
to the gentiles.”
But they lie about God—
and they know it.
76Yes—God loves those
who fulfill their pledge
and are mindful of Him,
77but those who sell their pledge
to God and their oaths
for a paltry price shall have
no share in the hereafter;
God shall not speak to them,
nor look at them
on the day of resurrection,
nor shall He purify them.
And they shall face
painful torment.
78Among them is a group who
distort the Book with their speech,
so you might think it is from
the Book, but it is not;
they say it is from God, but it is not;
for they speak a lie about God,
and they know it.
79No person to whom God
had given the Book, and wisdom,
and prophethood, would say
to the people,
“Worship me, instead of God.”
Rather, he would say,
“Be one of the learned,°
for you have taught the Book,
as you have studied it.”
80Nor would he command you
to take angels and prophets as lords.
Would he command you to disbelief
after you have submitted
to God’s will?
SECTION 9
81God took a pledge
from the prophets, saying,
“If a prophet comes to you,
confirming what I have given you
of the Book and of wisdom,
you must believe in him
and you must support him.
Do you accept and affirm this,
my covenant?”
They responded, “We affirm it.”
He declared, “Then bear witness,
and I too shall be a witness.”
82If any turn away after this,
they are transgressors.
83Do they seek something other
than the religion of God?
For all in the heavens and on earth
submit to Him, willing or unwilling;
they shall be brought back to Him.
84Say, “We believe in God,
what has been revealed to us,
and what was revealed to Abraham,
Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes;
and what was given to Moses, Jesus,
and the prophets, from their Lord.
We make no distinction
among any of them, and to Him
we submit our will.”
85If anyone seeks a religion other
than submission to God, it shall
never be accepted of them; and
in the hereafter they shall be
among those in loss.
86How will God guide a people
who disbelieve after having faith,
who witnessed
that the messenger is true—
and clear proofs had come to them?
God does not guide
a people who do wrong.
87Their recompense will be
the curse of God, the angels,
and all humankind.
88There they shall stay forever—
their torment shall not be lightened
nor shall they find respite,
89except those who repent,
after this, and amend themselves;
for God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
90As for those who disbelieve
after having faith, and increase
their disbelief, their repentance
shall never be accepted, for they
have gone far astray.
91As for those who disbelieve
and die as disbelievers, even though
they offered as ransom enough gold
to fill the earth, it would never
be accepted of any of them.
They shall face painful torment,
with none to help them.
SECTION 10
92You shall never attain
righteousness unless you give
freely from what you love; and God
Knows fully what you give.
93All food was lawful
for the Children of Israel except
for what Israel° forbade himself
before the Torah was revealed.
Say, “Bring the Torah and
recite it, if you speak the truth.”
94Those who invent a falsehood
about God, after this, do wrong.
95Say, “God has declared the truth,
so follow the creed of Abraham,
who was pure in faith,
never a polytheist.”
96The first House of worship
founded for people
was the one at Mecca°—blessed,
a guide for humankind.
97In it are clear signs, as in the
place where Abraham stood to pray;
whoever enters it will be safe.
Pilgrimage to the House is a duty
to God—for all those
able to undertake the journey.
Those who disbelieve should know
that God is Self-Sufficient,
beyond need of His creatures.
98Say, “People of the Book,
why do you deny the signs of God
when God Himself is Witness
to whatever you do?”
99Say, “People of the Book,
why do you bar believers
from the path of God, seeking
to make it crooked, when you
yourselves are witness to the truth?
And know that God is not
heedless of what you do.”
100You who believe, if you
heed them, a group of those
who were given the Book
would turn you back
into disbelievers—
after you had believed.
101And how can you disbelieve
when the signs of God have been
recited to you, and His messenger
is among you?
Whoever holds fast to God
shall be guided to a straight path.
SECTION 11
102You who believe,
be mindful of God, as is His due,
and do not die without
submitting to His will.
103Hold fast to the rope of God,
all together, and don’t be divided.
Remember God’s favor to you,
when you were enemies:
He brought your hearts together,
and you became brothers,
by His favor. Even when you were
on the brink of a pit of fire,
He delivered you from it.
In this way, God makes clear to you
His signs, that you might be guided.
104You should be a community
who invite others to what is good,
enjoining what is right,
and forbidding what is wrong—
these are the people who flourish.
105And don’t be like those
who are divided, and dispute
after clear signs have come to them,
for they shall face great torment.
106On the day when some faces
brighten and others darken, those
with darkened faces shall be asked,
“How could you deny the truth,
after having believed? Taste, then,
the torment for disbelieving.”
107But those with brightened faces
shall live in God’s mercy—forever.
108These are the signs of God;
We recite them to you, Prophet—
the truth—for God desires
no injustice for His creatures.
109To God belongs
all that is in the heavens
and all that is on the earth—
to God all things shall return.
SECTION 12
110You are the finest community
raised for humankind; you enjoin
what is right, forbid what is wrong,
and you believe in God.
Had the people of the Book believed,
it would have been better for them.
Among them are true believers
but most of them are transgressors.
111They can never harm you,
beyond a minor slight. Even if they
fight you, they will soon turn
their backs to you, fleeing;
then they shall find no help.
112Shame shall fall upon them
wherever they are found—unless
they hold fast to a rope from God
and a rope from humankind.°
They bring down on themselves
the wrath of God, and indigence
shall fall upon them—because
they disbelieved in the signs of God,
killing prophets unjustly—because
they disobeyed, always transgressing.°
113Not all of them are alike:
among the people of the Book
are some who are upright,
who recite the verses°
of God during the hours of night
and prostrate themselves.
114They believe in God
and the last day;
they enjoin what is right,
and forbid what is wrong;
and they hasten to do good works;
they are among the righteous.
115None of the good they do
will be rejected, for God well Knows
those who are mindful of Him.
116As for those who disbelieve,
neither their wealth nor children
will help them in any way
against God; they shall be
inmates of the fire—forever.
117The parable of what they spend
in this worldly life is that of a wind
which brings a biting frost;
it strikes the harvest of a people
who have wronged themselves
then destroys it. It is not God
who wrongs them, but they
who wrong themselves.
118You who believe,
don’t be close to outsiders
who will spare you no ruin,
and wish only to see you suffer.
Hatred seethes from their mouths,
but what lies hidden in their hearts
is worse. We have made the signs
clear to you, if you use reason.
119See, you love them—
but they don’t love you.
You believe in the Book, all of it.
When they meet you, they say,
“We believe,” but when alone,
they gnaw at their fingertips,
raging at you. Say, “Perish
in your fury—God Knows
what is in your hearts.”
120If something good comes
your way, it grieves them, and
if any misfortune strikes you,
they rejoice in it. But if you are
patient and mindful of God,
their scheming can’t harm you at all.
God Encompasses all that they do.
SECTION 13
121Prophet, remember when
you left your household early
to assign the believers their
battle positions?° God
is All Hearing, All Knowing.
122Remember when two groups
of you began to lose heart? But God
was their ally. So let the believers
put their trust in God.
123God helped you at the Battle of Badr
when you were but a weak force;
be mindful, then, of God,
that you might be thankful.
124Remember when you said
to the believers, “Is it not enough
that your Lord reinforced you with
three thousand descending angels?
125“Yes—if you remain patient
and mindful of God, even if
the enemy falls upon you suddenly,
your Lord will reinforce you with
five thousand assigned angels.”°
126God made it only a message
of hope for you, to reassure
your hearts—there is no help
except from God,
the Almighty, the Wise—
127that He might cut off the flanks
of the unbelievers’ forces, and
frustrate them, so that they would
turn back, hopeless.
128It is not for you [Prophet,
but for God] to decide
whether He turns to them,
relenting, or punishes them—
they are wrongdoers.
129To God belongs
all that is in the heavens
and all that is on the earth.
He forgives whom He will
and punishes whom He will;
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 14
130You who believe, do not devour
interest from usury, doubled and
multiplied; but be mindful of God
that you might flourish.
131Be fearful of the fire, prepared
for those who disbelieve;
132obey God and His messenger
that you may obtain mercy.
133And hasten to forgiveness
from your Lord and a garden
whose expanse spans the heavens
and the earth, prepared
for those mindful of God,
134those who give freely
in both prosperity and adversity,
who restrain their anger, and
pardon others. For God loves
those who do good,
135and those who, after committing
indecency or wronging themselves,
remember God and seek forgiveness
for their sins—who forgives sins
except God?—and don’t persist
knowingly in doing wrong.
136Theirs shall be a reward
of forgiveness from their Lord,
and gardens with rivers flowing
beneath, abiding there forever.
How excellent is the reward
of those who labor [to do good].
137How many ways of life°
have passed before your time.
Travel through the earth, and see
how it ended for those
who denied the truth.
138Here is a clear lesson for people,
guidance, and admonition for those
who are mindful of God.
139So don’t weaken, or grieve,
for you will prevail—if you believe.
140If you have suffered a wound,
[remember that] their people
have also borne a wound;°
we give such days to people in turn,
that God may know those
who believe and those
He may take as martyrs°
—God does not love those
who do wrong—
141and that God may purify
those who believe, and destroy
the disbelievers.
142Or did you think
you would enter the garden
without God knowing those
who strove so hard among you
and those who remained steadfast?
143Yes, you used to wish
for death, before you met it;
and now, you’ve seen it—staring
at it, with your own eyes.
SECTION 15
144Muhammad is no more than
a messenger, and messengers
passed away before him. If he died
or were killed, would you turn
upon your heels? Whoever so turns
can do no harm to God;
but God will reward those
who are grateful.
145Nor can a soul die
except by God’s leave,
its term decreed.
Whoever desires
the reward of this world,
We shall give it to them;
and whoever desires
the reward of the hereafter,
We shall give it to them;
and We shall reward
those who are grateful.
146And how many prophets fought,
alongside many pious men,
but they never lost heart when
calamity struck them, in God’s path,
nor did they weaken or give up.
God loves those who are steadfast.
147And the only words they spoke
were “Our Lord, forgive us our sins
and extravagances,°
make firm our feet, and help us
against the disbelievers.”
148And God gave them
the reward of this world
and the more glorious reward
of the hereafter,
for God loves those who do good.
SECTION 16
149You who believe,
if you heed the disbelievers,
they will drive you back,
on your heels, and you will
turn back, to your own loss.
150No—God is your Protector,
and He is the Best of Helpers.
151We shall cast terror
into the hearts of the disbelievers
since they joined partners with God,
for which He revealed no sanction.
Their refuge shall be the fire—
what an evil home for the wrongdoers!
152God fulfilled His promise
to you, when, by His leave,
you were routing them—until
you faltered, disputed
the Prophet’s command,
and disobeyed it, after
He brought you within sight
of what you coveted.°
Some among you craved this world
while others desired the hereafter.
Then He caused you to retreat
from them, in order to test you. Now
He has forgiven you; for God
is Ever Gracious to the believers.
153You clambered away from the foe,
without even a glance at anyone,
while the messenger was calling you
from behind. So God gave you grief
upon grief—to teach you not
to lament over what had eluded you
or what had befallen you.
For God is Aware of all that you do.
154After this grief, He sent down
calm upon you, a sleep that fell over
a group of you, while another group,
caring only about themselves,
entertained false notions of God,
notions from the age of ignorance.°
They said, “Do we have any voice
in the matter?” Prophet, tell them,
“The matter is wholly with God.”
They conceal within themselves
what they will not reveal to you.
They say, “If we had had a voice
in the matter, we would not have
been killed here.” Say, “Even if
you had stayed at home, those
for whom death was decreed
would still have gone toward
their final place of rest.”
This was so that God
could test your hearts,
and purify what was in them°
for God is Aware of whatever
lies within your hearts.
155As for those of you who
turned back on the day
the two armies clashed,
it was Satan who caused them
to backslide, for something
they had done. But God
has pardoned them. For God
is Forgiving, Forbearing.
SECTION 17
156You who believe, do not
be like the disbelievers, who say
of their brothers who journeyed
in the land or went on a raid,
“Had they stayed with us, they
would not have died or been killed,”
for God will make [such thoughts]
a source of sorrow in their hearts.
It is God who gives life
and brings death. And God
Sees whatever you do.
157And if you are killed
in the cause of God, or die,
God’s forgiveness and mercy
are better by far than
all the goods they amass.
158And if you die, or are killed, it is
to God that you will be gathered.
159It is through the mercy of God
that you dealt gently with them;
had you been rough and hard-hearted,
they would have scattered away
from you. So pardon them,
and ask forgiveness for them, and
consult with them in your affairs.
Then, when you decide on something,
place your trust in God, for God
loves those who trust in Him.
160If God helps you,
none can overcome you.
If He forsakes you, who
can help you?
So let the believers
trust in God.
161No prophet would defraud
[anyone of booty from the battle].
If anyone does defraud, he shall bring
his fraud to the day of resurrection—
then, every soul shall receive its due
for whatever it earned; and none
shall be wronged.
162Can one who seeks to please God
be like one who draws God’s wrath
upon himself, whose home
is hell, an evil end?
163They are ranked differently
in the eyes of God, and God
Sees all that they do.
164God granted a favor to the
believers when He sent to them
a messenger from their own people,
reciting His verses to them,
purifying them, and teaching them
the Book and wisdom; for
before this, they were clearly astray.
165Why do you say, when
misfortune strikes you—even though
you have struck your foes with twice
as much—“Where is this from?”
Say, “It is from yourselves—
God has Power over all things.”
166What happened to you
on the day the two armies met
happened with God’s leave,
that He might know
who were the true believers,
167and who were the hypocrites.
They were told, “Come, fight
in the cause of God, or at least
defend yourselves.” They replied,
“If we knew how to fight,
we would have followed you.”
That day, they were closer
to unbelief than belief.
They say with their mouths
what is not in their hearts; and God
knows best what they conceal.
168As for those who sat idly behind
and said of their brothers, “If only
they had heeded us, they would not
have been killed,” tell them, “Then
avert death from yourselves,
if you speak the truth.”
169Do not think that those
killed in the cause of God
are dead—no, they are living,
with their Lord, enjoying
what He has provided for them,
170rejoicing in what God
has given them from His grace
and joyful that those left behind
who have not yet joined them
shall neither fear nor grieve.
171They rejoice in the grace of God
and His favor, knowing that
God will never forfeit the reward
of the believers.
SECTION 18
172Those who answered the call
of God and the messenger,
even after suffering hurt—
those of them who do good,
and are mindful of God,
shall have a great reward;
173those whose faith was only
strengthened when people told them,
“The people have amassed
a great army against you—
you should fear them.”
They responded, “God is enough
for us—He is the best Custodian
of all affairs.”
174And they returned, through
God’s grace and favor, unharmed,
for they sought to please God—
and God is Most Gracious.°
175It is Satan who fills you
with fear of his allies. But
do not fear them—fear Me,
if you are true believers.
176And do not be grieved by those
who hasten to unbelief. They can
never harm God in any way.
God intends to give them
no share in the hereafter, and they
shall face great torment.
177Those who exchange faith for unbelief
can never do any harm to God, and
they shall face painful torment.
178Don’t let the unbelievers think
that when We grant them respite,
it is good for them. We grant respite
only for them to grow in sin,
and they shall face disgraceful torment.
179God will not leave you believers
as you are, without setting apart
the good from the bad.
God will not disclose to you
the unseen, but He chooses
as His messengers whom He will
[to give this knowledge]. So believe
in God and His messenger; and if
you believe, and are mindful of God,
yours shall be a great reward.
180And don’t let those who
greedily withhold what God
has given them through His grace
think that this is good for them—no,
it is bad for them. What they withheld
shall be hung around their necks
on the day of resurrection; it is God
Who shall inherit the heavens
and the earth, and God
is Aware of all that you do.
SECTION 19
181God has heard those who taunt,
“God is poor, while we are rich.”
We shall record what they say,
as well as their unjust killing
of the prophets; and We shall say,
“Taste the punishment
of the searing fire.”
182“This is for the bad deeds
you accrued, with your own hands—
God never wrongs His servants.”
183As for those who say,
“God took from us a pledge
that we should not believe
in any messenger until He sent to us
a sacrifice that fire consumes,”
say to them, “Messengers have
come to you before me,
with clear signs, including
what you speak of, so why did you
kill them—if you are speaking the truth?”
184If they deny you, know that
messengers before you were denied,
even though they came with clear signs,
scriptures, and an enlightening Book.
185Every soul shall taste death,
and only on the day of resurrection
shall you receive your recompense.
Whoever is drawn out from
the fire and brought into
the garden shall have triumphed.
For the life of this world gives
but illusory pleasure.
186You will surely be tested
through your possessions and
your lives, and you shall hear
much that is harmful from
those given the Book before you
and those who are polytheists.
Resoluteness in all things
rests on patience
and mindfulness of God.
187When God made a covenant
with those given the Book—
“Make it known to the people,
and don’t hide it”—they
threw it behind their backs,
and traded it for a paltry price.
How wretched was their bargain!
188Don’t think, Prophet, that
those who rejoice in what
they have brought about
and love to be praised
for what they do not do—
don’t think that they will escape
punishment; for they
shall face painful torment.
189To God belongs dominion
of the heavens and the earth;
and God has Power over all things.
SECTION 20
190In the creation of the heavens
and the earth, in the revolving
of night and day, are signs
for those with understanding,
191those who remember God
while standing, sitting, or lying
on their sides, pondering on the
creation of the heavens and the earth,
“Our Lord, You did not create all this
in vain; glory be to You, and
save us from the torment of fire.
192“Our Lord, You cover with shame
those You cast into the fire—
and the wrongdoers shall find
none to help them.
193“Our Lord, we have heard the call
of someone calling to the faith,
‘Believe in your Lord,’
and we do believe. Our Lord,
forgive us our sins, and absolve
us of our evil deeds, and let us die
in the company of the righteous.
194“Our Lord, grant us what
You promised us
through Your messengers,
and do not shame us
on the day of resurrection.
You never fail in Your promise.”
195Their Lord answered them,
“I shall not allow the deeds
of any of you—whether you are
male or female—to be lost;
you are from one another. As for those
who migrated, or were driven from,
their homes, or suffered hurt
in My cause, or fought or were killed,
I will absolve you of your
bad deeds, and I will usher you
into gardens, beneath which
rivers flow—a reward from
God Himself, for with God
is the most excellent reward.”
196Do not be deluded by
the unbelievers, strutting about
throughout the land—
197a brief enjoyment—then
hell will become their home—
a woeful place of repose.
198But those who are mindful
of their Lord shall have gardens,
beneath which rivers flow,
abiding there forever, a gift from
God Himself—for whatever God has
is better for those who are righteous.
199And there are those among
the people of the Book
who believe in God, in what
has been revealed to you—and what
was revealed to them; they bow
humbly before God. They do not sell
the signs of God for a paltry price;
they shall have a reward
from their Lord Himself,
for God is Swift in Reckoning.
200You who believe, be patient—
compete in patience, be constant;
and be mindful of God,
that you might flourish.
 
 
SURA 4
Women (Al-Nisa)
Late Medinan, this sura numbers 176 verses and concerns women, first those afflicted by war, widowhood, or raising orphans, then those faced with challenges of fornication, divorce, or inheritance. The Prophet’s authority as God’s emissary and arbiter is extolled, while those deemed hypocrites and people of the Book are reminded of God’s transcendence and self-sufficiency: Jesus is the messiah, but also servant of the One with angels stationed near Him (vv. 171–72).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Humankind, be mindful
of your Lord, Who created you
from a single soul, and from this
created its mate, multiplying them
into multitudes of men and women.
Be mindful of God, in whose Name
you ask one another about your rights
and those of your relatives—
God is Ever Watchful over you.
2Give to orphans whatever wealth
is left to them, and don’t substitute
worthless things for things of value;
nor consume their wealth
along with yours—
for that would be a grave sin.
3If you fear that
you can’t be fair to orphan girls,°
then marry other women
who seem suitable to you
—two, or three, or four—
but if you fear that
you can’t treat them justly,
then marry only one, or those
you own.° This way, you’ll be
less prone to mistreating them.
4Give women their bridal gift
with goodwill, but if they choose
to forgo a portion, by all means
enjoy it at your pleasure.
5And don’t entrust your property°
to simpletons—for God made it
a means of support for you;
but feed them and clothe them,
and speak to them with kind words.
6Monitor° orphans until they reach
the age of marriage; then if you find
them to be of sound judgment,
disburse their wealth to them,
and don’t consume it wastefully,
or in haste before they come of age.
Let a rich guardian refrain from
using any part of it, while
a poor one can use a fair portion.
When you disburse their wealth,
summon witnesses before them—
for God suffices as Reckoner.
7There is a portion
for both men and women
from what parents
and near relatives leave
—whether small or large—
a specified portion.
8And if other relatives or orphans
or the poor are present during
the distribution, give them a portion
and speak to them with kind words.
9And let them show the same
solicitude [for orphans] as for any
vulnerable offspring of their own
that they might leave behind.
Let them be mindful of God,
and speak words that are fitting.
10Those who wrongfully devour
the wealth of orphans shall devour
fire into their bellies—burning
in a blazing fire.
SECTION 2
11As for your children—in your will,
God directs you to leave the male
a portion equal to that of two females.
If there are only daughters—
two or more—two-thirds
of the inheritance goes to them;
if there is only one, she gets half.
Parents get a sixth share each
if [the deceased] leaves children;
but if he leaves no child,
and the parents are his sole heirs,
then his mother gets a third,
unless he has brothers and sisters,
then his mother gets a sixth.
[The distribution of any will
shall be made] after payment of
any bequests or debts.
You do not know which
of your parents or children
will be of more benefit to you—
hence the obligation
laid down by God.
God is All Knowing, All Wise.
12From what your wives leave,
your portion is a half, if they leave
no child. But if they leave a child,
then yours is a fourth, after payment
of bequests and debts.
And from what you leave,
their share is a fourth, if you leave
no child. But if you leave a child,
then theirs is an eighth, after payment
of bequests and debts.
As for the inheritance
of a man or woman
who has no direct heir
[neither child nor parents]
but has a brother or sister,
each of the two shall get a sixth;
but if more than two,
they will share a third, after payment
of bequests and debts
so that no one suffers loss.
This is the ordinance from God—
God is All Knowing, Most Kind.
13These are the limits laid down
by God. Those who obey
God and His messenger
shall be brought by Him into gardens
with rivers flowing beneath,
residing there forever—
that is the supreme triumph.
14But those who disobey
God and His messenger,
and transgress His limits
shall be thrust by Him into fire,
abiding there forever,
in shameful torment.
SECTION 3
15If any of your women
commits indecency, summon
four witnesses against them
from among you. And if these
attest to their guilt, then
confine them within their home
until death comes to them, or
God finds another way for them.°
16If two people among you
commit indecency, punish
them both. But if they
repent and amend their ways,
then turn away from them;
for God is Ever Relenting,
Ever Merciful.
17God accepts the repentance
only of those who do evil
through ignorance and soon
repent. God will turn
to them in forgiveness,
for God is All Knowing, All Wise;
18but not the repentance
of those who do evil deeds
until death approaches them,
and then say, “Now I repent”;
nor the repentance of those
who die as disbelievers.
For these, We have prepared
a painful punishment.
19You who believe,
it is unlawful for you to inherit
women against their will, or
to treat them harshly,
hoping to take back part of
the bridal gift you gave them, unless
they commit open indecency.
Rather, live with them in kindness,
for if you dislike them, perhaps
you dislike something in which
God imbues much good.
20But if you intend to take
one wife in place of another,
don’t take back any of the bridal gift
you gave to the former,
even if it was a substantial sum.
Would you take it by slander
and blatant sinning?
21For how could you take it
when you have been intimate,
and she has taken from you
a solemn oath?
22And do not marry
any of the women
your fathers married—
though its past practice
is excused—for it is
an indecency, loathsome,
a wicked custom.
SECTION 4
23It is forbidden for you
to marry your mothers,
your daughters, your sisters,
your father’s sisters,
your mother’s sisters,
daughters of brothers,
daughters of sisters,
the foster mothers who nursed you,
the foster sisters nursed with you,
mothers of your wives,
the stepdaughters
in your custody, [born] of the wives
with whom you were intimate
—though if you were not intimate,
there is no blame on you—
the wives of your sons
who are from your loins,
and two sisters at once.
However, the past practice
of all these things is excused—
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
24Also prohibited are
women already married,
except those you own—this
is what God has decreed for you.
Apart from these, others
are lawful to you, provided
you seek them in marriage,
not in lust, and give them
something of your wealth.
Give the bridal gifts
to those you enjoy thereby,
as an obligation,
but there is no blame on you
if you mutually agree upon
something modifying this obligation°—
God is All Knowing, All Wise.
25And those among you
who can’t afford to marry
free chaste believing women,
can marry believers
among your maidservants.°
God best knows your faith;
you belong to one another.
Wed them with permission
of their families, and be fair
in giving them their bridal due.
They should be chaste, not
immoral, taking secret lovers.
Once they are married,
if they commit indecency,
their punishment should be
half of that for free women.
This option is for those of you
who fear falling into sin
by remaining unmarried.
But it is better for you
to be patient—God
is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 5
26God wants to make
His laws clear to you,
and to guide you in the ways
of those before you. And He
turns toward you, for He
is All Knowing, All Wise.
27God wants to turn
toward you, but those
who follow their own desires
want you to deviate—
going far astray.
28God wants to ease
the burdens upon you,
for humans were created weak.
29You who believe,
do not devour one another’s
property wrongfully—
rather, let there be trade
by mutual consent.
Nor kill one another.°
God is Ever Merciful to you.
30And whoever does this,
spitefully and unjustly,
We shall thrust them
into the fire—
this is easy for God.
31If you avoid the major sins
that are forbidden to you,
We shall absolve you
of your minor sins,
and let you enter with honor.
32And do not covet the favors
that God has granted to some
more than others. Men will have
their due share of what they earned,
and women will have
their due share of what they earned.
So entreat God for His favor—
God Knows all things.
33And for everyone,
We have appointed heirs
to what is left behind by parents
and relatives; so give those
to whom you have pledged
your hand
their due portion—
God is Witness to all things.
SECTION 6
34Men are maintainers of women,
for God has thereby advantaged one
over the other—and they
support them from their means.°
So righteous women are devout,
guarding [their husband’s means
and honor], even in their absence,
what God has guarded.
But if you suspect misconduct
from them, first counsel them,
then withdraw from their beds, then
resort to [harmless] force.° But if
they now obey you, seek no
further course against them—
God is Most High, Most Great.
35If you fear a rift between husband
and wife, appoint arbiters,
one from his family and one from hers.
If they desire to reconcile,
God will bring accord between them
for God is All Knowing, All Aware.
36Worship God—and do not
associate partners with Him.
Be kind to parents and relatives,
to orphans, and the poor,
to neighbors—both kin and strangers,
to the companions by your side,
to travelers, and to those you own.
God does not love those
who are proud and boastful—
37nor those who are stingy,
who urge stinginess in others,
and hide what God has given them
by His favor. We have prepared
for the disbelievers
a disgraceful torment—
38nor those who spend
of their wealth to be seen
of people, but who don’t believe
in God and the last day.
Whoever takes Satan
as his companion
has an evil companion indeed.
39What would they lose
if they were to believe in God
and the last day, and spend
in charity from what God
has provided them?
For God Knows all that they do.
40God does not wrong anyone
even by the weight of an atom.
If there is any good done,
He doubles it, and He grants
from Himself a great reward.
41How will it be when We bring
from each people a witness,
and We bring you, Prophet,
as a witness
against these people?
42On that day, those who
disbelieved and disobeyed
the Prophet will wish
the earth had swallowed them,
but they will never hide
anything from God.
SECTION 7
43You who believe,
do not come to prayer
intoxicated, but wait until
you know what you are saying.
Nor come in a state
of major ritual impurity,
—unless traveling—until
you have washed yourselves.
If you are ill, or on a journey,
or one of you has answered
a call of nature, or has been
intimate with women, and you can
find no water, then perform
a ritual cleansing with pure soil,
wiping your faces and hands.
God is Ever Pardoning, Forgiving.
44Have you not seen
those who were given
a portion of the Book
trafficking in error,
wanting you to go astray?
45God best knows your enemies—
God is sufficient as
both Protector and Helper.
46Among the Jews are some
who distort the contexts of words,
saying, “We hear and disobey” or
“Hear without hearing” or
“Attend to us,” twisting them
with their tongues
and defaming the religion.°
If they had said “We hear and obey”
and “Hear and attend to us,”
it would have been better for them
and more fitting, but God
has cursed them for their disbelief,
for only a few of them believe.
47You who were given the Book,
believe in what We have now revealed,
confirming what you already have,
before we erase your faces,
turning them backward,
or curse you, as We cursed
those who broke the Sabbath—
God’s command is always fulfilled.
48God does not forgive
the joining of other gods with Him,
but He forgives anything else
for whom He will. And whoever
joins other gods with God
contrives a great sin.
49Have you not seen those
who claim to purify themselves?
No, it is God who purifies
whom He will; and they
will not be wronged
by even the hair’s width
on a date stone.°
50See how they contrive
a lie about God—
and this itself amounts
to a blatant sin.
SECTION 8
51Have you not seen those
who were given a portion
of the Book believing
in sorcery and false gods,
and saying that the disbelievers
are better guided on the right path
than the believers?
52These are the ones
God has cursed.
And you will find
for whoever is cursed by God
none to help them.
53Or, do they have a share
in His kingdom? Even then,
they would give to people
not even the pith of a date seed.
54Or do they envy people
for what God has given them
from His grace? But We gave
the people of Abraham
the Book and wisdom,
and We granted them
a great kingdom.
55Among them, some believed in it,
while others turned away from it.
But hell will suffice as a blazing fire.
56Soon We shall cast into fire
those who deny Our signs—
whenever their skins
are burned away, We shall
replace these, so they
taste more torment.
God is Almighty, All Wise.
57But those who believe
and do good deeds,
We shall bring into gardens,
with rivers flowing beneath,
to live there forever,
with pure companions, and
We shall bring them into
shade within shade.
58God commands you to repay
your trusts to their owners,
and when you judge between people,
judge with justice.
Excellent is the advice
God gives you in this—
God is All Hearing, All Seeing.
59You who believe, obey God
and obey the messenger and those
in authority among you.
If you disagree among yourselves
in anything, refer it
to God and the messenger,
if you believe
in God and the last day—
that is best and most fitting
as the final recourse.
SECTION 9
60Have you not seen those
who claim to believe in
what was revealed to you and
what was revealed to those
before you, yet wish
to refer judgment to false gods,
though commanded to deny them?
Satan would lead them far astray.
61And when they are told,
“Come to what God has revealed,
and to the messenger,”
you see the hypocrites turning
away from you, in aversion.
62When calamity befalls them
—through their own deeds—
how they come to you, swearing
by God, “We wanted merely
to do what was good and
bring about mutual accord.”
63God well knows what is in
the hearts of these people, so turn
away from them, and advise them,
using words that reach
their inmost selves.
64Any messenger that We sent
was to be obeyed, by God’s leave.
If only they came to you, Prophet,
when they had wronged themselves,
seeking God’s forgiveness,
and the messenger had asked
forgiveness for them—
they would have found God
Ever Relenting, Ever Merciful.
65No, by your Lord,
they will not believe
until they secure you as judge
in their disputes
and find in themselves
no disquiet about what
you decide, yielding to it,
with full submission.
66If We had enjoined them
to lay down their lives
or leave their homes,
only a few of them
would have complied.
But had they done
what they were advised to do,
that would have been
better for them, and would have
strengthened them.
67And then We, from Our grace,
would have given them
a great reward;
68and We would have
guided them to a straight path.
69Those who obey God
and the messenger
are in the company of those
whom God has favored
among the prophets,
the truthful, the martyrs,
the doers of good—
noble companions.
70This is the favor from God,
and God is ample in Knowing.
SECTION 10
71You who believe,
take due precautions [in war],
and advance either in units
or all together.
72Yes, there is among you
the straggler, who says,
when adversity strikes you,
“God has favored me
for I was not there with them.”
73But if good fortune came to you
from God, he would say
—as though no affection ever stood
between you and him—
“I wish I’d been there with them,
I would have had great success.”
74Let those fight in the path of God
who trade the life of this world
for the hereafter.
And whoever fights in the path of God
—whether killed or victorious—
We shall grant him a great reward.
75And why should you not fight
in the path of God
and of those who are weak
—men, women, children—
who cry out, “Our Lord,
deliver us from this town,
whose people are tyrants,
and grant us from Your grace° a protector,
and also from Your grace a helper”?
76Those who believe fight in the path of God,
and those who disbelieve fight in the path of false gods.
So fight against the allies of Satan.
Feeble, indeed, are the wiles of Satan.
SECTION 11
77Have you not seen those who
were told, “Hold back from fighting,
to observe prayer and give in charity”?
Then, when commanded to fight,
a group of them feared people
as much as—or more than—
they feared God, and they implored,
“Our Lord, why did You command
us to fight? Why did You not grant us
reprieve for a while?”
Say, “Enjoyment of the world is brief,
and the hereafter is better for those
who fear God—you will not
be wronged by the hair’s width
on a date seed.”
78“Death will find you,
wherever you are, even
if you were in high towers.”
If some good comes to them,
they say, “This is from God,”
and if harm comes to them,
they say, “This is from you, Prophet.”
Tell them, “All is from God.”
Why can these people scarcely
grasp plain speech?
79Whatever good comes to you
is from God,
and whatever harm comes to you
is from yourself.
And We sent you, Prophet,
as a messenger to humankind—
God suffices as Witness.
80Whoever obeys the messenger
is obeying God. As for whoever
turns away—we have not sent you,
Prophet, to be their guardian.
81They say they obey you,
but when they leave you,
a group of them scheme by night
against what you say. But God
records what they scheme.
So turn away from them
and place your trust in God,
for God suffices as Guardian.
82Do they not ponder the Quran?
Had it been from anyone but God,
they would have found
much incoherence in it.
83When any news reaches them
concerning security or causing alarm,
they spread it abroad.
Had they referred it
to the messenger, and those
in authority among them,
these would have known
how to appraise it.
Were it not for God’s Favor
to you, and His Mercy,
all but a few of you
would have followed Satan.
84So fight in the path of God.
You need answer only for yourself,
and urge on the believers; perhaps
God will curb the force
of the disbelievers.
For God is sturdier in force
and sturdier in chastisement.
85Whoever pleads for a good cause
will gain from it, and
whoever pleads for an evil cause,
will lose from it. For God
is Sustainer of all things.
86Whenever you are graced
with a greeting, meet it
with one sweeter, or
repeat it. God is Reckoner
of each thing.
87God—there is no god but He.
He will surely bring you, gathered,
to the day of resurrection,
of which there is no doubt—and who
speaks with greater truth than God?
SECTION 12
88Believers, why are you
divided about the hypocrites,
when God has curbed them
for what they have done?
Do you wish to guide those
whom God has allowed to stray?
You can never find a way for them.°
89They would have you disbelieve
as they disbelieve, so that you
will be like them.
So don’t take allies from them
until they migrate to the path
of God. But if they renege,
seize them and slay them
wherever you find them,
and do not take from them
any ally or helper—
90except those who join a group
that has a treaty with you,
or those who approach you
with hearts hesitant to fight you
or to fight their own people.
Had God willed, He could
have empowered them over you
and they would have fought you.
So if they withdraw from you,
don’t fight them. And should they
offer you peace, then God
gives you no cause against them.
91You will find others
who seek to be safe from you
and from their own people.
But when tempted to attack
again, they plunge into it.
If they don’t withdraw from you,
offer peace, and restrain themselves,
seize them and slay them
wherever you encounter them.
We have given you
a clear mandate against them.
SECTION 13
92A believer should never kill
another believer, except in error.
Whoever kills a believer in error
should free a believing slave,
and pay due indemnity
to his family, unless, charitably,
they waive it. If the victim
belonged to a hostile people,
and was a believer, it is enough
to free a believing slave.
But if he belonged to a people
with whom you have a treaty,
then pay due indemnity
to his family, and
free a believing slave.
Let those unable to do this
fast for two straight months,
turning in repentance to God,
for God is All Knowing, All Wise.
93Anyone who kills a believer
willfully will have hell
as their recompense, to dwell
there forever, with God’s wrath
and curse upon them—
God has prepared for them
a great punishment.
94You who believe, when you
venture out in the cause of God,
be cautious [in telling friend from foe],
and don’t say to one who greets you
with peace, “You are no believer”
—seeking the fleeting goods
of worldly life—for God
has abundant treasures.
You yourselves were like this
before God showed favor to you.
So, be scrupulous, for God
is Aware of all that you do.
95The believers who remain behind
—excepting the disabled—
are not equal to those striving
in the cause of God, with their wealth
and their lives. God grants
a higher rank to those who so strive
over those who remain.
God has promised good for all,
but He will favor those who strive
over those who remain, with
a great reward,
96conferring on them exalted rank,
forgiveness and mercy. For God
is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 14
97When the angels take the lives
of those who wrong themselves,
they will ask,
“What was your plight?”
The wrongdoers will reply,
“We were downtrodden on earth.”
The angels will respond,
“Was God’s earth not wide enough
for you to find refuge?”
Such people will find their abode
in hell—an evil end—
98except those who were
indeed downtrodden
—men, women, and children—
with no means and no guidance
to find a way out.
99Perhaps God will pardon
such people, for He
is Ever Pardoning, Forgiving.
100Whoever forsakes his home
for God’s path will find on earth
many a refuge—and abundance;
and whoever forsakes his home
fleeing toward God and His Prophet,
and then is overtaken by death,
shall find his due reward from God,
for God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 15
101When you travel in the land
you incur no blame if you
shorten your prayers, fearing
that the disbelievers might
attack you—the disbelievers
are your open enemies.
102And when you, Prophet,
are among the believers, and
stand to lead them in prayer,
let one group stand with you,
retaining their arms, and
when they finish bowing in prayer,
let them move behind you,
while another group comes forward
to pray with you, using due vigilance,
their arms with them.
The disbelievers hope you might
neglect your arms and baggage,
so they might assault you in a
single strike. But there’s no blame
if, hampered by rain or illness,
you lay down your arms.
But be vigilant.
God has prepared for the disbelievers
a disgraceful punishment.
103Even after finishing prayer,
keep remembering God,
whether standing, sitting,
or lying on your sides.
And when you feel secure,
resume regular prayer—
prayer is enjoined for believers
at appointed times.
104And don’t falter
in pursuing the enemy.
Though you suffer,
they too suffer like you—
but you have hope in God,
while they have none.
God is All Knowing, All Wise.
SECTION 16
105We have sent down
to you the Book with the truth
that you might use
what God has shown you
to judge between people—
so do not plead for those
who are treacherous.
106But seek forgiveness
from God, for God is
Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
107And do not plead for
those who betray themselves—
for God does not love
the treacherous, the sinful.
108They try to hide from people,
but they can’t hide from God,
for He is with them
when they conspire by night
using words He finds displeasing—
God Encompasses all that they do.
109Here you are, believers,
pleading for them,
in the life of this world—
but who will plead for them to God,
on the day of resurrection?
Who will be their defender?
110Yet whoever does evil
or wrongs himself, then
seeks forgiveness from God,
shall find God Forgiving,
Ever Merciful.
111And whoever reaps sin
reaps it for himself—
God is All Knowing, All Wise.
112But whoever reaps
a wrong or sin, and foists it
on an innocent person
will burden himself
with slander and blatant sin.
SECTION 17
113Without God’s favor to you,
and His mercy, a party of them
would have resolved
to lead you astray. But they
lead only themselves astray,
and cannot harm you in any way,
since God has sent to you the Book
and wisdom, teaching you
what you did not know—
God’s favor to you is great.
114There’s no virtue
in most of their furtive talk—unless
one of them enjoins charity, kindness,
or harmony between people.
To anyone who does this, seeking
to please God, We shall grant
a great reward.
115But those who oppose
the messenger, after clear guidance
has come to them, and follow
some other path than that
of the believers, We’ll let them follow
what they have chosen—and We shall
burn them in hell—an evil end.
SECTION 18
116God will not forgive
the joining of other gods with Him,
but He will forgive all else
for whom He pleases.
Whoever joins other gods
with the One God
has wandered far astray.
117Instead of calling on God,
the polytheists call on goddesses°—
and they call on none
but a rebellious Satan.
118God cursed him, and Satan said,
“I will take a due quota of your servants;
119“and I will lead them astray,
and excite vain desires in them,
and command them to slit the ears
of cattle, and command them
to deface God’s creation.”
Whoever takes Satan as protector
instead of God
shall suffer glaring loss.
120Satan makes them promises,
and incites vain desires in them—
but he promises nothing
but delusion.
121[His followers] shall
have their dwelling in hell,
from which they shall find no escape.
122But We shall admit those
who believe and do good deeds
into gardens, with rivers flowing
beneath, dwelling there forever—
the true promise of God. For who
speaks with greater truth than God?
123Your desires [carry no weight]
nor those of the people of the Book—
whoever does evil shall be
requited for it, and they shall find
no protector or helper besides God.
124We shall admit into the garden
whoever does good deeds and believes
—whether male or female—
and they shall not be wronged
by even the breadth of hair
on a date seed.
125Who is better in religion than
one who submits his entire self
to God, does what is good,
and follows the creed of Abraham,
the pure in faith?°
For God held Abraham as friend.
126To God belongs
all that is in the heavens and
all that is on the earth—
God Encompasses all things.
SECTION 19
127They ask you, Prophet,
for your ruling on women. Say,
“God gives the ruling on them—[see]
what is recited to you in the Book
concerning orphan girls whom
you wish to marry, while withholding
their prescribed shares. [God also
gives you the ruling concerning]
children who are helpless: you should
uphold justice for orphans—God
is Aware of whatever good you do.
128If a wife fears ill conduct
or desertion by her husband,
neither of them will be culpable
if they reach a mutual agreement,
for this is better.°
People are prone to avarice,
but if you do good deeds
and are mindful of Him,
God is Aware of what you do.
129You will never be able
to deal justly between wives,
however much you may want to.
But don’t incline altogether
toward one of them, leaving the other
in abeyance.° If you reconcile,
and are mindful of Him,
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
130But if they separate,
God will enrich them
from his expanse, for
God is Expansive, All Wise.
131To God belongs
all that is in the heavens and
all that is on the earth.
We enjoined those
given the Book before you,
as We enjoin you,
to be mindful of God,
but if you disbelieve—still
to Him belongs
all that is in the heavens and
all that is on the earth.
God is Self-Sustaining,
Ever Worthy of Praise.
132To God belongs
all that is in the heavens and
all that is on the earth. He
suffices as Guardian of all trust.
133People, if He willed it,
He could remove you,
and replace you with others—
such is His Power.
134If any desires a worldly reward,
[know that] the reward
of this world and of the hereafter
are both from God—for God
is All Hearing, All Seeing.
SECTION 20
135You who believe, uphold justice,
as witnesses for God,
even if this proves to be
against yourselves or parents
or kin, whether rich or poor,
for God is closer to both.
Desist from your own desires
that you might behave
justly. If you distort
or turn away from justice,
God is Aware of all that you do.
136You who believe,
believe in God and His messenger,
and the Book He revealed
to His messenger,
and the Book He revealed before.
Whoever denies God, his angels,
His Books, His messengers,
and the day of reckoning
has gone far astray.
137God will not forgive
those who believe,
then disbelieve, then
believe again, then
disbelieve again, then
grow in unbelief—
nor will He guide them
to the right path.
138Tell these hypocrites that they
shall face a painful punishment.
139As for those who take
disbelievers as allies rather than
believers: is it power they seek
through them? All power
belongs to God alone.
140He has revealed to you in the Book
that if you hear the verses of God
being denied or mocked [by people],
don’t sit with them unless
they turn to some other discourse,
for then you would be like them.
God will gather the hypocrites and
disbelievers all together—in hell.
141These are the ones who wait on you
[for the outcome of battle],
and if God gives you victory,
they say, “Weren’t we with you?”
But if disbelievers make some gain,
they say, “Didn’t we have the edge
over you, yet defend you
from the believers?”
But God shall judge between you
on the day of reckoning,
and He shall never grant disbelievers
the means of defeating
those who believe.
SECTION 21
142The hypocrites seek
to deceive God, but it is He
Who will render them deceived.
When they stand in prayer,
they stand shiftlessly, merely
to be seen of people, and little
do they remember God—
143wavering, between
this and that, for neither
this side nor the other—
You will never find a way
for those whom God leaves astray.
144You who believe, don’t take
disbelievers over believers as allies.
Would you give God
clear proof against yourselves?
145The hypocrites shall be
in the lowest depths of fire,
and you shall never find
anyone to help them;
146except for those who repent,
amend themselves, and hold fast
to God, sincere to Him in faith.
They shall be with the believers—
to whom God will grant
a great reward.
147Why would God punish you
if you are grateful and believe?
For God is Appreciative, All Knowing.
148God dislikes the mentioning
of bad deeds in public, except by
someone who has been wronged;
and God is All Hearing, All Knowing.
149Whether you reveal
a good deed or conceal it,
or pardon an evil deed—
know that God is Pardoning,
All Powerful.
150As for those who deny God
and his messengers, and wish to
distinguish between God
and His messengers, saying,
“We believe in some but deny others,
and seek a middle way”—
151they are really disbelievers,
and We have prepared for them
a disgraceful punishment.
152We shall soon grant
their rewards to those who believe
in God and His messengers,
and make no distinction
among any of them—for God
is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 22
153The people of the Book
ask you to send down to them
a book from heaven.
They asked of Moses more
than this, when they said:
“Show us God—openly.”
A thunderbolt struck them
for their offense.° Then,
they took the calf for worship
even after clear signs
had come to them.
Still, We pardoned them for this,
and gave Moses clear authority.
154And We raised Mount Sinai,
towering over them,
as they took their pledge,
and We said to them:
“Enter the gate,° prostrating,” and
“Do not profane the Sabbath”—
We took from them a solemn pledge.
155Then We punished them
for breaking their pledge,
for denying the signs of God, and
for killing the prophets wrongfully,
and for saying, “Our hearts are covered”°
—no, God has sealed them
in their disbelief;
so little do they believe—
156and for their disbelief, and for
speaking great slander against Mary,
157as well as for saying,
“We killed Jesus the messiah,
son of Mary, messenger of God.”
But they did not kill him
or crucify him, though it appeared
to them as such.° And those who differ
on this are full of doubt about it,
with no knowledge beyond
the fancies they follow. Assuredly,
they did not kill him—
158no—God raised him up to Himself,°
for God is Almighty, All Wise.
159And there’s not one
among the people of the Book
who before death will not
believe in Jesus°—and on
the day of resurrection
he will be a witness against them.
160For all these wrongs of the Jews,
We made unlawful certain good things
formerly lawful for them,
and for barring people
often from the path of God—
161and for taking up usury,
which was forbidden to them,
and for wrongfully devouring
the property of people.
We have prepared a painful torment
for the disbelievers among them.
162However, We shall grant
a great reward to those
firmly rooted in knowledge
among them and the believers,
who believe in what was
revealed to you, and what was
revealed before you;
who are steadfast in prayer,
who give in charity, and
who believe in God
and the last day.
SECTION 23
163We inspired revelation in you
as We inspired Noah
and the prophets after him.
We also inspired Abraham, Ishmael,
Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes,
as well as Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron,
and Solomon. And to David
We gave the Psalms.
164We inspired some messengers
whom We have mentioned
to you before, and others
whom We have not mentioned.
And God spoke directly to Moses.
165Those messengers were
bearers of joyous news and warning,
so that after them, humankind
should have no alibi before God—
for God is Almighty, All Wise.
166God Himself bears witness
to the truth He has revealed to you:
He revealed it to you
with His knowledge.°
And the angels too bear witness,
though God suffices as Witness.
167Those who disbelieve
and bar others from the path of God
have gone far astray.
168God shall not forgive those
who disbelieve and do wrong,
nor shall He direct them to any path,
169except the path to hell,
to dwell there forever—
this is easy for God.
170Humankind, the messenger
has come to you with the truth
from your Lord. It’s better
that you believe—for even
if you disbelieve, it is to God
that all in the heavens and earth
belongs; and God
is All Knowing, All Wise.
171People of the Book,
don’t be excessive in your religion,
nor speak anything
but the truth about God.
The messiah, Jesus, son of Mary,
was but a messenger of God—
His Word, conveyed to Mary,
through His spirit.° So believe
in God and His messengers,
and refrain from talk of “trinity”—
restraint will be better for you.
God is the One God, glorified
far above the begetting of any son.
To Him belongs
all that is in the heavens
and all that is on the earth;
and God suffices as Guardian.
SECTION 24
172The messiah would never spurn
serving God, nor would
the angels close to Him.
He will gather
those who spurn His worship,
those who are proud,
before Him—all of them.
173He will grant a full reward
to those who believe
and do good deeds, giving them
ever more from His grace.
But He will give painful torment°
to those who are disdainful, proud—
they shall not find any protector
or any helper besides God.
174Humankind, conclusive proof
has come to you from your Lord,
and We have revealed to you
a Light supremely clear.
175So, God will admit
into His Mercy and grace
those who believe in Him
and hold fast to Him;
and He will guide them
to Himself on a straight path.°
176They will ask you, Prophet,
for a ruling. Say, “God gives
the ruling concerning inheritance
[for one with neither parents
nor offspring]:°
If a man dies, leaving a sister
but no child, she shall receive
half of what he leaves.
If she dies leaving no child,
her brother will inherit
everything from her.
If there are two sisters,
they shall have two-thirds
between them of what he leaves.
But if there are brothers and sisters,
the male shall get twice
the share of the female.
God makes this clear for you,
so you do not fall into error—
for God Knows all things.
 
 
SURA 5
The Table Spread (Al-Ma ʾida)
Middle and late Medinan, this sura numbers 120 verses. “The Table” refers to the table of the Last Supper (v. 114), here sent down from heaven as a sign of Jesus’ prophethood. It includes numerous regulations for believers, from injunctions and affirmations to prohibitions and exceptions. It also condemns certain pagan practices, while calling out Jewish rejection of the Prophet’s message and Christian error in ascribing partners to God. Near the end, Jesus is lauded for recognizing that he does not know what God knows—“Knower of all that is unseen” (v. 116).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1You who believe,
honor your obligations:
it is lawful for you to use
livestock animals for food
except those cited below.
It is not lawful to hunt
while you are on pilgrimage.
God decrees what He will.
2You who believe,
don’t violate the sanctity
of the rites of God,
nor those of the sacred month,
nor of the animals garlanded
for sacrifice,°
nor of those arriving
at the Sacred House,°
striving for the grace
and pleasure of their Lord.
But when you are finished
with the pilgrimage,
you may resume hunting.
And don’t let hatred of those who
barred you from the sacred mosque
incite you to transgress.
Help one another
to be righteous,
to be mindful of God,
and not to sin and transgress.
Be mindful of God,
for God is Severe in Retribution.°
3Forbidden to you are carrion,
blood, and the flesh of swine,
and anything killed invoking
some other name than God’s,
as well as anything that has died
by strangling, beating, falling, or
being gored, or being eaten
by a beast of prey—unless
you can kill it [in the correct way]—
or what is sacrificed on stone altars,
or divided by divining arrows,°
which is grave impiety.
This day, those who disbelieve
have despaired of [making you
abandon] your religion,
so do not fear them but fear Me.
This day I have perfected
your religion for you, and
I have completed My favor to you,
and I have chosen as your religion
submission to My will.°
But if someone is constrained
by hunger [to eat what’s unlawful],
without meaning to sin—
they will find God Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
4They ask you what is lawful
for them. Say, “It’s lawful for you
to eat things that are good and pure,
and the things you’ve taught
your hunting animals [to catch],
as God has taught you.
So eat what they catch for you,
pronouncing God’s Name on it,
and be mindful of God—
God is Swift in Reckoning.”
5This day all good things
have been made lawful for you.
The food of those given the Book°
is lawful for you, and
yours is lawful for them.
Also lawful are chaste women
among the believers and among
those given the Book before you—
provided you give them their dowries,
as chaste men, with no lewdness,
not taking them as lovers.
The work of those who deny faith
will be in vain—and in the hereafter,
they will be among those in loss.
SECTION 2
6You who believe,
before you stand in prayer,
wash your faces and your arms
to the elbow, and wipe your heads,
and wash your feet to the ankles.
If you’re in a condition
of major ritual impurity,
purify yourselves by ritual bathing.
And if you’re ill
or on a journey, or if any of you
have just relieved yourselves or
had contact with women
and do not find water, then
find for yourself clean sand
and wipe your faces with it
and your hands.
God does not want hardship for you;
rather, He intends to purify you
and to complete His favor to you,
that you might be grateful.
7And remember God’s favor to you
and the pledge he took from you
when you declared, “We hear and obey.”
And be mindful of God, for He Knows
what your hearts enclose.
8You who believe, be steadfast for God,
as witnesses for justice,
and don’t allow hatred of anyone
to stop you from acting justly.
Be just—for that is close to piety.
And be mindful of God,
for He is Aware of all that you do.
9God has promised
forgiveness and a great reward
for those who believe
and do good deeds.
10Those who disbelieve
and deny Our signs
shall be inmates of hellfire.
11You who believe, remember
the favor God showed you,
when a certain people schemed°
to raise their hands against you,
and He restrained them.
So be mindful of God,
and let the believers trust in God.
SECTION 3
12God made a covenant
with the children of Israel,
and We appointed from them
twelve captains. And God said,
“I am with you, if you are steadfast
in prayer, practice charity, and
believe in my messengers,
honoring them, and if you
lend to God a beautiful loan;°
then I will expiate your bad deeds,
and admit you into gardens
beneath which rivers flow.
But whoever disbelieves after this
has strayed from the right path.”
13But because they broke the covenant,
We cursed them and made hard their hearts.
They distort the context of words,
and forget part of the message recalled to them.
Nor will you cease to find treachery
among all but a few of them.
But pardon them,
and overlook their misdeeds,
for God loves those who do good.
14And We made a covenant
with those who say,
“We are Christians,” but they forgot
part of the message recalled to them,
so We aroused among them
enmity and hatred,
until the day of resurrection—
then God shall inform them
of all that they have done.
15People of the Book,
Our messenger has come to you,
making clear many things
that you concealed in the Book,
and overlooking many errors.
A new light has come to you
from God—and a clarifying Book—
16by which God guides
those who seek to please Him
to the paths of peace.
He leads them
out of darkness into light,
by His leave; and He guides them
to a straight path.
17Those who proclaim,
“God is the messiah, son of Mary”
are disbelievers. Say,
“Who would have any power
against God if He wished to destroy
the messiah, son of Mary, and
his mother, and all upon the earth?”
To God belongs dominion
over the heavens and the earth
and all that lies between them.
He creates what He will—
God has Power over all things.
18Jews and Christians both claim,
“We are the children of God,
and loved by Him.”
Say, “Why then does He
punish you for your sins?
No—you are merely human beings,
from among those He created.
He forgives whom He will,
and punishes whom He will.”
To God belongs dominion
over the heavens and the earth
and all that lies between them.
And to Him is the final return.
19People of the Book,
Our messenger has come to you,
clarifying things for you
—after a pause in the line
of messengers—so that you
don’t claim, “No one came to us
bearing joyous news or warning.”
Now, someone has come to you
with good news and warning—
for God has Power over all things.
SECTION 4
20When Moses said to his people,
“My people, remember the favor
God showed you,
when He placed prophets among you,
and made you kings, and gave you
what He had not given
to any people in all the world;
21“my people, enter the holy land,
which God has ordained for you,
and do not turn your backs
for you will then return as losers,”
22they said, “Moses, a tyrannical people
live in that land, and we will never enter it
until they leave. If they leave it,
then we will enter.”°
23Then two of the God-fearing men,
whom God had favored, said,
“Attack them at the gate—
once you enter, you will be victorious.
So trust in God, if you are true believers.”
24They said, “Moses, we won’t enter it
while they remain there.
So go, you and your Lord, both—
and fight, while we stay here.”
25He said, “My Lord,
I have control only over
myself and my brother,
so set us apart in Your sight
from this disobedient people.”
26God said, “This land
shall be forbidden to them
for forty years. They shall wander
upon the earth, aimless—
so do not grieve over
this disobedient people.”
SECTION 5
27Tell them the actual story
of the two sons of Adam—
when they both offered a sacrifice.
It was accepted of one of them
but not of the other, who said,
“I’ll kill you.” The first replied,
“God accepts sacrifice only
from those who are mindful of Him.
28“If you raise your hand to kill me,
I will not raise my hand against you, for
I fear God, Lord of the universe.
29“I would have you bring upon yourself
my sin as well as yours
so you’ll be among the inmates of the fire—
the reward of wrongdoers.”
30Still, the other sibling’s soul
prompted him to kill his brother—
now,° he was one of those in loss.
31Then God sent a raven,
which scratched the ground
to show him how to cover
the dead body of his brother.
He said, “Alas! Could I not
have been like this raven
and covered my brother’s body?”
And he was filled with remorse.
32On that account, We decreed
for the children of Israel—
if anyone kills a person
—other than for murder or
sowing corruption in the land°—
it will be as if he had killed
all humankind; and if anyone
saves a life, it will be as if he
had saved all humankind.
Our messengers came to them
with clear signs, but even after this,
many among them were
transgressors in the land.
33The retribution for those
who wage war against God and
his messenger and strive to spread
corruption through the land
is that they be killed or crucified
or their hands and feet cut off
on alternate sides—or that they be
exiled from the land.
Such is their disgrace in this world,
and in the hereafter
they shall face great torment,
34except for those who repent
before you prevail against them;
know, then, that God
is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 6
35You who believe,
be mindful of God
and seek the means
to come closer to Him,
and strive in His way,
that you might flourish.
36As for those who disbelieve,
if they had all that is on the earth,
and twice that, to offer as ransom
for their punishment on the day of resurrection,
it would not be accepted of them—
they shall face painful torment.
37They will want to come out of the fire,
but they shall not escape it,
for they shall face enduring torment.
38As for the thief—male and female—
cut off their hands:
the recompense they earned—
an example, from God—
for God is Almighty, All Wise.
39But God will relent, pardoning
those who repent after their crime,
reforming themselves—
for He is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
40Do you not know:
to God belongs dominion over
the heavens and the earth?
He punishes whom He will
and He forgives whom He will—
for God has Power over all things.
41Messenger, don’t be grieved
by those who hasten to unbelief—
those who say with their mouths,
“We believe,” while their hearts
disbelieve; or those Jews
who listen to falsehood, or to others
who have not come to you [for a ruling].
They distort words from
their contexts, and they say,
“If you are given this ruling,
take it, but if not, then beware.”°
You have no sway with God
on behalf of those He would test.
They are the ones whose hearts
God has no desire to purify.
They shall be disgraced in this world,
and they shall face great torment
in the hereafter—
42those who listen to lies and
consume what is proscribed.
If they come to you,
judge between them or
turn away from them.
If you turn away,
they can’t harm you at all.
And if you do judge, then
judge between them justly—
God loves those who are just.
43Yet why do they appoint you
as judge when they have their Torah
bearing God’s judgment?
And even after this, they turn away,
for they are not true believers.
SECTION 7
44We revealed the Torah
[to Moses], bearing guidance
and light—by this,
the prophets submissive to God’s will
judged for the Jews,
as did the rabbis and the scholars,
by the Book of God
entrusted to their care, and to which
they bore witness.
So do not fear people,° but fear Me,
and do not sell My signs
for a paltry price.
As for those who do not judge
by what God has revealed—
they are the unbelievers.
45In the Torah We told them,
a life for a life, an eye for an eye,
nose for nose, tooth for tooth,
and fair requital for any wound.
But those who forgo reprisal,
out of charity, will thereby atone
for their bad deeds.
As for those who do not judge
by what God has revealed—
they are wrongdoers.
46In their footsteps, We sent Jesus,
son of Mary, verifying the Torah
that came before him;
We gave to him the Gospel,
bearing guidance and light,
verifying the Torah
that came before him—
guidance and counsel
for those mindful of God.
47Let the followers
of the Gospel judge
by what God has revealed in it;
as for those who do not judge
by what God has revealed—
they are the disobedient.
48And We revealed the Book,
with the truth, to you, Prophet,
verifying the earlier Book,
preserving it. So judge between them
by what God has revealed,
and do not follow their desires,
straying from the truth
that has come to you.
For each of you, We made a law
and a path. If God had willed,
He could have made you one people,
but He would test you
in what He has granted you:
so compete in good works.
All of you shall return to God—
He alone shall enlighten you
about the things you dispute.
49So judge between them
by what God has revealed,
and do not follow their desires—
beware that they don’t entice you
away from some of what
God has revealed to you.
And if they turn away, know that
God intends to scourge them
for some of their sins—
for most people are disobedient.
50Do they seek a judgment
from the days of pagan ignorance?°
Who is better in judging than God
for a people of assured faith?
SECTION 8
51You who believe, do not take
the Jews and Christians as allies—
they are allies of each other.
Whoever among you turns to them
belongs with them.
God does not guide a wrongful people.
52You see those with sick hearts
hastening to them, saying
“We fear a turn of fortune.”
But God may bring you victory,
or a ruling from Himself—
then they will regret what
they hid within themselves.
53And those who believe
will say, “Are these the ones
who swore the strongest oaths by God
that they were with you?”
All their deeds have been in vain
and they are now the losers.
54You who believe, if any of you
turn away from their faith, then
God will replace you with a people
whom He loves and who love Him—
humble toward believers, and
robust against disbelievers,
striving in the path of God, not
fearing reproach from anyone.
This is the grace of God, which
He brings to those whom He will,
for God is Expansive, All Knowing.
55Your allies are God,
His messenger, and the believers
who are steadfast in prayer
and charity, bowing [in worship].
56The party of God
—those who turn to God,
His messenger, and the believers—
shall be victorious.
SECTION 9
57You who believe,
do not take as allies those
who take your religion
in jest and sport, among those
who were given the Book
before you and the unbelievers.
Rather, be mindful of God
if you are true believers.
58When you voice the call to prayer,
they take it in jest and sport—
for they are people void of reason.
59Say, “People of the Book,
do you resent us just because
we believe in God,
in what was revealed to us
and what was revealed before,
while most of you are disobedient?”
60Say, “Shall I tell you
who deserved a punishment
worse than this from God?
Those whom God cursed,
His wrath falling on them,
some of whom He turned
into apes and swine,
and who worshipped false gods.
They have an even worse rank
and have strayed farther
from the even path.”
61When they come to you,
they say, “We believe.”
But really they enter and leave
in a state of disbelief—and
God knows best what they conceal.
62And you see many of them
hastening to sin and transgression,
and gorging on unlawful earnings.
How wicked their deeds have been!
63Why do their rabbis and scholars
not forbid them from speaking sin
and gorging on unlawful earnings?
How wicked their works have been!
64The Jews say,
“God’s hand is chained”—
it is their hands that are chained
and they are cursed for what they assert.
The hands of God are in fact outstretched
and He gives as He will.
Your Lord’s revelations to you
intensify rebellion and unbelief
in most of them. We have cast
enmity and hatred among them
until the day of resurrection.
Whenever they fuel the fire of war
God extinguishes it. They strive
to sow corruption upon the earth—
and God dislikes those who do this.
65Had the people of the Book
believed and had they been mindful
of God, We would have expiated
their evil deeds and urged them
into gardens of bliss.
66If they had stood firm
by the Torah and the Gospel
and what was revealed to them
from their Lord, then sustenance
would have showered down on them
from above, and risen from beneath
their feet. Among them is a group
on the right course, yet
what many of them do is wicked.
SECTION 10
67Messenger, proclaim all
that has been revealed to you
from your Lord—if you don’t,
you won’t have conveyed
His message.
And God shall guard you
against people [who oppose you].
God does not guide
people who disbelieve.
68Say, “People of the Book,
you stand upon no ground, unless
you stand firmly by the Torah
and the Gospel and what was
revealed to you from your Lord.”
But what was revealed to you
from your Lord, Prophet, simply deepens
the rebellion and disbelief
of most of them—but do not grieve
over people who disbelieve.
69Those who believe, including
Jews, Sabians,° and Christians—
all who believe in God
and the last day
and do good works—
they shall not fear, nor grieve.
70We made a covenant
with the children of Israel,
and We sent messengers to them.
Whenever these brought to them
directives not suiting their desires,
they rejected some of them
and killed others.
71They thought there would be
no trial—so they became
blind and deaf.
Yet God turned to them [in mercy],
yet, again, many of them became
blind and deaf—
God Sees all that they do.
72Those who say,
“God is the messiah, son of Mary”
disbelieve. For the messiah said,
“Children of Israel, worship God—
my Lord and your Lord.”
God will bar from the garden those
who associate others with Him;
their home shall be the fire,
and there shall be none
to help the wrongdoers.
73Those who say,
“God is the third in a trinity”
disbelieve. There is no god
beyond the One God, and if they
don’t desist from saying this,
those of them who disbelieve
shall face painful torment.
74So why don’t they turn to God,
seeking His forgiveness?
For God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
75The messiah, son of Mary,
was but a messenger, and before him
other messengers passed away.
His mother was a truthful woman;
they both ate food [like other mortals].
See how We make clear
Our signs [to people], and see
how deluded they are!
76Say, “Do you worship
something other than God
which has the power
neither to do you harm or good?”
God is All Hearing, All Knowing.
77Say, “People of the Book,
don’t trespass, in your religion,
beyond the boundaries of truth.
And don’t follow the desires of those
who went astray before
and led many others astray—those
who strayed from the even path.”
SECTION 11
78The unbelievers among
the children of Israel were cursed
by the words of David and of Jesus,
son of Mary—for they disobeyed
and were always transgressing.
79They would not forbid
one another from the iniquities
they committed. The things
they did were wicked.
80You see many of them
turning to the unbelievers.
The deeds their souls
bring to their own account°
are wicked—God’s wrath
falls upon them, and they
will dwell in torment forever.
81If they had believed
in God and the Prophet
and what has been revealed to him,
they would not have taken
[the unbelievers] as allies.
But most of them are disobedient.
82You’ll find that, of all people,
the Jews and polytheists are
most hostile to the believers;
you’ll find those who say,
“We are Christians” nearest
in love to the believers, for
among them are priests and monks
who are not filled with pride.
83When they hear what
is revealed to the messenger,
you’ll see their eyes brim with tears,
for they know the truth. They say,
“Our Lord, we believe, so record us
among the witnesses.”
84“Why would we not believe
in God and the truth that has
come to us? For we yearn
for our Lord to include us
among the righteous people.”
85And God has rewarded them
for what they say, with gardens
with rivers flowing beneath;
there they shall live forever—
that is the reward
of those who do good.
86But those who disbelieve
and deny Our signs
shall be inmates of hellfire.
SECTION 12
87You who believe,
do not forbid the good things
which God has made lawful for you,
and do not transgress—for God
does not love transgressors.
88Eat of the lawful and good things
that God has given, and be mindful
of the One God in Whom you believe.
89God will not call you to account
for what you utter unthinkingly
in your oaths,
but He will call you to account
for the oaths you pledge solemnly.
To atone for breaking an oath,
you should feed ten needy people,
as you would feed your families,
or else clothe them, or free a slave.
Whoever finds this beyond their means
should fast for three days.
This is the atonement for oaths
you have sworn. So keep your oaths.
In this way, God makes clear
His signs for you,
that you might be grateful.
90You who believe—
wine, games of chance,
sacrifices at stone altars, and
arrows used for divining
are all an abomination—
the work of Satan.
So turn away from them,
that you may flourish.
91Satan desires merely
to incite enmity and hate
between you, through wine
and games of chance, and
to impede you from
remembrance of God
and from prayer.
Will you not, then, refrain?
92So, obey God, and obey
the messenger, and be wary;
and if you turn away, know that
Our messenger’s task is only
to convey the message clearly.
93Those who believe and
do good deeds will not be blamed
for what they ate in the past,
if they are mindful of God,
believe, and do good deeds;
then are still mindful of God
and believe;
then are still mindful of God
and do better deeds—
for God loves those who do good.
SECTION 13
94You who believe, God will
test you through the game you hunt
with your hands and spears
that He may know who fears Him,
even though they cannot see Him;
and whoever transgresses after this
shall face painful torment.
95You who believe, do not kill prey
while you are dressed as pilgrims.
Those of you who do so willfully
must compensate,
by bringing to the Kaʿba°
a domestic beast as an offering,
equivalent to what they killed,
as judged by two just men among you,
or, as atonement, by feeding
needy people or, instead,
by fasting—so that they may taste
the seriousness of their act.
God will pardon a past action,
but if anyone repeats it,
God will requite them,
for God is Almighty,
Lord of Requital.
96It’s lawful for you and travelers
to catch and eat prey from the sea,
but to hunt prey from the land
is unlawful for you while dressed
as pilgrims. And be mindful of God,
to Whom you will be gathered.
97God made the Kaʿba,
the Sacred House, a secure haven
for humankind, as also
the sacred months, and the animals
for sacrifice, and the garlands—
all, so you might know that
God knows all that is in
the heavens and the earth,
and that God Knows all things.
98Know also that
God is Severe in Retribution
yet He is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
99It is the messenger’s task
only to convey the message;
for God knows all that you reveal,
and all that you conceal.
100Say, “The good and the bad
are not equal, even though
the abundance of bad things
may please you.
So be mindful of God,
You who possess insight,
that you might flourish.”
SECTION 14
101You who believe,
don’t ask about things [hidden]
which, if made clear, would grieve you.
But if you ask about them
when the Quran is revealed,
they will be made clear to you;
and God will pardon your asking,
for God is Forgiving, Forbearing.
102People before you asked such questions
and ended up disbelieving.
103It was not God who set up
the dedication to idols of
a slit-eared she-camel, nor
a she-camel freed to pasture, nor
a twin-bearing female, nor
a camel stallion freed to stud°—
but rather, those who disbelieve,
inventing a lie against God,
for most of them do not
make use of reason.
104And when they are told,
“Embrace what God has revealed
to His messenger,” they say,
“What our forefathers left us°
is quite sufficient for us.”
Really? Even though their forefathers
knew nothing and were not guided?
105You who believe, you are
accountable for your souls.
Those who stray can’t harm you
if you are guided. To God
you will all be returned,
and He will inform you
of all that you have done.
106You who believe, when death
approaches any one of you,
let two just men among you testify
when a will is being made,
or two others from outside
if you are traveling in the land
and happen to meet your death.
If you doubt [the two witnesses],
detain them both after prayer,
and let them both swear by God:
“We shall not sell our testimony,
even for a close relative, and
we shall not hide God’s testimony,
for then we would be sinning.”
107But if it is perceived
that these two were guilty
of the sin [of perjury], let
them be replaced by two others
among those who are deemed
more worthy than the first two,
and let them swear by God:
“Our testimony is truer than
that of those two, and
we have not transgressed, for then
we would be doing wrong.”
108This will make them more likely
to give true evidence, or make them
wary that their oaths might be
countered by the oaths of others.
So be mindful of God, and listen—
for God does not guide
a disobedient people.
SECTION 15
109On the day God gathers
the messengers together,
He will ask,
“How were you answered?”
They will respond,
“We do not know;
You alone Know the unseen.”
110And God will say,
“Jesus, son of Mary, remember
my favor to you and to your mother,
when I strengthened you
with the holy spirit;
you spoke to the people from
the cradle and in maturity, and when
I taught you the Book and wisdom,
the Torah and the Gospel, and when
you created from clay the form of a bird
by My leave—you breathed into it
and it became a bird,
by My leave;
and you healed the blind and the leper
by My leave;
and when you brought forth the dead
by My leave;
and when I held back from you
the children of Israel, when
you came to them with clear signs,
for the disbelievers among them said,
“This is clearly nothing but magic.”
111When I inspired the disciples
of Christ to believe in Me and
in My messenger, they proclaimed,
“We believe—bear witness
that we submit to God’s will.”
112When the disciples said,
“Jesus, son of Mary, can your Lord
send down to us from heaven
a table spread with food?
He said, “Be mindful of God
if you are true believers.”
113They said, “We want to eat of it
and ease our hearts, and to know
that you have told us the truth,
so that we may be witnesses to it.”
114Jesus, son of Mary, said,
“O God, our Lord, send to us
from heaven a table spread
with food, as a festival
for the first of us and the last—
as a sign from You.
Provide for us—for You
are the Best of Providers.”
115God responded,
“I am sending it to you,
but I shall punish any of you
who disbelieves after that,
with a punishment such as
I have never imposed on anyone
in all the world.”
SECTION 16
116And when God asked,
“Jesus, son of Mary, did you say
to people, ‘Take me and my mother
both as gods instead of God,’ ”
he will answer, “Glory be to You;
I would never say what I had no right
to say—if I had said it,
You would have known it. You know
what is within me, but I do not know
what is within You—Knower
of all that is unseen.
117“I said to them only
what you commanded me to,
‘Worship God, my Lord and
your Lord,’ and I was a witness
to them while I was among them.
When You raised me up, You
were Watching over them, and You
are Witness to all things.
118“If you punish them,
they are Your servants;
and if You forgive them—
You are the Almighty, All Wise.”
119God will say, “On this day,
the truthful shall benefit from
their truthfulness. They shall have
gardens with rivers flowing beneath;
there they shall live forever. God
shall be pleased with them, and they
with Him—the supreme triumph.”
120To God belongs dominion
over the heavens and the earth,
and all within them. And He
has Power over all things.
 
 
SURA 6
Cattle (Al-Anʿam)
Late Meccan with some Medinan additions, this sura numbers 165 verses. It refers to pre-Islamic practices about cattle sacrifice in vv. 138–46 but also offers strong directives about exclusive worship of the one God, ending with exemplary testimony from the Prophet (vv. 161–65).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1All praise be to God
Who created the heavens and the earth,
Who made the darkness and the light—
yet those who disbelieve
ascribe equals to their Lord.
2It is He Who created you from clay,
then decreed for you a term,
—then a fixed term with Him°—
yet still you are in doubt.
3And He is God
in the heavens and the earth;
He knows what you conceal
and what you reveal—
He knows what you reap.
4Yet no sign ever comes
to them from their Lord
but they turn away from it.
5And so they denied the truth
when it came to them, but soon
the truth of what they ridiculed
shall fall upon them.
6Don’t they see the generations
We destroyed before them?
We had settled them on the earth
more securely than you;
We poured down on them
abounding rain from the sky,
and We made rivers
flow beneath them—but
We destroyed them for their sins,
and We brought forward
other generations after them.
7Even if We sent you a Book
written on parchment, which
they could touch with their hands,
those who disbelieve would still say,
“This is nothing but plain sorcery.”
8And they ask, “Why isn’t
an angel sent down to him?”
Had We sent an angel,
judgment would have been
pronounced on them°—then
they would have no respite.
9Had We made him an angel,
We would have shaped him
in the form of a human—
furthering their confusion.
10Messengers before you, Prophet,
were mocked, but those who scoffed
were engulfed by what they mocked.
SECTION 2
11Say, “Wander through the earth
and see how things ended
for those who denied the truth.”
12Ask, “To whom belongs all
that is in the heavens and earth?
Answer, “To God.
He has pledged Himself
to showing mercy;°
He will gather you
on the day of resurrection—
which is beyond doubt;
but those who have lost their souls,
will not believe.
13To Him belongs all that lives
by night and day—for He is
the All Hearing, All Knowing.”
14Say, “Shall I take as my protector
any but God, Maker of the heavens
and the earth, He Who feeds
and is not fed?” Say,
“I am commanded to be the first
of those who submit to God’s will,
so don’t you be among
those who join others with God.”
15Say, “If I disobeyed my Lord,
I would fear the torment
of a momentous day.
16“Whoever is spared [torment]
that day—it is through God’s mercy,
and that will be the clear victory.”
17If God touches you
with affliction, none but He
can remove it;
and if He touches you
with good—it is He
Who has Power over all things.
18He is the Omnipotent, far above
His worshippers, and
He is the All Wise, All Aware.
19Ask, “Whose witness carries
the greatest weight?”
Answer, “God is Witness between me and you;
and this Quran was revealed to me
that I might thereby warn you and
whomever else it reaches.
Can you bear witness that,
besides God, there is another god?”
Say, “I cannot.” And say,
“He is the One God, and I disown
whatever you join with Him.”
20Those to whom We gave the Book
recognize it, as they recognize
their own children;
those who have lost themselves
do not believe.
SECTION 3
21Who does more wrong than
those who invent a lie about God,
and deny His signs?
Those who do wrong shall not flourish.
22One day We shall gather
them all together, then We shall say
to those who ascribed partners to Us:
“Where are the partners you claimed?”
23Then, their only plea will be
to swear, “By God, Our Lord,
we did not ascribe partners to You.”
24See how they lie about themselves
and how the gods they invented
have abandoned them.
25Among them are some who
seem to listen to you.
But We have placed
veils over their hearts—lest they
understand [the Quran]—
and deafness in their ears.
And even if they saw every sign,
they would not believe it,
so that, when they come to you,
they dispute with you.
The disbelievers say,
“These are nothing
but tales of the ancients.”
26And they withhold others
from the Quran—as they themselves
stay away from it; but they merely
bring about their own ruin,
without realizing it.
27If you could see when they are
made to stand before the fire—
they will say, “If only
we could be sent back—
we would not deny the signs
of our Lord, and we would believe.”°
28No—the truth they used to hide
will become clear to them,
and if they were sent back,
they would just go back
to what was forbidden to them,
for they are liars.
29They say, “There is nothing
beyond our life in this world,
and we shall not be resurrected.”
30If you could see when they
stand before their Lord—He will say,
“Is this not real?” They will answer,
“Yes, by our Lord.” He will say,
“Taste, then, the punishment
for persisting in disbelief.”
SECTION 4
31Those who deny the meeting
with God are lost—until the hour
strikes suddenly, and they say,
“How sorry we are
that we did not heed it!”
For they’ll bear their burdens on
their backs—a wicked burden!
32What is the life of this world
but play and a pastime?
The home of the hereafter is better
for those who are mindful of God.
Will you not, then, use reason?
33We know that what they say
grieves you, Prophet, but it’s
not you they deny—it’s the signs
of God the wrongdoers deny.
34Indeed, messengers were denied
before you, and they bore
denial and injury patiently
until Our help came to them.
For none can alter the words of God—
you have received before now
accounts of the messengers.
35If it is so hard on you, when they
turn away, what if you could seek
a tunnel in the earth
or a stairway toward the sky,
to bring them a sign?°
If God wished, He could gather
all of them to guidance; so do not
join those who are ignorant.
36Only those who listen respond;
and God shall bring the dead to life—
then to Him they’ll be brought back.
37And they say, “Why is no sign
sent down to him from his Lord?”
Say, “God has the Power
to send a sign”; but most of them
don’t know it.
38All creatures on the earth,
and all birds that fly on their wings,
are communities,° like you.
We have overlooked nothing
in the Book—then, to their Lord
they shall be gathered.
39Those who deny Our signs
are deaf and dumb, in darkness—
God allows whom He will to stray,
and He sets whom He will
on a straight path.
40Say, “Think to yourselves,
if God’s punishment or the hour
were to come to you, would you call
on any other besides God,
if what you say is true?”
41You would call on Him alone;
if He wished, He would remove
the distress that made you call
on Him—and you would forget
the partners you joined with Him.
SECTION 5
42Yes, We sent messengers
to many nations° before you,
striking them with adversity
and hardship, that they
might learn humility.
43But when Our adversity
fell upon them, why didn’t they
humble themselves? Rather,
their hearts hardened, and Satan
made their actions seem fair to them.
44So, when they forgot
what they had been reminded of,
We opened for them the doors
to all good things,° until
—as they enjoyed their gifts—
We suddenly seized them,
sinking them in despair.
45So the last vestige
of the wrongdoers was erased°—
praise be to God,
Lord of the universe.
46Say, “Do you think that,
if God were to take away
your hearing and your sight, and
seal up your hearts, some other god
could restore them to you?”
See how We explain Our signs—
yet still they turn aside.
47Say, “If God’s punishment
fell on you—whether unforeseen
or seen—do you think that anyone
except those who do wrong
would be destroyed?”
48We send the messengers
only to bring joyous news
and to warn people—
so those who believe
and do good deeds
shall have no fear,
nor shall they grieve.
49But punishment shall strike
those who denied Our signs,
for they were disobedient.
50Say, “I do not say to you
that I have the treasures of God,
nor that I know the unseen, nor
that I’m an angel. I merely follow
what is revealed to me.” Say,
“Are the blind the same
as those who can see?
Won’t you, then, reflect?”
SECTION 6
51And use this [Quran] to warn
those who fear that they will be
gathered before their Lord—so that
they might be mindful of God—
beyond Him they shall have
no protector nor any intercessor.
52Do not send away
those who call upon their Lord,
morning and evening, seeking
His Face. No part of their reckoning
falls on you, nor yours on them.
Should you send them away,
you would be doing wrong.
53In this way, We tried
some of them by means of others,
that they might ask,
“Are these the ones God
has favored among us?”
Does God not know best
who are thankful?
54When those who believe
in Our signs come to you, say,
“Peace be with you.”
Your Lord has pledged Himself
to showing mercy.° If any of you
did wrong in ignorance, and then
repented and amended themselves—
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.”
55In this way, We explain the signs
so that the way for sinners
might be made plain.
SECTION 7
56Say, “I am forbidden
to worship the gods on whom
you call besides the One God.”
Say, “I shall not follow
your desires, for I would stray
and not be rightly guided.”
57Say, “I stand upon clear proof
from my Lord, while you deny it.
What you seek to hasten is
not in my power—the decision is
with God alone. He relates the truth,
for He is the Best of Arbiters.”
58Say, “If what you seek to hasten
lay in my power, the matter would be
settled between you and me; but God
best knows who the wrongdoers are.”
59With Him are the keys of the unseen,
which none knows but He.
He knows what is on land and sea;
not a leaf falls without
His knowing; nor is there a grain
in the depth of earth’s darkness,
nor moisture nor dryness, without
being set down in a clear Book.
60It is He Who calls back your souls
by night, knowing all you have done
by day; then, He raises you up,
to fulfill the appointed term. To Him
you shall return—then He will
inform you of all you have done.
SECTION 8
61He is the Forceful, far above
His worshippers, and He sends
guardians over you until,
when death comes to any of you,
Our envoys° take his soul—and they
never fail in their duty.
62Then they shall be returned
to God, their true Protector.
His alone is the judgment, and He
is the Swiftest of Reckoners.
63Say, “Who is it that saves you
from the dark depths of land and sea,
when you call on Him
humbly and secretly,
saying, ‘If He saves us from this,
We shall truly be thankful’?”
64Say, “It is God who saves you
from this and every distress—yet still
you ascribe partners to Him.”
65Say, “He is Able to send
punishment to you, from above,
or from beneath your feet,
or split you into factions, to let you
taste one another’s aggression.”
See how We vary Our signs,
so that they might understand.
66But your people deny it,
though it is the truth. Tell them,
“I am not your guardian.
67“There is a given term
for every prophecy—
and soon you will know.”
68When you see people talking idly
about Our signs, turn away from them
until they talk of something else—
if Satan makes you forget,
then, when you remember,
sit apart from those who do wrong.
69Nothing of their reckoning
falls on those who fear God,
except to remind them that they
should be mindful of God.
70As for those who take
their religion as play and a pastime,
deluded by the life of this world—
leave them to themselves—but
remind them that a soul
is destroyed by what it reaps;
it shall have no protector besides God,
nor any intercessor; and no matter
what ransom it offered, none
will be accepted from it. Those
are the ones to be destroyed
by what they have reaped; they
shall have scalding water to drink
and painful punishment, for they
always denied the truth.
SECTION 9
71Say, “Shall we call on others
besides God—who can do us
neither good nor harm?
And shall we turn upon our heels
after God has guided us, like one
seduced by Satan, wandering
bewildered through the land, though
his friends call to him, ‘Come to us!’?”
Say, “God’s guidance
is the right guidance,
and we have been commanded
to submit our will
to the Lord of the universe,
72“to be steadfast in prayer, and
to be mindful of Him—
for it is to Him
that you shall be gathered.”
73It is He Who created
the heavens and the earth
with true purpose;° on the day
when He says, “Be,” it shall be.
His Word is the truth.
And His shall be dominion
on the day the trumpet is blown—
Knower of the unseen and the seen,
He is All Wise, All Aware.
74Remember when Abraham
asked his father, Azar,
“Do you take idols as gods?
I see that you and your people
are clearly wrong.”
75And We showed Abraham
the Kingdom of the heavens
and the earth—to assure his faith.
76When night covered him
with darkness, he saw a star,
and said, “This is my Lord.”
But when it set, he said,
“I dislike things that set.”
77When he saw the moon rising,
he said, “This is my Lord.”
But when it too set, he said,
“If my Lord does not guide me,
I will be one of those
who’ve gone astray.”
78When he saw the sun rising,
he said, “This is my Lord.
This is the most great.”
But when it too set, he said,
“My people, I renounce
your practice of ascribing
partners to God.
79“I have set my face toward the One
Who fashioned the heavens
and the earth; upright in faith,
I shall never be a polytheist.”
80His people argued with him.
He said, “Are you arguing with me
about God, when He has guided me?
I have no fear of the gods
you join with Him;
unless He wishes it, [nothing can happen].
My Lord embraces all things
in His knowing.
So won’t you take heed?
81“Why should I fear what you
join with Him, when you
have no fear of joining partners
with God, for which no sanction
has been sent down to you?
So, which of our two parties
has more right to feel secure?
[Tell me], if you know.
82“Those who believe
and don’t confound their belief
with doing wrong—they are the ones
who will be secure, for they
are the rightly guided ones.”
SECTION 10
83This was the argument We gave
to Abraham against his people.
We raise in rank whom We will—
your Lord is All Wise, All Knowing.
84We gave him Isaac and Jacob,
and We guided all of them.
Earlier, We had guided Noah
and his descendants: David, Solomon,
Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron
—this is how We reward
those who do good—
85and Zachariah, John, Jesus, and Elijah
—all were among the righteous—
86and Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah, and Lot—
We favored them above all peoples,
87and their fathers, descendants,
and their brothers—We chose some
and guided them to a straight path.
88This is guidance from God;
He guides by it whichever
of His worshippers He will.
If they were to join partners
with Him, all their deeds
would be rendered vain.
89These were the people to whom
We gave the Book, wisdom,
and prophethood.
If now they deny all this,
We shall entrust it to a people
who will not deny it.
90Those were the people God guided,
so, Prophet, follow the guidance
that they gained. Say,
“I ask of you no reward for this—
this is nothing less than a reminder
for all the worlds.”
SECTION 11
91They fail to appraise
the true measure of God when they say,
“God has never revealed anything
to a mere mortal.” Say,
“Who revealed the Book
by which Moses brought light
and guidance to his people—
you divide it into parchments,
disclosing some things
but hiding many more?
You were taught
what you did not know—
you nor your forefathers.”
Answer, “God revealed it,”
then leave them floundering
in their idle talk.
92This is a blessèd Book
that We have revealed,
confirming what came before it,
that you might warn
the mother of cities,°
and those around her.
Those who believe in the hereafter
believe in the Book,
and they preserve
their practice of prayer.
93Who does more wrong than those
who invent a lie about God, or say,
“Revelation came to me”—
when it did not come to them—or,
“I shall reveal something
similar to what God has revealed”?
If you could see the wrongdoers
in the agonies of death, as the angels
stretch out their hands, saying,
“Surrender your souls. Today,
you shall reap the torment
of humiliation for the untruths
you spoke about God, and for your
proud disdaining of His signs.”
94“And [God will say],
Now, you return to Us alone,
as when We first created you:
you have left behind whatever gifts
We granted you. We do not see
any of your intercessors with you—
those you claimed as God’s partners
in your affairs. All bonds
between you and them are severed,
and those you claimed as partners
have forsaken you.”
SECTION 12
95It is God who splits open
the seed and the date stone;
He brings the living from the dead
and the dead from the living—
this is God—so how
can you be deluded?
96It is He Who breaks open the dawn,
Who makes the night for repose,
and the sun and moon for reckoning.
This is the providence
of the Almighty, the All Knowing.
97It is He Who made for you
the stars, to guide you
in the darkness of land and sea.
We have made Our signs clear
for a people who know.
98It is He who brought you forth
from a single soul, furnishing
a place to dwell and to rest.
We have made Our signs clear
for people who understand.
99It is He Who sends down rain
from the sky—from this
We bring out every plant, from which
We bring greenery, out of which
We bring grain in heaped piles;
and from the spathes of date palm,
low-hanging clusters of dates,
gardens of grapevines, olives, and
pomegranates—all alike yet diverse.
See their fruits as they bear fruit
and ripen—in all this are signs
for people who believe.
100Yet they ascribe jinn as partners
with God—though He created them;
and they falsely ascribe to Him sons
and daughters—without knowledge.
May He be glorified, exalted
far beyond what they ascribe—
SECTION 13
101the Originator of the heavens
and the earth—how could He
have a son, when He has no consort?
He created all things, and He
Knows all things.
102This is God, your Lord.
There is no god but He,
Creator of all things—
so worship Him, for He
Oversees all things.
103No sight can encompass Him,
but He encompasses all sight,
for He is Ever Subtle, All Aware.
104Now insight has come to you
from your Lord—
those who see, shall do so
for their own good;
and those who are blind, shall be so
to their own cost. Tell them, Prophet,
“I am not your guardian.”
105In this way, We explain
and clarify the signs to people
who know, though
[disbelievers] will say to you,
Prophet, “You have been tutored.”
106Follow what your Lord inspired
in you—there is no god but He; and
turn away from those who ascribe
partners to Him.
107Had God wished it, they would not
have ascribed partners to Him;
but We have not made you
their guardian, nor their overseer.
108And do not revile
those they call upon besides God
in case they should revile God
through hostility, without knowing.
We made each nation’s deeds
seem fair to them, but then
they will return to their Lord,
and He shall inform them
of all that they did.
109They swear their strongest oaths
by God, that if a sign came to them,
they would believe it. Tell them,
“Signs are in the hands of God alone.
What would make you realize,
believers, that even if a sign came
to them, they would not believe?”
110We would turn away their hearts
and their vision—just as they
did not believe in it at first,
and we would leave them
in their transgression,
wandering blindly.
SECTION 14
111Even if We sent angels down
to them, and the dead spoke
to them, and We gathered all things
[as evidence] before them,
they would not believe,
unless God wished it—
but most of them are ignorant of this.
112In this way, We made an enemy
for every prophet—demons, among
humans and jinn, urging one another
using deceptive rhetoric.°
Had God wished it, they would not
have done this; so leave them,
with their fabrications,
113so that the hearts of those
who don’t believe in the hereafter
might lean toward their deceit,
pleased with it, and so reap
the evil they have sown.°
114Ask, “Shall I seek some other
judge than God, when it is He
who revealed to you the Book,
explaining all things?
Those to whom We sent the Book
know that it is the truth revealed
by your Lord—so don’t be in doubt.°
115The Word of your Lord
is perfected in truth and justice.
His words cannot be changed,
for He is All Hearing, All Knowing.
116If you followed most of those
upon the earth, they would make you
stray from the path of God;
they follow nothing but conjecture,
and they do nothing but speculate.
117Your Lord knows best
who strays from His path;
and He also knows best
who are rightly guided.
118Eat of animals over which
the name of God has been invoked,
if you truly believe in His signs.
119Why should you not
eat of animals over which
the name of God has been invoked,
when He has explained to you
what He has forbidden to you,
unless driven by need?
But many lead people astray
by indulging their desires
without knowledge—
God knows best
those who transgress.
120Avoid sin, open or secret;
those who reap sin shall be rewarded
for all that they wrought.
121Avoid eating animals over which
God’s name has not been invoked,
for that is willful disobedience.
Yet the demons are always inciting
their disciples to dispute with you;
but if you should heed them,
you too will be polytheists.
SECTION 15
122Can a dead person, to whom
We gave life—and a light by which
to walk among people—be compared
to someone mired in darkness,
unable to emerge from its depth?
This is how the unbelievers’ deeds
seem fair in their own eyes.
123In this way, We placed in every city
prominent criminals, to contrive
their plots there; yet they merely plot
against themselves—unwittingly.
124When any sign comes to them
they say, “We’ll never believe
until we’re given a sign like those
given to the messengers of God.”
God knows best where to place
His message. Those who do wrong
shall face humiliation before God,
and severe torment for their plotting.
125God opens the hearts of those
He would guide—to submit to Him,°
and He tightens and constricts
the hearts of those He would let stray,
as though they were climbing toward
the sky. This is how God mires
the disbelievers in their own squalor.
126This is the path of your Lord,
made straight—We have explained
the signs to people who take heed.
127They shall have a home of peace
with their Lord; in view of their deeds,
He shall be their Protector.
128On the day He gathers them all,
saying, “Assembly of jinn, you led
many humans astray,” their allies
among humankind will say,
“Our Lord, some of us profited
from others, and now we reach
your appointed term for us.”
He will say, “The fire is your home
forever—unless God wills otherwise.”
Your Lord is All Wise, All Knowing.
129And so We make the wrongdoers
friends of one another, for the deeds
they reaped together.
SECTION 16
130“All you jinn and humankind!
Did messengers not come to you,
from among you, reciting My signs,
and warning you of the meeting
with God on this day of yours?”
They will reply,
“We bear witness against ourselves.”
The life of this world deluded them,
and they do bear witness
against themselves—
that they were disbelievers.
131So [messengers were sent], for
your Lord would not destroy towns
unjustly, while their people
were unaware of the truth.
132All people are ranked
by their deeds;
your Lord is not unaware
of what they do.
133Your Lord is Self-Sufficient,
Full of Mercy; if He wished,
He could displace you with
whichever successors He would—
just as He raised you
from the offspring of another people.
134All that has been promised you
shall come—you shall not escape.
135Say, “My people, go on
behaving as you are,° as will I.
Soon, you shall know whose end
is best in the home of the hereafter;
the wrongdoers shall not prosper.”
136They assign to God a share
of the crops and cattle He created,
claiming, “This is for God,
and this is for our idols.”
But their idols’ share does not
reach God, while God’s share does
reach their idols. How iniquitous
is their judgment!
137Likewise, their idols
made the polytheists think that
killing their children was fine—
to ruin them, and to confuse them
in their religion.
Had God wished, they would not
have done this. So leave them—
with their fabrications.
138And they claim,
“These cattle and crops are forbidden;
only those we allow may eat them.”
There are some cattle that they
don’t allow to be yoked,
and others that they slaughter
without invoking the name of God—
imputing such invented rules to Him.
Soon He shall requite them
for their inventions.
139They say, “The newborn
from these cattle is only for our men
and forbidden to our women.
But if it is stillborn,
they may share in it.”
Soon shall God requite them
for their imputations.
He is All Wise, All Knowing.
140The losers will be those
who kill their children in folly,
without knowledge, and forbid
the food God has provided,
inventing lies about God—
they are astray, without guidance.
SECTION 17
141It is He Who brings out gardens,
trellised and untrellised, the date palm,
crops that are various in taste, the olive,
and the pomegranate, alike yet diverse.
Eat of their fruit when they bear fruit,
and give what is due on harvest day,
but do not be wasteful, for God
dislikes those who are wasteful.
142Some cattle are for burden,
others for meat. Eat of what
God has provided for you, and do not
follow in the footsteps of Satan,
for he is your avowed enemy.
143God gave you eight animals
in pairs: two sheep and two goats.
Say, “Has He forbidden
the two males or the two females
or the young in the wombs
of the two females?
Inform me—from your knowledge—
if you are speaking the truth.”
144And two camels and two cows.
Say, “Has He forbidden
the two males or the two females
or the young in the wombs
of the two females?
Were you witnesses when God
commanded you to do this?
Who does more wrong than someone
who invents lies about God,
to lead people astray,
without knowledge?
God does not guide
a people who do wrong.”
SECTION 18
145Say, “In the revelation to me
I do not find any food forbidden
except carrion, flowing blood
or the flesh of swine—for it is foul—
or animals over which a name other
than God’s was profanely invoked.
But if someone is compelled
by hunger, without intending to sin
or transgress—God is Forgiving,
Ever Merciful.
146And for the Jews, We forbade
every animal with claws, the fat
of cows and sheep except what is
on their backs or in their entrails
or attached to bones.
This is how We requited them
for their defiance—
and We speak only the truth.
147If they deny you, say,
“The mercy of your Lord is wide,
but His wrath cannot be turned back
from wicked people.”
148Those who ascribe partners to God
will say, “If God had wished it,
we would not have ascribed partners,
nor forbidden anything.”
Likewise, those before them denied
until they tasted Our wrath.
Say, “What knowledge can you
produce for us? You follow
nothing but conjecture
and do nothing but speculate.”
149Say, “The conclusive argument
is God’s—had He wished,
He would have guided all of you.”
150Say, “Bring out your witnesses
who testify that God forbade this.”
And if they testify,
don’t testify with them,
and don’t follow the desires of those
who deny Our signs, and those
who don’t believe in the hereafter,
for they set up equals with their Lord.
SECTION 19
151Say, “Come, I will recite to you
what your Lord has forbidden you:
don’t associate anything with him,
be kind to parents, and
don’t kill your children out of want;
We shall provide for you and them.
And stay clear of indecency,
either open or concealed;
and do not take life
—that God has made sacred—
except with just cause.
This is what He enjoins you to—
that you might use reason.
152“Stay clear of an orphan’s property
except with the best intentions,
until they reach maturity;
give full measure and weight, justly
—We do not burden any soul
beyond its capacity—
and when you speak, be fair,
even if it is with a relative,
and fulfill God’s covenant.
This is what He enjoins you to—
that you might take heed.
153“And this is My path, straight, so
follow it and don’t follow other ways
for they will cleave you from His way.
This is what He enjoins you to—
that you might be mindful of Him.”
154We gave Moses the Book,
perfecting Our favor to those
who do good, explaining all things—
a guide and a mercy—that they might
believe in the meeting with their Lord.
SECTION 20
155This also is a blessèd Book
that We have revealed, so follow it,
and be mindful of God,
that you might be shown mercy—
156in case you say,
“The Book was revealed only
to two communities before us,
and we were unaware
of what they studied.”
157Or in case you say,
“If only the Book had been revealed
to us, we should have been
better guided than them.”
But now there has come to you
clear proof, guidance, and mercy
from your Lord.
Who does more wrong than someone
who denies the signs of God, and
turns away from them?
We shall requite those who
turn away from Our signs
with a dreadful punishment.°
158Are they waiting to see
if the angels come to them,
or your Lord Himself,
or some of His signs?
The day such signs° come,
it shall not help any soul
to have faith in them
if it had no faith before,
nor reaped any good
by its faith. Say, “Wait—
we too are waiting.”
159As for those who divide
their religion into sects—
have nothing to do with them;
their case is with God, and He will
inform them of what they’ve done.
160Whoever does a good deed
shall reap its reward ten times;
and whoever does a bad deed,
shall reap the reward for it alone;
and they shall not be wronged.
161Say, “My Lord has guided me
to a straight path, an upright religion,
the creed of Abraham, pure in faith,
who was not a polytheist.”
162Say, “My prayer, my sacrifice,
my life and my death, are all for God,
Lord of the universe.
163“He has no partner—
this is what I am commanded to,
and I am the first
to submit my will to Him.”
164Say, “Shall I seek as Lord
something other than God, when He
is Lord of all things?”
Each soul reaps the reward
only of its own deeds; and no soul
shall bear the burden of another.
Then, you shall return to your Lord
and He shall inform you of the things
over which you differed.
165He Who made you
regents on the earth, and
He raised some of you above others
in rank, that He might test you
through what He has given you.
Your Lord is Swift in Retribution,
yet He is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
 
 
SURA 7
The Heights (Al-Aʿraf)
Also late Meccan, this sura of 206 verses was revealed before the preceding sura but the Heights, mentioned in v. 46, is likely included after the sura called “Cattle” since it develops similar topics about God’s Oneness and the need for human obedience to divine messengers. The history of earlier prophets, from Noah to Hud, Salih, Lot, and Shuʿayb, anticipates the long section on Moses (vv. 103–71). There is a central reference to the Beautiful Names (v. 180) that underscores the enduring human need to remember God and seek refuge from Satan, as also to seek repentance and forgiveness.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Alif. Lam. Mim. Sad.°
2A Book is revealed to you, Prophet
—don’t let it disquiet your heart—
that you might use to warn
and remind the believers.
3People, follow what is revealed
to you from your Lord, and
follow no protector but Him—
how little you pay heed!
4See how many towns We destroyed,
Our wrath falling upon them
by night or while they slept at noon!
5Their only cry, when Our wrath
fell upon them, was
“Yes, we did wrong.”
6We shall question those
to whom Our message was sent—
and equally, We shall question
those who were sent.
7And We shall recount to them
[their deeds], with full knowledge—
We were never away from them.
8The balance° on that day
shall be just.
Those whose balance
is heavy [with good deeds]
shall flourish.
9And those whose balance is light
have lost their souls
for they did injustice to Our verses.
10We settled you on the earth
and gave you livelihood there—
how little you give thanks!
SECTION 2
11We created you and shaped you;
then We commanded the angels,
“Bow down before Adam.”
All bowed down—except Iblis,
who would not bow.
12God asked, “What stopped you
from bowing as I commanded you?”
He retorted, “I am better than him;
You created me from fire, but him
you fashioned from mere clay.”
13God said, “Go down from here;°
it’s not your place to be proud here—
go, for you are truly debased.”
14Iblis said, “Give me reprieve
until the day that all people
are raised up from the dead.”
15God answered, “You shall
be granted a reprieve.”
16Iblis said, “Because
you’ve sent me astray,
I shall lie in wait for them
on Your straight path.°
17“I shall come upon them
from before and behind them,
from their right and from their left,
and You will find that most of them
are not grateful to You.”
18God replied, “Go out from here,
disgraced and exiled.
As for those who follow you—
I shall fill hell with all of you.
19“Adam, you and your spouse
may live in the garden, and
eat wherever you will,
but do not approach this tree,
for you would be doing wrong.”
20Then Satan whispered to them both,°
—so as to expose their shameful parts,
which had been hidden from them—saying,
“Your Lord forbade you to eat
from this tree only to stop you
from becoming angels or immortals.”
21And he swore to them both,
“This is sincere advice I offer you.”
22So, through his guile,
he lured them both [to fall].
And once they tasted of the tree,
they realized their nakedness,
and began to cover themselves
with leaves from the garden.
And their Lord called to them both,
“Did I not forbid you both
to eat from this tree?
Did I not tell you both
that Satan is your open enemy?”
23They responded, “Our Lord,
we have wronged ourselves—
if You do not forgive us
and have mercy on us,
we’ll be among
the ones who fall into loss.”
24God said, “Go down from here,
as enemies of one another;
you shall have a home
and livelihood upon the earth—
for a short while.”
25He said, “There you shall live
and die, and from there
you shall be brought out again.”
SECTION 3
26Children of Adam,
We have given you garments
to cover your nakedness, and
to adorn you. But the best garment
is mindfulness of God.
This is one of the signs of God
that people might take heed.
27Children of Adam,
don’t let Satan tempt you
—as he did your parents
bringing them out of the garden—
to strip them of their garments,
and expose their nakedness to them;
he sees you, he and his tribe,
from where you can’t see them—
We made the devils allies
of those who don’t believe.
28When they commit any indecency,
they say, “This is what we found
our fathers doing,” and
“God commanded us to do it.” Say,
“God never commands indecency—
would you say about God
things you do not know?”
29Say, “My Lord commands justice,
so set your faces toward Him
wherever you pray,°
and call upon Him, sincere in faith.
Just as He first made you,
so you shall return [at last to Him].”
30He has guided some, while others
have rightly been left to stray,
for they have taken devils as allies
instead of God, thinking that they
are rightly guided.
31Children of Adam, wear
proper clothes wherever you pray;
eat and drink, but not to excess,
for God dislikes the extravagant.
SECTION 4
32Say, “Who forbids the adornment
that God furnished for His servants
and the good things to sustain them?”
Say, “They are for those
who believed, in the life of this world,
and are only for them
on the day of resurrection.”
This is how We expound Our signs
for people who have knowledge.
33Say, “My Lord has forbidden only
immoral deeds, open or concealed,
as well as sin, lawless aggression,
and your joining partners with God—
for which no sanction has been sent—
or that you speak about God
things beyond your knowledge.”
34Each community is assigned
a fixed time°—when this time arrives,
they can neither delay nor hasten it—
not even by an hour.
35Children of Adam, when
messengers from your own people
come to you, reciting My signs,
those who are mindful of Me
and amend themselves
shall neither fear nor grieve.
36But those who deny Our signs,
and proudly disdain them
shall be inmates of the fire—forever.
37Who does more wrong than those
who invent lies about God or deny
His signs? They will get their share
as decreed in the Book—but when
Our angels come to take them,
and ask, “Where are those
on whom you called besides God?”
They will answer,
“They have abandoned us,”
and they will be witnesses
against themselves—
that they were disbelievers.
38He will say, “Enter the fire,
with the communities before you—
jinn and humankind.
Whenever a people enters,
it curses its sister community, and
when they all arrive inside,
the last of them will say of the first,
“Our Lord, these are the ones who
led us astray; so double
their punishment in the fire!”
He will say, “It shall be doubled
for each—though you don’t know it.”
39The first ones will say to the last,
“So you were no better than us.
Taste, then, the punishment
you have earned!”
SECTION 5
40The gates of heaven shall never
open to those who deny Our signs
and proudly disdain them,
nor shall they enter the garden,
until a camel can pass through
a needle’s eye.° This is how
We reward the sinners.
41Hell shall be their bed
and also the covering above them—
this is how We recompense
those who do wrong.
42Those who believe
and do good deeds—We place
no burden on a soul beyond its limit—
shall live in the garden, forever.
43And We shall remove ill feeling
from their hearts. Rivers will flow
beneath them, and they will say,
“Praised be God who guided us here;
we could not have found guidance
without God—our Lord’s messengers
brought the truth.”
And a voice will call to them,
“This is the garden—yours
to inherit—for all you have done.”
44The people in the garden
will call out to the inmates of the fire,
“We have found the promise
of our Lord to be true;
have you found it to be true?”
They will answer, “Yes,”
and a herald among them
shall cry out, “The curse of God
is upon those who do wrong,
45“those who bar others from the path
of God, and seek to make it crooked,
those who deny the hereafter.”
46Between the two groups a barrier
shall stand, with people on its heights
—not yet in the garden but hoping—
who recognize all by their marks.
They shall greet the people
in the garden, “Peace be with you!”
47But when their eyes are turned
toward the inmates of the fire,
they will say, “Our Lord, don’t place
us with the wrongdoers.”
SECTION 6
48And the people on the heights
will call out to people they recognize
by their marks,
“What did you gain by your
great numbers and proud disdain?
49“Are these the ones you swore
would not be granted God’s mercy?
—who are now told, ‘Enter the garden—
you shall have no fear, nor grieve’?”
50The inmates of the fire
will call to the people of the garden,
“Pour water upon us, or whatever
God has given you.” They will reply,
“God has forbidden both
to the disbelievers,
51“those who took their religion
as play and a pastime, those
deluded by the life of this world.
That day We shall forget them,
just as they forgot the meeting
with Us on this day of theirs,
and rejected Our signs.”
52For We brought them a Book,
that We explained—on the basis
of certain knowledge—as guidance
and mercy for people who believe.
53Are they just waiting
for its warning to be fulfilled?
On the day it is fulfilled, those
who had forgotten it will say,
“Our Lord’s messengers
brought the truth. And now,
will anyone intercede for us?
Or can we be sent back
to act differently than we did?”
They have lost their souls,
and their invented idols
shall abandon them.
SECTION 7
54Your Lord is God, Who created
the heavens and the earth in six days,
then took up the throne.
He veils day with night,
which trails it swiftly.
He created the sun, moon, and stars—
all subject to His command.
Is the creation not His,
and the command? Blessèd be God,
Lord of the universe.
55Call on your Lord,
in humility, and secretly—
He dislikes those who transgress.
56Don’t sow corruption in the land
now that it has been reformed,
but call on Him, in fear and hope.
The mercy of God is near
for those who do good.
57It is He who sends the winds,
bearers of joyous news,
heralding His mercy;
when they carry the heavy clouds,
We drive them to barren land,
We send rain on it, and
We raise up from it fruit of all kinds.
In the same way,
We shall raise up the dead—
that you might take heed.
58Good soil yields rich vegetation,
by permission of its Lord,
but bad soil gives a meager yield—
in this way We vary Our signs
to a people who are grateful.
SECTION 8
59We sent Noah to his people.
He said, “My people, worship God—
you have no god but Him.
I fear for you the torment
of a momentous day.”
60The leaders of his people retorted,
“We see that you’re clearly wrong.”
61He replied, “My people,
I am not wrong—I am a messenger
from the Lord of the universe.
62“I am conveying to you
messages from my Lord,
and I am advising you,
for I know—from God—
what you do not.
63“Do you wonder that a reminder
has come to you from your Lord
through a man of your own people,
to warn you—that you might
be mindful of God,
and be shown mercy?”
64But they denied him,
so We delivered him,
and those with him, in the ark,
and We drowned those
who denied Our signs—
a blind people.
SECTION 9
65And We sent to the people of ʿAd
their brother Hud, who said,
“My people, worship God—
you have no god but Him.
Will you not be mindful of Him?”
66But the leaders of the unbelievers
among his people retorted,
“We think you’re a fool—and a liar.”
67He replied, “My people,
I am no fool—I am a messenger
from the Lord of the universe.
68“I am conveying to you
messages from my Lord,
and you can trust
the advice I offer you.
69“Do you wonder that a reminder
has come to you from your Lord
through a man of your own people,
to warn you—remember how
He made you heirs to Noah’s people,
and raised you greatly in stature.
Remember the bounties of God,
that you might flourish.”
70They retorted, “Do you come
to tell us to worship God alone, and
forsake what our fathers worshipped?
Bring us the torment you threatened
if you are speaking the truth.”
71He exclaimed, “Your Lord’s torment
and wrath shall fall on you.
Do you argue with me over names°
—that you and your fathers devised—
for which God has sent no sanction?
Wait, then; and I shall wait with you.”
72We saved him and those with him,
through Our mercy,
and We erased the last traces
of those who denied Our signs
and remained unbelievers.
SECTION 10
73We sent to the people of Thamud
their brother Salih, who said,
“My people, worship God—
you have no god but Him.
Clear proof has come to you from
your Lord: this she-camel of God
is a sign for you. So leave her
to graze on God’s earth,
and don’t harm her,
else a painful punishment
shall overtake you.
74“Remember how He made you
heirs to ʿAd’s people,
and settled you in the land;
you built castles on its plains,
and carved houses in the mountains.
Remember the bounties of God,
and don’t act wickedly in the land,
spreading corruption.”
75The leaders of some proud men
among his people said
to the believers they deemed weak,
“Do you know that Salih
is a messenger from his Lord?”
They answered, “We do believe
in the message sent with him.”
76Those proud people declared,
“We deny what you believe.”
77They hamstrung the she-camel,
and disdained their Lord’s command,
saying, “Salih, bring upon us
the torment you threatened,
if you really are a messenger.”
78So the earthquake shook them,
and by morning they lay fallen
on their faces, dead, in their homes.°
79Salih turned from them, saying,
“My people, I have conveyed
my Lord’s message to you,
and I’ve advised you—but it seems
you’re averse to all advisers.”°
80We also sent Lot,
who said to his people,
“How can you commit indecency—
like none in the world before you?
81“You lust after men
instead of women; you
exceed all due limits.”
82In response, the only thing
his people could say was
“Drive them out of your town—
these people who are so chaste!”
83But we saved him and his family,
except his wife, who stayed behind.
84And we rained down upon them
a rain [of stones]°—observe
the fate of those who sin.
SECTION 11
85We sent to the people of Midian
their brother Shuʿayb, who said,
“My people, worship God—
you have no god but Him.
Clear proof has come to you from
your Lord—so give
just measure and weight,
and don’t give people less
than the value of their goods.
Don’t sow corruption in the land
now it has been reformed.
This will be better for you
if you are believers.
86“Don’t lurk on every road,
threatening people, and barring those
who believe in God from His path,
seeking to make it crooked.
Remember, when you were few
how we multiplied you.
And observe the fate
of those who sow corruption.
87“And if some of you believe
in the message I’ve been sent with,
while others don’t, be patient
until God judges between us.
For He is the Best of Judges.”
88The leaders of some proud men
among his people said, “Shuʿayb,
we’ll drive you out of our town
—and those who believe with you—
unless you return to our creed.”
He retorted, “Even if we abhor it?
89“We’d be inventing lies about God
if we returned to your creed after God
had spared us from it; we could not
return to it unless our Lord God wished it.
Our Lord’s knowing embraces
all things. In God we place our trust,
‘Our Lord, decide justly between us
and our people—for You
are the Best of Arbiters.’ ”
90The chief unbelievers
among his people said,
“If you follow Shuʿayb,
it will be you who
fall into loss.”
91So the earthquake shook them,
and by morning they lay fallen
on their faces, dead, in their homes—
92as if those who denied Shuʿayb
had never lived there—
they were the ones
who fell into loss.
93So Shuʿayb turned from them,
saying, “My people, I have conveyed
the message of my Lord to you,
and I gave you sound advice—
so how can I grieve
for a people who don’t believe?”
SECTION 12
94Whenever We sent a prophet
to a town, We inflicted suffering
and adversity on its disbelievers,
to instill humility in them.
95Then We turned their distress
to prosperity, [but they forgot this],
and said, “Our fathers too were
touched by both hardship and ease”—
so We seized them suddenly,
while they were unaware.
96If the people of the towns had
believed and been mindful of God,
We should have opened the blessings
of heaven and earth to them;
but they denied Us, so We
seized them for their misdeeds.
97Do the people of the towns
feel certain that Our wrath
will not descend on them
by night, while they sleep?
98And do the townspeople
feel certain that Our wrath
will not fall upon them
by day, while they idly play?
99Do they feel secure
against God’s plan?
None can feel secure
against the plan of God
except those who
will fall into loss.
SECTION 13
100Is this not a lesson
for those who inherit the earth
after its former peoples—
that, if We wished, We could
strike them for their sins,
and seal up their hearts,
so that they could not hear.
101These were the towns
whose stories We have told you—
messengers came to them,
bringing clear proofs,
but still they would not believe
what they had denied earlier—
this is how God
seals the hearts of disbelievers.
102We found most of them
failing to fulfill their covenant,
and we found most of them
to be disobedient.
103After them, We sent Moses
to Pharaoh and his chiefs
with Our signs,
but they reviled them—
observe the fate of those
who sow corruption.
104Moses said, “Pharaoh,
I am a messenger sent
from the Lord of the universe,
105obliged to speak only the truth
about God. I have brought you
clear proof from your Lord—so
send the children of Israel with me.”
106Pharaoh retorted, “If you
have come with a sign, produce it,
if you are speaking the truth.”
107Then Moses cast down his staff,
and suddenly—it was now
a serpent for all to see.
108He drew out his hand, and
suddenly—it was gleaming white
for all to see.
SECTION 14
109Pharaoh’s chief people observed,
“This is an expert magician;
110“he wants to drive you
from your land.” Pharaoh asked,
“What do you advise, then?”
111They replied, “Stall him
and his brother, while you send
scouts to the cities to gather
112and bring to you
all the expert magicians.”
113When Pharaoh’s magicians came,
they asked,
“Shouldn’t we be rewarded
if we prevail?”
114He replied, “Of course,
and you’ll be within
my inner circle.”
115They asked, “Moses,
will you throw first, or shall we?”
116Moses said, “You throw first!”
And when they threw, people were
spellbound, terrified
by what they saw—
such a daunting display of magic.
117Then We inspired Moses,
“Throw down your staff!”
And suddenly it swallowed
all their concoctions.
118So the truth was verified
and all their deeds proved vain.
119Defeated there, humiliated,
120the sorcerers fell down,
prostrating themselves,
121proclaiming, “We now believe
in the Lord of the universe,
122“the Lord of Moses and Aaron.”
123Pharaoh bellowed,
“You believed in Him
before I allowed it?
I’m sure this is a plot
you’ve planned in the city,
to drive out its people—
but soon you will learn.
124“I’ll cut off your hands and feet
on either side, and crucify you all.”
125They said, “It is certain
that we’ll return to our Lord.
126“You take vengeance on us
only because we believed
in the signs of our Lord
when they came to us.
“Our Lord, fill us with patience,
and let us die submitting to Your will.”
SECTION 15
127The chiefs of Pharaoh’s people
asked him,
“Will you let Moses and his people
wreak mischief in the land,
and forsake you and your gods?”
He answered,
“We’ll kill their sons
and spare only their women.
For we have power over them.”
128Moses urged his people,
“Seek God’s help, and be patient.
The land belongs to God—
He bequeaths it to whichever
of His servants He will,
and those who are mindful of God
shall triumph in the end.”
129They said, “We were oppressed
both before you came to us, and now,
after you’ve come.” He responded,
“Your Lord may destroy your enemy
and make you successors to the land,
to see how you will behave.”
SECTION 16
130We harried Pharaoh’s people
with years of famine
and loss of crops—to warn them.
131When good things came to them,
they said, “We earned this.”
But when misfortune struck them,
they took it as an ill omen from Moses
and his companions, though
their ill omen actually came from God,
unbeknown to most of them.
132They said to Moses,
“No matter what signs
you bring to bewitch us—
we won’t believe in you.”
133So We sent the flood upon them,
and a scourge of locusts, lice, frogs,
and blood—all clear signs.
But they remained proud,
a people steeped in sin.
134Whenever a plague fell on them,
they said, “Moses, call on your Lord,
to fulfill the promise He gave you;
if you free us from the plague,
we’ll believe in you—and we’ll send
the children of Israel with you.”
135But when We lifted the plague
from them, and gave them a fixed time
to fulfill their promise—they broke it.
136So We requited them,
drowning them in the ocean—
for they denied Our signs,
always heedless of them.
137We made an oppressed people
heirs to the land, both East and West,
which We blessed. So your Lord’s
wondrous promise to favor
the children of Israel was fulfilled,
for they showed patience; and
We destroyed all that Pharaoh
and his people had wrought,
and all that they had built.
138We led the children of Israel
across the sea. When they came
upon a people devoted to their idols,
his people said, “Moses, make for us
a god like their gods.” He rejoined,
“You are an ignorant people.
139“The creed of these people
is doomed to die out,
for what they practice is futile.”
140He said, “Would I seek for you
a god other than the One God—
Who favored you over all peoples?”
141Remember when We saved you
from Pharaoh’s people, who inflicted
wicked torments on you, killing
your sons, sparing only your women.
This was a great trial from your Lord.
SECTION 17
142We assigned thirty nights
for Moses, and added ten more,
so he completed in forty nights
the term set by his Lord.° Then,
Moses said to his brother Aaron,
“Take my place among my people,
do good, and don’t follow the path
of those who sow corruption.”
143When Moses came
to Our assigned place
and his Lord spoke to him,
he implored, “Show yourself to me,
so I may look upon you.”
God said, “Never shall you see me,
but look up at the mountain—
if it stays in place, you will see me.
But when God’s glory shone upon
the mountain, it crumbled into dust,
and Moses fell down, unconscious.
Waking, he said, “Glory be to You.
I turn to You, repenting, and
I am the first to believe.”
144God said, “Moses,
I’ve chosen you above all people,
through My messages, My word.°
So hold fast to what I’ve given you,
and be grateful.”
145We made laws for him, on tablets,
instructing, and explaining all things.
We told him, “Hold to these firmly,
and enjoin your people to hold fast
to the excellence in them—
I shall show you the final homes
of those who are disobedient.”
146As for those who were proud
—with no right—on the earth,
I will turn My signs away from them.
Even if they saw all the signs,
they would not believe them,
and if they saw the right path,
they would not take it.
Yet if they saw the path of error,
they would take it—for they
denied Our signs, always
heedless of them.
147The deeds of those are vain
who deny Our signs and the meeting
with God in the hereafter.
Will they be rewarded for
anything but their deeds?
SECTION 18
148While Moses was gone,
his people made the image of a calf
from their ornaments—it seemed
to make a lowing sound.
Did they not see
that it could not speak to them,
or guide them to the right way?
They took to worshipping it—
and became wrongdoers.
149Realizing that they had strayed,
they said, wringing their hands,
“Unless our Lord shows us mercy
and forgives us, we’ll be among
the ones who fall into loss.”
150When Moses came back
to his people, he grew angry
and aggrieved, saying,
“What you’ve done in my absence
is just wicked. Are you so eager
to bring on your Lord’s judgment?”
He flung down the tablets
and seized his brother by the hair,
dragging him close. Aaron said,
“Brother, the people thought me
weak, and almost killed me.
Don’t let my enemies rejoice
at my lapse, and don’t count me
among the wrongdoers.”
151Moses prayed, “My Lord,
forgive me and my brother, and
admit us into your Mercy, for You
are the Most Merciful of all.”°
SECTION 19
152Those who took to worshipping
the calf shall be visited
by their Lord’s wrath, and disgrace
in the life of this world. This is how
We reward those who invent lies.
153As for those who do bad deeds,
and repent afterward, and believe—
then your Lord is Forgiving,
Ever Merciful.
154When Moses’ anger subsided,
he picked up the tablets—inscribed
on them were guidance and mercy
for those who fear their Lord.
155And Moses chose seventy men
from his people
for the meeting with Us; when
an earthquake seized them,
he cried out, “My Lord,
had You wished,
You could have destroyed them
and me long ago.
Would you now destroy us
for what the fools among us did?
“This is but a trial from You:
You lead astray by it whom you will,
and You guide whom You will.
You are our Protector, so forgive us
and have mercy on us—
for you are the supreme Forgiver.°
156“And decree for us what is good,
in this worldly life and the hereafter—
for we have turned to You.”
God said, “I visit My punishment
on whom I will, but My mercy
encompasses all things;
I shall decree it for those
who are mindful of Me,
who give in charity, and those
who believe in Our signs,
157“those who follow the messenger,
the ‘unlettered prophet,’°
whom they find mentioned
in their own Torah and the Gospel,°
who commands them to do right
and forbids what is wrong;
who makes lawful for them
what is pure, and forbids
what is impure;
who relieves their burdens,
and the shackles weighing on them.
“So those who believe in him,
honor him and help him,
and are guided by the light
sent down with him—
it is they who will flourish.”
SECTION 20
158Prophet, tell them, “People,
I am the messenger of God to you all.
To Him belongs dominion
over the heavens and the earth;
there is no god but He—He gives life
and He brings death. So believe
in God and His messenger,
the unlettered prophet, who believes
in God and His words—follow him,
that you might be rightly guided.”
159Among the people of Moses,
there is a group who guide
by the light of truth, by which
they also render justice.
160We divided them
into twelve tribes or communities.
When his people asked him for water,
We inspired Moses,
“Strike the stone with your staff.”
Twelve springs gushed out from it—
each tribe knew its drinking place.
We shaded them with clouds, and
sent down to them manna and quail,
saying, “Eat of the good things
We have provided for you.”
They did not wrong Us,
but wronged themselves.
161Remember when they were told,
“Enter this town, eat where you wish,
but first say, ‘Ease our burden,’
and enter the gate bowing low,
[voicing repentance].
We will forgive your mistakes
and increase the reward
of those who do good.”
162But the wrongdoers altered
the words they had been given,
so We sent upon them a plague
from the sky, for the wrong they did.
SECTION 21
163Ask them, Prophet, about the town
lodged by the sea; its people broke
the Sabbath, because their fish
appeared to abound on the Sabbath
but not on other days.
We tested them in this way
for they were always disobedient.
164And when a group of them
asked their preachers, “Why preach
to people whom God will destroy
or strike with severe punishment?”
they replied, “To be absolved
[of negligence] before your Lord; and
to make them mindful of God.”
165When they forgot
the warnings given to them,
We saved those who forbade evil,
and struck those who did wrong
with a stern° punishment,
for they were always disobedient.
166When they persisted
in doing what was forbidden,
We told them, “Become apes,
despised.”°
167Then your Lord declared
that He would send people°
to inflict harsh punishment on them,
until the day of resurrection.
Your Lord is Swift in Requital,
yet He is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
168We divided them
into communities on the earth.
Some of them are righteous
and others are not.
We tested them
with good things and bad,
that they might return
to Our path.
169After them came a generation
who inherited the Book, but took
instead the goods of this lower life,
saying, “We’ll be forgiven.”
And if more goods like this came,
they would still take them.
Was a pledge not taken from them,
in the Book, that they would speak
only the truth about God?
They had studied its contents well.°
And the home of the hereafter
is better for those
who are mindful of God.
Will you not, then, use reason?
170As for those who hold fast
to the Book, and are steadfast
in prayer—We do not overlook
the reward of those who do good.
171When We raised the mountain
so high above them, like a shadow,
they thought it would fall on them,
We said, “Hold fast
to what We gave you, and
remember what lies within it,
that you might be mindful of God.”°
SECTION 22
172When your Lord drew out
descendants from the loins
of the children of Adam,
and made them testify
about themselves, He asked,
“Am I not your Lord?”
and they answered,
“Yes, we do so testify”—
in case you should say
on the day of resurrection,
“We were unaware of this,”°
173or plead, “Our fathers before us
were polytheists, and we are merely
their descendants coming after them.
Would you destroy us
for the falsehoods they devised?”
174This is how We explain the signs
that they might return to Our way.
175Prophet, tell them the story
of the person who cast aside the signs
We gave him. So Satan overtook him,
and he went astray.
176Had We willed, We would have
raised him by Our signs; but he cleaved
to the earth, following his own desires.
His parable is that of a dog:
if you attack him, he pants,
and if you leave him be, he pants.
This is the parable of a people
who deny Our signs.
So tell them the story, Prophet,
to let them reflect.
177Those who deny Our signs
set a wicked example—
and they wrong themselves.
178Those whom God guides
are rightly guided;
but those He leads astray
are the ones who
will fall into loss.
179We have destined many
jinn and humans for hell—
they have hearts,
yet do not understand;
they have eyes,
yet do not see;
and they have ears,
yet do not hear.
They are like cattle—
no, even more astray—
for they are heedless.
180The Most Beautiful of Names°
are those of God. So use them
to call on Him; and abandon those
who abuse His names. Soon,
they will be rewarded
for all they have done.
181There is a community
among all those We created
that guides by the truth
and renders justice [by its light].
SECTION 23
182We shall gradually draw those
who deny our signs [to damnation]—
without their discerning it.
183I shall grant them respite
for a while—but My scheme
is inexorable.
184Do they not realize
that their companion is not mad?
That he is merely someone
who gives clear warning?
185Or, do they not contemplate
the kingdom of the heavens
and the earth,
and all that God has created?
That perhaps the end of their term
is approaching? What message
can they believe after this?
186Those whom God
allows to stray
shall have no guide;
and He will leave them
transgressing, wandering blind.
187They ask you about the hour—
When is it due? Say, “My Lord alone
has knowledge of this—only He can
reveal its time—which shall resound°
throughout the heavens and the earth;
when it comes, it will come suddenly.”
They ask you as if you knew
about it. Say, “God alone
has knowledge of it, yet most
people don’t know this.”
188Say, Prophet, “I have no power
to profit or harm myself—
except as God wishes.
If I had knowledge of the unseen,
I would have amassed good deeds,
and no evil would touch me.
I am merely someone who warns
and bears joyous news
for a people who believe.”
SECTION 24
189It is He who created you
from a single soul, and
made a mate from him, so that
he might find comfort with her.
Then, when he lies with her,
she carries a light burden,
going about with it.
Then, when she grows heavy,
they both pray to God,
“Our Lord, we’ll be thankful
if you grant us a healthy child.”
190But once He grants them
a healthy child, they claim that
partners of His had a hand in this.
But God is exalted far above
the partners they ascribe to Him.
191Do they ascribe to Him
partners—who can create nothing
and are themselves created?
192And who can neither help them
nor themselves?
193And if you invite them
to be guided, they won’t follow you;
it’s the same for you
whether you invite them
or remain silent.
194Say, “Those you call upon
besides God are just His servants,
like you. So, call upon them,
and let them answer you,
if you are speaking the truth.
195“Do they have feet to walk with?
Or hands to grasp with?
Or eyes to see with?
Or ears to hear with?”
Say, “Call upon those
you join with God, and
scheme against me—
without respite,
196“for my protector is God,
who revealed the Book; it is He
who protects those who do good.
197“As for those you call upon
besides God—they can help
neither you nor themselves.”
198If you invite them to guidance,
they don’t hear. You may see them
looking at you—but they don’t see.
199Resolve to show forgiveness,
enjoin what is good—and turn away
from those who are ignorant.
200Should Satan tempt you
with some wicked prompting,
seek refuge in God—He
is the All Hearing, All Knowing.
201Those who are mindful of God
remember Him if Satan tempts them
with any wicked prompting—
they will see [what is right].
202But the disciples° of Satan
plunge them ever deeper
into error—relentlessly.
203If you don’t bring them a sign,
they ask,
“Why have you not devised it?”
Answer,
“I follow only what my Lord reveals
to me. These are insights from
your Lord—guidance and mercy,
for a people who believe.”
204When the Quran is being read,
listen to it, attentively,
that you might be shown mercy.
205And remember your Lord within
yourself, with humility and fear,
without raising your voice,
in the mornings and evenings,
and do not be heedless.
206Those who are close to your Lord
are never too proud to worship Him;
they hymn His praise,
bowing low before Him.
 
 
SURA 8
The Spoils of War (Al-Anfal)
Named after a phrase used in v. 1, this sura of 75 verses was mostly revealed after the Battle of Badr in 624, though a section (vv. 30–36) was revealed in Mecca and the final 4 verses came after Badr, anticipating the subject of Sura 9.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1They ask you, Prophet,
about the spoils of war. Say,
“The spoils are for God and the messenger
[to decide], so be mindful of God, and
make things right among yourselves.
Obey God and His messenger
if you are true believers.”
2True believers are those
whose hearts tremble in awe
at the mention of God,
and whose faith grows when
His verses are recited to them,
and who trust in their Lord,
3those who are steadfast in prayer,
and give in charity from what
We have given them—
4these are the believers—
they shall have a high station
in the sight of their Lord;
they shall have forgiveness,
and a gracious provision.
5For it was your Lord
Who made you leave your home,
for a just cause—despite
the displeasure of some believers,
6who disputed with you
about the truth, even after it
had been made clear—as if
they were being driven toward
a death they could actually see.
7When God promised you victory
over one of the two hostile groups,
you fancied the unarmed group.
But God wanted to prove
the truth of His Word—
and He cut off the unbelievers
at their source,
8that He might prove
the truth to be true,
and falsehood to be false—
though the sinners disapproved.
9When you implored your Lord
for help, He responded,
“I will reinforce you
with a thousand angels
row upon row.”
10God made this but a message of hope,
to assure your hearts—
and there is no help except from God;
God is Almighty, All Wise.
SECTION 2
11Remember when He shrouded you
in slumber—to make you feel safe,°
and sent you rain from the sky
to cleanse you, and to purge you
of the stain of Satan, and to strengthen
your hearts and make firm your feet.
12Remember when your Lord
inspired the angels, “I am with you.
So strengthen those who believe.
I shall cast terror into the hearts
of those who disbelieve—so
strike above their necks, and
strike at their fingertips.”
13For they opposed God
and His messenger; those
who do oppose them
should know that God
is Severe in Retribution.
14That is your [punishment],
“So taste it,” and know that
the disbelievers shall face
the punishment of fire.
15You who believe, when you face
the foe advancing in battle,
do not turn your backs to them.
16If any does turn their back to them
on that day—except as a battle tactic
or to link up with their own forces—
they shall incur the wrath of God,
and their home shall be hell,
a wretched end.
17It was not you who killed them
but God; it was not you who threw
[sand] at them° but God,
that He might Himself test
the believers through a fine trial.
God is All Hearing, All Knowing.
18So it is—God will undermine
the unbelievers’ designs.
19Disbelievers—if you were seeking
a judgment, it has come now.
If you stop now,
it is better for you.
But if you return, We shall return.
Your forces shall never help you,
however great in number—
for God is with the believers.
SECTION 3
20You who believe, obey God
and His messenger, and
do not turn away from him
when you hear him speak.
21And don’t be like those who say,
“We hear,” but do not hear.
22The worst of creatures
in the eyes of God
are the deaf and the dumb—
those who do not reason.
23If God had seen any good in them,
He would have made them listen;
yet even if He had, they would still
turn away, utterly averse.
24You who believe, answer God
and His messenger when they
invite you to what will give you life.
And know that God will come
between a person and their heart,
and that you will be gathered to Him.
25And beware of any strife
that might harm not just
the wrongdoers among you—know
that God is Severe in Retribution.
26Remember when you were few—
seen throughout the land as weak,
fearing that people might seize you—
He sheltered you,
strengthened you with His help,
and provided you with good things,
that you might be grateful.
27You who believe, do not betray
the trust of God and the messenger,
and do not knowingly betray
what is entrusted to you.
28And you should know that
your possessions and your children
are merely a trial, and that
there is a great reward with God.
SECTION 4
29You who believe,
if you fear God,
He will give you a criterion
of right and wrong,
absolve you of your bad deeds
and forgive you—
for God harbors abundant grace.
30Remember, Prophet, how
the unbelievers schemed against you,
to keep you captive, or kill you
or drive you out.
While they were scheming,
God was scheming;
and God is the best of schemers.
31When Our verses were recited
to them, they exclaimed,
“We’ve heard this before;
if we wished, we too
could speak like this—
these are merely
tales of the ancients.”
32And they said, “God, if this
really is the truth from you,
rain down upon us a shower
of stones from the sky,
or bring us some painful torment.”
33But God would not punish them
with you among them, Prophet,
nor would He punish them
if they sought forgiveness.
34And how could they claim
that God should not punish them
when they bar people
from the sacred mosque,°
though they are not its guardians?
Its only rightful guardians
are those who are mindful of God,
though most disbelievers
don’t discern this.
35Their prayers at God’s House are
nothing but whistling and clapping—
“Taste, then, the punishment,
for your disbelieving.”
36The unbelievers spend their wealth
to bar people from the path of God,
and will keep doing so. In the end,
however, they will regret this—
they will be vanquished.
And the unbelievers
shall be gathered into hell.
37God will divide
the wicked from the good
and He will heap
the wicked on top of one another,
piling them all together in hell—
they will be the ones who lose.
SECTION 5
38Prophet, tell the unbelievers—
if they desist, their past deeds
will be forgiven,
but if they persist—[remember]
what happened to their ancestors.°
39And fight them until
there is no more oppression,
and all religion is for God.
But if they cease—
God Sees all that they do.
40But if they turn away, know
that God is your Protector—
the best Protector, the best Helper.
41Know that, of the spoils you take,
one-fifth is for God, the messenger,
relatives, orphans, the needy,
and travelers—if you believe in God
and what was revealed to Our servant
on the day when right and wrong
were distinguished,°
the day the two forces met—
God has Power over all things.
42Remember when you were
on the near side of the valley,
and they on the far side,
with the caravan below you.
Even if you had agreed
to meet in battle,
you would have failed to come.°
But the battle did happen, so that
God might bring to pass
a matter already decreed, so that
those who perished might perish
and those who lived might live
after clear proof had been given.
God is All Hearing, All Knowing.
43Remember your dream, Prophet,
when God showed them to you as few;°
if He had shown them as many,
you would have lost heart, arguing
among yourselves over the issue;
but God preserved you—
He Knows what hearts enclose.
44And when your forces met,
He made them seem few
in your eyes,
and made you seem few
in their eyes,
so that God might bring to pass
a matter already decreed—
all matters come back to God.
SECTION 6
45You who believe,
when you meet a hostile force—
stand firm, and keep
remembering God
that you might succeed.
46Obey God and His messenger,
and do not quarrel with one another,
or you may become
disheartened and dispirited.
And be patient—
God is with those who show patience.
47And don’t be like those
who left their homes, boastfully,
to be seen of people, and
to bar them from the path of God.
For God Encompasses
[in His knowing] all that they do.
48And remember when Satan
made their deeds seem fair to them,
and said, “No force of men
can vanquish you this day,
for I am right beside you.”°
But when the two forces
came within sight of each other,
he turned on his heels, saying,
“I disown you—for I see
what you do not, and
I fear God—for God
is Severe in Retribution.”
SECTION 7
49The hypocrites and those
with sick hearts say about believers,
“Their religion has deluded them.”
But those who trust in God
[should know that]
God is Almighty, All Wise.
50If you could see—when angels
take the souls of the unbelievers,
striking their faces and their backs,
saying, “Taste the torment
of the blazing fire!”
51“This is for the deeds
your own hands have wrought°—
for God never wrongs His servants.”
52Likewise with Pharaoh’s people
and those before them—
they denied the signs of God,
so God seized them for their sins.
God is Strong, Severe in Retribution.
53For God does not alter the grace
He grants to people until they change
what is within themselves—
God is All Hearing, All Knowing.
54Likewise with Pharaoh’s people
and those before them—
they denied the signs of their Lord,
so We destroyed them for their sins,
and We drowned Pharaoh’s people,
for they were all wrongdoers.
55The worst of creatures
in the eyes of God
are those who deny the truth,
and will not believe—
56those with whom
you make a covenant, Prophet,
then break it every time—
those who don’t fear God.
57If you find them
on the battlefield, scatter them
so that those behind them
will take heed.
58And if you fear treachery
from any group, openly
dissolve your treaty with them,
for God dislikes the treacherous.
SECTION 8
59Let the unbelievers
not imagine that they have won—
they shall not escape.
60And prepare against them
whatever force you can,
with steeds of war, to strike fear
into God’s enemies and yours,
and others unknown to you
but known to God.
Whatever you spend in God’s cause
you shall get back in full—
you shall not be wronged.
61But if the enemy
inclines toward peace,
you should also incline to it,
and put your trust in God—
He is All Hearing, All Knowing.
62If they intend to deceive you,
know that God suffices for you;
it is He who strengthened you
with His help, and with the believers,
63and He has brought unity
between their hearts; had you spent
all that is on the earth, you could not
have brought such unity. But God
has brought it between them—
He is Almighty, All Wise.
64Prophet, God suffices
for you and for the believers
who follow you.
SECTION 9
65Prophet, rouse the believers
to fight: if there are twenty of you
who are steadfast, they will vanquish
two hundred; and if there are a hundred,
they will vanquish a thousand
of the unbelievers, for they
are people void of understanding.
66God has now lightened
your burden, for He knows
the weakness in you—
if there are a hundred of you
who are steadfast, they will vanquish
two hundred, and if a thousand,
they will vanquish two thousand,
by God’s leave—for God
is with the steadfast.
67It is not fitting for the Prophet
to take prisoners of war
before prevailing on the battlefield;
you desire the goods of this life,
but God desires for you the hereafter,
and God is Almighty, All Wise.
68Had a decree not been
preordained by God,°
you would be punished greatly
for what you have taken.°
69Enjoy, then, what you have taken,
in a good and lawful manner,
but be mindful of God—
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 10
70Prophet, say to the captives
in your hands, “If God knows
of any good in your hearts,
He will give you something better
than what was taken from you,
and He will forgive you—
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.”
71But if they seek to betray you,
they have betrayed God before—
so He has made you
prevail over them—
God is All Knowing, All Wise.
72Those who believed, emigrated
and strove with their wealth
and their lives in the cause of God,
and those who gave shelter and help,
are allies of one another.°
As for those who believed
but did not migrate,° you are not
obliged to protect them
until they migrate.
But if they seek your help
on religious grounds,°
it’s your duty to give them help,
except against any people
with whom you have a treaty—
God Sees all that you do.
73The unbelievers are mutual allies;
unless you do likewise,
there will be oppression in the land
and much corruption.
74Those who believe and emigrate,
striving in the cause of God,
and those who give shelter and help—
those are the true believers.
They shall find forgiveness
and a gracious provision.
75Those who believed afterward,
and emigrated and strove with you
in the cause of God—they are of you;
but in the Book of God°
relatives have prior claim
over one another—
God Knows all things.
 
 
SURA 9
Repentance (Al-Tawba)
The sole sura without the opening basmala, or invocation of God’s name, its title, “Repentance,” comes from v. 104. It consists of 129 verses, closely tied to the themes and issues of Sura 8, especially conduct during and after war. Verses 38–99 refer to the Tabuk campaign in 630, the last battle in which the Prophet Muhammad participated, making this a late Medinan sura revealed shortly before the Prophet’s death in 632.
SECTION 1
1[A proclamation] that God
and His messenger have dissolved
your treaty with the polytheists.
2Polytheists, you may go about
freely for four months, but know that
you cannot escape God, and that
God will disgrace the disbelievers.
3On the day of the greater pilgrimage,
God and His messenger
will proclaim to the people,
“God and His messenger are released
from any treaty with the polytheists.
Polytheists, it will be better for you
if you repent—but if you turn away,
know that you cannot escape God.”
Prophet, warn the disbelievers
of severe torment—
4except for those polytheists who
did not break their treaty with you
or aid anyone against you—fulfill
your treaty with them for its term.°
God loves those who are righteous.
5But when the forbidden months
are over, kill the polytheists
wherever you encounter them;
seize them and besiege them
and lie in wait for them.
But if they repent, and pray,
and give in charity,
then let them go their way—
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
6If any of the polytheists should seek
protection from you, grant it to them
so they might hear the Word of God,
then escort them to a safe place—
they are a people void of knowledge.
SECTION 2
7How could polytheists have a treaty
with God and His messenger
except those with whom you made
a treaty at the sacred mosque?
If they remain true to you,
stay true to them—
God loves those who are righteous.
8So how could they° have a treaty—
if they gain ascendancy over you,
would they respect your ties of kin
or pacts of mutual protection?
They indulge you with their mouths
but refuse you in their hearts,
and most of them are rebellious.
9They sold the verses of God
for a paltry price,
and they barred people
from the path of God.
How wicked are their deeds!
10They do not respect
ties of kin, in believers,
or pacts of mutual protection—
they are the transgressors.
11But if they repent,
are steadfast in prayer,
and give due charity, then
they are your brothers in faith.
We make clear Our signs
for a people with knowledge.
12But if they break their oaths
after their treaty with you,
and defame your religion, then
fight the leaders of disbelief
—for oaths mean nothing to them—
to make them cease
[their transgression].
13Won’t you fight a people
who broke their oaths and resolved
to drive out the Prophet, and
attacked you first? Do you fear them?
It is God you should rightly fear
if you are true believers.
14Fight them—God will punish them
by your hands, disgrace them,
and help you vanquish them;
He will heal the hearts
of people who believe,
15and purge the anger
from their hearts.
For God ever turns, relenting,
to whom He will, and God
is All Knowing, All Wise.
16Or do you think
you’ll simply be left [untried]
without God finding out
those among you
who strive in His cause,
who take as allies none but God,
His Prophet, and the believers?
God is Aware of all that you do.
SECTION 3
17It is not for the polytheists
to maintain God’s places of worship
while attesting to their own unbelief.
The deeds of these people are vain—
they shall stay in the fire forever.°
18God’s places of worship
should be maintained only by those
who believe in God and the last day,
who are steadfast in prayer,
who give due charity,
and fear none but God.
It is they who are rightly guided.
19Do you think that giving water to pilgrims
and maintaining the sacred mosque
are on the same level as the deeds
of those who believe in God
and the last day, and strive
in the cause of God? These are not
the same in the eyes of God—
for God does not guide
people who do wrong.
20As for those who believed,
and left their homes,
and strove in the cause of God
with their wealth and their persons—
they shall have the highest rank
in the eyes of God, and it is they
who shall flourish.
21Their Lord gives them joyous news
of His mercy, His good pleasure,
and gardens for them with lasting bliss,
22residing there forever—
the greatest reward is with God.
23You who believe, do not take
your fathers and brothers as allies
if they opt for disbelief over faith;
those who turn to them do wrong.
24Declare, Prophet, “If your fathers,
sons, brothers, wives, relatives,
the wealth you’ve acquired,
the trade in which you fear decline,
the homes in which you delight—
if these are dearer to you than God
and His messenger, and striving
in His cause— then wait—until God
brings about His judgment. For God
does not guide disobedient people.
SECTION 4
25God has helped you
on many plains of battle,
and on the day of Hunayn;°
you were cheered
by your swelling numbers,
but they were of no help to you.
For all its breadth, the earth
seemed to close tight around you,
and you turned in flight.
26Then God sent down His calm
on the messenger and believers,
and He sent down forces that
you did not see, punishing those
who disbelieved. This is the reward
of the disbelievers.
27And, after this, God will turn,
in His mercy, to whom He will—
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
28You who believe:
the polytheists are unclean,
so don’t let them approach
the sacred mosque after this,
their final year.
And if you fear poverty,
God shall soon enrich you
from His bounty, if He wishes—
God is All Knowing, All Wise.
29Fight those among the people
of the Book who do not believe
in God and the last day,
who do not forbid what God
and His messenger have forbidden,
and do not acknowledge
the religion of truth—until
they are subdued and
agree to pay the jizya tax.°
SECTION 5
30The Jews say,
“Ezra is God’s son,”°
and the Christians say,
“The messiah is God’s son.”
They say this with their own mouths,
but are merely rehearsing what
disbelievers before them said.
May God confound them!
How deluded they are!°
31They take their rabbis and monks
as lords, as well as the messiah,
son of Mary—besides the One God.
Yet they were commanded to worship
none but the One God. There is no god
but Him. Glorified is He, far above
the partners they ascribe to Him.
32With their mouths they would
extinguish the Light of God;
but God will only allow
His Light to be perfected,
though the disbelievers detest it.
33It is He who sent His messenger
with guidance, the religion of truth,
to make it prevail over all religion,
though the polytheists detest it.
34You who believe—
many of the rabbis and monks
wrongfully devour people’s wealth,
and bar people from God’s path.
You should warn those
who hoard gold and silver,
instead of spending it in God’s cause,
of a painful punishment.
35On the day when
that gold and silver
is heated in the fire of hell,
and their foreheads, sides, and backs
are branded with it, they will be told,
“This is what you hoarded
for yourselves—now,
taste what you hoarded.”
36God has decreed twelve months,
ordained in God’s Book, on the day
He created the heavens and earth.
Of these, four are sacred;° this
is the upright religion. So do not
wrong yourselves during them;
but fight the polytheists all together
as they fight you all together—
know that God is with the righteous.°
37Deferring the sacred months
is a further act of unbelief.°
Those who disbelieve
are led astray by doing this:
they deem it lawful one year
then forbid it another year
to conform to the number of months
deemed sacred by God,
but in doing this, they deem lawful
what God has forbidden.
Their wicked deeds seem
pleasing to them—
God does not guide
people who disbelieve.
SECTION 6
38Believers, what’s wrong with you—
when told, “Go forward and fight
in God’s cause,” you seem weighed
down to the ground?° Do you prefer
the life of this world to the hereafter?
Enjoyment of this life is a trifle
compared with the hereafter.
39Unless you do go forward,
He will punish you severely
and put others in your place,
for you can do no harm to Him—
God has Power over all things.
40Even if you don’t help the Prophet,
God helped him when unbelievers
drove him out [with Abu Bakr].
When the two hid in a cave,
the Prophet told his companion,
“Don’t grieve—God is with us.”
And God sent His calm upon him,
and strengthened him with forces
that you could not see;
He humbled the disbelievers’ words,
and the Word of God was exalted—
for God is Almighty, All Wise.°
41Advance, lightly or heavily armed,
and strive, with your wealth and lives
in God’s cause; that is better for you
if only you knew.
42They would have followed you,
if some gain had been within easy reach,
and the journey brief—but
the distance seemed too far for them.
They’ll swear by God, “If we could,
we’d come out with you,”
but they condemn themselves,°
for God knows they are lying.
SECTION 7
43Prophet, may God pardon you;
why did you exempt them from fighting
before it was made clear to you
which ones were telling the truth
and which ones were lying?
44Those who believe in God
and the last day do not ask you
to exempt them from striving
with their wealth and their lives.
And God Knows those
who were mindful of Him.°
45Only those who don’t believe
in God and the last day
ask you for exemption—those
whose hearts are doubtful, wavering
back and forth, in their doubt.
46Had they wanted to go and fight
with you, they would have prepared.
But God would not countenance
their going out, so He made them
lag behind, and they were told, “Stay,
with the others who stay behind.”
47Had they come out with you,
they would only
have wrought confusion,
actively sowing discord
in your midst—and some among you
would have listened to them—
God has full Knowledge
of those who do wrong.
48Indeed, they had sought before
to sow discord, and to overturn
your plans°—until the truth emerged,
and God’s command was revealed,
though they loathed it.
49Some of them say,
“Exempt me from fighting,
and don’t drag me into trial.”
Have they not fallen
already into trial?
Hell shall encompass
the disbelievers.
50If something good comes to you,
this grieves them; but if some trouble
comes your way, they say smugly,
“Well, we already took precautions,”
and they turn away, exulting.
51Say, “Nothing shall happen to us
beyond what God has decreed for us;
He is our Protector—so let believers
put their trust in God.”
52Say, “What do you expect for us
beyond one of the two best outcomes
[—martyrdom or victory]?
What we expect for you
is God’s punishment, either
from Himself or at our hands.
So, wait—we are waiting with you.”°
53Say, “Whether you give to charity
willingly or unwillingly,
it will never be accepted of you,
for you are disobedient people.”
54Nothing stops their spending
from being accepted except
that they disbelieve in God
and His messenger,
perform their prayer slothfully,
and give to charity grudgingly.
55Don’t be dazzled by their wealth
or their children. God intends
to punish them by both of these
in the life of this world,
and to let their souls take leave
while they disbelieve.
56They swear by God
that they are with you, the believers,
but they are not—
for they are cowardly people.
57If they could find a refuge,
or some cave or a place to hide,
they would bolt to it in wild panic.
58And some of them upbraid you
about the giving of alms;
if they receive a share of them,
they’re appeased; if not, they seethe.
59If only they had been content
with what God and His messenger
had given them; if they had said,
“God suffices for us;
God and His messenger
will give us of His bounty—
we turn in hope to God alone.”
SECTION 8
60Alms° are only for
the poor, the needy,
those who administer them,
those whose hearts
are to be won,
the freeing of slaves,
those in debt,
those in the cause of God,
and travelers.
This is an obligation
imposed by God—
God is All Knowing, All Wise.
61Some of them hurt the Prophet,
saying “He listens to anything.”
Say, “He listens to what
is good for you;
he believes in God,
has faith in the believers,
and is a mercy to those of you
who believe.”
Those who hurt the Prophet,
shall face painful torment.
62They swear by God before you
just to please you;
but it is God and His messenger
—who have greater claim—
that they should please
if they are true believers.
63Don’t they know that those
who oppose God and His messenger
shall feel the fire of hell—where
they shall stay forever.
That is the supreme disgrace.
64The hypocrites fear
that a sura will be revealed
exposing what’s in their hearts.
Say, “By all means, mock!
For God will bring to pass
exactly what you fear.”
65If you ask them about this,
they’ll be sure to say,
“We were just talking lightly,
amusing ourselves.”
Say, “Was it God, His signs,
and His messenger
that you were mocking?
66“Don’t offer excuses—
you sank from belief into disbelief.
Even if We pardon some of you,
We shall punish others,
for they were sinners.”
SECTION 9
67The hypocrites, men and women,
are all alike: they urge what is wrong,
forbid what is right,
and are tightfisted.
They have forgotten God,
so He has forgotten them—
the hypocrites are rebellious.
68God has promised the fire of hell
to the hypocrites, men and women,
as well as the disbelievers—
where they will stay forever.
It is fitting° for them.
God has cursed them, and
they shall face enduring torment.
69You are just like those before you;
but they were stronger,
with more wealth and children.
They enjoyed their lot
as did you and those before you.
And you indulge in idle talk
just like them. Their deeds
will come to nothing,
in this world and the hereafter,
and they will be the losers.
70Have they not heard the story
of those before them?
Of the people of Noah, ʿAd,
Thamud, Abraham, Midian,
and the fallen cities?
Their messengers came to them
with clear signs—
it was not God who wronged them,
but they who wronged themselves.
71The believers, men and women,
are allies of one another.
They enjoin what is right
and forbid what is wrong;
they are steadfast in prayer,
and give duly to charity;
they obey God and His messenger.
They are the ones on whom
God shall have mercy—
God is Almighty, All Wise.
72God has promised gardens
to the believing men and women,
with rivers flowing beneath,
abiding there forever,
residing in splendid homes
in gardens of lasting bliss.
But greater than this
is the good pleasure of God—
that is the supreme triumph.
SECTION 10
73Prophet, strive against
the unbelievers and the hypocrites,
and deal firmly with them;
their home shall be hell, an evil end.
74They swear by God
that they said nothing,
but they did—
they uttered words of disbelief,
and they did disbelieve, having
[pretended to] submit to God’s will.
And they vainly plotted [harm
to the Prophet]. This revenge
was their only response after
God and His messenger had
enriched them from God’s bounty.°
If they turn to repent,
that will be better for them;
but if they turn away,
God will give them severe torment
in this world and the hereafter,
and they shall have
no protector or helper on the earth.
75Some of them pledged to God,
“If He gives to us from His bounty,
we’ll be sure to give to charity
and we will be righteous.”
76But when He did give them
from His bounty, they were miserly with it,
and turned away.
77He lodged hypocrisy in their hearts,
by way of requital, until the day they meet Him—
for they broke their promise to God
and would always lie.
78Don’t they know
that God knows their secrets
and secret counsels,
that He Knows the unseen?
79Some people reproach believers
who give freely to charity
as well as believers who can give
no more than what they toil for
—they mock them—
but God will mock them,
and they shall face severe torment.
80Prophet, whether you ask
forgiveness for them or not,
[it is all the same]—
even if you ask seventy times,
God will not forgive them,
for they denied God
and His messenger,
and God does not forgive
people who are disobedient.
SECTION 11
81Those who were left behind
[in the Tabuk mission]
were happy to stay back,°
in defiance of God’s messenger,
for they scorned to strive
with their wealth and lives
in the cause of God, saying,
“Don’t advance in this heat.”
Say, the fire of hell
is fiercer in its heat”—if only
they could understand.
82So let them laugh a little;
they will weep a lot—the reward
they’ll reap for all their deeds.
83Prophet, if God brings you again
to any group of them, and they ask
your permission to come out
and fight alongside you, say,
“You shall never come out with me,
and you shall never fight the enemy
by my side. For you preferred
to sit idle the first time—so stay now
with the others who stayed behind.”
84And don’t ever pray
for any of them who died,
nor stand at their graveside.
They denied God
and His messenger,
and were disobedient
when they died.
85Don’t be dazzled by their wealth
or their children. God intends
to punish them by both of these
in the life of this world,
and to let their souls take leave
while they disbelieve.
86When a sura is revealed
exhorting them, “Believe in God,
and strive alongside His messenger,”
the wealthy among them ask you
to exempt them, “Leave us—
with those who stay back.”
87They prefer to be
with those who stay back;
their hearts are sealed
so they don’t understand.
88As for the messenger
and those who believe with him,
striving with their wealth, their lives—
the best things shall be theirs;
they are the ones who will flourish.
89God has prepared gardens
for them, with rivers flowing beneath,
to live there forever—
that is the supreme triumph.
SECTION 12
90Bedouin Arabs° came also,
making excuses, seeking exemption;
those who lied to God and
His messenger also stayed behind.
Severe torment shall strike
the disbelievers among them.
91There is no blame on those
who can’t fight if they are weak,
or sick, or don’t have the means
to spend anything—
as long as they are true
to God and His messenger;
nor is there cause to blame
those who do good—
for God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
92Nor is there blame
on those who came to you
asking for mounts to convey them,
and whom you told,
“I can find no mounts for you.”
They turned away, their eyes
streaming with tears of grief
because they had no means
to [join the battle].
93Blame falls only on those
who ask you to exempt them
in spite of their wealth,
and prefer to stay with
the others who stay behind.
God has sealed their hearts,
so they are void of knowledge.
94When you return [from fighting],
they’ll offer their excuses to you.
Say, “Don’t offer excuses.
We won’t believe you.
God has informed us about you.
God and His messenger
will observe your deeds,
and you will be returned
to the Knower of the unseen
and the seen—
and He will inform you
of all you have done.”
95When you return [from fighting],
they’ll swear by God to you—
so you might leave them alone.
So, leave them alone.
They are defiled, and their home
shall be hell—the reward
they reap for all they have done.
96They swear to you,
in order to please you;
but even if you
were pleased with them,
God is displeased
with disobedient people.
97The Bedouin Arabs are the worst
of any in disbelief and hypocrisy,
and the least likely to recognize
the limits revealed by God
to His messenger—
God is All Knowing, All Wise.
98Some of the Bedouin Arabs consider
what they spend in God’s cause
as a loss, and wait for misfortune
to befall you. It is on them
that ill fortune shall fall—
God is All Hearing, All Knowing.
99But others among the Bedouin Arabs
believe in God and the last day,
and consider what they spend
as a means of bringing them
nearer to God and the prayers
of the messenger. It is indeed
such a means for them.
God will bring them into His mercy—
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 13
100God is well pleased
with the forerunners°—the first
emigrants and helpers, and those
who followed them in good deeds,
and they are pleased with Him.
He has prepared gardens for them,
with rivers flowing beneath,
to live there for eternity—
that is the supreme triumph.
101Some Bedouin Arabs around you
are hypocrites, as are some people
of Medina. They persist in hypocrisy.
Prophet, you do not know them—
We do—We shall punish them twice,
then they shall be brought again
to face great punishment
[in the hereafter].
102But others among them
have acknowledged their wrongs,
having mingled good deeds with bad.
Perhaps God will turn to them,
relenting. God is Forgiving,
Ever Merciful.
103Accept some gifts for charity
from their wealth, so that you might
purge and purify them;
and pray for them.
Your prayers will comfort them—
God is All Hearing, All Knowing.
104Don’t they know that God
is the One who accepts repentance
from His servants, and their charity—
that God is the One Who is
Ever Relenting, Ever Merciful?
105Say, Prophet, “Do good deeds—
God, His messenger, and believers
will see your deeds;
and you will be brought back
to the Knower of the unseen
and the seen,
and He will inform you
of all you have done.”
106There are others for whom
God’s decree is pending, whether
He will punish them
or turn to them, relenting—
God is All Knowing, All Wise.
107Some people set up a mosque
just to wreak harm, disbelief,
and division among believers,
using it as a base for those
who warred before against God
and His messenger. They will swear,
“We only wanted what was best”—
but God bears witness
that they are liars.°
108Prophet, never stand to pray there.
It’s more fitting that you stand
[in prayer] in a mosque founded
from the first day
on mindfulness of God—
where people like to purify themselves;
God likes those who seek purity.
109Who, then, is better—
someone who founds their edifice
on mindfulness of God
and His good pleasure,
or someone who founds it
at the brink of a precipice
about to collapse, which crumbles,
with them, into the fire of hell?
God does not guide
a people who do wrong.
110The edifice they have founded
will never cease to breed doubt
in their hearts, until their hearts
are hewn to pieces—
God is All Knowing, All Wise.
SECTION 14
111God has made a trade
with the believers:
their lives and their wealth—
for the gardens of paradise.
They fight in the cause of God,
to kill and be killed.
His promise is true—in the Torah,
the Gospel, and the Quran.
Who is truer to his promise than God?
So rejoice in the trade you made—
it is the supreme triumph.
112Give joyous news
to the believers—
those who turn to God, repenting,
those who worship Him,
who praise Him,
who go out [to fight for Him],
those who bow
and prostrate themselves,
those who enjoin what is right,
and forbid what is wrong,
and those who observe
the limits set by God.
113It is not for the Prophet
or those who believe to ask
forgiveness for the polytheists
—even if they are near of kin—
once it is clear to them that
they shall be inmates of hellfire.
114Abraham did ask forgiveness for his father,
only because he had made him a promise.
But when it was clear to him that his father
was an enemy of God, he disowned him—
Abraham was tenderhearted, forbearing.
115God will not let people go astray
after guiding them,
without making clear to them
what they should fear to do.
God Knows all things.
116God holds dominion
over the heavens and the earth;
He gives life, and He brings death;
and besides God, you have no
protector or helper.
117God turned, in mercy,
to the Prophet, and the emigrants
and helpers who followed him
in the hour of difficulty, though
some of their hearts almost wavered.
Then He turned to them, in mercy.
He is Kind to them, Ever Merciful.
118[He turned, in mercy, also]
to the three who were left behind,°
when the earth, for all its breadth
closed in around them, and
their own souls closed in upon them,
until they were sure there was no
refuge from God except with Him.
Then He turned to them, that they
might turn to Him in repentance.
God is Ever Relenting,
Ever Merciful.
SECTION 15
119You who believe,
be mindful of God,
and stand with those
who are truthful.
120The people of Medina
and the neighboring Bedouin Arabs
should not have stayed behind,
failing to follow God’s messenger;
nor should they have placed
their own lives before his—
for any thirst they suffer,
any fatigue, any hunger
in the cause of God,
any step they take
to antagonize the disbelievers,
any harm they inflict on an enemy—
each of these is recorded
as a good deed on their behalf.
God will not overlook
the reward of those who do good.
121Whether they spend little or much
in God’s cause, or traverse a valley,
it will be recorded on their behalf;
God will reward them
for the best of their deeds.
122Nor should the believers
all go out to fight together. If a group
from each force should venture out,
to gain understanding of the faith,
they might exhort the others
when they return to them,
so that they might take heed.
SECTION 16
123You who believe, fight
the unbelievers who lie close to you,
and let them find you standing firm;
know that God is with those
who are mindful of Him.
124Whenever a sura is revealed,
some of the hypocrites taunt,
“Which of you has it increased in faith?”
The faith of those who believe
has indeed increased,
and they rejoice.
125But for those with diseased hearts,
it adds vileness to their vileness,
and they shall die as disbelievers.
126Don’t they see that they
are tried every year, once or twice?
Yet they don’t repent,
nor do they take heed.
127Whenever a sura is revealed,
they stare at one another, saying,
“Does anyone see you?”
Then they turn away.
God has turned their hearts away,
for they are people
void of understanding.
128A messenger has come to you
from your own people.
He grieves over your suffering,
cares for you, and is kind,
merciful to the believers.°
129But if they turn away,
say, “God suffices for me;
there is no god but Him,
and in Him I place my trust;
for He is Lord of the mighty throne.”
 
 
SURA10
Jonah (Yunus)
A late Meccan sura of 109 verses, this is the first of numerous suras named after one of the many Abrahamic prophets recognized and lauded in Islam. Though Jonah is cited (v. 98), other prophets are also prominent, including Noah, Moses, and Aaron. The final 11 verses (vv. 99–109) are addressed directly to the Prophet Muhammad.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1Alif. Lam. Ra.°
These are the verses
of the Wise Book.
2Are people surprised
that We inspired one of them°
to warn humankind,
and to give joyous news
to those who believe,
that they have a firm footing
with their Lord?
The unbelievers say,
“This is a brazen sorcerer.”
3Your Lord is God,
Who created the heavens
and the earth in six days,
then stationed Himself
on the throne, administering
all things. None can intercede
without His leave.
This is God, your Lord,
so worship Him.
Will you not take heed?
4All of you will return to Him.
The promise of God is true.
It is He who produced creation,
then renewed it, that He might
justly reward those who believe
and do good deeds.
But those who disbelieve
shall taste a boiling potion
and painful punishment,
for their persistent disbelief.
5It is He who made the sun
radiant and the moon
a softer light,
ordaining phases for it
so you might know
the number of years
and the measure of time.°
God created all this
only with true purpose.
He explains His signs
for a people who know.
6In the revolving cycle
of night and day,
and in all that God created
in the heavens and the earth,
are signs for people
who are mindful of God.
7As for those who don’t
expect to meet with Us,
who are pleased and content
with the life of this world,
and those who are heedless
of Our signs—
8they shall have the fire
as their home—
for all they have done.
9But those who believe
and do good deeds,
their Lord will guide them
for their faith;
beneath them will flow rivers
in gardens of bliss.
10Their refrain there will be
“Glory to You, O God,”
and their greeting there
will be “Peace.”
Their refrain will close with
“All praise be to God,
Lord of the universe.”
11If God were to hasten for people
the evil [they reap] just as they
hasten after [worldly] good,
their decreed term
would already have expired.
But We let those who
don’t expect to meet Us
wander blindly
in their transgression.
12When harm befalls someone,
they call to Us—reclining,°
or sitting, or standing.
But when we remove the harm,
they move on as if
they had never called on Us.
This is how the profligates’ deeds
are made to seem pleasing to them.
13We destroyed generations
before you, when they did wrong,
when messengers came to them
with clear signs,
and they would not believe.
This is how We requite sinful people.
14Then We made you
their successors on the earth,
so We might see what you would do.
15But when Our clear signs
are recited to them,
those who don’t expect to meet Us
say, “Bring us a recitation
other than this, or change it.”
Say, “It is not for me to change it
of my own accord; I follow
only what is revealed to me.
If I disobeyed my Lord, I would
fear punishment on the great day.”
16Say, “If God had wished it,
I would not have recited it to you,
nor would He make it known to you.
I was actually among you° a lifetime
before revelation came.
Won’t you understand?”
17Who does greater wrong
than someone who invents lies
about God or denies His signs?
Sinners will never flourish.
18Besides God, they worship things
that can neither hurt nor profit them,
yet they say, “These are
our intercessors with God.” Say,
“Do you presume to tell God
that there is something
He does not know
in the heavens and on the earth?
Glory be to Him—
May He be exalted far above
what they associate with Him.”
19Humankind was one community,
until they differed among themselves.
Had your Lord not already decreed
[a deferred punishment for them,]°
a judgment would have been passed
concerning their differences.°
20And they say,
“Why is no sign sent down to him
from his Lord?”
Tell them, “The unseen is known
to God alone.
So, wait—and I will be waiting
with you.”
21When We let people taste mercy
after affliction strikes them,
see how they begin to scheme
against Our signs. Say,
“God is swifter in scheming.”
Our messengers are recording
all that you scheme.
22It is He who lets you journey
on land and sea,
when you are in ships that sail
with a fair wind, which brings joy.
Then comes a storming wind,
waves lashing from every side,
and they imagine they’ll be engulfed.
They cry out to God, sincere
to Him in faith,
“If You save us from this,
we’ll be truly grateful.”
23But once he saves them,
they transgress on the earth
against all that is right.
Humankind, you transgress
against yourselves—
delighting in the life of the world,
but you will be returned to Us,
and We shall show you
all that you have done.
24The life of the world
is merely like the rain
We send down from the sky,
absorbed by earth’s greenery,
from which humans
and animals eat;
once the earth is bedecked
in its gilded beauty,
and its people think they
have power over it,
Our command reaches it,
by night or day,
and We turn it into
a bare harvest,
as if just yesterday
it had never flourished.
This is how We explain Our signs
for a people who reflect.
25God calls [all people]
to the house of peace
and guides whom He will
to a straight path.
26Those who do what is good
shall have what is good, and more;
neither darkness nor shame
shall cover their faces.
They shall inhabit
the garden—forever.°
27But those who did evil
shall reap a reward of equal evil:
they shall be covered with shame,
with no defender against God—
as if their faces were covered
with fragments from the
depth of night’s darkness.
They shall be inmates
of the fire—forever.
28And on the day
we gather them all together,
We shall say to those
who joined other gods with Us,
“Stay in your place,
you and your gods.”
And We shall separate
the one from the other.
And those gods will say,
“It was not us whom
you worshipped.
29“God will suffice as witness
between ourselves and you,
that we were unaware
of your worship of us.”
30There, each of the souls
will be tried for its past deeds;
and they will be returned
to God, their true Master.
And the gods they invented
will abandon them.
31Say, “Who gives you sustenance
from the sky and earth?” or
“Who controls hearing and sight?
Who brings the living
from the dead, and the dead
from the living?
Who regulates all affairs?”
They will say, “God.”
Tell them, “Will you not then
be mindful of God?”
32This is God, your Lord, the Truth.
What is there beyond truth, but error?
So how can you be turned away?
33And so the Word of your Lord
has proven true against those who
disobey—they won’t believe.
34Ask, “Can any of the gods
whom you join with God
initiate the creation,
and then renew it?
Say, “It is God alone
who initiates creation,
and renews it. So how
can you be deluded?”
35Ask, “Can any of the gods
whom you join with God
guide anyone to truth?”
Say, “It is God
Who guides to truth.
Is One Who guides to truth
not worthier to be followed
than one who cannot guide
without being guided?
What is it with you?
How do you judge?”
36And most of them follow
nothing but opinion.
Opinion cannot prevail
at all against truth.
God is Aware of what they do.
37This Quran could not
be conceived by anyone but God.
It confirms what came before it,
and it explains the scripture
that is free of all doubt,
from the Lord of the universe.
38Or do they say,
“He [Muhammad] invented it”?
Say to them,
“Then bring a sura like it,
and call on whomever you can
besides God,
if you are speaking the truth.”
39No—they deny it,
whose knowledge
they cannot compass,°
yet its explication
has not come to them.
Those before them
also denied.
Observe, then, the fate
of the wrongdoers.
40Some of them believe in it,
and others do not—
your Lord knows best
those who wreak mischief.
41And if they deny you, say,
“My actions belong to me,
and yours to you.
You will not answer for what I do,
nor I for what you do.”
42Some of them seem
to listen to you.
But can you make
the deaf listen,
if they won’t use reason?
43Some of them seem
to observe you.
But can you guide the blind
if they won’t see?
44God does not wrong
human beings at all;
it is humans who
wrong themselves.
45On the day, He will gather them,
as if they had stayed but an hour
of the day; they’ll know one another.
Those who denied the meeting
with God will be lost,
for they were not guided.
46Prophet, whether We let you see
some of the punishment
We promised them while you live,
or cause you to die before that,
they shall return to Us;
God shall be Witness
to all they have done.
47A messenger is sent
to every community, and when
a messenger comes to them,
they shall be judged fairly
and shall not be wronged.
48They ask,
“When shall the promise be fulfilled,
if what you say is true?”
49Say, “I have no power over
any harm or good to myself
beyond what God wills.
Every nation has its appointed term.
When their term is due, they can
neither delay it nor advance it—
not even by an hour.”
50Say, “Do you see,
if His punishment came to you
by night or by day—
which part of it would the sinners
seek to hasten?”
51“Will you believe in it
only when it comes?
Now? Even though [before]
you sought to hasten it?”
52Then the wrongdoers will be told,
“Taste the eternal punishment.
Are you requited for anything
other than what you reaped?”
53They ask you, Prophet, “Is it true?”
Say, “Yes, by my Lord, it is true,
and you cannot escape.”
54If every soul that has sinned
possessed all that is on the earth,
it would give it all to ransom itself.
When they saw the punishment
they would repent inwardly—
yet they will be judged with justice,
and they will not be wronged.
55All that is in the heavens
and earth belongs to God.
The promise of God is true—
yet most people don’t know it.
56It is He Who gives life
and He Who brings death—
to Him you will be returned.
57People, a warning
has come to you from your Lord,
and healing for what is in your hearts,
as well as guidance and mercy
for those who believe.
58Say, “Let them rejoice
in the bounty of God,
and in His mercy—
these are better than the goods
they accumulate.”
59Ask, “Have you seen the provision
that God has sent down for you?
Yet you deem some of it
forbidden, some lawful.”
Ask, “Has God given you permission
for this, or are you inventing
things about God?”
60As for those who invent lies
about God—what do they think
will happen on the day of resurrection?
God is Full of Grace to humankind,
but most of them are ungrateful.
61There is no circumstance
you might be in,
no part of the Quran you recite,
no deed that you do,
that We do not witness—whenever
you engage in it.
Nothing escapes your Lord,
not the weight of an atom
in earth or in heaven,
nor anything smaller,
nor larger—all are recorded
in a clear Book.
62But those who ally themselves
with God shall have no fear,
nor shall they grieve—
63those who believe
and are mindful of God.
64There is joyous news for them
in the life of this world,
and in the hereafter.
There is no changing
the words of God—
the supreme triumph.
65Don’t let their words grieve you;
all power belongs to God—
the Hearing, the Knowing.
66All those in the heavens
and all those on earth
undoubtedly belong to God.
And what do they follow,
those who call upon others
besides God?
They follow nothing
but opinion,
and they do nothing
but guess.
67It is He Who made for you
the night, in which you might rest,
and the day, which gives you sight.
In this are signs for people who hear.
68They say, “God has a son.”
Praise Him: He is Self-Sufficient—
to Him belongs
all that is in the heavens
and all that is on the earth.
You have no sanction
for saying this.
Would you say about God
what you do not know?
69Say, “Those who invent lies
about God will never prosper.”
70Their span of enjoyment
in this world is brief—then
they will return to Us
and We shall make them taste
the severest torment
for their persistent disbelief.
71Tell them the story of Noah.
He said to his people,
“My people, if it vexes you
that I remain among you,
and remind you of the signs of God,
then I place my trust in God.
So form your plan, openly,
with your other gods.
Then inflict it upon me—
without respite.
72“But if you turn away, know that
I have asked no reward of you.
My reward is with God alone;
and I have been commanded
to submit my will to God.”
73Still, they denied him,
but We delivered him,
and those with him, in the ark,
making them heirs to the land,
and We drowned those
who denied Our signs—
observe, then, the outcome
of those who were warned.
74After him We sent messengers
to their respective peoples,
who brought them clear signs,
but they refused to believe
what they had already denied—
see how We seal up the hearts
of the transgressors.
75After them
We sent Moses and Aaron
to Pharaoh and his chiefs
with Our signs.
But they were too proud—
a nation of sinners.
76When the truth came to them
from Us, they said, “Plain sorcery!”
77Moses asked, “Is this what you say
about the truth, when it comes to you?
Sorcery? Sorcerers have no success.”
78They said, “Have you come
to turn us away from the faith
of our forefathers,
so that you two might gain
stature in the land?
We don’t believe you.”
79And Pharaoh said, “Bring
every expert sorcerer to me.”
80When the sorcerers came,
Moses said to them,
“Throw down whatever
you want to throw!”
81When they had thrown,
Moses told them,
“Everything you come up with
is sorcery—God will nullify it.
God will not rectify the deeds
of those who wreak mischief.
82“And God proves the truth
by His words, though
the sinners may loathe it.”
83But, apart from some youths,
none of his people believed Moses
for fear that Pharaoh and his nobles
might persecute them—
for Pharaoh was domineering
through the land, given to excess.
84Moses said, “My people,
if you believe in God,
put your trust in Him,
if you really submit to His will.
85They said, “We trust in God—
Our Lord, don’t let us be oppressed
by an unjust people,
86“and deliver us
through Your mercy
from this unbelieving people.”
87We inspired Moses and his brother
with these words,
“Settle your people in homes
in Egypt, and make your homes
sanctuaries for worship.°
Be steadfast in prayer,
and give joyous news to
those who believe.”
88Moses entreated,
“Our Lord, you have endowed
Pharaoh and his nobles
with splendor and wealth
in the life of the world—
and they lead people astray
from Your path.
Our Lord, wipe out their wealth
and harden their hearts,
so that they don’t believe
until they see
the painful punishment.”
89God said, “Your prayers
are answered, so remain steadfast,
both of you, and don’t follow
the path of those who don’t know.”
90We took the children of Israel
across the sea.
Pharaoh and his armies, rebellious
and belligerent, pursued them.
Eventually, when he was drowning,
Pharaoh cried out,
“I believe that there is no god
but the One God in Whom
the children of Israel believe,
and I submit to His will.”
91“Now? When before
you were always disobedient,
and wrought mischief?
92“Yet this day We shall
preserve your body—as a sign
for those who succeed you.
Yet most of humankind
are heedless of Our signs.”
93We settled the children of Israel
in a congenial venue, and gave them
good things to sustain them.
Only when knowledge came to them
did they differ among themselves.
Your Lord shall judge between them
on the day of resurrection
concerning the things they disputed.
94So, Prophet, if you are in doubt
about what We have revealed to you,
ask those who have been
reading the Book before you.
The truth has come to you
from your Lord,
so don’t be unsure,
95nor deny the signs of God—then
you would be among those in loss.
96Those on whom
your Lord’s sentence has passed
will not believe,
97even if every single sign
comes their way
until they are face-to-face
with the painful torment.
98Why is it that
not a single town believed,
and benefited from its belief,
except the people of Jonah?
When they believed,
We erased for them the
punishment of disgrace
in the life of this world,
and We granted them
enjoyment for a while.
99If it had been your Lord’s wish,
everyone on earth would believe.
But would you, Prophet,
compel people to believe?
100No soul can believe, except
by God’s leave; He despoils
those who won’t use reason.
101Tell them, “Observe all
that is in the heavens and earth.”
But neither signs nor those who warn
can help a people who don’t believe.
102Do they wait, then, only
to meet a fate like those
who passed away before them?
Say, “Wait, then—
I will be waiting with you.”
103In the end, We shall save
Our messengers and those
who believe. It is for Us
to save the believers.°
104Say, “People, if you are still
in doubt about my religion—
know that I do not worship
those you worship besides God,
but I worship the One God,
Who will cause you to die.
And I am commanded
to be a believer.
105“And [I was commanded],
‘Set your sight° toward
the religion of the upright
and do not be a polytheist’
106“and do not call upon
any besides God, on those
who can neither profit nor harm you—
for you would be doing wrong.”
107If God brings adversity to you,
none can remove it but He;
and if He intends good for you,
none can withhold His favor.
He bestows His bounty
on whichever of His servants He will,
for He is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
108Say, “People, the truth
has come to you from your Lord.
Whoever accepts guidance
does so for their own good,°
and whoever strays,
does so to their own loss°—
and I am not your custodian.”
109So, Prophet, follow
what is revealed to you,
and be patient until God
delivers His judgment—for He
is the Most Excellent of Judges.
 
 
SURA 11
Hud (Hud)
Named after an Arabian, non-Abrahamic prophet, linked to the tribe of ʿAd (v. 50), this late Meccan sura of 123 verses begins and ends with addresses to the Prophet Muhammad. It includes accounts of Noah, Salih, Abraham, Lot, Shuʿayb, as well as brief mentions of Moses and Pharaoh (vv. 96–99).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Alif. Lam. Ra.°
This is a Book whose verses
are determined and explained°
by the One Who is
All Wise, All Aware,
2to urge you to worship
none but the One God.
Say, Prophet,
“I have come from Him,
to warn you and to bring
joyous news.
3“Ask forgiveness of your Lord,
Then turn to him repenting.
He will grant you
gracious enjoyment of life
for a certain time,
and bestow His grace
on those worthy of grace.
But if you turn away,
I fear for you the torment
of a momentous day.°
4“You will return to God,
Who has Power over all things.”
5See, how they fold up their hearts,
to hide their feelings from Him.
But even when they cover themselves
with their clothes, He knows
what they conceal, and
what they reveal. He Knows
what their hearts enclose.
6There is no creature on earth
that God does not provide for.
He knows its home and its last abode:
all is recorded in a clear Book.
7It is He who created
the heavens and earth in six days
—with His throne over the waters—
that He might try you, to see
which of you is best in deeds.
But if you were to say to them,
“You shall be raised up after death,”
the disbelievers would say,
“This is nothing but plain sorcery.”
8If We defer their punishment
for a definite term, they will taunt,
“What holds it back?”
But on the day it comes to them,
nothing shall avert it from them,
and it shall besiege them on all sides—
the very thing they used to mock.
SECTION 2
9If We let humans taste Our mercy,
then withdraw it from them,
they become hopeless, thankless.
10But if We let them taste Our favor,
after hardship has touched them,
they say, “Evils are gone from me,”
and they become joyful, boastful.
11But those who show patience
and do good deeds
shall be shown forgiveness
and a great reward.
12You might be inclined to forgo
part of the message revealed to you,
and to let your heart be constrained
by their questioning,
“Why is no treasure sent to him,” or
“Why is there no angel with him?”
But you are here merely to warn—
and God is Guardian over all things.
13Or they exclaim, “He forged it.”
Say, “Then bring ten similar verses,
all forged, and call upon what [gods]
you can other than the One God,
if you are speaking the truth.”
14“If [your gods] don’t answer you,
you should know that this message
is sent down with God’s knowledge,
and that there is no God but Him.
So, will you submit to Him?”
15As for those who desire
the life of this world and its lure—
We shall recompense in full
their deeds in it,
and they will not be denied
their due in it.
16The hereafter holds for them
nothing but fire—there, their works
shall be rendered vain, and
all that they did shall be worthless.
17[Can they really be likened
to] those who have a clear sign
from their Lord, recited by
a witness from Him,
before which the Book of Moses
came as a guide and mercy?
Those people believe in it,
but the sects who deny it
are fated for the fire.°
So have no doubt about it—
it is the truth from your Lord.
Yet most people won’t believe.
18Who does more wrong than those
who forge a lie about God? They
will be brought before their Lord,
and the witnesses will say,
“These are the ones
who lied about their Lord.”
See, the curse of God
is upon the wrongdoers,
19those who bar people
from the path of God,
seeking to make it crooked,
and who deny the hereafter.
20They will not escape on earth,
with no protectors besides God;
their punishment shall be doubled—
those who could not hear,
and would not see.
21They are the ones who
have lost themselves
and the gods they invented
have gone from them.°
22Without doubt, they
will be the ones who lose most
in the hereafter.
23Those who believe, do good deeds,
and humble themselves before their Lord
shall live in the garden—forever.
24These two groups are like
the blind and deaf alongside
the seeing and hearing—
are the two equal?
Will you not, then, take heed?
SECTION 3
25We sent Noah to his people, to say,
“I am here to warn you plainly,
26“not to worship any but God.
I fear for you the punishment
of a painful day.”
27But the leading disbelievers
among his people said,
“We see you as merely human like ourselves,
and we see only the lowest of our folk
following you, those rash in their opinion;
and we see in you no merit above ours.
In fact, we think you’re a liar.”
28He replied, “My people, consider:
if I had clear proof from my Lord,
and He granted me His mercy
—though you were blind to this—
could we compel you to accept it
despite your dislike of it?
29“Also, my people,
I ask of you no wealth,
and I seek no reward
except from God.
I will not drive away
those who believe—
they shall meet their Lord,
but I see that you
are an ignorant people.
30“Moreover, my people,
who would help me against God,
if I did drive them away?
Will you not, then, take heed?
31“I don’t say to you that
I have the treasures of God,
or that I know what is hidden,
or that I am an angel.
Nor do I say that God will not
grant good to those you despise
—God knows best
what is in their souls—
[if I said such things]
I would be doing wrong.”
32They said, “Noah, you have
argued and argued with us.
Now bring down upon us
[the torment] you threatened us with,
if you are speaking the truth.”
33He said, “Only God will bring it upon you,
if He wishes; and you shall not escape.
34“Though I wish to advise you,
my advice would not profit you,
if God wished to lead you astray.
He is your Lord—and to Him
you will be returned.”
35Or do they say,
“He has forged the message”?
Say, “Had I forged it, my sin
would be upon me, but
I am free of the sins you incur.”°
SECTION 4
36It was revealed to Noah,
“None of your people will believe
beyond those who already believe,
so don’t grieve over what they do.”
37“Build an ark, under Our eyes,
inspired by Us,
and plead with me no further
on behalf of those who do wrong—
for they shall be drowned.”
38He began building the ark
and whenever the chiefs
among his people passed by,
they would mock him.
He said, “Just as you mock us now,
so we shall mock you.
39“For soon you shall know
who shall face a punishment
that shames them—those on whom
a lasting punishment shall fall.”
40Then, when Our command came,
and earth’s fountains overflowed,°
We said, “Load the ark
with a pair of each kind,
and your family
(except those on whom
judgment has been passed)
and those who believe.”
Yet few believed with him.
41So Noah said, “Board the ark.
Let it sail and let it anchor in the name of God—
my Lord is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.”
42So the ark sailed with them
on the waves towering like mountains
and Noah cried out to his son,
who was apart, stranded,
“My son, board with us,
don’t stay with the unbelievers.”
43His son replied,
“I’ll find some mountain
to save me from the water.”
Noah warned, “This day,
no one can save anyone
from the command of God,
except those to whom
he shows mercy.”
A wave came between them,
and his son was among
those who were drowned.
44Then a voice said,
“Earth, swallow up your waters,
and sky, withhold your rain.”
Then the waters subsided,
and the command was fulfilled.
The ark came to rest on Mount Judi.°
And a voice said, “Gone are the people
who did wrong.”
45And Noah called upon his Lord, saying,
“Lord, my son was one of my family,
though your promise is true,
for you are the Most Just of Judges.”
46He replied, “Noah, actually,
he was not of your family—
his deeds were unrighteous.
So do not question me about things
beyond your knowledge—
I caution you against such ignorance.”
47Noah replied, “My Lord,
I seek refuge in You
from asking You about things
beyond my knowledge,
and unless You forgive me
and have mercy on me,
I too will be among the losers.”
48A voice came, “Noah,
come down from the ark,
with Our peace and blessings
on you and on the nations
to arise from those with you.
As for other nations,
We shall grant them contentment
for a while, then Our painful torment
will reach them.”
49These are the chronicles
of the unseen world that
We revealed to you, Prophet,
which neither you nor your people
knew before. So, have patience,
for the outcome will favor those°
who are mindful of God.
SECTION 5
50To the people of ʿAd
We sent their brother° Hud,
who said, “My people, worship God,
for you have no other god but Him—
your gods are merely invented.°
51“My people, I ask of you
no reward for this.
My only reward is from Him
who fashioned me.
So, won’t you use reason?
52“And, my people,
ask forgiveness of your Lord,
then turn to Him.
He will send abundance of rain upon you,
pouring from the sky;
He will add strength to your strength,
so do not turn back as sinners.”
53They said,
“Hud, you’ve brought us no clear proof,
and we are not ones to abandon our gods
at your word—we don’t believe you.
54“All we can say is that perhaps
some of our gods have harmed you.”
He responded, “I call upon God
—and you also—to witness
that I dissociate myself
from the gods you associate°
55“with Him. So plot against me,
all of you, and give me no quarter.
56“I trust in God,
my Lord and your Lord.
There is no creature
that He does not hold
by the forelock—
the path of my Lord is straight.
57“If you turn away, I have,
for my part, conveyed the message
with which I was sent to you;
and my Lord will replace you
with another people; and you
cannot harm Him at all.
My Lord is Watchful
over all things.”
58And when Our command came to pass,
We saved Hud and those
who believed with him, through Our mercy—
We saved them from a stern punishment.
59These were the people of ʿAd—
they rejected the signs of their Lord,
and disobeyed His prophets,
and followed the commands
of every obdurate tyrant.
60Shadowed by a curse
in this world and
on the day of resurrection—
See, the people of ʿAd
denied their Lord.
See, the ʿAd are gone,
the people of Hud!
SECTION 6
61And to the people of Thamud
We sent their brother Salih,
who said, “My people, worship God,
for you have no other god but Him.
It is God Who brought you forth
from the earth and settled you there.
So ask forgiveness of Him and
turn to Him. My Lord is
Ever Near, Responsive.”
62They said, “Salih,
before now, you were our hope.
Do you now forbid us to worship
what our fathers worshipped?
We are in doubt, in distrust,
about what you call us to.”
63He said, “My people, can you see—
if I have a clear sign from my Lord,
and He has shown me His mercy—
who will help me against God
if I disobey Him?
You would increase only my loss.
64“And, my people,
this is the she-camel of God,
a sign for you.
So let her pasture on God’s earth
and do not harm her,
else punishment shall soon
overcome you.”
65But they hamstrung her.
So he said, “Enjoy yourselves
in your homes for three days only—
this promise shall not prove false.”
66And when Our command came to pass,
We saved Salih and those who believed with him,
through Our mercy, from the shame of that day.
Your Lord is Powerful, Almighty.
67The fearsome blast
overcame the wrongdoers,
who lay, fallen, face-down,
in their homes
68as if they had never
lived and flourished there.
See, the people of Thamud
denied their Lord.
See, the people of Thamud
are gone.
SECTION 7
69And Our messengers came
to Abraham with joyous news,
and a greeting of “Peace.”
“Peace,” he responded,
and did not delay
in offering them a roasted calf.
70But when he saw that
they did not reach for the food,
he found this strange, and began
to fear them. But they said,
“Don’t be afraid,
for we have been sent
against the people of Lot.”
71And his wife, standing there, laughed.
But we gave her joyous news,
of a son Isaac, and after him, Jacob.
72She said, “Alas for me,
how shall I, an old woman,
bear a child, and my husband here
an old man? That would be
an amazing thing.”
73They said,
“Are you amazed at God’s command?
God’s mercy and His blessings
be upon you, people of the house.
He is the Praiseworthy, Glorious.”
74When the fear had passed from Abraham,
and the joyous news reached him,
he began to plead with Us
for the people of Lot.
75Abraham was forbearing, pitying,
turning always to God in repentance.
76“Abraham, turn away from this.
The command of your Lord
has come to pass, and punishment
comes for them—that
cannot be turned back.”
77When Our messengers came to Lot,
he was vexed for them,
and felt powerless to protect them,
saying, “This is a harsh day.”
78And his people came
rushing toward him, those who
before this had performed evil deeds.
He said, “My people, here
are my daughters for you to marry;
they will be a purer choice for you.°
Be mindful of God, then,
and do not disgrace me
before my guests. Is there not
a right-minded man among you?”
79They said, “You know well
we have no right to your daughters,
and you know well what we want.”
80He replied, “If only I had power
over you, or could find myself some
forceful support [to resist you].”
81The strangers said, “Lot,
we are messengers from your Lord.
They shall not reach you.
Go with your family, while
night is still here, and let
none of you look back—
except your wife—what strikes
the rest will strike her.
The appointed hour is
morning. Isn’t morning
almost here?”
82When Our command
came to pass, We turned their town
upside down, and rained upon
it stones of baked clay,
layer upon layer,
83marked as being from your Lord,°
and never far from the wrongdoers.
SECTION 8
84And to the people of Midian
We sent their brother Shuʿayb,
who said, “My people, worship God,
for you have no other god but Him.
And do not fall short in measure
and balance. I see you now
in prosperity, but I fear for you
the punishment of a day
that shall encompass all.
85“And, my people, be just
in measure and balance,
and do not withhold from people
things that are their due,
nor do evil in the land,
sowing corruption.
86“What rests with God
is better for you, if only you believe.
But I am not your keeper.”
87They said, “Shuʿayb,
do your prayers tell you
that we should abandon what
our forefathers worshipped,
or that we should not do
as we please with our wealth?
You—you who are so
forbearing and right-minded!”
88He replied, “My people,
do you see—if I have a clear sign
from my Lord, who has Himself
given me a good provision—
[should I still not guide you?]
I don’t wish to be inconsistent
by doing what I forbid you to do.
I want only your betterment,°
as far as I am able, and my success
can come only from God.
In Him I trust, and to Him I turn.
89“And, my people,
don’t let your opposing me
make you sin, else
there might fall upon you
what fell upon the people of Noah,
or of Hud, or of Salih.
Nor is the fate of Lot’s people
far from you.
90“But ask forgiveness of your Lord,
then turn to Him, for my Lord
is Ever Merciful, Most Loving.”
91They said, “Shuʿayb,
we don’t understand much
of what you say, and we see
how weak you are among us.
Were it not for your family,
we would stone you, for you
have no power over us.”
92He said, “My people,
Do you imagine that my family
has more power over you than God?
Have you put Him behind you?
My Lord Encompasses
all that you do.
93“And, my people,
do whatever you can,
and I shall do what I can.
Soon, you will know who
will meet humiliating punishment
and who is a liar. Be watchful,
for I will be watching with you.”
94And when Our command
came to pass, We saved Shuʿayb
and those who believed with him,
through Our mercy,
but the wrongdoers
were struck by a fearsome blast,
and morning found them
fallen face-down in their homes,
95as if they had never
lived and flourished there.
See, the people of Madyan
are gone, just as the people
of Thamud are gone.
SECTION 9
96And we sent Moses,
with Our signs and clear authority,
97to Pharaoh and his chiefs,
but they followed the command
of Pharaoh—a command
that was not righteous.
98He will go before his people
on the day of resurrection,
and lead them into the fire—
wretched is the end
to which they will be led.
99And they shall be shadowed
by a curse in this life
and on the day of resurrection—
wretched is the gift
they will be given.
100These are among the chronicles of cities
that We narrate to you, Prophet.
Some of them still stand, others are mown down.
101We did not wrong them,
but they wronged themselves.
The gods on whom they called
besides the One God
did not help them at all.
And when the command
of your Lord came, their gods
brought them nothing but ruin.°
102This is the punishment
of your Lord when He punishes
communities who do wrong—
His punishment is painful, severe.
103In this is a sign
for those who fear
punishment of the hereafter.
This is a day on which
humankind shall be gathered,
a day that shall be witnessed.
104And We shall delay it only
for a limited term.
105The day it comes,
no soul shall speak
except by His leave.
Among them
some shall be wretched,
others joyous.
106The wretched shall be
in fire, sighing and wailing,
107where they will reside
as long as the heavens and earth abide,
except as your Lord wishes.
Your Lord Accomplishes
all that He intends.°
108And the joyous shall be
in the garden, where they will reside
as long as the heavens and earth abide,°
except as your Lord wishes—
an enduring gift.
109So be in no doubt
about what these people worship:
they worship only what
their forefathers worshipped before.
And We shall repay their portion
in full, undiminished.
SECTION 10
110We gave the Book to Moses,
but disputes arose over it,
and if a Word from your Lord
had not gone already forth,
[to defer their judgment]
their judgment would have come.
Yet they remain in doubt over it,
mired in mistrust.
111Your Lord shall requite them
in full for their deeds.
He is Aware of all that they do.
112Stand firm, then,
as you are commanded,
you and those with you
who turn toward God,
and do not transgress.
He Sees all that you do.
113And do not lean
toward those who do wrong
for fear the fire might reach you,
for you would have no protectors
besides God, nor
would you be helped.
114Be steadfast in prayer
at the two ends of the day
and the approach of night.
Good always banishes evil—
this is a reminder
for those who remember.
115And be patient, for God
will not withhold the reward
of those who do good.
116In the generations before you,
why were there not people
with a vestige [of good sense]
to prohibit mischief on the earth—
except the few whom We saved?
But the wrongdoers indulged
in the luxuries bestowed on them
and became sinners.
117And your Lord would not
destroy communities unjustly
if their people were righteous.°
118Had your Lord wished,
He could have made humankind
one community; but [He wished
otherwise, and] they will not cease
their quarreling,
119except those to whom
your Lord has shown mercy;
and for this He created them—
that the words of your Lord
might be fulfilled,
“I will fill hell with jinn
and humankind, all together.”
120All We narrate to you, Prophet,
of the chronicles of the messengers
is to strengthen your heart;
these accounts bring truth to you,
as well as lessons, and a reminder
for those who believe.
121Tell those who don’t believe,
“Do whatever you can,
and we shall do what we can.
122“And wait, for
we too are awaiting
[judgment].”
123To God belong the unseen realms
of the heavens and the earth,
and to Him all matters are referred.
So worship Him, and trust in Him,
for your Lord is not unmindful
of what you do.
 
 
SURA 12
Joseph (Yusuf)
The third consecutive sura named after a prophet, this late Meccan sura of 111 verses is devoted in its entirety to the story of the prophet Joseph. This is the only sura consisting almost entirely of narrative. At once poetic and compelling, it has parallels but no direct link to the biblical story of Joseph.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Alif. Lam. Ra.°
These are the verses
of the clear Book.
2We have sent it
as an Arabic Quran,
so you will understand.
3We narrate to you
the most sublime of narratives
in this Quran
that we reveal to you.
Before this, you were unaware
[of those stories].
4When Joseph said to his father,
“My father, I saw, in a dream,
eleven stars, the sun and moon—
I saw them bowing down
before me,”
5he replied, “My son, don’t tell
your brothers about this dream,
or they might scheme against you—
Satan is an open enemy
to humankind.
6“This is how your Lord
will choose you, and teach you
the deeper meaning of events,
and perfect His favor to you
and the family of Jacob,
as He perfected it before,
to both your fathers,
Abraham and Isaac—your Lord
is All Knowing, All Wise.”
SECTION 2
7In the story of Joseph
and his brothers are signs
for those who inquire.
8His brothers said,
“Joseph and his brother
are dearer to father than us,
though we are more in number;°
our father is obviously wrong.
9“Kill Joseph or cast him out
to some far land,
then your father will
turn his attention° to you alone;
you can always be righteous
afterward.”°
10Another one of them said,
“Don’t kill Joseph; if you must
act on this, throw him down
to the well’s dark depth, so
some caravan will pick him up.”
11They implored, “Father,
why won’t you trust us with Joseph?
For we only have goodwill for him.
12“Send him with us tomorrow,
so he’ll enjoy himself and play;
we’ll be sure to guard him well.”
13Jacob said, “It grieves me
to see you take him, for I fear
the wolf might eat him
while you’re not minding him.”
14They replied, “If the wolf ate him
—despite our large number—
we would indeed be losers.”
15So they took him,
and they all agreed
to throw him down
to the well’s dark depth.
But We inspired him, “In time,
you will apprise them
of this deed of theirs
when they don’t know [you].”°
16They came to their father
in the evening, weeping.
17They said, “Father,
we went racing, and left
Joseph with our things; then
the wolf devoured him.
You won’t believe us,
even though we speak the truth.”
18They brought out his shirt, soiled
with false blood. “No!” he cried,
“Your minds have enticed
you to some misdeed.°
Yet patience is a fine thing,°
and I invoke the help of God
against what you plead.”°
19A caravan came, travelers, who
sent their water carrier to the well,
and he lowered his bucket.
“What good luck,” he cried,
“Here’s a boy!”
And they stowed him
in their merchandise—
God was Aware of what they did.
20They sold him for a low price,
a few silver coins,°
in such low regard did they hold him.
SECTION 3
21The man who bought him
—an Egyptian—told his wife,
“Make his lodging comfortable;
perhaps he’ll profit us
or we’ll adopt him as a son.”
And so We settled Joseph in the land,
that We might teach him
the deeper meaning of events.
And so God prevails
In His affairs; but most
people don’t know.
22When Joseph reached his prime,
We endowed him with
wisdom and knowledge—
this is how We reward those
who do good.
23The woman in whose house
he stayed tried to seduce him;
she secured the doors and said, “Come here!”
“God forbid!” he said. “He is my master;
he gave me a comfortable home.
Those who do wrong cannot prosper.”
24She lusted after him,
and he would have lusted after her,
had he not seen a token from his Lord;
so We kept him away from evil and indecency,
for he was one of Our chosen servants.
25They both raced for the door,
and she tore his shirt from behind;
they found her husband by the door.
“What penalty can there be,”
she cried, “for someone who
contrived harm against your wife,
but prison or torture?”
26He said, “It was she
who tried to seduce me.”
Someone from her family
proposed to use as evidence:°
“If his shirt is torn from the front,
Then she speaks the truth
and he is a liar.
27“But if his shirt is torn from behind,
then she is lying,
and he is speaking the truth.”
28So when her husband saw his shirt
torn from behind, he declared,
“This is your women’s guile,
what great guile you possess.
29“Joseph, let this pass,
and wife, beg forgiveness
for your sin; you
are most certainly at fault.”
SECTION 4
30Women gossiped in the city,
“The governor’s wife tried
to seduce her manservant
—love for him has stormed her heart—
we see her clearly straying.”
31When she heard their gossip,
she sent for them and prepared
a banquet for them.
She gave each of them a knife,
and said to Joseph,
“Come before them!”
When they saw him,
they so marveled at him,
they cut their hands, remarking,
“Glory to God! This is no mortal—
this is nothing but a noble angel!”
32She said, “This is the man
on whose account you reproved me!
Yes, I tried to seduce him
but he refrained.
Yet, if he doesn’t do what I command,
he’ll be thrown into jail, disgraced.”
33He said, “My Lord,
prison is more appealing to me
than the deeds they call me to;
unless you turn their guile
away from me,
I might succumb to them,
in ignorance.”
34Then his Lord answered him
and turned their guile
away from him.
He is All Hearing, All Knowing.
35Even after they had seen the signs
of his virtue, it seemed to them,
they should imprison him a while
[to quell gossip].
SECTION 5
36Two young men entered the prison
with him. One of them said,
“I dreamt I was pressing wine.”
The other, “I dreamt I was carrying
some bread on my head,
which birds were pecking.
Tell us the deeper meaning—
we can see you’re a virtuous person.”°
37He said, “Yes, I’ll inform you
of the dreams’ deeper meaning
even before your food comes
to sustain you. This is part
of what my Lord has taught me.
I reject the creed of a people
who don’t believe in God
and who deny the hereafter.
38“And I follow the creed
of my forefathers, Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob; it was not for us
to join any other gods
with God. This is due
to God’s grace upon us,
and upon humankind,
though most of them
are ungrateful.
39“My fellow prisoners,
which is better: diverse lords
[differing among themselves],
or the One God, the Unique,
the Omnipotent?
40“You worship nothing
besides Him but names—invented
by you and your fathers—for which
God has revealed no sanction.
Judgment belongs
to none but God.
He commands you to worship
none but Him.
This is the right religion,
but most of humankind
do not know.
41“Fellow prisoners, one of you
will serve his lord with wine;
the other will be crucified,
and birds will peck at his head.
This is what is decreed
in the matter on which
you both inquired.”°
42And he said to the one
he thought would go free,
“Mention me to your lord.”
But Satan made him forget,
so Joseph remained in prison
for several years more.
SECTION 6
43The king said, “I saw,
in a dream, seven fat cows,
which seven lean ones devoured;
and seven ears of corn, green,
with seven others, withered.
Counselors, explain my dream to me,
if you can interpret dreams.”
44They said, “[A medley of]
confusing dreams—we are not versed
in the reading of dreams.”
45Of the two prisoners,
the one who was freed
now remembered, after all this time,
and said, “I shall disclose
its deeper meaning to you.
Dispatch me [to visit Joseph].”
46[On arriving, he asked,]
“Joseph, you who are truthful,
explain [the meaning of] this to us:
seven fat cows,
which seven lean ones devoured;
and seven ears of corn, green,
with seven others, withered—
explain, so I may return
to let the people know.”
47He replied, “You will sow,
as usual, for seven years,
and what you reap, you will store,
leaving it in the ear,
all but a little, from which
you will eat.
48“After that shall come
seven harsh years
which shall consume
what you have prepared for them,
all but a little, which
you will preserve.
49“After that shall come
a year in which the people
have abundant rain
and press grapes.”
SECTION 7
50Then the king said,
“Bring him to me.”
But when the envoy came
to Joseph, Joseph said:
“Return to your lord, and ask him
what was in the minds of the women
who cut their hands.
My Lord is Aware of their guile.”
51The king said to the women,
“What do you have to say about
your intent to seduce Joseph.”
They said, “Glory to God,
we know nothing bad about him.”
The governor’s wife cried,
“Now the truth is out:
It was I who tried to seduce him,
and he, without doubt,
is telling the truth.”
52[Joseph said,]°
“By this, my master may know
that I never betrayed him
in his absence, and that God
does not guide the guile
of those who are treacherous.
53“Nor do I absolve my own soul;
the soul is always prone to evil—
unless my Lord shows mercy.
My Lord is Forgiving,
Ever Merciful.”
54And the king said,
“Bring him to me, so I may
keep him in my personal service.”°
When he had spoken with him,
he said, “Today, we confer on you
high status and trust.”
55Joseph said, “Let me oversee
the granaries of the land—
I will be a prudent custodian.”
56So We settled Joseph
in the land, to live
wherever he wished.
We bestow Our mercy
on whom We will,
and We do not withhold the reward
of those who do good.
57But the reward of the hereafter
is better, for those who believe
and are mindful of God.
SECTION 8
58Joseph’s brothers arrived,
and came before him;
he recognized them,
but they did not know him.
59When he had provided them
with supplies, he said, “Bring to me
your other brother,° who is with
your father. Do you not see
that [I trade fairly], giving full measure,
and that I am a most gracious host?
60“But if you don’t bring him to me,
you’ll have no further measure
of corn from me, nor
shall you come near me.”
61They replied, “We’ll try to get
his father’s consent for him—
we’ll be sure to do it.”°
62Joseph told his servants,
“Place the goods they bartered
back in their saddlebags,
so they’ll recognize them
when they return to their people—
then they might come back.”
63And when they returned
to their father, they said,
“Father, we’ve been denied
any further measure of corn;
send our brother with us,
so we can procure our measure;
we’ll be sure to protect him.”
64He said, “Shall I trust you
with him as I trusted you before
with his brother?
Yet God is the Best of Protectors,
and He is the Most Merciful
of the merciful.”
65When they opened their baggage,
they found their goods
returned to them. They said,
“Father, what more can we want?
Our goods here are returned to us:
we’ll get food for our household,
we’ll protect our brother;
and we’ll get an extra camel-load
of grain, an easy load!”
66Jacob answered, “I’ll never
send him with you, until you pledge
to me—by God—that you’ll bring him
to me, unless you’re somehow ensnared.”
When they made their pledge,
he said, “God is Custodian
over all that we say.”
67He continued, “My sons,
don’t enter by one gate,
but various gates;
yet I can’t help you at all
against [the Will of] God.
Judgment is from God alone:
I trust in Him—let everyone
trust in Him.”
68And when they entered
in the way their father
had directed, this did not help them
at all against [the Will of] God,
for it was just a need in Jacob,
which he gratified.
For he possessed knowledge
that We taught him.
But most people do not know.
SECTION 9
69When they came before Joseph,
he drew his brother to him, saying,
“I am your own brother!
So don’t grieve over
what they’ve been doing.”
70And while he was
preparing their supplies,
he planted a drinking cup
in his brother’s saddlebag.
Then a town crier cried aloud,
“You, in the caravan!
You are thieves!”
71Turning toward them, they said,
“What are you missing?”
72He said, “We’re missing
the chalice of the king;
whoever brings it will get
a camel-load, I pledge.”
73They said, “By God!
You well know, we haven’t come
to make mischief in the realm,
nor are we thieves!”
74He replied,
“Then what penalty
should there be for this,
if you are lying?”
75They said, “As penalty,
the person who’s found with it
in his saddlebag should himself
be detained. That’s how
we punish wrongdoers.”
76So Joseph began with their bags,
before searching his brother’s bag.
At length, he lifted it out
of his brother’s bag.
We contrived this for Joseph,
else he could not detain his brother
within the law of the king,
without God’s will.
We raise in station whom We will;
yet above all those who know
is the All Knowing.
77They said, “If he has stolen,
well, he has a brother who stole
before him.” But Joseph said
—to himself, not disclosing
anything to them—
“You are in the worst situation,
and God knows best the truth
of what you claim.”
78They said, “Governor,
he has a father who’s very old;
so take one of us in his place;
for we can see that
you’re a virtuous person.”
79He responded, “God forbid
that we detain any but the one
caught with our property—
that would be wrong.”
SECTION 10
80Losing hope of persuading him,
they conferred in private.
The eldest spoke, “Don’t you know
your father took a pledge from you,
in the name of God—and before this,
you failed in your duty with Joseph?
I won’t leave this land until my father
gives me leave or God decrees it so—
He is the Most Excellent of Judges.
81“[As for the rest of you],
go back to your father, and say,
‘Father of ours, your son
has been stealing—we can tell you
only we what we witnessed;
we could not prevent
something so unforeseen.
82“ ‘Ask anyone in the town
where we were,
and the caravan we came with—
we’re telling the truth.’ ”
83[When they said this
to their father,] Jacob replied,
“No, your minds have enticed you
to some misdeed.
But patience is a fine thing;
perhaps God will bring them
all back to me. For He is
the Knowing, the Wise.”
84And he turned away
from them, and sighed:
“How great is my grief
over Joseph!” His eyes
grew white in sorrow,
and he grieved inside.
85They said, “By God,
will you not cease
to remember Joseph
until you reach
the fatal edge of disease,
or pass away?”
86He said, “I complain
only to God of my grief,
my sorrow,
and I know from God
what you do not know.
87“My sons, go to inquire
after Joseph and his brother,
and don’t despair of God’s grace.
None but disbelievers
despair of God’s grace.”
88When they came before Joseph,
they entreated, “Governor,
our family was struck by adversity.
We bring but meager wares,
yet remit a full measure to us,
show charity to us, for God
rewards those who are charitable.”
89He asked, “Do you know
what you did with Joseph
and his brother,
in your ignorance?”
90They remarked,
“You are Joseph, really?”
“I am Joseph, and
this is my brother:
God has been Gracious to us.
He does not overlook
the reward of those
who are pious and patient,
those who do good.”
91They said, “By God!
God has favored you over us,
and we are in the wrong.”
92He said, “Let no reproach
weigh upon you this day.
May God forgive you,
for He is the Most Merciful
of the merciful.
93“Go, take this shirt of mine,
and throw it over my father’s face:
his eyes will light up with sight—
then come back with
your entire family.”
SECTION 11
94After the caravan left,
their father said, “I detect
the scent of Joseph—though you
might think me senile.”
95[Those with him] said, “By God,
you still harbor your old delusion.”
96Then the person who came
with good news threw the shirt
over Jacob’s face, and he regained
his vision. He proclaimed,
“Did I not say to you
that I know from God
what you do not know?”
97They implored, “Father,
ask forgiveness for our sins,
for we were at fault.”
98He replied, “Soon I shall ask
my Lord to forgive you,
for He is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.”
99When they came before Joseph,
he embraced his parents, saying,
“Enter into Egypt, in safety,
if this is the will of God.”
100And he raised his parents,
both, on the throne, and
all of them fell down,
bowing before him.
“My dear father, here is
the deeper meaning
of my dream of long ago:
My Lord has brought it to pass.
He was good to me
when He brought me
out of prison
and brought you
out of the desert,
after Satan had sown
discord between me
and my brothers.
My Lord is Subtle
in all that He wills.
He is All Knowing, All Wise.
101“My Lord, you have given me
authority, and you have taught me
the deeper meaning of events.
Maker of the heavens and earth,
You are my Protector, in this world
and the hereafter. Receive me,
as one who submits to Your will,
and unite me with the righteous.”
102This is from the chronicles
of the unseen, which we reveal
to you.° You, Prophet, were not
with them when they all concocted
their [abominable] plot.
103Most of humankind
will not believe,
however ardently you strive.
104And you do not seek reward
from them for this. This is no less
than a reminder to all the worlds.
SECTION 12
105And how many signs
in the heavens and earth
do they pass by,
turning away.
106Most of them don’t believe in God
without joining other gods with Him.
107Do they feel safe, then,
from the enveloping calamity
of God’s punishment, or
from the sudden descending
of the hour, while they
are unaware?
108Say, “This is my way;
I call to God, with clear vision,
I, and whoever follows me.
Glory be to God, that I am
not one of those who join
other gods with Him.”
109And We sent before you
only men whom we inspired,
from the people of the cities.
Did they not travel the earth,
and behold the fate
of those before them?
The home of the hereafter
is finer for those who are
mindful of God.
Will you not, then, use reason?
110When messengers despaired,
thinking they had been denied,
Our help came to them;
We saved whom We will.
But Our wrath will never be
turned from a wicked people.
111In their stories, there is
a lesson for people of insight.
This is not an invented tale,
but it confirms what came before,
an exposition of all things,
a guide and a mercy
for people who believe.
 
 
SURA 13
Thunder (Al-Raʿd)
Uncertain in its dating, but probably late Meccan, with some additions from the Medinan period, this sura takes its name from v. 13. “Thunder” focuses on divine guidance, consequential for those who accept but also for those who deny it. Confirmation of prophetic agency recurs through its 43 verses, with Muhammad reassured that the Book common to all prophets was revealed to him in Arabic (v. 37).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Alif. Lam. Mim. Ra.°
These are the verses of the Book.
What was revealed to you
from your Lord is truth,
but most people don’t believe.
2It is God who raised up the heavens
with no visible pillars;
then He set Himself upon the throne.
He controlled the sun and moon, each
sailing in its orbit for a certain term.
He orders all phenomena,
and explains the signs,
that you might be certain
of meeting your Lord.
3It is He who spread out the earth,
set upon it sturdy mountains and rivers,
created fruit of every kind, in pairs.
He veils the day with night. In all this
are signs for people who think.
4In the earth are neighboring tracts
and gardens of vineyards, with
sown fields, as well as date palms,
some with clusters, some without,
all watered by the same rain,
yet We make some finer to taste
than others. In all this
are signs for people who reason.
5Prophet, if you’re amazed at all,
you’ll be amazed by what they say,
“After we are dust, shall we be
raised again as a new creation?”
These are the people
who deny their Lord;
they shall bear iron collars
around their necks;
they shall be inmates
of the fire—forever.
6They challenge you
to bring on their punishment,
rather than any reward, even though
many examples of punishment
have passed before them.
Your Lord is Full of Forgiveness
toward people, despite their wrongs.
Yet God is Severe in Requital.
7And those who disbelieve ask,
“Why hasn’t a sign been sent down
to him from his Lord?”
You are only here to warn,
and every people has a guide.
SECTION 2
8God knows what each female bears,
and how much their womb
contracts or expands; with Him,
all things exist in due proportion.
9Knowing the unseen and the seen;
He is Great, Most Exalted.
10It is the same whether any of you
speaks secretly or openly, whether
they hide beneath the cover of night
or walk about freely during the day.
11Each person has a train of angels
before them and behind them,
guarding them by God’s command.
God never changes a people’s state
until they change what is in themselves.
When God intends ill for a people,
there is no turning it back.
Besides Him, they have no protector.
12It is He who shows you
the lightning, arousing fear and hope,
and He raises the clouds,
heavy with rain.
13The thunder resounds in His praise,
as do the angels, in awe of Him;
and He sends the thunderbolts
to strike whom He will.
Yet still they dispute about God—
He Who is Supreme in Strategy.
14True prayer is to Him alone.
As for those who pray to others
besides Him, those gods will not
answer them at all, any more than
someone stretching out his hand
toward water to make it reach
his mouth: it will never get there.
The prayer of disbelievers
is nothing but delusion.°
15All beings in the heavens and earth
bow down to God, willing or unwilling,
as do their shadows,
morning and evening.
16Ask, Prophet, “Who is the Lord
of the heavens and the earth?”
Answer, “God.”
Ask, “Do you take other gods
than Him as protectors—who can
neither profit nor harm even
themselves?”
And ask, “Are the blind
and the seeing alike?
Or, is darkness the same as light?”
Do they join other gods with God
who have created, in their eyes,
a creation like His? Then say,
“God is Creator of all things—
He is the One, Omnipotent.”
17He sends down water from the sky,
flowing through valleys,
each to its own depth, and the torrents
bear away the rising foam,
just as foam erupts when heating ore
to forge ornaments and utensils.
This is how God exhibits
truth and falsehood:
the froth passes away, worthless,
but what profits humankind
remains in the earth.
This is how God coins parables.
18Those who respond to their Lord
shall have all that is good; but those
who don’t respond—they would give
as ransom all that is in the earth, and
as much more, if they owned it—
theirs shall be a terrible reckoning,
and their home shall be hell,
a wretched place of rest.
SECTION 3
19Is someone who knows the truth
of your Lord’s revelation to you
the same as someone who is blind?
Only those with insight take heed,
20those who fulfill their trust
with God, and do not fail
in their pledge,
21those who join together what
God has commanded to be joined,
those who fear their Lord,
and hold in awe
the terrible reckoning;
22and those who are patient,
seeking the Face of their Lord,
who are steadfast in prayer,
who spend in charity, both
secretly and openly,
from what We have given them,
who repel evil with good.
Theirs, in the end, shall be
the everlasting home,
23eternal gardens, which they
shall enter, along with the righteous
among their ancestors, spouses,
and descendants; the angels
shall greet them at every gate:
24“Peace be with you,
for you showed patience.
How excellent is your
everlasting home!”
25But those who break God’s trust
after giving their pledge,
and who sever what God
commanded to be joined,
and who sow corruption
on the earth—they shall be cursed,
and theirs shall be a wretched home.
26God enlarges or constricts
His provision for whom He will.
People delight in the life of the world;
yet this life is but a fleeting fancy
when set beside the hereafter.
SECTION 4
27Unbelievers say, “Why is no sign
sent down to him from his Lord?”
Say, “God lets stray whom He will,
and He guides to Himself those
who turn to Him in repentance,
28“those who believe,
whose hearts find rest
in remembrance of God—
it is only in remembering God
that hearts find rest;
29“those who believe
and do good deeds
shall have bliss,
and will return
to a beautiful place.”
30We have sent you to a people
—before whom many peoples
passed away—that you might recite
to them what We inspired in you;
but they denied the All Merciful.
Say, “He is my Lord—
there is no god but Him.
In Him I trust, and to Him I return.”
31If there were a Quran by which
mountains could be moved,
or the earth cleaved apart,
or the dead made to speak,
[this would be it].
God’s command rules in all things.
Don’t the believers realize
that God could have guided
all humankind, had He willed?
As for the unbelievers,
calamity will never cease
to strike them for their deeds,
or lie close to their homes,
God’s promise is fulfilled—
God never fails in His promise.
SECTION 5
32Messengers before you, Prophet,
were mocked, though I gave respite
to the unbelievers. Finally,
I seized them—
how Severe was My Requital!
33Is He Who stands over
every soul, noting its deeds
[like the other gods they worship]?
Yet they join other gods with God.
Say, “Name them,” or “Can you
inform Him of something
He does not know on earth?
Or is this a mere show of words?”
The schemes of the unbelievers
are made to seem pleasing to them,
and they are barred from the path.
And those whom God leaves to stray
shall have no guide.
34They shall face torment
in the life of this world;
but harsher is the torment
of the hereafter.
And they shall have none
to defend them against God.
35This is the parable of the garden
—promised to those mindful of God—
rivers flow beneath it,
and its food is eternal,
as is its shade. This is the fate
of those mindful of God; the fate
of disbelievers is fire.
36Those to whom We gave the Book
rejoice in what is revealed to you;
but some factions deny part of it.
Say, “I was commanded only
to worship God, and not to join
other gods with Him. To Him I call,
and to Him is my return.”
37We revealed the Quran to render
judgment in the Arabic tongue;
were you to follow their desires, after
the knowledge that has come to you,
there would be none to protect you
against God, or defend you.
SECTION 6
38We sent messengers before you,
and gave them wives and children.
But it was not for any messenger
to bring a sign without God’s leave.
There has been a Book for every age.°
39God annuls or confirms
what He will; and with Him
is the origin of the Book.
40Whether We show you part
of the punishment We promised them
or cause you to die beforehand,
your part is to convey the message—
Ours is the reckoning.
41Don’t they see how We came
to scale back the borders
of their land? When God judges,
none can undo His judgment;
and He is Swift in Reckoning.
42Those before them also schemed;
but the ultimate scheme is God’s.
He knows what each soul earns;
and the unbelievers shall soon know
who finally has the [best] home.
43The unbelievers say,
“You are no messenger.”
Say, “God suffices as a Witness
between me and you—and those
with knowledge of the Book.”
 
 
SURA 14
Abraham (Ibrahim)
Among the last of the Meccan revelations, this sura is named after its central focus, the “Prayer of Abraham” (vv. 35–41). It totals 52 verses, opening with reference to Moses along with Noah, ʿAd and Thamud, then ending with the threat of torment to wrongdoers (vv. 42–52).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Alif. Lam. Ra.°
This is a Book We revealed to you,
that you might bring humankind
from darkness into light,
with their Lord’s assent,
to the path of the Almighty,
the Praiseworthy—
2God, to Whom belongs
all that is in the heavens and earth.
The unbelievers shall know
the sorrow of severe torment°—
3those who prefer the life
of this world to the hereafter,
and bar people from God’s path,
seeking to make it crooked—
they have gone far astray.
4We never sent a messenger
who did not speak the language
of his people, to make things
clear to them. But God
leaves to stray whom He will
and guides whom He will,
for He is Almighty, All Wise.
5We sent Moses with Our signs,
saying, “Bring out your people
from darkness into light, and
remind them of the days of God.”
In this are signs for all
who are patient and grateful.
6Then Moses said to his people,
“Remember God’s favor to you when
He saved you from Pharaoh’s people,
who inflicted dire torments on you,
killing your sons, and sparing
only your women—a terrible trial
from your Lord.”
SECTION 2
7When your Lord declared,
“If you are thankful,
I will grant you increase,
but if you are ungrateful,
My punishment will be severe”—
8Moses said, “If you are ungrateful,
you and all those on the earth,
know that God is Self-Sufficient,
Praiseworthy.”
9Haven’t you heard the story
of those who came before you,
the people of Noah, ʿAd, and Thamud,°
and those who came after them?
None but God knows about them all.
Messengers came to them with clear proofs,
But, biting their hands [out of spite],°
they cried, “We don’t believe in the message
sent with you, and we have grave doubts
about what you’re calling us to do.”
10Their messengers asked,
“Can there be doubt about God,
Creator of the heavens and the earth?
He calls you, that He might
forgive you for your sins, and
give you respite for a decreed time.”
They answered, “You’re just a human,
like us—you want to divert us from
what our fathers worshipped—
bring us some clear sanction for this.”
11Their messengers answered,
“Yes, we’re just humans, like you;
but God grants His grace
to whom He will of His servants.
And we can’t bring you sanction
without His leave—
so let all who believe trust in God.
12“Why should we not trust in God
Who guided us to this path of ours?
And we will bear with patience
whatever harm you inflict on us—
So let all who trust, trust in God.”°
SECTION 3
13Unbelievers told their messengers,
“Be sure that we’ll drive you
from our land, if you don’t return
to our creed.” But their Lord
revealed to the messengers,
“Be sure that We
will destroy the wrongdoers.
14“And We’ll leave you [believers]
living in the land after them.
This is the reward for those
who fear they will stand before Me,
and those who fear My threat.”
15° [The messengers]
prayed for victory,° and
every stubborn tyrant came to grief.
16Ahead of [each of them] lies hell,
and they will drink putrid water.°
17They will try to gulp it down
but shall scarcely swallow it.
Death will close in on them
from every side, though
they will not die—still ahead of them
lies severe torment.
18Here is a parable
of those who deny their Lord:
their deeds are ashes that the wind
blows wildly on a stormy day;
they have no power at all
over anything they’ve gained—
this is to go far astray.
19Do you not see that God
created the heavens and the earth
with true purpose?° If He wishes,
He can remove you and replace
you with a new creation.
20This would hardly be
a huge task for God.
21They will all be exposed together
before God; then the weak will say
to those who were in power,
“We followed you, but can you now
help us against God’s punishment
in any way?”
They’ll reply, “Had God guided us,
we would have guided you.”
It’s the same now, whether we rage
or endure with patience—
we have no escape.”
SECTION 4
22When all is decided, Satan will say,
“God made you a promise that was true;
I too made a promise, but I failed you.
I had no authority over you; all I could do
was to call you—yet you responded to me.
So don’t blame me—blame yourselves.
I can’t help you, nor can you help me.
In fact, I denounce how you partnered me
with God before. The wrongdoers
shall face a painful punishment.”
23Those who believed
and did good deeds
will be ushered into gardens,
beneath which rivers flow,
to live there forever,
by their Lord’s leave.
There, they’ll be greeted
with “Peace.”
24Do you not see how God
coins a parable: a good word
is like a good tree, with roots
anchored firm, while its branches
soar into the sky?
25It yields its fruit in every season
by its Lord’s leave. In this way
God coins parables for humankind,
that they might be reminded.
26And a bad word
is like a bad tree—
uprooted from the face
of the earth, unstable.
27God will anchor those who believe
with the Word that stands firm,
in this worldly life and the hereafter.
But He will let the wrongdoers stray.
God does all that He will.
SECTION 5
28Prophet, do you not see those
who bartered God’s favor for disbelief,
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 verses lauds creation from heavens and earth to humankind and cattle, extending to oceans, mountains, and stars (vv. 3–16). Simultaneously it warns of a painful punishment for disbelievers and promises an eternal reward for believers (vv. 106–28). The title comes from a tribute to the bee, the epitome of divine disclosure through nature, in vv. 68–69.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1What God has decreed is coming,
so do not seek to hasten it.
Glory be to Him, exalted above
the gods they join with Him.
2He sends down the angels, inspired
by His command,° to whichever
of His servants He will, “Warn them:
There is no god but Me, so fear Me.”
3He created the heavens and earth
with true purpose; He is exalted above
the gods they join with Him.
4He created human beings
from a tiny globule—yet see
how openly defiant they are!
5He created cattle for you,
giving you warmth and other uses;
you consume them for food,
6and you sense a beauty in them
when you bring them home [at dusk]
and herd them to pasture [at dawn].
7And they bear your loads to lands
you could not reach without hardship.
Your Lord is Most Kind, Ever Merciful.
8And He gave you horses,
mules, and donkeys, to ride
as well as for their beauty,°
and He created other things
beyond your knowledge.
9God shows the right path,
but some paths lead away from this.
Had He wished,
He would have guided you all.
SECTION 2
10It is He who sends down water
from the sky, which you drink,
which also brings greenery
for your livestock to graze.°
11With it He brings forth for you
corn, olives, date palms, and vines,
and all variety of fruit. In this
is a sign for those who think.
12And He subdues to your use
night and day, sun and moon.
And the constellations are subdued
by His command. In this
is a sign for those who reason.
13And He has multiplied
all things for you on earth,
in varying colors. In this
is a sign for those who take heed.
14It is He Who subdued the sea
so you might consume its fish, all fresh,
and bring up from its depth ornaments
to wear. And you gaze upon the ships
that plow its waves so you might
seek the bounty of God, and give thanks.
15And He has cast upon the earth
sturdy mountains, to stop it quaking
beneath you; and rivers and paths
so you might be guided,
16as well as landmarks.
By the stars too, people are guided.
17Is One who creates the same
as one who cannot create?
Won’t you, then, take heed?
18If you tried to count
the favors of God, you could
never number them. God
is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
19And God knows
what you conceal
and what you reveal.
20Those on whom they call
besides God can create nothing;
they themselves are created—
21dead, without any life;
nor can they even sense
when they might be resurrected.
SECTION 3
22Your God is One God. But those
who don’t believe in the hereafter
refuse the truth in their hearts,
and they are full of pride.
23No doubt, God knows
what they conceal
and what they reveal,
and He dislikes those
who are full of pride.
24When they are asked,
“What has your Lord revealed?”
they scoff in reply,
“Tales of the ancients.”
25So let them bear, on the day
of resurrection, the full weight
of their own burdens, as well as
the burdens of those they led astray
—without any knowledge—
a harrowing burden to bear.°
SECTION 4
26Those before them also schemed,
but God assailed the very foundations
of their building; the roof crashed
down upon them, and His wrath
struck them from places
they could not conceive.
27Then, on the day of resurrection,
He will shame them, saying,
“Where are My partners—the gods
for whose sake you opposed [Me]?”
Those with knowledge will say,
“Today, shame and misery
shall shroud the disbelievers.”
28Those whose souls the angels
take while wronging themselves
will profess submission:
“We didn’t do any evil.”
They will be answered,
“But you did—God Knows well
all that you have done.
29“Enter, then, the gates of hell,
to stay there forever—an evil home
for those who were proud.”
30When those who are
mindful of God are asked,
“What has your Lord revealed?”
they will answer, “All that is good.”
Those who do good will reap good
in this world, yet the home
of the hereafter will be better still.
Excellent is the home of those
who are mindful of God.
31They shall enter eternal gardens,
beneath which rivers flow. There
they shall have all that they desire—
this is how God rewards those
who are mindful of Him.
32Those whose souls the angels
take while in a state of goodness—
the angels will say to them,
“Peace be with you; enter the garden,
a reward for all that you did.”
33Are the unbelievers waiting
for the angels to come to them, or for
your Lord to command [their doom]?
This is what those before them did—
it is not God who wrongs them
but they who wrong themselves.
34They were struck by the evil
of their own deeds, and besieged
by what they used to mock.
SECTION 5
35The polytheists say,
“If God had wished it,
We would have worshipped nothing
besides Him, we and our ancestors;
and would have forbidden nothing
without his leave.” This is what
those before them did.
What is the task of the messengers
but to convey the message clearly?
36We sent messengers
to every people, saying,
“Worship the One God,
and shun the false gods.”
And among them were some
that God guided, and some
deserving to go astray.
Travel, then, across the earth
and observe the fate
of those who denied.
37Even if you want them
to be guided, God will not guide
those who mislead others,
and there will be none to help them.
38They swear their strongest oaths
by God, that God won’t raise the dead
—yes, He will; His promise is true,
but most people don’t know it—
39to make clear to them the things
they dispute, and to make unbelievers
realize they were lying.
40When We intend something,
We merely say, “Be!”—and it is!
SECTION 6
41To those who were wronged and
left their homes in God’s cause,
We’ll give a good home in this world;
yet the reward of the hereafter
is greater—if only they knew.
42They are the ones who practice
patience, and trust in their Lord.
43And We only sent before you
men whom We inspired
—ask those who possess the message
if you yourselves don’t know—
44with clear signs and scriptures;
and We revealed the message to you,
Prophet, for you to explain to people
what We sent down to them
so they might reflect.
45Can those who devise
wicked schemes feel sure
that God won’t make the earth
swallow them up, or that His wrath
won’t strike them from places
they cannot conceive,
46or take them suddenly
as they come and go
—for they cannot thwart God—
47or take them by slow attrition?
Yet your Lord is Most Kind,
Ever Merciful.
48Don’t they see the things
that God created—
how their very shadows incline
to right and left,
bowing humbly before God?
49All in the heavens and all on earth
bow to God, living creatures
and the angels—
for they are not proud.
50They all fear their Lord, Who
is high above them, and they do
as they are commanded.
SECTION 7
51God has said,
“Do not worship two gods—
He is the One, the only God,
so fear Me alone.”
52To Him belongs all
that is in the heavens and earth;
to Him everlasting worship is due.
Why would you fear any but God?
53Whatever blessings you have
are from God alone,
and when misfortune strikes you,
you cry to Him alone for help.
54Yet, when He relieves your misfortune,
some of you join other gods with God,
55ungrateful for what He has given.
Enjoy your brief time, for soon
you shall come to know.
56And they consecrate a portion
of what We have given them
to idols, things they don’t know.
By God, you will be asked
about the things you fabricated.
57They ascribe daughters to God
—may He be glorified—
but for themselves they want sons.°
58When any of them gets news
of the birth of a girl, his face darkens
as he fills with inward gloom.
59Out of shame, he hides himself
away from people,
on account of his bad news.
Should he keep her, to his ignominy,
or bury her alive in the sand?°
How wicked is their judgment.
60Those who don’t believe
in the hereafter are an allegory
of evil, whereas God is an allegory
of what is Most High,°
for He is Almighty, All Wise.
SECTION 8
61If God took people to task
for their wrongs, He would leave
not one living creature on earth, but
he reprieves them for a given term.
Once that term ends,
they cannot delay it, nor hasten it—
not by one hour.
62They ascribe to God
what they themselves dislike,°
and their tongues mouth the lie
that the best things° are for them.
Without doubt, the fire is for them—
in fact, they’ll be hurried there.
63By God, We sent messengers to peoples
before you, but Satan made
their [wicked] deeds seem fair to them;
he is still their ally today—
but they shall face a painful torment.
64We revealed the Book to you
only for you to clarify for them
the things they dispute, and as a guide
and mercy to people who believe.
65And God sends down rain
from the sky, bringing life
to the dead earth.° In this
is a sign for those who hear.
SECTION 9
66In the uses of cattle, too,
there is a precept for you:
We give you drink from their bellies
—between excrement and blood—
pure milk, sweet to those who drink.
67And from the fruit of date palm
and vine, you harvest wine
as well as wholesome food. In this
is a sign for those who reason.
68Your Lord inspired the bee,
“Build your hives in the hills,
in trees, and in human dwellings.
69“So eat of all kinds of fruits,
and follow the paths made smooth
by your Lord.” From their bellies
issues a drink of varying hues,
able to heal people. In this
is a sign for those who think.
70It is God Who created you
and will cause you to die,
making some of you regress
to an abject state of old age,
knowing nothing—after knowing.
God is All Knowing, All Powerful.
SECTION 10
71God has favored some of you
with greater provision than others.
Those with more would not reallocate
their share to their slaves,
so as to make them equal. Will they
deny, then, the blessings of God?
72God has made spouses for you,
from yourselves, and from them, children
and grandchildren,
and He has provided you
with all that is good.
Would they still believe in falsehood
and deny the blessings of God?
73And would they worship others
instead of God—who have no power
to provide them with anything
from the heavens or the earth,
and are incapable?
74Do not coin any likeness of God:
God has Knowledge—you do not.°
75God coins a parable: a slave,
who is owned, with no power
over anything; and a man to whom
We have given ample provision,
who spends in charity both secretly
and openly. How can these be equal?
All praise be to God.
Yet most of them do not know.
76God coins a parable of two men:
one dumb, with no power to do
anything, is a burden to his keeper—
however he directs him,
he brings no good. Is he
equal to one who enjoins justice
and is set on a straight path?
SECTION 11
77To God belongs all that is unseen
in the heavens and the earth.
The hour of judgment° will come
like the blinking of an eye—
or more swiftly.
God has Power over all things.
78It is God Who brought you
from the wombs of your mothers,
knowing nothing; and He gave you
hearing, and sight, and hearts,
that you might give thanks.
79Do they not see the birds,
poised in their skyward flight?
Nothing bears them up except God.
In this are signs
for people who believe.
80It is God Who made your homes
a place of rest, and made for you,
from the skins of animals, tents
that you find light to bear
when you travel and make camp;
and from their wool, fur, and hair,
you derive furnishings
and supplies to last a while.
81It is God Who gave you shade,
among the things He created,
and He gave you shelters
in the mountains, and clothes
to shield you from the heat,
as well as armor to shield you
in your warfare. In these ways,
He perfects His favor to you,
that you might submit to His will.
82But if they turn away,
your task is only to convey
the message clearly.°
83They recognize God’s favors yet
deny them, for most of them
are ungrateful.
SECTION 12
84One day We shall raise up
a witness among every people—then
the unbelievers won’t be allowed
to make excuses or make amends.
85When the wrongdoers see
the punishment,
it will not be lightened for them,
nor will they be shown respite.
86When the polytheists see the gods
they joined with God, they’ll say,
“Our Lord, these are the gods
we invoked instead of You.”
The gods will throw their words
back at them, “You are liars.”
87On that day, they shall willingly
submit to God, and the false gods
they invented will abandon them.
88We shall heap torment
on torment upon those who
disbelieved and barred people
from the path of God,
for their breeding of mischief.
89One day We shall raise up within
every people a witness against them,°
and We shall bring you, Prophet,
as a witness against these people.
We have revealed to you the Book
that clarifies all things—and gives
guidance, mercy, and joyous news
to those who submit to God’s will.
SECTION 13
90God commands justice, goodness,
and generosity to kin. He also forbids
indecency, wrong, and oppression.
He instructs that you might take heed.
91So fulfill your pledge to God
once you have made it,
and don’t break your oaths
after swearing them, for you
have made God your surety.
God knows all that you do.
92And don’t—like a woman who
untwists the yarn she has spun firm°—
indulge your oaths to deceive
one another, if one group happens
to outnumber another—
for God will test you by this.
And on the day of resurrection
He will make clear to you
the issues you dispute.
93Had God wished, He could have
made you one community;
but He leaves to stray whom He will,
and He guides whom He will;
and you shall undoubtedly be asked
about all that you did.
94Don’t indulge your oaths
to deceive one another, else
someone’s foot might slip,
though it was firmly fixed,
and you might taste the evil outcome
of your barring people from God’s path,
and face great punishment.
95And don’t barter God’s pledge
for a paltry price, for what God has
is better for you, if only you knew.
96Whatever you have is ephemeral
but what God has is enduring;
and We shall reward those
who practice patience
for the best of their deeds.
97Whoever does good
—whether man or woman—
and is a true believer,
We will grant them a good life,
and We will reward them
for the best of their deeds.
98When you read the Quran,
seek refuge in God
from Satan—the accursed.°
99He has no sway over those
who believe and trust in their Lord.
100His sway is only over those
who embrace him as an ally,
and those who, on his account,
join other gods with God.
SECTION 14
101When We displace one verse
with another—and God knows best
what He reveals—they say,
“You’re nothing but a forger.”
But most of them have no knowledge.°
102Say, “The holy spirit°
has revealed it [in stages]
from your Lord, bearing truth,
to strengthen those who believe,
and as guidance and joyous news
for those who submit to God’s will.”
103We know well that they say,
“It’s a mere mortal who teaches him.”
But the person they mean
speaks a foreign tongue°,
while this is clear Arabic.
104As for those who don’t believe
in the signs of God—God will not
guide them, and they shall face
a painful punishment.
105Only those who don’t believe
invent lies about the signs of God;
they are the ones who lie.
106Those who deny God
after having faith—unless compelled,
while their hearts kept faith—
those who open their hearts
to unbelief, shall incur God’s wrath,
and they shall face great torment.
107For they preferred the life
of this world to the hereafter,
and God does not guide
a people who disbelieve.
108They are the ones
whose hearts, hearing, and sight
God has sealed,
for they are heedless.
109Without doubt, they are the ones
who will lose in the hereafter.
110But to those who left their homes
after being oppressed, and then strove
in God’s cause with patience,
your Lord will be Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 15
111One day, each soul
shall come, pleading for itself,
and each soul shall be paid
in full for what it did,
and none shall be wronged.
112God coins a parable:
there was a town, secure and content,
with ample supplies from all places;
yet it became ungrateful
for God’s favors, so He let it
taste the ravages of hunger and fear
for the things its people did.
113A messenger, one of their own,
came to them, but they deemed him
a fraud—so punishment struck them
even as they indulged in wrongdoing.
114So eat of the lawful and good
things God has provided for you,
and be grateful for God’s favor,
if it is Him that you worship.
115He has forbidden for you only
carrion, blood, the flesh of swine,
and animals killed by invoking
anything other than God’s name.
But if someone is compelled
by hunger, without willful
disobedience or excess, then God
is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.°
116Don’t let your tongues say falsely,
“This is lawful, and this forbidden,”
so as to invent falsehoods about God.
Those who fabricate such lies
shall not prosper—
117their enjoyment is but brief,
for they shall face painful torment.
118Prophet, We forbade for the Jews
the things We cited to you earlier,°
for We never wronged them
but they wronged themselves.
119But to those who do wrong
through ignorance, and then repent
and amend themselves, your Lord
is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 16
120Abraham was a nation in himself:
devoted to God, upright,
and he was not a polytheist.
121He was grateful for the favors
of God, Who chose him and
guided him to a straight path.
122We gave him good in this world,
and he will be among the righteous
in the hereafter.
123Then We inspired you, Prophet,
“Follow the creed of Abraham,
the upright, who was not a polytheist.”
124The [day of the] Sabbath
was decreed only for those
who disputed over it; and
your Lord will judge between them,
on the day of resurrection,
in the things they dispute.
125Call people to the path
of your Lord with wisdom
and exemplary instruction,
and argue with them
in exemplary fashion.
Your Lord knows best
who has strayed from His path,
and who is rightly guided.
126If you must respond to aggression,
retaliate only in like measure—
but it will be better for you
if you show patience.°
127So, Prophet, practice patience—
your patience comes only from God;°
don’t grieve over them,
and don’t distress yourself
over the things they plot.
128For God is with those
who are mindful of Him,
and those who do good.
 
 
SURA 17
The Night Journey (Al-Israʾ)
From the middle Meccan period, this sura takes its name from the initial verse, depicting Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Jerusalem to heaven and back. Whether as a dream or physical happening, that event (known as the miʿraj, or the Prophet’s Ascent) has brought acclaim to this sura of 111 verses, though it also contains stories about Israelites as well as the fall of Iblis (vv. 61–65). It further underscores that the Quran was revealed in stages (v. 106), inviting believers to call on God with His Beautiful Names (v. 110).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Glory be to the One
Who took His servant
on a journey by night
from the sacred mosque
to the farthest mosque,°
whose precincts We blessed
that We might show him
some of Our signs. He alone
is the All Hearing,
All Seeing.
2We gave Moses the Book,°
and made it a guide
for the children of Israel, saying,
“Do not entrust your affairs
to anyone but Me,
3“you descendants of those
We carried in the ark with Noah;
he was a grateful servant.”
4And in the Book We forewarned
the children of Israel:
“Twice you will breed
corruption in the land, and reach
the height of pride.”°
5When the first of the warnings
came to pass, We sent against you
Our servants who had great force;
they entered the inmost precincts
of your homes—the warning
was fulfilled.
6Then We gave back to you victory
over them, and We reinforced you
with wealth and offspring,
multiplying you.
7If you do good, you do good
for yourselves; and if you do evil,
it is for yourselves. And when
the second warning came to pass,
[We sent your enemies]
to distress your countenances
and to enter your place of worship
as they did the first time, and
utterly destroy whatever
they had conquered.
8It may be that your Lord
may yet show you mercy, but
should you turn back,
We shall turn back.
We have made hell
a prison for disbelievers.
9This Quran guides to what
is most right and brings joyous news
to believers who do good deeds—
that they shall have a great reward,
10and that We have prepared
a harrowing punishment
for those who don’t believe,
in the hereafter.
SECTION 2
11Yet humans pray for evil,
as avidly as they pray for good—
they are always in haste.
12We made night and day two signs.
We effaced the sign of night,
and gave light to the sign of day,
that you might seek
the bounty of your Lord,
and know the number of years
and the science of calculation.
We have explained all things in detail.°
13We have fastened
every man’s fate
around his own neck;°
on the day of resurrection
We shall bring out
for him a record,
which he shall find
wide open.
14He will be told,
“Read your record. Your own soul
suffices this day as a reckoning
against you.”
15Whoever receives guidance
is guided for his own good; and
whoever goes astray, strays to his
own harm. And no soul shall bear
another’s burden. Nor do We punish
until We have sent a messenger to warn.
16When We intend to destroy a town,
We command its wealthy citizens
to obey; but they stubbornly disobey,
so sentence is passed upon them—
and We destroy them utterly.
17How many generations
did We destroy after Noah?
For your Lord is fully Aware
and Sees the sins of His servants.
18Whoever desires this fleeting life,
We hasten whatever We will in it
for them—for whomever We wish;
in the end, We commit them
to hell, in which they will burn,
disgraced, rejected.
19As for those who desire
the hereafter and duly strive for it
as believers—they are the ones
whose striving will be commended.
20To each of these,
We extend the gift of your Lord,
a gift unbounded—
21see, how We have favored
some over others. Yet the hereafter
is higher in rank,
and higher also in favor.
22Do not set up another god
besides the One God, or you will
be left disgraced, forsaken.
SECTION 3
23Your Lord has decreed
that you worship Him Alone,
and that you be kind to parents.
Whether one or both of them
reach old age with you, do not say,
“For shame!” to them, or spurn them,
but speak to them with kind words.
24And lower over them both
the wing of humility, with mercy,°
and say, “My Lord, show mercy
to them, as they nurtured me
when I was young.”
25Your Lord knows best
what is in your hearts.
If you are righteous,
He is Ever Forgiving of those
who turn to Him.
26And render to relatives
their due, as well as to the needy
and the traveler; and do not
spend wastefully.
27Spendthrifts are brothers
of Satan;° and Satan
is ever ungrateful to his Lord.
28If you must turn from [beggars],
hoping, by your Lord’s mercy,
[to help them later], at least
speak to them a gentle word.
29Don’t let your hand be bound
[tightfisted] to your neck; nor
extend it fully, else you might end up
blameworthy, impoverished.
30Your Lord extends or restricts
provision for whom He will.
He is Ever Aware, Observant
of His servants.°
SECTION 4
31And do not kill your children
through fear of poverty. We provide
for them as We do for you.
Killing them is a great sin.
32Nor venture near adultery
for it is an indecency,
an evil way.
33And do not take life, which
God has made sacred, except
for a rightful cause.
We have authorized the heir
of anyone killed wrongfully
[to exact retribution], but they should
not be excessive in taking life,
for they are already aided.°
34Nor venture near
an orphan’s property
except with the best intent,
until they reach maturity.
And fulfill every pledge,
for every pledge
will be scrutinized.
35Give full measure when you
measure; weigh with a true balance:
that is better and fairer in the end.
36And do not follow blindly
things you have no knowledge of—
your hearing, sight, and heart
shall all be questioned.
37Do not walk brazenly on the earth,
for you cannot pierce [its depth]
nor reach the height of mountains.
38All of this is evil,
odious to your Lord.
39This is some of the wisdom
your Lord has revealed to you;
do not set up any other god with God,
or you will be cast into hell,
rebuked, rejected.
40Idolaters, has your Lord
chosen for you sons, and
taken for Himself daughters
among the angels?°
What you utter is monstrous.
SECTION 5
41We have offered explanation
in this Quran, that they might heed,
but it makes them turn further away.
42Say, “If there were other gods
with Him, as they claim,
they would surely have sought
a way to [overcome]
the Owner of the throne.”
43May He be glorified and exalted
far above what they proclaim!
44He is glorified
by the seven heavens and the earth,
and all within them,
for there is nothing
that does not glorify Him with praise,
though you may not grasp
their mode of glorifying—
He is Forbearing, Forgiving.
45When you recite the Quran,
We place an unseen veil
between you and those who
don’t believe in the hereafter.
46And We have placed shrouds over
their hearts, lest they understand it,
and deafness in their ears.
And when you talk of your Lord
as the only God, in the Quran,
they turn their backs, averse.
47We know best
what the wrongdoers hear
when they hear you,
and the wrongdoers say in private,
“You follow nothing
but a man bewitched.”
48See what similes they coin
about you! But they are astray,
and cannot find the right way.
49And they ask,
“When we are bones and dust,
will we really be raised up
as a new creation?”
50Answer, “Yes—even
if you were stones or iron,
51“or anything else in creation
that your hearts imagine to be even
harder to bring back to life.”°
They will ask,
“Who will bring us back?”
Answer, “He Who created you
the first time.”
They will shake their heads at you,
asking, “And when will that be?”
Answer, “Perhaps soon,
52“on a day when He calls you—
you will answer by praising Him,
and you will imagine
that you stayed [on the earth]
for only a short while.”
SECTION 6
53Tell My servants to speak only
the most exemplary words.°
Satan brews discord among them—
always a sworn enemy of humankind.
54Your Lord knows you best—
if He will, He will show you mercy,
and if He will, He will punish you.
We have not sent you, Prophet,
as their custodian.
55And your Lord knows best
all that is in the heavens and earth.
He favored some prophets
over others—to David
We gave the Psalms.
56Say, “Call upon those you claim
to be gods besides Him—
they have no power
to remove your misfortunes
or to avert them.”
57Those on whom they call
themselves seek a way to their
Lord; which of them is closer?
They hope for His mercy,
and fear His punishment—
your Lord’s punishment
is always to be feared.
58There is no [evil] town
that We shall not destroy
before the day of resurrection
or punish severely—this
is inscribed in the Book.
59Nothing constrains Us
from sending signs except that
former peoples denied them.
We gave the people of Thamud°
a she-camel as a visible token,
but they wronged her.
We send signs only to warn.
60Prophet, remember when
We told you that your Lord
Encompasses humankind,
We granted you the vision
We showed you° only as a trial
for people, like the cursed tree
mentioned in the Quran.°
We warn them, yet this only
increases their transgression.
SECTION 7
61And when We said to the angels,
“Bow down before Adam,”
they bowed down except Iblis,
who said, “Shall I bow to one
whom you made of clay?”
62He added, “Do You see this one
that you have honored above me?
If you grant me reprieve
until the day of resurrection,
I will hold sway over all but a few
of his descendants.”
63God said, “Go out!
If any of them follow you,
hell shall be your reward
[and theirs]—an ample reward.
64“Rouse those you can
with your voice, assault them
with your cavalry and infantry,
share in their wealth and children,
and make promises to them.
But Satan promises them
only delusion.”
65You have no power over my servants—
your Lord suffices as their custodian.
66It is your Lord Who lets your ships
sail smoothly upon the sea
that you might seek His bounty—
He is Ever Merciful to you.
67When you meet distress at sea,
the gods you call on besides Him°
abandon you. But when He delivers you
to land, you turn away.
Humankind is ever ungrateful.
68Can you feel sure that He
won’t make the earth swallow you
when back on land,
or send a hailstorm against you,
so that you find yourselves
with none to protect you?
69Or can you be sure that He
won’t drive you back out to sea
again, and send a hurricane
against you, a gale storm
to drown you for your
ingratitude? Then you would find
none to help you against Us.
70We have honored the children
of Adam; We have carried them
over land and sea, and provided them
with good things, and favored them
over many others We have created.
SECTION 8
71On the day We call together
all human beings, with their leaders,
those who are given their book
in their right hand will read it
[with joy], and will not be wronged
by as much as the hair on a date seed.
72But those who were blind
in this world will be blind
in the hereafter, and even further
astray from the path.
73Unbelievers almost tempted you
away from Our revelation to you,
hoping that you might
invent something else about Us°—
they would then have
embraced you as a friend.
74Had We not strengthened
your resolve, you might have
inclined to them a little.
75We would then have made you
taste a double torment—in this life,
and after death. You would then find
none to help you against Us.
76Though they were about
to uproot you from the land,
to expel you from it,°
they would not then have been able
to stay there after you
for more than a short while.
77[This was Our] way°
with the messengers We sent
before you, and you will find
no change in Our way.
SECTION 9
78You should perform prayer
from the declining of the sun
until the darkening of night,
and recite the Quran at dawn—
a recitation ever witnessed
[by the angels].°
79And in the night, arise to pray,
further, of your own accord,
that your Lord might raise you
to a station of praise.°
80Say, “My Lord,
let me enter by a gate of truth
and leave by a gate of truth°—
grant me Your own
supportive authority.”°
81Also proclaim, “Truth has come
and falsehood has perished—
falsehood will always perish.”
82We reveal in the Quran
what is a healing and a mercy
to believers; yet for wrongdoers,
it merely increases their loss.
83When We grant favor
to humankind, they turn
proudly away, drawing aside;
yet when evil befalls them,
they slide into despair.
84Say, “Each person acts
according to their own disposition;
but your Lord knows best
who is rightly guided.°
SECTION 10
85They ask you about the spirit.
Say, “The spirit comes
by command of my Lord°—
only a small portion
of knowledge is granted you.”
86If we wished, We could take away
what We have revealed to you;
you would then find in this issue
no protector against Us,°
87without your Lord’s mercy—
His favor to you is great.
88Say, “Even if all humankind
and all jinn gathered together
to produce the like of this Quran,
they could not do so, however much
they helped one another.”
89And We have explained
to humankind in this Quran
every kind of parable,
yet most of them refuse
to be anything but ungrateful.
90They say, “We will
never believe you, unless
you make for us a spring
flowing out from the earth,
91“or you have a garden,
with date palms and grapes,
and cause rivers
to burst forth within it,
92“or you cause the sky
to fall in fragments upon us,
—as you have claimed°—
or you bring before us
God and the angels,°
93“or you have a house adorned
with gold, or ascend to the sky—
but we’ll never believe you ascended
unless you bring down to us a book
that we might read.”
Say, “Glory be to my Lord.
Am I not merely
a mortal, a messenger?”
SECTION 11
94When guidance came to people,
nothing stopped them from believing
except their saying, “Has God sent
a mere mortal as a messenger?”
95Say, “If the earth were full of
angels walking nonchalantly about,
We would have sent an angel to them
as a messenger from heaven.”
96Say, “God suffices as
a Witness between me and you;
He is Ever Aware, Observant
of His servants.”
97Those whom God guides
are rightly guided.
As for those He allows to stray—
you’ll find no protectors for them
beyond God.
And We shall gather them
on the day of resurrection
fallen on their faces,
blind, dumb, and deaf.
Hell shall be their home,
and whenever the blaze of fire
subsides, We shall warm it.
98That is their reward, for they
rejected Our signs, saying,
“When we become bones and dust,
will we really be raised up
as a new creation?”
99Don’t they see that God,
Who created the heavens and earth,
has Power to create their like anew?
He has assigned a fixed term
—beyond doubt—for them,
but the wrongdoers refuse
to be anything but ungrateful.
100Say, “If you possessed
the treasures of my Lord’s mercy,
you would withhold them
fearful of expending them,
for humankind is ever miserly.”
SECTION 12
101We gave Moses nine clear signs°
—ask the Children of Israel.
When he came to the Egyptians,
Pharaoh exclaimed to him,
“Moses, I believe you’re bewitched.”
102Moses replied,
“You well know that only
the Lord of the heavens and earth
could reveal these things as proof;
and I believe that you, Pharaoh,
shall meet destruction.”
103So he intended to drive them
from the land; but We drowned him
and all those with him.
104Afterward, We told
the children of Israel:
“Live in the land,” but when
the promise of the hereafter comes,
We will bring you together
in a mingled assembly.°
105We sent down the Quran
with the truth—and with the truth
it has come down;
and We sent you, Prophet,
only to convey joyous news
and to warn people.
106We have divided the Quran
into parts so you might recite it
to people at intervals, and
We have revealed it in stages.
107Say, “Whether you believe in it
or not, those given knowledge
before it was revealed
fall down on their faces,°
bowing, when it is recited to them.”
108They say, “Glory be to our Lord!
Our Lord’s promise is fulfilled.”
109They fall on their faces, in tears,
and it deepens their humility.
110Say, “Call upon God
or call upon the All Merciful—
however you call him,
His are the Most Beautiful Names.°
And do not intone your prayer
loudly nor too softly
but seek a middle way
between these.”
111Say, “Praise be to God
Who takes no son, and
Who has no partner in dominion,
Who needs no protector
against abasement,
and magnify Him—magnify
His Measureless Magnitude.”°
 
 
SURA 18
The Cave (Al-Kahf)
From the middle Meccan period, it derives its name, “The Cave,” from vv. 9–26. That segment provides the natural backdrop for the first of three stories woven together in this sura of 110 verses that have inspired commentary and speculation through the ages. All three of these mysterious episodes occur only here in the Quran: the cave sleepers (vv. 9–26) is followed by Moses’ encounter with a sly stranger at the meeting of waters (vv. 61–83), after which the two-horned figure, perhaps Alexander, builds a (mountain) barrier against Gog and Magog (vv. 84–99).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1All praise be to God,
Who revealed the Book
to His servant, and made it
free of deviation,°
2unerringly straight,° to warn
of His stern punishment
and to give joyous news to those
who believe and do good works
that theirs will be a rich° reward,
3[the garden] where
they will stay forever.
4and to warn those who say,
“God has taken a son.”
5They have no knowledge
of this, nor had their forefathers.
It’s a monstrous assertion
that they mouth: they utter
nothing but falsehood.
6Prophet, you might consume yourself
with grief, because of them,
if they don’t believe this message.
7We have adorned the earth
with all that exists on it
in order to test which of them
are best in their deeds.
8And We shall turn
all that exists on it
into barren dust.
SECTION 2
9Prophet, do you think
the companions of the cave°
and the inscription it bears
were a wonder among Our signs?
10The youths sought shelter
in the cave, and they implored,
“Our Lord, grant us Your mercy
and resolve our dilemma
in a fitting manner.”
11So We sealed their ears
[with sleep] in the cave
for several years.
12Then We woke them,
so We might know
which of the two parties°
could best calculate
how long they had stayed.
13We narrate to you their story
as it was:° those youths believed
in their Lord, and We increased
Our guidance for them.
14We strengthened their hearts
when they stood up and affirmed,
“Our Lord is the Lord
of the heavens and the earth;
never will we call
on other gods than Him,
for we would be voicing
a gross falsehood.
15“Our people have taken
gods other than Him: why don’t they
bring forth a clear sanction for these?
Who does more wrong than those
who invent lies about God?”
16“Since you have recoiled
from them and what they worship
besides God, seek shelter in the cave” [said the chief youth].
“Your Lord will shower you
with His mercy
and ease your plight.”
17You might have seen
the sun, when she rose,
declining away, to the right
of their cave; and when she set,
veering away, to their left
while they lay in the open space
between its walls. This
is among the signs of God:
those whom God guides
are rightly guided; as for
those left astray, you will never
find a protector to guide them
to the right way.
18You might have thought them
awake though they were sleeping:
we turned them on their right sides
and left sides, their dog stretching
his two paws at the entrance.
If you had seen them,
you would have fled
from them in terror.
19Then We roused them, so
they might question one another.
One of them asked, “How long
have you been here?” Some said,
“A day or part of a day.” Others,
“Your Lord knows best how long.
Now one of you go with money
to the city to find the best food
for your sustenance.
But let him take care
to let no one know about you.
20“If they recognize you,
they’ll stone you or bring you
back to their creed, and then
you will not flourish—ever.”
21We informed people about them,
to let them know that God’s promise
is true, that there is no doubt
about the impending hour.
Yet people argued about
the sleepers. Some said,
“Erect a building over them.
Their Lord knows best about them.”
Those who prevailed in the matter
said, “We shall build over them
a place of worship.”
22Some say they were three,
and the dog the fourth
of them; others say they were five,
with the dog a sixth—
guessing, without knowing;°
still others say they were seven,
with the dog as eighth.
Say, “My Lord knows best
how many they were;
only a few actually know
about them.” So don’t argue
over them without tangible proof
nor consult any of these people
about them.
23Do not say about anything,
“I shall do it tomorrow,”
24without adding, “if God is willing.”°
If you forget, remember your Lord,
and say, “I hope my Lord guides me
closer to righteousness than this.”
25And they stayed in their cave
for three hundred years, some say,
while some figured nine more.°
26Say, “God knows best
how long they stayed.
His are the secrets of the heavens
and the earth—
how clearly He Sees,
how clearly He Hears.
They have no protector but Him,
He shares His judgment with none.”°
27Recite what was revealed to you
from the Book of your Lord—
there is no changing His words,
and you will find no refuge
beyond Him.
28Content yourself with
those who call on their Lord
morning and evening,
yearning for His Face;
and do not look beyond them,
yearning for the luster
of worldly life,
nor obey anyone whose heart
We have made heedless
of Our remembrance,
anyone who follows
his own desires, unbridled.
29And say, “The truth
is from your Lord,”
so let him who will, believe,
and let him who will, deny.
We have prepared a fire
for wrongdoers, whose walls
will enshroud them; and
should they cry for relief,
they will be relieved
with water like molten brass
searing their faces
—a damnable draught—
and an evil abode.°
30As for those who believe
and do good deeds—We shall not
overlook their reward.°
31They will have eternal gardens,
with rivers flowing beneath.
There they will be adorned
in bracelets of gold,
and they will wear
robes of green, of fine silk
and rich brocade;
they will recline there
on raised couches—
a blessèd reward,
an excellent home.
SECTION 3
32Coin for them a parable
of two men—for one of them
We made two vineyards,
bordering them with date palms;
and between them, We placed
fields of crops.
33Each of the two gardens
yielded its fruit, unfailing
in any respect.
And We made a river flow
between them.°
34So he had abundant fruit.
While talking with his companion,
he boasted, “I have more wealth
than you, and a greater following.”
35So he entered his garden
and wronged himself, saying,
“I do not think that this
will ever perish,
36“Nor do I think that the hour
will come; and even if I were
brought back to my Lord,
I would certainly find there
something better than this.”
37Talking with him, his companion
retorted, “Do you deny the One
Who created you from dust,
from a droplet of sperm,
then fashioned you into a man?
38“As for me,
He is God, my Lord,
and I set up no one as partner
with my Lord.
39“Why did you not say,
as you entered your garden,
‘As God wills’?° There is
no power except God.
Though you see that I have
less in wealth and children,
40“perhaps my Lord will grant me
something better than your garden,
and will send upon it
a reckoning from the sky,
turning it to sodden dust.
41“or its water might sink
beneath the ground so you
never find it.”
42And his fruit was beset with ruin,
and he began wringing his hands
over what he had invested in it—
it was collapsed on its trellises.
And he lamented, “If only
I had set up no other god
as partners with my Lord.”
43He had no company
to help him, besides God,
nor could he help himself.
44[In such crisis], protection
comes from God alone—the True.°
He grants the best in reward,
and the best outcome.
SECTION 4
45Coin for them a simile
of the life of this world—
it is like rain which We send
down from the sky,
which mixes with earth’s greenery,
which then becomes dry stubble,
which the winds disperse.
God alone is Capable
of all things.°
46The life of this world allures
with wealth and children,
but good works which endure
gain a better reward
from your Lord, and secure
a better hope.
47One day We shall displace
the mountains
and you will see the earth
as a leveled plain
and We shall gather
all humankind together,
leaving no one behind.
48They will be marshaled
before your Lord in ranks
and it will be said,
“You have come to Us
just as We created you
at first. Yet you supposed
We would not fulfill
Our promised meeting
with you.”
49The Book of their deeds
will be placed before them,
and you will see the sinners
in terror, on account of
what it holds. They will say,
“Alas for us, what a Book this is—
it leaves nothing, small or great,
out of its account.”
They will find presented there
all that they did. And your Lord
will wrong no one.
50When We said to the angels,
“Bow down before Adam,” they all
bowed down except Iblis.
He was one of the jinn,°
and he disobeyed the command
of his Lord. Will you then take him
and his progeny as protectors
instead of Me, though they
are your enemies?
What a wretched bargain
for wrongdoers!
51I did not make them
witness to the creation
of the heavens and the earth,
or their own creation.
I am not One to
take as aides of Mine
those who misguide.
52One day He will say,
“Call on the gods you claimed
to be My partners.”
And they will call on them,
but those gods will not answer;
and We shall place between them
a deathly chasm.
53Seeing the fire, the sinners
shall realize they are to fall into it—
they shall find no refuge from it.
54We have expounded in this Quran
parables of every kind for people;
but humankind is most contentious.°
55Once guidance has come to them,
what prevents people from
believing and seeking forgiveness
from their Lord except
that [they wait for] the fate
of their ancestors to visit them
or that their punishment
visit them face-to-face?
56We send the messengers
only to bring joyous news
and to warn people. But those
who refuse to believe dispute it,
using falsehood to impugn
the truth, even as they mock
My signs and warnings.
57And who does greater wrong
than one who is reminded
of the signs of his Lord,
yet turns away from them,
forgetting what his two hands
have done?° We have cast
mantles over their hearts
—so they will not grasp the Quran—
and deafness within their ears.
If you call them to guidance,
they will not be guided—ever.
58But your Lord is Forgiving,
Full of Mercy. If He took them
to account for what they earned,
he would hasten their punishment.
But they have their appointed time,
then they will find no refuge.
59These cities We destroyed
when they did wrong;
and We set an appointed time
for their desolation.
SECTION 5
60Moses said to his servant,
“I won’t stop until I reach
the convergence of the two seas,
even if I must go on
for many years.”
61But when they reached
the convergence of
the two seas,° they forgot
about their fish, which bore
its own course through the sea.
62When they journeyed farther,
Moses said to his servant,
“Bring our meal for us,
for this journey of ours
has tired us out.”
63The servant replied, “Did you see?
When we sheltered under the rock,
I forgot the fish—it was only Satan
who made me forget to mention it,
and it made its way
wondrously into the sea.”
64Moses said, “That is the place
we were seeking.” So they went back,
retracing their footsteps.
65And they came across
one of Our servants, on whom
We had bestowed Our Mercy,
and whom we had taught
from Our Knowledge.°
66Moses said to him,
“May I follow you,
so that you might teach me
what you have been taught
of right guidance?”
67The man said,
“Really, you will never be able
to bear with me patiently.
68“And how could you be patient
about something that’s beyond
your knowledge?”
69Moses said, “You’ll find
that I’m patient, if it is God’s wish,
and I won’t disobey you
in anything.”
70The man said, “If you
would follow me, then
don’t ask about anything
until I broach it
in my discourse with you.”
71So they both went on
and° when they embarked in the boat,
the man pierced a hole in it.
Moses demanded, “Did you bore this hole°
to drown the passengers?
What a strange thing to do!”
72He replied, “Did I not say that
you could not bear with me patiently?”
73Moses implored,
“Don’t take me to task for forgetting,
nor be hard on me by making my task
more difficult.”
74So they both went on
and when they met a youth,
the man killed him. Moses asked,
“How could you kill an innocent person
who had harmed no one?
What a terrible thing you’ve done!”
75He replied, “Did I not say that
you could not bear with me patiently?”
76Moses said, “If I question you
on any issue after this,
then spurn my company—
you’ve had [enough] excuse
[to part] from me.”
77So they both went on
and, when they came
to the people of a town,
they asked them for food,
but the people refused them
any welcome. They found there
a wall about to fall down,
but Moses’ companion
set it upright. Moses said,
“If you’d wanted, you could have
charged them for doing this.”
78He replied, “Here is where you
and I must part. Now let me tell you
the deeper meaning° of the things
you could not endure with patience.
79“The boat belonged to
needy people, who worked at sea.
I meant to disable it,
for behind them was a king
seizing every [usable] boat by force.
80“As for the youth, his parents
were both believers, and we feared
he would overwhelm them by
transgressing and disbelieving.
81“So we wished for their Lord to
bring them another son in his place,
purer and more affectionate.°
82“And the wall, well, it belonged
to two youths, orphans, in the city.
Beneath it was a buried treasure
which was theirs.
Their father was a righteous person,
so your Lord intended that
when they reached their maturity,
they should unearth their treasure,
a mercy from Him. So I did not
do this of my own accord. This
is the deeper meaning of the things
you could not endure with patience.”
SECTION 6
83They ask you, Prophet, about Dhu al-Qarnayn.°
Say, “I’ll recite to you a chronicle about him.”
84We established [his power]
on the earth, and We granted him
a path toward every end.
85He followed a certain path,
86and when he reached
the region of the setting sun
to find it setting in a muddy spring,
and found a community near it,
We said, “Dhu al-Qarnayn,
you can either punish them
or treat them well.”
87He said, “We shall punish
whoever does wrong, then
he shall be returned to his Lord,
Who will give him a punishment
even more terrible.
88“But those who believe
and do good deeds
shall have a fine reward,
and we will command them
to do what is easy for them.”
89Then he continued on the path,
90and, when he reached
the region of the rising sun,
he found it rising
on a community to whom
We had given no shelter from it.
91In this way, Our Knowledge
Encompassed everything about him.°
92Then he continued on the path,
93and, when he reached
a pass between two mountains,
he found, beside them, a community
that could scarcely grasp his speech.
94They said, “Dhu al-Qarnayn,
Gog and Magog are workers
of mischief in the land.°
If we paid you a tribute,
would you build a barrier
between us and them?”
95He replied,
“My Lord has empowered me
with something better;
but lend me some strong help,
and I will build a strong rampart
between you and them.
96“Bring me bars of iron.”
Then, when he had filled the chasm
between the two mountainsides,
he said, “Blow with your bellows,”
and when he had made it glow red as fire,
he said, “Bring me molten brass
to pour over it.”
97So Gog and Magog
were unable to scale the rampart
or tunnel through it.
98He said,
“This is a mercy from my Lord.
But when the promise
of my Lord comes to pass,
He will reduce the rampart
to level dust; and His promise
is always true.”
99On that day, We will leave them
surging against one another like waves.
The trumpet will sound, and
We shall gather them all together.
100And on that day We shall lay
hell itself, spread out wide,
before the unbelievers—
101those whose eyes
were veiled against
remembrance of Me,
those who could not hear.
102Do those who disbelieve
suppose they can take my servants
as protectors instead of Me?
We have prepared hell
for disbelievers as their home.
SECTION 7
103Prophet, say to them,
“Shall we inform you
of those whose deeds
will bring them the most loss,
104“those whose labors have
been wasted in the life of the world,
even as they supposed
they were doing good?
105“Those who deny
the signs of their Lord
and [their] meeting with Him—
their works shall be in vain,
and We will accord them
no weight on the day
of resurrection.”
106This will be their requital—
hell—for they disbelieved, mocking
My signs and My messengers.
107Those who believe
and do good deeds shall have
the gardens of paradise
as their home.
108They will abide there
forever, desiring no change.
109Say, “If the sea were ink
for the words of my Lord,
the sea would run dry
before the words, even if
We brought another sea just like it.”°
110Say, “I am but a human being
like you; it has been revealed to me
that your God is One God,
so let whoever yearns to meet Him
do good works, and join
none with Him in worship.”
 
 
SURA 19
Mary (Maryam)
A middle Meccan sura, this relates the birth of John and Jesus, highlighting their lives and missions as God’s ordained prophets. Its 98 verses provide both comparison and contrast with biblical narratives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Remarkably, it is the sole sura named after a woman, and Mary looms as the major female figure in the Quran, her central role in the divine plan extolled in vv. 16–33, and Jesus’ role as God’s servant, not His son, reinforced toward the end (vv. 88–95).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Kaf. Ha. Ya. ʿAin Sad.°
2This is a reminder
of your Lord’s mercy
toward His servant Zachariah,
3when he called to his Lord secretly,
4“My Lord, my bones are now frail,
and my hair is ablaze with gray,
yet never has my prayer to You,
my Lord, been in vain.
5“I fear what my kin will do after me,°
for my wife is barren.
So grant me an heir—through Your grace.
6“to bear my legacy°
as well as that of Jacob’s family;
and let him, my Lord, be well pleasing.”
7[God replied,]
“Zachariah, We give you
joyous news of a son,
whose name will be John,°
a name we gave to none before him.”
8“My Lord,° how can I have a son,
when my wife is barren
and I am withering with extreme age?”
9He replied, “These are the words
of Your Lord: ‘It is easy for Me.
I created you before°—
when you were nothing.’ ”
10Zachariah said,
“My Lord, give me a sign.”
“Your sign is this—
you will not speak to people
for three straight nights.”°
11So he ventured out to his people
from his sanctuary, urging them
by gestures,° to glorify God
morning and evening.
12“John,” We said,
“Hold firmly to the Book,”
and We endowed him
as a child with sound judgment,
13and with tenderness, and purity,
from Our grace.
He was mindful of God,
14solicitous of his parents, and
never imperious° or disobedient.
15Peace be with him
the day he was born,
the day he dies,
and the day
he will be raised alive.
SECTION 2
16And mention in the Book
the story of Mary,
when she withdrew from her people
to a place in the East.
17She veiled herself from them.
Then We sent Our spirit,
appearing to her
in the perfect form of a man.
18She said, “I seek refuge from you
with the All Merciful—withdraw°
if you fear Him.”
19He said, “I am just a messenger
from your Lord
Who grants you a pure son.”
20“How shall I have a son,” she said,
“for no man has touched me,
and I have not been unchaste?”
21He replied, “This is how it will be:
your Lord has said, ‘It is easy for Me;
We will make him a sign
for humankind, and a mercy from
Our grace. It is a thing ordained.’ ”
22So she conceived him,
and withdrew with him
to a place far away.
23And the pains of labor drove her
to the trunk of a date palm. She cried,
“I wish I had died before this,
forgotten, and unknown!”
24But a voice called to her
from beneath, “Don’t grieve—
your Lord has set a stream
underneath you.
25“Shake the trunk of the date palm
toward you, to make fresh, ripe dates
fall upon you.
26“So eat and drink; be comforted,
and if you see anyone, say,
‘I have vowed to the All Merciful
that I shall fast, and today
I shall speak with no one.’ ”
27Then she came, carrying him,
to her people. They said, “Mary,
you’ve done something scandalous.°
28“Sister of Aaron, your father
was not a wicked man,
nor was your mother unchaste.”
29Then she pointed to the child;°
they asked, “How can we talk
with a child in its cradle?”
30He said, “I am a servant of God;
He has given me the Book,
and has made me a prophet.
31“He blessed me
wherever I may be,
and enjoined upon me
prayer and charity
as long as I live.
32“He made me solicitous
toward my mother, and neither
imperious nor wretched.
33“Peace be with me
the day I was born,
the day I die,
and the day
I will be raised alive.”
34This was Jesus, son of Mary,
this is the true statement°—
about which they dispute.
35It is not for God to bear a child.
Glory be to Him: when He decrees
something, He merely says to it,
“Be”—and it is.
36God is my Lord and your Lord,
so worship Him—
this is the straight path.
37But the sects differed
among themselves; what anguish
will come to those who disbelieve
from the witnessing°
of a momentous day.
38How keenly they will hear,
how keenly they will see,
on the day they come to Us.
But today the wrongdoers
are clearly astray.
39Warn them of the day of remorse,
when things will finally be decided
while they are heedless,
and do not believe.
40It is We who will inherit the earth,
and all those upon it—
to Us they will be returned.
SECTION 3
41And mention in the Book
the story of Abraham—
he was a man of truth, a prophet.
42He said to his father,
“Father, why do you worship
what can neither hear nor see,
and cannot profit you at all?
43“Father, knowledge has come
to me which you do not have.°
So follow me—I will guide you
to an even path.
44“Father, do not worship Satan,
for Satan is disobedient
to the All Merciful.
45“Father, I fear that punishment
from the All Merciful will strike you
and you’ll become an ally of Satan.”
46His father replied,
“Do you turn away from my gods,
Abraham? If you don’t stop,
I shall stone you.
Now keep away from me!”
47Abraham said,
“Peace be with you; I shall ask
my Lord to forgive you, for He
has been Ever Gracious to me.
48“But I will turn away from you
and what you call upon besides God,
and I will call upon my Lord.
I trust that my prayer to my Lord
will not be in vain.”
49So when he turned away
from them and those they
worshipped besides God,
We granted him Isaac and Jacob
as sons, and We made
each of them a prophet.
50We granted Our mercy to them,
and gave them high renown for truth.°
SECTION 4
51And mention in the Book
the story of Moses—he was chosen,
a messenger, and a prophet.°
52We called him from the right slope
of Mount Sinai, and We drew him
close for private converse.
53And through Our Mercy
We granted him
his brother Aaron as a prophet.
54And mention in the Book
the story of Ishmael—
he was true to his promise,
a messenger, a prophet.
55He would always enjoin
his people to perform prayer
and charity, and he was always
pleasing to his Lord.
56And mention in the Book
the story of Idris°—
he was a man of truth, a prophet:
57And We raised him
to an exalted station.
58These were among the prophets
God favored, from Adam’s progeny,
whom We carried in Noah’s ark,
as well as from the descendants
of Abraham and Israel, and from those
whom We guided and chose.
When verses of the All Merciful
were recited to them, they would
fall, prostrating themselves, in tears.
59But there came after them
people who neglected prayer
and followed their own desires.
Soon, they will meet perdition.
60Except those who repent,
and believe, and do good deeds.
These will enter the garden
and will not be wronged
in any way—
61eternal gardens, which
the All Merciful has promised
to His servants, in the unseen.
His promise, inexorable,
shall come to pass.
62There, they will not hear
vain discourse—only “Peace.”
And there, they will be provided for,
morning and evening.
63This is the garden
We shall bequeath
to our servants
who were mindful of Us.
64[The angels say,]
“We descend only
by command of your Lord.
To Him belongs
what lies before us,
what lies behind us, and
what lies between.
Your Lord is never forgetful.
65“Lord of the heavens and earth,
and of all that lies between them—
so worship Him, be steadfast
in His worship. Do you know
any who is worthy of His name?”
SECTION 5
66Humans say, “Once dead,
shall we be brought to life?”
67But don’t humans recall
that We created them before,
when they were nothing?
68By your Lord, then,
We shall gather them,
and the devils, [dragging them]
around hell, on their knees.
69Then We shall drag out
from each sect those who
most stubbornly opposed
the All Merciful.
70For We know best
those who most deserve
to burn there.
71And there is not one of you
who will not come to it—
a decree from your Lord
destined to pass.
72But We shall deliver those
who were mindful of God,
and We shall leave
the wrongdoers there,
on their knees.
73When Our clear signs
are recited to them,
the unbelievers taunt those
who believe, “Which of our two
parties is in a better position,
and has superior companions?”
74Yet how many generations
before them have We destroyed—
who were grander in possessions
as well as in outward pomp?
75Say, “The Most Merciful prolongs
the straying of those who stray,
until they see the punishment
promised them, either here
or in the coming hour.
Then they will know
who is in the worse position
and is weaker in force.”
76God increases guidance
for those who would be guided.
Enduring good deeds
are the best rewards
in the eyes of your Lord,
and best in their recompense.
77Have you then seen
the person who denies Our signs,
yet says, “I shall certainly
be given wealth and children?”
78Has he fathomed the unseen,
or secured an agreement
with the All Merciful?
79No—We shall record
what he says, and We shall
prolong his punishment.
80We shall inherit
all that he talks of,
and he shall come
before Us alone.
81Yet they have taken
gods other than God
to empower them.
82However, those gods
will reject their worship,
and become their adversaries.
SECTION 6
83Do you not see—
We have sent devils
against the unbelievers,
inciting them to sin?
84So make no haste against them,
for We are but counting their term.°
85On the day We gather
the God-fearing to the All Merciful,
as an assembly,
86and drive the sinners to hell,
like thirsty cows [to water],
87none shall have power
of intercession, except
those who secure an agreement
with the All Merciful.
88They say, “The All Merciful
has conceived a child.”
89Assuredly, you speak
of something monstrous—
90at which the heavens might be
cleaved asunder, and the earth
burst into pieces, and the mountains
collapse in complete ruin—
91that they deem the All Merciful
to have a child,
92for it is not seemly
for the All Merciful
to conceive a child.
93There is none in the heavens
and earth who will not come
before the All Merciful
as a servant.
94He has taken account of each,
and counted them, every single one.
95And each one of them
will come before Him, alone,
on the day of resurrection.
96the All Merciful will bestow
love on those
who believed and did good works.
97We have made the Quran
easy, in your own tongue,
so that you might use it
to give joyous news
to those who fear God,
and warn a stubborn people.
98And how many generations
have we destroyed before them—
can you trace even one of them
or hear from them
even a whisper?
 
 
SURA 20
Ta Ha (Ta Ha)
Dating from the middle Meccan period, this is the first sura to take its name from the initial and perplexing letters that mark it, as they do twenty-eight other suras in the Quran. Its 135 verses begin with the story of Moses (vv. 9–99), then the account of Adam and Eve (the latter unnamed—vv. 115–24), and end with encouragement to Muhammad to endure, pray, be steadfast, watch, and wait (vv. 130–35).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Ta Ha.°
2We have not revealed
the Quran to you
to bring you distress,
3but rather as a reminder
to those who fear God,
4a revelation from the One
Who created the earth
and the exalted heavens,
5the All Merciful, firmly poised
upon the throne.
6To Him belongs
all that is in the heavens
and all that is on the earth,
all between them,
and all beneath the soil.
7[Whatever is in your heart]
whether you speak it aloud [or not],
He knows what is secret
and what is most hidden.
8God—there is no god but He.
To Him belong
the Most Beautiful Names.
9Have you heard the story of Moses?
10When he saw a fire,
he said to his family,
“Stay here. I glimpsed a fire—
perhaps I can bring you
a burning brand from it
or find some guidance there.”
11When he drew near,
he was called, “Moses,
12“I am your Lord,
so remove your sandals,
for you are in
the sacred valley of Tuwa.°
13“And I have chosen you—
so listen closely
to what is now revealed.
14“I am the One God—
there is no god but Me,
so worship Me, and
be steadfast in prayer,
remembering Me.
15“The hour is coming
—though I choose to conceal it—
so that every soul may receive
the reward of its endeavor.
16“So don’t let those
who disbelieve in its coming,
and follow their own desires,
divert you from it,
bringing you to ruin.
17“And what is this
in your right hand, Moses?”
18Moses replied, “This is my staff—
I lean on it, and with it
I beat down leaves for my sheep,
and I have other uses for it.”
19God said,
“Throw it down, Moses.”
20He threw it down, and see,
it became a snake, darting quickly.
21God said, “Take hold of it
and don’t be afraid—
We shall restore it to its former state.
22“And place your hand under your arm:
it will come out gleaming white, though
unharmed—another sign—
23“so that We might show you
some of our greatest signs.
24“Go now to Pharaoh,
for he has done wrong.”
SECTION 2
25Moses implored, “My Lord,
enlarge my heart,°
26“make my task easy for me,
27“and remove the slur in my speech,°
28“so that they understand my words,
29“and give me someone to help,
from my family,
30“my brother Aaron—
31“fortify my strength through him,
32“and let him share my task,
33“so that we may glorify You,
34“and remember you, constantly,
35“for You always Watch over us.”
36God said, “You are granted
your request, Moses.
37“Indeed, We bestowed on you
a favor once before,
38“when We inspired
your mother, saying,
39“ ‘Place the child in the chest,
then cast it into the river;
the river will cast it onto the bank.
He will be adopted by someone
who is an enemy to Me and you.’
But I cast over you My love,
so you would be reared
under My eye.
40“When your sister went out,
she said, ‘Shall I show you
someone who will nurse him?’
Then we returned you
to your mother, to let her eyes
rejoice and not grieve.
And you killed a man, but
We delivered you from any distress,
and We tried you with other tests.
Then you stayed some years
with the people of Midian, and
came at the ordained hour, Moses.°
41“For I have chosen you
to serve Me.
42“Go, you and your brother,
with My signs, and do not relent
in your remembrance of Me.
43“Go, both of you, to Pharaoh,
for he has done wrong.
44“But speak mildly with him,
so he might take heed
or be filled with fear [of God].
45Moses and Aaron said,
“Our Lord, we’re afraid that
he’ll be harsh with us or
transgress [still more].”
46God said, “Don’t be afraid.
I am with you both—
I see and hear [all things].
47“So go to him, both of you,
and say, ‘We are messengers
from your Lord, so send with us
the children of Israel and do not
harass them. We come
with a sign from your Lord.
Peace be upon all who
follow right guidance.
48“ ‘It has been revealed to us
that punishment shall fall upon
those who deny and turn away.’ ”
49[Having heard this],
Pharaoh said, “So, Moses,
who is the Lord of you both?”
50He replied, “Our Lord is He
Who gave each thing its form
and guided it.”
51Pharaoh said, “What, then,
[is the status] of former generations?”
52Moses answered, “The knowledge
of that is with my Lord, recorded
in a Book. My Lord does not err,
nor does He forget.”
53It is He who made for you
the earth, spread out like a couch,
and laid out for you paths to travel,
and sent rain from the sky, with which
We have brought forth plants,
in pairs, of distinct kinds,
54so eat, and graze your cattle.
In this are signs for those
with understanding.
SECTION 3
55We created you from the earth,
and to it We shall return you,
and from it We shall bring you again
in another time.
56We showed all Our signs
to Pharaoh, but he denied
and refused them.
57He said, “Have you come
to drive us out of our land
with your magic, Moses?
58“We can certainly bring magic
like this to you: arrange a meeting
between us and you, which
neither we nor you shall fail
to honor, in a neutral place.”
59Moses said, “You shall have
your meeting—on the day
of the festival. And let the people
be assembled when the sun is high.”
60So Pharaoh withdrew.
He put together his plan,
and came back.
61Moses said to him,
“Beware—do not forge
a lie about God, or
He might destroy you with
a severe punishment.
For whoever forges lies
will surely fail.”
62So Pharaoh’s ministers
discussed the matter
among themselves, but
kept their discussion secret.
63They said, “These two
are sorcerers, who intend
to drive you from your land
with their sorcery, and to abolish
your exemplary way of life.
64“So devise your plan
then draw up in a line.
Whoever wins today
is sure to flourish.”
65They said, “Moses,
shall you throw, or shall we
be the first to throw?”
66“No, you throw,” said Moses,
and suddenly—through their magic,
their ropes and their staffs
seemed to him to be moving.
67And Moses felt fear
within himself.
68We told him, “Have no fear,
it is you who will prevail.
69“Throw what’s in your right hand:
it will swallow up what they have
contrived—merely a magician’s trick,
and no magician can flourish,
no matter where he goes.”
70Then the magicians threw
themselves down, prostrating,°
saying, “We believe in the Lord
of Aaron and Moses.”
71Pharaoh bellowed,
“You believed in Him
before I gave you permission!
He must be your leader,
teaching you magic.
I will have your hands and feet
cut off, on opposite sides,
and have you crucified
on the trunks of palm trees,
so that you will know for sure
which of us gives more severe
and lasting punishment.”
72They said, “We shall never
choose you over the clear proofs
that have come to us or the One
Who created us. So decree
as you will—you decree only
for the life of this world.
73“We believe in our Lord,
Who may forgive us our faults
and the magic you made us perform;
for God is more worthy and lasting.”
74Those who come to their Lord
as sinners shall attain hell
where they shall find
neither death nor life.
75But those who come
to Him as believers,
with righteous deeds,
shall attain exalted stations—
76eternal gardens, beneath which
rivers flow, where they shall
live forever—the reward
of those who attain purity.
SECTION 4
77We inspired Moses, saying,
“Travel by night with my servants
and break open a dry path for them
through the sea; have no fear
of being overtaken, nor be afraid.”
78Then Pharaoh pursued them
with his forces, but the sea
overwhelmed and covered them.
79So Pharaoh led his people astray
instead of guiding them.
80Children of Israel,
We delivered you from your enemy,
and We made a covenant with you
on the right slope of Mount Sinai,
and We sent down to you
manna and quail,
81saying, “Eat of the good things
We have provided for you,
but do not transgress in this, or
My Wrath may descend upon you.
Anyone on whom My Wrath descends
is undoubtedly fallen.
82“Yet I am Forgiving—
of those who turn in repentance
and believe and do righteous deeds,
then stay rightly guided.”
83[When Moses was on the mountain,
God said,] “What made you
hasten from your people, Moses?”
84He replied, “They were close
upon my heels—and I hastened
to You, My Lord, to please You.”
85God said, “We tested your people
after you were gone,
but the Samiri has led them astray.”°
86So Moses returned to his people
indignant and aggrieved. He said,
“My people, did your Lord not
make you a splendid promise?
Did the promise seem long
in coming, or did you want
your Lord’s wrath to descend
upon you, since you broke
your promise to me?”
87They said, “We didn’t break
our promise to you of our own accord,
but we were made to carry
the people’s ornaments,°
so we threw them [into the fire],
just as the Samiri did.”
88Then he brought out for them
the image of a calf, which seemed
to make a lowing sound,
so they said, “This is your god,
and the god of Moses,
though he has forgotten.”
89Didn’t they see that it
could not answer them a word,
and had no power either
to harm or profit them?
SECTION 5
90In fact, Aaron had said
to them earlier, “My people,
you are being tested by this, for
your true Lord is the All Merciful,
so follow me, obey my command.”
91And they had retorted,
“We’ll never cease our devotion to it
unless Moses returns to us.”
92Moses asked,
“Aaron, when you saw
they were going astray
what stopped you
93“from following me? Did you
disobey my command?”
94Aaron replied,
“Son of my mother, don’t seize me
by my beard or by my hair.
For I feared that you might say,
‘You have sparked division
among the children of Israel,
and have not respected my word.’ ”
95Moses said, “What, then,
do you have to say, Samiri?”
96He replied, “I saw something in it
that they did not. So I took
a handful of dust from
the messenger’s footprint,
and I threw it [onto the calf].
This is what my soul prompted me to do.”
97Moses said, “Be gone from here.
In all this life you’ll be doomed
to say ‘Do not touch me,’ but
for you there is a promise that
will not fail—look upon your god
to which you’re still devoted.
We will burn it and scatter
its ashes into the sea.”
98Your only god is the One God—
there is no god but Him,
Who embraces all things
in His knowing.
99In this way, We relate to you, Prophet,
the narratives of what came before—
We send a reminder from Our grace.°
100Whoever turns away from it
shall bear a heavy burden
on the day of resurrection,
101remaining under it. How wretched
shall be their burden
on the day of resurrection—
102A day when the trumpet
shall be sounded; a day when
We shall gather the sinners,
blinded, eyes blue with fear,°
103murmuring among themselves,
“You stayed but ten days on earth.”
104We know best what they say,
for those of them who are exemplary
in conduct will say, “You didn’t stay
more than a single day.”°
SECTION 6
105They ask you about the mountains.
Say, “My Lord
shall blast them into fragments.
106“He will leave them leveled as a plain.
107“You shall see there neither peak nor vale.”°
108On that day, they will follow
the caller without deviating.
All voices shall be hushed
before the All Merciful—
you shall hear nothing
but the faintest murmur.
109On that day, no intercession
can help, except from those
allowed by the All Merciful,
whose words please Him.
110He knows what lies behind them
and what lies ahead of them, but
their knowing cannot compass Him.°
111All faces shall be humbled before Him,
the Ever Living, Self-Subsisting;°
those who bear the weight of wrongdoing
shall be in despair.
112But those who have done
righteous deeds and are true believers
shall fear no wrong, nor
be deprived of their due.
113We have revealed a Quran
in Arabic, where We gave varied warnings
to make them mindful of God, or
move them to remembrance of Him.
114Exalted is God, the true King.
And Prophet, don’t be overhasty
reciting the Quran before [each]
revelation to you is completed.
Rather, say, “My Lord,
increase my knowledge.”
115We made a covenant with Adam
in an earlier time, but he forgot;
and We found in him no firm resolve.
SECTION 7
116When We said to the angels,
“Bow down before Adam,” they
bowed. But not Iblis—he refused.
117Then We said, “Adam,
this is an enemy to you
and your wife—so don’t let him
drive you from the garden
and bring you to misery.
118“There is enough in it for you
to be neither hungry, nor naked,
119“nor suffer from thirst,
nor the sun’s heat.”
120But Satan whispered to him,
“Adam, shall I lead you to
the tree of eternal life,
and a kingdom beyond aging?”
121Then they both ate of it, and
their shame was exposed to them.
They began to fasten leaves
from the garden to cover themselves.
In this way, Adam disobeyed
his Lord, and fell into error.
122Later, though, his Lord chose him,
turning to him, and guiding him.
123[At that time], God said, “Go down,
both of you, from the garden,
as enemies to each other. But if
My guidance comes to you, whoever
follows it shall not go astray
nor be brought to misery.
124“But whoever turns away
from My remembrance
shall find a straitened existence,
and We shall raise him up
blind on the day of resurrection.”
125He will say, “My Lord,
why did you raise me up blind,
when I possessed sight before?”
126God will say,
“Just as you forgot Our signs
when they came to you,
so this day
you shall be forgotten.”
127And so We recompense
whoever transgresses, who does not
believe in the signs of their Lord—
and the punishment of the hereafter
is sterner and more lasting.
128Is it not a lesson to them
that We destroyed before them
generations through whose dwellings
they now walk? In this
are signs for people of intellect.
SECTION 8
129Were it not for a decree already
fixed° by your Lord, and a term ordained,
their end would surely have come.
130So, Prophet, bear with what
they say, and glorify your Lord
with praise, before the sun’s rising
and before its setting. Glorify Him
during the hours of night,
and at each end of the day,
that you may find contentment.
131And do not strain your eyes
toward the things We have granted
some of them to enjoy, the splendor
of the life of this world—
that We might test them by these.
For the provision of your Lord
is worthier and more lasting.
132Enjoin your family to pray
and to be steadfast in this.
We do not ask you for sustenance—
It is We Who sustain you.
And the best outcome shall be
for those who are mindful of God.
133But they say, “Why does he not
bring us a sign from his Lord?”
Has not a clear sign come to them
in the earlier scriptures?
134But if We had destroyed them
by a punishment before this,
they would have cried, “Our Lord,
why did you not send a messenger
to us? Then we should have
followed your signs before we were
humbled and disgraced.”
135Say, “Each of us is waiting,
therefore, [watch and] wait—
and you shall know
who has adhered to the level path
and who is rightly guided.”
 
 
SURA 21
The Prophets (Al-Anbiyaʾ)
A late Meccan sura, the full roll call of prophets—from Adam to Muhammad—is the focus of its 112 verses. Muhammad becomes the emblematic representative of all prophets with the command “Say” in vv. 4 and 112. After reiterating the Oneness of God, followed by signs of His Power and Providence, the sura cites several prophets, ending with a reference to Mary (vv. 91–94). She is not otherwise heralded as a prophet, although elsewhere (23:50–51) she and Jesus are described as “a sign for all peoples” (v. 91).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1The reckoning of humankind
draws near—yet they remain
heedless, turning away.
2No new message comes to them
from their Lord, without
their listening to it frivolously,
3their hearts distracted.
The wrongdoers hide
their secret murmurings,
“Isn’t this just a human like you?
Would you fall for this sorcery
happening right before your eyes?”
4Say,° “My Lord knows
whatever is spoken
in the heavens and the earth,
for He is All Hearing, All Knowing.”
5They say, “Confused dreams!”
or “He’s making it up,”
or “He’s just a poet!—
Let him bring us a sign
like those sent to peoples of old.”
6The towns We destroyed before them
did not believe. Will they now believe?
7Before you, Prophet, We sent
only men whom We inspired.
You who disbelieve, ask those who
have the message, if you don’t know.
8And We did not give them
bodies that needed no food,
nor were they immortal.
9In the end We fulfilled
Our promise to them,
and saved them with those
We wished to save,
and We destroyed those
who transgressed.
10We have revealed to you
a Book to remind you—
will you not, then, use reason?
SECTION 2
11How many towns We demolished
on account of their wrongdoing,
raising other peoples after them!
12Then, when they sensed Our wrath
coming upon them, see how they fled!
13They were told,
“Don’t flee, but go back
to the comforts you enjoyed
and to your homes, so that
you might be questioned.”
14They said, “Shame on us!
We were wrongdoers.”
15And their cry did not stop
until We turned them into crops,
lopped and burned to ashes.
16We did not create
the heavens and earth
—and all that lies between—
for mere amusement.
17Had We wanted distraction,
We could have found it within Us,
were We so inclined.
18No—We hurl the truth
against falsehood, shattering
its head. See—it vanishes.
And shame on you for what
you ascribe to God.
19To Him belong all who are
in the heavens and the earth,
and those in His presence°
are not too proud to worship Him,
nor do they grow weary.
20They glorify Him
night and day, tirelessly.
21Have they adopted for worship
gods from the earth?
Can these bring back the dead?
22If there were other gods beyond
the One God, in both [the heavens
and the earth], both would be in ruin.
Glory be to God, Lord of the Throne,
far above all that they ascribe to Him.
23He cannot be questioned
for anything He does—
it is they who will be questioned.
24Have they adopted other gods
besides Him? Say, “Bring your proof.
This is the message for those
with me and those before me.”
But most of them don’t know
the truth—they turn away.
25Before you, Prophet,
We sent no messenger
without revealing to him
the truth that there is no god
but Me—so worship only Me.
26They say, “The All Merciful
has begotten a child.”
Glory be to Him—those
are only His honored servants.”°
27They do not speak before He does,
and act only on His command.
28He knows what lies before them,
and what lies behind them;
they can intercede only for those
He approves, for they themselves
stand in awe, in fear of Him.°
29If any of them should claim,
“I am a god besides Him,”
We shall reward them with hell.
That is how We reward wrongdoers.
SECTION 3
30Don’t the unbelievers know
that the heavens and the earth
were joined together
before We divided them?
And We made from water
every living thing.
Will they still not believe?
31We have set upon the earth
firm mountains, to stop it quaking
beneath them, and We have
placed on it wide highways,
so they might find their way.
32And We raised the sky,
a secure canopy, yet still
they turn away from Our signs.
33It is He who created
night and day, sun and moon,
each sailing in its own orbit.°
34We have not granted immortality
to any human before you, Prophet.
If even you are destined to die,
can the disbelievers be immortal?
35Every soul shall taste death;
We test you by evil and good—a trial;
to Us you shall be returned.
36When the unbelievers see you,
they just sneer at you, “Is this the one
who talks about your gods?”
They shun any remembrance
of the All Merciful.
37Humankind was created hasty by nature.
Soon I shall show you My signs,
so don’t ask Me to hasten their coming.
38They demand of you,
“When will this promise be realized,
if you are speaking the truth?”
39If only the unbelievers knew
about the time to come, when,
unable to fend off the fire
from their faces or their backs,
they shall find no help.
40No—the hour will fall upon them
suddenly, confounding them;
unable to hold it back,
they shall find no respite.
41Messengers before you were mocked,
but those who scoffed were besieged
by [the very wrath] they used to mock.
SECTION 4
42Say, “Who can protect you
during the night and the day
from the All Merciful?”
But no—they turn away
from all remembrance of their Lord.
43Do they have gods who can
defend them against Us?
Those gods cannot help themselves,
nor can they be protected from Us.
44We let these men and their fathers
enjoy comforts through a long life.
But don’t they see
how We came upon their land,
to scale back its borders?
Can they then prevail?
45Say, “I am merely warning you
according to the revelation.”
But the deaf will not hear the call
even when they are warned.
46Yet if the mere scent of punishment
reached them from your Lord,
they would cry out, “Shame on us—
we really were wrongdoers.”
47We shall set up a just balance
on the day of resurrection, so that
no soul shall be wronged at all;
and We shall bring into account
even the weight of a mustard seed,
for We are proficient in Reckoning.°
48We gave Moses and Aaron
the criterion of judgment,
a light and a reminder
for those who are mindful of God—
49those who fear their Lord
in the unseen, and hold in awe
the impending hour.
50This Quran that We revealed
is a blessèd reminder—
will you, then, reject it?
51In earlier days, We made Abraham
righteous, knowing him well.
52When he asked his father
and people, “What are these images
to which you’re devoted?”
53They answered, “We found
our ancestors worshipping them.”
54He exclaimed,
“You and your forefathers
have clearly gone astray.”
55They retorted,
“Have you brought us the truth,
or are you joking?”
56He said, “No. Your Lord
is the Lord of the heavens and earth;
it is He Who made them,
and I bear witness to this.
57“And by God, I’m planning
something for your idols,
once you’ve turned your backs!”
58Then he smashed them to pieces,
all except the biggest one—
so that they might come back to it.
59They fumed, “Who has done this
to our gods? Some wrongdoer!”
60People said, “We heard a youth
called Abraham, ranting about them.”
61They urged, “Bring him here, then,
before the eyes of the people,
so they can see for themselves.”
62And they asked, “Was it you
who did this to our gods, Abraham?”
63He answered, “No. It was done
by this one, the biggest of your idols.
Ask the idols—if they can speak.”
64They turned upon
one another,° saying,
“It’s you who are in the wrong!”
65Then they turned about:°
“You know full well
these idols can’t speak.”
66Abraham said, “So, you worship
—instead of God—things that can
neither profit nor harm you?
67“Shame on you and those
you worship instead of God!
Won’t you use reason?”
68They said, “Burn him,
and uphold your gods,
if you want to do something.”°
69We said, “Fire, be cold,
and keep Abraham safe!”
70Then they aimed
to plot against him,
but We made them
the ultimate losers.
71We delivered him and Lot
to the land We blessed
for all peoples.
72We also gave him Isaac and Jacob,
and We made all of them righteous.
73We made them leaders,
to guide people by Our command,
and inspired them to do good deeds,
be steadfast in prayer,
and give in due charity—
they were Our true servants.
74We endowed Lot
with wisdom and knowledge,
and We saved him from the town
that practiced abominations—
they were a wicked,
disobedient people.
75We received him into Our mercy,
for he was one of the righteous.
SECTION 5
76When Noah cried out to Us,
in earlier days, We answered him,
saving him and his family
from the great calamity.
77We helped him against a people
who denied Our signs.
They were a wicked people,
so We drowned them all.
78When David and Solomon
passed judgment concerning a field
into which the sheep of certain people
had strayed by night, We witnessed
their judgment in the matter,
79and gave Solomon
a sound grasp of it,
though We gave to both of them
shrewd judgment and knowledge.
We made the mountains and birds
echo Our glory, along with David.
It was We Who brought about
all these things.
80It was We Who taught him
how to make coats of mail,
to protect you in warfare:
will you, then, give thanks?
81And [We subdued] the wind
to Solomon, so that it flew
by his command to the land
which We had blessed—
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 not restrain some people
by means of others, then monasteries,
churches, synagogues, and mosques
—where the name of God
is remembered often—would be torn down.
God will help those who help His cause,
for God is Supremely Strong, Almighty;
41those who, once We settle them in the land,
are steadfast in prayer, give in charity,
enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong.
With God rests the outcome of all things.
42Prophet, if they deny you,
know that before them
the people of Noah, ʿAd,
and Thamud denied them,
43as did the people
of Abraham and Lot,
44and those of Midian.
Even Moses was denied.
I granted respite
to the unbelievers for a while,
and then I seized them—
how dire was My punishment!
45How many towns did We destroy,
as they fell into wrongdoing?
Their walls fell down with their roofs.
How many wells lie deserted,
how many proud palaces?°
46Have they not journeyed
through the land
with hearts to reason,
and ears to hear?
It is not their eyes that are blind,
but the hearts within their breasts.
47Taunting, they ask you to hasten
the punishment. But God will not fail
in His promise. A day for God is like
a thousand years in your counting.°
48How many were the towns
to which I granted respite,
which fell into wrongdoing?
Afterward, I seized them;
their final destination is to Me.
SECTION 7
49Say to them, “People, I am here
only to give you clear warning:
50“Those who believe
and do good deeds
shall find forgiveness
and rich provision.
51“But those who strive
against Our signs,
vainly opposing [Our might]—
they shall be inmates
of hellfire.”
52We never sent a messenger
or prophet, who aspired [high]
without Satan infusing [doubt]
into his aspiration. But God removes
what Satan infuses, and He
reinforces His signs, for God
is All Knowing, All Wise.
53[God does this] to make
what Satan infuses a trial
for those whose hearts are sick,
and those whose hearts are hardened
—the wrongdoers are mired
in deep resistance to truth—
54and so that those given knowledge
might know that the Quran
is the truth from your Lord,
and believe in it, humbly submitting
their hearts to Him.
For God Guides those who believe
to the straight path.
55But those who disbelieve
won’t cease to doubt it, until
the hour falls upon them suddenly,
or the torment of a day of desolation.
56Dominion on that day
shall belong to God, and
He shall judge between them.
Those who believed
and did good deeds
shall find themselves
in gardens of bliss,
57while those who disbelieved
and denied Our signs
shall face disgracing torment.
SECTION 8
58God shall give a fine provision
to those who leave their homes
in the cause of God,
and are then killed or die—
He is the Best Provider.°
59He will bring them into a place
most pleasing to them,
for God is All Knowing, Forbearing.
60So it will be. If someone requites
a wrong in like measure, and is
wronged again, God will help them—
He is Pardoning, Forgiving.
61So it will be. For God
fades night into day
and day into night. God
is All Hearing, All Seeing.
62So it will be. For God is Reality,
and those they call on besides Him
are illusion. And God is Most High,
the Most Great.
63Do you not see how God
sends down rain from the sky,
and the earth turns green.
God is Most Subtle, All Aware.
64To Him belongs
all that is the heavens
and all that is on the earth.
He is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.
SECTION 9
65Do you not see that God
has subdued to your use
all that is on the earth
and the ships that sail the sea
by His command? That He
prevents the sky from falling
onto the earth, without His leave?
God is Most Kind, Ever Merciful
toward humankind.
66It is He Who gave you life,
will make you die, and give you life
again. Yet humankind is ungrateful.
67We have assigned rites of worship
for every people to perform, so
don’t let them dispute this with you,
Prophet, but call them to your Lord,
for you are guided on a straight path.
68If they should dispute with you,
say, “God knows best what you do.
69“God will judge between you
on the day of resurrection
concerning the things
over which you dispute.”
70Do you not know that God knows
all that is in the heavens and earth?
All this is inscribed in a record—
and this is easy for God.
71Yet they worship, instead of God,
things for which no sanction
has been revealed to them,
things they have no knowledge of;
and there will be none to help
those who do wrong.
72When Our clear verses are recited
to them, you’ll observe recalcitrance
on the faces of those who disbelieve—
they would almost do violence
to those who recite our verses to them.
Say, “Shall I tell you of something
worse than [your anger]?
The fire of hell—which God has
promised for those who disbelieve—
an evil destination.”
SECTION 10
73People, here is a parable, so hear it
with due care: those you invoke
besides God could not create a fly—
though they all combined in trying.
And if the fly snatched something
from them, they couldn’t take it back.
How feeble are those who seek
and those who are sought.
74They fail to assess God
in His true measure—for God
is Supremely Strong, Almighty.
75God chooses messengers
from angels and humans,
for God is All Hearing, All Seeing.
76He knows what lies before them
and what lies behind them;
and all issues return to Him
for resolution.
77You who believe, bow down,
prostrate yourselves,
worship your Lord, and do good,
that you might flourish.
78And strive for God
with due effort. He has chosen you,
and imposed upon you
no hardship in religion.
It is the creed of Abraham.
God named you as those
who submit [to His will],° both
before and in this [Book], so that
the messenger might be a witness
for you, and you for humankind.
Be steadfast, then, in prayer,
give in charity, and hold fast to God,
for He is your Protector—
the Supreme Protector,
the Supreme Helper.
 
 
SURA 23
The Believers (Al-Muʾminun)
Late Meccan, this sura of 118 verses underscores the benefit of faith for true believers, invoked in v. 1 and addressed throughout. Instances of God’s power and protection abound (vv. 12–22) and the role of messengers is extolled, including Jesus (vv. 50–51) while the certainty of resurrection is marked by a barrier (barzakh, v. 100), evident for all to see on the Last Day (vv. 101–15).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1The true believers shall succeed,
2those who pray humbly,
3who turn away from idle speech,
4who perform deeds of charity,
5and preserve their chastity,
6except with their spouses or servants,
for then they are not blameworthy.
7But those who seek to exceed
these limits are transgressors.
8Those who observe
their covenants and trusts,
9who preserve their practice of prayer—
10shall be the heirs
11who inherit the highest paradise,
living there through eternity.
12We created humankind
from a substance of clay,
13which We lodged as a drop [of sperm]
within a secure, stable home.
14We turned the sperm drop
into a clot, and the clot
into an embryonic mass;
We turned the mass into bones,
clothing the bones with flesh,
to produce from this
a new being.° Blessed be God,
the Most Excellent of Creators.
15After this, you will die,
16and be raised up again
on the day of resurrection.
17We created seven spheres above you,°
never heedless of Our creation.
18We sent down water from the sky
in due measure, and caused it
to soak the earth. Yet We always
have the Power to withdraw it.
19We use it to grow gardens for you
of date palms and grapevines,
yielding abundant fruit for you to eat,
20and a tree springing from Mount Sinai,°
yielding oil and relish for your food.
21There is a lesson for you
in the example of livestock—
from their bellies We give you milk
to drink, and they have many uses
for you; you also feed on them,°
22and you are carried
on them, as you are in ships.
SECTION 2
23We sent Noah to his people.
He said, “My people, worship God.
you have no god other than Him,
so will you not be mindful of Him?”
24The chiefs of the unbelievers
among his people retorted,
“This is but a human, like you,
wanting to show that he is
superior to you. If God had willed it,
He could have sent angels.
We never heard such talk as this
among our ancestors of old.
25“He’s merely a madman,
so let’s wait for a while
[to see what might happen].”
26Noah pleaded, “My Lord, help me,
for they accuse me of lying.”
27So We inspired him,
“Build the ark, under Our gaze
and Our inspiration. Then,
when Our command comes,
and the springs of the earth gush out,
take on board a pair of every species
and your family, except those
already sentenced.
Do not plead with Me
for the wrongdoers—
they will be drowned.
28“And when you and your crew
have embarked on the ark, say,
‘All praise be to God, Who saved us
from a people who do wrong.’
29“And say, ‘My Lord, let me
disembark in a blessèd harbor,
for You bestow the best of harbors.’ ”
30In this are signs—for We have always
put human beings through trials.
31After them We raised
another generation.
32And We sent a messenger to them,
one of their own, who urged,
“Worship God, you have no god
but Him—so will you not
be mindful of Him?”
SECTION 3
33But the chiefs of those
who disbelieved among his people
—who denied the meeting with God
in the hereafter, and to whom
We had granted the luxuries
of the life of this world—
said to them, “This prophet
is but a human like you.
He eats what you eat,
and drinks what you drink.
34“And if you obey a mere human
like yourselves, you will lose out.
35“Does he promise that when you die,
and are nothing but dust and bones,
you’ll be raised up once more?
36“What you’re promised
is far, far-fetched.
37“There’s nothing beyond
our life in this world.
We die and we live—
but we shall never
be raised up again.
38“He’s just a man who invents
a lie about God,
and we don’t believe him.”
39The prophet said,
“My Lord, help me,
for they accuse me of lying.”
40God replied, “Soon, they will
begin to feel remorse.”
41Then the blast struck them,
and We reduced them to debris
of dead leaves. Away, then,
with a people who do wrong!
42After them, We raised
other generations.
43No community can hasten
its term, nor delay it.
44We sent Our messengers, in turn.
Every time a people’s messenger
came to them, they denied him.
So We made them follow one another,
and We made them an example—
a tale of warning. Away, then,
with a people who will not believe!
45Then We sent Moses
and his brother Aaron,
with Our signs,
with clear authority
46to Pharaoh and his chiefs,
but they were proud, arrogant people.
47They said, “Shall we believe
in two men like ourselves,
whose people merely serve us?”
48So they accused them of lying
but they were themselves destroyed.
49And We gave Moses the Book
so that his people might be guided.
50We made the son of Mary
and his mother a sign for humankind,
and We gave them shelter
on a serene hill, with a flowing spring.
SECTION 4
51“Messengers, eat food
that is wholesome and good,
and do good works,
for I Know all that you do.
52“This community of yours
is one community,
and I am your Lord,
so be mindful of Me.”
53But they split up their religion,
among themselves, into sects,
each faction happy with its own beliefs.°
54So leave them,
in their confusion,
for a while.
55Do they think that, because
We gave them wealth and sons,
56We will hasten to grant them
all good things?
No—but they don’t know it.
57Those who live in awe,
fearing their Lord,
58those who believe
in the signs of their Lord,
59those who don’t join
other gods with their Lord,
60and those who give in charity
with hearts trembling, knowing
they will return to their Lord°—
61they are the ones who hasten
to do good deeds, foremost in this.
62We never burden any soul
beyond its capacity.
And We have before Us a Book
that speaks the truth,
so they shall never be wronged.
63But the hearts of disbelievers
are confused over this,
they perform other [evil] deeds—
64until We seize and punish
those among them mired in wealth;
then they will cry out for help.
65But they will be told,
“Don’t cry for help—
you shall never get help from Us.
66“Whenever My signs
were recited to you, you would
turn back, on your heels,
67“conversing by night, in your pride,
indulging in idle jokes about the Book.”
68Do they not ponder over the Word?
Has something new come to them
that never came to their ancestors?
69Or is it that they don’t recognize
their messenger, and so deny him?
70Or do they say, “He’s possessed”?
No. He has brought them the truth,
but most of them hate the truth.
71If the truth had complied
with their desire,
then the heavens, the earth,
and all within them
would be in ruins.
We gave them their reminder,
yet they turn away from it.
72Prophet, do you ask of them
any recompense? The recompense
of your Lord is better—
He is the Best of Providers.
73Though you call them
to a straight path,
74those who don’t believe
in the hereafter
veer from that path.
75Even if We showed mercy to them
and removed their distress,
they would keep transgressing
wandering blindly around.
76We seized and punished them,
yet still they would not submit
to their Lord, nor will they
humble themselves
77until We open for them
a door to severe torment—
then they’ll be in despair.
SECTION 5
78It is He Who engendered in you
hearing, and sight, and feeling—
but seldom are you grateful.
79It is He Who multiplied you
through the earth, and to Him
you shall be gathered.
80It is He Who gives life and death,
and rules the cycle of night and day—
Will you not, then, use reason?
81No—like ancient peoples, they say,
82“What? Once we’re dead,
and turned to dust and bones,
will we be raised up again?
83“Such promises were made before
to us and our ancestors—they are
nothing but tales of the ancients.”
84Say, “To whom
does the earth belong,
and all those upon it—
if you truly know?”
85They will answer, “To God.”
Say, “Then will you not take heed?”
86Say, “Who is Lord
of the seven heavens,
and Lord of the mighty throne?”
87They will say, “God.”
Say, “Will you not, then,
be filled with awe?”
88Say, “In whose hand
lies the dominion of all things,
Who protects all,
Who is the One against Whom
there is no protection—
say, if you know?”
89They will reply, “God.”
Say, “Why, then, are you deluded?”
90We did bring them the truth,
but they are lying.
91Nor did God beget a child,
for there is no god besides Him—
else each god would take
what he had created
and some would overpower others.
May God be glorified above
what they ascribe to Him!
92Knower of the unseen
and the seen, may He be exalted
above the gods they join with Him.
SECTION 6
93Say, “My Lord, if you
must show me° what [torment]
they are promised,
94then do not, my Lord, place me
among the wrongdoers.”
95We are quite Able to show you
the torment We have promised them.
96Repel whatever is wicked
with whatever is most excellent;
We know best
what they ascribe to Us.
97And say, “My Lord,
I seek refuge with you
against the devils’ promptings,
98“and I seek refuge with you,
my Lord, should they be near me.”
99And when death comes
to any of them, they plead,
“My Lord, send me back
100“so I can do the good deeds
I left undone.” Never.
These are mere words they speak.
Behind such people shall remain
a barrier—until the day they are raised.
101On the day the trumpet sounds
all bonds between them will be gone,
and none will ask about another.
102Those whose balance is heavy
—they shall flourish.
103But those whose balance is light—
they shall have lost their souls,
and they shall stay in hell forever.
104The fire will burn their faces,
grimacing with twisted lips.
105“Were my verses not recited
to you—which you kept denying?”
106They will say, “Our Lord,
our perversity overcame us, and
we were a people gone astray.
107“Our Lord, take us out of here,
and if we relapse,
we’ll indeed be wrongdoers.”
108He will say, “Stay there,
and do not address Me.
109“When a group of My servants
would pray, ‘Our Lord, we believe,
so forgive us, and show us mercy,
for You are the Most Merciful of all,’°
110“you mocked them—
so much so, that you forgot
to remember Me
as you laughed at them.
111“This day I have rewarded them
for their patience—and they
are the ones who will triumph.”
112He will say, “How many years
did you stay on the earth?”
113They will answer, “We stayed
a mere day or part of a day—but ask
those who are tasked with reckoning.”
114He will say, “You stayed only
a short while—if only you knew.
115“Did you think
We created you in vain,
and that you would not
be brought back to Us?”
116Exalted be God, the true King—
there is no god but Him,
Lord of the glorious throne.
117Whoever calls on any god
beyond the One God
—for which they have no proof—
shall face their reckoning
with their Lord.
The disbelievers shall never flourish.
118Say, then, “My Lord,
show forgiveness and mercy,
for You are the Most Merciful of all.”
 
 
SURA 24
Light (Al-Nur)
Medinan, this sura numbers 64 verses, highlighted by the mystical verses (vv. 35–40), but also includes ethical mandates for slander and fornication, deriving from the rumor concerning the prophet’s wife ʿAʾisha (vv. 11–20). The obligation to be mindful of slaves, children, women, the blind, and the sick concludes this litany of divine signs (vv. 58–61), with the reminder of God’s surveillance and omniscience (vv. 63–64).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1We have revealed this sura,
whose decrees are binding.
We have revealed in it clear signs,
so that you might take heed.
2Give the adulteress and
adulterer a hundred lashes each.
Don’t let pity for them keep you
from the judgment of God
if you believe in God
and the last day;
and let a group of believers
witness their punishment.
3The adulterer shall marry
only an adulteress, or a polytheist;
and the adulteress only an
adulterer or a polytheist—
this is forbidden for believers.°
4As for those who accuse
chaste women without then
bringing four witnesses—
give them eighty lashes,
and reject their testimony
ever after; they are transgressors—
5except those who then repent,
and amend themselves,
for God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
6Let those who accuse their wives
of adultery, with no witnesses
but themselves, each bear witness
four times before God
that he is being truthful,
7and the fifth time,
that the curse of God
be upon him if he is lying.
8But the wife shall suffer
no punishment if she bears witness
four times before God
that he is lying,
9and the fifth time,
that the wrath of God
be upon her if he is being truthful.°
10If not for God’s grace
upon you and His mercy, and
that God is Relenting, All Wise.°
SECTION 2
11It was a group among you
who propagated the lie°—don’t
think of it as a bad thing for you.
No, it was for your good:
every one of them
will answer for his sin, and the one
who played the major part
will incur great torment.
12When you heard the lie,
why didn’t believing men and women
think better of their own people
and declare, “This is an obvious lie”?
13Why didn’t the accusers
bring four witnesses to vouch for it?
Since they didn’t, it is they
who are liars in the eyes of God.
14If not for the grace
of God upon you, and His mercy
in this world and the hereafter,
immense punishment would have
struck you for indulging [such calumny],
15when you took it on your tongues°
and spewed from your mouths
what you did not know—
you took lightly
what was weighty with God.
16And when you heard it,
why didn’t you say,
“It’s not for us to speak of this.
Glory be to You—
this is a great slander”?
17God warns you
not to repeat the like of this
—ever—if you are believers.
18And God makes the signs
clear for you,
for God is Knowing, Wise.
19Those who enjoy spreading
lewdness among the believers
shall face a painful punishment
in this life and the hereafter;
for God knows—and you do not.
20If not for the grace
of God upon you, and His mercy,
and that God is Most Kind,
Ever Merciful.
SECTION 3
21You who believe, do not follow
in the footsteps of Satan,
for he incites those who do so
to indecency and evil.
Were it not for the grace
of God upon you and His mercy,
not one of you would be pure, ever;
but God purifies whom He will,
for God is All Hearing, All Knowing.
22Let those among you blessed
with bounty and largesse not refuse
to help their kin, the needy, and those
who left their homes in God’s cause.
Let them forgive and pardon—
would you not like God to forgive you?
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
23Those who accuse chaste women,
who are believing but careless,
are cursed in this life
and in the hereafter, and
shall face great punishment
24on the day when their tongues,
their hands, and their feet
shall bear witness against them
for all their deeds.
25On that day God will give them
their due recompense in full,
and they will know that
God is the clarifying Truth.
26Lewd women are for lewd men
and lewd men for lewd women;
good women are for good men
and good men for good women—
they are innocent of what
people say about them;
they shall be shown forgiveness
and a noble provision.
SECTION 4
27You who believe, do not
enter houses other than your own
without asking permission
and greeting those within—
this is better for you,
so that you might be heedful.
28If you find no one
in the house, don’t enter it
without permission,
and if you are told, “Go away,” go—
this is more decent° for you,
and God Knows all that you do.
29There is no blame on you
if you enter uninhabited houses
that you can use—
for God knows what you reveal
and what you conceal.
30Tell believing men
to lower their gaze
and preserve their chastity;
that is more decent for them,
and God is Aware
of all that they do.
31And tell believing women
to lower their gaze,
to preserve their chastity,
and not to expose their adornment
beyond what normally shows;
to draw their scarves over
their bosoms, and not to show
their adornment, except
to their husbands, their fathers,
their husbands’ fathers,
their sons, their stepsons,
brothers, brothers’ or sisters’ sons,
their women and their servants,
their male attendants freed of desire,°
and children who are oblivious
of women’s nakedness.
Tell them not to stamp their feet
to flaunt their hidden adornments.°
And believers, all: turn toward God,
repenting, that you might prosper.
32Marry those who are single
among you, and the righteous
among your male and female slaves;
if they are poor, God will enrich them
from His grace, for God
is Expansive, All Knowing.
33Let those without the means to marry
keep chaste until God
enriches them from His grace.
Give a written contract of freedom
to those of your slaves who seek this
if you see some good in them,
and give them some of the wealth
God has given you.
Don’t force your maids
into prostitution° if they want
to be chaste, just for the gain
of this worldly life.
If anyone does compel them,
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
34We revealed to you clear signs,
and a parable of those who passed
before you—an admonition
for those who are mindful of God.
SECTION 5
35God is the Light°
of the heavens and of the earth;
His Light is a parable,
of a niche which holds a lamp,
the lamp enclosed in a glass,
the glass which glows like a gleaming star,
lit from an olive tree, blessed;
whose soil is neither East nor West;°
its very oil would shine forth
though untouched by fire:
Light upon Light.
God guides to His Light whom He will;
He strikes parables for humankind—
for God is Knower of all things.
36His Light abides in houses,
sanctified by God to be raised high,
where His Name is remembered.
There is He glorified, morning and evening,
37by men whom neither trade
nor profit can divert
from remembrance of God
or steadfastness in prayer,
and giving of charity;
whose sole fear is for the day
when hearts and vision
are upturned,°
38when God rewards their best deeds
giving ever more from His grace,
for God furnishes without measure
those whom He will.
39But behold the unbelievers—
their deeds are like a mirage
in the burning desert:
the parched man’s eyes see
water in the distance; approaching,
he finds nothing; beside him,
he finds God, before Whom
he must answer—and God
is Swift in Reckoning.
40Or, like darkness
on a fathomless sea,
wave upon wave, overcast by cloud:
darkness upon darkness;
if a man stretch out his hand,
he can scarce see it.
For one deprived of God’s Light
there is no light.
SECTION 6
41Do you not see that all praise God—
all in the heavens and earth,
like the birds with wings spread wide?
Each creature knows its prayer,
its mode of praise;
and God Knows all that they do.
42To God belongs dominion
of the heavens and the earth, and
to God is the final destination.
43Do you not see that God
drives the clouds, then gathers them
together, then amasses them
into heaps until you see
rain burst forth from their midst?
From these mountains
in the sky He sends down
hail, striking with it
whom He will, and averting it
from whom He will; the flash
of His lightning almost
blinds the eyes.
44God alternates night and day—
in all this is a lesson
for those with sight.
45God created every animal from water.
Some crawl on their bellies,
some walk on two legs, some on four.
God creates what He will—
God has Power over all things.
46We have revealed clear signs;
and God guides whom He will
to a straight path.
47They say, “We believe
in God and in the Prophet,
and we obey.” But afterward,
some of them turn away—
they are not believers.
48And when they are summoned
to God and His messenger
so He might judge between them,
some of them turn aside.
49But if they presume they are right,
they hurry to him, abject.
50Is there a disease in their hearts?
Or are they in doubt?
Or do they fear that God and
His messenger will be unjust to them?
No—they are the wrongdoers.
SECTION 7
51When believers are summoned
to God and His messenger
so he might judge between them,
their only response is,
“We hear and we obey”—
those are the ones who will flourish.
52Those who obey God
and His messenger, fear God
and are mindful of Him—
those are the ones who will triumph.
53They swear their solemn oaths
by God, promising that
if you commanded them,
they would march out.
Say, “Do not swear;
but offer due obedience.
God is Aware of all that you do.”
54Say, “Obey God, and obey
the messenger. But if you turn away,
know that he is liable
only for the duty placed on him,
and you for the duty placed on you.
If you obey him, you will be guided;
the messenger’s only task is
to convey the message clearly.”
55God has promised those of you
who believe and do good deeds
that He will make you inherit
the land, as He did with those
before you. And He will establish
the religion He has favored for them,
and replace their fear with security:
They shall worship me, and not
associate anything with me.
Those who deny after this
are the disobedient ones.
56Be steadfast, then, in prayer,
and give in charity,
and obey the messenger,
so you might be shown mercy.
57Do not think that
the unbelievers shall escape
God on earth; their home
is the fire—a wretched end.
SECTION 8
58You who believe, let your slaves
and those yet to reach puberty
ask your permission before they enter
at these three times:
before the dawn prayer,
when you undress at midday,
and after the evening prayer—
these are your three times of privacy.
At other times, there is no blame
upon you or upon them
if you move around one another freely.
In this way, God makes clear for you
His signs—God is Knowing, Wise.
59But when the children among you
reach puberty, let them also seek
permission, like others before them.
In this way, God makes clear for you
His signs—God is Knowing, Wise.
60There is no blame on elder women
beyond the age of childbearing,°
if they take off their outer robes,
without flaunting their adornments;
but if they refrain, that is better
for them—God is Hearing, Knowing.
61No blame will fall upon
the blind, the lame, the sick, nor
upon yourselves, if you eat
in your own houses, or the houses
of your fathers or the houses
of your mothers, or the houses of
your brothers or sisters, or of
your paternal uncles and aunts,
your maternal uncles and aunts,
or houses in your possession,°
or those of any friend.
No blame will fall upon you
whether you eat together
or separately. And when
you enter a house, greet one another
with a greeting as from God,
one that is blessed and gracious.
In this way, God makes clear to you
His signs, so you might understand.
SECTION 9
62Only those are believers who
believe in God and His messenger,
who, when they are gathered
with him for some common concern,
do not leave until they have asked
his permission. Those who do so
are the ones who believe in God
and His messenger.
And when they ask your permission
for some affair of theirs, grant it
to those whom you will among them,
and seek God’s forgiveness for them;
for God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
63Do not treat the messenger’s
calling of you as you do your
calling of one another;
God knows those among you
who slip away in stealth.
So let those who oppose
his command beware, else
some trial or painful torment
might befall them.
64To God indeed belongs all
that is in the heavens and on earth;
He knows your state, and
on the day they are brought back
to Him, He shall inform them
of all they have done—
for God is Knower of all things.
 
 
SURA 25
The Criterion (Al-Furqan)
Middle Meccan and numbering 77 verses, this sura takes its name from the initial verse. Relying on the second-person singular in several verses, it can be referring either to the Prophet Muhammad or more generally to all believers. The depiction of barzakh as two seas (v. 53) is among its prominent literary tropes.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Blessèd is He Who revealed
the criterion° of right and wrong
to His servant, to warn all peoples;
2He Who has dominion over
the heavens and the earth.
He has no child, nor any partner
who shares in His dominion.
He created all things, and
determined them in due proportion.
3Yet they have adopted other gods
besides Him—who create nothing
and are themselves created,
who can bring neither harm
nor profit to themselves,
and have no power over
death or life—or resurrection.
4The disbelievers say,
“This is just a lie he’s forged
with the help of others.” But it’s they
who promote injustice and falsehood.
5And they say,
“Mere tales of the ancients
which he has had put into writing;
they’re dictated to him
morning and evening.”
6Say, “He Who knows the mystery
of the heavens and earth revealed it—
He is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.”
7They say, “What kind of messenger
is this, who eats food and walks
around the markets?
Why hasn’t an angel been sent
to give warning with him?”
8Or “Why isn’t he given treasure
or a garden° from which to eat?”
The wrongdoers say,
“You merely follow a man
who’s bewitched.”
9See what similes they coin for you!
But they are astray
and cannot find the way.
SECTION 2
10Blessèd is He Who could give you
better things than these, if He willed—
gardens, beneath which rivers flow,
with palaces He could build for you.
11But they deny the hour,
and We have prepared
for those who deny it
a blazing fire—
12when it sees them, from far away,
they will hear its raging and roaring.
13And when they are cast into it,
constricted, and chained together,
they shall plead for death.
14They will be told,
“Don’t plead, this day, for one death—
plead, rather, for many deaths!”
15Say, “Is this better,
or the eternal garden,
promised to the righteous,
as both their reward and end?°
16“They shall have there
all that they desire,
abiding there forever—a promise
assured by your Lord.”
17When He gathers them
together, on the day,
with the other gods
they worshipped besides God,
He will ask,
“Was it you who led astray
these servants of Mine, or was it they
who strayed by themselves
from the true way?”
18They will say, “Glory be to You.
We should not have taken
protectors other than You.
But you granted them comforts,
and their fathers too, so they forgot
to remember You—and became
a lost people.”
19[God will reply,] “Your false gods
prove that what you say is lies—
so you cannot avert [your punishment]
nor find help. We shall make
those of you who do wrong
taste great torment.”
20We sent no messengers before you
who did not eat food
and walk through the markets.
We made some of you a test for others.
Can you show patience?°
For your Lord is All Seeing.”
SECTION 3
21As for those who don’t expect
to meet with Us—
they taunt, “Why aren’t angels
sent down to us?” or
“Why can’t we see our Lord?”
They are proud within their hearts
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 We made
the children of Israel their heirs.
60But as the sun rose
Pharaoh’s forces pursued them.
61And when the two hosts
saw each other, Moses’ companions
exclaimed, “We’re about
to be overtaken.”
62Moses responded, “No!
My Lord is with me,
He will guide me.”
63We then inspired Moses—
“Strike the sea with your staff.”
So it parted, each side like
a mighty mountain.
64And We brought the others near,
65so We delivered Moses
and all who were with him,
66then We drowned the others.
67In this is a sign—
yet most of them won’t believe.
68And your Lord Alone
is Almighty, Ever Merciful.
69And recite to them
the story of Abraham.
SECTION 5
70When he said to his father
and his people,
“What do you worship?”
71They replied, “We worship idols,
and will remain devoted to them.”
72He asked, “Do they listen to you,
when you call on them?
73“Or do you any good or harm?”
74They responded, “No, but
this is what our forefathers did.”°
75He asked, “Have you reflected on
what you have been worshipping,
76“you, and those before you?
77“They are an enemy to me—
unlike the Lord of the universe
78“Who created me;
it is He Who guides me,
79“Who gives me food and drink,
80“and Who cures me when I am ill,
81“Who will cause me to die,
and then give me life,
82“and Who, I hope,
will forgive me my faults
on the day of reckoning.
83“My Lord, grant me wisdom
and unite me with the righteous,
84“and let later generations
speak honorably of me,
85“and let me be among those
who inherit the garden of bliss;
86“Forgive my father—he is
among those who are astray,
87“and let me not be disgraced
on the day when all are raised up,
88“the day when neither wealth
nor children° will avail,
89“but only those who bring
to God a pure heart.”
90And the garden will be
brought near, to those
who were mindful of God,
91while hellfire shall
appear plainly before those
who were misguided.
92And they shall be asked,
“Where are the gods
you used to worship,
93“besides God? Can they help you
—or themselves?”
94Then they will be thrown,
face-down, into hell, with those
who misguided them,
95and all the hosts of Iblis.
96There, they will say,
as they quarrel,
97“By God, we were
in clear error
98“when we held you as equals
with the Lord of the universe,
99“it was the sinners
who led us astray.
100“And now there is no
intercessor for us,
101“nor any loyal friend.
102“If only we could return,
we would be believers.”
103Surely, in this is a sign,
yet most of them won’t believe.
104And your Lord Alone
is Almighty, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 6
105The people of Noah
denied the messengers
106when their brother Noah
said to them, “Will you not
be mindful of God?
107“I am a trustworthy messenger
sent to you.
108“So be mindful of God,
and obey me.
109“I ask of you no reward.
My only reward is with
the Lord of the universe.
110“So be mindful of God,
and obey me.”
111They said,
“Should we believe in you
when it’s only the lowest
who follow you?”
112He said, “What do I know
of what they do?
113“Their reckoning is only
with my Lord—if only
you could perceive.
114“I am not one to drive away
the believers.
115“I am merely one
who gives clear warning.”
116They said, “Noah,
if you don’t desist,
you will be stoned.”
117He said, “My Lord,
my people have denied me.
118“So judge decisively
between me and them,
and deliver me and those
with me who believe.”
119So we delivered him
and those with him,
in the laden ark.
120Then We drowned the rest.
121Surely in this is a sign,
yet most of them won’t believe.
122And your Lord Alone
is the Almighty, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 7
123The people of ʿAd denied
the messengers
124when their brother Hud
said to them, “Will you not
be mindful of God?
125“I am a trustworthy messenger
sent to you.
126“So be mindful of God,
and obey me.
127“I ask of you no reward.
My only reward is with
the Lord of the universe.
128“You build an altar°
on every high hill, out of vanity?
129“And establish
fortresses, thinking you
will live in them forever?
130“And when you seize [someone]
by force, you seize them like tyrants?
131“Be mindful of God,
and obey me.
132“Be mindful of Him,
Who has provided you
with all that you know.
133“He has provided you
with livestock and children,
134“gardens and springs.
135“I fear for you the punishment
of a momentous day.”
136They said, “It’s the same to us
whether you warn us or not.
137“It’s only the custom
of our forefathers
[that we follow].
138“And we are not
going to be punished.”°
139They denied him,
and so We destroyed them.
Surely, in this is a sign,
but most of them won’t believe.
140And your Lord Alone
is the Almighty, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 8
141The people of Thamud denied
the messengers
142when their brother Salih
said to them, “Will you not
be mindful of God?
143“I am a trusted messenger
sent to you.
144“So be mindful of God,
and obey me.
145“I ask of you no reward.
My only reward is with
the Lord of the universe.
146“Do you imagine that you
will be left secure
with all that you have here—
147“gardens and springs
148“cornfields and date palms,
soft in their clusters,
149“and carving houses out of
mountains, with such skill?
150“So be mindful of God,
and obey me.
151“And do not follow the bidding
of transgressors
152“who spread corruption in the land
and will not pursue the common good.”°
153They said, “You’re just bewitched.
154“You are a mere mortal
like us. Bring a sign
if you are being truthful.”
155He said, “Here is a she-camel—
she has a right to drink,
and you have a right to drink,
each on an appointed day.
156“Do not harm her, or
the punishment of a momentous day
shall overtake you.”
157But they hamstrung her;
and were then regretful.
158So the punishment overtook them.°
Surely, in this is a sign;
but most of them won’t believe.
159And your Lord Alone
is the Almighty, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 9
160The people of Lot denied
the messengers
161when their brother Lot
said to them, “Will you not
be mindful of God?
162“I am a trustworthy messenger
sent to you.
163“So be mindful of God,
and obey me.
164“I ask of you no reward.
My only reward is with
the Lord of the universe.
165“Must you, alone among creatures,
lust after males
166“forsaking the mates
that your Lord created for you?
You transgress all bounds.”
167They said,
“Lot, if you don’t stop,
you’ll be among those
who are thrown out.”
168He rejoined, “I am among those
who abhor what you do.
169“My Lord, save me and
my family from what they do.”
170So We saved him
and all his family,
171except an old woman
who lingered behind,
172then We destroyed the rest.
173We rained down
a hail of brimstone° on them,
a wicked rain on those forewarned.
174In this is a sign,
yet most of them won’t believe.
175And your Lord Alone
is the Almighty, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 10
176The forest dwellers also denied
the messengers
177when Shuʿayb said to them,
“Will you not be mindful of God?
178“I am a trustworthy messenger
sent to you.
179“So be mindful of God,
and obey me.
180“I ask of you no reward.
My only reward is with
the Lord of the universe.
181“Give just measure,
and do not sell short,
182“but weigh with an
even balance,
183“and don’t withhold from people
the things that are due to them,
nor work evil in the land,
spreading corruption,
184“and be mindful of the One
Who created you and
the generations before you.”
185They said, “You’re just bewitched.
186“You are a mere mortal like us.
In fact, we think you are a liar.
187“Cause fragments of the sky
to fall on us,
if you are telling the truth.”
188He said, “My Lord knows best
what you do.”
189But they denied him,
so the punishment of the day
of shadow overcame them,
the punishment of a momentous day.
190In this is a sign,
yet most of them won’t believe.
191And your Lord Alone
is the Almighty, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 11
192This is a revelation
from the Lord of the universe—
193The trustworthy spirit°
brought it down
194to your heart, Prophet,
that you might warn people
195in a clear Arabic tongue.
196And this was in the scriptures
of ancient peoples.
197Is it not a sign to them
that the learnèd people
of the children of Israel
know it?
198Had We revealed it
to any of the non-Arabs,
199and had he recited it to them,
they would not have believed in it.
200In this way, We have
made it pass into the hearts
of the sinners—
201they will not believe in it
until they see
the painful punishment,
202which shall fall upon them
suddenly, while they are unaware.
203Then they will say,
“Can’t we be granted respite?”
204Or, would they
hasten Our punishment?
205See, if We let them
enjoy a few years,
206and then they were struck
with the punishment promised them,
207what they enjoyed
would not help them.
208We never destroyed a town
without sending people to warn it,
209as a reminder—
for We are never unjust.
210It was not any devils
who brought down this revelation.
211It is not allowed them,
nor would they be able.
212In fact, they are prevented
from hearing it.
213So do not call on any
other god with God,
else you may be among
those who are punished;
214and warn your closest kin,
215and lower your wing°
over the believers who
follow you.
216If they disobey you, say,
“I am free [of the guilt]
of your actions.”
217And trust in the Almighty,
the Ever Merciful,
218Who sees you when you
stand [in prayer],
219and when you bow among
those who prostrate themselves.
220For He is the All Hearing,
All Knowing.
221Shall I inform you
on whom the devils descend?
222They descend on every sinful liar,
223they pass on whatever is heard,
and most of them are liars.
224And the poets are followed by
those who are astray.°
225Don’t you see them wandering
aimlessly through every valley?°
226Saying things
that they do not do?
227Except those of them who believe
and do good deeds, and remember God
often, defending themselves
only when wronged.
The wrongdoers shall soon know
their place of return.
 
 
SURA 27
The Ants (Al-Naml)
Like “The Bee” (Sura 16) and “The Spider” (Sura 29), this middle Meccan sura of 93 verses is named after lowly creatures of great industry and subtlety, also emblematic of God’s creative expanse. They were singled out as insects that even Solomon respected when he entered “the valley of the ants” (v. 18). The hoopoe, other birds, and also Sheba (described but not mentioned by name) figure prominently in the initial verses (vv. 16–44), while the stories of Thamud and Lot precede a long invocation—and warning—about God’s signs (vv. 59–93).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Ta Sin.°
These are verses
of the Quran,
a clear Book,
2a guide, and joyous news
for believers,
3those who are steadfast in prayer
give in charity, and are certain
of the hereafter.
4As for those who don’t believe
in the hereafter, We have made
their deeds seem fair to them—
so they wander blindly.
5They shall face severe torment,°
and in the hereafter
they shall bear the greatest loss.
6Prophet, you receive the Quran
from One Who is All Wise, All Knowing.
7Moses said to his family,
“I see a fire; I will bring you
word from it, or a lighted torch
to warm yourselves.”
8But when he came to the fire,
a voice called out, “Blessed is the One
who is at the fire and whoever is around it.°
And glory be to God,
Lord of the universe.
9“Moses, I am the One God,
the Almighty, the All Wise.
10“Now, cast down your staff.”
But when he saw it stirring
like a snake,° he turned away,
fleeing, without returning.
“Moses,” said the voice, “Don’t fear:
messengers have no fear
in My presence.
11“As for those who do wrong,
then turn to good after evil—
I am Forgiving,
Ever Merciful.
12“Now, place your hand
by your breast,° and it will
come out gleaming white,
though unharmed.
This is among nine signs
you will take to Pharaoh
and his people—
a disobedient people.”
13But when Our signs were
shown to them, they said:
“This is obviously magic.”
14And they rejected the signs
through their iniquity and pride
though in themselves
they were convinced.
See, then, the fate
of those who wreak corruption.
SECTION 2
15We gave knowledge
to David and Solomon,
who both said,
“Praise be to God Who
has favored us over many
of His believing servants.”
16And Solomon was David’s heir.
He said, “People, we have been taught
the speech of birds,° and we have
been endowed with all things—
an evident favor from God.”
17And gathered before Solomon
were his hosts of jinn and men
and birds, all arrayed in rows.
18When at length they came
to a valley of ants, an ant said,
“Ants, disperse to your homes
or Solomon and his armies
might unwittingly crush you.”°
19Solomon smiled, laughing
at its speech, and said,
“My Lord, grant that I have strength
to give thanks for Your favor
which You have bestowed
on me and on my parents,
and grant that I may perform
righteous deeds that please you,
and bring me, through Your Mercy,
to be among your righteous servants.”
20He inspected the birds, and said,
“Why do I not see the hoopoe?°
Is he absent?
21“I’ll punish him severely,
or execute him, unless
he brings me a clear reason
[for his absence].”
22But the hoopoe, who was
not long gone
[drew near] and explained,
“I have learned something
that you don’t know,°
and I come from Sabaʾ°
with decisive news.
23“I found there a woman
ruling over them,
possessed of everything.
And she has a mighty throne.
24“I found her and her people
bowing before the sun instead of God,
for Satan has made their deeds
seem fair to them, barring them
from the path, leaving them
without guidance,
25so they don’t bow before God
Who brings forth what is hidden
in the heavens and the earth, and
Who knows what you conceal
and what you reveal.
26God—there is no god but He,
Lord of the mighty throne.”
27Solomon responded,
“Soon we shall see whether
you have told the truth or lied.
28“Go, with this letter of mine,
and deliver it to them. Then,
withdraw from them, and await
the answer they bring back.”
29The Queen said, “Counselors,
here is a royal letter, delivered to me.
30“It’s from Solomon, and it reads,
‘In the Name of God,
the All Merciful, Ever Merciful;°
31“ ‘do not exalt yourselves
above me, but come to me
in submission.’ ”°
SECTION 3
32She said, “Counselors,
advise me in this matter—
I don’t decide on any matter
without your presence.”
33They said, “Though we have
strength and great power in war,
yours is the command.
So consider what you
would like to command.”
34She said, “When kings enter a town,
they ravage it, and humiliate
its noblest inhabitants—
this is what they typically do.
35“But I will send them a gift
and see what response
my envoys bring back.”
36When the envoys came to him,
Solomon said, “What, are you
offering me wealth?
What God has granted me is better
than what He grants you.
In fact, it’s you who
rejoice in your own gift.
37“Go back to your people—
and be sure we’ll come upon them
with irresistible forces, and
expel them from there,
humiliated, and abased.”
38He said to his own men,
“Counselors, which of you can
bring me her throne before
they come to me in submission?”
39An ʿifrit among the jinn said,°
“I will bring it to you
before you rise from your place;°
I assuredly have the strength
and can be trusted to do this.”
40Another, who had knowledge
of the Book, said, “I will bring it
to you before you even blink.”°
Then, when Solomon saw it
placed before him, he exclaimed,
“This is by the grace
of my Lord to test whether
I would be grateful or ungrateful.
Whoever shows gratitude does so
only to his own gain, but whoever
is ungrateful—my Lord
is Self-Sufficient, Munificent.”
41He said, “Disguise her throne
so she won’t recognize it.
Let’s see whether she is guided
or one of those without guidance.”
42When she arrived, she was asked,
“Is your throne like this?” She answered,
“It looks like it.” [Solomon said],
“Knowledge was granted to us before her,
and we submitted to God’s will,
43“while she was prevented
by her worship of others
besides God; for she was from
a disbelieving people.”
44“Enter the palace,” she was told.
But when she saw it, she thought
its [floor] was a [shining] lake, so she
uncovered her shins. He explained,
“It is in fact a palace paved smooth
with glass.” She said, “My Lord,
I have wronged myself, and
I submit, with Solomon, to God,
Lord of the universe.”
SECTION 4
45We sent to the people of Thamud
their brother Salih,° who urged them,
“Worship God.” But they split
into two factions, quarreling.
46He said, “My people,
why do you seek to bring on evil
before good? Why not seek
forgiveness of God,
so you might be shown mercy?”
47They said, “We see you
and those with you as an ill omen.”
He replied, “Your ill omen
is a matter for God; and you are
a people undergoing trial.”
48There were in the city
nine [heads of families],
spreading corruption in the land,
and they would not reform.
49They said, “Swear to one another
an oath by God that we’ll launch
a night attack on him and his family,
and that we’ll say to his heir [when
he seeks vengeance], ‘We never saw
the destruction of his family,
and we’re speaking the truth.’ ”
50So they plotted and planned,
but We also planned,
though they were not aware.
51See, then, the outcome
of their plot—We destroyed
them and all their people.
52These were their houses—
now in utter ruin, for they were
wrongdoers. In this is a sign
for people with knowledge.
53And We saved those
who believed and were
mindful of God.
54We also sent Lot, who said
to his people, “How can you
commit such indecency,
which you can clearly see [is wrong].
55“Would you really lust after
men rather than women?
What an ignorant people you are!”°
56But the only response
of his people was “Drive out
the family of Lot from your town!
They are truly people
who fancy themselves pure!”
57But We saved him
and his family, except his wife
whom We destined to be
among those left behind.
58And We rained down on them
a rain of brimstone°—
on those who had been warned.
SECTION 5
59Say, “Praise be to God,
and peace be upon His servants,
whom He has chosen.”
Who is better—God, or the gods
they join with Him?
60Who created the heavens and earth,
and sends down upon you water
from the sky? With it, We grow
gardens of beauty and delight.
It is not in your power
to grow their trees.
Is there any god besides God? No.
Yet they are a people
who ascribe equals to Him;
61Who made the earth a secure home,
and wrought rivers in its midst,
and made firm mountains for it, placing
between the two seas a barrier?°
Is there any god besides God?
Yet most of them do not know;
62Who answers the distressed person
calling on Him, relieves their anguish,
and makes you regents on the earth?
Is there any god besides God?
How little you remember!
63Who guides you through
the darkness of land and sea?
Who sends the winds as joyous news,
heralding His mercy?
Is there any god besides God?
Exalted is God, above
the gods they join with Him.
64Who brings about Creation,
then renews it, Who sustains you
from the heavens and the earth?
Is there any god besides God?
Say, “Bring your proof
if what you say is true.”
65Say, “None in the heavens
or on the earth knows the unseen
except God, nor can they fathom
when their resurrection will come.”
66Even less can their knowledge
reach into the hereafter: they remain
in doubt over it, blind to it.
SECTION 6
67The unbelievers ask,
“What, when we are dust, with our fathers,
will be really be brought back?
68“Yes, we’ve been promised this
before—we and our fathers. But these
are merely tales of the ancients.”
69Say, “Wander through the earth
to see what was the fate of the sinful.”
70But don’t grieve on their account,
nor let their plotting distress you.
71And if they ask,
“When will this promise come to pass,
if what you say is true?”
72Say, “It may be that
some of the things
you seek to hasten
are close behind you.”
73And your Lord is Full of Favor
toward humankind,
though most of them are ungrateful.
74And your Lord knows
what their hearts conceal
and what they reveal.
75Nor is there anything hidden
in the heavens and the earth
that is not [recorded] in a clear Book.
76This Quran explains
to the children of Israel
most of the things
about which they differ.
77It is a guide and a mercy
for the believers.
78Your Lord will decide
between them, with His judgment,
for He is Almighty, All Knowing.
79So, trust in God—you stand
upon the clear truth.
80You cannot make the dead hear
or the deaf hear the call,
when they turn away, recoiling.
81Nor can you guide the blind
from their straying;
you can only make those hear
who believe in Our signs,
those who submit to Our will.
82And when the sentence
is passed on them,
We shall bring forth for them
a beast° from the earth
to tell them that
humankind was uncertain
about Our signs.
SECTION 7
83On that day, We shall gather
from every people a troop of those
who denied Our signs, in ranks.
84Then, when they come
to judgment, God will say,
“Did you deny My signs,
without knowledge of them—
what were you doing?”
85And the sentence will be passed
on them, for they did wrong,
and they will be unable to speak.
86Do they not see that
We made the night,
in which they might rest,
and the day, bringing light
to the eyes? In this are signs
for a people who believe.
87On the day the trumpet
is sounded, all in the heavens
and all upon the earth
shall be filled with terror,
except some by the will of God.
And all shall come
before Him, humbled.
88You see the mountains
and think them firmly fixed;
but they shall pass,
like the passing clouds—
this is the artistry of God,
Who brings all things
to their perfection.
He is Aware of all that you do.
89Those who come bringing good
shall receive even better,°
and they will be safe from
the terror of that day.
90Those who come bringing evil—
their faces shall be cast into the fire,
“Are you not rewarded precisely
for what you have done?”
91I have been commanded only
to worship the Lord of this city,
the One Who has sanctified it,
to Whom all things belong.
I have been commanded to be among
those who submit to God’s will,°
92and to recite the Quran.
Whoever takes guidance
takes it only for his own good;
and say to whoever strays,
“I am only one of those who warn.”
93And say, “Praise be to God
Who will soon show you His signs,
so you shall know them.”
Your Lord is not unmindful
of what you do.
 
 
SURA 28
The Story (Al-Qasas)
The “story” is about Moses and Pharaoh, who occupy the first part of this late Meccan sura, numbering 88 verses. It also includes a cautionary tale about Qarun, a wealthy Israelite whose fortune did not save him, or his house, from being swallowed by the earth (v. 82). Anticipating Sura 55:26–27, the last verse declares, “All things shall pass away except His Face” (v. 88).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Ta Sin Mim.°
2These are verses of the clear Book.
3We recite to you the story
of Moses and Pharaoh—the truth
for people who believe.°
4Exalting himself in the land,
Pharaoh split its people into factions.
Oppressing a group of them,
he killed their sons
but spared their women.
He always sowed corruption.°
5But We intended to favor those
who were oppressed in the land,
to make them leaders, and heirs,
6to empower them in the land,
to bring before° Pharaoh, Haman,°
and all their forces
what they had always feared.
7We inspired Moses’ mother,
saying, “Suckle your child,
but if you fear for him,
place him in the river—
and do not fear or grieve.
We shall restore him to you,
and We shall make him
one of Our messengers.”
8Then the family of Pharaoh
picked him up—who would
become an enemy to them
and a source of grief—
Pharaoh, Haman, and their forces
were always sinners.
9Pharaoh’s wife cried,
“Here’s a joyful sight
for me and you! Don’t kill him.
Perhaps he’ll be of use to us, or
we might adopt him as a son”—
they were unaware [of God’s plan].
10But a void opened up
in the heart of Moses’ mother,
who might have disclosed his plight,
had We not strengthened her heart,
to make her a believer.
11She said to his sister,
“Follow Moses.”°
So she watched him from a distance,
though [the people of Pharaoh]
were unaware.
12We had ordained earlier
that he should not suckle
from wet nurses, so
his sister asked [Pharaoh’s house],
“Shall I show you
the people of a house
who will rear him for you
and take good care of him?”
13So We returned him to his mother,
that she might be comforted
and not grieve, and know
that God’s promise is true.
Yet most of them don’t know.°
SECTION 2
14When Moses reached
his maturity and manhood,
We endowed him with wisdom
and knowledge; this is how
We reward those who do good.
15He entered the city at a time
when its people would not notice.
He found two men fighting there,
one from his own people
and the other an enemy.
The former sought his help
against his enemy.
Moses struck him with his fist,
killing him.° He said,
“This must be Satan’s work,
for he is clearly an enemy
who leads astray.”
16He prayed, “My Lord,
I have wronged myself: forgive me.”
And God did forgive him—
He is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
17He said, “My Lord,
because You have favored me,
I shall never support those who sin.”
18As the morning came,
he was in the city, fearful, wary,
when the man who had sought
his help the day before
called out to him for help again.
Moses said, “Clearly, it’s you
who are in the wrong!”
19Then, when Moses showed
his intent to strike the man who was
their common enemy, the man said,
“Moses, do you want to kill me
as you killed a person yesterday?
You want to be a tyrant in the land,
not someone who fosters the good.”°
20Then a man came, running,
from the farthest end of the city,
crying, “Moses, the chiefs
are conferring about you,
proposing to kill you. So leave!
This is my sincere advice to you.”°
21So he left from there,
fearful, wary, praying, “My Lord,
save me from people who do wrong.”
SECTION 3
22And when he turned his face
toward the land of Midian,° he said,
“May my Lord guide me
to the right way.”
23And when he came to
the wells of Midian,
he found a group of men there
watering their flocks,
and beside them two women
holding back their flocks. He asked,
“What’s the matter with you?”
They explained,
“We can’t water our flocks
until the shepherds drive theirs back—
our father is a very old man.”
24So he watered their flocks for them.
Then, turning back toward the shade,
he sighed, “My Lord, I am truly
in need of whatever good
You might send down to me.”
25Later, one of the two women
came to him, walking shyly,
“My father invites you,
so he might reward you
for watering our flocks.”
When Moses came to him and
narrated his story, the father said,
“Don’t be afraid—you have escaped
from people who do wrong.”
26One of the women said,
“My father, hire him—
the best person to hire is someone
strong and trustworthy.”
27The father said to Moses,
“I want to wed you to one
of my two daughters here,
if you’ll serve me for eight years.
But if you were to complete ten,
that would be up to you.°
I don’t want to burden you;
you’ll find me, God willing,
to be a righteous person.”
28Moses replied, “Let that be
the agreement between me and you.
Whichever of the two terms I fulfill,
don’t harbor animosity toward me,
for God is Witness to what we say.”
SECTION 4
29When Moses had fulfilled the term,
and was traveling with his family,
he glimpsed a fire
on the side of Mount Tur.
He said to his family, “Stay here,
I glimpsed a fire;
perhaps I can bring you
some word from it°
or firewood to warm yourselves.”
30But when he came to the fire,
he was called by a voice
from the right slope of the valley,
from a tree on hallowed ground,
“Moses, I am the One God,
Lord of the universe.
31“Now, throw down your staff.”
But when Moses saw it stirring,
like a snake, he turned in flight,
and did not return.
“Moses, draw near, and
don’t fear, for you are safe.
32“Slip your hand into your cloak—
it will come out gleaming white, unharmed.
Drop your hand by your side,
free from fear.° These shall be
two proofs from your Lord
to Pharaoh and his chiefs—
they are a wicked people.”
33Moses said, “My Lord,
I have killed one of them,
and I fear they will kill me.
34“Also, my brother Aaron
is more eloquent in speech than me,
so send him with me, as an aide,
to confirm what I say, for I’m afraid
they will call me a liar.”
35God said, “We shall strengthen
your arm through your brother,
and invest you both with authority,
beyond their reach. With Our signs
you and those who follow you
will be victorious.”°
36But when Moses came to them
with Our clear signs, they said,
“This is nothing but contrived magic.
We never heard the like of it
from our ancestors.”
37Moses replied, “My Lord knows best
who has come with guidance
from Him, and whose outcome
will prevail in the hereafter.
The wrongdoers will never thrive.”
38Pharaoh said, “Counselors,
I know of no god for you but me.
So, Haman, kindle for me
a fire to bake clay bricks,
and make me a towering edifice
so I may look upon
the God of Moses,
for I consider him a liar.”
39Hence Pharaoh and his forces
behaved arrogantly in the land
beyond their right, thinking
they would never be returned to Us.
40So We seized him and his forces,
and cast them into the sea—
observe the end of those
who do wrong!
41We made them leaders
who summon people to the fire;
on the day of resurrection
they shall find no help.
42In this world,
We laid a curse upon them,
and on the day of resurrection,
they shall be among the despised.
SECTION 5
43We gave the Book to Moses
—after We destroyed earlier generations—
to give insight to humankind,
as well as guidance and mercy,
that they might be reminded.
44You, Prophet, were not there
on the western side of the mountain°
when We decreed the commandment
to Moses—you were not a witness.
45We raised up generations over
long eras—you, Prophet, did not live
among the people of Midian,
reciting to them Our signs—
it is We who send [messengers].
46Nor were you at the side
of Mount Sinai when We called
to Moses;° yet you are sent
as a mercy from your Lord
to warn a people to whom
no one before you came to warn,
that they might be reminded,
47and may not say, if calamity
—brought by their own hands—
befalls them, “Our Lord,
if only You had sent us a messenger,
we would have followed Your signs
and would have been believers.”°
48But now, when the truth
has come to them from Us, they say,
“Why is he not given signs
like those given to Moses?”
And did they not also deny
what was given to Moses before?
“Two brands of sorcery,
hand in hand,” they say
and “We deny it all,” they say.
49Say, “Then bring a Book from God,
a better guide than either of these,
so I may follow it,
if you are speaking the truth.”°
50But if they don’t answer you,
know that they only follow
their own desires—who
goes further astray than someone
who follows their own desire
without guidance from God?
God does not guide
a people who do wrong.
SECTION 6
51And now indeed We have
conveyed to them the Word,
that they might be reminded.
52Those to whom
We gave the Book before
believe in it;
53and when it is recited to them,
they say, “We believe in it—it is
indeed the truth from our Lord.
In fact, even before it came,
we submitted to His will.”°
54They will be twice rewarded
for they have been patient,
they avert evil with good,
and spend in charity from
what we have given them;
55and when they hear idle talk,
they turn away from it, saying,
“Our deeds belong to us,
yours to you. Peace be with you.
We do not seek out the ignorant.”
56You, Prophet, cannot guide
all those you love.
But God guides whom He will,
and He knows best those
who will be guided.
57They say, “If we followed
the guidance with you, we would be
swept away from our land.”
Have We not set up for them
a safe sanctuary,° where fruits
of all kinds are brought,
as sustenance from Us?
Yet most of them do not know.
58And how many towns have
We destroyed, which exulted
in their easy living. And after them,
their homes were scarcely lived in—
We are the sole Heirs.°
59Your Lord never destroyed
the towns until he had sent
to their center° a messenger,
reciting to them Our signs;
nor would He have destroyed
these towns unless their people
had been wrongdoers.
60Whatever things you are given
are fleeting joys, adornment
of the life of this world;
but whatever is with God
is better and enduring.
Will you not, then, use reason?
SECTION 7
61Is a person to whom We made
a good promise and sees it fulfilled
like the person to whom We gave
the joys of the life of this world,
then, on the day of resurrection,
will be brought out [for punishment]?
62On the day that God
calls to them, He will ask,
“Where are the other gods
you claimed to be My partners?”
63Those with proof against them
will say, “Our Lord, these are the ones
we led astray. We led them astray
as we ourselves were led astray. Now
we disavow them before you;
it was not us that they worshipped.”
64They will be told,
“Call upon your other gods.”
They will call them, but they
will not answer. Then they
will see the punishment—if only
they had let themselves be guided.
65On the day that God calls them,
He will ask, “How did you answer
the messengers?”
66All news will seem
dubious to them on that day,
when they cannot query one another.
67But those who repent,
believe, and do good deeds
may be among
those who succeed.
68For your Lord creates what He will,
and it is He Who chooses—
there is no choice for them.
Glory be to God—
may He be exalted above
the gods they join with Him.
69And your Lord knows
what their hearts conceal
and what they reveal.
70For He is God: there is
no god but Him. His is the praise
in this world and the next.°
His is the judgment; and to Him
you shall be returned.
71Say, “Do you see? If God
enshrouded you in unending night
until the day of resurrection,
what other god could bring you light?
Will you not, then, listen?”
72Say, “Do you see? If God
exposed you to unending day
until the day of resurrection,
what other god could bring you night
in which you might repose?
Will you not, then, perceive?
73“But through His mercy,
He made for you the night,
where you might repose,
and the day, where you might
seek His bounty,
that you might give thanks.”
74On the day that God
calls them, He will ask,
“Where are the gods
you claimed to be My partners?”
75And from each people
We shall draw a witness,
saying, “Bring your proof.”
Then they shall know
that the truth is with God—
and the gods they invented
will abandon them.
SECTION 8
76Korah belonged to the people
of Moses,° but he oppressed them.
We gave him treasures whose
very keys would weigh down
a company of strong men.
His people told him, “Don’t
flaunt [your wealth], for God
does not love those who boast.
77“But rather, seek through what
God has given you the house
of the hereafter.
Don’t neglect what you have
in this world,° but do good
as God has been good to you,
and do not seek corruption
in the land, for God does not love
those who sow corruption.”
78He said, “This was granted me
on account of my knowledge.”
Did he not know that God
had destroyed generations
before him, greater than him
in strength and possessions amassed?
The sinners shall not be asked
about their sins.
79So he went out among
his people in his finery,
and those hankering after
the life of this world remarked,
“Ah, if only we had the like
of what Korah has been given!
What a great fortune he has!”
80But those endowed with knowledge
retorted, “Shame on you!
God’s reward is better, for those
who believe and do good deeds,
and none will attain it except
those who practice patience.”°
81Then We roused the earth
to swallow him and his house.
There was none° to help him,
beyond God, nor could he
defend himself.
82By morning, those who yesterday
had coveted his position
began to say, “Indeed—
God enlarges provision
or restricts it for whom He will
of his servants. If God did not
favor us, He could have
roused the earth to swallow us.
Indeed—those who deny God
shall not prosper.”
SECTION 9
83We shall grant the house
of the hereafter to those
who don’t seek to be exalted
in the land or to sow corruption,
and the best outcome will be
for those mindful of God.
84Those who bring good
will receive what is better;
as for those who bring evil—
their recompense will equal
their evil deeds.
85He who assigned you
[to convey] the Quran
will bring you back,
to the place of return.°
Say, “My Lord knows best
who comes with guidance and
who is clearly in error.”
86Nor had you, Prophet,
expected the Book
to be sent to you; it was
but a mercy from your Lord.
So, never support the disbelievers.
87And never let them turn you
away from the verses of God
once they are revealed to you.
Call people to your Lord,
and never be among those
who ascribe partners to God.
88Nor call on any other god
besides the One God.
There is no god but Him.
All things shall pass away
except His Face. His is
the judgment; and to Him
you shall be returned.
 
 
SURA 29
The Spider (Al-ʿAnkabut)
Taking its name from v. 41, this late Meccan sura of 69 verses warns all those who take anyone but the One God as their support. Not only Qarun but Pharaoh and Haman (v. 39) are marked as proud profligates who disregarded God’s signs. No less unmindful are seafarers who call on God at sea but forget him when they land safely (v. 65).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Alif Lam Mim.°
2Do people imagine
that they’ll be left alone
after saying, “We believe,”
and that they won’t be tested?
3Yes, We tested those before them—
and God knows those who are truthful
and those who lie.
4Do those who do bad deeds
think they can elude Us?
How bad their judgment is!
5For those who hope to meet God,
the hour appointed by God°
will surely come—
for He is All Hearing, All Knowing.
6And whoever strives
strives only for himself,
for God is Self-Sufficing,
free of all need
of created beings.°
7As for those who believe
and do good deeds,
We shall wipe out their misdeeds,
and reward them
for the best of their deeds.
8We have enjoined people
to be kind to parents;
but if they strive to make you
associate things with Me
of which you have no knowledge,
then don’t obey them. To Me
is your return, and I will inform you
of all you have done.
9As for those who believe
and do righteous deeds,
We shall admit them
among the righteous.
10Some of the people say,
“We believe in God.”
But when they are harmed
in the cause of God,
they equate people’s duress
with God’s punishment;
and if help comes to you
from your Lord, they say,
“We were always with you.”
Does God not know best
what lies within the hearts
of His creatures?°
11And God knows those who believe,
just as He knows the hypocrites.
12Those who disbelieve
say to those who believe,
“Follow our way, and
we will bear your sins.”
But they cannot bear
any of their own sins—
they are nothing but liars.
13They will bear their own burdens
and other burdens besides—
they shall be questioned,
on the day of resurrection,
about their fabrications.
SECTION 2
14We sent Noah to his people,
and he stayed with them
for a thousand years less fifty,
but the flood overcame them
for they were wrongdoers.
15But We saved him
and the people of the ark,
and We made it a sign
for all nations.°
16And We sent Abraham,
who said to his people,
“Worship God, and
be mindful of Him.
That is better for you,
if only you knew.
17“You worship instead of God
only idols, and you invent falsehood.
Those you worship instead of God
can give you no provision,
so seek provision from God,
worship Him, and be grateful to Him—
to Him you will be returned.
18“And if you deny the message,
as nations before you denied it,
know that the messenger’s task
is only to convey it clearly.”
19Do they not see how God
originates creation and
then renews it?
This is easy for God.
20Say, “Travel through the earth
and see how He originated creation;
then God will bring about
a new creation,
for God has Power over all things.
21“He will punish whom He will,
and show mercy to whom He will,
and to Him you will be turned back.
22“You cannot evade Him
on the earth nor in the heavens,
Nor shall you find beyond God
any protector or helper.”
SECTION 3
23As for those who deny the signs
of God and the meeting with Him,
they have despaired of My mercy,
and theirs shall be a painful torment.
24His people’s only reply was
“Kill him or burn him,”
but God saved him from the fire.
In this are signs
for people who believe.
25Abraham responded,
“You have adopted idols
instead of God,
out of love for one another
in the life of this world. But on
the day of resurrection, you will
deny and curse one another,°
and your home shall be the fire—
with none to help you.”
26But Lot believed in Him.
He said, “I will flee to my Lord,
for He is Almighty, All Wise.”
27And We granted to Abraham
Isaac and Jacob, and We placed
within his progeny prophethood
and the Book, and We gave him
his reward in this world;
and in the hereafter
he will be among the righteous.
28Recall when Lot said to his people,
“You commit an indecency
without precedent by anyone
in the world before you.
29“Do you approach men,
cut off their path,
and commit wickedness
when you gather together?”
His people’s only reply was
“Bring on God’s punishment,
if you are speaking the truth.”
30He said, “My Lord,
help me against a people
who breed corruption.”
SECTION 4
31When Our messengers came
to Abraham with joyous news
[of his son’s birth], they said,
“We are going to destroy
the people of this town—
they are given to wrongdoing.”
32He said, “But Lot is there!”
They rejoined,
“We well know who is there;
we shall save him and his family—
except for his wife,
who will be among those
who stay behind.”
33When Our messengers came to Lot,
he felt vexed and constrained
on their behalf, powerless
to protect them, but they said,
“Don’t fear and don’t grieve.
We shall save you and your family—
except for your wife,
who will be among those
who stay behind.
34“We are going to bring down
retribution on the people of this town,
for they are given to transgression.”
35And We have left its ruins°
as a clear sign
for people who use reason.
36And We sent to the people
of Midian their brother Shuʿayb,
who said, “My people, worship God,
be wary of the last day,
and don’t do evil on the earth,
sowing corruption.”
37But they denied him—
then the earthquake shook them,
and they lay fallen,
face-down, in their homes.
38The fate of the people of ʿAd
and Thamud is clear
from [the ruins] of their homes.
Satan made their deeds
seem fair to them,
hindering them from the path,
though they possessed insight.
39Moses came to Korah and Pharaoh
and Haman with clear signs,
but they were proud upon the earth—
still they could not elude Us.
40We seized each of them for his sin.
Against one We sent a hailstorm;
another was gripped by a great blast,
and the other We caused to be
swallowed up by the earth,
and yet another We drowned.
It was not God who wronged them
but they who wronged themselves.
41The parable of those who
take protectors other than God
is the house the spider builds.
It is the frailest of houses—
if only they knew.°
42God knows all
that they call upon besides Him—
for He is Almighty, All Wise.
43Such are the parables
We coin for humankind;
but only those with knowledge
can fathom them.
44God created the heavens and earth
with true purpose—in this is a sign
for those who believe.
SECTION 5
45Recite what was revealed to you
of the Book, and be steadfast in prayer;
prayer forestalls indecency and evil.
Paramount is remembrance of God,
for God knows all that you do.
46And do not argue
with the people of the Book,
except using the best means—unless
it is with the wrongful among them.
And say, “We believe
in what was revealed to us
and what was revealed to you;
our God and your God is One;
and to Him we submit.”
47This is how We sent
to you the Book; those given
the Book before believe in it,
and some of these [pagan Arabs]
believe in it. None but
unbelievers deny Our signs.
48You did not recite from any book
before this, nor did you write it
with your right hand, else
the falsifiers would have doubted.
49No, these are clear signs
in the hearts of those endowed
with knowledge; and none but
the wrongdoers deny Our signs.
50Yet they say,
“Why are signs not sent down
to him from his Lord?”
Say, “The signs are only
with God; and I am only
here to give plain warning.”
51Is it not enough for them
that We have sent down to you
the Book, as recited to them?
In this is a mercy and a reminder
for people who believe.
SECTION 6
52Say, “God suffices as Witness
between me and you;
He knows what is in the heavens
and the earth. And those who
believe in falsehood and deny God
shall be the ones in loss.”
53They taunt you—to hasten
the punishment; had it not been
appointed for a fixed time,
punishment would surely
have come upon them,
and it will come suddenly to them,
while they are unaware.
54They taunt you—to hasten
the punishment;
but hell shall encompass
the disbelievers,
55on the day the punishment
enshrouds them from above,
and from below their very feet—
and He will say, “Taste the deeds
that you have done!”
56My servants, who believe—
My earth is wide indeed,
so worship only Me.
57Every soul shall taste death;
then to Us
you shall be brought back.
58As for those who believe
and do good works,
We shall give them a home
in the garden, in raised halls,
beneath which rivers flow,
to dwell there always—
how superlative the reward
of those who labor,
59those who practice patience,
and trust in their Lord.
60How many are the creatures who
do not shoulder their own provision.
It is God Who provides for them
and for you—
for He is All Hearing, All Knowing.
61If you ask them,
who created the heavens and the earth,
and who controls the sun and moon,
they will surely say, “God.”
So how are they deluded?
62God enlarges or restricts provision
for whom He will of His servants—
God is Knower of all things.
63And if you ask them
who sends down rain from the sky
to give life to the earth after its death,
they will surely say, “God.”
Say, then, “Praise be to God.”
Still, most of them do not discern.
SECTION 7
64What is the life of this world
but amusement and play?
The home of the hereafter
is true life—if only they knew.
65Whenever they set sail by ship,
they call on God, on Him alone,
yet when He delivers them to dry land,
see how they join other gods
with Him in worship.
66Let them be ungrateful
for what We have given them
Let them enjoy themselves—
soon, they shall know.
67Don’t they see that We’ve made
a secure sanctuary, while people are
plucked away all around them?
Do they still believe in falsehood,
ungrateful for the favor of God?
68Who does more wrong
than those who invent
a lie about God,
or deny the truth
when it reaches them?
Is there not in hell a home
for the disbelievers?
69As for those who strive
in Our cause,°
We shall guide them in Our ways,
for God is with the righteous.
 
 
SURA 30
The Byzantines (Al-Rum)
A rare reference to actual historical events, the title of this middle Meccan sura numbering 60 verses refers to Byzantines or Greeks, cited in v. 2. who were enemies of the pre-Islamic Arabs and conquered by the new Muslim polity. God’s promises etched as His signs are repeatedly extolled, providing hope for believers, at the same time that God “sets a seal on the heart of those who don’t know” (v. 59).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Alif Lam Mim.°
2The Empire of the Byzantines
lies defeated
3in a neighboring domain,
yet soon after this defeat
they shall triumph
4within a few years—
God is ever in command,
both before and after—
and on that day
the believers shall rejoice°
5in the help of God.
He helps whom He will,
for He is Almighty,
Ever Merciful.
6God’s promise—He never breaks it.
but most people do not know.
7They know only the surface
of the life of this world, and they
remain heedless of the hereafter.
8Do they not reflect
upon themselves?
God did not create the heavens
and the earth and all
that lies between them
without true purpose
and for an appointed time.
Yet most people deny
that they will meet their Lord.
9Do they not travel
through the earth and observe
how those before them
met their end?
They were stronger than these,
they plowed the earth
and built upon it more than these.
Their messengers came to them [in vain]
with clear proofs—
God did not wrong them
but they wronged themselves.
10Those who did evil
met an evil end, for they
denied the signs of God,
and mocked them.
SECTION 2
11God originates creation
then renews it, then to Him
you shall be returned.°
12On the day when the hour comes,
the guilty shall be in despair.
13None of the gods
they joined with God
shall intercede for them
and they will deny belief
in these gods.°
14On the day when the hour comes,
people will be sorted [into two groups]:
15those who believed
and did good deeds,
will be filled with delight
in a lush meadow,
16while those who disbelieved,
denying Our signs and
the meeting in the hereafter
shall be brought forward
for punishment.
17So hymn the glory of God
when you reach evening and rise at dawn
18—praise be to Him throughout
the heavens and earth—
and in your late afternoons
as well as your midday hour.°
19He brings the living from
the dead, and the dead from
the living, and brings the earth
to life after its death. Likewise,
you shall be brought back
[to life after death].
SECTION 3
20Among His signs is that
He created you from dust, then,
see, you became humans,
scattered wide.
21And among His signs is that
He created partners for you
from among yourselves,
to live serenely with them;
and He placed between you
love and mercy.
In this are signs
for a discerning people.
22And among His signs is
the creation of the heavens
and the earth, the diversity
in your languages and colors.
In this are signs
for people who know.°
23And among His signs
is that you sleep by night and
seek His bounty by day.
In this are signs
for people who hear.
24Among His signs—
He shows you the lightning,
that engenders fear and hope, and
he sends down rain from the sky
bringing life to the earth
after its death.
In this are signs
for people who reason.
25Among His signs is that
the heaven and the earth
stand by His command, then
once He calls you—see,
you shall come forward.
26To Him belong
all in the heavens
and on the earth—
and all obey Him.
27He originates creation,
then renews it;
this is most easy for Him,
He is beyond analogy
in the heavens and the earth,
for he is Almighty, All Wise.
SECTION 4
28He coins for you this analogy
from your own lives: Do you make
your slaves your partners, with
equal part in what we gave you?
Do you fear them as you fear
one another? This is how
We clarify Our signs°
for a people who reason.
29Yet the wrongdoers follow
their own desires, without knowledge.
And who will guide those
whom God allows to stray?
They shall have none to help them.
30So set your sights, upright,
toward the true faith,° the nature°
from which God created humankind.
No change can there be
in God’s creation.
This is the upright faith,
but most of humankind don’t know.
31Turn to Him, and
be mindful of Him;
be steadfast in prayer,
and don’t be one of those
who join other gods with God,
32nor those who sunder
their religion, becoming sects,
each party exulting
in what it has.
33When calamity strikes people,
they call upon their Lord, turning
to Him. Then, when he lets them
savor His mercy, some of them
join other gods with Him,
34ungrateful for what
We have given them.
Enjoy yourselves, then—
for soon you shall know.
35Did We reveal to them any authority,
sanctioning the partners
they join with God?
36When We let people savor Our mercy,
they rejoice in it.
But if some evil befalls them
—wrought by their own hands—
see how they despair.
37Don’t they see that God
enlarges or restricts provision
for whom He will? In this
are signs for people who believe.
38So give what is due
to relatives, the poor,
and the traveler.
This is better for those
who seek the Face of God—
it is they who shall flourish.
39What you lend with usury
to reap interest through
the wealth of others
shall reap no interest with God.
But what you give in charity,
seeking the Face of God,
shall be multiplied.
40It is God Who created you,
then gave you sustenance;
He will bring you to death, then to life.
Can any of the gods you join with Him
do any of these things? Glory be to Him,
and exalted is He over
the gods they join with Him.
SECTION 5
41Corruption has surfaced
on land and sea, through
the hands of humankind,
and He will let them taste the [fruits]
of some of their deeds,
that they might return [to Him].
42Say, “Travel through the earth
and observe what was the end
of those before you.
Most of them joined
other gods with God.”
43So direct your face
toward the steadfast faith,
before there comes from God
a day that cannot be averted.
On that day, humankind
will be divided—
44as for those who disbelieved—
their disbelief will stand against them;
while those who did good deeds
make provision for themselves,
45so that out of His bounty
He may reward those
who believed and did good deeds
for He does not love
those who disbelieve.
46Among His signs is that
He sends the winds, bearing joyous news,
so you might savor His mercy.
Your ships sail by His leave,
so you may seek His bounty,
and be grateful.
47And We sent, before you,
messengers to their own peoples,
coming to them with clear proofs.
We requited those who sinned—
It is always Our province
to help those who believe.
48It is God Who sends
the winds that raise up the clouds,
which He spreads across the sky
as He will, bursting them
into fragments; you see the rain
pouring from within their midst,
and when he makes it fall
upon His servants, as He will—
see how they rejoice,
49though before—before
it was sent down upon them—
they were in despair.
50Consider then the traces
of God’s mercy, how He gives life
to the earth after its death.
He is Restorer of life to the dead,
and He has Power over all things.
51Yet, if We sent a [scorching] wind
so they saw their crops all yellowed,
they would still disbelieve.°
52Prophet, you cannot
make the dead hear, nor can you
make the deaf hear your call
when they turn their backs to you,
53nor can you guide the blind
from their straying. The only ones
you can make hear are those
who believe in Our signs,
those who submit to Our will.°
SECTION 6
54It is God Who
created you weak,
then gave you strength,
then made you weak again
with gray hair.
He creates what He will,
for He is All Knowing,
All Powerful.
55On the day when the hour comes,
the sinners will swear that they
lingered but an hour [on earth]—
they were always deluded like this.
56Those given knowledge and faith
will say, “Actually, you lingered,
by God’s decree until
the day of resurrection.
The day of resurrection is now,
but you—you did not know.”
57On that day
the wrongdoers’ excuses
won’t help them,
nor can they beg
to make amends.
58We have contrived in this Quran,
every kind of parable for humankind—
yet if you bring them a sign,
the unbelievers declare,
“You are merely falsifiers.”
59In this way God sets a seal
on the hearts of those who don’t know.
60So, be patient. God’s promise
is true. And do not let those
who lack all conviction
lighten your resolve.
 
 
SURA 31
Luqman (Luqman)
A pre-Islamic wise man or sage, Luqman appears only here in the Quran. The heart of this middle or late Meccan sura of 34 verses is the section of advice given by Luqman to his son, featured in vv. 12–19.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Alif Lam Mim.°
2These are verses
of the wise Book,
3a guide and mercy
for those who do good,
4who are steadfast in prayer,
give in charity, and
are certain of the hereafter.
5It is they who are rightly
guided by their Lord—
they who will succeed.
6But among the people, there’s a person
who invests in idle tales°—without knowledge—
to mislead people, away from God’s path,
seeking to mock it. Shameful torment awaits him.
7When Our signs are recited to him,
he turns away in pride, as if he hadn’t
heard them, as if his ears
were weighed down in deafness.°
Warn him, then, of painful torment.
8Those who believe and do good deeds,
shall enter gardens of bliss,
9to live there forever.
God’s promise is true—
He is Almighty, All Wise.
10He created the heavens [raised up]
with no visible supports;
He set upon the earth firm mountains
so it would not quake beneath you;
He spread throughout it animals
of all kinds; and We sent down
rain from the sky, so that fine plants
of all kinds might bloom in pairs.
11All of this is God’s creation;
now show Me what those other gods
have created—the wrongdoers
are clearly mistaken.
SECTION 2
12We gave Luqman wisdom:
“Be thankful to God—
whoever gives thanks,
does so for his own sake,
and as for the thankless—
[they should know that] God
is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.”
13Luqman cautioned his son,
“My son, don’t worship any
but God, for joining gods
with the One God
is a great wrong.”
14And We commanded people
to honor their parents;
their mothers bore them,
strain upon strain, weaning them
after two years—Be thankful, then,
to Me and to your parents,
for your destination ends with Me.
15But if your parents urge you
to join other gods with Me
—about whom you know nothing—
don’t obey them. However,
be kind companions to them
in this world while following
the path of those who turn to Me—
to Me you shall return,
and I shall inform you
of all you have done.
16“My son,” said Luqman,
“if even the slightest thing
—like a mustard seed°—
were hidden in a rock, or
anywhere in the heavens or earth,
God would bring it into sight,
for He is Subtle, All Aware.
17“My son, be steadfast in prayer,
commend what is right,
and forbid what is wrong;
endure with patience
whatever befalls you—
this is the true resolve
in all affairs.
18“And don’t shun people,
turning your face away from them;
nor walk haughtily upon the earth,
for God does not like
the proud and boastful.
19“Walk in a modest way,°
and lower your voice,
for the harshest of voices
is the braying of an ass.”°
SECTION 3
20Don’t you see that God
has subdued [to your use]
all that is in the heavens,
and all that is on the earth,
that He has multiplied
His blessings upon you,
both seen and unseen?
Yet some people dispute over God,
without knowledge, or guidance,
or recourse to an illuminating book.°
21And when they are told,
“Follow what God has revealed,”
they say, “No. We’ll follow
the ways of our fathers.”°
Really? Even if Satan
were beckoning them to the
torment of blazing fire?
22Whoever submits wholly to God,
and does good, has surely grasped
the securest handhold—
for all affairs are concluded in God.
23And don’t be grieved
by the disbelief of those
who deny: to Us they shall return,
and We shall inform them
of all that they did.
God is Aware of all
that their hearts contain.
24We grant them enjoyment
for a while, but then
We shall force them
into harsh torment.
25If you ask them who created
the heavens and the earth,
they will say, “God.”
Say, “Praise be to God.”
Yet most of them don’t know.
26To God belongs all
that is in the heavens and earth.
God is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.
27If all the trees on earth
were pens, and the seas were ink,
with seven more seas beyond,
still the Word° of God
would not be exhausted.
God is Almighty, All Wise.
28Nor was the creation
and resurrection of you all
any more for Him
than that of a single soul.
God is All Hearing, All Seeing.
29Do you not see how
God fades night into day,
and day into night,
and holds sway over sun
and moon, each sailing in
its own domain for its
ordained term?
And that God is Aware
of all that you do?
30All of this is because
God is the Truth, and those
they invoke besides Him
are false; and because God
is Most High, Most Great.
SECTION 4
31Do you not see that
ships sail upon the sea
by God’s grace, that He might
show you His signs?
In this are signs for all
who are patient, and all
who are grateful.
32When a towering wave hangs
over them, like a darkened vault,
they call upon God, with sincere
faith in Him; but once We deliver
them safely on land, some begin
to waver. Only the treacherous
and thankless dispute Our signs.
33Humankind, be mindful
of your Lord, and fearful
of a day when no father
can help his son in anything,
nor any son his father.
The promise of God is true,
so don’t let the life of this world
deceive you, nor let the deceiver
deceive you about God.
34God alone has knowledge
of the hour. It is He
Who sends down rain, and He
Who knows what is closed within
the womb. No soul knows what
it will reap tomorrow,
nor does any soul know
in which land it will die.
God is All Knowing,
All Aware.
 
 
SURA 32
Prostration (Al-Sajda)
A late Meccan sura of 30 verses, it extols the act of prostration (v. 15), which characterizes the believers, those who fall down, prostrate, in praise of God when they “are reminded of” His verses.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Alif Lam Mim.°
2This is the revelation
of the Book—free of doubt—
from the Lord of the universe.
3Yet they ask, “Has he forged it?”
No—it is the truth from your Lord,
so you might warn a people
warned by none before you,°
so they might be guided.
4It is God Who created
the heavens and the earth,
and all between them, in six days,
then set Himself upon the throne.
You have no protector or intercessor
beside Him—so will you not heed?
5He oversees all things
from heaven to earth.
All things shall rise to Him,
on a day which spans
a thousand years in your counting.
6This is the Knower
of the unseen and seen—
the Almighty, Ever Merciful,
7He Who perfected in its excellence
each thing that He created. He began
the creation of humankind from clay,
8then made its offspring
from the essence of a lowly fluid.
9He then proportioned it,
and breathed into it His Spirit;
and He gave you
hearing, seeing, and feeling°—
though little do you give thanks.
10And they say, “When we
are buried beneath the earth,
will we be created anew?”
Yes, the disbelievers
deny the meeting with their Lord.
11Say, “The angel of death
in charge of you shall take you;
then, you shall be returned
to your Lord.”
SECTION 2
12If only you could see how
the sinners will hang their heads
before their Lord, saying, “Our Lord,
we have seen and we have heard.
So send us back, and we will do
good deeds—for now we are certain.”
13Had We wished, We could have
given guidance to each soul.
But My words will come true,
“I will fill up hell with jinn
and humans—all together.
14“Taste, then—for you forgot
the meeting on this day of yours,
and We too will forget you—
taste the eternal punishment
for what you have done.”
15Only those people believe
in Our verses who, when
they are reminded of them,
fall down, prostrate, and
glorify their Lord with praise—
for they are not too proud.
16They° forsake their beds
to call upon their Lord, in fear and
in hope; and they spend in charity
from what we have given them.
17Nobody knows
what joy and comfort
lie hidden for them in reward
for what they have done.
18Is a person who believes
like a person who is defiant?
They are not the same.
19Those who believe and do good deeds,
shall have gardens as their home,
a reward for what they have done.
20As for those who still disobey,
their home shall be the fire.
Whenever they wish to escape it,
they shall be brought back to it,
and told, “Taste the torment of fire—
which you always denied.”
21And We shall make them taste
the nearer torment [of this life]
before the ultimate torment, so they
might return [to the straight path].
22Who does more wrong
than those who turn away
when the verses of their Lord
are recited to them?
We shall requite the sinners.
SECTION 3
23We gave the Book to Moses,
so be in no doubt, Prophet,
about receiving it—
We made it a guide
for the children of Israel.
24We made leaders among them,
giving guidance by Our command,
for they were patient,
and assured of Our signs.
25Your Lord will judge between them
on the day of resurrection
in the things they dispute.
26Will they not learn from
the number of generations
We destroyed before them,
in whose homes they now tread?
In this are signs—
so will they not listen?
27And do they not see that
We drive the rain to parched soil,
and bring from it crops from which
they and their livestock eat?
So will they not see?
28And they say,
“When will this verdict come,
if you are speaking the truth?”
29Say, “On the day of the verdict,
it will not profit the disbelievers
to then believe—for then
they will be granted no respite.”
30So turn away from them, and wait—
they too are waiting.
 
 
SURA 33
The Allied Forces (Al-Ahzab)
A Medinan sura, this takes its name from the forces who opposed Muhammad and his followers at the Battle of the Trench, which took place in 627, five years after the hijra, the exodus from Mecca to Medina. Elements of that encounter occupy vv. 9–27 while the remainder of its 73 verses deal with kinship and covenant (vv. 4–8) and guidelines for regulating behavior in general but also among Muhammad’s wives (vv. 28–60). Perhaps the most memorable verse occurs toward the end, in v. 72, when the burden of moral trust is refused by all except humankind who “bore it, being unjust and ignorant.”
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Prophet, be mindful
of God, and do not heed
the unbelievers and hypocrites.
God is All Knowing, All Wise.
2Rather, follow what is
revealed to you from your Lord—
God is Aware of all that you do.
3And trust in God,
for God suffices as Guardian.
4God has not made two hearts
within any man;
nor has He made your wives
—whom you liken
to your mothers°—
your actual mothers;
nor has He made
your adopted sons your actual sons.°
Such is the talk that comes
out of your mouths.
But God speaks the truth,
and He guides to the path.
5Name [your adopted sons]
after their fathers; this is more just
in the sight of God. But if
you do not know their fathers,
[treat them as] your brothers
in religion, as relatives.°
There is no blame on you
if you err in this—only for
what your hearts intend.
For God is Forgiving,
Ever Merciful.
6The Prophet is closer to believers
than they are to themselves,
and his wives are their mothers.
And blood relatives are closer,
in God’s decree, than other believers
and emigrants, though you should
still treat your friends with kindness.°
This is written in the Book.
7And We took a pledge
from the prophets, as from you,
from Noah, Abraham, Moses,
and Jesus, son of Mary—
We took from them a solemn pledge:
8God will question the truthful
about their truthfulness,
and has prepared for disbelievers
a painful punishment.
SECTION 2
9You who believe, remember
God’s favor to you when legions
descended upon you°—We sent
against them a mighty wind
and legions beyond your seeing.
For God Sees all that you do.
10When they came upon you
from above you and below,
your eyes were frantic [with fear],
your hearts swelled into
your throats, and you started
to harbor doubts about God.
11There the believers were tested
and shaken—severely.
12The hypocrites and the sick in heart
said, “God and His messenger
promised us nothing but delusion.”
13A party of them urged,
“People of Yathrib,° you cannot
withstand the onslaught, so retreat!”
And a group of them asked
the Prophet’s permission to retreat,
saying, “Our homes lie exposed”
—though they were not—
they merely wanted to flee.
14Had the city been
breached from all sides,
had they been urged to rebel,
they would have done so
with barely a qualm.
15Yet they had already pledged
to God not to turn their backs—
one is always answerable
for a pledge to God.
16Prophet, tell them,
“Fleeing won’t help you.
Even if you flee from death
or killing, you’ll be granted
but a brief respite.”
17Say, “Who can shield you
from God whether He intends
ill for you or mercy?”
Nor will they find, besides God,
any protector or helper.
18God knows those among you
who hold others back,
and those who say to their brothers
“Come and join us,” those who
barely come out to fight,
19begrudging you [their help].
Yet, when fear overcomes them,
you’ll see them looking to you,
their eyes rolling, as if shadowed
by death. And once fear leaves them
they abuse you sharply with their tongues,
begrudging in doing good.
These are the ones who never believe,
hence God makes vain their deeds—
that is always easy for God.
20They think the allied forces°
have not gone; and if those allies
should come, they would wish
they were nomads
among the Bedouin Arabs,
asking for news of you° [from afar].
Even if they were with you,
they would hardly fight.
SECTION 3
21You have an excellent example
in the messenger of God—
for those who repose their hope
in God and the last day,
and remember Him often.
22When they saw the allied forces,
the believers said, “This is what God
and His messenger promised;
what God and His messenger
said was true,” and it only increased
their faith and submission to God.
23Among the believers
are men who remained true
to their covenant with God;
and among them are those
who fulfilled their vow;° also
among them are those who still wait—
who have not reformed at all.
24Accordingly, God will reward
the truthful for remaining truthful,
and punish the hypocrites, if He will,
or turn to them, relenting.
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
25God repulsed the disbelievers
in their rage,° and they made no gain.
God suffices for the believers in war,
for God is Powerful, Almighty.
26He cast down from their strongholds
the people of the Book who helped them
and He cast terror into their hearts.
A group of them you slew,
and another you took captive;
27and He made you heirs
to their land, their homes,
and their possessions—
a land where you
had not set foot before—
for God has Power over all things.
SECTION 4
28Prophet, say to your wives,
“If you yearn for the life
of this world, and its ornament,
then come, I will provide
for you and release you
with a handsome allowance.
29“But if you yearn for God
and His messenger,
and the home of the hereafter,
God has prepared a great reward
for those of you who do good.”
30Wives of the Prophet,
whoever among you
commits obvious indecency
shall be doubly punished—
that is always easy for God.
31Whoever among you
obeys God and His messenger
and does good works,
We shall grant her a double reward—
We have prepared
a noble provision for her.
32Wives of the Prophet, you
are not like any other women.
If you are mindful of God,
do not be too soft in speech
—or those sick in their hearts
might be moved with desire—
so speak with propriety.
33Remain in your homes,
and refrain from adorning yourselves
in display, as in the former time
of [pagan] ignorance.
Be steadfast in prayer, give in charity,
and obey God and His messenger.
God wishes only to remove
all abomination from you, people
of the [Prophet’s] household,
and to perfect you in purity.
34And remember what is
recited in your homes
from the verses of God
and His Wisdom.
God is Ever Subtle, All Aware.
SECTION 5
35For men and women
who submit to the will of God—
believing men and women,
obedient men and women,
truthful men and women,
patient men and women,
men and women with humility,
men and women who give in charity,
who fast, who guard their chastity,
who remember God often—
for all of these God has prepared
forgiveness and a great reward.
36It is not fitting for
any believing man or woman
to claim choice in any matter
where God and His messenger
have ruled. For whoever disobeys
God and His messenger
has clearly gone astray.
37When you said to the one
whom God and you had favored,
“Keep your wife, and be mindful
of God,” you kept in your heart
what God would reveal.
You feared the people, but God
has a greater right to your fear.
So when Zayd ended his marriage
to her, with due procedure,
We gave his wife to you
so there would be no blame
on believers for marrying the wives
of their adopted sons once they have
ended their marriage with them,
with due procedure.
God’s command will be fulfilled.°
38There can be no blame
upon the Prophet in what
God has ruled for him.
This was God’s way
with those who passed before
—for God’s command is ordained—
39and with those who convey
the message of God, who fear Him,
fearing none but God—
God suffices as Reckoner.
40Muhammad is not father
to any among your men,
but is the messenger of God,
the seal of the prophets°—
God is Knower of all things.
SECTION 6
41You who believe,
remember God often,
42and glorify Him
morning and evening.
43It is He Who bestows
blessings upon you, as do
His angels, to bring you
from darkness to the light,
for He is Ever Merciful
to the believers.
44Their greeting on the day
they meet him will be “Peace.”
And He has prepared for them
a noble reward.
45Prophet, We have sent you
as a witness, a bearer of joyous news,
and one who gives warning;
46as one who calls to God,
by His leave, as a lamp,
whose light shines.
47So give the believers
joyous news that they
shall have from God
a great favor.
48And don’t heed the disbelievers
and hypocrites. Ignore the harm
they wrought, and trust in God,
for God suffices as Guardian.
49You who believe,
when you marry believing women,
then divorce them before touching them,
you should impose no “waiting period”°
but give them due provision
and release them
with a handsome allowance.
50Prophet, We made lawful to you
the wives whose bridal gift you paid,
and those God gave you
to own as captives;
the daughters of your paternal
uncles and aunts;
the daughters of your maternal
uncles and aunts, who emigrated
with you; any believing woman
who dedicates herself to the Prophet
and whom he wishes to wed—this is
for you only, not for other believers.
We know precisely what we have
made obligatory for them
concerning their wives and those
whom they own as captives—so that
no blame will fall upon you.
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
51You may defer [a wife’s turn]
and receive any of [your wives]
as you wish. Nor will you be
at fault if you take one that you
had set aside. This is more likely
to comfort them, so they
will not be vexed, and will all be
content with what you give them.
For God knows what is in your hearts.
And God is All Knowing, Forbearing.
52It is not lawful for you, Prophet,
to marry more women after this,
nor to exchange them for [other] wives,
even though their beauty may allure you—
except those you own as servants.
God is Ever Watchful over all things.
SECTION 7
53You who believe, do not enter
the Prophet’s apartments for a meal,
awaiting its due time, without his leave.
But when you are invited, enter,
and when you have eaten, disperse,
and don’t stay to indulge in talk,
for that would offend the Prophet,
and he would refrain from asking you
to leave. But God does not refrain
from speaking the truth. And when
you ask [his wives] for something,
ask from behind a screen—
that is purer for your hearts and theirs.
It is not fitting for you
to offend the messenger of God,
or ever to marry his wives after him—
something gross in the sight of God.
54Whether you reveal something
or conceal it—God Knows all things.
55There is no blame
on the Prophet’s wives [if
they appear before] their fathers, °
their sons, their brothers,
their brother’s sons,
their sister’s sons,
their women, or those they own.
[Wives of the Prophet]:
Be mindful of God,
for God is Witness to all things.
56God and His angels
invoke blessings on the Prophet;
So, you who believe, you also
invoke blessings on him,
and meet him
with greetings of peace.
57As for those who offend God
and His messenger—
God has renounced them
in this world and the hereafter,
and has prepared for them
a humiliating punishment.
58As for those who unduly offend
believing men and women—
they bring upon themselves
calumny and flagrant sin.
SECTION 8
59Prophet, tell your wives,
daughters, and believing women
to wrap their robes
about them in public;
this is most appropriate
so they will be known
and not open to offense.
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
60If the hypocrites,
the sick in heart,
and rumormongers in the city
don’t desist,
We will rouse you against them
and they won’t stay long in it
as your neighbors,
61and will be cursed.
Wherever they are found,
they will be taken
and executed.
62This was God’s way
with those who passed before;
and you will find no change
in God’s way.
63People ask you about the hour.
Say, “Knowledge of that
lies with God alone.”
And how could you know this?
Perhaps the hour draws near.
64God has cursed the disbelievers,
and has prepared for them a blazing fire,
65where they shall stay forever;
they shall find no protector,
nor any helper.
66That day, their faces
will be turned around in the fire;
they will say, “If only
we had obeyed God
and obeyed the messenger.”
67And they will say,
“Our Lord, we in fact obeyed
our chiefs and our great ones,
and they led us astray
from the path.
68“Our Lord, double
their punishment, and curse
them with a great curse.”
SECTION 9
69You who believe,
don’t be like those
who offended Moses,
whom God absolved
of their charges,
and was honored
in the sight of God.
70You who believe,
be mindful of God, and speak
in a forthright manner,
71that He might reform
your deeds and forgive your sins.
Whoever obeys God
and His messenger
has surely gained a great victory.
72We offered the [burden
of moral] trust
to the heavens and the earth
and the mountains, but
they refused to bear it,
fearing it.°
Yet humankind bore it,
being unjust and ignorant,
73so God will punish
hypocritical men and women,
and idolatrous men and women,
but God will turn in mercy to
the believing men and women—
for God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
 
 
SURA 34
Sheba (Sabaʾ)
This late Meccan sura of 54 verses warns of judgment, death, and disaster, citing David and Solomon as forewarners, with the people of Sheba in Yemen their primary audience (vv. 15–21).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1All praise be to God,
to Whom belongs
all that is the heavens and
all that is on the earth;
to Whom belongs
all praise in the hereafter—
He is All Wise, All Aware.
2He knows all that goes into the earth
and all that comes out of it,
all that comes down from the sky
and all that goes up to it—
He is Ever Merciful, Forgiving.
3The unbelievers say,
“The hour shall never fall upon us.”
Tell them, “No! It will
befall you—by my Lord,
Knower of the unseen,
Whom even an atom’s weight
cannot escape, in the heavens or earth,
nor anything smaller or greater,
for all is recorded in a clear Book
4“so He might reward those who believe
and do good deeds: they shall know
forgiveness and a rich provision.”
5Those who strive against Our signs,
trying to undermine them
shall face painful torment.
6Those who were granted knowledge
of what your Lord revealed to you
see that it is the truth,
which guides to the path
of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy.
7The unbelievers say,
“Shall we show you a man
who tells you that when
you are wholly decomposed,
you’ll be re-created anew?
8“Has he invented a falsehood
about God, or is he mad?”
No—those who disbelieve
in the hereafter
shall face punishment,
for they are far astray.
9Don’t they see what lies before them
and behind them, in heaven and earth?
If We willed, We could make the earth
swallow them, or fragments of sky
fall on them. In this is a sign
for every servant who turns to God.
SECTION 2
10We graced David with Our favor,
“You mountains, hymn with David
Our praise, and you birds too!”
And we made iron pliable for him,
11saying, “Make armor of chain mail,
measuring the links correctly,
and do righteous deeds,
for I See all that you do.”
12We subdued the wind to Solomon;
its morning journey took a month,
its evening course a month.
And We made to flow for him
a fountain of molten brass,
and some jinn worked for him
with their Lord’s leave,
but if any turned from Our command,
We made them taste
the torment of blazing fire.
13They worked to make him all
that he wanted: places of worship,
statues, basins large as cisterns,
and anchored cauldrons.
“Work, people of David, with gratitude,
for few of my servants are grateful.”
14When We decreed Solomon’s death,
nothing showed the jinn that he was dead
except an earthworm gnawing at his staff.
So, when he fell down, it was clear to them—
had they known what is in the unseen,
they would not have remained
in degrading torment [of this labor].
15There was a sign for Sheba’s people
in their own home—two gardens,
right and left: “Eat of what your Lord
has provided, and be thankful to Him—
a good land and a Forgiving Lord.”
16But they turned away, so We sent
upon them a flood from the dam,°
replacing their two gardens
with two others bearing bitter fruit,
tamarisks, and a few lote-trees.
17This is how We rewarded them,
for they were ungrateful—
and who but the ungrateful
would We reward like this?
18Also, We placed between them
and the towns We had blessed,
other towns, clearly visible,
between which We placed easy stages:
“Travel through them safely,
by night and by day.”
19But they said, “Our Lord,
lengthen the stages of our journeys,”°
and they wronged themselves.
So We made an exemplary tale
of them, scattering them into fragments.
In this are signs for all
who are patient and thankful.
20Iblis proved his view of them
to be true,° for they followed him
—all but a group of believers—
21though he would have had
no authority over them—
only so that We might show
who believes in the hereafter,
and who is in doubt over it,
for your Lord is Guardian
over all things.
SECTION 3
22Say, “Call on those you claim
besides God—they don’t control
even an atom’s weight in either
the heavens or the earth; they hold
no share in either,
nor can any of them help Him.
23“No intercession can help with Him
except by those He allows.”
Once fear is driven from their hearts
they’ll ask the intercessors,
“What did your Lord say?”
They’ll answer, “The truth,
for He is Most High, Most Great.”
24Say, “Who gives you provision
from the heavens and the earth?”
Say, “It is God. And either we or you
are rightly guided, while [the other]
has clearly gone astray.”
25Say, “You won’t be questioned
about the sins we committed,
nor will we be questioned
about what you did.”
26Say, “Our Lord shall gather us
together and shall decide justly
between us, for He is the Judge,°
the All Knowing.”
27Say, “Show me the gods
you have joined with Him—
no—He alone is God,
the Almighty, the Wise.”
28We sent you as a messenger
to all peoples, only to bring
joyous news as well as warning;
but most people won’t understand.
29They say, “When will this promise
come to pass,
if you are speaking the truth?”
30Say, “Your meeting [with God]
is on a day
that you can’t put back or forward—
even by one hour.”
SECTION 4
31The disbelievers say,
“We shall never believe this Quran
or what came before it.”
If you could see the wrongdoers,
arrayed before their Lord,
flinging back rebukes on one another.
The oppressed will accuse
their oppressors, “If not for you,
we would have been believers.”
32The oppressors will reply
to the oppressed, “Was it we
who kept you from true guidance
after it had come to you?
No, you were sinners.”
33The oppressed will rejoin, “No,
it was your scheming, night and day,
urging° us not to believe in God
and to set up equals beside Him.”
When they see the punishment,
they will feel inward remorse,
and We shall shackle the necks
of the disbelievers.
How should they be rewarded
except for what they did?
34Whenever We sent someone
to warn a town, its wealthy people
would say, “We don’t believe
in the message you’re sent with.”
35And they would say,
“We have more wealth and children,
and we won’t be punished.”
36Say, “My Lord enlarges provision
or restricts it for whom He will,
yet most people don’t know.”
SECTION 5
37It is not your wealth or children
that will bring you close to Us,
only those who believe
and do good deeds—they shall reap
a double reward for their deeds
and high mansions, safe [in paradise].
38Those who strive against Our signs,
trying to undermine them
shall be brought for punishment.
39Say, “My Lord grants more or less
to whom He will of his servants;
and whatever you spend
[in His cause], He will restore,
for He is the Best of Providers.”
40One day He shall gather them
all together, and ask the angels,
“Were these the ones
who used to worship you?”
41They will say, “Glory be to You—
You are our Protector, not they.
In fact, they worshipped the jinn,
and most believed in them.”
42And on this day,
none of you will have power
to help or harm the others,
and We shall say to the wrongdoers,
“Taste the torment of fire—
which you denied.”
43When Our clear signs
are recited to them, they sneer,
“This is just a man who wants
to bar you from what your fathers
worshipped,” and they jeer,
“This is just a lie, concocted.”
Even when the truth comes their way,
unbelievers say, “This is plain magic”
44—though We had not given them
any books to study,
nor sent anyone to warn them.
45Those before them also denied,
and these people have achieved
not a tenth of what We gave them.
When they denied My messengers,
[see] how I rejected them!
SECTION 6
46Say, “I counsel you
on one thing only: stand before God,
in pairs or individually, and reflect:
your companion is not possessed;
he simply warns you
of impending, severe torment.”
47Say, “I ask of no reward
from you—it is all for you.
My only reward is from God,
for He is Witness to all things.”
48Say, “My Lord casts down
the truth before you—
Knower of the unseen.”
49Say, “The truth has come,
and falsehood can neither
originate nor resurrect a thing.”
50Say, “If I am astray, it is to my loss,
but if I am rightly guided,
it is by what my Lord reveals to me.
He is All Hearing, Ever Near.”
51If you could see how terrified
they will be—there shall be no escape,
when they are seized from a nearby place.°
52And they will say,
“We believe in it now,”
but how can they attain it
from such a distant place,°
53since they denied it before
and conjectured about the unseen
from that distant place?
54A barrier shall be imposed
between them and their desires,
as was done with their kind before,
for they have always been
deep in grave doubt.°
 
 
SURA 35
The Originator (Fatir)
Another late Meccan sura, this stresses human moral responsibility in response to recognition of, and gratitude for, creation (hence the title). The Book of God is extolled as the resource and reminder for both rewards and punishments, with the latter underscored as the outcome for evil schemers in the final verses (vv. 42–45).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1All praise be to God, Originator
of the heavens and the earth, Maker
of the angels, messengers with wings,
two, three, or four pairs.
He adds to His creation what He will;
He has Power over all things.
2Whatever mercy God bestows
on humankind, none can withhold;
and what He withholds,
none can disburse,
for He is Almighty, All Wise.
3Humankind, call to mind
God’s favor to you—
is there a creator besides God
who provides for you
from the heavens or the earth?
There is no god but Him—
so how can you be deluded?
4And if they deny you,
messengers before you
were likewise denied.
All matters fall back to God
for resolution.
5People, God’s promise is true,
so never let the life of this world
deceive you, nor let the deceiver
deceive you about God.
6Satan is your enemy,
so treat him as one.
He calls his supporters—
though only to be inmates
of the blazing fire.
7Those who disbelieve
shall face severe torment;
but those who believe
and do good deeds shall see
forgiveness and a rich reward.
SECTION 2
8What of the person whose bad deed
seems alluring, good to them?
God leaves to stray whom He will
and He guides whom He will.
Prophet, don’t weigh down your soul
with remorse for them,
for God Knows all that they do.
9It is God Who sends the winds
to stir up the clouds, and
We drive them to dead land
to bring life to the earth after its death.
The resurrection will be just like this.
10Whoever seeks honor—[know that]
all honor belongs to God. To Him
rises up all the good that is spoken°
and He raises up each good deed.
But those who scheme evil things
shall face severe torment
and their schemes shall perish.
11God created you from dust,
then a drop of sperm, then made you
into pairs. No female conceives
or gives birth without His knowing.
No life is lengthened or shortened
that is not recorded in the Book.
All this is easy for God.
12The two seas are not alike,
one fresh, sweet, pleasing to drink,
the other brinish and bitter.
Yet from each you eat fresh meat,
and retrieve gems to wear;
and you see ships streaming
through the seas, that you might seek
His bounty—and be grateful.
13He fades night into day
and day into night, and subdues
sun and moon, each sailing
in its own orbit for a fixed term.
This is God, your Lord, to Whom
belongs all dominion. And the gods
on whom you call besides Him
control nothing—not even
the membrane of a date seed.
14If you call them,
they don’t hear your call,
and if they heard it,
they would not answer you.
On the day of resurrection,
they’ll deny your association
of them with God;
and none can better inform you
than the One who is All Aware.
SECTION 3
15Humankind, it is you who need God,
but God is He Who needs no one,
He alone is Praiseworthy.
16If He wishes, He can efface you,
and bring in a new creation—
17and that would not be hard for God.
18No soul can bear another’s burden°
and if a soul with a heavy burden
should call on another to bear its load,
none of its burden can be taken,
even by one who is close in blood.
You can only warn those
who fear their Lord, though unseen,°
and are steadfast in prayer.
Those who purify themselves
do so for their own soul—
the final journey is to God.
19The blind and the seeing
are not alike;
20nor are the depths
of darkness and the light;
21nor are the cool shade
and the heat of the sun;
22nor alike are the living and the dead.
God can make whom He will hear,
but you cannot make
those in their graves hear.
23You are here merely to warn.
24We have sent you with the truth,
to give joyous news and to warn—
no nation was without warning.°
25If they deny you,
earlier peoples did the same—
messengers came to them
with clear signs, scriptures,
and an illuminating Book.
26In the end, I seized the disbelievers—
how dreadful was my reprimand!
SECTION 4
27Don’t you see how God
sends down rain from the sky,
with which We raise fruit
in varying colors?
And the mountains bear tracts
of red and white,
in varied hues, and deep black.
28Likewise, people, wild beasts,
and livestock are in varying colors.
Only those of His servants
with knowledge truly fear God—
God is Almighty, Forgiving.
29Those who recite the Book of God,
are steadfast in prayer, and spend in charity
from what we give them, secretly and openly—
can hope for a commerce that will never fail.
30For He will reward them in full
and give even more from His grace;
He is Forgiving, Appreciating.
31What was revealed to you
from the Book was truth,
confirming what came before it;
God is All Aware,
Seeing everything about His servants.
32We gave the Book as a legacy
to Our servants whom We favored.
Some of them wrong their own souls,
some are moderate, and others
by God’s leave are foremost
in good deeds—the greatest grace.
33They shall enter eternal gardens,
adorned there with bracelets of gold,
and pearls, in robes of silk.
34And they will say, “Praise be to God,
Who removed our sorrow.
Our Lord is Forgiving, Appreciating,”
35“Who, in His grace, settled us
in a lasting home, where no fatigue
or weariness shall fall upon us.”
36But those who disbelieve
shall know the fire of hell,
where no death is decreed for them,
nor relief from its torment.
This is how We reward
every disbeliever.
37There, they will cry out,
“Our Lord, let us out.
We’ll do good deeds—
not those we did before.”
“Did We not give you life
long enough, for those willing
to be heedful, to be warned?°
And someone did come to warn you.
So taste [the reward]—there is none
to help the wrongdoers.”
SECTION 5
38God Knows all that is unseen
in the heavens and the earth;
He Knows all that lies
in human hearts.
39It is He who made you
regents on the earth.°
The ungrateful will pay
for their ingratitude;°
it adds only to their odium
in the sight of their Lord,
and to their loss.
40Say, “Have you seen the gods
you invoke besides God?
Show me what they’ve created
on the earth.
Or, do they have a share
in the heavens?
Or, have We given them a Book,
on which they can ground
clear proofs?
No—the wrongdoers promise
one another
nothing but delusion.”
41It is God Who keeps
the heavens and earth
in their ceaseless being;
and if they should cease,
none beyond Him could stop this.
He is Forbearing, Most Forgiving.
42Swearing by God the strongest
of their oaths, they claimed that
if someone came to warn them,
they would be more rightly guided
than other nations.
Yet when someone did come,
it only increased their aversion
43because of their pride on earth
and their evil scheming.
But their scheming shall confound them.
Do they expect anything
But the fate of earlier peoples?
You will never find any change
or variation in God’s way.
44Have they not traveled
through the land and seen
the fate of those before them—
though they were more powerful?
God is not to be frustrated
by anything in the heavens
or on the earth—
He is All Knowing, All Powerful.
45If God took people to task
for the deeds they earned,
he would not leave any creature
on the face of the earth.
But He gives them respite
for a fixed term,
and when that term expires
[they will know that]
He Sees everything
about His servants.
 
 
SURA 36
Ya Sin (Ya Sin)
A middle Meccan sura, this takes its name from the initial and perplexing letters that mark it, as they do twenty-eight other suras. After the initial sura, “The Opening,” it is perhaps the most liturgically important sura in the entire Quran. With its accent on the afterlife in the last part (vv. 51–83), it provides the fitting recitation for someone who has died, and its verses are often spontaneously recited by a devout Muslim on hearing of another’s demise.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Ya Sin.°
2By the wise Quran,
3you, Prophet, are truly
one of the messengers
4on a straight path.
5It is a revelation sent down from
the Almighty, the Ever Merciful,
6that you might warn a people
whose forefathers had no warning,
who therefore are heedless.
7Sentence has been passed
on most of them,
for they won’t believe—
8We placed yokes
around their necks,
drawn up to their chins,
forcing up their heads,
9and We placed a barrier
before them and behind them,
and shrouded them so
they cannot see.
10It’s the same to them
whether you warn them or not—
they won’t believe.
11You can warn only those
who follow the message and fear
the All Merciful, though unseen.°
So give joyous news to them,
of forgiveness and a noble reward.
12We bring the dead back to life,
and We transcribe all the deeds
they send before them
and all they leave behind,
and We have accounted all things
in a clear record.
13Coin for them a parable,
of a people to whose town
messengers came.
SECTION 2
14When We sent two messengers°
to them, they denied them both.
So We reinforced them with a third,
and they declared,
“We have been sent
as messengers to you.”
15The people said,
“You’re merely humans like us,
and the All Merciful
has not sent anything.
You are just lying.”
16They said, “Our Lord knows
that we have been sent
as messengers to you.”
17“And our task is only
to convey [the message] clearly.”
18The people retorted,
“We think you’re an evil omen.
If you don’t desist, we’ll stone you
and subject you to painful torment.”°
19They replied, “Your evil omen
is within yourselves. [Do you say this]
because you have been reminded?
No—you people are given to excess.”
20A man came running from
the outskirts of the city, saying,
“My people, follow the messengers.
21“Follow those
who ask of you no reward,
and who are rightly guided.
22“Why should I not worship Him
Who created me? To Him
you will be returned.
23“Should I take other gods
besides Him? If the All Merciful
intended harm for me,
their intercession could not
help in any way, nor
could they save me.
24“I would clearly be wrong.
25“I believe in your Lord;
so hear me.”
26He was told, “Enter the garden.”°
He said, “If only my people knew
27“how my Lord has forgiven me
and has set me among those
held in honor.”
28We did not send down,
after him, any hosts from heaven
against his people,
nor would We deign to—
29there was but a single blast,
and they were gone.
30Alas, for My servants—
no messenger came to them
whom they did not mock.
31Don’t they see how many
generations before them We destroyed,
so none would come back to them?
32And every one, all together,
will be brought before Us.
SECTION 3
33A sign for them
is the dead earth:
We bring it to life,
and bring from it
grain which they eat.
34And We placed upon it gardens,
with palm groves and grapevines,
We made springs burst forth there,
35so they might eat of its fruit,
which their hands did not make;
will they not, then, be grateful?
36Glory be to Him Who
created in pairs
all that the earth yields,
and their own selves,
and also things of which
they are unaware.
37And a sign for them is the night—
we strip away from it the light of day
so they are left in darkness,
38and the sun, coursing
through her appointed path
by decree of the Almighty,
the All Knowing,
39and the moon, for whom
We ordained phases, so it returns,
curved like a dried, date stalk of old.
40The sun may not outrun the moon,
nor the night outstrip the day—
each glides in its own orbit.
41And a sign for them
is that We bore their offspring
in the loaded ark,
42and We have created for them
such vessels in which they sail.°
43If We wished, We could
drown them, and they would
have no helper,
nor would they be saved,
44except by Our mercy,
for a fleeting reprieve.
45When they are told,
“Have fear of what lies before you
and what lies behind you,
that you might be shown mercy,”
46they turn away from every sign
that comes to them from their Lord;°
47and when they are told,
“Spend in charity from what God
has given you,” those who disbelieve
say to those who believe,
“Should we feed those whom
God could have fed, had He willed?
You are clearly wrong.”
48They say, “When will this promise
[of resurrection] come to pass,
if you are speaking the truth?”
49But they wait [unaware]
only for a single blast,
which will seize them
while they dispute.
50They won’t be able
to disburse any bequest,
or return to their own people.
SECTION 4
51The trumpet shall be sounded,
and behold, how they will hasten
from their graves to their Lord.
52They will say, “Alas for us!
Who has raised us from our place
of sleep?” A voice will answer,°
“This is what the All Merciful promised:
the messengers spoke the truth.”
53It will be but a single blast,
then they shall all
be brought before Us.
54On that day, no soul
shall be wronged in any way,
and you shall be requited
only for what you have done.
55On that day,
the people of the garden
shall be gladly occupied,
56they and their spouses,
in the shade,
reclining on couches.
57There, they shall have fruit,
and all that they ask for.
58“Peace”—the word [of welcome]
from a Lord Ever Merciful.
59It will be said, “This day,
stand apart, you sinners.”
60“Children of Adam,
did I not enjoin you
not to worship Satan,
—for he is your open enemy—
61“and to worship Me?
—this is a straight path.
62“But he led astray
a great many of you—
did you not use reason?
63“This is hell,°
which you were promised.
64“Burn in it, this day,
for you went on disbelieving.”
65This day, We shall seal
their mouths; but their hands
shall speak to Us, and their feet
shall bear witness to what they reaped.
66Had We wished, We could
have extinguished their sight,
then they would grope to find
the path, but how should they see it?
67Had We wished, We could
have transfixed them in their place,
unable to move forward or go back.
SECTION 5
68To whomever We grant long life,
We reverse their faculties—
will they not, then, use reason?
69We have not taught poetry°
to the Prophet, nor is it fitting for him.
This is nothing other than a reminder
and a clear Quran,
70so that those who are living
might be warned, and the Word
can be vindicated
against those who disbelieve.
71Don’t they see that We created for them
—among the things that Our hands have made—
livestock, which they own,
72and which We made tame for them,
some to ride and others to eat?
73And they yield further uses,
and give drink.
So won’t they be thankful?
74Yet they still take
other gods beside God,
hoping they might be helped.
75Those gods have no power
to save them, even if they were
an army assembled.°
76So do not be grieved, Prophet,
by what they say—
We know all that they conceal
and all that they reveal.
77Do human beings not see
that it is We who created them
from a drop of semen? Yet, see,
they are openly adversarial°
78and coin allegories about Us,
forgetting their own creation,
asking, “Who can bring life
to bones that have decomposed?”
79Say, “He will bring life to them
Who first composed them,
for He Knows every creation.
80“It is He who made fire
for you from the green tree,
and see, you light from it
your own fires.”
81Is He Who created the heavens and earth
not able to create the like of human beings?
Of course—for He is the Creator,
the All Knowing.
82When He intends something,
His only command is to say to it:
“Be,” and it is.
83So glory be to Him
in Whose hand is dominion
over all things; and to Him
you will be returned.
 
 
SURA 37
Arrayed in Ranks (Al-Saffat)
An early Meccan sura, its title appears to come from the initial verse, then confirmed by later verses (vv. 164–66), presupposed to be ranks of angels. It begins by extolling the awesome creative power of God, then warns of the disparate fates awaiting believers and disbelievers. Prophets from Noah to Jonah are lauded, while any link of God with daughters or with jinn is rejected (vv. 149–59). The final verses extol God, Lord of the universe (vv. 180–82).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1By those arrayed in ranks,°
2those who cry out a warning,
3reciting a reminder—
4your God is One,
5Lord of the heavens, of the earth,
and all that lies between,
Lord of every place
where the sun rises.°
6We have graced
the lower heaven
with stars
7to guard against
every rebellious devil,
8to bar them from hearing
the highest assembly [of angels];
they are pelted from every side,
9repelled; and they shall face
lasting torment.
10Any who eavesdrops, snatching
an overheard fragment,
shall be pursued by a piercing flame.
11So, Prophet, ask the disbelievers,
are they more difficult to create
than the other things We have created?
We created them from clinging clay.
12How you marvel [at God’s creation],
while they mock,
13and when reminded,
they do not take heed;
14and when they see a sign,
they mock it,
15saying, “This is nothing
but obvious magic.
16“When we die, when
we are dust and bones,
shall we then
be raised up again,
17“with our forefathers of old?”
18Say, “Yes, indeed,
and you shall be brought low.”
19There will be a single cry,°
and behold, they will see,
20and they will say, “Alas for us!
This is the day of reckoning.”
21A voice will say,°
“This is the day of decision,
which you denied.
SECTION 2
22“Gather all the wrongdoers
and their spouses, together
with what they worshipped
23besides God, and guide them
to the path of the blazing fire,°
24and stop them, to be questioned,
25‘What is wrong with you,
why do you not help one another?’ ”
26On that day, they shall indeed
submit to the will of God.°
27And they will turn to
one another, questioning,
28“It was you who came to us,
with authority, [urging us to evil].”°
29The others will rejoin, “No,
it was you who were not believers;
30“we had no authority over you.
You were rebellious people.
31“Now the Word of our Lord
is proven against us,
and we must taste [the torment].
32“We led you astray—
we ourselves were astray.”
33On that day, they will share
the same punishment.
34This is how We deal
with the sinners.
35When it was said to them,
“There is no god but [the One] God,”
they remained proud,
36saying, “Shall we forsake our gods
for the sake of a mad poet?”
37No—he brings the truth, and
confirms the [earlier] messengers.
38You shall surely taste
the painful punishment—
39you will be requited
only for what you have done—
40as for the chosen servants of God,
41they shall enjoy
an endowed provision
42of fruits; and they shall be honored
43in gardens of bliss,
44facing one another,
arrayed on couches.
45Around them will be passed
a goblet from a spring,
46white, delicious
to those who taste it,
47neither impairing
nor intoxicating them.
48Beside them will be
females of modest glance,
and lustrous eyes,
49like sheltered eggs.°
50They will turn to one another,
inquiring.
51One will say, “[On earth]
I had a close companion
52“who used to ask,
‘Are you really one of those
who believe?
53“ ‘When we die and become
dust and bones, shall we
really be brought [for reckoning]?’ ”
54The other will say,
“Will you look down?”
55So he’ll look down
and see his companion
in the midst of hellfire.
56He said, “By God,
You almost brought me to ruin.”
57“If not for the grace of my Lord,
I should have been brought to it.”
58[To those with him he shall say,]
“Shall we really not die
59“beyond our first death,
and not be punished?
60“This is surely
the supreme triumph.”
61Let all who strive
strive for the like of this—
62is this the better welcome
or the tree of Zaqqum?°
63We made Zaqqum
a trial for wrongdoers,
64for it is a tree that comes
from the pit of hellfire;
65its fronds like the heads
of devils.
66They will eat from it,
filling their bellies with it;
67then they shall have a brew
of scalding water,
68and then shall return
to the blaze of hellfire.
69Yes, they found
their forefathers astray
70yet they hastened
in their footsteps.
71Before them, indeed,
most of the ancients were astray,
72though We had sent
messengers to warn them.
73Observe, then, the outcome
of those who were warned—
74all but the chosen
servants of God.
SECTION 3
75Noah cried out to Us—
and how excellent was Our response,°
76We saved him and his people
from great distress,
77enabling his offspring to survive,
78and We left him [a good name]
with posterity,
79“Peace be to Noah
among all beings”°—
80this is how We reward
those who do good.
81For he was among
Our believing servants.
82Then We drowned the rest.
83Abraham was of his creed°
84when he approached his Lord
with a pure heart.
85He said to his father
and his people,
“What are you worshipping?
86“Do you desire false gods
instead of the One God?
87“What are your thoughts
on the Lord of the universe?”
88Then he turned his gaze
toward the stars,
89and said, “Actually, I am unwell.”
90So they turned their backs to him, and left.
91Then he turned to their gods,
“Why do you not eat?
92“Why is it that you do not speak?”
93He turned toward them, and
struck them with his right hand.
94At this, his people
rushed toward him,
95so he asked, “Do you worship
what you yourselves have sculpted,
96“when it is God who created you
and what you make?”
97They cried, “Build a pyre° for him
and throw him into the blazing fire!”
98So they plotted against him,
but We brought them low.
99He said, “I will go to my Lord—
He will guide [me].
100“My Lord, grant me
a righteous child.”
101So We gave him joyous news
of a son who would be forbearing.
102When the boy was old enough
to help his father, Abraham said,
“My son, I saw in a dream
that I was offering you as a sacrifice.
See, now—what do you think?”
The son replied, “My father,
do as you are commanded. God willing,
you shall find me patient.”°
103And when they had both
submitted to the will of God,
and Abraham had laid him
face-down on his forehead,
104We called to him, “Abraham,
105“you have fulfilled the vision.”
This is how We reward
those who do good;
106this indeed was a clear trial.
107We ransomed his son
with a crucial sacrifice,°
108and We left Abraham
a good name with posterity,
109“Peace be with Abraham.”
110This is how We reward
those who do good—
111for he was among
Our believing servants.
112And We gave him joyous news
of a son Isaac—a prophet,
one of the righteous.
113We blessed him and Isaac.
and among their progeny
were some who were good,
and some who clearly
wrong themselves.
SECTION 4
114We also bestowed Our favor
on Moses and Aaron;
115We delivered them both
and their people from great distress;
116We helped them,
so they were victorious;
117and We gave them
the illuminating Book;
118We guided them to the straight path,
119and We left them a good name
with posterity—
120“Peace be with Moses and Aaron”—
121this is how We reward
those who do good;
122they were both among
Our believing servants.
123Elijah, too, was one of the messengers.
124He said to his people,
“Will you not be mindful of God?
125“Do you call upon Baʿal
and forsake the Best of Creators—
126“the One God, your Lord,
and Lord of your forefathers?”
127But they denied him,
for which they will surely
be brought [for punishment]—
128all but the chosen servants of God.
129and We left him a good name
with posterity—
130“Peace be with Elijah”—
131this is how We reward
those who do good,
132for he was among
Our believing Servants.
133Lot also was one of the messengers.
134We delivered him and all his people,
135save an old woman with those
who lingered behind;
136then we destroyed the rest.
137You pass by their ruins, morning
138and night—will you not,
then, use reason?
SECTION 5
139Jonah, too, was one of the messengers.
140When he fled to the loaded ship,
141they cast lots, and he lost;°
142then the whale swallowed him,
for he had incurred blame.
143Had he not then glorified God,
144he should surely
have stayed in its belly
until the day of resurrection.
145But We cast him, sick,
onto a barren shore,
146and let a tree of gourd fruit
grow above him.
147We sent him [as a messenger]
to a hundred thousand or more,
148and they believed—
so We let them enjoy life
for a while.
149Prophet, ask the disbelievers,
“Does your Lord have daughters
while they have sons?”
150Did We create the angels
as females, while they looked on?
151No—and it’s one of their lies
when they say,
152“God has begotten.”
They are liars indeed.
153Did He really choose
daughters over sons?
154What is wrong with you?
How do you form your judgment?
155Will you not reflect?
156Or do you have clear authority
[for your claims]?
157Then bring your scripture,
if you are speaking the truth.
158And they assert kinship
between Him and the jinn,
yet the jinn surely know that
they will be brought [for reckoning].
159—May God be glorified, above
what they ascribe to Him—
160all but the chosen servants of God.
161And neither you
nor those you worship
162can beguile any away from [God]
163but those who will burn
in the blazing fire.
164[The angels say], “Every one of us
has an appointed place;
165“we are arrayed in ranks
166“and we are the ones
who glorify God.”
167Yet [the disbelievers] say,
168“If only we had a reminder
like former peoples,
169“we would have been
chosen servants of God.”
170Now they deny [the Quran];
but soon they shall know.
171Our Word has already
been given to Our servants,
the messengers,
172that they shall be helped,
173and that Our forces
shall be victorious.
174So, Prophet, turn away
from the disbelievers for a while,
175and see what becomes of them;
for soon they shall see.
176Do they wish to hasten
Our punishment?
177When it descends
upon their courtyards,
it will be an evil morning
for those forewarned.
178So turn away from them
for a while,
179and see what becomes of them;
for they shall soon see.
180Glory be to your Lord,
the Lord of Majesty, far above
what they ascribe to Him;
181peace be to the messengers;
182and praise be to God,
Lord of the universe.
 
 
SURA 38
Sad (Sad)
Middle Meccan, this sura is named after its first letter, not otherwise explained. Numbering 88 verses, it condemns those who had vilified Muhammad and other messengers before him. Some of the messengers (like Elisha and Dhul Kifl, v. 48) are seldom or never mentioned except here. The penultimate section concerns the story of Iblis—his creation, disobedience, and dismissal (vv. 71–85). The final directive underscores Muhammad as an authentic and selfless messenger (vv. 86–88).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Sad.°
By the Quran with its reminder—
2the unbelievers are steeped
in self-glory and dissent.
3How many generations
We destroyed before them.
Then they cried out for escape
when it was too late.°
4They’re bemused that
one of their own
has come to warn them;
and the unbelievers cry,
“This is a lying sorcerer.
5“Has He made all the gods
into One God? How bizarre!”
6Their leaders stride away, saying,
“Walk on, and stay steadfast to your gods,
for there’s some motive°
within this [against us].
7“We never heard the like of this
in previous religious creed.°
It’s nothing more than a fiction.
8“Out of all of us, the message
was sent to him?” Yes
—they doubt My message—
they have yet
to taste My punishment.
9Or do they possess the treasures
of the mercy of your Lord,
the Almighty, the Bestower?
10Or do they have dominion
over the heavens and the earth
and all that lies between?
Then let them ascend
by whatever means° they can
[to bring down revelation].
11The armies there,
of their allies,
shall be vanquished.
12Before them, the people of Noah,
ʿAd, and Pharaoh of the stakes°
denied [the messengers],
13as did Thamud, the people of Lot,
and the forest dwellers°—
these were the allies.
14Every one of them
denied the messengers,
so My punishment
came justly upon them.
SECTION 2
15These disbelievers but await
a single blast, which cannot be delayed.
16They taunt, “Our Lord,
hasten for us our share
of punishment—even before
the day of reckoning!”
17Bear with patience what they say,
and bear in mind Our servant David,
who was strong, ever turning to God.
18We made the hills
hymn Our glory, along with him,
at evening and at sunrise,
19as well as the birds in flocks—
all turning to Him.
20We fortified his kingdom,
gave him wisdom, and made him
decisive in discourse.
21Have you heard the story
of the two litigants, who climbed
the wall to reach his private quarters?°
22When they came upon David,
he was terrified of them.
They said, “Don’t be frightened.
We are two litigants, and one of us
has wronged the other. So, judge
between us fairly, and don’t be unjust,
but guide us to the right path.
23“This is my brother.
He has ninety-nine ewes
and I have just one. Yet he says,
‘Let me have charge of her,’
and his words overwhelmed me.”°
24David said,
“He has wronged you
in demanding that your ewe
be added to his ewes.
Many business partners
wrong each other
except those who believe
and do good deeds—
but they are few.”
Then David knew—
We were testing him.°
He begged forgiveness of his Lord;
he fell down, bowing,
and turned [to God again].
25We forgave him this [lapse],
and he will be brought close to Us,
with the best home for his return.°
26“David, We made you
a regent on the earth,
so judge between people justly,
and don’t follow your desires,
for they will lead you astray
from God’s path. Those who stray
from the path of God shall face
severe torment, for they
have forgotten the day
of reckoning.”
SECTION 3
27We did not create in vain
heaven and earth and all between
—that is what the unbelievers think—
what torment awaits them in the fire!
28Should We treat those who believe
and do good deeds as We would those
who work mischief on earth?
Or, should We treat the righteous
as We would the wicked?
29This is a blessèd Book
We have revealed to you,
that they might ponder its signs,
and people of insight
might remember.
30We gave David a son, Solomon
—an excellent servant—
he always turned to Us.
31When swift steeds, well bred,
were brought before him
near the day’s end,
32he said, “I loved fine things
rather than remembering my Lord.”
When the horses vanished,
veiled from sight,°
33[he commanded],
“Bring them back to me,”
then he began to stroke
their legs and necks.°
34And We tested Solomon:
We reduced him to a lifeless body
on his throne. Then he turned
to Us in repentance,
35saying, “My Lord, forgive me,
and bestow upon me a kingdom
such as none after me can acquire,
for You alone are the Bestower.”
36Then We subdued the wind to him,
coursing gently by his command,
wherever he directed;
37and the devils, every kind
of builder and diver,
38as well as others, bound in chains.°
39“This is Our gift,
so grant or withhold [it]
without measure.”
40and he will be brought close to Us,
an excellent home for his return.
SECTION 4
41Remember Our servant Job
who called out to his Lord,
“Satan has brought me distress
and torment.”
42[He was told,]
“Stamp the ground with your foot.
Here is cool water to bathe in,
and to drink.”
43We restored his family to him,
and more like them—a mercy from Us,
and a reminder to those with insight.
44[We told him,]
“Take a bundle of reeds in your hand
and strike [her] with it°
so as not to break your oath.”
We found him to be patient,
an excellent servant, who turned to Us.
45And remember Our servants
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
who possessed strength and vision.
46We chose them, for their fervent
remembrance of the final home.
47In Our sight, they were among
the elect, the best.
48And remember Ishmael, Elisha,
and Ezekiel°—all among the best.
49This is a reminder:
those who are mindful of God
shall have the best abode
for their final return.
50Eternal gardens, whose gates
shall always stay open to them.
51There they shall recline
and call [at their pleasure]
for fruit in abundance
and refreshing drink.
52With them will be companions
of modest glance, well matched.
53This is what you are promised
for the day of reckoning.
54This is Our provision—
that never ends.
55So it will be.
But those who transgress
shall have an evil home
for their final return—
56Hell—where they will burn—
a wretched dwelling place.
57So it will be for them:
let them taste boiling liquid
and purulent fluid
58and [face] other such torments
of various kinds.
59[The leaders of the unbelievers
shall say to one another,]
“Here is a group
bursting in to join you.
They are not welcome—
they shall burn in the fire.”
60[The followers shall reply
to their leaders,] “No, you!
You are not welcome!
You brought us to this—
a wretched home.”
61The followers will say, “Our Lord,
let those who brought this upon us
bear a doubled punishment in the fire.”
62And they will say,
“Why don’t we see those
we used to consider wicked,
63“those we ridiculed?
Or have our eyes missed them?”
64This is how things will transpire—
squabbling among people in the fire.
SECTION 5
65Say, “I am here only to warn:
there is no god
but the One God, Supreme.
66“The Lord of the heavens and earth
and all that lies between,
Almighty, Forgiving.”
67Say, “This is momentous news,
68“yet you turn away from it.
69“I know nothing of what
the highest [angels] discuss.
70“It is only revealed to me,
that I am to give clear warning.”
71Your Lord declared to the angels,
“I shall create a human from clay.
72“When I have proportioned him
and breathed My spirit into him,
bow down before him.”
73So the angels bowed down, all,
74except Iblis, who was too proud,
and became a disbeliever.
75God demanded, “Iblis,
what stops you from bowing
to what I created with My own hands?
Are you too proud, or too exalted?”
76Iblis retorted,
“I am better than him.
You created me from fire,
but him from mere clay.”
77God answered, “Well, go from here,
for you are cursed.
78“And the curse shall stay with you
until the day of reckoning.”
79Iblis implored, “My Lord,
grant me respite, till the day
when they are raised [from the dead].”
80“You shall have respite,” said God,
81“until the appointed day.”°
82Iblis said, “I swear, by your might,
I will lead them astray—all.
83“except those among them
who are Your chosen servants.”
84God said, “This is the truth
—for I speak the truth—
85“that I will fill hell
with you and those of them
who follow you—all.”
86Say, Prophet,
“I ask no reward of you,
nor am I an impostor.
87“This is no less than a reminder
to all the worlds,
88“and, in time, you shall know
the truth it holds.”
 
 
SURA 39
The Crowds (Al-Zumar)
A late Meccan sura of 75 verses, this declares God’s unity and creative intent. Repeatedly the fate of believers and disbelievers is contrasted, before concluding with a vivid depiction of the day of resurrection (vv. 67–75).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1A revelation of the Book
from God—
the Almighty, the Wise.
2We revealed the Book to you
with truth—
so serve God with true devotion.°
3True devotion is for God alone.
Those who take gods other than Him
as protectors claim, “We serve them
only to bring us closer to God.”
God will judge between them
in the things they dispute.
God does not guide those
who lie and disbelieve.
4Had God wanted a child,
He could have chosen whom
He wished from His creation.
Glory be to Him—
He is the One God, Omnipotent.
5He created the heavens and earth
with true purpose. He enfolds day
within night and night within day,
and he subdues the sun and moon,
each sailing for an appointed term—
He is truly the Almighty, Forgiving.
6He created you from a single soul
then from it made its mate;
and He gave you four kinds°
of livestock, in pairs.
He creates you in the wombs
of your mothers, in stages, one upon
another, in threefold darkness.°
This is God, your Lord,
Who has dominion over all.
There is no god but Him—
so, how can you turn away?
7If you disbelieve, know that
God is Free of all need of you;
but His servants’ ingratitude
does not please Him.
If you are grateful,
He will be pleased with you.
None can bear another’s burden.
In the end, you will return to
your Lord and He will inform you
of all you have done—
He Knows what is in your hearts.
8When harm strikes people,
they call on their Lord
and turn to Him.
But then, when He grants them
His favor, they forget the One
they called on before,
and they set up against God
rivals, who will lead them
from His path. Say,
“Enjoy your disbelief for a while.
You shall be inmates of the fire.”
9[Are such people better] than
those who devote themselves
during the night, prostrating
and standing, fearful
of the hereafter, and hopeful
of their Lord’s mercy?
Say, “Are those who know
the same as those who don’t?”
Only the discerning take heed.
SECTION 2
10Say, “My servants who believe,
be mindful of your Lord.
Those who do good in this world
shall be rewarded with good.
God’s earth is wide.
Those who are patient shall know
a reward beyond measure.”
11Say, “I am commanded
to serve God with true devotion.
12“And I am commanded
to be the first of those
who submit their will to God.”
13Say, “If I disobeyed my Lord,
I would fear the torment
of a momentous day.”
14Say, “It is God whom I serve,
with true devotion.
15“So serve what you will
besides Him.” Say,
“The true losers are those who
lose themselves and their families
on the day of resurrection.
That is the clear loss.”
16Layers of fire shall engulf them,
above and below. This is how God
puts fear into His servants:
“So, be mindful of Me, My servants.”
17But there is joyous news for those
who spurn the worship of false gods
and turn to God. So give
this joyous news to My servants—
18those who hear the Word
and follow the best in it.
Those are the ones God guides—
they are the discerning ones.
19What of those
who are justly sentenced?
Can you rescue those
already in the fire?
20But those mindful of their Lord
shall have high mansions
raised for them, one upon another,
with rivers flowing beneath.
This is God’s pledge—
He never fails in His promise.
21Don’t you see how God
sends down rain from the sky,
guiding it through earth’s springs,
to bring out crops of varying colors?
Then, as they wither, you see them
yellowing, crumbling.
In all this is a reminder
for people of insight.
SECTION 3
22What of those whose hearts
God has opened to bow to His will,
who live by their Lord’s light?
Woe to those whose hearts are hardened
against remembrance of God—
they have clearly gone astray.
23God has revealed
the most sublime of narratives
as a Book, its parts consistent, paired°—at which
those who fear their Lord
tremble in their skins,
then their skins and hearts
are soothed by His remembrance.
This is God’s guidance, by which
He guides whom He will.
But those whom God leaves astray
have none to guide them.
24What of those who have only
their faces to shield them
from extreme torment
on the day of resurrection?
The wrongdoers will be told,
“Taste what you have earned.”
25Those before them disbelieved,
and punishment came to them
from places they could not imagine.
26So God made them taste
disgrace in the life of this world;
but punishment in the hereafter
is greater—if only they knew.
27We have coined for people
all kinds of parables in this Quran,
that they might take heed—
28an Arabic Quran,
with no deviation,
that they might be mindful.
29God offers a parable:
is a man owned by shared masters
—all squabbling—equal to a man
owned by one master?
Praise be to God—
most of them don’t know.
30It is certain that you will die,
and they too will die.
31Then, on the day of resurrection,
you will bring your disputes
before your Lord.
SECTION 4
32Who does more wrong
than those who lie about God
and deny the truth when it comes
to them? Is there not a home in hell
for those who disbelieve?
33But the one who brought the truth
and those who affirmed it—
they are the ones mindful of God.
34They shall have all that they desire
from their Lord—the reward
of those who do good;
35God shall erase their worst deeds
and reward their best ones.
36Does God not suffice
for His servant?
Yet they threaten you
with other gods.°
Those whom God leaves astray
have no guide.
37And none can lead astray
those whom God guides. Is God not
Almighty, Lord of Requital?
38If you ask them, who created
the heavens and the earth,
they will surely say, “God.”
Say, “Consider those
you call on besides God—
if God wanted harm for me,
could they remove it?
And if he wanted mercy for me,
could they withhold it?
Say, “God suffices for me—
let those who trust,
trust in Him.”
39Say, “My people,
do whatever you can;°
and I will do what I can—
for soon you will know
40“who shall face degrading torment
and on whom
lasting punishment will descend.”
41Prophet, We revealed the Book
to you, with truth, for humankind.
Those who receive guidance
do so to their own gain;
but those who go astray
do so to their own loss—
and you are not their custodian.
SECTION 5
42God takes the souls of people
at the hour of their death,
and of those asleep who are not dead.
He keeps the souls of those
for whom He has decreed death,
and the others He sends back
until an appointed time—in all this
are signs for those who think.°
43Do they take intercessors
other than God? Say, “Even though
they have no power [to intercede]
and no understanding?”
44Say, “All power to intercede
belongs to God alone—His
is dominion of the heavens and earth;
in the end, you will return to Him.”
45When the One God is mentioned,°
the hearts of those who don’t believe
in the hereafter recoil in aversion,
but when other gods are spoken of,
they exult and rejoice.
46Say, “O God, Originator
of the heavens and the earth,
Knower of the unseen
and the seen—it is You Who
will judge between Your servants
on the things they dispute.”
47If the wrongdoers possessed
all that is on the earth—twice over—
they would offer it as ransom
for the dreadful torment
of the day of resurrection—
but God will bring before them
something they had not conceived.
48The evil deeds they reaped
will come before them,
and they shall be engulfed
by what they mocked.
49When adversity strikes someone,
they cry out to Us. But when
We grant them Our favor, they say,
“I’m given this for my knowledge.”
Wrong—such favor is a trial,
but most of them don’t know.
50Those who came before them
said the same thing. But the deeds
they reaped were of no use to them.
51The evil they reaped
overtook them; and the evil reaped
by the wrongdoers among these
shall overtake them—
they shall not escape.
52Don’t they know that God
enlarges provision and restricts it
for whom He will? In this
are signs for people who believe.
SECTION 6
53Say, “My servants, who have
transgressed against yourselves—
do not despair of God’s mercy.
God forgives all sins.
He is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
54“Turn to your Lord and bow
to His will, before punishment
overcomes you—then
you will not be helped.
55“And follow the best
of what is revealed to you
from your Lord, before punishment
overcomes you—suddenly,
while you are unaware,
56“and your soul says,
‘Alas for me, for my neglect
of what was due to God—
I was among those who mocked.’
57“Or, ‘If only God had guided me—
I would have been among the righteous.’
58“Or [when it sees the punishment],
‘If only I could have another chance—
I’d be among those who do good.’
59“[A voice will then reply,]
‘No—My signs came to you
and you denied them, through pride—
you were among the disbelievers.’ ”
60On the day of resurrection
you’ll see those who lied about God
with faces blackened—is there not
a home in hell for the proud?
61But God will deliver the righteous
to their salvation. No evil shall
touch them, nor shall they grieve.
62God is the Creator of all things;
it is He Who Oversees all things.
63His are the keys of the heavens
and the earth, and those who deny
the signs of God shall suffer loss.
SECTION 7
64Say, “Do you command me
to worship something other than God,
you who are so ignorant?”
65It has been revealed to you
and those before you, that if you join
other gods as partners with God,
your works will be vain,
and you will be among
those who suffer loss.
66No—worship God, and be
among those who are grateful.
67They have not reckoned God
in His true measure; on the day
of resurrection, the whole earth
will be folded in His grasp,
and the heavens rolled up
in His right hand. Glory be to Him,
exalted beyond the other gods
they partner with Him.
68The trumpet shall be sounded
and all in the heavens and earth
shall fall dead, except those
God wishes. Then, it will be sounded
again, and they shall stand, staring.
69And the earth will shine
with the Light of its Lord;
the Book will be laid open
and the prophets and witnesses
brought forward. Fitting judgment
shall be passed on them
and they shall not be wronged.
70Every soul shall be paid
in full for its deeds;
and God knows best
all that they do.
SECTION 8
71The unbelievers will be driven
toward hell in throngs. When they
reach it, its gates shall open,
and its keepers shall ask,
“Did messengers not come to you
from among yourselves, reciting
to you the verses of your Lord,
and warning you of the meeting
with God on this day of yours?”
They will answer, “Yes, indeed.”
The threat of torment for unbelievers
has proven to be true.
72They will be told,
“Enter the gates of hell
to dwell there forever—
a wretched home for the proud.”
73But those who were mindful
of their Lord will be urged toward
the garden, in throngs. When they
reach it, its gates shall open,
and its keepers proclaim,
“Peace be with you.
You have done well. Enter here,
where you shall live forever.”
74They will say, “All praise be to God,
who has fulfilled His promise to us,
and has made us heirs to this realm.°
We can live where we will
in the garden,
how excellent is the reward
of those who labor [for God].”
75And you shall see the angels
surrounding the high throne, as
they hymn the praise of their Lord.
Fitting judgment shall be passed
among them, and these words
shall resound, “All praise be to God,
Lord of the universe.”
 
 
SURA 40
The Forgiving (Al-Ghafir)
A late Meccan sura, 85 verses in length, this is the first of seven consecutive suras that begin with the same two Arabic letters—ha mim. It begins with an encomium to God marked by six Divine Names, accenting the importance of belief and prayer. After a detailed story of Moses (vv. 23–53), the sura circles back to God, extolling the majesty and inviolability of the Creator who is also the Judge (vv. 54–85).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Ha Mim.°
2This Book is a revelation from God,
the Almighty, the All Knowing,
3Forgiving of sin,
Accepting of repentance,
Severe in Requital,
Encompassing in Abundance°—
there is no god but Him.
To Him is the final return.
4None dispute the signs of God
but the disbelievers—
don’t let their [proud] ventures
in the land deceive you.
5Before them, the people of Noah
denied [the truth], as did factions
after them. Every nation schemed to
seize its messenger, and they disputed,
using falsehood to impugn the truth.
So I seized them—
how severe was My requital!
6Hence your Lord’s promise
[to punish] the disbelievers
was proven true—
they shall be inmates of the fire.
7Those who bear the throne,
and those around it, hymn the praise
of their Lord; they believe in Him
and ask forgiveness for those
who believe, “Our Lord,
You encompass all things
with mercy and knowledge—
so forgive those who repent
and follow Your path, and
save them from the torment of hell.
8“Our Lord, usher them
into everlasting gardens
which You have promised them
and the righteous among their fathers,
their wives, and their children—
for You are Almighty, All Wise.
9“And save them from all evils
—those whom you save on that day
are surely granted Your mercy—
that is the supreme triumph.”
SECTION 2
10The disbelievers will be told,
“God’s loathing of you
is greater than your self-loathing
for you were called to the faith
but you refused.”
11They will say, “Our Lord,
twice you placed us in a state
of non-being,° and twice
you brought us to life, and
now we acknowledge our sins—
is there no way out of this?”
12[They will be answered,]
“This is because, when the One God
was invoked, you disbelieved.
But when other gods were joined
with Him, you believed—
judgment belongs to God,
the Most High, Most Great.”
13It is He Who shows you His signs,
and sends down sustenance from the sky.
But only those who turn to God,
repenting, will take heed.
14So call upon God, with sincere faith
though disbelievers may hate this.
15Exalter of rank, Lord of the throne,
He sends the Spirit by His command
to whom He will of His servants,
to warn of the day of meeting—
16the day they will all
come forward. Nothing of them
is hidden from God—
Who holds dominion on this day?
God—the One, the Invincible.
17On that day every soul
shall be requited for what it earned.
No injustice shall occur that day—
God is Swift in Reckoning.
18Warn them of the approaching day
when their hearts will rise
to their throats, choked.
The wrongdoers will have no friend,
no intercessor who will be heeded.
19God knows their furtive glances
and what their hearts conceal.
20God will judge with justice—those
other gods they invoke besides Him
shall judge with nothing. It is God
Who is All Hearing, All Seeing.
SECTION 3
21Don’t they travel through the earth
and see the fate of those before them—
superior to them in strength
and influence on the earth?
Yet God seized them for their sins—
against God they have no protector.
22For messengers came to them
with signs, but they denied them,
so God seized them.
He is Strong, Severe in Requital.
23Earlier, We sent Moses
with Our signs, and clear authority,
24to Pharaoh, Haman, and Korah,°
but they retorted, “Lying sorcerer!”
25When he brought them the truth
from Us, they said, “Kill the sons
of those who believe with him,
and spare only their women.”
The disbelievers’ scheming is misconceived.
26Pharaoh said, “Let me kill Moses
even as he calls upon his Lord.
I fear that he’ll change your faith
or spread disorder through the land.”
27Moses said, “I have sought refuge
in my Lord and your Lord
from every proud person
who does not believe
in the day of reckoning.”
SECTION 4
28A believing man from Pharaoh’s people
who had concealed his faith said,
“Would you kill a man just for saying,
‘My Lord is the One God,’
and who has brought you clear proofs
from your Lord? If he is a liar,
the lie shall fall upon his own head.
But if he is truthful, some of the things
he threatens could fall upon you.
God does not guide
the liar and transgressor.
29“My people, today, as masters,
you hold sway in this land—but
who will help us against God’s wrath
if it falls upon us?” Pharaoh retorted,
“I merely tell you my view
and guide you to the right path.”
30The believer responded,
“My people, I fear for you
a day like that which fell
upon factions before you—
31“like the plight of the people
of Noah, ʿAd, Thamud, and those
who came after them—
though God never intends injustice
toward His servants.
32“And, my people,
I fear for you a day when
you will cry out to one another,
33“a day when you shall
turn and flee—you shall have
no protector against God—
and those whom God leaves to stray
shall have no guide.
34“And when Joseph came to you
in earlier times with clear proofs,
you never ceased to doubt his message,
and when he died, you proclaimed,
‘God shall never send a messenger
after him.’ So, God leaves to stray
those who doubt and transgress,
35“who dispute the signs of God
without being granted any sanction—
this is abhorrent in the sight of God
and the believers. Thus God seals up
the heart of every proud tyrant.”
36Pharaoh said, “Haman, build me
a high tower so I can climb the paths°—
37“the paths to the heavens
to gaze upon the god of Moses,
for I deem him a liar.”
And so, Pharaoh’s evil deeds
were made to seem fair to him,
he was barred from the right path;
and Pharaoh’s scheming led
to nothing but ruin.
SECTION 5
38The man who believed said,
“My people, follow me—
I’ll guide you to the right path.
39“My people, the life of this world
is merely a passing pleasure
but the hereafter is a lasting home.
40“Whoever does a wicked deed
shall be requited only with its like;
but whoever does good deeds,
—whether male or female—
and is a true believer,
shall enter the garden,
with provision beyond measure.
41“And, my people, how is it that I
call you to salvation, while you
call me to the fire?
42“You call me to disbelieve in God
and to join with Him partners
—of which I have no knowledge—
while I call you to the One
Who is Almighty, Forgiving.
43“Without doubt, what you call me to
has no claim to be invoked either
in this world or the hereafter.
We shall return to God,
and the transgressors shall be
inmates of the fire.
44“Soon you will remember
what I am saying to you:
I commit my affairs
to God—God Sees all
concerning His servants.”
45So God saved him
from their wicked scheming;
and dire punishment
engulfed Pharaoh’s people.
46They will be brought before the fire
morning and evening; and on the day
when the hour falls, a voice shall say,
“Strike the people of Pharaoh
with the most severe torment.”
47See, they will quarrel with one another
in the fire. The weak will say to the proud,
“We were but your followers. So can you
avert from us some portion of the fire?”
48The proud will answer,
“We are all in this together—
God has judged
between His servants.”
49The people in the fire will plead
with the keepers of hell,
“Call on your Lord to lighten
our punishment for a day.”
50But they will answer,
“Did messengers not come to you
with clear proofs?” “Yes, indeed,”
the inmates will say. And the keepers
will retort, “Plead, then”—
but the pleas of disbelievers
will be misconceived.
SECTION 6
51We shall help Our messengers
and those who believe,
both in the life of this world
and on the day when
witnesses will rise,
52the day when the excuses
of the wrongdoers
shall be of no use to them—
they shall be cursed
and have a wretched home.
53We gave guidance to Moses,
and We made the children of Israel
heirs to the Book—
54a guide and a reminder
for people of insight.
55Be patient, then—God’s promise
is true; ask forgiveness for your sin,°
and hymn the praise of your Lord
evening and morning.
56Those who dispute the signs of God
without being granted any sanction
have in their hearts only pride
that they will never satisfy.
Seek refuge, then, in God,
for He is All Hearing, All Seeing.
57Creation of the heavens and earth
was a greater thing
than the creation of humans,
yet most of humankind
do not know.
58The blind are not equal
to those who see;
nor are those who believe,
doing good deeds, equal
to those who commit evil deeds.
How little you take heed.
59The hour will undoubtedly come,
yet most people don’t believe.
60Your Lord says, “Call upon Me
and I shall answer you.
But those too proud to worship Me
shall enter hell—in disgrace.”
SECTION 7
61It is God Who has made the night
in which you might rest, and the day
giving light to your eyes. God is
Full of Grace toward humankind,
yet most of them are ungrateful.
62This is God, your Lord,
Creator of all things.
There is no god but Him—
so how can you be deluded?
63This is how deluded they are—
those who deny the signs of God.
64It is God Who made the earth
a place for you to live, and the sky
a canopy. He gave you form,
perfected your forms, then provided
good things for your sustenance.
This is God, your Lord—blessed
is He, Lord of the universe.
65He is the Living—there is no god but He
so call upon Him, with sincere faith.
All praise be to God, Lord of the universe.
66Say, “I am forbidden to worship
those you call upon besides God
since clear proofs have come to me
from my Lord. I am commanded
to submit to the Lord of the universe.”
67It is He Who created you
from dust, then from sperm,
then from a clot of blood;
He then brings you out as infants,
till you reach maturity, and old age
—though some of you die young—
to reach your appointed term,
to make you understand.
68It is He Who gives life
and brings death; and
when He decrees something,
He merely says, “Be!” and it is.
SECTION 8
69Don’t you see those
who dispute the signs of God,
how perverted they are?°
70Those who deny the Book and
what We sent with Our messengers—
but soon they shall know,
71when they are dragged,
with yokes and chains
around their necks,
72into the boiling fluid,
then burned in the fire.
73Then they’ll be asked, “Where
are the other gods you worshipped
74“besides God?” They will say,
“They have abandoned us—in fact,
we were calling upon nothing.”
In this way, God leaves
the disbelievers to stray.
75[They will be told,] “That is because
you exulted on earth without right°
and because you were insolent.
76“Enter the gates of hell,
to stay there forever—wretched
is the home of the proud.”
77So be patient, Prophet, for God’s promise
is true; and whether we show you
something of [the punishment] We promised them
or make you die before that,
to Us they shall be returned.
78We sent messengers before you;
We told you the stories of some
and not others. No messenger
brings signs without God’s leave.
And when God’s command comes,
fair judgment will be passed—
and there, those who
incite falsehood shall lose.
SECTION 9
79It is God who made livestock for you,
some for you to ride, others for you to eat,
80and they have other uses for you;
through them you can fulfill
your hearts’ desire, and you are carried
upon them, as you are upon ships.
81He shows you His signs—
which, then, of the signs of God
would you deny?
82Don’t they travel through the earth
and see the fate of those before them?
They were greater in number, strength,
and in their impact on the earth—yet
their achievements proved no use to them.
83When their messengers came
to them with clear proofs,
they merely exulted
in what they already knew—
but they were engulfed
by what they mocked.
84Only when they saw Our torment
did they say, “We believe
in God alone, and we deny
the other gods we joined with Him.”
85But their “faith” after seeing
Our torment did not avail them.
This has always been God’s way
with His servants—
there, the disbelievers lost.
 
 
SURA 41
Explained in Full (Fussilat)
Still another late Meccan sura, but only 54 verses long, this accents the Quran as something explained in full and in Arabic (v. 3), at once a guide and a cure for those who believe but conveying only deafness and blindness for those who disbelieve (v. 44).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Ha Mim. °
2A revelation from
the Most Merciful, Ever Merciful—
3a Book whose verses are explained
in clear detail, an Arabic Quran
for people who know,
4bringing joyous news
and warning—but most of them
turn away so they don’t hear.
5They say, “Our hearts are shielded°
from what you call us to,
and our ears sunk in deafness;
between us and you is a veil,
so do as you will—and so shall we.”
6Say, “I’m just a human, like you.
It’s revealed to me that your God
is One God—so seek a straight path
to Him, and ask forgiveness of Him.”
Wretched are those who join
other gods with Him,
7those who don’t give in charity,
and who deny the hereafter.
8Those who believe
and do good deeds
shall know an unceasing reward.
SECTION 2
9Say, “Do you deny the One
Who created the earth in two days?°
Do you set up others as His equals?
This is the Lord of all Creation.”
10He set firm mountains on [the earth],
high above, and blessed it, and measured
its sustenance according to the needs
of those who seek it—in four days.
11Then He set Himself toward the sky,
a mere mass of smoke, and commanded
both it and the earth, “Come into being,
willing or unwilling.” They answered,
“We are coming into being, willingly.”
12He perfected them as seven heavens
in two days, and He revealed
to each heaven its role.
We adorned the lower heaven
with lamps and rendered it secure.
This is the order ordained
by the Almighty, the All Knowing.
13But if they should turn away,
then say, “I have warned you
of a thunderbolt—like the one
that struck ʿAd and Thamud.”°
14When messengers came to them
from all perspectives,° urging,
“Do not worship anything other
than the One God,” they responded,
“If our Lord had wished,
He would have sent down angels—
we deny the message sent with you.”
15The people of ʿAd strutted proudly
through the land, without just cause.°
They would say,
“Who is our superior in strength?”
Don’t they see that God
—Who created them—
is far superior to them in strength?
Yet they continued to deny Our signs.
16So We sent against them
a roaring wind, through days
of misfortune, to let them taste
the torment of disgrace
in the life of this world—
though torment in the hereafter
shall be more disgraceful,
and they shall not be helped.
17As for the people of Thamud—
We gave them guidance but
they preferred blindness to guidance,
so they were struck by a thunderbolt
as punishment, disgracing them
for their misdeeds.
18But We delivered those
who believed and feared God.
SECTION 3
19On the day the enemies of God
are gathered toward the fire
and are driven in ranks—
20when they come to [the fire],
their hearing, and sight
—their very skins—
shall testify against them
on account of their deeds.
21They will ask their skins,
“Why do you testify against us?”
and their answer will be,
“God gave us speech—He
Who gives speech to all things.
It is He Who created you
in the beginning, and to Him
you will be returned.
22“Yet you did not try to hide, to
stop your hearing, sight, and skins
from testifying against you—
but you thought God unaware
of much of what you did.
23“This is what you thought
of your Lord, and it is this thought
that has brought you to ruin—
you are now among those
who will suffer loss.”
24Even if they can endure it,
the fire shall be their home;
if they ask to redeem themselves,
they shall not be allowed.
25And We have decreed
[evil] companions for them
who made their present and past°
seem fair to them; but the decree°
of their punishment proved true
as with the generations
of jinn and humans who came
before them—they were the losers.
SECTION 4
26The unbelievers say, “Don’t listen
to this Quran: drown it in idle noise—
that way, you’ll have the last word.”°
27But We will make the unbelievers
taste severe torment,
and We will requite them
for the worst of their deeds.
28This is the requital
for the enemies of God
—the fire, their eternal home—
their requital for denying Our signs.
29And the unbelievers will say,
“Our Lord, show us the jinn and humans
who misled us—we’ll trample them
beneath our feet, forcing them
to be among the lowest [in hell].”
30The angels will descend to those
who say, “Our Lord is the One God,”
and are upright, [saying to them],
“Have no fear, do not grieve,
and receive joyous news
of the garden you were promised.
31“We are your protectors
in the life of this world
and the hereafter.
There you shall have
all that your souls desire,
all that you ask—
32“a welcoming gift from
the Forgiving, the Ever Merciful.”
SECTION 5
33Who speaks better than one
who calls people to God,
does good deeds, and speaks
the words, “I am one of those
who bow to God’s will.”°
34Good and evil are not equal.
Counter [evil] with something better,
then the person who was your foe°
will become like a close friend.
35But none is granted this [goodness]
except people who show patience,
those with great righteousness.°
36If any evil prompting from Satan
should whisper within you,
seek refuge in God—
He is All Hearing, All Knowing.
37Among His signs are
night and day, sun and moon.
Do not bow before sun and moon,
but bow before God,
Who created them—
if it is Him alone you worship.
38But if [the unbelievers]
strut proudly, [it is of no account],
for those with your Lord
hymn His glory night and day,
without fatigue.
39And among His signs is this:
you see the earth barren, and when
He sends down rain upon it,
it stirs into life, and swells.
He Who gives it life can surely
bring life to the dead—
He has Power over all things.
40Those who distort
what is in Our signs
are not hidden from Us.
Who is better—a person
who is hurled into the fire,
or someone who comes through
secure on the day of resurrection?
Do what you will—
He is Aware of all that you do.
41Those who reject the message
when it comes to them—
it is a Book of great power,
42that no falsehood might reach
from any side,° revealed by
the All Wise, the Praiseworthy—
43[should know that] nothing is said
to you that was not said
to the messengers before you.
Your Lord is Full of Forgiveness
and Severe in Requital.
44Had We produced this Quran
in a foreign tongue, they would say,
“Why are its verses not explained
in full? A foreign [Book
brought by] an Arab!° Say,
“It is guidance and healing
for those who believe,
but for those who disbelieve,
it brings deafness to their ears,
and blindness—as if they
were being called from afar.”
SECTION 6
45We gave the Book to Moses
but disputes arose over it.
Had your Lord not issued a decree,°
judgment would have been passed
between them. But they remain
in anxious doubt over it.
46Whoever does good deeds,
does so for himself;
and whoever does bad deeds,
does so against himself.
Your Lord is never unjust
to His servants.
47Knowledge of the hour
lies with Him alone.
No fruit emerges from its sheath,
no female conceives or gives birth
without His knowing.
And on the day He calls to them,
“Where are My partners?”
they will say, “We confess to you
that none of us can attest [to them].”
48The gods they called on before
will forsake them, and they will see,
for sure, that they have no escape.
49People never cease to pray for good,
but when evil touches them,
they lose hope and despair.
50When We let them taste Our mercy
after adversity touches them,
they will say, “This my due—
I don’t believe that the hour
will ever transpire, yet even if
I am brought back to my Lord,
He will surely have the best reward
for me.” But We shall inform
the disbelievers of what they did
and We shall make them taste
severe punishment.
51When We bestow Our favor
on people, they turn away,
staying far [from Us].
But when misfortune touches them,
they turn [to Us], full of prayer.
52Say, “Did you ever reflect:
what if this [revelation] is truly
from God—yet you still deny it?
Who can be more astray than one
so far opposed to it?”
53Soon We will show them
Our signs—on the far horizons
and within themselves
until it becomes clear to them
that this is the truth.
Is it not enough that your Lord
is Witness to all things?
54Indeed, they remain in doubt about
the meeting with their Lord—yet
He surely Encompasses all things.
 
 
SURA 42
Consultation (Al-Shura)
A Meccan sura with some Medinan verses, this also is comparatively short (53 verses). Unlike other suras that begin with multiple mysterious letters, it frames them in two verses (vv. 1–2) not a single verse (as in Maryam, Sura 19). It extols settling affairs by consultation (v. 38), accented in the title. At the same time, it highlights the value of the Quran in Arabic (v. 7), a guiding light for Muhammad, unversed yet commanded through a divine spirit (v. 52).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Ha Mim.
2ʿAyn Sin Qaf.°
3This is how He reveals to you,
as to those before you—
God, the Almighty, All Wise.
4To Him belongs
all that is in the heavens
and all that is on the earth—
for He is the Most High, Most Great.
5The heavens are almost
rent from on high,
while the angels glorify
their Lord with praise,
and pray for forgiveness
for all those on earth.
God is the One Who
is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
6As for those who take others
as protectors,° God Watches them,
and you are not their keeper.
7We have hereby revealed
to you an Arabic Quran
that you might warn
the mother of cities°
and those around her,
warn them of the day of gathering
—of which there is no doubt—
with one group in the garden,
the other in the fire.
8Had He wished, God would
have made them one people,
but He admits into His mercy
whom He will;
and the wrongdoers
shall have no protector
and no helper.
9Or, have they taken as protectors
others besides Him?
For God is the Protector,
the Restorer of life to the dead,
and He has Power over all things.
SECTION 2
10Whatever issue you dispute,
it is for God to judge—
this is God, my Lord:
in Him I trust
and to Him I turn.
11Creator of the heavens and earth,
He has made for you mates
from among yourselves, and mates
between the animals, multiplying you.
There is nothing like Him—
He is the All Hearing, All Seeing.
12His are the keys
of the heavens and the earth:
He extends and restricts provision
for whom He will—
He Knows all things.
13He has ordained for you
the religion that He enjoined
upon Noah, that We revealed
to you, Prophet,
and that We enjoined upon
Abraham, Moses, and Jesus:
“Establish the religion, and do not
divide yourselves within it.”
What you call the polytheists to do
is hard for them;
God chooses for Himself
whom He will,
and He guides to Himself
whoever turns toward Him.
14They divided, out of mutual envy,
only after knowledge came to them.
If judgment on them had not been
deferred until an appointed time
by a previous word from your Lord,
sentence would have been passed
between them. And those
who inherited the Book after them
are vexed with doubt over it.
15So, call people to the [Book],
stand firm as commanded,
and do not follow their fancies;
say, rather: “I believe in the Book
which God has revealed,°
and I have been commanded
to dispense justice among you.
God is our Lord and your Lord;
our deeds belong to us,
and yours to you—so let there be
no dispute between us and you.
God will gather us together,
and to Him is our final return.
16As for those who dispute over God
after accepting the message,°
their dispute is vain
in the eyes of their Lord—
His wrath falls on them,
and severe torment awaits them.
17It is God Who sent down
the Book, with truth,
as well as the balance
[to weigh truth and falsehood].
And what would make you know
that the hour may be near?
18Those who don’t believe in it
seek to hasten it,
while those who believe in it
are fearful of it,
knowing it to be true.
Those who argue about the hour
have gone far astray.
19God is Most Gentle
toward His servants;
He provides for whom He will.
He is All Powerful, Almighty.
SECTION 3
20For those who desire
the harvest of the hereafter,
We shall increase their harvest;
and for those who desire
the harvest of this world,
We shall grant them some of it,
but they shall have no portion
in the hereafter.
21Or, do they have gods
ordaining for them in religion
what God has not permitted?
Had it not been for a decisive word
[from God], sentence would already
have been passed between them.
The wrongdoers shall face
a painful punishment.
22You will see the wrongdoers
fearful on account of what they earned,
and what will surely befall them.
But those who believe
and do good deeds shall be
in the gardens’ flowering meadows.
They will have all they wish for
from their Lord—
that is the abundant grace.
23This is the joyous news
which God gives to His servants
who believe and do good deeds.
Say, “I ask of you no reward for this
beyond the love due
to those who are close to you.”
As for those who do good,
We shall increase its good for them°—
God is Forgiving, Appreciative.
24Or, do they say,
“He has coined a lie about God”—
even though, if God wished,
He could seal up your heart?
For by His words
God abolishes falsehood
and verifies truth—
He Knows what hearts contain.
25It is He Who accepts
the repentance of His servants
and pardons wrongful deeds;
He knows all that you do.
26He answers those
who believe and do good deeds,
and grants them ever more
from His grace. But those
who disbelieve shall face
severe punishment.
27Had God extended [boundless]
provision° to His servants,
they would have tyrannized the earth.°
But He sends down in due measure
what He will, for He is All Aware,
All Seeing, of His servants.
28It is He Who sends down
rain—after people have despaired—
and spreads His mercy far,
for He is the Protector,
the Praiseworthy.
29Among His signs is creation
of the heavens and the earth,
and the creatures He dispersed
throughout both—
He is All Powerful, Able
to gather them when He will.
SECTION 4
30Whatever misfortune befalls you
is wrought by your own hands,
yet He pardons much.
31Nowhere can you escape
throughout the earth;
nor, do you have besides God
any protector or helper.
32Among His signs are the ships,
sailing [high] on the seas,
like mountains.
33If it were His wish,
He could lull the wind,
then the ships would be motionless
on the back of the ocean.
In this are signs
for all who are patient
and full of thanks.
34Or He could wreck [the ships]
on account of what [their crew]
has earned, yet He pardons much.
35So let them know, those
who dispute over Our signs—
there is no escape for them.
36Whatever you are given
is but a passing pleasure
of the life of this world.
But what God will give to those
who believe and trust in their Lord
is far better and will endure—
37those who avoid the major sins
and indecencies, and forgive,
even when angry;
38those who answer their Lord,
are steadfast in prayer,
and settle their affairs
by mutual consultation,
and who give [in charity]
from what We have given them;
39and those who defend themselves
when oppression falls upon them.
40The requital for a wrong
is an equal wrong; but whoever
pardons and reconciles
will find his reward with God,
for He does not love
those who do wrong.
41But there is no reproach on those
who defend themselves when wronged.
42Reproach falls only on
those who oppress people and
tyrannize the earth lawlessly.
Theirs shall be a painful torment.
43But whoever forbears
and forgives, displays in this
an ideal resolve.°
SECTION 5
44And whoever God allows to stray
shall no longer have a protector.
And you shall see the wrongdoers say,
when they see the punishment,
“Is there any way [for us] to return?”
45You will see them exposed
to [the punishment], humbled,
humiliated, glancing, with furtive eyes,
and the believers will say,
“The losers are those who have
lost themselves and their kin
on the day of resurrection.
The wrongdoers will abide
in enduring torment.”
46And they have no protectors
to help them beyond God;
and whoever God allows to stray
shall find no way forward.
47Answer your Lord before
the coming of a day, from God,
which cannot be turned away.
On that day there will be no asylum
for you, no denial.
48If still they turn away, [remember,]
We have not sent you, Prophet,
to be their guardian. Your task
is only to convey [the message].
When We grant humankind
a taste of Our mercy, they rejoice in it;
but when some harm befalls them
—by their own hands—
then humankind becomes ungrateful.
49To God belongs dominion
of the heavens and the earth.
He creates what He will;
He grants to whom He will
female or male offspring;
50or grants both males and females,
and makes barren whom He will—
He is All Knowing, All Powerful.
51It is beyond any mortal
that God would speak to him
except by revelation
or from behind a veil
or by sending a messenger
to reveal, by His leave,
what He will.
He is the Most High, All Wise.
52Hereby, We have revealed
Our command to you, Prophet,
through a spirit. You were unversed
in the Book, and in faith;
but We made it a Light,
by which We might guide
whom We will of Our servants—
you truly guide to a straight path,
53the path of God,
to Whom belongs
all that is in the heavens
and all that is on the earth.
All affairs are destined
ultimately to God.
 
 
SURA 43
Gold Adornments (Al-Zukhruf)
A Meccan sura of 89 verses. Its short, pithy verses extol the virtues of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus while also condemning those who rejected them and persisted in idolatry or disbelief. The final command to Muhammad is to “turn away from them, and say ‘Peace,’ for soon they shall come to know” (v. 89).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Ha Mim.°
2By the clarifying Book,
3which We have made
an Arabic Quran
to make you understand.
4It is in an archetypal Book,°
kept by Us, Exalted, Most Wise.
5Should We take this message
away from you, disregarding you,
since you are a people who transgress?
6How many messengers
did We send to earlier peoples,
7yet no prophet came to them
whom they did not mock.
8And We destroyed people
mightier than these—examples
of earlier peoples have passed.
9If you asked them, “Who created
the heavens and the earth?”
they would surely say,
“They were created by
the Almighty, the All Knowing,”
10Who made the earth a place
of repose for you, and traced roads
throughout it to guide you.
11And it is He Who sends down
rain from the sky, in due measure,
and We revive thereby a dead earth—
likewise, you will be raised up again.
12It is He Who created all things
in pairs, and made for you the ships
and livestock on which you ride,
13so that, securely mounted
on their backs, you might recall
your Lord’s favor to you, and say,
“Glory be to Him, Who subdued
all this [to our use],
for we were unable to do this.
14“And We shall turn
back to Our Lord.”
15Yet they attribute
to some of His servants
a share with Him [as His daughters]°—
humankind is blatantly ungrateful.
SECTION 2
16Or, has He taken daughters
from what He himself created
and chosen sons for you?
17When one of them hears
of [the birth of a daughter]
—a creature he has likened to God—
his visage darkens, and he is
choked with grief.°
18“[Am I to have a daughter]—
who is nurtured among trinkets
and cannot form a clear argument?”°
19They also deem the angels
—who are themselves servants
of the Most Merciful—to be female.
Did they witness their creation?
Their testimony will be recorded
and they shall be questioned.
20They say, “If the All Merciful
had willed it, we would not
have worshipped them.”
But they have no knowledge of this,
and do nothing but speculate.
21Or, did We give them
a Book before this,
to which they hold fast?
22No—they say,
“We found our fathers
practicing [this] religion,
and we are guided
by their footsteps.”
23Likewise, whenever We sent
someone before you, to warn a town,
their affluent people affirmed,
“We found our fathers
practicing [this] religion,
and we are guided
by their footsteps.”
24The Prophet retorted,
“Even if I brought you better guidance
than what you found
your ancestors practicing?”
They answered, “We deny
the message you have brought.”
25So We requited them—
observe, then, the fate of those
who denied the truth.
SECTION 3
26Abraham said to his father
and his people, “I repudiate
what you worship.
27“[I worship] none but the One
Who made me,
and He will guide me.”
28He made this a lasting declaration°
to his descendants,
so they might return to God.
29Still, I let these people and their fathers
enjoy this life for a while,
until the truth came to them, and
a messenger who made things clear.
30But when the truth came to them,
they declared, “This is sorcery—
we don’t believe it.”
31And they ask,
“Why wasn’t this Quran
revealed to some prominent man
from one of the two cities?”°
32Is it they who apportion
the mercy of your Lord?
It is We Who apportion among them
their livelihood in the life of this world.
We raise some of them above others
in rank, so they take them into service.
And the mercy of your Lord
is better than
all the worldly goods they hoard.
33We could have lavished on those
who deny the All Merciful
roofs of silver for their houses,
and stairways to ascend
—if this did not risk uniting them
into one disbelieving community—
34as well as doors
for their homes, and
beds on which to rest,
35as well as ornaments of gold.
But all these are merely amusements
of the life of this world. The hereafter,
with your Lord, is for the righteous.°
SECTION 4
36If anyone turns away from
the message of the All Merciful,
We appoint for him a devil,
to be his companion.
37Such [devils] hinder them from
the right path, though they think
they are being rightly guided.
38Until, when they come to Us,
they say [to their devil companion],
“If only there were a distance
between us, as between East and West.
What a wretched companion!”
39[They will be told],
“Since you did wrong,
having partners in punishment
won’t help you now.”
40Can you make the deaf hear,
or guide the blind,
or those who are clearly astray?
41Either We shall take you
[from this life],
and requite them
42or We shall show you
the fate We promised them—
for We have power over them.
43So hold fast to what
was revealed to you,
for you are on a straight path.
44And [the Quran] is a reminder
for you and your people—soon
you shall all be questioned.
45And ask the messengers
We sent before you,
did We appoint any gods
to be worshipped
other than the All Merciful?
SECTION 5
46We sent Moses with Our signs
to Pharaoh and his chiefs.
He announced, “I am a messenger
from the Lord of the universe.”
47But when he came to them
with Our signs, they laughed at them.
48We showed them sign after sign,
each greater than its predecessor,°
then We seized them with torment
so they might turn back [to Us],
49and they replied, “Sorcerer,
pray for us to your Lord
by virtue of His covenant with you—
then we will be guided.”
50But once We removed their torment,
they broke their word.
51Pharaoh called out to his people,
“My people, do I not hold dominion
over Egypt, over these rivers flowing
beneath me? Do you not see?
52“Am I not better than
this vile wretch, who can scarce
express himself in plain speech?
53“Why is he not adorned
with bracelets of gold, and escorted
by a host of angels?”
54And so he fooled his people,
who obeyed him, for they were
a disobedient people.
55So, when they angered Us,
We requited them,
and drowned them all.
56And We made them
a precedent—an example
for generations to come.
SECTION 6
57When [Jesus], son of Mary,
is offered as an example,
your people laugh about him,
58saying, “Are our gods better,
or him?” They mention him
to you merely to argue,
for they are a contentious people.
59He was only a servant—
to whom We granted favor, and
whom We offered as an example
to the children of Israel.
60Had it been Our wish,
We could have made
some of you angels,
succeeding one another
on the earth.
61And [Jesus] is a portent
of the impending hour,°
so do not harbor doubt about it,
and follow Me.
This is a straight path.
62And don’t let Satan bar you
[from the path]—
he is your open enemy.
63When Jesus came
with clear testimony, he said,
“I come to bring you wisdom,
and to clarify some of the things
over which you dispute—
so, fear God, and obey me.”
64“For God is my Lord
and your Lord.
So worship Him alone—
this is a straight path.”
65Yet the various sects still
disputed among themselves.
Let those who did wrong
beware the torment
of a painful day.
66Are they just waiting
for the hour to fall upon them
suddenly, while they are heedless?
67On that day, friends
will become foes of one another—
except those who are righteous.
SECTION 7
68My servants—on that day,
you shall have no fear
nor shall you grieve—
69those who believed in Our signs
and bowed to Our will—
70enter the garden, you
and your spouses, rejoicing.
71Plates and goblets of gold
shall be passed among them.
And there, they shall have
all that their souls desire
and all that delights the eyes.
And you shall abide there forever.
72This shall be the garden
bequeathed to you as its heirs
in virtue of your deeds.
73There you shall have
fruit in abundance to eat.
74But the sinful shall see
the torment of hell,
abiding there forever.
75Their torment shall not be lightened—
they shall be mired in despair.
76We have not wronged them—
it is they themselves who did wrong.
77They will cry, “Malik,°
let your Lord put an end to us!”
He will reply, “You must abide.”
78We have brought you the truth
but most of you abhor the truth.
79Have they contrived a scheme?
We too shall conceive a scheme.
80Or do they think We can’t hear
their covert talk and whispered counsels?
Our envoys are with them, recording.
81Say, “If the All Merciful
did have a child, I would be
the first to worship [him].”
82Glory be to the Lord
of the heavens and the earth,
Lord of the throne—far above
what they ascribe to Him.
83So leave them to gossip
and frolic—until they encounter
their promised day.
84He is God in heaven
and God on earth,
He is Wise, All Knowing.
85Blessed is He who has dominion
over the heavens and the earth
and all that lies between them;
He alone has knowledge of the hour,
and to Him you shall be returned.
86And those they call on besides God
have no power to intercede—
only those who bore witness
to the truth and know [it].
87If you, Prophet, asked them
“Who created the heavens and earth?”
they would surely say, “God.”
How, then, can they be deluded?
88[God hears the] lament
[of the messenger],°
“My Lord, these are a people
who do not believe.”
89So, turn away from them,
and say, “Peace,”
for soon they shall come to know.
 
 
SURA 44
Smoke (Al-Dukhan)
For this Meccan sura of 59 verses, the distinctive image is “a pall of smoke” marking the day of resurrection (v. 10). It suggests that the Quran was revealed “on a [single] blessèd night” (v. 3), anticipating al-Qdar, Sura 97. It also recounts the story of Pharaoh, his punishment, and the rescue of the people of Israel (vv. 17–33). It ends with a direct command to Muhammad: “Wait,” as the unbelievers also are waiting (v. 59).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Ha Mim.°
2By the clarifying Book,
3which We revealed on a blessèd night
—We constantly give warning—
4a night where every matter
was wisely determined
5by Our command—
We constantly send [revelation]
6as a mercy from your Lord—
He is All Hearing, All Knowing,
7Lord of the heavens and earth,
and of all that lies between—if only
you were assured in faith.°
8There is no god but He—
He Who gives life and brings death,
your Lord, and Lord of your forefathers.
9Yet they idle around, in doubt.
10Watch out, then, for a day
when the sky pours out
a pall of smoke, for all to see,
11enveloping humankind—
a painful torment.
12[They will cry,] “Our Lord,
remove this torment from us—
we are true believers.”
13How can they be reminded
—a messenger already came to them
with a clear message,°
14they turned away from him,
exclaiming, “A tutored madman.”
15If We remove the torment
for a while, you will revert
[to your former ways].
16The day We seize them
with overwhelming force,
We shall exact retribution.
17Before them, We tested
the people of Pharaoh—
a noble messenger came to them,
18saying, “Deliver God’s servants to me—
I am a trustworthy messenger sent to you,
19“and do not exalt yourselves
over God—I come to you
with clear authority.
20“Should you seek to revile me°
I seek refuge with my Lord
and your Lord.
21“If you don’t believe me,
then keep away from me.”
22So Moses cried to his Lord,
“These people are a nation of sinners.”
23[The reply came:]
“Set out by night with My servants,
for you are sure to be pursued.
24“And leave the sea as it is—
divided°—behind you,
for their army shall be drowned.”
25How many gardens and springs
they left behind,
26with fields of corn
and splendid structures,
27and pleasant things° in which
they had known delight.
28This [was their end],
and We made other peoples
heirs to those things.
29Neither heaven nor earth
wept for them,
nor were they granted any respite.
SECTION 2
30We delivered the children of Israel
from disgraceful torment
31by Pharaoh, foremost
among the transgressors.
32And We chose them,
with full knowledge,
over all peoples,°
33and granted them signs
that would clearly try them.°
34As for these people
[the Meccan disbelievers], they say,
35“There is nothing beyond
our first death—we shall not
be raised again.
36“Bring back our ancestors
if what you say is true.”
37Are they better than the people
of Tubbaʿ° and those before them?
We destroyed them
for they were always sinners.
38We did not create the heavens
and earth and all between them
for mere amusement.
39We created them only
with true purpose; yet
most of them fail to understand.
40The day of decision
is appointed for them all.
41A day when no friend
can help another friend
and none shall be helped,
42except those to whom
God shows mercy—
for He is Almighty, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 3
43The tree of Zaqqum°
44shall be the sinners’ food;
45it will boil, like molten lead,
in their bellies,
46like scalding water.
47[A voice will command,]
“Seize him, and drag him
to the depths of blazing fire.
48“Then pour scalding water
over his head as punishment.”
49“Taste [this], you
who were mighty and noble.
50“This is what you always doubted.”
51But those who fear God
shall be in a secure place,
52amid gardens and springs,
53in fine silk and rich brocade,
arrayed facing one another.
54So it will be. We shall join them
as spouses to fair maidens, large eyed.
55They shall call for all kinds of fruit
in tranquility;
56nor shall they taste death there,
beyond the first death,
and He will save them
from the torment of blazing fire,
57a favor from your Lord—
the supreme triumph.
58We have made this Quran easy,
in your tongue, so they might take heed.
59So, wait—they° too
are waiting.
 
 
SURA 45
Kneeling (Al-Jathiya)
A short Meccan sura of 37 verses, this extols the several signs of God in creation and the natural world (vv. 3–13), culminating with a scene where each community will be kneeling on judgment day, attesting to its record, literally, its book (v. 28).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Ha Mim.°
2The revelation of the Book
is from God, the Almighty, All Wise.
3In the heavens and on earth
are signs for those who believe.
4In your own creation,
and in the creatures God dispersed
throughout the earth, are signs
for those with firm faith.
5In the cycle of night and day,
and in the sustenance God sends
from the sky, giving life
to the earth after its death,
and in His steering of the winds
are signs for people who reason.
6These are the verses of God
which We recite to you with truth.
So, in what message can they believe
after rejecting God and His signs?
7Woe to every lying sinner
8who hears the verses of God
recited to him, yet persists in pride,
as though he had not heard them.
Warn him, then, of painful torment.
9Even when he learns something
of Our signs, he mocks them.
Disgraceful torment awaits him.
10Before such people lies hell,
and what they earned will be
of no use to them, nor those they took
as protectors instead of God;
they shall face great torment.
11This is true guidance—
and those who deny
the signs of their Lord
shall face painful torment.
SECTION 2
12It is God Who has subdued to you
the sea, on which ships might sail
by His command, so you might seek
His bounty, and show thanks.
13And He has subdued to you
all that is in the heavens
and all that is on earth—a favor
from Him. In all this are signs
for a people who reflect.
14Tell those who believe to forgive
those who do not truly expect [to see]
the days of God°—
so that He might requite people
for what they have earned.
15If anyone does good,
it is for himself; if he does evil,
it is against himself.
In the end, you shall all
be brought back to your Lord.
16We gave the children of Israel
the Book, wisdom, and prophethood;
We sustained them with good things
and favored them above all nations.
17We gave them clear proof
on questions [of religion].
Yet they quarreled, through mutual envy,
even after knowledge came to them.
On the day of resurrection
your Lord will judge between them
concerning the things they dispute.
18Now We have set you, Prophet,
on a proper path [of religion]°—
so follow it, and don’t follow
the desires of those who don’t know.
19They will be of no help to you
against God, for the wrongdoers
are protectors of one another,
while God is Protector of those
who are mindful of Him.
20These are insights° for humankind,
as well as guidance and mercy
for those of firm faith.
21Do those who commit evil deeds
imagine that We will treat them like
those who believe and do good deeds,
making their lives and deaths alike?
How perverse is their judgment!
SECTION 3
22God created the heavens and earth
with true purpose, so that each soul
might be recompensed for what it earned—
and none of them shall be wronged.
23Have you observed
the [kind of] person who takes
his own desire as his god?
Knowing this, God has let him stray,
placing a seal upon his hearing and
his heart, and a veil over his sight—
who can guide him after God
[has let him stray]?
Will you not, then, take heed?
24And they say, “There is nothing
but our life in this world.
We die and we live—only time
destroys us.” Yet they know nothing
of this, and merely conjecture.
25When Our clear verses are
recited to them, they merely retort,
“Bring back our forefathers
if what you say is true.”
26Say, “It is God Who gives life
to you, then brings you death;
He will gather you all together
on the day of resurrection—
of which there is no doubt,
though most people don’t know.”
SECTION 4
27To God belongs dominion
of the heavens and the earth,
and on the day when the hour falls,
it is the falsifiers who will lose.
28You will see all peoples kneeling.
Each will be called to its record:°
“This day, you shall be requited
for all that you did.
29“Our record here speaks the truth
about you—We have transcribed in it
all that you did.”
30He will admit into His mercy those
who believed and did good deeds—
that is the distinct triumph.
31Those who denied will be asked,
“Were My verses not recited to you?
Yet you remained proud,
a sinful people.”
32When it was said,
“The promise of God is true,
there is no doubt about the hour,”
you retorted,
“We don’t know what the hour is—
we think it is mere speculation
and we’re not convinced.”
33The evil of their deeds
will appear before them,
and they will be engulfed
by what they used to mock.
34They will then be told,
“Today, We will forget you
just as you forgot the meeting
[with Us] on this day of yours.
Your home shall be the fire
and you shall have no helper.
35“This is because you mocked
the signs of God, deluded by the life
of this world.” So on this day,
they shall not be brought out
of the fire, nor shall they
be able to atone.
36Praise be to God,
Lord of the heavens
and Lord of the earth—
Lord of the universe.
37His is the Grandeur
throughout the heavens and earth—
He is Almighty, All Wise.
 
 
SURA 46
Sand Dunes (Al-Ahqaf)
This is the final of seven Meccan suras that begin with the same disconnected letters, ha mim. Like others in the series, its 35 verses extol the sending down of the Quran while condemning idolaters’ recalcitrance in the face of God’s signs. It also brings into the chorus of believers a group of spirits (jinn), who are moved by the Quranic message, “a Book, revealed after Moses, confirming what came before it” (v. 30).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Ha Mim.°
2The revelation of the Book
is from God,
the Almighty, All Wise.
3We created the heavens and earth
and all that lies between them
only with true purpose°
and for an appointed term.
Those who disbelieve turn away
from the warnings given to them.°
4Say, Prophet, “Do you see
what it is you call upon besides God?
Show me what they have created
of the earth, or what share they have
of the heavens. Bring me a Book
[revealed] before this one,
or a trace of [earlier] knowledge
if you are speaking the truth.
5And who could be more astray than
those who call on other gods besides God
—others who will not answer them
until the day of resurrection,
who will not heed their prayers?
6And when humankind
are gathered together,
[those other gods]
will be their enemies, and
will deny their worship.
7When Our clear verses are recited
to them, the disbelievers say
—of the truth that has reached them—
“This is clearly just sorcery.”
8Or they say, “He has invented it.”
Say, “Had I invented it,
you would have no power
[to intercede] for me with God.
He knows best what you say about it.
He will suffice as Witness
between you and me—
He is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.”
9Say, “I am not new
among the messengers,
nor do I know what will be done
with me or with you.
I merely follow what
is revealed to me,
and I am merely someone
who gives clear warning.”
10Say, “Have you thought—
what if this [Book] is from God
and you deny it, while a witness
from the children of Israel attests
that it is like [previous scripture]
and believes, while you [turn away]
in your pride? God does not guide
a wrongdoing people.”
SECTION 2
11The unbelievers say about the believers,
“If [this message] had merit,
they would not have embraced it
before we did.” And since [the unbelievers]
will not be guided by it,
they say, “This is an ancient lie.”
12Yet, before this, the Book of Moses
was a guide and a mercy—
this Book confirms it
in the Arabic tongue
to warn those who do wrong
and bring joyous news
to those who do good.
13As for those who say,
“Our Lord is God,”
and remain steadfast—
they shall have no fear,
nor shall they grieve.
14They shall reside in
the garden, abiding there forever—
a reward for all they did.
15We have enjoined man
to be kind to his parents;
in pain his mother bore him
and in pain she gave birth to him.
Bearing him and weaning him
took a full thirty months.
When, eventually, he reaches
maturity—forty years—
he [should] say, “My Lord,
give me strength to be grateful
for Your favor to me
and to my parents.
Let me do good deeds
that are pleasing to You,
and make my offspring righteous—
for I turn to You [repenting]
and I am among those
who bow to Your will.”°
16From them We shall accept
the best of their deeds, and overlook
their bad deeds. They shall be
among those who live in the garden—
fulfilling the promise given to them.°
17But some person might chide
his parents, “Confound you both—
do you really promise me that
I’ll be raised up again—even though
generations before me have passed on?”
But both parents seek God’s help,
saying, “Shame on you! You should
believe—for the promise of God is true.”
Yet still he retorts, “These are merely
fables of the ancients.”
18Sentence shall be passed on
such people, along with generations
of jinn and men that have passed
before them—they shall suffer loss.
19All shall be ranked by degrees
in virtue of what they did,
so that God might
requite them for their deeds—
and none of them shall be wronged.
20The day unbelievers are exposed
to the fire [they will be told],
“You exhausted your share of the
good things in the life of this world
and you enjoyed them. But this day
you shall be requited
with humiliating torment,
for you were proud
upon the earth, without due right,
and were always disobedient.”
SECTION 3
21Recount [the story of Hud]
of the tribe of ʿAd, when he warned
his people amid the sand dunes
—others had come to warn them
before and after him—
“Worship none but God,
for I fear for you the torment
of a momentous day.”
22They retorted, “Have you come
to turn us away from our gods?
Then bring down upon us
the torment you threaten us with,
if you are speaking the truth.”
23He said, “Knowledge of that
rests with God alone. I merely convey
the message with which I am sent.
Yet I see you are an ignorant people.”
24Then, when they saw a cloud
looming over their valleys,
they exclaimed, “Here is a cloud
bearing rain for us”—“No.
It is [the threat] you asked
to be hastened—a stormy wind
bearing painful torment,
25“destroying all before it
by its Lord’s command.”
By morning, nothing could be seen
except their homes [in ruins]—
this is how We requite
a sinful people.
26We established them
with [such power and authority]
as we have not endowed you.
We gave them
hearing, sight, and hearts—but none
of these—hearing or sight or hearts—
availed them at all, for they denied
the signs of God, so they were engulfed
by the very thing they would mock.
SECTION 4
27We destroyed towns around you,
after giving them diverse signs
that they might return [to Our path].
28Why then did their gods
not help them—those they had taken
as gods instead of the One God
to bring them closer to Him?
Instead, they abandoned them—
that was the lie they invented.
29We sent to you, Prophet, a group
of jinn, to listen to the Quran,
and, while they attended it, they said,
“Listen in silence.”
When it was concluded, they turned
back to their people to warn them.
30They said, “Our people,
we have heard a Book, revealed
after Moses, confirming what came
before it. It guides to the truth
and to a straight way.
31“Our people, answer the one who
calls [us] to God, and believe in Him.
God will forgive you your sins
and deliver you from painful torment.
32“Those who fail to answer the one
who calls [us] to God shall find
no escape throughout the earth,
nor any protectors besides God—
they are clearly wrong.”
33Do they not see that God is the One
Who created the heavens and the earth,
unfatigued by their creation?
He is Able to give life to the dead—
He has Power over all things.
34On the day the unbelievers
are exposed to the fire,
[they will be asked,] “Is this not real?”
They will reply, “By our Lord, it is.”
[They will be told,]
“Taste the punishment
for your disbelief.”
35Be patient, then, as the messengers
of firm resolve° were patient,
and do not seek to hasten [torment
for the unbelievers]. On the day
they see the torment promised them,
it will seem as if they had stayed
[in this life] a mere hour of one day.
[This Quran] is a message.
Shall any be destroyed
but those who were disobedient?
 
 
SURA 47
Muhammad
A Medinan sura of 38 verses, this deals with historical events around the Battle of Badr (624 CE), which occurred two years after Muhammad’s move to Medina. The rare mention of Muhammad by name in the Quran (v. 2) is the reason this becomes the title of the sura.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1God will nullify the deeds
of those who disbelieve
and bar [people] from His path.
2But for those who believe
and do good deeds, who believe
in what was revealed to Muhammad
—the truth from their Lord—
He will nullify their misdeeds
and rectify their condition.
3For those who disbelieve
pursue falsehood,
while those who believe
pursue the truth
from their Lord. This is how God
mirrors for people their true likeness.°
4When you meet the unbelievers
[in battle], strike at their necks,
and when you have subdued them,
bind them firmly, then you can
either be gracious [and free them]
or hold them for ransom, once
the weight of war has lifted.
That [is Our command].
Had God wished, He Himself
could have requited them,
but He would test you
against one another.
And the deeds of those killed
in God’s cause shall never be lost.
5He will guide them and
and rectify their condition,
6and bring them into the garden—
as He has made known to them.
7You who believe—if you help
in the cause of God, He will help you
and plant your feet firmly.
8As for the disbelievers—
destruction awaits them
and their deeds shall be lost.
9For they hate what God has revealed,
so He has nullified their deeds.
10Don’t they travel through the earth°
and see the fate of those before them?
God brought destruction to them;
the unbelievers shall see the same end.
11For God is Protector
of those who believe,
but the unbelievers
have no protector.
SECTION 2
12God will bring those who believe
and do good deeds into gardens,
with rivers flowing beneath.
The unbelievers enjoy [this world]
and eat as cattle eat; but the fire
shall be their [eternal] home.
13How many cities We destroyed
that had more power than your city
which drove you out—
and there was none to help them.
14Is a person who acts
on clear proof from his Lord
the same as someone whose
wicked deeds seem fair to him,
or the same as those
who follow their own desires?
15[Here is] a parable of the garden
promised to those who fear God:
It has rivers of pure water,
and rivers of milk whose taste
never changes, and rivers of wine,
delicious to those who drink,
and rivers of purified honey.
It has every kind of fruit for them,
and forgiveness from their Lord.
Are such people like
those who abide in eternal fire,
those given scalding water to drink,
that tears apart their bowels?
16Among them are some
who listen to you,
but when they leave you,
they say to those
who have received knowledge,
“What was it he said just now?”
They are the ones
whose hearts God has sealed,
for they follow only
their own desires.
17But God increases guidance
for those who will be guided,
and He makes them mindful of Him.°
18Do they but wait, then, for the hour
to fall upon them suddenly?
Some tokens of it have already come—
and once it has fallen upon them
what good is it then for them
to remember God’s warning?
19Know, then, that there is
no god but the One God,
so ask forgiveness for your sin,
and for believing men and women.
For God knows where you move
and where you rest.°
SECTION 3
20Those who believe say,
“Why is a sura not revealed
[commanding us to fight]?”
But when a sura is revealed that
clearly mentions fighting, you’ll see
the sick-hearted staring at you
with the look of one about to faint
at the prospect of death.
More appropriate for them
21would be obedience
and upright words.°
And once the stratagem [of war]
is resolved upon,°
it would be better for them
to stand true to God.
22If you turn away, would you
sow corruption in the land,
and cut your bonds of kinship?
23These are the ones God has cursed,
making them deaf
and taking away their sight.°
24Do they not reflect on the Quran—
or are there locks on their hearts?
25As for those who turned their backs
after clear guidance was given them—
it was Satan who enticed them,
and prolonged them in [false] hope.
26For they declared to those
who hate what God has revealed,
“We’ll obey you in some things”—
but God knows what they keep secret.
27How will it be when the angels
take their souls at death,
striking their faces and their backs?
28For they pursued what angered God
and were loath to please Him,
so He shall nullify all their deeds.
SECTION 4
29Or do those with sick hearts think
that God will not expose their hatred?
30Had We wished, We could have
shown them to you and you would have
known them by their marks––
but you’ll know them indeed
by their tone of speech.
And God knows all that you do.
31And We shall test you, to see°
which of you strive [in God’s cause]
and are steadfast—We shall test
the truth of what is said by you.°
32As for those who disbelieve,
who bar people from God’s path,
and oppose the messenger
after clear guidance was given them—
they cannot harm Him at all—
but He shall render their deeds void.
33You who believe: obey God,
obey the messenger, and
do not render vain your own deeds.
34As for those who disbelieve
and bar people from God’s path,
then die as disbelievers—
God shall never forgive them.
35So do not weaken and cry for peace
while you have ascendancy,
for God is with you;
He will never deprive you
of the reward for your deeds.
36The life of this world
is but a pastime and a sport;
but if you believe, and fear God,
He will give you your reward;
nor is He not asking you
to give up your possessions.
37If He were to ask you this,
and press you, you would hold back,
and He would expose your ill will.
38See—you are the ones called upon
to spend in the cause of God,
but some of you still hold back.
Those who hold back do so
at the cost of their own souls—
for God is Self-Sufficient,
while you are in need [of His mercy].
If you turn back, He will replace you
with another people—
who will not be like you.
 
 
SURA 48
Victory (Al-Fath)
Another Medinan sura with historical resonance, its opening verse, “We have given you a clear victory,” could refer to the Battle of Badr, noted in the previous sura, or it could be an anticipation of the victory that would come later (after the Peace of Hudaybiyya in 628 CE) when the Muslims delayed their reentry to Mecca in exchange for permission to go later (630). Its notable verses refer to God’s serenity being sent down on Muhammad and believers after Hudaybiyya (v. 26), and the marks left on foreheads of the devout at prayer (v. 29).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1We have given you a clear victory,
2such that God might forgive you
your past and future sins,
fulfill His favor to you,
and guide you to a straight path,
3granting you His mighty help.
4It is He Who sent down serenity
into believers’ hearts to increase
their faith—the forces of the heavens
and earth belong to God;
God alone is All Knowing, All Wise—
5so that He might usher
the believing men and women
into gardens, beneath which
rivers flow, abiding there forever,
and so that He might absolve them
of their bad deeds—in God’s eyes
that is the supreme triumph—
6and that He might punish
the hypocrites, both men and women,
and the polytheists, men and women,
who harbor a wrongful conception
of God. Around them is
a circle of evil, and the wrath of God
is upon them. He has cursed them
and prepared for them hell—
an evil destination.
7For the forces of the heavens
and earth belong to God;
God alone is Almighty, All Wise.
8We have sent you, Prophet,
as a witness, a bearer of joyous news,
and as one who warns
9so that [all of] you might believe
in God and His messenger,
honoring God, revering Him,°
glorifying Him morning and evening.
10Those who pledge allegiance
to you, Prophet, pledge allegiance
to God—the Hand of God
is over their hands.°
And those who break their oath
thereby harm their own soul.
But He will grant a great reward
to those who fulfill
their covenant with God.
SECTION 2
11The Bedouin Arabs who stayed back
will say to you, “Our properties
and our families kept us busy,
so seek forgiveness for us”—
their tongues speak what
is not in their hearts. Say,
“Who has power to intervene for you
with God, should He intend
either harm or gain for you?
Indeed, God is Aware
of all that you do.
12“Indeed—you thought the messenger
and the believers would never
come back to their families,
and this pleased your hearts—
but your thought was wicked—
you are a ruined people.”
13As for those who do not believe
in God and His messenger—
We have prepared a blazing fire
for such disbelievers.
14To God belongs dominion
of the heavens and the earth;
He forgives whom He will,
and punishes whom He will—
He is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
15When you set out for [the site] where
you might grasp the spoils of war,
Those who stayed back will say,
“Allow us to follow you”—they want
to change the words of God. Say,
“Never shall you follow us—
God said this before.” They will say,
“The truth is that you envy us.”
No—the truth is that they
have little understanding.
16Say to the Bedouin Arabs who stayed back,
“You will be called [to fight] against
a people of great military might.
You shall fight until they submit,
and if you obey, God will grant you
a fine reward, but if you turn back,
as you did before, He will punish you
with a painful torment.”
17The blind, the lame, and the sick
won’t be blamed [if they don’t fight].
God will usher those who obey Him
and His messenger into gardens,
beneath which rivers flow, but
He will punish those who turn away,
with a painful torment.
SECTION 3
18God was pleased with the believers
when they pledged allegiance to you
beneath the tree.° He knew
what was in their hearts, so He sent
down serenity upon them, and
rewarded them with a swift victory,
19and many spoils of war yet to take,
for God is Almighty, All Wise.
20God promised that you will take
many spoils of war, and He hastened
this for you, restraining the hands
of those against you—as a sign
for the believers, and so He might
guide you to a straight path.
21And there are more gains,
over which you have no power,
which God oversees,
for God has Power over all things.
22If the unbelievers had fought you,
they would have turned their backs—
finding then no protector or helper.
23This has been God’s way,
as before—you will never find
any change in God’s way.
24It was He Who restrained the hands
of those fighting against you, and
yours from them, in the valley of Mecca,
after He gave you victory over them—
for God Sees all that you do.
25They are the ones who disbelieved,
barred you from the sacred mosque
to stop the offering from reaching
its sacrificial site. Had there not been
believing men and women whom
you did not know among them,
whom you might have trampled,
unaware, thereby incurring blame,
[God would have let you advance
but instead held you back] so that
He might admit whom He will
into His mercy—if they had been
separated, We would have punished
the unbelievers among them
with a painful torment.
26While the unbelievers’ hearts
seethed with rage—ignorant rage—
God sent His serenity upon
His messenger and the believers,
making them cleave to their word
to be true to Him,° for they were
more deserving and worthy of this—
God is Knower of all things.
SECTION 4
27God has fulfilled the truth
of His messenger’s vision—
you shall enter the sacred mosque safely,
if God is willing, with shaved heads
or shortened hair, without fear—
for He knew what you did not know,
and decreed for you, besides this,
an imminent victory.
28It is He Who has sent
His messenger with guidance
and the religion of truth
to display its preeminence
over all [other] religion—
for God suffices as Witness.
29Muhammad is the messenger of God;
those with him are firm with unbelievers
and compassionate with one another—
you will see them bowing [in prayer]
and prostrating, seeking God’s favor
and His good pleasure. Their foreheads
bear the marks° of their prostrations.
This is how the Torah and the Gospel
present a parable of them: [they are]
like a seed which sends out its shoot
and makes it strong; then it thickens
and stands upon its own stem,
delighting those who sowed it°—
so that God might exasperate
the unbelievers by their means.
God has promised those among them
who believe and do good deeds
both forgiveness and a great reward.
 
 
SURA 49
The Private Apartments (Al-Hujurat)
A short (18 verses) late Medinan sura, this cites the protocol for behavior of believers with the Prophet (vv. 2–5), especially when they contact him from outside his private apartments (v. 4), and concludes with a critique of the Bedouin Arabs (vv. 14–18).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1You who believe, do not
put your own decisions
before those of God
and His messenger°—
rather, be mindful of God,
for God is All Hearing,
All Knowing.
2You who believe, do not
raise your voices above the voice
of the Prophet—and do not
speak loudly to him, as you might do
among one another, else
your deeds might be rendered vain
without your knowing it.
3Those who lower their voices
in the presence of God’s messenger
are the ones whose hearts
God has tested for righteousness.
They shall find forgiveness
and a great reward.
4As for those who call you, Prophet,
from behind your private apartments—
most of them fail to understand.
5If they had patience—[to wait]
until you came out to them—
that would be better for them.
But God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
6You who believe—
if a wicked person comes to you
with news, see if it is true—
so you don’t harm people
through ignorance, and then
feel regret for what you did.
7And know that God’s messenger
is among you. If he were to heed
your wishes in many things,
you would surely suffer.
But God has endeared the faith to you
and beautified it in your hearts,
making disbelief, transgression,
and disobedience hateful to you—
such are those who are rightly guided—
8a grace and favor from God,
for God is All Knowing, All Wise.
9If two parties among the believers
fight, make peace between them.
If one seeks to oppress the other,
then oppose that party until they abide
by God’s command; when they do so,
make peace between them justly, and
be fair—God loves those who are fair.
10The believers are kin, so
make peace between your kin,
and be mindful of God
that you might be shown mercy.
SECTION 2
11You who believe—
Let no people [among you]
ridicule any other people,
for perhaps they are better than them;
nor should any group of women
ridicule another group,
for perhaps they are better than them;
nor revile, nor call one another
by [hurtful] nicknames. How terrible
to be called out in mockery
after embracing faith.
And those who don’t repent
are wrongdoers.
12You who believe,
avoid excessive suspicion, for
some kinds of suspicion are a sin.
And do not spy on one another,
nor backbite—would you like
to eat the flesh of your dead brother?
Of course not—you would hate it.
So, be mindful of God—
God is Ever Relenting, Merciful.
13Humankind, We created you
from a male and a female, then
We made you into nations and tribes,
that you might know one another.
The most noble of you in God’s sight
is the most mindful of Him—
God is All Knowing, All Aware.
14The Bedouin Arabs say, “We believe.”
Say to them, “You do not believe.
Rather, you should [first] say,
‘We have submitted to God’s will,’°
for belief has not yet entered
your hearts. But, if you obey God
and His messenger, He will not
withhold from you at all
the reward for your deeds—
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.”
15True believers are those
who believe in God and His messenger
and do not then fall into doubt;
who strive with their wealth and
give their lives in the cause of God—
they are the ones who are truly sincere.
16Say, “Would you presume
to instruct God in religion?
God knows all that is in the heavens
and all that is on the earth—
God is Knower of all things.”
17They consider it a favor to you
that they’ve submitted to God’s will.
Say, “Don’t think your submission
a favor to me; rather, God has favored you
in guiding you to the faith,
if you are truly sincere.”°
18God knows all that is unseen
in the heavens and the earth—
He Sees all that you do.°
 
 
SURA 50
Qaf (Qaf)
This Meccan sura begins with a single Arabic letter (qaf) elided into the opening verse. Its 45 verses appeal to God’s might and mercy in affirming resurrection from the dead (vv. 2–11). It contains a graphic account of two recording angels on the day (vv. 17–29) and ends with an injunction to the Prophet that he should “remind them, with the Quran—those who fear My warning” (v. 45).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Qaf.°
By the glorious Quran—
2they wonder why one of their own
has come to warn them;
the unbelievers say, “How strange,
3“when we die and turn to dust
[shall we rise again]?
Such a return is a remote prospect.”
4We know well how the earth
decomposes them;° We have a Book
that preserves everything.°
5But they denied the truth
when it came to them,
and now they are confused
[as to right and wrong].
6Don’t they see the sky above them—
how We fashioned and furbished it,
with no fracture in it?
7And We spread out the earth, setting
firm mountains upon it, and made to flower
every kind of exuberant plant—
8to provide insight and a reminder
for every repenting servant.
9And We send down from the sky
rain that is blessed, and We raise
with it gardens and harvest grain,
10and tall palm trees, laden
with clusters of dates, layer on layer,
11as sustenance for Our servants,
and with rain We bring life to dead soil—
this is how [the dead] will come out.
12Before them,
the people of Noah disbelieved,
as did the people of Rass, Thamud,
13ʿAd, Pharaoh, the brothers of Lot,
14the people of Midian,
and the nation of Tubbaʿ°
—all denied the messengers,
so My warning was fulfilled.
15Did the first creation fatigue Us?
No—yet they doubt
the promise of a new creation.
SECTION 2
16We created man, and We know
what his soul whispers to him;
We are closer to him
than his jugular vein.
17Two angels,° seated on the right
and left, record everything.
18No word does [a person] utter
but an observer is with him,
ready [to record it].
19And the stupor of death
will bring out the truth—
“This is what you tried to elude.”
20And the trumpet will be blown—
“This is the promised day.”
21And each soul shall come,
with one angel to urge it on,
another to serve as witness:
22“You were heedless of this.
Now, We have removed your veil—
on this day your sight is keen.”
23And his attendant will say,
“I have his record here, ready.”
24“Hurl into hell every
stubborn disbeliever
25“who always forbade
what was good, transgressed,
and remained in doubt,
26“who set up another god
besides the One God.
Hurl him into severe torment.”
27His companion will say, “Our Lord,
I didn’t make him transgress—
he was already far astray.”
28God will say, “Don’t dispute
with each other in My presence.
I sent you a warning—
29“My Word shall not be changed,
nor am I unjust to My servants.”
SECTION 3
30On the day We ask hell,
“Are you full?” it will answer,
“Are there more?”
31But the garden shall be drawn
near for those who feared God,
distant no more.
32“This is what you were promised—
for all who turned [to God, repenting]
keeping [Him in mind],
33“who feared the Most Merciful,
though unseen, and turned to Him
with a penitent heart.
34“Enter it, in peace; this day
begins eternity.”
35They shall have there
all that they desire,
and more besides, from Us.
36How many generations
did We destroy before them,
though they were stronger,
and had explored many lands—
could they find no refuge?
37In this is a reminder for whoever
has a heart, and listens, as a witness.
38We created the heavens and earth,
and all between them in six days,
yet no fatigue could reach Us.
39So bear with patience
whatever they say,
and hymn your Lord’s praise
before sunrise and sunset,
40hymn His glory during the night,
and after bowing in prayer.
41And listen for a day
when the caller calls
from a nearby place,
42the day they hear the actual blast—
that will be the day they come out
[from their graves].
43It is We Who give life
and bring death:
to Us is the final return—
44the day the earth is
cleaved asunder beneath them,
with people rushing away—
such a gathering of them all
will be easy for Us.
45We know best what they say,
and it is not for you, Prophet,
to compel them.
So remind them, with the Quran—
those who fear My warning.
 
 
SURA 51
Scattering Winds (Al-Dhariyat)
Also Meccan and also evoking judgment by an appeal to nature (the widely scattering winds, v. 1), this sura recounts Abraham’s hospitality to his honored guests (vv. 24–37), as well as the punishment meted out to Pharaoh and other disbelievers (vv. 38–54). It culminates with a reminder to Muhammad to remind believers: “I have created jinn and humankind only so that they might worship Me” (v. 56).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1By the widely scattering [winds];
2and those bearing [clouds of rain];
3and those flowing with ease;
4and those spreading
[rain and other blessings]
as ordained; °
5what you are promised is true:
6the reckoning will surely come.
7By the sky, copious with paths—
8you differ in what you say;
9those who turn away
are thereby turned away;
10may those who lie perish,
11those who flounder in
heedlessness—
12they ask, “When will be
the day of reckoning?”
13It will be a day when
they are tried by fire.
14“Taste your ordeal—this
is what you sought to hasten.”
15Those who were mindful of God
shall be in gardens and springs,
16gaining what their Lord gives them,
for their good deeds in the past.
17They would sleep just
a small part of the night,
18and in the hours before dawn
they would ask for forgiveness;
19and give their due share of wealth
to beggars and those in need.°
20There are signs on the earth
for those assured in their faith,
21and also within your own selves—
will you not, then, see?
22The heavens hold your sustenance
and all that you are promised.
23By the Lord of the heavens
and earth, this is the truth,
as true as the fact that you speak.
SECTION 2
24Has the story of Abraham’s
honored guests reached you?
25When they came to him,
they said, “Peace.” He replied,
“Peace to you, strangers.”
26Then he went back to his family
and brought out a fattened calf,
27which he placed before them.
“Won’t you eat?” he asked,
28feeling some fear of them.
They said, “Don’t be afraid,”
and they gave him joyous news
of the birth of a learnèd son.
29Then his wife came forward,
hollering—cuffing her face,
she scoffed, “A barren old woman?!”
30They said, “It will be so,
says your Lord,
and He is Almighty, All Knowing.”
31Abraham asked, “Messengers,
what is your mission?”
32They said, “We have been sent
to a nation of sinners,
33“to send down brimstone
upon them,
34“marked by your Lord
for those who transgress.”
35Then We brought out
the believers who were there,
36but We found in one house only
those who submit their will to God,°
37and We left there a sign for those
who fear a painful torment.
38In Moses [was a further sign],
when We sent him to Pharaoh
with clear sanction.
39But [Pharaoh] turned away
with his retinue, saying, “He’s either
a sorcerer or simply possessed.”
40So We seized him with his forces
and cast them into the sea
for he was blameworthy.
41[There is also a sign]
in the people of ʿAd—against whom
We sent a barren wind
42that left nothing in its trail
but utter destruction.
43And [another sign]
in the people of Thamud
who were told, “Enjoy this life
for a short while.”
44But they defied
their Lord’s command,
so a thunderbolt struck them
as they looked on.
45Unable even to stand,
they were utterly helpless.
46Like Noah’s people before them,
they were a disobedient people.
SECTION 3
47We forged the sky with Our might,
and We spread it throughout space.
48Then We spread out the earth—
how excellently expansive!
49And We created pairs of each thing
that you might be reminded.
50[Prophet, urge them,]
“Hasten toward God—
I am sent to you from Him
to give clear warning.
51“Set up no other god
besides the One God;
I am sent to you from Him
to give clear warning.”
52Likewise, no messenger came
to the peoples before them
without their saying, “He’s either
a sorcerer or simply possessed.”
53Is this what they have
told one another? No!
They are a transgressive people.
54So turn away from them—
for you have incurred no blame.
55But remind them [of the message]
for a reminder profits believers.
56I have created jinn and humankind
only so that they might worship Me.
57I desire no sustenance from them
nor do I wish them to feed Me.
58For God is the Sustainer,
Possessor of Power,
Supreme in Strength.
59The wrongdoers will be punished
like their predecessors—so let them
not urge Me to hasten this.
60Woe to the unbelievers,
on the day promised to them.
 
 
SURA 52
Mount Sinai (Al-Tur)
Opening with a reference to Mount Sinai, this Meccan sura of 49 verses highlights the certainty and the accountability of judgment day (vv. 9–28), with a stern reminder to Muhammad that he is neither a poet nor a soothsayer nor a madman (vv. 29–30), and that he should show patience while praising God day and night (vv. 48–49).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1By Mount [Sinai],
2by a Book that is inscribed°
3in a scroll unfolded;
4by the house° that is visited
time after time,
5by the canopy° raised high;
6and by the brimming sea,
[unconfined]
7the torment of your Lord
shall come to pass—
8none can prevent it.
9On the day when the sky
rocks back and forth,
10and the mountains roll
violently around—
11woe on that day
to those who deny,
12who idle away their time
in trifling talk—
13on that day they shall be
thrust into the fire of hell.
14“This,” [they will be told,]
“is the fire you denied.
15“Is this sorcery, then,
or do still you not see?
16“Burn in it—it is the same for you
whether you endure it or not—
You are merely requited for what you did.”
17Those who were mindful of God
shall be in gardens, in bliss,
18relishing their Lord’s gifts to them,
and their Lord shall deliver them
from the torment of blazing fire.
19[They will be told,]
“Eat and drink, to your content—
for all that you have done.”
20Reclining on couches,
arrayed in rows—
We shall wed them
to houris, large eyed.
21We shall unite those who believe
with those of their offspring
who followed them in faith.
We shall not withhold at all
the reward for their deeds—
every person is bound
by° what they have earned.
22And We shall extend to them
all the fruit and meat they desire.
23There, they shall pass around
a cup among themselves, inducing
neither idle talk nor sin.
24Youths as fair as hidden pearls
shall circle among them,
25and they will turn to
one another, asking questions,
26saying, “When we were
with our families before
[on earth], we were fearful.
27“But now God has favored us,
and saved us from
the torment of scorching wind.
28“Even then, we would call on Him—
for He is Most Kind, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 2
29So remind them, Prophet—
for, by the grace of your Lord,
you are neither a soothsayer
nor a madman.
30Or, do they say, “A mere poet—
for whom we anticipate
some misfortune in time!”
31Say, “Wait, then—
and I shall be waiting with you.”
32Do their minds urge them
to [say] this, or are they
a rebellious people?
33Or, do they say,
“He has invented it”?
They just don’t believe.
34Let them produce a discourse like it
if they are speaking the truth.
35Were they created from nothing—
or are they themselves creators?
36Or, did they create the heavens
and the earth? No, they have no
assurance [of the truth].
37Or, do they possess the treasures
of your Lord, or control them?
38Or, do they have a stairway
to climb and hear [the secrets
of heaven]? If so, let those
who heard bring clear proof.
39Or, does He have daughters
while you yourselves have sons?
40Or, do you ask them for payment
that would weigh them down in debt?
41Or, do they have knowledge
of the unseen,
which they can transcribe?
42Or, do they intend to scheme
against you?—those who disbelieve
are already being outschemed.
43Or, do they have a god
other than the One God?
Glory be to God, far above
what they join with Him.
44Even if they saw a fragment
of the sky falling down on them,
they would say,
“It’s merely a mass of clouds.”
45So leave them, Prophet, until
they come face-to-face with their day
when they shall faint, thunderstruck.
46The day when their scheming
shall help them in no way,
and they receive no other help.
47As for those who do wrong
there is yet more torment beyond this
though most of them do not know it.
48So await with patience
the judgment of your Lord
—for you are in Our sight—
and hymn your Lord’s praise
when you rise,
49hymn His praise by night,
and by the evanescing stars.
 
 
SURA 53
The Star (Al-Najm)
Like many suras, including the preceding three, its name comes from the opening verse. An early Meccan sura of 62 verses, it also interpolates later verses (vv. 13–18) that refer to the Prophet’s Ascent (the initial topic of “The Night Journey,” Sura 17). The exchange with the three goddesses (vv. 20–21) has occupied many commentators, but central to the Prophet’s vision, and his mission throughout, is his connection to prior prophets, and their messages, here highlighted as the scrolls of Abraham and Moses (vv. 36–37).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1By the star when it descends—
2your companion is neither
astray nor misguided,
3nor does he voice his own desire.
4It is nothing less than revelation
that is sent down to him,
5one mighty in power°
has taught him,
6one imbued with great strength,
who stood
7at the horizon’s peak
8then approached, coming down
9to within two bow-lengths away
or closer—
10until he revealed to God’s servant
what He revealed.
11His heart did not mistake
what it saw.
12Will you then dispute with him
what he saw?
13He saw [Gabriel]
descending again
14Near the lote-tree
on the farthest horizon,
15near the garden of repose,
16when the tree was cloaked
[in sublime splendor].°
17His sight never wavered,
nor did it venture beyond,
18for he saw the most sublime
signs of his Lord.
19Have you seen the “goddesses”
Al-Lat and Al-Uzza,
20and a third, Al-Manat?°
21For you the male
and for Him the female?°
22This apportioning would be unjust.
23These are merely names
you and your forefathers
have devised, for which
God has revealed no sanction.
They merely pursue conjecture
and what they themselves desire—
even though guidance has come
to them from their Lord.
24Or shall humankind have
whatever it wishes for?
25No—both beginning and end
belong to God.°
SECTION 2
26How many angels there are in the heavens
whose intercession will be of no help—
except after God grants leave for those
whom He will and approves?
27Those who don’t believe
in the hereafter
assign female names to the angels.
28But they have no knowledge of this.
They pursue mere conjecture—
which is of no use against truth.
29So turn aside from those
who turn away from Our message,
desiring only the life of this world.
30Such is the extent
of their knowledge.
It is your Lord Who best knows
who strays from His path
and who is guided.
31To God belongs
all that is in the heavens,
and all that is on the earth.
He will requite those who do evil
for what they did, and reward those
who do good with what is best,°
32those who avoid major sins
and indecencies, though falling into
minor sins. Your Lord is Expansive
in forgiveness. He knows you well
since He brought you out of the earth,
and since you were mere fetuses
in the wombs of your mothers.
So do not claim to be pure—
He knows best who is mindful of Him.
SECTION 3
33Have you see the one
who turns away,
34who gives a little
then holds back?
35Does he have knowledge
of the unseen, so that he can see?
36Has he not been told of what
the scrolls of Moses hold?°
37And of Abraham,
who fulfilled his trust?°—
38that none shall bear
the burdens of another;
39and that humans can have
only what they strive for;
40and that their striving
will soon be seen,
41then they will be rewarded for it
with a full reward—
42that the final goal is
to your Lord;
43that it is He Who makes people
laugh and cry;
44that it is He Who
brings death and gives life;
45that it is He Who created
male and female in pairs
46from a drop of sperm, discharged;
47that He will bring forth
a second creation;°
48that it is He Who
enriches and suffices;
49that it is He Who is Lord
of Sirius;°
50that it is He Who destroyed
the ancient people of ʿAd
51and the people of Thamud,
without sparing them,
52and the people of Noah
before them—they were most unjust
and most rebellious.
53and He brought low
the overturned cities
[of Sodom and Gomorrah],
54covering them?°
55Which of the favors of your Lord
would you, then, doubt?
56This is one who warns,
like those who warned
in former times.
57The impending hour
draws near.
58None but God
can unveil it.
59Do you yet wonder
at this message?
60And laugh, rather than cry?
61Immersed, as you are, in vanities?
62Bow down before God
and worship Him alone.
 
 
SURA 54
The Moon (Al-Qamar)
A middle Meccan sura, its 55 verses begin with a cosmic sign—some would say, miracle—that portends the day of reckoning. “The moon torn asunder” evokes not just the final judgment but also the roll call of prophets honored, like Noah and Lot but also people condemned, like ʿAd and Thamud as well as the family of Pharaoh. None escapes “the book of deeds” in which “each matter, small and great, is recorded.” (vv. 52–53).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1The hour draws near,
and the moon is torn asunder.°
2If they see a sign, they turn away,
saying, “The sorcery continues.”°
3They deny the signs
and follow their own desires—
yet every affair will be resolved.
4Stories of former peoples
have already come to them,
to deter them,
5stories consummate in wisdom—
but the warnings are of no use.
6So turn away from them, Prophet.
On the day the caller summons them
to something terrible,
7they will emerge from their graves,
eyes downcast, swarming like locusts,
8scrambling toward the caller.
The unbelievers will cry,
“This is a harsh day.”
9Before them, Noah’s people
denied [the truth],
denying Our servant,
saying “He is possessed”—
and he was reproved.
10Then he called on his Lord,
“I am overcome—so help me!”
11So We opened the gates
of heaven, with water
cascading down.
12And We made the earth
burst open with gushing springs—
the waters came together as decreed.
13But We carried Noah
on [an ark] made of planks and nails
14sailing secure beneath Our gaze—
a reward for the one
who had been spurned.
15And We have left this [ark]
as a sign—so will any take heed?
16How [dire] were My torment
and My warnings.
17We have made the Quran
easy, on mind and memory—
so will any take heed?
18The people of ʿAd also denied
[the truth]—how [dire]
were My torment and My warnings.
19For We sent against them
a furious wind, on a day
of unrelenting calamity,
20plucking people out like stumps
of uprooted palm trees.
21How dire were My torment
and My warnings.
22We have made the Quran
easy, on mind and memory—
so will any take heed?
SECTION 2
23The people of Thamud [also]
denied the warnings.
24For they said, “Shall we follow
a mere mortal from among ourselves?
We would fall into error and folly!
25“Was the reminder sent to him
alone of all those among us?
It can’t be—he’s an insolent liar.”
26They shall know tomorrow
who the insolent liar is.
27We will send the she-camel
as a trial for them. So, watch them,
Salih, and be patient.
28Inform them that the water
is to be shared among them,
each drinking in turn.
29But they called their comrade
who took a sword°
and hamstrung the camel.°
30How dire were My torment
and My warnings.
31For We hurled against them
a single fearsome blast
that turned them into
the like of dry twigs
used by a builder of fences.
32We have made the Quran
easy, on mind and memory—
so will any take heed?
33The people of Lot [also]
denied the warnings.
34We hurled against them
a shower of brimstone—except
the family of Lot, whom we saved
at the hour of dawn,
35by Our grace. In this way
We reward those who are grateful.
36Lot warned them
that We would seize them,
but they disputed the warnings,
37and even solicited his guests
[to seduce them]—
but We blinded them—
“Taste My torment
and the truth of My warnings.”
38Early in the morning
a relentless torment seized them—
39“Taste My torment
and the truth of My warnings.”
40We have made the Quran
easy, on mind and memory—
so will any take heed?
SECTION 3
41Warnings came
to the people of Pharaoh.
42They denied all Our signs,
so We seized them with the power
of the Almighty, the All Powerful.
43Are the unbelievers among you
better than them?
Or, were you granted
exemption in the scriptures?
44Or, do they say,
“We are a strong force,
and we shall win”?
45But their force shall be vanquished
and they will turn their backs, fleeing.
46But the hour—as promised to them—
the hour shall be
most grievous, most bitter.
47It is the sinners who have fallen
into error—and madness;
48on the day they are dragged
into the fire, their faces down,
[they will be told,]
“Taste the embrace of hellfire.”
49We created all things
in due measure,
50Our command works in one flash
like the blinking of an eye.
51We have destroyed your kind
before—so will any take heed?
52Each thing they do
is recorded in the book of deeds
53each matter, small and great,
is recorded.
54The righteous shall be among
gardens and rivers,
55in a seat of honor,
near the All Powerful King.
 
 
SURA 55
The All Merciful (Al-Rahman)
Early Meccan in origin, according to modern scholars, this sura of 78 verses echoes one of God’s Beautiful Names, the one most revered after Allah: Rahman, “the All Merciful.” In a refrain that recurs thirty-one times from v. 13 to v. 77, it addresses both humankind and jinn, valuing each as an audience for divine commands and as recipients of divine blessings. The rhetorical use of the Arabic dual marks it as an extraordinary oral performance, one requiring parallel effort in its English rendering.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1The All Merciful:
2He taught the Quran,
3He created man,
4He taught him speech.
5Both sun and moon,
exact in their span,
6and stars and trees, both bow down;
7and the sky He raised high,
setting up the balance,
8that you might not infract
what is due in balance;
9set up [your] weights justly, then,
and do not fall short in balance.
10And He laid out the earth
for His creatures,
11with her fruit and date palms
with clustered sheaths;
12and corn, with husks,
and scented plants.
13Which, then, of your Lord’s favors
would you both deny?
14Humankind He created from
dry clay, like earthen pots,
15and jinn He created from
smokeless fire.
16Which of your Lord’s favors
would you both then deny?°
17Lord of the two Easts°
and Lord of the two Wests.°
18And which of your Lord’s favors
would you both deny?
19He let the two seas flow,
so they might converge:
20between them a barrier,
where they shall not merge—
21so which of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
22Out of them both come
pearls and coral.
23Which, then, of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
24And His are the ships sailing high
on the seas, like mountains.
25So which of the favors of your Lord
will you both deny?
SECTION 2
26All things upon [the earth] shall perish,
27while the Face of your Lord
Abides Forever,
in Majesty and Munificence.
28Which, then, of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
29All that is in the heavens and earth
implores Him,
each day His decree exists.°
30Which of your Lord’s favors
will you then both deny?
31Soon We shall attend to you,
you hosts [of jinn and humankind].
32Then which of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
33Assembly of jinn and humankind—
if you can pass beyond the realms
of heaven and earth, then pass—
yet you shall not pass
without [Our] warrant.
34And which of your Lord’s favor
will you both deny?
35Against you both will be hurled
a fiery flame, and smoke—
you shall find no quarter.
36Which, then, of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
37When the sky is torn asunder,
turning crimson like red leather.°
38Which of your Lord’s favors
will you then both deny?
39On that day, none will be
questioned about his sin,
neither humans nor jinn.
40And which of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
41The sinners shall be known
by their marks, and seized
by their forelocks and their feet.
42Which, then, of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
43This is hell, which sinners deny—
44they will wander in circles
between it and boiling water.
45Which, then, of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
SECTION 3
46But whoever fears [the day]
when he stands before his Lord—
shall have two gardens—
47so which of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
48With spreading branches.
49So which of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
50In them both will be
two fountains, flowing.
51So which of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
52In them both will be fruits
of every kind, in pairs.
53So which of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
54Reclining on couches,
lined in rich brocade,
with fruit of both gardens
within close reach.°
55So which of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
56In the gardens will be females
of modest glance, untouched
before by human or jinn—
57so which of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
58[In beauty] like rubies and coral.
59So which of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
60What is the reward for goodness,
beyond goodness?°
61Which, then, of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
62And besides these two,
shall be two more gardens—
63which, then, of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
64Both hued in deepest green.
65And which of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
66In them both will be
two fountains, overflowing.
67Which, then, of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
68In them both will be fruit,
date palm, and pomegranate.
69Which, then, of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
70In them will be maidens,
virtuous and beautiful—
71which of your Lord’s favors
would you then both deny?
72Houris,° large eyed,
secluded in pavilions—
73and which of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
74Untouched before by human or jinn.
75Which, then, of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
76Reclining on cushions of green
and luscious carpets.
77Which, then, of your Lord’s favors
will you both deny?
78Blessed is the Name
of your Lord, forever,
in Majesty and Munificence.
 
 
SURA 56
The Inexorable Event (Al-Waqiʿa)
As with many suras, the opening verse of its 96 verses provides the title for this early Meccan invocation of “a noble Quran, in a Book well guarded” (v. 77–78). It begins with a vivid description of judgment day, then divides those arrayed into the ones nearest to God, followed by those on the right, and those on the left (vv. 10–56). Signs of God’s power and providence (vv. 57–74) underscore the universal need to acknowledge “the truth, certain,” glorifying “the Name of your Lord, Most Great” (vv. 95–96).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1When the inexorable event arrives,
2none shall deny its arrival.
3Many will it abase
and many will it exalt—
4when the earth is convulsed
to its core,
5and the mountains crumbled
6to dust, scattered wide—
7then you shall be ranked
into three groups:
8some on the right—who?°
9and some on the left—who?
10While the foremost [in faith]
shall be foremost [in place];
11these will be nearest to God°
12in gardens of bliss:
13many from the first generations,
14few from later generations,
15on couches adorned with gold,
16reclining, facing one another.
17Immortal youths shall pass
among them, [serving them]
18with goblets, jugs, and a cup
[filled] from a flowing stream,
19inducing neither headache
nor stupor;
20and whatever fruits they choose;
21and the flesh of whatever
fowl they desire;
22and houris, large-eyed,
23like pearls preserved
in their shells—
24a reward for all their deeds.
25There, they will hear neither gossip
nor sinful talk—
26only the words “Peace . . . peace.”
27Those on the right—
how will they be?
28[They will be] among lote-trees
shorn of their thorns,°
29among acacias laden with fruit,
30under spreading shade,
31with flowing water,
32and fruit in abundance
33without limit or constraint,
34seated on couches raised high.
35We created companions,
36whom We have made chaste,
37loving, and well suited°—
38for those on the right—
SECTION 2
39many from former times,
40and many from later generations.
41Those on the left—
how will they be?
42They will be in scorching wind
and scalding water,
43in the shade of black smoke
44neither cool nor soothing.
45Before this, they had indulged
in luxury,
46persisting in great sin,
47and they used to say,
“So when we die, and turn to
dust and bones, will we
really be resurrected—
48“along with our ancestors?”
49Say, “Yes, both former
and later generations
50“shall be gathered together
at an appointed time
on a stipulated day.
51“Then you who are astray,
and deny the truth,
52“shall eat from the bitter
tree of Zaqqum,°
53“filling your bellies with it,
54“while drinking scalding water,
55“slurping it like thirsty camels.”
56This will be their welcome
on the day of reckoning.
57It is We Who created you—
so why will you not accept the truth?
58Do you see the [semen]
that you emit?
59Did you create it,
or are We the Creator?
60We decreed death
to be your common lot°—
nor could We be thwarted°
61[if We wished] to transform
your form and re-create you
in forms unknown to you.
62And of course you know well
your original form of creation—
so why will you not take heed?°
63Do you see the seed
that you sow?
64Is it you who cause it to grow
or We?
65Had We wished, We could have
crushed it to rubble,
and left you musing,
66“We are deep in debt,
67“in fact, we’re dispossessed.”
68Do you not see the water
that you drink?
69Is it you who send it down
from the rain clouds—or We?
70If We willed, We could make it
bitter [and undrinkable]—
so why will you not give thanks?
71Do you see the fire
that you light?
72Is it you who produce
the tree that fuels it, or We?
73We made it a reminder,
and a provision for desert travelers.
74So glorify the Name
of your Lord, Most Great.
SECTION 3
75Indeed—I swear
by the setting of the stars°
76—this is a momentous oath,
if only you knew—
77that this is a noble Quran,
78in a Book well guarded,
79which only the pure shall touch—
80a revelation from
the Lord of the worlds.
81Would you, then,
take this message lightly?
82And do you make your living
by denying it?
83Why do you not [intercede]
when the [soul of a dying man]
wells up to his throat,
84while you merely gaze on?
85We are nearer to him
than you are—but you do not see.
86And why, if you are exempt
from judgment,
87do you not bring back [his soul],
if you are speaking the truth?
88If [that dying person] is among
those brought near to God,
89they shall have repose,
fragrant delight,
and a garden of bliss.
90And if he is one of those
on the right,
91[he shall hear the greeting]
“Peace be to you” from those
on the right.
92But if he is one of those
who denied [Our message]
and went astray,
93his welcome will be
scalding water,
94and burning in hellfire.
95This is the truth, certain.
96So, glorify the name
of your Lord, Most Great.
 
 
SURA 57
Iron (Al-Hadid)
Only 29 verses, this early Medinan sura takes its title from the mention of iron, sent down to provide “great strength and benefits for people” (v. 25). Extolling the glory of God and His messenger (vv. 1–11), it then separates the believers and hypocrites, with disparate fates awaiting each (vv. 12–20) and an appeal to believers: “Race to gain forgiveness from your Lord” (v. 21). It concludes with praise for the earlier followers of Noah, Abraham, and Jesus and emphasis on the light as a mark of God’s guidance and forgiveness (v. 28).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1All that is in the heavens and on earth
hymns the glory of God,
for He is Almighty, All Wise.
2His is the dominion
over the heavens and the earth;
He gives life and brings death,
and He has Power over all things.
3He is the First and the Last,
the Manifest and the Hidden,
Knower of all things.
4It is He Who created
the heavens and the earth
in six days, then took up the throne.
He knows what enters the earth
and what leaves it,
what descends from the sky
and what ascends to it.
He is with you wherever
you are—for God Sees
all that you do.
5His is the dominion
over the heavens and the earth,
and all affairs are returned to God.
6He fades night into day,
and day into night; and He Knows
what your hearts contain.
7Believe in God and His messenger,
and give freely° from what
He has entrusted to you. For those
of you who believe and give freely,
there is a great reward.
8Why do you not believe in God
when the messenger calls you
to believe in your Lord
—and has taken a pledge from you—
if you are truly believers?
9It is He Who sends clear signs
to His servant, so he might lead you
out of the darkness into light—
for God is Most Kind,
Ever Merciful.
10And why do you not spend
in God’s cause? For the legacy of
the heavens and the earth is God’s.
Not all among you are equal:
those who gave and fought
before the victory°
are higher in rank than those
who gave and fought afterward.
But God has promised all
a fine reward—
for God is Aware of all that you do.
SECTION 2
11Who will lend to God
a beautiful loan, that God
will multiply for them?
Theirs will be a noble reward.
12On a day when you see
the believers, men and women,
with their light moving before them,
on their right, [they will hear,]
“What joyous news for you this day—
gardens, beneath which rivers flow,
to live there forever—
that is the supreme triumph.”
13On that day, the hypocrites, both men
and women, will say to the believers,
“Wait for us! Let us share
some of your light.” They will be told,
“Go back behind and seek a light.”
Then a wall shall be raised
between them, with a door—
mercy inside it and torment outside.
14[Those outside] will call out,
“Were we not with you?
[The others] will reply,
“Yes, but you fell into temptation.
You were hesitant, in doubt,
and false desires deceived you—
until God’s command came.
The deceiver deceived you about God.
15“This day no ransom
shall be accepted of you, nor
of the disbelievers. Your home
is the fire, your true patron—
a wretched destination.”
16Has not the time come
for the believers to humble
their hearts in remembrance of God
and of the truth revealed [to them],
and not to be like those who were
given the Book earlier,
whose hearts grew hard over time,
many of whom were disobedient.
17Know that God gives life
to the earth after its death;
We have made the signs clear to you
that you might comprehend.
18For the men and women
who give in charity, and lend to God
a beautiful loan—it will be multiplied
and theirs will be a noble reward.
19Those who believe in God
and His messengers are truthful—
they will bear witness
before their Lord.
They shall have their reward
and their light.
But those who disbelieve
and deny Our signs
shall be inmates of hellfire.
SECTION 3
20Know that the life of this world
is but play and idle pastime, with
adornment and mutual boasting,
and rivalry for gain in wealth
and children. It is like the rain
bringing up [a crop],
which delights the tillers.
But then it dries, and
you see it turn yellow, then
to stubble. In the hereafter
there is severe torment, but also
God’s forgiveness and approval—
for the life of this world is nothing
but diversion, delusion.
21Race to gain forgiveness
from your Lord, and a garden
as wide as the heaven and earth,
prepared for those who believed
in God and His messengers.
This is the grace that God
grants to whom He will,
for God’s grace is great.
22No misfortune can occur
on the earth or in yourselves
without being recorded before
We brought it into being—
that is easy for God—
23so that you don’t grieve
over what eludes you, nor exult
in what He has given you,
for God does not like
the proud and boastful,
24those who are miserly and
encourage others to be so.
As for those who turn away—
God is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.
25We sent down Our messengers
with clear proofs, and We sent with them
the Book and the balance°
that people might uphold justice.
And We sent down iron, which has
great strength and benefits for people—
so that God might know who will
help [His cause] and His messengers
[though He is] unseen.
For God is All Powerful, Almighty.
SECTION 4
26We sent Noah and Abraham,
and bestowed prophethood
and the Book upon their descendants.
Some among them were rightly guided,
but many were disobedient.
27Then We brought [more of]
Our messengers to follow
in their footsteps. After them
We sent Jesus, son of Mary,
to whom We gave the Gospel.
We placed compassion and mercy
in the hearts of his followers.
But they invented monasticism
—which We did not ordain for them—
to seek God’s good pleasure—
though they failed to observe it duly.°
Then we rewarded the believers
among them—but many were disobedient.
28You who believe, be mindful
of God, and believe in His messenger.
He will grant you a twofold portion
of His mercy; He will make a Light
for you, in which you shall walk,°
and He will forgive you—for God
is Most Forgiving, Ever Merciful—
29so that the people of the Book
might know that they have no power
whatsoever over the grace of God,
that this grace lies in His hands,
and He gives it to whom He will—
for God’s grace abounds.
 
 
SURA 58
The Woman Who Pleads (Al-Mujadila)
This Medinan sura of 22 verses takes its name from its subject: a woman who challenges her husband’s right to divorce her with a pre-Islamic formula (vv. 1–4). Stressing God’s omniscience and omnipotence (vv. 6–13), it also warns those who deceive or oppose Muhammad (vv. 14–21) and concludes with a promise that God will strengthen believers with His own spirit (v. 22).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1God has heard the words
of the woman who pleads with you
concerning her husband, and
refers her complaint to God.
And God hears both sides
of your exchange, for God
is All Hearing, All Seeing.
2As for those of you
who divorce their wives° by
pronouncing zihar against them
[misnaming them “mothers”]—
they are not their mothers.
Their mothers are only those
who gave them birth.
So what they say
is both wicked and false.
But God is Pardoning, Forgiving.
3But those who divorce their wives
in this way, then wish to go back
on what they have said,
should free a slave
before any mutual touching.
This is what you are enjoined to do,
for God is Aware of all that you do.
4And those without the means
[to do this] should fast for
two consecutive months
before any mutual touching.
And those unable to do this
should feed sixty poor people.
This is so you will believe in God
and His messenger, for these are
the limits set by God.
And a painful torment
awaits the disbelievers.
5Those who oppose God and His messenger
will be disgraced—like those before them.
For We have sent down clear signs.
And degrading torment awaits the disbelievers
6on the day that God raises them up together,
and informs them of all they have done.
God has recorded it though they have forgotten it.
For God is Witness to all things.
SECTION 2
7Do you not see that God knows
all that is in the heavens and
all that is on the earth—there is no
whispered converse between three people
but He is the fourth, nor between four
but He is the fifth, nor between five
but He is the sixth—nor fewer
nor more but He is with them
wherever they are. Then, on the day
of resurrection, He shall inform them
of all they have done.
For God is Knower of all things.
8Have you not seen those
who were forbidden from furtive talk
revert to doing what was forbidden,
conspiring in what is sinful, hostile,
and disobedient to the Prophet.
When they come to you,
they address you as God would never
address you,° and they say
to themselves, “Why does God
not punish us for what we say?”
Hell is enough for them, and
they shall burn in it—an evil end.
9You who believe—when you hold
secret counsel, do not conspire in sin,
hostility, and disobedience to the Prophet;
converse, rather, with a view
to righteousness and mindfulness
of God. Be mindful of God—the One
to Whom you will be gathered.
10Furtive talk is prompted by
Satan, to breed grief among believers.
But He cannot harm them at all
without leave from God.
So let the believers trust in God.
11You who believe, when told
to make room for one another
in the assemblies, do so—
God will make room for you.
And when you are told to rise, do so—
God will raise up in rank
those among you who believe
and who have been given knowledge.°
For God is Aware of all that you do.
12You who believe, when you
consult in private with the Prophet,
first offer alms. This will be better
for you, and more purifying.
But if you do not find
[the means to do this],
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
13Were you afraid of not being able
to give alms before consulting
with the Prophet? If you did not,
and God relents toward you,
be steadfast in prayer,
give in charity, and obey God
and His messenger.
For God is Aware of all that you do.
SECTION 3
14Do you not see those who befriend
people who have incurred God’s wrath?
They are not of you, nor you of them.
And they swear knowingly to what is false.
15God has prepared severe torment
for them; what they have done is evil.
16They have made their oaths
a screen [for their misdeeds], and
they bar [others] from the path of God—
theirs shall be a disgracing torment.
17Their wealth and their children
shall prove no use to them against God.
They are inmates of hellfire
where they shall dwell forever.
18On the day that God
raises them up together,
they will swear to Him,
as they swear to you—they think
they have something to stand on—
wrong—they are liars.
19Satan has overcome them.
making them forget remembrance
of God. They are the party of Satan—
a party that will lose out.
20Those who oppose God
and His messenger
shall be the most humiliated.
21God has decreed: “It is I
and My messengers who will prevail.”
God is All Powerful, Almighty.
22You will not find any people
who believe in God and the last day
befriending those who oppose
God and His messenger—even if
they are their fathers, sons, brothers,
or relatives. He has inscribed faith
within their hearts, strengthening them
with His own spirit.° He shall usher them
into gardens beneath which rivers flow,
to live there forever. God will be pleased
with them, and they with Him. They
are the party of God, and it is God’s party
who will surely succeed.
 
 
SURA 59
The Gathering (Al-Hashr)
A middle Medinan sura, its 24 verses stress the gathering (hence the title) of a Jewish tribe that first supported, then opposed the Prophet. The central verses concern this episode (vv. 2–17), followed by verses exhorting believers to remember God (vv. 18–21), above all to glorify Him by reciting His “Most Beautiful Names” (vv. 22–24).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1All that is in the heavens
and all that is on the earth
glorifies God,
for He is Almighty, All Wise.
2It is He Who expelled the disbelievers
among the people of the Book
from their homes,
at the first gathering of forces.°
You did not think they would go
and they themselves thought
their fortresses would defend them
from God. But God
came upon them from where
they least expected, and cast
terror into their hearts.
Their homes were destroyed by
their own hands, and the hands
of the believers. So take heed,
you who are able to see.
3Had God not decreed
banishment for them,
He would have surely
punished them in this world.
In the hereafter, they shall face
the torment of hellfire.
4That is because they
opposed God and His messenger.
Whoever opposes God—[know that]
God is Stern in Requital.
5Whether you cut down
[their] palm trees or left them
standing on their roots, it was
by God’s leave, that He might
shame the disobedient.
6You had to make no expedition
of horse or camels for the spoils God
gave to His messenger from them,
for God empowers His messengers
over whom He will, and God
has Power over all things.
7Any spoils God gave to His messenger
from the people of the towns
belongs to God, the messenger,
kinsfolk, orphans, the needy,
and the traveler—so they should not
circulate between the rich among you.
So take whatever the messenger
gives you, and refrain from
whatever he disallows you,
and be mindful of God,
for God is Stern in Requital.
8[A share is due] to the poor
among the emigrants, who were
expelled from their homes
and their possessions
while seeking the grace of God
and His good pleasure
in helping [the cause of] God
and His messenger.
These are the truthful people.
9[A share is also due]
to those, already settled
before them in their homes
[in Medina], and firm in faith,
who show love for those
who came to them for refuge,
and find in their hearts no need
for what has been given to the refugees,
preferring them over themselves,
even though they too are poor:
those who are saved from the greed
of their own souls,
are the ones who will succeed.
10Those who have come after them
say, “Our Lord, forgive us and our
brothers who came before us in faith
and don’t leave a grudge in our hearts
against those who believe. Our Lord,
You are Compassionate, Ever Merciful.”
SECTION 2
11Have you not seen the hypocrites
say to their disbelieving brothers
from the people of the Book,°
“If you are expelled, we will surely
go with you; we will never listen
to anyone who speaks against you;
if you’re attacked, we shall surely
help you.” But God bears witness
that they are lying.
12If they are expelled,
they will never go with them,
and if they are attacked,
they will not help them,
and if they did help them,
they would turn their backs:
so they would not be helped.
13You are more fearsome
in their hearts than God.
That is because they are people
who will not understand.
14They will not fight you, even when
united, except in fortified towns,
or from behind walls; their violence
among themselves is great:
you think them united,
but their hearts are divided.
That is because they are people
who are averse to reason.
15Like those who came
just before them, they have tasted
the grievous fruit of their actions,
and they shall face painful torment.
16Like Satan, when he says
to humankind, “Do not believe!”
But when humankind disbelieves,
he says, “I disown you: I do fear God,
Lord of the universe.”
17Both will end in the fire,°
to remain there forever.
Such is the reward of wrongdoers.
SECTION 3
18You who believe, be mindful
of God; and let every soul
look to [the deeds] it sends forth
for tomorrow; be mindful
of God, for God is Aware
of all that you do.
19And do not be like those
who forget God, whom He causes
to forget themselves—
they are the disobedient.
20Those in the fire
and those in the garden
are not equal—
those in the garden
are the triumphant.
21Had We sent down this Quran
upon a mountain, you would have
seen it humbled, cleave itself
into a chasm, in fear of God.
Such are the parables
We coin for human beings,
that they might reflect.
22God is He, beyond Whom
there is no god. He Knows
the unseen and the seen;
He is the All Merciful, Ever Merciful.
23God is He, beyond Whom
there is no god, the Sovereign,
the Sanctified; the Source of Peace,
the Trustworthy, the Guardian,
the Almighty, the Irresistible,
the Supreme; Glorified is He,
beyond what they affiliate with Him.
24He is God, the Creator,
the Originator, the Shaper of Forms;
His are the Most Beautiful Names.°
All that is the heavens and the earth
glorifies Him, and He is
Almighty, All Wise.
 
 
SURA 60
The Woman Tested (Al-Mumtahana)
This late Medinan sura is very brief, with the title and purpose referring to v. 10. Its 13 verses focus on categories of women caught between two groups, Muslims and their opponents, in skirmishes just before the Prophet’s reentry to Mecca in 630 CE. The purpose of testing these women is to determine the sincerity of their belief once they confirm their intent to remain with the ascendant Muslim community.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1You who believe, do not take
as allies My enemies and yours,
offering them friendship, when they
disbelieve in the truth that came
to you, driving out the messenger
and yourselves, because you believed
in God, your Lord—if indeed
you emigrated to strive in My cause
and to seek My good pleasure.
You show them secret affection, but I know
what you conceal and reveal.
Those of you who do this
stray from the level path.
2If they gain ascendancy over you,
they will become your enemies
and reach out against you
with their hands and tongues,
with wicked resolve,
for they want you to disbelieve.
3Your relatives and children
will be of no use to you
on the day of resurrection.
He will judge between you,
for God Sees all that you do.
4You have an excellent example
in Abraham and those with him,
when they said to their people,
“We dissociate ourselves from you
and what you worship besides
the One God. We reject you,
and the enmity and hatred risen
between us shall endure until you
believe in God—and Him alone.”
Except when Abraham said to his father,
“I will ask forgiveness for you, but
I have no power at all on your behalf
with God.” [He and his people prayed,]
“Our Lord, we trust in You, we turn to You,
and our final return is to You.
5“Our Lord, do not make us
[a means] of trial for the unbelievers,
and forgive us, Our Lord.
You are Almighty, All Wise.”
6They were an excellent example
for you—for those whose hope
lies in God and the last day.
As for those who turn away—
God is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.
SECTION 2
7It may be that God will induce
love between you and those
you held as enemies,
for God is All Powerful,
and God is Forgiving,
Ever Merciful.
8God does not forbid you
from being kind and just to those
who don’t fight you over religion
or try to drive you from your homes,
for God loves those who are just.
9God only forbids you from taking
as allies those who fight you,
drive you from your homes,
and help [others] to drive you out.
Those who take them as allies
are wrongdoers.
10You who believe—
when the believing women come to you
as emigrants, test them.
God best knows their faith.
Once you know them to be believers,
don’t send them back
to the disbelievers—for whom
they are no longer lawful, nor
are the disbelievers lawful for them.
Rather, give [their unbelieving husbands]
whatever they paid [as bridal dues]—
nor do you incur blame if you marry them
once you pay them their bridal dues.
Do not hold to your marriages
with unbelieving women.
Ask for return of the bridal dues
you paid, and let the unbelievers
ask for return of what they paid.
This is God’s judgment—
it is He Who judges between you,
for God is All Knowing, All Wise.
11And if any of your wives deserts you
for the unbelievers, then in your turn,
give to those whose wives have gone
what they spent [as bridal dues]—
and fear God, in whom you believe.
12Prophet, when the believing women
come to you—pledging not to
associate anything with the One God,
not to steal, commit adultery,
nor kill their children, nor forge any lie
about who has fathered their children,
nor disobey you in what is righteous—
then, accept their pledge, and ask
forgiveness for them from God,
for God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
13You who believe,
do not seek as allies those
who have incurred God’s wrath,
and who despair of the hereafter
just as the disbelievers despair
that those in their graves
[will be brought back to life].
 
 
SURA 61
In Ranks (Al-Saff)
An early Medinan sura, it is short (14 verses). Extolling those who “fight in His cause, in battle lines (v. 4),” it invokes the examples of Moses and Jesus as stalwart messengers who helped God’s Light to shine (vv. 4–8), auguring a messenger named Ahmad with the religion of truth (vv. 6, 9), whose followers will be victorious (v. 14).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1All that is in the heavens and earth
hymns the glory of God—
He is Almighty, All Wise.
2You who believe,
why do you profess
what you do not practice?
3It is loathsome in the sight of God
that you profess
what you do not practice.
4God loves those who fight
in His cause, in ranks,
like a firmly wrought structure.
5Moses said to his people,
“My people, why do you vex me
when you know that
I am God’s messenger to you?”
When they deviated, it was God
Who caused their hearts to deviate—
for God does not guide
people who transgress.
6Jesus, son of Mary, said,
“Children of Israel, I am God’s
messenger to you, confirming
the Torah that came before me,
and bringing joyous news
of a messenger to come after me,
whose name will be Ahmad.”
Yet when he came to them
with clear signs, they declared,
“This is clearly sorcery.”
7Who does greater wrong than those
who invent a lie about God,
even when invited to submit to Him—
God does not guide
a people who do wrong.
8With their words,° they wish
to extinguish the Light of God.
But God will perfect His Light
though disbelievers may detest it.
9It is He Who sent His messenger
with guidance and the religion of truth
to exalt it over all religion,
though the polytheists may detest it.
SECTION 2
10You who believe, shall I lead you
to a transaction that will save you
from painful torment?
11Believe in God and His messenger
and strive in the cause of God
with your possessions and your lives—
that is better for you, if only you knew.
12He will forgive you your sins
and usher you into gardens
beneath which rivers flow, into
splendid dwellings in eternal gardens—
that is the supreme triumph.
13And another [favor] you will love—
help from God and imminent victory.
So, give the joyous news
to those who believe.
14You who believe, be helpers
[in the cause] of God. As when Jesus,
son of Mary, said to the disciples,
“Who will help me in God’s cause?”
They responded, “We shall.”
Of the children of Israel,
one group believed
while another disbelieved.
So We supported those
who believed against their enemy—
and they were victorious.°
 
 
SURA 62
The Friday Prayer (Al-Jumuʿa)
A short Medinan sura, its 11 verses address God’s power (vv. 1–4), then Jewish opponents (vv. 5–8), with an appeal to believers to pray and remember God (vv. 9–11) “for God is the Best of Providers” (v. 11).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1All that is in the heavens and earth
hymns the glory of God—
the Sovereign, the Holy,
the Almighty, All Wise.
2It is He Who has sent a Prophet
to the unlettered people,° one of their own,
who recites for them His signs,
who sanctifies them, teaching them
the Book and wisdom—
though before this
they were clearly astray—
3[the Prophet was sent to them and
to] others who have yet to join them.
For God is Almighty, All Wise.
4This is the grace of God
which He grants to whom He will—
for God is Full of Grace.
5Those entrusted with
bearing the Torah
and who failed in this
are like a donkey bearing books.
Wicked are the likes
of people who deny
the signs of God—
and God does not guide
a people who do wrong.
6Say, “Those of you who are Jews,
if you claim you have a bond with God°
—excluding all [other] people—
then hope for death
if you are speaking the truth.”°
7But they will never hope for death
given the deeds they have accrued°—
God Knows those who do wrong.
8Say, “The death you flee from
will overtake you. Then you will
be sent back to the Knower
of the unseen and the seen
and He will inform you
of all that you have done.
SECTION 2
9You who believe, when the call
to Friday prayer is made,
hasten to remember God
and leave your trading.
That is better for you,
if only you knew.
10And when the prayer is concluded,
disperse through the land, seeking
the bounty of God—
and remember God often,
that you might prosper.
11Yet when they see some trading
or play, they disperse, running
toward it, and leave you standing alone.
Say, “What is with God is far better
than trade or play. For God
is the Best of Providers.”
 
 
SURA 63
The Hypocrites (Al-Munafiqun)
Another short Medinan sura of 11 verses, this addresses first hypocrites (vv. 1–8), then believers (vv. 9–11), reminding the latter that “God is Aware of all that you do” (v. 11).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1When the hypocrites come to you,
they say, “We bear witness that you
are truly the messenger of God.”
God knows well that you
are His messenger—
and He bears witness
that the hypocrites are liars.
2They have made their oaths
a screen [for their misdeeds], and
they bar [people] from God’s path—
what they have done is wicked.
3That is because they believed,
then disbelieved. So a seal
has been set upon their hearts—
hence they don’t understand.
4When you see them, their looks
please you, and when they speak,
you listen to what they say.
Yet [in truth], they are like
beams of timber, propped up.
They think that every cry
is against them. But they
are the enemy, so be wary of them.
May God curse them—
how deluded they are.
5And when it is said to them,
“Come, the messenger of God
will ask forgiveness for you,”
they turn their heads aside
and turn away in their pride.
6It’s the same for them whether
you ask forgiveness for them or not—
God will not forgive them.
God does not guide
people who are disobedient.
7They are the ones who say,
“Don’t give anything to those
who are with God’s messenger—
then they will disband.”
But the treasures of the heavens
and earth belong to God, though
the hypocrites don’t understand.
8They say, “If we return to Medina
The more powerful° will expel
the weaker ones from it.” But power
belongs to God, His messenger,
and the believers,
though the hypocrites
have no knowledge [of this].
SECTION 2
9You who believe, don’t let
your wealth and your children
distract you from remembrance
of God—those who do this
will be the ones who suffer loss.
10Spend [in charity] from what
We have given you, before death
comes to any one of you,
and they should say,
“My Lord, why don’t you
grant me respite for a short term,
so that I can give in charity,
and be among the righteous?”
11But God will not grant respite
to any soul once its term becomes due.
For God is Aware of all that you do.
 
 
SURA 64
Mutual Fraud (Al-Taghabun)
Either Meccan or Medinan, its 18 verses begin with extolling God (vv. 1–4), then recall the punishment of earlier generations (vv. 5–6), before announcing the different fates of believers and disbelievers (vv. 7–10). While believers face trials and temptations (vv. 11–16), they should remain confident of God’s forgiveness—“for God is Appreciative, Forbearing—Knower of the unseen and the seen, the Almighty, the All Wise” (vv. 17–18).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1All that is in the heavens
and all that is on the earth
hymns the glory of God.
His is all dominion, and
His is all praise—
He has Power over all things.
2It is He Who created you.
Some of you are disbelievers
while others believe—
and God Sees all that you do.
3He created the heavens and earth
with true purpose, and formed you
in beautiful forms—and to Him
you shall finally return.
4He knows all that is in the heavens
and on the earth. He knows
what you conceal and reveal.
He Knows what lies hidden in hearts.
5Has word not reached you of those
who disbelieved in the past?
They tasted the evil fruit of their deeds
and theirs was a painful torment.
6For° their messengers came to them
with clear proofs, but they said,
“Shall we be guided by a mere mortal?”
and, disbelieving, they turned away.
But God does not need them, for God
is Self-Sufficient, Worthy of Praise.
7The unbelievers claim that they
will not be raised from the dead. Say,
“By my Lord, you will be raised up,
and then informed of all that you did—
this is easy for God.”
8So, believe in the One God
and His messenger, and in the Light
We have sent down.° For God
is Aware of all that you do.
9When He gathers you together
on the day of gathering—that
will be the day when you suffer
mutual fraud.
As for those who
believe in God and do good deeds,
He will absolve them
of their misdeeds,
and usher them into gardens
beneath which rivers flow,
dwelling there for eternity.
That will be the supreme triumph.
10But those who disbelieve
and deny Our Signs, shall be
cast into the fire, dwelling there
forever—a wretched destination.
SECTION 2
11No kind of calamity can strike
without God’s leave. God guides
the heart of any who believe in Him—
and God is Knower of all things.
12So obey God, and
obey His messenger;
but if you turn back,
Our messenger’s task
is only to convey
the message clearly.
13God—there is no god but He—
so let the believers trust in God.
14You who believe—some among
your wives and children may be
your enemies, so beware of them.
But if you pardon, forbear, and forgive,
God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
15Your wealth and your children
are merely a test for you.
But the greatest reward is with God.
16So be mindful of God—
as much as you are able.
Hear, and obey, and spend
in charity—for your own sake.
Those who are saved from
their own greed are the ones
who will prosper.
17If you lend to God a beautiful loan°
He will multiply it for you,
and forgive you, for God is
Appreciative, Forbearing—
18Knower of the unseen
and the seen,
the Almighty, the All Wise.
 
 
SURA 65
Divorce (Al-Talaq)
A Medinan sura of 12 verses, this begins with a commentary on divorce laws (vv. 1–7) and then warns of punishment for disbelievers as well as blessing for believers (vv. 8–12), concluding as do many suras, with invoking Divine Names: “God has Power over all things, and that His Knowledge encompasses all things (v. 12).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Prophet, when any of you
divorces women, do so when
their waiting period starts,°
and keep count of the period,
remaining mindful of God,
your Lord. Don’t expel them
from their homes, and they
themselves should not leave
unless they are guilty
of some clear indecency.
These are the limits set by God,
and those who transgress
those limits wrong themselves.
You do not know if God, after this,
will bring something else to pass.
2Then when their term of waiting
expires—either keep them or
part with them—in a kindly manner,
and call two just men among you
as witnesses, to give upright
testimony for the sake of God.
This is counsel for those who
believe in God and the last day.
God will find a way out for those
who are mindful of Him.
3And He provides for them
from sources they could not imagine.
God is sufficient for those
who place their trust in Him.
He brings about what He decrees
and sets a measure for all things.
4If you are in doubt, the waiting
period will be three months for
those women past menstruation
and those not yet menstruating.
For those who are pregnant,
the waiting period shall expire
when they deliver.
God will make things easy
for those who are mindful of Him.
5This is the command of God,
which He has revealed to you.
He will absolve of their bad deeds
those who are mindful of Him
and make great their reward.
6Let the women you are to divorce
live in your homes, as you can afford;
don’t harm them, to cause distress.
And if they are pregnant,
maintain them until they deliver.
If they suckle your offspring,
compensate them. Consult together
in a kindly manner,
but if you find this too arduous,
let another woman suckle the child.
7Let affluent people spend
according to their means,
and let those of spare means
spend from what God has given them.
God puts no burden on any soul
beyond the means He has given it—
and after hardship He brings relief.°
SECTION 2
8How many towns did We bring
to stern account, which rebelled against
the commandment of their Lord
and His messengers—subjecting them
to Our severe torment?
9So they tasted the evil fruit
of their deeds—and the result
of their deeds was utter ruin.
10God has prepared for them
a severe torment—so be mindful
of God, you people who understand,
who believe—God has sent down
a message to you,
11a messenger, who recites to you
clear verses from God, to lead those
who believe and do good deeds
from darkness into light.
Those who believe in God
and do good deeds shall be
urged into gardens, beneath which
rivers flow, to dwell there forever—
what an excellent provision
God has in store for them.
12It is God Who created seven
heavens and their like in earths.°
His command descends through them
to let you know that God
has Power over all things,
and that His knowing
encompasses all things.
 
 
SURA 66
Prohibition (Al-Tahrim)
This Medinan sura of 12 verses opens with directives about Muhammad’s wives (vv. 1–5). It then addresses general guidelines for believers, disbelievers, and the Prophet (vv. 6–9), closing with examples from prior times (Noah’s wife, Lot’s wife, Pharaoh’s wife, and Mary, the daughter of ʿImran; vv. 10–12).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Prophet, why do you prohibit
what God has made lawful for you,
seeking to please your wives!
Yet God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.°
2God has ordained that you
might be freed from such oaths,
for God is your Protector,
and He is All Knowing, All Wise.
3When the Prophet confided
something to one of his wives,
and she divulged it [to another wife],
God made this known to him,
and he confirmed part of it,
without disclosing the rest.
When he told her about it,
she asked, “Who informed you
about this?” He replied,
“I was informed by the One
Who is All Knowing, All Aware.”
4If your wives both turn
to God in repentance [it will
be better]—for your hearts
have deviated; so if you support
each other against the Prophet,°
[know that] God is his Protector—
along with Gabriel
and the righteous believers;
the angels too will support him.
5It may be that if he divorced you,
God would give him in exchange
wives better than you—who submit
to God, who believe, are devout,
repentant, worshipping, and who fast°—
both previously wed and virgins.
6You who believe, save yourselves
and your families from a fire
whose fuel is humans and stones,
over which angels stand guard
who are stern and severe, never
disobeying the commands of God,
who do as they are commanded.
7[They will say,] “Unbelievers,
don’t make excuses this day—
you are merely being requited
for all that you did.”
SECTION 2
8You who believe, turn to God
with sincere repentance. Perhaps
God will erase your bad deeds,
and usher you into gardens,
with flowing rivers beneath.
On that day, God will not
disgrace the Prophet and those
who believed with him.
Their light will precede them,
on their right, and they shall say,
“Our Lord, perfect our light,
and forgive us, for You
have Power over all things.”
9Prophet, strive hard against
the disbelievers and hypocrites,
and be firm with them. Their home
will be hell, an evil end.
10God sets outs a parable
for the unbelievers—
the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot.
They were married to two
of Our righteous servants
but they betrayed them,
and their husbands could not
help them against God.
They were told, “Enter the fire
along with the others.”
11And God sets out a parable
for the believers—
the wife of Pharaoh, who said,
“My Lord, build me a home near You,
in the garden, and save me
from Pharaoh and his deeds,
and from a wrongdoing people.”
12And Mary—the daughter of ʿImran—
who preserved her chastity.
We breathed Our spirit into her,
and she affirmed the truth of the words
of her Lord, and of His Books,
for she was among the devout.
 
 
SURA 67
Dominion (Al-Mulk)
A middle Meccan sura, its 30 verses divided into four segments: extolling God’s glory (vv. 1–4); enumerating punishment for the devil and his minions (vv. 5–11); an invocation of God’s might (vv. 13–22); and directives to the Prophet (vv. 23–30). The conclusion is capped by a reminder of divine control of even daily drinking water: “Say, ‘Have you considered—if one morning all your water were to sink into the earth, who would bring you water that is flowing and clear?’ ” (v. 30).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Blessed is He Whose hands
hold dominion—
He Who has Power over all things—
2He Who created death
and life, that He might test
which of you is best in deeds.
He is Almighty, Forgiving—
3He Who created the seven heavens,
one above another. You will see
no flaw in the creation of
the Most Merciful. Look again—
do you see any flaws?
4Look again, a second time—
your sight will return to you
humbled and fatigued.
5And We have adorned
the lowest heaven with lamps,
making them missiles
against the devils,
for whom We have prepared
a torment of blazing fire.
6Those who denied their Lord
shall face the torment of hell,
an evil end.
7When they are thrown into it,
they will hear it bubbling,
as it boils up,
8almost bursting with fury.
Whenever some group is thrown
into it, its keepers will ask,
“Did no one come to warn you?”
9They will reply, “Indeed,
someone did come to warn us
but we denied him, saying,
‘God never sent down any message.
You are gravely mistaken.’ ”°
10And they will say,
“Had we listened,
or used our reason,
we would not now be
inmates of the blazing fire.”
11So they will confess
their sins—so much for the inmates
of the blazing fire!
12As for those who fear
their Lord, unseen—
they shall have forgiveness
and a great reward.
13And whether you conceal
your speech or proclaim it openly,
He Knows what lies
in the hearts [of humankind].
14Would He not know—
He Who created them? He is
Most Subtle, All Aware.
SECTION 2
15It is He Who has made
the earth subservient to you,
so walk in its pathways,
and eat of His provision—
[returning] to Him
you shall be resurrected.
16Do you feel assured° that
He Who is in heaven will not
make the earth swallow you up
when it shakes violently?
17Or do you feel assured
that He Who is in heaven
will not send against you
a hailstorm, that you might
know what My warning is?
18And those who came
before them also denied—
[see] how I rejected them!
19Don’t they see the birds
above them, spreading and folding
their wings? None upholds them
but the All Merciful—
He Sees all things.
20Who can help you—even
an army—besides the All Merciful?
The disbelievers are merely
sunk in delusion.
21Or who can provide for you
if He withholds His provision?
Yet they persist in insolence
and aversion to truth.
22Is someone who walks
with his face down better guided
than someone who walks upright
on a straight path?
23Say, “It is He Who
brought you into being,
and gave you hearing, sight,
and hearts—
how little you give thanks.”
24Say, “It is He Who
multiplied you throughout
the earth, and to Him
you shall all be gathered.”
25They ask, “When will
this promise be fulfilled—
if you are speaking the truth?”
26Say, “God alone has
[that] knowledge. I am merely
one who gives clear warning.”
27But when they see it near them,
the disbelievers’ faces shall
be distressed, and they will be told,
“This is what you called for.”
28Say, “Have you considered—
if God were to destroy me
and those with me, or if He
were to have mercy on us—
who could save the disbelievers
from painful punishment?”
29Say, “He is the All Merciful.
We believe in Him,
and trust in Him.
Soon, you shall know
who is clearly wrong.”
30Say, “Have you considered—
if one morning all your water
were to sink into the earth,
who would bring you water
that is flowing and clear?”
 
 
SURA 68
The Pen (Al-Qalam)
A Meccan sura, probably very early, of 52 verses, this extols the pen (v. 1) before offering a retort to the challenge that Muhammad is “possessed,” posed by some wealthy but vitriolic Meccan opponents (vv. 2–18). There follows a parable of proud owners of a garden (vv. 13–34), and the sura closes with a vigorous polemic (vv. 35–46) and invocation of Jonah’s good fortune (vv. 48–50), a reminder to those who think Muhammad possessed (vv. 51–52).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Nun.° By the pen,
and by what they write—
2by the grace of your Lord,
you are not possessed;
3and for you there will be
unending reward.
4for you are most exalted
in moral character.
5Soon you shall see
—and they shall see—
6which of you is afflicted
[with madness].
7It is your Lord who best knows
who has strayed from His path,
and it is He Who knows best
who is rightly guided.
8So, don’t heed those
who deny the truth.
9They want you to compromise
so they can compromise.
10And don’t heed some wretched
swearer of oaths,
11some slanderer, spreading
malicious gossip,
12a sinful transgressor,
thwarting what is good,
13cruel, and above all, ignoble°—
14all on account of his wealth and sons.
15When Our signs are recited
to him, he cries,
“Fables of the ancients!”
16Soon We shall brand him
on the snout.
17We tested them, just as
We tested the owners of the garden
when they swore to pluck its fruit
in the morning,°
18without making allowance
[for God’s will].
19So a calamity from your Lord
struck the garden
while they were sleeping,
20[and the orchard was desolated,]
as though it had been harvested.
21As morning broke, they called
out to one another,
22“Go to your crop early
if you want to harvest its fruits.”
23So they went, whispering,
24“Let no poor person
enter the garden today
[without your consent].”
25And they went early,
strong in this resolve.
26But when they saw the garden, they said,
“We must have lost our way.
27“Oh no—we are ruined.”
28One of them, more moderate than the rest,
said, “Did I not tell you to glorify God?”
29They said, “Glory be to our Lord.
We have done wrong.”
30Then they turned to blame one another,
31saying, “Alas, we have transgressed.
32“But perhaps our Lord
will replace this garden
with something better, for
we turn to Him, in hope.”
33Such is the punishment
in this life. But in the hereafter
it will be greater still—
if only they knew.
SECTION 2
34Those mindful of God
shall have gardens of bliss
with their Lord.
35Would We treat alike
those who submit [to God’s will]
and those who sin?
36What is wrong with you?
On what grounds do you judge?
37Or, do you have a Book
from which you learn
38that you can have there
whatever you choose?
39Or do you have a covenant
with Us, enduring until the day
of resurrection, that you will have
what you deem [to be yours]?
40Ask them, which of them
will guarantee this?
41Or do they have some divine partners?
Then let them bring forward these partners,
if they are speaking the truth.
42On the day of apocalypse,
they shall be called
to bow down—but will be unable.
43Their eyes downcast,
shame will fall over them—
they were called to bow down
when they were sound [in body].
44So, Prophet, leave to Me
those who deny this message:
We shall lead them on, step by step,
in ways they can’t imagine.
45I will grant them some respite—
My intent is resolute.
46Or, is it that you ask of them
some payment, that would
burden them with debt?
47Or is the unseen within their grasp,
so they can transcribe it?
48Await patiently, then,
your Lord’s judgment, and
don’t be like Jonah in the whale°
who called out in distress—
49had his Lord’s grace
not reached him, he would have been
cast on the naked shore, disgraced.
50But his Lord chose him,
and made him one of the righteous.
51When the unbelievers hear
this message, they would almost
strike you down° with their glances,
and they say, “He is possessed.”
52But this is nothing less
than a reminder for all the worlds.
 
 
SURA 69
Reality (Al-Haqqa)
A Meccan sura, in 52 verses, this references several previous peoples who disbelieved and were destroyed (vv. 1–12). The sura describes the joy of judgment day for believers (vv. 13–24), with the opposite fate for sinners (vv. 25–37), culminating in a paean to the Quran (vv. 38–52), announced as “certain truth” (v. 51).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1The reality [of resurrection].
2What is the reality of resurrection?
3What would make you grasp
the reality of resurrection?
4The people of Thamud and ʿAd
denied the thundering calamity.°
5So the Thamud were destroyed
by an overwhelming blast,
6and the ʿAd were destroyed
by a screaming, violent wind.
7He made it rage against them
for seven nights and eight days
together—so you see its people
fallen down dead, like trunks
of hollow palm trees.
8Do you see any trace of them now?
9Pharaoh and those before him,
and the overturned cities
all committed grave sins,
10and disobeyed each
messenger of their Lord,
so He seized them
with a deathly grasp.
11When the water flooded,
We carried you in the floating ark,
12to make it a reminder for you—
so listening ears might take heed.
13Then, when a single blast
blares from the trumpet,
14and the earth and mountains
are raised and crushed
with a single stroke—
15on that day the event will come,
16and the sky will be torn asunder,
for it will be frail that day.
17and on its verges, the angels
will stand, and eight of them,
that day, shall bear above them
the throne of your Lord.
18On that day, you shall be
exposed, and no secret of yours
shall stay concealed.
19Then those given their record
in their right hand will each say,
“Here, read my record;
20“I was certain that I would
come to my reckoning.”
21And he will be
in a pleasing life,
22in a high garden,
23with its clusters of fruits
hanging near.
24“Eat and drink to your content—
for the deeds you accrued
in days gone by.”
25And those given their record
in their left hand will each say,
“I wish I were not given my record,
26“and that I did not know
what my reckoning was.
27“I wish that death had made
an end of me!
28“My wealth is of no use to me.
29“My power has gone from me.”
30[A voice will say,] “Seize him
and shackle him,
31“then burn him
in the blazing fire,
32“and bind him in a chain
of seventy cubits—
33“he would not believe
in God, the Supreme,
34“and never urged the feeding
of the poor,
35“so he has no friend here today,
36“nor any food except the pus
37“that only sinners eat.”
SECTION 2
38Yes—I swear by what you see
39and what you do not see,
40that this is the word
of a noble messenger;
41it is not the word of a poet—
how little you believe!
42Nor the word of a soothsayer—
how little you pay heed!
43This is a message revealed
from the Lord of the worlds,
44if the messenger had contrived
any statements in Our Name,
45We would seize him
by his right hand,
46and cut off his heart’s aorta—
47nor could any of you
prevent him from this.
48But this is a message for those
who are mindful of God,
49and We know that some
among you deny it—
50it is a cause of dismay
to those who disbelieve,
51but it is the certain truth,
52so glorify the Name of your Lord,
the Supreme.
 
 
SURA 70
The Paths of Ascent (Al-Maʿarij)
A Meccan sura, with some later interpolations, its 44 verses include an opening query about paths of ascent (v. 3) with a command for patience (vv. 5–7), followed by a recapitulation of judgment day (vv. 8–35). It extols those on the right (vv. 22–35), but closes with a warning to those on the left (vv. 36–44).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Someone inquired about
the punishment to come—
2it will fall upon the disbelievers—
none can avert it—
3from God, Who controls
the paths of ascent.
4The angels and the spirit
ascend to Him on a day whose span
is fifty thousand years.°
5So practice patience—
beautiful patience.
6They see the day
as far away,
7while We see it
as near—
8a day when the sky will be
like molten brass,
9and the mountains
like carded wool,
10no friend will ask
after any friend,
11even though they are placed
within sight of each other.
The sinner would ransom himself
from the torment of that day
by offering his children,
12his spouse and his brother,
13his near kin who sheltered him,
14and everyone on the earth—
if this could save him.
15No—it will be
a flame of hell
16that strips his scalp,
17calling to all those
who turned their backs
and turned away,
18amassing wealth, only
to hoard it.
19Humans are created anxious,
20fretful when misfortune
touches them,
21and miserly when good fortune
reaches them—
22except those who pray,
23who remain constant
in their prayers,
24and those whose wealth
bears an acknowledged share
25for the beggar
and the deprived,
26those who accept the truth
of the day of reckoning,
27and are fearful
of their Lord’s punishment
28—from which none
can feel secure—
29and those who preserve
their chastity,°
30except with their wives
or their slaves—for which
they incur no blame
31—but those who venture
beyond this are transgressors—
32while those who fulfill
their trusts and covenants,
33those who are upright
in their testimonies,
34and those who preserve
the practice of their prayers
35shall all be
in gardens, honored.
SECTION 2
36What is it with the disbelievers—
who rush toward you, Prophet,
37from the right, from the left,
in crowds?
38Does every one of them
long to enter the garden of bliss?
39No—they know
from what We created them!
40No—I swear by the Lord
of every sunrise and sunset°
that We have the Power
41to replace them with others,
who are better—and
nothing can thwart Us.°
42So leave them to gossip
and frolic, until they encounter
their day—as promised°—
43a day when they will rush out
from their graves, as if racing
toward a goal,
44eyes downcast, and covered
in disgrace—this is the day
they were promised.
 
 
SURA 71
Noah (Nuh)
Likely a Meccan sura, this recalls and lauds the encounter of God with Noah, ending with a plea from Noah that crowns its 28 verses: “My Lord, forgive me, my parents, those who enter my house as believers and all believing men and women” (v. 28).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1We sent Noah to his people:
“Warn your people before
painful punishment falls on them.”
2He said, “My people,
I give you clear warning
3“that you should worship God,
be mindful of Him, and obey me.
4“He will forgive you your sins
and grant you respite for
an appointed term.
When that term from God expires,
it cannot be prolonged—
if only you knew.”
5He said, “My Lord, I have called
to my people night and day,
6“but my call merely makes them
fly further away,
7“And every time I call them
—so that you might forgive them—
they block their ears with their fingers
and hide their heads in their robes,
obstinate, inflated with pride.
8“So I called to them openly,
9“declaiming to them in public
and addressing them in private,
10“urging them,
‘Seek forgiveness from your Lord,
for He is Ever Forgiving.
11“ ‘He will send you
abundant rain from the sky,
12“ ‘bestow wealth and children
upon you, and grant you
gardens and rivers.
13“ ‘What is wrong with you—
Why don’t you look toward
the majesty of God?
14“ ‘Who created you in stages?
15“ ‘Do you not see how
God created the seven heavens,
one above the other?
16“ ‘And made the moon
a light within them,
and the sun a lamp?
17“ ‘And made you grow, surging
out of the earth?°
18“ ‘And will return you into it
and bring you out again, anew?
19“ ‘God made the earth
an expanse for you,
20“ ‘That you might wander
along its wide paths.’ ”
SECTION 2
21Noah said, “My Lord,
they have disobeyed me
and they follow those
whose wealth and children
merely increase their loss.
22“And they have devised
a great plot,
23“saying, ‘Don’t abandon
your gods—Wadd, Suwaʿ,
Yaghuth, Yaʿuq, and Nasr.’°
24“They have misled many—
let the wrongdoers
sink only deeper into error.”°
25On account of their sins
they were drowned, and made
to enter the fire. They found
none to help them besides God.
26And Noah said, “My Lord,
don’t leave a single one
of the disbelievers on earth!
27“For if you leave them,
They’ll mislead your servants,
and they’ll breed nothing
but wicked disbelievers.
28“My Lord, forgive me,
my parents, those who enter
my house as believers,
and all believing men and women—
but let the wrongdoers
sink only deeper into ruin.”
 
 
SURA 72
The Jinn (Al-Jinn)
Middle or late Meccan, this sura of 28 verses is unusual in that it addresses the jinn as curious listeners, then converted believers. Its style is also unusual, with the first fifteen verses directed to the Prophet, and then the remainder (vv. 16–28) a string of dicta he addresses to the jinn.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Say, Prophet, “It has been
revealed to me that a group of jinn°
listened to [to a recitation] and said,
‘We’ve heard a wondrous Quran,
2“ ‘that guides to the right path,
so we believe in it, and shall never
associate any other with our Lord;
3“ ‘and that He—exalted be
the Majesty of our Lord—
has neither spouse nor son.
4“ ‘but that some foolish one
among us would say
outrageous things about God,
5“ ‘and that we had thought
no human or jinn
would ever lie about God.
6“ ‘and that some humans
sought shelter with the jinn,
merely increasing their
misguidance,
7“ ‘and that they thought,
as you did, that God would
never raise anyone back to life.
8“ ‘and that we tried to reach heaven,
but we found it full of stern guards
and flaming stars.
9“ ‘and that we would sit there
at various stations, trying to hear.
But any who tries to listen now
will find a flaming star
waiting for him.°
10“ ‘And that we don’t know whether
evil is meant for those on earth
or whether their Lord means
them to be rightly guided.
11“ ‘And that some among us
do good deeds while others do not—
we follow divergent paths.
12“ ‘And that we recognized
we could not escape God on earth
nor escape Him by flight.
13“ ‘And that when we heard
the message of guidance,
we believed it. And that whoever
believes in their Lord shall fear
neither loss nor injustice.
14“ ‘And that among us are some
who submit their will to God
while others are unjust.
Those who submit have
sought the right path.
15“ ‘But those who are unjust
shall be fuel for hellfire.’ ”
16Had they stayed steadfast
on the right path, We would have
given them abundant rain,
17a test for them. As for those who
turn away from their Lord’s message—
He will give them severe torment.°
18Know that the places of worship
are for God alone, so do not call
on any but the One God.
19Yet when God’s servant°
stood to pray, they almost
crowded in upon him.
SECTION 2
20Say, “I call only upon my Lord,
and I associate none with Him.”
21Say, “It is not in my power
either to harm you
or to make you upright.”
22Say, “None can protect me
from God, nor can I find
any refuge except in Him.
23“I only convey what is from God
and His messages. Those who
disobey God and His messenger
shall face the fire of hell,
to dwell there forever.
24“When they see for themselves
what was promised them,
they will know whose helpers
are weaker and who are fewer.”
25Say, “I do not know whether
what you are promised is near
or whether my Lord has fixed
a distant term for it.
26“He alone is Knower
of the unseen, and He reveals
to none what lies in the unseen,
27“except a messenger He chooses,
placing a guard
before him and behind him°—
28“so he might know that
each messenger has conveyed
the messages of his Lord.
He Encompasses everything
about them,
and He reckons all things.”
 
 
SURA 73
The One Enwrapped (Al-Muzzammil)
One of the earliest Meccan revelations, its last verse (v. 20) is clearly Medinan, expanding the conditions but also exemptions for Quran recitation. Initially addressed to the Prophet alone (vv. 1–8), these exemptions are extended to all believers, including those “fighting in God’s cause” (v. 20), a reference to jihad that took place only after the hijra (622 CE).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1You, who lie enwrapped
in your mantle—
2stand in prayer°
for the night,
all but a small part—
3half of it, or a little less,
4or more, reciting the Quran
in clear, rhythmic measure.
5Soon We shall send down
to you a Word
of momentous weight.°
6Rising in the night is austerer,
[achieves deeper self-harmony,]
more suited to
reciting of the Word.
7During the day you are
occupied at length,
8but remember the Name
of your Lord, and devote
yourself wholly to Him—
9Lord of the East and the West;°
there is no god but He,
so take Him as your Guardian.
10Bear patiently what they say,
and depart from them, graciously,
11and leave to Me
those who disbelieve,
the ones who live in ease—
and endure them for a while.
12We have shackles for them
and a blazing fire,
13as well as food that chokes,
and a painful torment
14on a day when the earth
and the mountains shake,
and the mountains crumble to
heaps of sand.
15People, We have sent
a messenger, as a witness to you,
as We sent a messenger to Pharaoh.
16But Pharaoh disobeyed
the messenger, so We brought
ruinous torment upon him.
17If you disbelieve, then,
how can you be mindful
of a day that will turn
the hair of children gray,
18when the sky is torn asunder,
and the promise of God fulfilled?
19This is a reminder—
so, let those who desire it
take a path to their Lord.
SECTION 2
20Your Lord knows that you
stand in prayer almost two-thirds
of the night, and sometimes a half
or a third of it, along with a group
of those with you. God determines
night and day in due measure.
He knows that you cannot
keep count, so He turns to you,
relenting. Recite, then, as much
of the Quran as you can with ease.
He knows that some of you are ill,
or traveling the earth seeking
the bounty of God, or fighting
in God’s cause.° So read as much as
you can with ease, be steadfast
in prayer, and give what is due
in charity—lend to God a beautiful
loan.° For whatever good you accrue
in your deeds, you shall find it
there with God—better, and greater,
in reward. And seek God’s forgiveness,
for He is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
 
 
SURA 74
The One Enfolded (Al-Muddaththir)
The opening verse from this very early Meccan sura of 56 verses refers to the Prophet as wearing a dithar or mantle. It enjoins him to patience (v. 7) but also excoriates one who opposes him (vv. 11–31), detailing the punishment of hellfire with reference to its nineteen custodians (v. 30). The remainder of the sura expands the warning to humankind, with a decisive reminder that God alone is “the Source of Mindfulness, the Source of Forgiveness” (v. 56).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1You who are enfolded
in your mantle,°
2arise and warn!
3And magnify your Lord,
4keeping your garments
pure,
5shunning uncleanliness.
6Do not give
in order to seek gain,
7but be patient in the cause
of your Lord.
8When the trumpet is sounded,
9that day will be a harsh day
10with no ease
for those who disbelieve.
11Leave me to deal with
the person I created,° alone,
12to whom I granted
extensive wealth,
13and children by his side,
14he for whom I laid out
a path of ease,
15still, he wishes that I give more!
16No—for he has stubbornly
defied Our signs.
17Soon I will place him
in steep hardship,
18for he pondered
and plotted—
19may he perish
for the way he plotted,
20yes, may he perish
for how he plotted.
21First, he looked,
22then he frowned and scowled,
23then turned away
in his pride,
24saying, “This [Quran]
is but old-style sorcery,
25“it is nothing but
the speech of a mortal.”
26Soon I shall burn him
in the fire of hell.
27And what would make you grasp
what the fire of hell is?
28It spares none,
and it leaves none,
29scorching the flesh of humans.
30Nineteen guardians stand over it.°
31And We have placed none
but angels as guardians of the fire;
We have fixed their number
only as a trial for disbelievers,
so that those given the Book
will be certain, and that believers
might be stronger in faith.
Neither those given the Book
nor the believers will harbor doubt,
but those whose hearts are diseased
and the disbelievers will say,
“What does God mean by this parable?”
In this way, God lets stray whom
He will, and guides whom He will—
and none knows your Lord’s forces
but He; and this is nothing less
than a message for all humankind.
SECTION 2
32No—by the moon,
33and by the night
as it recedes,
34by the dawn
as it rises into light,
35This is one of the greatest signs,
36a warning to humankind,
37to any among you who
advances or retreats,
38Every soul will be bound
by its deeds,
39except for those on the right,
40who will be in gardens—
asking one another
41concerning the sinners,
42“What led you into
the fire of hell?”
43They will answer, “We were
not among those who prayed,
44“nor did we feed the poor,
45“rather, we indulged
with others in idle talk,
46“and denied the day
of reckoning,
47“until there came upon us
the certainty [of death].”°
48Then no intercession
by any intercessors
shall help them.
49What is wrong with them—
what makes them turn away
from the message?
50As if they were
frightened wild asses
51in flight from a lion?
52Yes, each one of them
wants to be furnished with
scrolls, unfurled.°
53No—they have no fear
of the hereafter.
54Yes—this is a reminder—
55Let those who will
keep it in mind.
56Yet none will keep it
in mind, except as God wills—
He is the Source of Mindfulness,
the Source of Forgiveness.°
 
 
SURA 75
Resurrection (Al-Qiyama)
A series of short passages, this early Meccan sura of 40 verses deals with familiar themes of resurrection (vv. 1–15) and judgment (vv. 20–30). It also contains instruction on Quran recitation (vv. 16–19) and the rebuke of a denier (vv. 31–35), with reminders for all humankind (vv. 36–40).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Indeed, I swear by the day
of resurrection,
2and indeed I swear by the
self-reproaching soul—
3do humans think We won’t
reunite their bones?
4In fact, We’re able to remold
their very fingertips.
5Yet humans want to deny
what lies before them,
6asking, “When is the day
of resurrection?”
7When their sight is dazzled,
8and the moon eclipsed,
9and the sun and moon
are joined together—
10that day, people will say,
“Where is any escape?”
11But no—there will be no refuge.
12That day, the only repose
will be with your Lord.
13That day humans will be told
what they did and did not do.°
14Yes, humans will
witness against themselves,
15though they offer
their excuses.
16Prophet, do not scramble
your tongue, hurrying
[to recite the Quran];
17it is We who will ensure its
collection and recitation.
18When We recite it,° follow
the recital precisely;
19then it is for Us
to make it clear.°
20Yet you still love the now,
all of you,
21and neglect the hereafter.
22Some faces, that day,
will be gleaming,
23as they look toward their Lord,
24and other faces, that day,
will be filled with gloom,
25imagining the calamity
about to crush them.
26When the soul rises up
to the throat
[on its way out of the body],
27and it is asked,
“Who can convey him?”°
28and when he grasps that
this is the parting
[of soul from body]
29his legs locked together—
30on that day, he will be driven
toward your Lord.
SECTION 2
31He neither believed
the truth nor prayed.
32Rather, he denied the truth
and turned away,
33going back to his people,
swaggering,
34Closer and closer
to you is woe,
35closer still and closer.°
36Do humans think
they will be left unquestioned?
37Were they not at first
a drop of ejected sperm
38that became a clot?
God created and shaped it,
39making from it two sexes,
male and female.
40Is He, then, not Able
to bring the dead back to life?
 
 
SURA 76
Humankind (Al-Insan)
A middle Meccan sura of 31 verses, this extols creation and reprimands the disbeliever (vv. 1–5) before detailing how the righteous will be rewarded (vv. 5–22). It closes with a firm reminder of the Prophet “to wait patiently for your Lord’s judgment” (v. 24) and to trust the will of God, Who is “All Knowing, All Wise” (v. 30).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1Was there not a time when
when humankind was nothing
to speak of?
2We created humankind
from a drop of mingled sperm,
to try them. We gave them
hearing and sight.
3We have shown them the way—
whether they are grateful or not.
4For the disbelievers
We have prepared chains,
shackles, and a blazing fire.
5The righteous shall drink
from a cup tinged with camphor,
6a fountain where God’s
servants drink, flowing
freely at their will.
7They fulfill their vows, and fear
a day whose misery shall be
spread far and wide;
8and, despite their love of it,
they donate [their] food
to the poor, the orphan,
and the prisoner of war,
9saying, “We feed you,
seeking only the Face of God;
we desire from you
neither reward nor thanks.
10“We only fear, from our Lord,
a day of wrath and distress.”
11But God will save them
from the misery of that day,
and will cast over them
radiance and joy.
12He will reward them
for their patience—with a garden
and robes of silk.
13Reclining there on couches,
they shall know neither burning sun
nor biting cold.
14The shades of the gardens
shall spread over them, its fruits
lowered before them.
15And there shall be passed
among them vessels of silver
and goblets of crystal—
16crystal clear, silver,
in what measure they will—
17they will be given drink
from a cup flavored with ginger
18from a fountain there
called Salsabil.°
19And there shall pass among them,
immortal youths to serve—
to see them, you would think
they were pearls, scattered.
20And when you look,
you will see there only bliss
and a glorious kingdom.
21They shall be robed
in garments of green silk
and rich brocade, adorned
with bracelets of silver;
and their Lord will give them
a pure drink,
22[saying,] “This is your reward,
your endeavor is commended.”
SECTION 2
23It is We Who have revealed
to you the Quran in stages.°
24So, wait patiently
for your Lord’s judgment;
take no heed of the sinners
and disbelievers among them.
25And remember the Name
of your Lord, morning and evening;
26bow down to Him
in the night, glorifying Him
during the long hours of night.
27These people love
the life here, leaving aside
all thought of a coming day
that shall weigh heavily.
28It is We Who created them
and strengthened their forms;
but whenever We will,
We can replace them.
29This is but a reminder—
let those who will, take a path
toward their Lord.
30Yet you do not will
except as God wills—for God
is All Knowing, All Wise.
31He will admit into His mercy
whom He will; but for wrongdoers
He has prepared a painful torment.
 
 
SURA 77
Those Sent Out (Al-Mursalat)
An early Meccan sura, its 50 verses set forth the signs and certainty of the day of decision (v. 13), before elaborating on the calamities that will befall schemers, deniers, and liars on that day (vv. 14–50).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1By the [winds] sent out,
one after another,
2which storm violently,
3scattering widely,
4and those who distinguish
by a criterion,°
5bringing down a reminder
6forestalling all excuse or
issuing warning—
7what you are promised
shall come to pass.
8When the stars are
extinguished,
9when the sky is
torn asunder,
10when the mountains are
blown away in dust,
11when the messengers are
gathered at a chosen time—
12for which day
are these events held back?
13For the day of decision.
14And what would make you grasp
what the day of decision is?
15Woe, that day, to those
who deny the truth.
16Did We not destroy
earlier peoples?
17And shall We not make
later peoples follow them?
18This is how We deal
with sinners.
19Woe, that day, to those
who deny the truth.
20Did We not create you
from a lowly fluid
21which We lodged in a
secure home
22for a decreed time?
23It is We Who decree—and
how superlatively!
24Woe, that day, to those
who deny the truth.
25Did We not make
the earth a vessel
26for the living and the dead,
27and place there sturdy,
high mountains, and give you
sweet water to drink?
28Woe, that day, to those
who deny the truth.
29They will be told, “Go—
to what you always denied.
30“Go—to the shadow of smoke
rising in three pillars,°
31“that yields no shade,
and will be of no help
against the flame.
32“It throws out sparks
as large as castles,
33“as if they were
yellow camels.”
34Woe, that day, to those
who deny the truth.
35That will be a day
they are unable to speak,
36nor will they have leave
to make pleas.
37Woe, that day, to those
who deny the truth.
38That will be the day
of decision. We shall gather
you and those before you.
39So if you have a scheme,
scheme against Me [now]!
40Woe, that day, to those
who deny the truth.
SECTION 2
41The righteous shall be
among shades and springs,
42with whatever fruits they desire.
43“Eat and drink, to your content,
[a reward] for all your deeds.”
44In this way, We reward
those who do good deeds.
45Woe, that day, to those
who deny the truth.
46They will be told,
“Eat and enjoy for a while—
you who are sinners.”
47Woe, that day, to those
who deny the truth.
48And when they are told,
“Bow down,”
they do not bow.
49Woe, that day, to those
who deny the truth.
50In what message, ever,
will they believe after this?
 
 
SURA 78
The Announcement (Al-Nabaʾ)
Middle Meccan, this sura of 40 verses opens with a pronouncement of imminent judgment (vv. 1–5) before citing God’s might and majesty (vv. 6–16) and then concluding with a vivid scenario of the day of decision (vv. 17–40).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1About what
do they ask one another?
2About the momentous announcement
3over which they dispute.
4Indeed, they shall find out—
5yes, they shall soon find out.
6Did We not spread out
the earth like a couch?
7And anchor the mountains like posts?
8Did We not create you in pairs,
9and make your sleep for rest,
10the night a cover,
11the day for livelihood?
12Have We not built above you
seven secure heavens,
13placing there a flaming lamp?
14And do We not send down
water from the rainclouds,
pouring profusely,
15to bring forth grain and greenery,
16and gardens with luscious growth?
17The day of decision
has an appointed time—
18a day when the trumpet shall be sounded
and you will come forward in crowds;
19the sky will be opened like doors,°
20and the mountains moved,
vanishing into a mirage.°
21Hell, for sure, lies waiting—
22the final end for transgressors
23where they will stay for eons.
24They will taste nothing cool there,
nor any drink,
25just scalding water and purulence—
26a fitting recompense.
27For they never expected
any reckoning
28and utterly denied Our signs.
29We have recorded all things
in a Book.
30“So taste this—We will grant you
only more torment.”°
SECTION 2
31Those who were mindful of God
shall flourish
32in gardens with grapevines
33with companions, well suited,
34and a cup overflowing.
35There they shall hear
no idle talk nor falsehood—
36a reward from your Lord,
a fitting gift
37from the Lord of the heavens and the earth,
and all that lies between them—the All Merciful—
none shall have power to address Him—
38on the day that the Spirit°
and the angels stand in ranks,
none shall speak but those
permitted by the All Merciful—
and they will say only what is right.
39That will be the day of truth—
so let those who wish, take a path
back to their Lord.
40We have warned you
of impending torment, on a day
when every person will see
[the deeds] his hands have wrought,
when the disbelievers cry, “Alas,
I wish I were nothing but dust!”°
 
 
SURA 79
Those Who Force Out (Al-Naziʿat)
This early, possibly middle Meccan sura, 46 verses long, begins with a series of invocations, likely angels commanding souls, on the day of resurrection (vv. 1–14). It then shifts to the story of Moses (vv. 15–26) before an appeal to nature as God’s masterpiece (vv. 27–33) and ending with a reminder of the imminent hour (vv. 34–46).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1By the angels who force out
[the souls of the wicked];
2by those who ease out
[the souls of the blessèd];
3by those who glide, swimming,
4and those who strive, racing
5to arrange the world’s affairs
[as commanded]—
6the day when all shall shake
in violent convulsion
[with the first trumpet sound],
7and more convulsion
[with the second sound]—°
8Hearts shall quake that day,
9their eyes downcast, [in dread].
10Now they say, “Shall we
really be brought back
to our former state
11“when we are rotting bones?”
12They say, “This would be
a ruinous return.”
13There will be but a single
deafening blast
14and they shall rise, on a wide expanse.
15Has the story of Moses
reached you,
16when his Lord called to him
in the sacred valley of Tuwa?°
17“Go to Pharaoh,
for he has transgressed,
18“and ask, ‘Are you willing
to purge yourself
19“ ‘and have me guide you
to your Lord,
whom you might then fear?’ ”
20Then Moses showed him
a most stupendous sign°
21but Pharaoh denied it
and disobeyed;
22then he turned his back,
striving [against God].
23He gathered his people,
declaring to them,
24“I am your Lord,
the Most High.”
25So God punished him
as an example, in this life
and the next.°
26In this is a lesson
for those who fear God.
SECTION 2
27Are you harder to create
than the sky that God made?
28He raised its canopy
and proportioned it,
29immersing its night in darkness
and revealing its morning light.
30And after this,
he spread out the earth,
31bringing out its water
and its pasture;
32—anchoring the mountains—
33to provide for you
and for your herds.
34When the great calamity strikes
35on the day that humankind
recalls all that it strove for,
36and the fire of hell appears
for all to see.
37Then, those who transgressed,
38and preferred the life
of this world,
39shall have the fire of hell
as their home.
40But those who feared [the day]
when they would stand before their Lord,
and restrained the desires of self,
41shall have the garden
as their home.
42They ask you about the hour—
“When will it come?”
43But how would you speak of this?
44Its time is known only
to your Lord.
45You merely warn those
who fear it.
46The day they see it,
it will seem as though
they had stayed [on earth]
for but an evening
or a morning.
 
 
SURA 80
He Frowned (ʿAbasa)
An early Meccan sura of 42 verses, this offers a divine rebuke to Muhammad for ignoring a blind man (vv. 1–10). It then proceeds to extol scripture as “honored scrolls” (v. 13b) and to chastise humankind as ungrateful (vv. 17–23), even for the food they consume (vv. 24–31), before evoking a scene of the last day (vv. 33–42).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1[The Prophet] frowned,
and turned away°
2because the blind man
came to him.
3Prophet, how would you know—
perhaps he might purge himself of sin,
4or heed the teaching°
that might profit him?
5Yet some uncaring person°
6claims your attention
7—though you are not to blame
if he fails to purge himself of sin—
8while the one who came to you
[eagerly] in haste,
9and in awe,
10you dismiss.°
11Why, no! This is a reminder
12for any who would heed it,
13[inscribed] in honored scrolls,
14exalted, and kept pure,
15borne by the hands of scribes
16who are noble and righteous.
17Woe to humankind—
how ungrateful they are!
18From what did He create them?
19He created them from
a sperm drop
and proportioned them,
20then made their path easy.
21Then He caused them to die,
brought them into their grave;
22then, when He wishes,
He will raise them up again.
23Yet they have not fulfilled
what God commanded them.
24Let humankind consider
the food they consume:
25We pour down water
plentifully,
26then We cleave the ground,
27bringing out of it grain,
28vines and vegetation,
29olives and date palms,
30with lush gardens,
31fruits and pasture,
32to provide for you
and your livestock.
33But when the deafening blast comes,
34that day, a man will flee
from his own brother,
35from his mother and father,
36his spouse and his children.
37Each of them, that day,
will be immersed
in their own concerns—
38a day on which some faces
shall beam,
39laughing, rejoicing,
40while other faces that day
shall be covered with dust,
41shrouded in darkness—
42these will be the disbelievers,
the iniquitous.
 
 
SURA 81
The Folding Up (Al-Takwir)
A Meccan sura, its 29 verses open with a vivid scene of the last day (vv. 1–14) conveyed to underpin Muhammad’s authority against his critics (vv. 15–29), vouchsafed by the will of God, Lord of the universe (v. 29).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
SECTION 1
1When the sun is folded up,
2when the stars fall down, scattered,
3when the mountains
move, [vanishing,]°
4when camels, pregnant to term
are left untended,
5when the wild beasts
are herded together,
6when the oceans boil over,
7when souls are paired;°
8when the infant girl,
buried alive, is asked
9for what crime she was killed,
10when the scrolls of deeds
are opened wide,
11when the sky is
torn away,
12when the fire of hell
is set ablaze,
13and when the garden
is brought near—
14then each soul shall know
what it has wrought.
15So, I swear by
the receding [stars]
16that sail and disappear
17and by the night
as it fades away,
18and by the dawn
as it breathes,
19this is the word
of a noble messenger, °
20imbued with strength,
honored by the Lord of the throne,
21obeyed and deemed
worthy of trust.
22Your companion
is not possessed,
23for he saw the Archangel
on the clear horizon,°
24and he does not withhold
what he knows of the unseen.
25Nor is this the word
of some accursed demon.
26So, where are you all heading?
27This is nothing less
than a message
for the whole universe,°
28for those among you who wish
to follow a straight path,
29But you shall not will
except as God wills—
Lord of the universe.
 
 
SURA 82
The Cleaving Asunder (Al-Infitar)
An early Meccan sura of 19 verses, this registers the day of reckoning as a celestial cataclysm (vv. 1–4). Its reckoning certain for each soul (vv. 5–16), it will be “the day when God’s command is absolute” (v. 19).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1When the sky
is cleaved asunder,
2when the stars
are scattered,
3when the oceans burst
over their shores,
4when graves are turned
upside down—
5then each soul shall know
[the good deeds] it has accrued,
and those it has left undone.
6Humankind, what has misled you,
away from your Noble Lord,
7Who created you, shaped you,
and proportioned you,
8molding you into
whatever form He wished?
9Yet still you deny
the reckoning.
10But watching over you
are angels,
11noble recorders,
12who know all that you do.
13Those who were righteous
shall be in bliss,
14while the wicked
shall be in hellfire,
15where they will burn
on the day of reckoning,
16nor will they be
removed from it.
17What would make you grasp
what the day of reckoning is?
18Yes, what could make you grasp
what the day of reckoning is?
19The day when no soul
can help another soul at all,
the day when God’s command
is absolute.
 
 
SURA 83
Those Who Defraud (Al-Mutaffifin)
It’s uncertain whether this is an early or late Meccan sura. It begins by denouncing those who cheat others (vv. 1–17), reminding them of how they will be evaluated “on a momentous day” (v. 5). The second segment of its 36 verses lauds the pious (vv. 18–28) before declaring that they, not the disbelievers, will have the last laugh (vv. 29–36).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1Woe to those who defraud,
2who, when receiving from people,
exact full measure,
3but when giving or weighing
for them, fall short in measure.
4Do they not reckon
that they will be resurrected
5on a momentous day,
6a day when humankind shall stand
before the Lord of the universe?
7Indeed, the record of the wicked
is housed in Sijjin.°
8And what would make you grasp
what Sijjin is?
9—a record, inscribed.
10Woe on that day to those
who deny—
11those who deny
the day of reckoning.
12And none will deny it
but sinful transgressors.
13When Our signs are recited
to them, they exclaim,
“Tales of the ancients!”
14Their hearts are covered with rust
by all that they have done.
15On that day, they shall be
veiled from their Lord,
16then they shall burn
in the fire of hell.
17They will be told,
“This is what you denied.”
18Indeed, the record of the righteous
shall be housed in Illiyyun.°
19And what would make you grasp
what Illiyyun is?
20—a record, inscribed,
21to be witnessed by those
close to God.
22The righteous shall
be in bliss,
23on couches, observing all—
24you will know in their faces
the radiance of bliss.
25They shall be served
with pure wine, sealed,
26with the seal of musk.
Let all who strive, strive for this.
27It will be mixed
with the water of Tasnim,°
28a spring, from which those drink
who are close to God.
29Those given to sin would laugh
at those who believed,
30winking at one another
whenever they passed by them;
31and would return jesting
to their own people;
32and whenever they saw believers,
they would say,
“These are the ones who are astray.”
33But they were not sent
as custodians
over the believers
34And on this day, the believers
will laugh at the disbelievers
35on couches, observing all,
36[they will say to one another,]
“Are not the disbelievers
requited for what they did?”
 
 
SURA 84
The Splitting Asunder (Al-Inshiqaq)
An early Meccan sura of 25 verses, it opens with sky splitting asunder on the day when humans meet their Lord (vv. 1–15). There follows another invocation of the twilight, night and moon (vv. 16–18) before disbelievers face a painful punishment (vv. 19–24) while believers are rewarded (v. 25).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1When the sky is split
asunder,
2hearing its Lord,
as it must;
3when the earth
is spread out,
4casting out its contents,
empty,
5hearing its Lord,
as it must;
6you humans—laboring toward
your Lord—will meet Him.
7Then those given their record°
in their right hand
8will have an easy reckoning
9and will turn to their people
rejoicing.
10But those given their record
behind their backs
11will cry for their end
12and burn in blazing fire.
13They went among their people
rejoicing.
14They thought they would
never return [to Us].
15But no—their Lord was always
watching them.
16I swear by the gleaming twilight,
17by the night and what it enfolds,
18by the moon in its fullness—
19you will journey
from stage to stage.
20So why will they not believe?
21And when the Quran
is read to them,
why do they not bow down?
22But no . . . the disbelievers deny it.
23But God knows best
what they keep within themselves.
24So announce to them
a painful torment,
25except for those who believe
and do good deeds—theirs shall be
a reward without end.
 
 
SURA 85
The Constellations (Al-Buruj)
Early Meccan, this sura consists of 22 verses that begin with the constellations as witness (vv. 1–3). It evokes the story of a pit made in pre-Islamic times for the murder of Christians. The account of Pharaoh and Thamud (vv. 17–18) is a reminder that God encompasses disbelievers from all sides (vv. 19–20), and that He is custodian of “a glorious Quran, inscribed on a preserved tablet” (vv. 21–22).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1By the heaven, that holds
the constellations;
2by the promised day;
3by the Witness
and what is witnessed—
4may they perish who made the pit°
5with fire full of fuel
6while they sat around it,
7bearing witness to all they did
against the believers—
8whom they begrudged
only because they believed in God,
the Almighty, the Praiseworthy,
9to Whom belongs dominion
of the heavens and the earth;
God is Witness to all things.
10Those who persecute
the believing men and women
and do not then repent—
theirs shall be the torment of hell;
theirs the torment of blazing fire.
11As for those who believe
and do good deeds—
theirs shall be the gardens
with rivers flowing beneath—
that is the great triumph.
12Your Lord’s onslaught
is severe.
13It is He Who brings life
and restores life;
14for He is Forgiving, Loving,
15Lord of the glorious throne,
16Who does all that He intends.
17Have you heard the story
of the forces
18of Pharaoh and Thamud?°
19Yet the disbelievers
persist in denying.
20But God Encompasses them
from all sides.°
21For this is a glorious Quran,
22inscribed on a preserved tablet.°
 
 
SURA 86
The Night Traveler (Al-Tariq)
A Meccan sura of 17 verses, this opens with a celestial oath (vv. 1–4) before graphically depicting human creation (vv. 5–7) as a reminder that return to God is as inevitable as “the sky and its cycle of rain” (v. 11). Just as the Quran is “a decisive Word, not to be taken lightly” (vv. 13–14), so God is the ultimate schemer whom disbelievers cannot escape (vv. 15–17).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1By the sky and the traveler
by night—
2what would make you grasp
what the night traveler is?
3It is the star of piercing light.
4Every soul has its guardian.
5Let humans consider
from what they were created—
6from a drop of fluid, ejected,
7arising between
the backbone and the ribs.
8God indeed has the Power
to bring it back to life.
9On the day when the secrets
of humankind are exposed,
10they shall have no power,
and no helper.
11By the sky
and its cycle of rain,°
12and by the earth
bursting with greenery,
13this is a decisive Word,
14not to be taken lightly.
15The disbelievers are scheming,
16but I am outscheming [them].
17So give respite
to the disbelievers;
give them respite
for a short while.
 
 
SURA 87
The Most High (Al-Aʿla)
A paean to the Most High (one of God’s Beautiful Names), this Meccan sura of 19 verses recalls creation and destruction (vv. 1–5) before commanding recitation (vv. 6–9), mindful that some will heed and others will not (vv. 10–13). Not only the Quran but “the scriptures of Abraham and Moses” are commended (v. 19).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1Glorify the name of your Lord,
the Most High,
2Who created and proportioned
[all things],
3Who determined [their destinies]
and guided them,
4Who brings forth pasture,
5then turns it to dark stubble.
6We shall teach you to recite
so you do not forget,
7except as God wills.
He knows what is open
and what is hidden.
8And We shall make
your path easy.
9So remind people,
if this should profit them.
10Those who fear God
will heed it.
11But the wretched will
avoid it—
12those who will burn
in the great fire,
13where they will
neither die nor live.
14But those who purify themselves
shall flourish,
15those who remember
the name of their Lord,
and pray.
16But no—you prefer the life
of this world,
17though the hereafter
is better and enduring.
18This is indeed
in previous scriptures,
19the scriptures of
Abraham and Moses.°
 
 
SURA 88
The Overshadowing Event (Al-Ghashiya)
This early Meccan sura of 26 verses is divided into two sections. The first (vv. 1–16) contrasts the fates of disbelievers and believers on “that day” (vv. 2, 8). The second part (vv. 17–26) invokes nature’s signs before underscoring Muhammad’s sole duty to remind disbelievers; it will be for God “to call them to account” (v. 26).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1Have you heard about
the overshadowing event?
2Some faces, that day,
will be downcast,
3laboring, weary,
4they shall burn in a blazing fire,
5given drink from a boiling spring,
6with no food but bitter thorns
7which will neither nourish
nor quell hunger.
8Other faces, that day,
will be joyful,
9pleased with their striving,
10in a lofty garden,
11where they shall hear
no idle talk;
12where there shall be
a flowing spring,
13and raised couches,
14and goblets laid out,
15with cushions arrayed
in rows,
16and carpets spread out.
17Do they not look at camels,
and how they are created?
18And at the sky, and
how it is raised high?
19At the mountains, and
how firmly fixed they are?
20At the earth, and
how it is spread wide?
21So, remind people—
you are only one who reminds.
22You don’t control
their affairs.
23But those who turn away
and deny God—
24God will punish them
with great torment.
25To Us they will return,
26then it will be for Us
to call them to account.
 
 
SURA 89
The Breaking Dawn (Al-Fajr)
Early Meccan, this sura of 30 verses begins with a nocturnal oath (vv. 1–4) that segues into a recap of how two Arab tribes, ʿAd and Thamud, along with Pharaoh, meet with torment for their transgressions (vv. 5–14). Honor and humility are lauded (vv. 15–16), and these virtues entail respecting orphans and feeding the poor (vv. 17–18). Those who neglect such directives will be punished (vv. 19–26) while others, their soul content (v. 27), will be told: “enter among My servants, enter My garden” (vv. 29–30).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1By the breaking dawn,
2by ten nights,°
3by the even and the odd,°
4and by the night
when it fades—
5is this oath not enough
for those who understand?
6Have you not considered
how your Lord dealt
with the people of ʿAd,
7of the city of Iram
with its towering columns,
8the likes of which
were not wrought in any city,
9and with the people of Thamud°
who hewed rocks within the valley,
10and with Pharaoh,
with his great forces?°
11All of these transgressed
in their lands
12where they spread great corruption.
13So your Lord poured upon them
a scourging torment,
14for your Lord is Ever Watchful.
15As for humankind—
whenever their Lord tries them,
honoring and favoring them,
they each say,
“My Lord honors me.”
16But when he tries them
by reducing their provisions,
they each say,
“My Lord humiliates me.”
17But no—you do not
respect orphans,
18nor do you urge one another
to feed the poor;
19rather, you greedily devour
entire inheritances,
20and you love wealth
with excessive love.
21No—when the earth
is pounded into powder,
22and your Lord comes
with His angels, row upon row,
23and hell, that day, is brought
before them—that day, humankind
will take heed, but of what use
will it be for them?
24They will each say, “If only
I had accrued good deeds
for the life to come.”°
25For on that day, He will punish
as no other could punish,
26and He will bind
as no other could bind.
27“You, serene of soul,
28“return to your Lord
well pleased, and pleasing Him,
29“enter among My servants,
30“enter My garden.”
 
 
SURA 90
The City (Al-Balad)
An Early Meccan sura, its 20 verses invoke the city to warn against the ease of abundant wealth (vv. 1–10) and to enjoin instead “the steep path’ ” (vv. 11–12), requiring right action as well as true belief, assisting others who are “on the right” (vv. 13–18), remembering that fire closes in those on the left (vv. 19–20).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1I swear by this city,
2this city, in which you live freely,
3I swear by parent and child,
4We have created humankind
for toil and labor.
5Do they think that none
has power over them?
6They might each say,
“I have thrown away wealth
in abundance.”
7Do they think that none
sees them?
8Have We not made for them
a pair of eyes,
9a tongue, and a pair of lips,
10and shown them the two paths?
11But they have not ventured
on the steep path.
12And what would make you grasp
what the steep path is?
13It is freeing a slave,
14or giving food at a time
of severe hunger,
15to an orphan, near of kin,
16or to the poor,
mired in misery,
17and to be one of those
who believe, and urge one another
to patience and compassion.
18These shall be on the right,
19but those who deny Our signs
—they shall be on the left
20with fire closing in
around them.
 
 
SURA 91
The Sun (Al-Shams)
This brief early Meccan sura (15 verses) begins with an oath invoking celestial elements (vv. 1–7) to stress the vigilance required for purifying the soul (vv. 8–10). The example of those who fail to take heed are the people of Thamud, who hamstrung a she-camel, bringing divine retribution (vv. 11–15).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1By the sun
and her splendor;
2by the moon
as it trails her;
3by the day as it
displays her;
4by the night as she
veils her;
5by the heaven and He
Who framed her;
6by the earth and He
Who extended her;
7by the soul and He
Who proportioned her;
8for He inspired her
to know the evil
and the piety within her;
9He surely succeeds
who purifies her,
10and he fails
who defiles her;
11the nation of Thamud
denied [their prophet Salih],°
for they were transgressors,
12when they deputed
their most wicked offender
[to denounce him].
13God’s messenger
advised them:
“This is a she-camel of God,
so let her drink.”
14But they denied him
and hamstrung her.
So for their sin, their Lord
destroyed [their nation],
and leveled it.
15Nor does He fear
what will become of it.
 
 
SURA 92
Night (Al-Layl)
An early Meccan sura, its invocation (vv. 1–4) precedes a listing of right and wrong behavior, with good and bad outcomes detailed in the remaining verses (vv. 5–21).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1By the night when it cloaks
the light,
2by the day when it breaks
into splendor,
3by Him Who created
male and female—
4you strive for widely
diverging ends:
5those who give in charity
and are mindful of God,
6and affirm what is best—
7We will make smooth for them
the path to ease.°
8But those who are miserly,
self-satisfied,
9and reject what is best—
10We will make smooth for them
the path to hardship;
11nor will their wealth help them
when they fall [into the fire].
12It is for Us to guide,
13and to Us belong both
end and beginning.
14So I warn you
of a blazing fire,
15in which none shall burn
but the most wretched,
16those who deny the truth and
turn away.
17But the most righteous shall be
turned aside from it—
18those who give away their wealth
to purify themselves,°
19not as recompense for favors
received from someone,
20but only to seek
the Face of their Lord,
the Most High;
21And they shall be
well pleased.
 
 
SURA 93
Morning Light (Al-Duha)
One of the earliest Meccan suras, its 11 verses crystallize the patient persistence required of the Prophet. Morning and night are invoked (vv. 1–2) to ensure God’s providence (vv. 4–5) before the specific promises of shelter, guidance, and sufficiency (vv. 6–8), echoing a command for all believers to care for the orphan, heed the beggar, and proclaim God’s grace (vv. 9–11).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1By the morning light
in its brilliance;°
2by the darkening night
in its stillness;
3your Lord has not abandoned you,
nor is He abhorring [you].°
4What comes hereafter
will prove finer for you
than what came before;
5and your Lord will provide,
satisfying you.
6Did He not find you orphaned
and give shelter?
7find you seeking and give guidance?
8find you needing and suffice you?
9So, do not oppress the orphan,
10nor reproach the one who asks,
11but proclaim the grace
of your Lord.
 
 
SURA 94
The Broadening (Al-Sharh)
A very short Meccan sura, its 8 verses console the Prophet for the burden of his task (vv. 1–4) and promise a relief from hardship for all who seek God in earnest (vv. 5–8).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1Have We not made your heart
broader than before,
2and taken from you
the burden° you bore,
3that weighed sore
upon your back,
4making your name soar
in esteem?°
5With every hardship comes ease—
6yes, with every hardship
comes ease.
7So, when you cease
your task, increase
your striving,
8and seek your Lord
eagerly.°
 
 
SURA 95
The Fig (Al-Tin)
This very early Meccan sura of 8 verses invokes Mount Sinai to underscore human potential and weakness (vv. 1–5), heralding the certainty of reckoning by “the Most Just of Judges” (vv. 6–8).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1By the fig
and the olive,
2by Mount Sinai,
3and this secure city,°
4We created humankind
in the best of forms;
5then We reduced them to
the lowest of the low
6except those who believe
and do good deeds—
theirs shall be a ceaseless reward.
7What, after this, could make you
deny the reckoning?°
8Is not God the Most Just
of Judges?
 
 
SURA 96
Clot of Blood (Al-ʿAlaq)
The first five verses of this sura are heralded as the initial revelation to Muhammad in the cave of Hira, with the remaining fourteen verses (vv. 6–19) focused on the disbelief and opposition of one of Muhammad’s early enemies.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1Read—in the Name of your Lord
Who created—
2created humankind from a clot
of blood.
3Read—for your Lord
is Most Bountiful,
4Who taught by the pen—
5taught humankind
what it did not know.
6But humans transgress
all bounds,
7thinking themselves
self-sufficient—
8all shall return to your Lord.
9Do you observe the person
who prevents°
10Our servant from prayer?
11Do you see whether he is guided
12or enjoins mindfulness of God?
13Do you see whether
he denies the truth
and turns away?
14Does he not know
that God observes?
15Let him beware—
if he does not stop, We shall
drag him by the forelock—
16a lying, sinful forelock.
17Let him call his companions—
18We will call the angels of hell.
19No—do not heed him,
but bow down, and come
closer to God.
 
 
SURA 97
The Night of Decree (Al-Qadr)
Likely Meccan, this sura condenses into 5 verses the disclosure of the Quran as celestial decree, honored as a special night of vigil during Ramadan, when angels with the spirit descend and linger until dawn (vv. 4–5).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1We revealed this Word°
on the night of decree.
2And what would make you grasp
what the night of decree is?
3The night of decree is better
than a thousand months.
4In this night the angels
with the spirit descend
by their Lord’s leave
for every task.
5Peace reigns until
the rise of dawn.
 
 
SURA 98
Clear Proof (Al-Bayyina)
A sura that is Medinan in origin, its 8 verses trace the divisions caused by disbelievers and polytheists (vv. 1, 5–6) despite the clear proof brought by the Prophet (vv. 2–4), with a reminder that those who believe and do good deeds will have their reward (vv. 7–8).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1The disbelievers among
the people of the Book
and the polytheists
were not going to leave their ways
until clear proof came to them—
2a messenger from God
reciting from untainted scrolls,
3containing unerring scriptures.
4Those given the Book
did not fall into factions until
clear proof had come to them.
5They were merely commanded
to worship God, the One God,
sincere in faith to Him alone,°
to be steadfast in prayer
and to give in charity—
for this is the upright religion.
6The disbelievers among
the People of the Book
and among the polytheists
shall be in the fire of hell
to dwell there forever.
They are the worst of creatures.
7But those who believe
and do good deeds
are the best of creatures.°
8Their reward rests with God—
eternal gardens, beneath which
rivers flow, to dwell there
eternally. God shall be pleased
with them, and they with Him—
all this for those who fear their Lord.
 
 
SURA 99
The Earthquake (Al-Zalzala)
This sura is early Meccan, and in 8 verses it heralds the end of time (vv. 1–5), capping the news of that day with anticipation of serial, individual judgment, focused on the smallest of deeds (vv. 6–8).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1When the earth is shaken
with a great earthquake,
2and she lays bare
all her burdens,
3and humankind cries,
“What is happening to her?”
4On that day she will
proclaim her story,°
5for your Lord inspired her.
6On that day humankind
will emerge in scattered groups
to be shown what they have done.
7Then whoever has done
an atom’s weight of good
shall see it.
8And whoever has done
an atom’s weight of evil
shall see it.
 
 
SURA 100
Racing Steeds (Al-ʿAdiyat)
This sura is probably Meccan; its 11 verses begin with a stunning image of galloping horses (vv. 1–5), likely referring to uncontrolled human desires (vv. 6–8). Talking of the human lust for wealth, the sura issues a warning that on the day of judgment all will be revealed because God is “fully Aware” (vv. 9–11).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1By those racing
like steeds, panting,°
2striking sparks with their hooves,
3raiding at dawn,
4raising clouds of dust,
5thrusting through the center
of enemy lines—
6humans are ungrateful
to their Lord,
7as they themselves
bear witness,
8and their love of [the world’s] good
is intense.
9Do they not know—
when what is buried in graves
bursts out,
10and what lies in human hearts
is exposed—
11that on that day, their Lord
shall be fully Aware of them?
 
 
SURA 101
The Thundering Calamity (Al-Qariʿa)
Early Meccan with 11 verses, this sura evokes the day of judgment in stark terms, with opposite outcomes for those with heavy scales (i.e., good deeds) and those with light scales (i.e., few deeds counted as “good”), vv. 6–9.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1The thundering calamity°—
2What is the thundering calamity?
3What would make you grasp
what such calamity is?
4—the day when humankind
shall be like moths, scattered,
5and the mountains
like carded wool—
6then those whose balance
is heavy,
7will find themselves
in a pleasing life.
8But those whose balance
is light
9shall find their home
in the abyss.
10And what would make you grasp
what that is?
11It’s a fire—blazing.
 
 
SURA 102
Competing for Worldly Gain (Al-Takathur)
The 8 verses of this early Meccan sura dismiss and condemn the unbridled pursuit of wealth and status, counterposed to certain knowledge (v. 5) and assured vision (v. 7).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1Competing for worldly gain
distracts you—
2until you reach your graves.
3But soon you shall know.
4Yes, soon you shall know.
5Indeed, if you had
sure knowledge,°
6you would see the fire of hell.
7Yes, you would see it
with sure vision.°
8Then, on that day,
you shall be asked
about your worldly bliss.
 
 
SURA 103
Time (Al-ʿAsr)
Early Meccan, this sura has only 3 verses. Two short verses are followed by a longer final verse highlighting the collective effort to believe and do good—to wit, urging others to truth and to patience.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1By time, passing,
2humankind is in a state
of loss,
3except those who believe,
and do good deeds, urging
one another toward truth,
and urging one another
toward patience.
 
 
SURA 104
The Backbiter (Al-Humaza)
Early Meccan, its 9 verses focus on the person of a wealthy slanderer, likely referring to numerous Meccan opponents, reminding them of not just hellfire but the fire of God that will close upon them (vv. 6–8).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1Woe to every backbiting slanderer
2who amasses wealth,
always counting it—
3thinking that his wealth
will make him live forever.
4No—he will be thrown
into the pulverizing fire.
5And what would make you grasp
what such a fire is?
6—A fire that God has kindled,
7which pierces people’s hearts.
8It will close upon them,
9in soaring pillars.°
 
 
SURA 105
The Elephant (Al-Fil)
Early Meccan with 5 verses, this sura refers to a historical event, the unsuccessful attack of a Yemeni ruler on the Quraysh, possibly just before Muhammad’s birth (ca. 570 CE). The Quraysh response is given in the next sura.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1Have you not considered
how your Lord dealt
with the people of the elephant?°
2Did He not confound
their plot?
3He sent against them
birds in flocks,
4pelting them with stones
of baked clay.
5Then He left them
like stubble—chewed up.
 
 
SURA 106
Quraysh (Quraysh)
Early Meccan, its 4 verses depict the twofold gratitude expected of the Quraysh after their rescue from Yemeni attack (Sura 105): for food when hungry, and for safety when afraid (v. 4).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1[In gratitude] for the safety
of the Quraysh°—
2safe for both their journeys,
winter and summer—
3Let them worship the Lord
of this House,
4Who has given them food
to forestall hunger,
and safety, to forestall fear.
 
 
SURA 107
Small Kindnesses (Al-Maʿun)
An early Meccan sura of 7 verses, this underscores the double ethical mandate—to heed the orphan and feed the poor—as requisite for “the reckoning to come” (v. 1).
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1Have you seen the person who
denies the reckoning to come?
2This is the one who
pushes aside the orphan,
3and does not urge others
to feed the poor.
4Woe, then, to those who pray,
5but don’t heed their prayer,
6those who do it
just to be seen,
7yet refuse even small deeds
of kindness.
 
 
SURA 108
Abundance (Al-Kawthar)
Early Meccan, this sura of 3 verses is the shortest sura yet it uplifts the Prophet’s spirit, reassuring him that progeny is more than siring a son.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1We have given to you
in abundance°—
2So pray to your Lord
and make sacrifice,
3for it is your enemy
who will be cut off.°
 
 
SURA 109
Those Who Disbelieve (Al-Kafirun)
Early Meccan, its 6 verses set the marker for confirming, and upholding, the gap between believers and disbelievers.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1Say, “You who disbelieve,
2“I do not worship
what you worship,
3“nor are you worshippers
of what I worship,
4“and I am not a worshipper
of what you worship,
5“nor are you worshippers
of what I worship—
6“you have your religion
and I have mine.”
 
 
SURA 110
Help (Al-Nasr)
A Medinan sura, this is perhaps the last sura to be revealed. In 3 verses it assures the Prophet of victory, for himself and his community, and the proper response should be not gloating over success but praising God and asking for forgiveness.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1When God’s help comes
and His victory,
2and you see people flocking
in multitudes
to the religion of God,
3hymn the praise of your Lord
and seek His forgiveness;
He is the Ever Relenting.
 
 
SURA 111
The Palm Fiber (Al-Masad)
Early Meccan, its 5 verses are the only direct diatribe against one of the Prophet’s opponents, and his wife, also a fierce detractor of the Prophet in word and deed.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1Perish the hands
of Abu Lahab, Father of Flame!°
And may he perish!
2He’ll profit nothing
from all his wealth,
and all his gains.
3Soon he shall burn in a fire
blazing with flame.
4His wife shall bear the wood,
5a rope of palm fiber
twisted about her neck.
 
 
SURA 112
Unity/Sincerity (Al-Ikhlas)
Early Meccan, its 4 verses are heralded as the epitome of the Quranic message. It stresses God’s oneness, immutability, and uniqueness. Also apotropaic, its power is in direct proportion to the sincerity (ikhlas) of its reciter.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1Say, He is God, the One,
2God, the Absolute.°
3Neither did He beget,
nor was He begotten.
4His like or equal there is none.
 
 
SURA 113
The Dawn (Al-Falaq)
Early Meccan, like the next sura with which it is linked, this sura of 5 verses is apotropaic, seeking God’s protection from evil.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1Say, “I seek refuge with the Lord
of the breaking dawn,°
2“from the evil in those°
He created;
3“from the evil in darkness
when it descends;
4“from the evil of those°
who blow on knots;
5“and from the evil
of the envier, when he envies.”
 
 
SURA 114
Humankind (Al-Nas)
The final sura, also early Meccan and apotropaic, its 6 verses stress that jinn as well as humankind must seek refuge in God from sinister forces.
In the Name of God, the All Merciful, Ever Merciful
1Say, “I seek refuge
with the Lord of humankind,
2“the Ruler of humankind,
3“the God of humankind,
4“from the evil of the one
who whispers°, and recoils
[from the Name of God]—
5“the one who whispers
into the hearts of humankind—
6“from among jinn,
and humankind.”
 
Acknowledgments

This translation represents a journey spanning some ten years. Traveling on that path together, we have incurred profound debts to those who aided us in navigating its sometimes arduous and steep terrain. We would both like to thank:
—those who shared their Quranic expertise with us: the scholars of the University of al-Azhar in Cairo, Ahmad Elezabi, Amr Saleh, and the late Ahmed Shafik al-Khatib; the Quranic scholars Carl W. Ernst, Shawkat Toorawa, Azdeddine Chergui, Omid Safi, Michael Sells, Brett Wilson, Ulrika Martensen, Khalid Saqi, Marianna Klar, Assya Elhannaoui, and Musharraf Hussain;
—those who gave us inspired feedback on our rendering: Jerry and Betty Eidener, Carl and Janet Edwards, Harry and Peregrine Kavros, Scott Kugle, Sohaib Khan, Safaa Al-Saeedi, Michael Beard, J. T. Barbarese, Ernest Hilbert, Kimberly V. Adams, Aaron Hostetter, Piers Smith, Daniel Simmons, Nader El-Bizri, Irfaan Nooruddin, Reza Aslan, Magda Hasabelnaby, Leonard Neidorf, Ali Ansari, Areej Al-Harbi, Rahaf Al-Mubarak, Norah Roudhan, Wadha Alessa, Waed Al-Azemi, Muntassir Ibrahim Altamy, Adrian Day, and Siddiqua Shabnam;
—those who facilitated presentations and conferences for us: Sahar Muradi and the high school teachers of City Lore and Poets House in New York City; M. A. S. Abdel Haleem of the School of Oriental and African Studies in London; Mohamed Ben-Madani, for allowing us to use material from the Maghreb Review; Omar Ali de Unzaga of the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London; Rob Gleave, Mustafa Baig, and William Gallois, who organized a Quran conference at the University of Exeter in England; Recep Senturk, Heba Raouf, and Ercument Asil, who invited us to present at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute (MEDIT) at Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul; Mohammed Ben Romdhane and Shahd Al-Shammari who helped us obtain a generous grant from KFAS to present at the Gulf University of Science and Technology in Kuwait; and Salwa El-Awa, who invited our participation in a conference at the University of Swansea;
—those who merit a very special note of gratitude for their countless hours of dedication and expertise in helping us negotiate the Arabic text of the Quran: Ismail Lala and Ahmed Zafar;
—the wonderfully insightful editorial team at Liveright, including our editor Peter Simon, whose feedback at every stage was crucial; our meticulous copyeditor, Trent Duffy; our project editor, Robert Byrne; and the project’s various editorial assistants over the years, including Katie Pak, Olivia Atmore, and Zeba Arora—as well as the talented professionals who made this book so beautiful: our production director, Anna Oler, and our art director, Ingsu Liu. Although our journey with them has barely begun, we also wish to thank the extraordinary publicity and marketing team at Liveright who will help get this book into readers’ hands: Peter Miller, director of publicity; Fanta Diallo, publicist; Clio Hamilton, publicity assistant; and Nick Curley, marketing director;
—our respective life partners: miriam cooke, whose deep expertise in Arabic and warm and friendly help over the years were an endless source of inspiration; and Yasmeen Habib, who was lovingly supportive, sharing her insights into the rules of recitation and the system of pauses in the Quranic script.
The journey is far from over. No translation of the Quran can ever hope to do more than gesture toward the inimitable splendor of the original. The voyage that began as a voice on a mountain in the lonely cave of Hira is one which will continue through many voices, into many futures, forever echoing down from the sublimity of that height.
M. A. R. Habib and Bruce B. Lawrence
 
 
Glossary

The following are often-cited, important Arabic terms in the Quran. These notes explain why some are rendered consistently throughout this translation while others vary according to context. A selective list is provided of the occurrence of each term in Quranic verses.
ahl al-kitab — “people of the Book.” This term refers to the Jews and Christians (and also Muslims). See 2:41ff., as well as 3:3, 4:47, 5:46, 6:92, and 89:91. The first reference (2:41ff.) is dedicated to retelling the story of the Children of Israel. Ahl is also the first of five technical terms referring to “people.” Each has its own nuance, with ahl closest to familial, qawm to tribal, while umma accents collective coherence apart from family or tribe. Both nas and insan refer to humankind at large.
ajal — “a period” / ajal musamma: “a fixed period.” These terms are used specifically in some suras and by implication in others. Either one can refer to the destined period of existence for individuals (6:2), communities (23:43), and the entire universe (46:3). This period lies within the purview of God’s omniscience; it can be lengthened or shortened only by His direction (35:4). It can also be elided with the Mother of the Book (umm al-kitab; see below), a relationship depicted in 13:38–39.
ʿalamin — “universe” (1:2 – genitive plural of ʿalam, world), denoting the fact that all the “worlds” created by God ultimately comprise a unity; also rendered as “all peoples” (3:33), “all the worlds” (5:20, 115), “all worlds” (5:28; 10:10, 37; and 12:104), “[created] beings” (29:6), “creatures” (29:10, 28), and “peoples” (37:79). In each case, the sense of the surrounding passage dictates the choice of translation. At 1:2, the original Arabic refers to ʿalamun (nominative pl. of ʿalam), literally, “the worlds, or all worlds”; it connotes “universe” because it covers the spectrum of creations in the heavens and earth, land and sea, while at the same time including other creatures who are nonhuman, both jinn (see below) and angels.
amr — literally, “command” (16:2), but also “clear signs” as in 2:87, 253; 5:110; 16:2; 40:15; 42:52; 65:12; and 97:4.
al-asmaʾ al-husna — “the Beautiful Names” / asmaʾ Allahi al-husna: “the Beautiful Names of God.” The Beautiful Names, sometimes known as the Most Beautiful Names or the Beautiful Divine Names, are invoked in prayer by multiple names. Some have said that the Beautiful Names number ninety-nine, while others reckon that they are beyond calculation; in either instance, they are lodestones of memory and pious mimesis, both in the Quran and in Muslim ritual devotion. In this rendition, the Beautiful Names have been capitalized in every instance where they occur or can be inferred. For further details, see pages li–lvii as well as The Beautiful Names (page 534).
ayat — literally, “signs” (of God and God’s power), but also “verses” or “words” (of God), as in 3:112–13. In one case (26:128), the singular aya means “altar” or “monument.”
barzakh — a Persian word. At 23:100 and 25:53, it’s rendered as “barrier,” but at 55:20, it’s rendered as a “limit,” since it is both a barrier and a bridge, not mixing yet connecting two distinct elements or states or levels of existence.
dhikr — “remembrance” (of God or the Quran), “reminder,” or “message.” It is used almost three hundred times in reference to either God or the Quran.
din — “reckoning” or “religion.” As discussed in the note for 1:4, in the phrase malik yawm al-din it is clearly the final day or the day of reckoning, with the promise of reward or punishment. Elsewhere, the word is best rendered as “faith” (e.g., 9:11, 122). Another example of din as “reckoning” occurs in 37:20, “day of reckoning,” similar to yawm al-qiyama, “day of resurrection.”
furqan — 2:53; 3:2 and 25 (passim), with multiple meanings. Often translated as “measure” or “criterion,” furqan is a technical term indicating an absolute dividing line or demarcation between two opposites or binaries, especially the good and the bad.
al-ghaib — what lies beyond human knowing, i.e., “the unseen,” as in 2:33; 6:50, 59; 7:188; and 13:9.
hanif — “one pure in faith” (3:67, 95) or “monotheistic in faith” (10.105 and also 16:120–23). It is the antonym of kafir (see under kufr, below).
haqq/haqqa — “truth” or “reality,” but also “right” or “duty.” Haqq can refer not just to truth but the possession of right, as in 9:13, 146, and 33:37, where God is cited as having “more right” to be feared than others. In terms of duty, see 2:180, where making provision for one’s survivors is “a duty upon those who are mindful of [the One] God.”
Iblis — see Shaytan below.
al-insan — “person” (36:77), “man” (55:3), or “humankind” (12:5 and 55:14, 33). To be gender inclusive, insan has often been rendered as “humans” (instead of the singular) or “humankind.” Also see ahl under ahl al-kitab, above.
islam — “submission” / muslim: “one who submits” (to God). See, however, 5:3, where the name “Islam” is used; see also 2:128 and 3:85. The root verb, s-l-m, refers both to peace (salam) and submission (islam). In the period when the Muslim movement had not yet coalesced into a community aware of itself as such, the emphasis was on submitting to God and to God’s will, both as individuals and as a group. Multiple references to muslimun (i.e., “muslims”) are to those who submit from every tradition honoring the One God, not solely to those who follow Muhammad and later become part of Islam.
jinn — “spirits.” Neither angelic nor human, yet both at once. They abound in literary circles of the premodern world, with their equivalent in English being “genie.” They can be either evil or good, depending on circumstance. See especially suras 55 and 72.
kufr — “disbelief” or “lie,” but also “ingratitude.” Hence a kafir is a disbeliever and kafirin are liars, but all are, firstly, ungrateful. The contrast is between kufr and shukr (“gratitude”), as in 2:152: “Show thanks to me, and do not be ungrateful.”
al-mathal — “parable” (36:13), “simile,” or “comparison” (36:78).
muqattaʿat — “disconnected” / al-huruf al-muqattaʿat: “disconnected letters.” These Arabic letters that appear at the beginning of several suras have become the subject of extensive commentary, with occasional efforts to translate them (as in Sura 36, Ya Sin). They are often termed mystical or mysterious letters whose meanings are known only to the Lord of all that is seen and unseen. There is a suggestive tone of authority in several suras; it comes in the phrase right after the opening letters. In 2:2 we are told that the Book “provides guidance for those mindful of the Divine”; elsewhere it can refer to the Book as clear and decisive (e.g., suras 15, 36, 38, and 50) or to the process of revelation (e.g., suras 3, 7, and 40–46). Because this last group (40–46) all start with the same letters (ha and mim), they are often called the Hawamim.
muslim — “one who submits” (to the will of God). See islam above on the variability of islam/muslim as both terms evolved during the early decades of the Quranic revelation.
muttaqi — “one mindful of God.” Also see taqwa below.
nas — “people,” “man,” “humankind” (10:2, 11, 19, 21, and 23; 24:3; and 114 passim), but also “human beings” (10:44), or “humans” (10:44). See ahl under ahl al-kitab, above.
naskh — “abrogation” (2:106 and 3:7). The replacement of one verse by other verses, it has become the basis for juridical efforts to see shifts within the Quran at several points. However, other commentators have disputed whether the Quran itself changes or if it instead challenges each reader/believer/submitter to explore depths of meaning not readily apparent in God’s Word. See also 3:7 for the Quran’s own distinction between verses clear in meaning and those deemed allegorical or metaphorical. One needs to be constantly aware of how images, such as the Hand of God (e.g., 48:10) or the Face of your Lord (e.g., 55:27), are metaphorical rather than literal.
qawm — “peoples” (10:74) or “nation” (10:75). The Quran speaks of humankind as one people (in 2:213), but as many elsewhere: 5:48, 11:118, 16:93, 42:8, 43:33, and especially 10:19. Also see ahl under ahl al-kitab, above.
ruh — “spirit.” Suras 4:171, 16:2, 17:85, 19:17, 40:15, 42:52, 58:22, and 78:38 all include reference to ruh al-quds (“holy spirit”), not be confused with “the Holy Spirit,” a central component of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity (eschewed by Muslims). Wherever the text refers to the Arabic ruh al-quds (literally, “spirit of the holy” or “holy spirit”), Gabriel is the agent.
Shaytan — Iblis is another name for Shaytan (Satan), the enemy of humankind. Iblis’s refusal to bow down to Adam is cited in several passages: 2:34, 7:11, 17:61, 18:50, 20:116, and 38:74–75.
sihr — “magic” (5:110 and 20:71, 73), “magician” (20:69 and 38:4), “magicians” (20:70), “sorcery” (6:7, 11:7, 20:63, 37:15, 43:30, and 54:2), “sorcerer” (43:49 and 51:39, 52), “manifest sorcerer” (10:2), or “sorcerers” (20:63). See also 5:110, 27:13, 34:43, 46:5, 61:6, and especially 10:75–81.
sura — sura, referring to the sections into which the Quran is divided (24:1). See also 10:38 and 11:13.
taqwa — “mindfulness of God” / muttaqi: “mindful of God or in 2:2 “mindful of the Divine.” Also rendered as “fear of God” (9:108–9, 115) and “God-fearing” (19:97 and 41:18).
umm al-kitab — literally, “the Mother of the Book.” In 3:7 and 13:39 it is rendered as “the origin of the Book,” while in 43:4 it is described as “the archetypal Book” that records all deeds of humankind, and is also the source of all scripture.
umma — “community” (7:34, 10:19, and 43:21), “nation” (10:47, 49, and 16:120), or “people” (5:48 and 42:8). The plural is umam. Note two further uses—11:8: illa ummatin maʿdudatin, “for a definite term”; and 12:45: baʿd ummatin, “after all this time.” See also ahl under ahl al-kitab, above.
zabur — the Psalms (4:163, 17:55, and 21:105), but also “scriptures” in general (3:184; 16:44; 23:53; 26:196; 35:25; and 54:43, 52).
 
 
The Beautiful Names of God

The Beautiful Names (al-asmaʾ al-husna) or the Beautiful Names of God (asmaʾ Allahi al-husna) recur throughout the Quran. They have been extracted and counted as ninety-nine in devotional practice and in numerous commentaries though their actual usage exceeds ninety-nine. We have capitalized their various forms in all but a few cases where doing so might compromise our general aim of producing a readable and fluent translation.
Abiding Forever—al-Baqi: 55:27
The Absolute—al-Samad: 112:2
Accepting of repentance – Qabil al-tawb: 40:3
The Accomplisher/Doer—al-Faʿʿal: 11:107; 85:16
The [All] Aware/Ever Aware—Khabir/al-Khabir: 2:234, 271; 3:153, 180; 4:94, 128, 135; 5:8; 6:18, 73, 103; 9:16; 10:19, 50, 111; 17:30, 96; 22:63, 24:30, 53; 25:58; 27:88; 31:16, 29, 34; 33:3, 34; 34:1; 35:14, 31; 42; 27, 48:11; 49:13; 57:10; 58:3, 11, 13; 59:18; 63:11; 64:8; 66:3; 67:14; 100:11
The All Encompassing—al-Muhit: 2:19; 3:120; 4:108, 126; 8:47; 48:21; 65:12; 85:20
The [All] Forgiving, Ever Merciful—Ghafur Rahim: 2:173, 182, 192, 199, 218, 226; 3:31, 89, 129; 4:23, 25, 96, 100, 106, 110, 129, 152; 5:3, 34, 39, 74, 98; 6:54, 145, 165; 7:153, 167; 8:69, 70; 9:27, 91, 99, 102; 10:107; 11:41; 12:53, 98; 14:36; 15:49; 16:18, 110, 115, 119; 24:5, 22, 33, 62; 25:6, 70; 27:11; 28:16; 31:2; 33:5, 24, 50, 59, 73; 39:53; 41:32; 42:5; 46:8; 48:14; 49:5, 14; 57:28; 58:12; 60:7, 12; 64:14; 66:1; 73:20
The All Hearing—Samiʿ/al-Samiʿ: 2:127, 137, 181, 224, 227, 244, 256, 3:34, 35, 38, 121; 4:58, 134, 148; 5:76; 6:13, 115, 200; 8:17, 42, 53, 61; 9:98, 103; 10: 65; 12:34; 14:39; 17:11; 21:4; 22:61, 75; 24:21, 60; 26:220; 29:5, 60; 31:28; 34:50; 40:20, 56; 41:36; 42:11; 44: 6; 49:1; 58:1
The All Kind/Ever Forbearing/Most Forbearing—al-Halim: 2:225, 235, 263; 3:155; 4:12; 5:101; 11:87; 17:44; 22:59; 33:51; 35:41; 64:17
The [All] Knowing/Knower/Aware—ʿAlim/al-ʿAlim: 2:29, 32, 95, 115, 137, 158, 181, 215, 224, 231, 246, 247, 256, 261, 268, 273, 282, 283; 3:34, 35, 63, 73, 92, 115, 119, 121, 147, 148, 154; 4:11, 12, 17, 24, 26, 32, 35, 39, 70, 92, 104, 111, 127, 147, 148, 170, 176; 5:7, 54, 76, 97, 116; 6:13, 59, 73, 83, 96, 101, 115, 128, 139; 7:200; 8:17, 42, 43, 53, 61, 71, 75; 9:15, 28, 44, 47, 60, 78, 94, 97, 98, 103, 105, 106, 110, 115; 10:36, 65, 79; 11:5; 12:6, 19, 34, 50, 76, 83, 100; 15:25, 86; 16:28, 70; 21:4; 22:52, 59; 23:51; 24:18, 21, 28, 32, 35, 41, 58, 59, 60, 64; 26:220; 27:6, 78; 29:5, 60, 62; 30:54; 31:23; 33:1, 40, 51, 54; 34:3, 26, 48; 35:8, 38, 44; 36:38, 79, 81; 39:7, 46; 40:2; 41:12, 36; 42:12, 24, 50; 43:9, 84; 44:6; 48:4, 26; 49:1, 8, 13, 16, 18, 51:, 30; 57:3, 6; 58:7; 59:22; 60:10; 62:7, 8; 64:4, 11, 18; 65:12; 66:2, 3; 67:13; 73:26; 76:30; 84:23
The All Merciful/Most Merciful—al-Rahman
a.17:110; 19:18, 26, 44, 45, 58, 61, 69, 75, 78, 85, 87, 88, 91, 92, 93, 96; 20:5, 90, 108, 109; 21:26, 36, 112; 25:26, 59, 60, 63; 26:5; 36:11; 15:23, 52; 41:2; 43:17, 19, 20, 33, 36, 45, 81; 50:33; 55:1; 59:22; 67:3, 19, 20, 29; 78:37, 38
b.The All Merciful, Ever Merciful—al-Rahman al-Rahim: 1:1, 3; 2:163; 27:30; 41:2; 59:22. Also, as doublets, they precede 2:1–114:1, introducing all suras except 9.
The [All] Powerful/Able—Qadir/al-Qadir: 2:20, 106, 109, 148, 259, 2:284; 3:26, 29,165, 189; 4:133, 149; 5:17, 19, 40, 120; 6:17, 37, 65; 8:41; 9:39; 11:4; 16:70, 77; 17:99; 22:6, 39; 23:18; 24:45; 25:54; 29:20; 30:50, 54; 33:27; 35:1, 44; 41:39; 42:9, 29, 50; 46:33, 48:21; 57:2; 59:6; 60:7; 64:1; 65:12; 66:8; 67:1; 75:40; 86:8. (See also The One Holding Sway/All Powerful—al-Muqtadir.)
The All Seeing/All Watchful/Observant—Basir/al-Basir: 2:96, 110, 233, 237, 265; 3:15, 20, 156, 163; 4:58, 134; 5:71; 8:39, 72; 11:112; 17:1, 17, 30, 96; 20:35, 125; 22:61, 75; 25:20; 31:28; 33:9; 34:11; 35:31, 45; 40:20, 44, 56; 41:40; 42:11, 27; 48:24; 49:18; 57:4; 58:1; 60:3; 64:2; 67:19; 84:15
The [All] Wise—Hakim/al-Hakim: 2:32, 129, 209, 220, 228, 240, 260; 3:6, 18, 62, 126; 4:11, 17, 24, 26, 56, 92, 104, 111, 130, 158, 165, 170; 5:38, 118; 6:18, 73, 83, 128, 139; 8:10, 49, 63, 67, 71; 9:15, 28, 40, 60, 71, 97, 106, 110; 12:6, 83, 100; 13:4; 14:4; 15:25; 16:60; 22:52; 24:10, 18, 58, 59; 27:6, 9; 29:26, 42; 30:27; 31:2, 9, 27; 33:1; 34:1, 27; 35:2; 36:2; 39:1; 40:8; 41:42; 42:3, 51; 43:9, 84; 45:2, 37; 46:2; 48:4, 7, 19; 49:8; 51:30; 57:1; 59:1, 24; 60:5, 10; 61:1; 62:1, 3; 64:18; 66:2; 76:30
The Almighty—ʿAziz/al-ʿAziz
a.2:129, 209, 220, 228, 240, 260; 3:4, 6, 12, 62, 126; 4:56, 158, 165; 5: 38, 95, 118; 6:96; 8:10, 49, 63, 67; 9:40, 71; 11:66; 14:1, 4, 47; 16:60; 22:40, 74; 27:78; 29:26, 42; 30:27; 31:9, 27; 33:25; 34:6, 27; 35:2; 36:38; 38:9, 66; 39:1, 5, 37; 40: 2, 8, 42; 42:3, 19; 44:49; 45:2, 37; 46:2; 48:7, 19; 57: 1, 25; 58:21; 59:1, 23, 24; 60:5: 61:1; 62:1,3; 64:18; 67: 2; 85:8
b.The Almighty, Ever-Merciful—al-ʿAziz al-Rahim: 26:9, 68, 104, 122, 159, 175, 191, 217; 30:5; 32:6; 36:5; 44:42
The Always Returning/Relenting—al-Tawwab
a.4:64; 24:10; 110:3
b.Always Returning, Ever Merciful—al-Tawwab al-Rahim: 2:37, 54, 128, 160; 4:16, 64; 9:104; 49:12
Appreciating/Appreciative—al-Shakir: 2:158; 4:147. Al-Shakur: 35:30, 34; 42:23; 64:17.
The Best of Arbiters—Khair al-Fatihin: 7:89. Khair al-Fasilin: 6:57.
The Best of Forgivers—Khair al-Ghafirin: 7:155
The Best of Helpers—Khair al-Nasirin: 3:150
The Best of Judges—Khair al-Hakimin: 7:87; 10:109; 12:80. The Most Excellent of Judges: 10:109, 12:80.
The Best of Protectors—Khair al-Muhafizin: 12:64
The Best of Providers/the Best Provider—Khair al-Raziqin: 5:114; 15:20; 22:58; 23:72; 34:39; 62:11
The Best of Schemers—Khair al-Makarin: 8:30
The Creator—al-Khaliq: 6:102; 13:16; 15:28; 36:81; 39:62; 40:62; 59:24
The Debaser—al-Khafid: 56:3 (also, al-Mudhill 3:26)
Encompassing in Abundance—Dhu al-Tawl: 40:3
The Ever Forbearing/Most Forbearing—al-Halim: 2:225, 235, 263; 3:155; 4:12; 5:101; 17:44; 22:59; 33:51; 35:41; 64:17
The Ever Forgiving—al-Ghaffar: 20:82; 38:66; 39:5; 40:42; 71:10
The Ever Giving/Bestower—al-Wahhab: 3:8; 38:9, 35
The Ever Gracious/Full of Grace/Full of Favor—Dhu al-Fadl: 2:105, 243, 251; 3:152; 8:29; 10:60; 27:73; 40:61. (See also The Most Gracious—Dhu al-Fadl al-ʿAzim.)
The Ever Living—al-Hayy
a.25:58; 40:65
b.The [Ever] Living, the Self-Subsisting—al-Hayy al-Qayyum: 2:255; 3:2; 20:111
The Ever Merciful—al-Rahim: 1:1; 24:20, 22. And many, many more, especially in doublets.
The Ever Near—al-Qarib: 2:186, 11:61; 34:50
The [Ever/Most] Subtle/Most Gentle—al-Latif: 6:103; 12:100; 22:63; 31:16; 33:34; 42:19; 67:14
The [Ever] Trustworthy—al-Muʾmin: 59:23
The Ever Watchful—al-Raqib: 4:1; 33:52. (See also The All Seeing/All Watchful/Observant—al-Basir.)
The Exalter—al-Rafiʿ: 6:83; 56:3; 58:11. Al-Muʾizz: 3:26.
The Expander—al-Basit: 17:30; 42:27
The Expansive/All Embracing—al-Wasiʿ: 2:115, 251, 247, 261, 268; 3:73; 4:130; 5:54; 24:32; 53:32
The First—al-Awwal: 57:3
Forbearing. See The All Kind/Forbearing—al-Halim.
Forever in Majesty and Munificence—Dhu al-Jalali wa-l-Ikram: 55:27, 78
Forgiving of sin – Ghafir al-dhanb: 40:3
Full of Favor. See The Ever Gracious/Full of Favor—Dhu al-Fadl.
Full of Forgiveness—Dhu al-Maghfira: 13:6
Full of Mercy—Dhu al-Rahma: 6:133; 18:58
The Gatherer—al-Jamiʿ: 3:9; 4:140
Giver/Bringer of Death—al-Mumit: 2:28, 258; 3:156; 7:158; 9:116; 10:56; 15:23; 22:66; 23:80; 26:81; 30:40; 40:68; 44:8; 45:26; 57:2
Giver/Restorer of Life—al-Muhyi: 2:28, 258; 3:156; 7:158; 9:116; 10:56;15:23; 22:66; 23:80; 26:81; 30:40, 50; 40:68; 41:39; 42:9; 44:8; 45:26; 57:2
The Glorious—al-Majid: 11:73
The Grandeur—al-Kibriyaʾ: 45:37
The Guardian—al-Wakil: 4:81, 132, 171; 11:12; 12:66; 28:28; 33:3, 48; 39:62; 73:9
The Guide—al-Hadi: 22:54
The Helper—al-Nasir: 4:45; 8:40; 22:98; 25:31
The Holy/the Sanctified—al-Quddus: 59:23; 62:1
The Heir(s)/Inheritor(s)—al-Warithun: 15:23; 28:58 (plural in both cases)
The Inner—al-Batin: 57:3
The Irresistible—al-Jabbar: 59:23
The Judge—al-Hakam
a.40:48
b.The Judge, the All Knowing—al-Fattah al-ʿAlim: 34:26
The Just—al-ʿAdl: 6:115
The Last—al-Akhir: 57:3
The Light—al-Nur: 24:35 (5), 61:8 (2)
Lord of Requital—Dhu al-Intiqam: 3:4; 5:95; 14:47; 39:37
Lord of the Stairs—Dhu al-Maʿarij: 70:3
[Most] Able—al-Qadir: 6:37, 65; 10:24; 17:99; 36:81; 46:33; 75:40; 86:8
The Most Bountiful—Al-Akram: 96:3
The Most Exalted—al-Mutaʿali: 13:9
The Most Excellent of Judges—Khair al-Hakimin: 10:109; 12:80
The Most Gracious—Dhu al-Fadl al-ʿAzim: 3:174; 57:21, 29; 62:4
The [Most] Great—al-Kabir: 4:34; 13:9; 22:62; 31:30; 34:23 40:12
The Most Great/Supreme—al-ʿAzim: 2:255; 42:4; 56:74, 96; 64: 33, 52
The Most High—al-ʿAli
a.2:255; 4:34; 22:62; 31:30; 34:23; 41:12; 42:4, 51; 43:4
b.The Most High—al-Aʿla: 16:60; 79:24; 87:1 92:20
The Most Just—al-Muqsit: 33:5
The Most Just of Judges—Ahkam al-Hakimin: 11:45; 95:8
The Most Kind—al-Raʿuf
a.2:207; 3:30; 9:117; 33:25; 57:25; 58:21
b.The Most Kind, Ever Merciful—al-Raʿuf al-Rahim: 2:143; 9:117; 16:7; 22:65; 24:20; 57:9; 59:10. Also al-Barr al-Rahim: 52:28.
The Most Loving—Wadud: 11:90; 85:14
The Most Merciful of all—Khair al-Rahimin: 23:109, 118
The Most Merciful of the merciful—Arham al-Rahimin: 7:151; 12:64, 92; 21:83
The One—al-Ahad: 112:1. Also al-Wahid: 12:39; 13:16; 14:48.
The One Holding Sway/All Powerful—al-Muqtadir: 18:45; 54:42, 55
The One, Omnipotent/Supreme/Invincible—al-Wahid al-Qahhar: 12:39; 13:16; 14:48; 38:65; 39:4; 40:16
The Originator/Maker—al-Bariʾ: 39:46; 59:24. Also al-Fatir: 6:14; 35:1.
The Outer—al-Zahir: 57:3
The Pardoner—al-ʿAfuw: 3:155; 4:9, 43, 99, 149; 5:95, 101; 9:43; 22:60; 58:2
Possessor of Power—Dhu al-Quwwa: 51:58
The Powerful/the Strong/the Supremely Strong—al-Qawi: 8:52; 11:66; 22:40, 74; 27:39; 28:26; 33:25; 40:22; 42:19; 57:25; 58:21
The Praiseworthy—al-Hamid: 13:1; 14:8; 31:12, 26; 41:42. (See also Self-Sufficient—al-Ghani.)
The Preserver—al-Hafiz: 86:4
The Prevailer—al-Ghalib: 12:21
The Protector—al-Mawla: 2:286; 3:150; 6:62; 8:40 (2); 9:51; 10:30; 22:78 (2); 47:11; 66:2, 4. Also al-Wali: 2:257; 3:68, 150; 4:45; 6:127; 7:155; 12:101; 34:41; 42:9, 48; 45:19.
The Reckoner—al-Hasib: 4:6, 86; 33:39
Relenting, Ever Relenting—al-Tawwab
a.4:16, 64; 24:10, 49:12, 110:3
b.Relenting, Ever Merciful—al-Tawwab al-Rahim: 2:37, 54, 128, 160; 4:16, 64; 9:104, 108
The Responsive—al-Mujib: 11:61
The Restricter—al-Qabid: 25:46
The Resurrector (the One Who Raises Up)—al-Baʿith: 22:7
The Self-Sufficient /Self-Sufficing—al-Ghani
a.2:263; 3:97; 6:133; 10:68; 14:8; 27:40; 29:6; 39:7; 47:38
b.The Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy—al-Ghani al-Hamid: 2:267; 4:131; 22:64; 31:12, 26; 35:15; 57:24; 60:6; 64:6
The Severe/Stern in Requital—Shadid al-ʿIqab: 2:196, 211; 3:11; 5:2, 98; 6:165; 7:176; 8:13, 25, 48, 52; 13:6; 40:3, 22; 59:4, 7
The Shaper of Forms—al-Musawwir: 59:24
The Source of Forgiveness—Ahl al-Maghfira: 74:56
The Source of Mindfulness—Ahl al-Taqwa: 74:56
The Source of Peace—al-Salam: 59:23
The Sovereign/Ruler/King—al-Malik: 1:4; 3:26; 20:114; 23:116; 59:23; 62:1; 114:2
The Supreme—al-Mutakabbir: 59:23. Also al-ʿAzim: 2:255.
The Supreme in Strategy—Shadid al-Mihal: 13:13
The Supreme in Strength—al-Matin: 51:58
The Sustainer—al-Razzaq: 51:58. Also al-Muqit: 4:85.
The Swift in Reckoning—Sariʿ al-Hisab: 2:202; 3:19, 199; 5:4; 13:41; 14:51; 24:39; 40:17. See also Sariʿ al-ʿIqab: 6:165; 7:167.
The Truth/the True/the Reality/the True Reality—al-Haqq: 10:32; 18:44; 20:114; 22:6, 62; 23:116; 24:25; 31:30
The Watchful—al-Muhaymin: 59:23
The Witness—Shahid/al-Shahid: 3:98; 4:33, 79, 166; 5:117; 6:19; 10:29, 46; 13:43; 17:96; 22:17; 29:52; 33:55; 34:47; 41:53; 46:8; 48:28; 58:6; 85:3, 9


 
Notes

Sura 1
The Opening (Al-Fatiha)
1:1Although the basmala—“In the Name of God”—appears at the outset of every sura in the 114 suras of the Quran except one (Sura 9, Repentance), it is only here in the opening sura that it is treated as a verse. Its importance is underscored by its two qualifiers, al-rahman and al-rahim in Arabic. Both are derived from al-rahma (the mercy), which in turn derives from al-raham (the womb). Crucial is the accent on God as encompassing mercy, just as the mother enfolds and encompasses her child. Like the mother, God not only embodies mercy (al-rahman) but also provides it again and again (al-rahim). Rendered here as “the All Merciful” so as to mime certain semantic and poetic effects of the original, God is also, always, the Ever Merciful. For those who think of Allah in gendered terms, al-rahman and al-rahim are repeated as “His” defining traits. In the next verses, rabb (Lord) and malik (Ruler) are solely masculine in their origin and usage, but one can say, and should say, that Allah is neither male nor female. Instead, the deity is depicted equally as feminine and masculine in traits, with a stronger accent on the feminine due to the recurrent usage of Mercy, no less than four times, in al-Fatiha. The vast expanse of Divine Mercy exceeds our understanding but not our recognition: we recognize its performance daily in our lives and also in the lives of others.
1:2The definite article used in the Arabic is rendered as “All” in English to capture the expanse of human gratitude to the Divine.
1:2The Arabic for “universe” is ʿalamin (pl. of ʿalam), literally, “the worlds” or “all worlds.” It covers the spectrum of creations in the heavens and earth, land and sea, at the same time that it also includes other creatures who are not human, both jinn and angels (see multiple references in the Quran, especially Sura 55 on the jinn). The word “universe” is used here instead of “worlds” in order to convey the fact that God’s creation, while composed of many worlds and many levels of being, is ultimately a unity. Also see Glossary, page 529.
1:4Al-din can mean “religion” but here as yawm al-din it is clearly the final day or the day of reckoning, reward, or punishment. See Glossary, page 530.
1:5To “worship” God is also to be subservient to Him, and so the more graphic reference of worship is submission, servanthood, and slavery, connotations that are familiar in the Hebrew Bible and also in the Gospels.
1:7It is crucial to stress that neither divine anger (“wrath”) nor human deviance (“gone astray”) is the final message of the opening sura. The two verbs used here are “to guide” (hada) and “to favor” (anʿama), and their respective nouns, hidaya (guidance) and niʿma (favor), recur in the Quran as the insistent divine hope for all humankind and for all creatures in all worlds.

Sura 2
The Cow (Al-Baqara)
2:1These letters are part of what is known as muqattaʿat, or disconnected letters, different combinations of which are found at the beginning of several suras. See Glossary, page 531.
2:4The Prophet Muhammad.
2:8Arabic wa-ma hum bimuminin: literally, “But they are not among the believers.”
2:14In addition to the notion of a single Satan (Shaytan or Iblis), there are also multiple Satans or devils, like multiple jinn and angels, who can be, and are, seen to be part of Islamic cosmogony, acting in this world and the next.
2:22Arabic jaʿalna lakum al-ard firash: literally, “we made the earth a place spread out,” an image found here and at 51:48. Similar to 40:64, God is projected here as a grand domestic architect, with earth as His habitat or couch, the sky His canopy.
2:29“The seven heavens” is a metaphor for the entire cosmos, and like the number 7 in biblical literature it has a symbolic meaning, not a literal one.
2:30The “regent” is Adam, who will appear by name in the next verse. Adam appears as regent or deputy for God on earth in several passages: see 7:69, 74; 10:14, 73; 27:62; and 35:39.
2:31The word ism (name) implies use of reason and insight to distinguish between visible and invisible entities. The implication in the Arabic is that Adam is being given more profound knowledge than simply the “names” of things.
2:31If the angels are right in their fear about the regent.
2:34Iblis is another name for Satan, the enemy of humankind. Iblis’s refusal to bow down to Adam is cited in several other passages: 7:11, 17:61, 18:50, 20:116, and 38:74–75.
2:36God’s speech is addressed to Adam, Eve, and Iblis. There are two other Quranic passages where the creation story features Satan/Iblis seducing Adam and Eve: 7:10–25 and 20:115–27.
2:41Here is the first of several Quranic passages confirming the Quran as a completion of earlier scriptures. See ahl al-kitab in Glossary, page 529.
2:47The word translated as “peoples” is the Arabic ʿalamin: literally, “all the worlds or the universe.” See Glossary, page 529.
2:51This is the “golden calf,” depicted in Exodus 32:1–35; also cited in suras 7:148–53 and 20: 83–98.
2:53On furqan (the criterion), see Glossary, page 530.
2:54Arabic fa-uqtulu anfusakum: literally, “and kill yourselves,” but here with a metaphorical meaning.
2:60Arabic kull unas: literally, “all the people,” but commentators agree that this refers to the tribes.
2:61I.e., the children of Israel.
2:62Since the Sabians, followers of the Queen of Sheba, were considered monotheists, and may be linked to the Mandaeans of southern Iraq, this passage echoes the Quranic message of inclusiveness: all who believe and do good will find salvation.
2:65Arabic kunu qirada khasiin: literally, “be apes, despised.” This figure of speech is also used elsewhere in the Quran, e.g., 31:19 and 62:5.
2:67Arabic aʿudhu bi Allah an akun min al-jahilin: literally, “I seek refuge with God from being among the ignorant.”
2:70This account can be compared to the biblical narrative in Numbers 19: 2–3, where the people of Israel are commanded to sacrifice a red heifer which is without defect or blemish and has never been placed under a yoke, as part of a purification ritual.
2:71Arabic jiʾta bil-haqq: literally, “you have brought the truth.”
2:87Here and in v. 253 (as also in 4:171; 5:110; and 16:2, 102), the original uses the Arabic phrase ruh al-quds—literally, “the spirit of [God] the Holy.” See Glossary, page 532.
2:95Arabic bima qaddamat aydihim: literally, “on account of what their hands have sent forth.”
2:98Gabriel, often implied, is mentioned by name here and in one later sura (26:193), while Michael is mentioned only here. Both appear as quasi-angelic forces in Jewish literature, but since Gabriel was not only the holy or noble spirit but also the harbinger of death, some Jews saw him in a negative light.
2:101Arabic alladhina utu al-kitab kitab Allah waraa dhuhurihim: literally, “Those given the Book put the Book behind their backs.”
2:102Solomon was not only king of Israel after David but, as a renowned source of wisdom, he also became the paragon of magicians and it is against this misuse of “Solomonic wisdom” that the current verse is warning.
2:102Harut and Marut, two contrarian angels mentioned only here in the Quran, are said to be linked to the planet Venus; from there they allegedly derived special powers, at once magical and disruptive.
2:104Some Jews in Medina opposed to the Prophet mispronounced raʿina as ra`ayna (being a derogatory term in Hebrew, raʿuna meaning “thoughtlessness”) so that it became an abusive expression. The same derogatory verbal word game is cited elsewhere, at 4:46.
2:106The technical word for “abrogation” is naskh (where a given verse is canceled or replaced by another); see Glossary, page 532.
2:110A reference to the day of judgment echoed elsewhere; see especially 99:7–8.
2:112Arabic man aslama wajhahu li Allah: literally, “whoever submits his face to God.”
2:113Arabic laisat al-nasara ʿala shay: literally, “Christians have nothing to stand upon.”
2:125The place near the Kaʿba where Abraham was said to have stood as he prepared to sacrifice his son Ishmael. See below, 37:100–111.
2:128As elsewhere, the root verb, s-l-m, refers both to peace (salam) and submission (islam), and in the period when the Muslim movement had not yet coalesced into community aware of itself as such, the emphasis was on submitting to God and to God’s will both as individuals and as a group.
2:129Verses 124–29 are a kind of prayer consecrating the Kaʿba. Abraham’s prayer here (v. 129) has been answered with the appearance of Muhammad. The religion of Abraham (millat Ibrahim) includes his covenant (through circumcision) with God, so that millat Ibrahim means “community of the covenant with Abraham.” See also 2:135 and 16:123. Abraham becomes the prototype of the new community of believers, al-muslimun, those who submit (2:135–36). See Glossary, page 531.
2:132The word din, here rendered as “religion,” has multiple meanings. See Glossary, page 530.
2:133Arabic am kuntum shuhadaʾa idh hadara Yaʿqub al-mawt: literally, “did you witness when death approached Jacob?” This is directed to the Jews, who claimed Jacob as their forefather.
2:134Umma is here rendered as “community” since the distinction of belief in One God is not limited to Jews or Christians, but applies to all who followed the example of Abraham. For other meanings, see Glossary, page 533.
2:138The word for color (sibgha) distinguishes the creed of Abraham from others by its hue or color, for many signified as “green.”
2:142In Arabic, qibla signifies the direction of prayer, which was changed from Jerusalem to Mecca in the year 624 CE, and remains the direction of worship for Muslims today.
2:143Arabic umma wasat: literally, “a community of the middle or the middle way,” stressing that God is the God of East and West. To paraphrase 1:5, “the straight path” is also the middle path—at once moderate and broad, avoiding extremism or exclusion in all forms.
2:143Arabic linaʿlama: literally, “that We might know.”
2:148The Arabic pronoun li-kull is indefinite; it can refer to an individual or a collective, but the collective “community” seems best here.
2:156Arabic inna li-Allah wa-inna ilayhi rajiʿuna (“To God we belong, and to God we shall return”) is one of the most important emblems of Muslim belief and practice in the Quran. It is often found on tombstones and is customarily recited on the news of anyone’s death.
2:157Arabic ulaʾika ʿalayhim salawat min rabbihim wa-rahma: literally, “on whom descend prayers from their Lord and mercy.”
2:158Safa and Marwa are two hills between which Abraham’s wife Hagar ran in search of water for her son Ishmael. Her quest is commemorated by Hajj pilgrims, who walk or run between the two hills.
2:158The Hajj is the major pilgrimage, to be performed during the pilgrimage season; the ʿUmra, or minor pilgrimage, can be performed at any time of the year. The importance of the Hajj is accented by its placement in the obligations incumbent on each Muslim. ʿEid al-Adha is the feast of the near sacrifice of Ishmael by Abraham, celebrated every year, after the Hajj, as the major Islamic festival.
2:185This is the signature event for Muslim observance of a monthlong fast, from sunrise to sunset. It lasts the entire month of Ramadan, ending in the Islamic calendar with a three-day festival, ʿEid al-Fitr. The actual revelation of the Quran took place over several years from 610 to 632 CE, with Sura 5:3 popularly thought to be the last revelation (though some have disputed that link). What is not disputed is the importance of Lailat al-Qadr. The high moment of Ramadan, it is marked in Sura 97 as “the Night of Decree” (see also 44:3), widely celebrated on the twenty-seventh night of Ramadan, when the entire Quran was said to be revealed to the Prophet, though articulated only in successive stages (17:106, 25:32).
2:187Prior to Islam men used to lie secretly with their wives during the nights of fasting.
2:189Before Islam, some Arabs, returning from the pilgrimage, entered their homes by the back door, imagining this to be a righteous act.
2:191This is a critical instance—one among many—where the only correct sense of Quranic injunctions can be, and must be, gleaned from the whole context. There is not an unconditional directive “And kill them where you find them.” The condition is: “Fight . . . against those who fight you,” but within limits. One must read the entire passage, vv. 190–94. See also 2:216–17. Cited here twice, the injunction to fight also recurs in 4:76, 84, 89, 91 and 9:5, 12, 14, 29, 36, 123. Although not as dramatic as the so-called verse of the sword (9:5), these verses nonetheless commend fighting, but solely in self-defense and within limits.
2:194According to most commentators, there were four sacred months in the Islamic calendar in which fighting was prohibited: Rajab, Dhu al-Qaʾda, Dhu al-Hijja, and Muharram. However, if the polytheists attacked Muslims during a sacred month, the latter were permitted to defend themselves.
2:195Arabic la tulqu bi-aydikum ila al-tahluka: literally, “do not cast yourself into ruin through your own hands.” This verse is about charitable spending, and not, as some commentators have suggested, the prospect of suicide.
2:198Trade is permitted during the pilgrimage.
2:198The sacred site (al-mashʿar al-haram) is identified as Muzdalifa on the basis of Muhammad’s practice. ʿArafat is about twenty-two kilometers (thirteen miles) from Mecca while Muzdalifa is about eight kilometers (five miles) beyond ʿArafat.
2:203The appointed days are the days after the ʿEid al-Adha, celebrating the end of Ramadan. Pilgrims must spend at least two days in the valley of Mina, which is about five kilometers (three miles) east of Mecca.
2:222This verse begins long section on marriage and divorce (through v. 242), with v. 228, like 4:34, seeming to elevate men above women. Yet in each case the “elevation” implies responsibility for taking fair action, and in the context of early-seventh-century Arabia, these verses curtailed rather than expanded both male dominance and the unbridled resort to patriarchal norms.
2:223Arabic anna shiʾtum: literally, “as you wish.”
2:226Prior to the advent of Islam, husbands could swear abstinence from their wives indefinitely; Islam decreed that after four months, they would have to divorce them.
2:234I.e., if they choose to remarry after the required waiting period.
2:235A man may make known his interest in the woman during her ʿidda period but may not make a formal proposal.
2:237Arabic ʿuqdat al-nikah: literally, “the knot of marriage.”
2:240Again, the reference here seems to be to a widow’s decision to remarry after the required waiting period.
2:246A reference to Samuel, as in 1 Samuel 8:19–20.
2:248This is presumably the “ark of God” mentioned in 1 Samuel 3:3, the same ark that rescued Noah and assured the continuation of humankind. See 7:46.
2:255This is the most beloved, and often quoted, section of the Quran, after the initial sura, al-Fatiha. It embodies both invocation and petition to God, extolling His Beautiful Names at the beginning and the end. The Prophet Muhammad regarded this verse, which lays out the divine attributes of unity and eternal life, omnipotence and omniscience, transcendence and immanence, as the most exalted verse in the Quran (Imam Abul Hussain bin al Hajja et al., eds., Nasiruddin al Khattab, trans., Sahih Muslim [Lahore: Darussalam, 2007], hadith 810, 1:556).
2:258Despite the power of this narrative, its protagonist has never been identified, yet Abraham’s debate with a king is often assumed to be Nimrod, with parallels in apocryphal literature, similar to speculations about the man and the town cited in 2:259. It can be linked to Sura 18:9–26, the story of the “companions of the Cave,” which has parallels to the Christian legend of the Sleepers of Ephesus.
2:275For other passages that address the Quranic prohibition of usury (or lending money for interest), see 3:130, 4:161, and 30:39.
2:282This is the longest verse of the 6236 verses in the Quran. It offers a complex set of rules about the need to record loan agreements in writing. After announcing eight successive stages, it culminates in the directive “Be mindful of God,” with the assurance “it is God Who will teach you—God Knows all things.” The next verse (v. 283) provides limits to this command when traveling.

Sura 3
The Family of ʿImran (AlʿImran)
3:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
3:7Arabic umm al-kitab: literally, “the Mother of the Book”—that is, what gives it life and nurtures it, as does a mother. Here we have yet another instance of the gender-inclusive idioms that pervade the Quranic message. See Glossary, page 532.
3:7This verse is the basis for abrogating verses; it is widely cited as a critique internal to the Quran of attributing one meaning to all its verses. See naskh in Glossary, page 532.
3:12Arabic mihad: literally, “a place of rest.” But the implication is that hell is the final destination of the disbelievers.
3:13I.e., at the Battle of Badr, in March 624 CE.
3:14Arabic lil-nas: literally, “to people or humankind,” but clearly intending “men.” See nas in Glossary, page 532.
3:19Arabic al-Islam, here an inclusive term (as elsewhere in the Quran), not the religion of one group. See Glossary, page 531.
3:20Arabic aslamtu wajhiya li-Allah: literally, “I have submitted my face to God,” but clearly implying the entire person or whole self.
3:20Arabic ummiyyin: literally, “unlettered,” but here referring to those who have not yet received scripture. See also v. 75 and 2:78 (“Among them are unlettered people who don’t know the Book”).
3:28Arabic yuhadhdhirukum Allah nafsahu: literally, “God warns you about Himself.”
3:33The phrases “the family of Abraham” and “the family of ʿImran” constitute the first, and only, such genealogical reference in the entire Quran. The family of Abraham is well-known, traceable to Isaac, Ishmael, and their descendants. The family of ʿImran refers to Miriam’s lineage through her father, ʿImran, and his wife (cf. v. 35).
3:36It seems to be implied that a girl, unlike a boy, could not serve in the Temple, but God chose to overlook this gender limitation.
3:38Arabic min ladunka: literally, “from Yourself.”
3:39A reference to Jesus, since John later confirms Jesus as a Word from Him (v. 45).
3:52The Arabic word muslim means one who submits to the will of God. See also 5:111, 112 and Glossary (page 531). It is significant that the disciples of Jesus assume this appellation for themselves.
3:61Many authorities aver that several verses of this sura, but especially vv. 59–61, were revealed to Muhammad in 632 CE after a delegation of Christians visited the Prophet. Following an intense discussion, Muhammad challenged them to a prayer contest, and while the challenge was not accepted, a treaty was issued giving these Christians protection to practice their religion in territory controlled by the ascendant Muslims.
3:67The word hanif, also used in 2:135, refers to a person who believed only in the one God even before Abraham. See Glossary, page 530.
3:70Here the implication is that God’s signs are also verses from the heavenly Book, itself the source for the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospels, as well as the Quran. See ayat in Glossary, page 530.
3:75The dinar is a small unit of currency in some parts of the Arab world.
3:79The addressees are Jews; see 5:44, where rabbis and the learned are invoked together.
3:93Dietary laws laid down first by Noah (Genesis 9:3–4) and then by Jacob/Israel (Genesis 32:32).
3:96The Arabic word Bakka is an old name for Mecca.
3:112The two ropes, one from God, the other from humankind, are metaphors suggesting that only total reliance on God and full acceptance of other believers will elevate those among the people of the Book who are “true believers” (v. 110).
3:112See 2:61 for identical words, referring there only to Jews; here, the disobedient who are “always transgressing” refers to all people of the Book.
3:113In contrast with the preceding verse, ayat here has to be rendered as “verses” or “words,” not “signs.” See Glossary, page 530.
3:121The historical incident to which this passage refers is the Battle of Uhud, which the Muslims thought they were winning, and then lost, in 625 CE. The Battle of Badr, which preceded it, marked the first victory of the nascent Muslim community in 624.
3:125A similar divine insertion of angelic assistance occurred at the Battle of Badr; see 8:9–10, where the number of celestial mediaries is “a thousand angels, row upon row.”
3:137Arabic sunan: literally, “practices” or “customs.”
3:140Another reference to the Battle of Uhud (625 CE), where the Muslims, having flouted the commands of the Prophet, were defeated by the Quraysh.
3:140Arabic shuhadaʾ: literally, “witnesses [to Him],” and thus rendered as “martyrs.”
3:147Arabic wa-israfana fi amrina: literally, “and forgive us excess in our affairs.”
3:152I.e., victory over your enemies.
3:154Arabic jahiliyya. “Ignorance” is the usual translation for this word, signifying the period preceding the advent of Islam; see also 5:50.
3:154Arabic wa-liyabtaliya Allah ma fi sudurikum wa-liyumahhisa ma fi qulubikum: literally, “so that God could test your breasts and purify what was in your hearts.”
3:174Like Dhu al-Fadl, “Ever Gracious” in v. 152, Dhu al-Fadl al-ʿAzim here is not one of the canonical ninety-nine Beautiful Names of God, but “Most Gracious” clearly has the same power as other such names, and hence is here capitalized, as are numerous other noncanonical names, both affirming and critiquing humankind. See The Beautiful Names, page 536.

Sura 4
Women (Al-Nisa)
4:3See v. 127, where it is clear that “orphan girls” are the subject of this directive.
4:3The phrase “those you own” refers to concubines who, in addition to legal wives, were considered part of the household for seventh-century Arabs.
4:5The property of the orphans.
4:6Arabic wabtalu: literally, “and test.”
4:15This verse is often read in tandem with 22:2–3, where a different punishment is prescribed.
4:24The intended meaning is to alter mutual agreements between husband and wife after the obligatory bride gifts, as indicated earlier in 4:4.
4:25See v. 3.
4:29Arabic wa-la taqtulu anfusakum: literally, “do not kill your selves,” an expression that can be read as an injunction against both murder and suicide.
4:34Arabic min amwalihim: literally, “from their wealth.”
4:34The most controversial directive about women in the Quran, it advises use of force but also, in context, with restraint; hence the qualifier “harmless force.” The vast majority of exegetes agree that the force used should be very light, leaving no mark, and that its intent is merely to mark displeasure. Numerous sayings of the Prophet condemn the practice of beating women; Muhammad never even raised his voice to any of his wives.
4:46The exchange here amplifies the reference above in 2:104—see the note there. In both instances, some Medinan Jews opposed to the Prophet would twist these words, using them against him.
4:49There are also references to a date stone in vv. 53, 77, and 124.
4:75Arabic min ladunka: literally, “from Yourself.”
4:88Arabic wa-man yudlil Allah fa-lan tajida lahu sabil: literally, “for those whom God allows to stray you can never find a way.” But the repetition, on the heels of the question that precedes, sounds strained in English.
4:117See a parallel reference in 53:19–20.
4:125Arabic hanif. This refers to one who follows the primordial or natural religion of monotheism, considered to be the innate propensity of humankind. It is used of Abraham ten times, emphasizing his archetypal role as the founder of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The opposite of hanif in the Quran is the term mushrik, which means polytheist or idolater (literally, one who partners other entities with God). See Glossary, page 530.
4:128In other words, the wife would agree to a decrease of her maintenance allowance.
4:129Arabic kal-muʿallaqa: literally, “like one suspended.”
4:153The reference here is to recalcitrant Jews, who did not obey Moses (cf. Deuteronomy 1:26–36). See 2:55 for a similar exchange and word usage. Elsewhere it is Moses himself who implores, “Show yourself to me, so I may look upon you.” To this comes the reply, “Never shall you see me,” after which a mountain is crumbled (7:143).
4:154“Gate” here is a metaphor for the land of Israel.
4:155Arabic ghulf: literally, “wrapped, unable to be opened or penetrated.” See also 2:88: “Our hearts are closed,” with a similar lesson albeit using the stronger verb “curse”: “No—God curses them for their disbelief; and little do they believe.”
4:157This is the sole Quranic dictum that a likeness of Jesus was crucified, not Jesus in the flesh. Elsewhere, the Trinity (4:171 and 5:73) and the divinity of Jesus (5:16, 72, 116; and 9:31) are denied.
4:158The same action for raising Jesus is paralleled for Mount Sinai earlier in this sura (v. 154).
4:159Arabic qabla mawtihi: literally, “before his death,” reinforcing the notion that all Jews who reject Jesus’ prophecy and all Christians who affirm his divinity will accept Jesus as a prophet before they die.
4:166The parallelism is to Moses and to the revelation he received: both came directly from God, without mediation.
4:171The Arabic word ruh, meaning “spirit,” is also used to refer to the mediary of Mary’s conception in 2:87 as ruh al-quds. Many translators (Yusuf Ali, Pickthall, Abdel Haleem, Alan Jones, Syed Qutb) render it as “Holy Spirit” but the reference to the spirit in the form of a man (i.e., Jabril or Gabriel) is specified in 19:17: “Then We sent Our spirit, appearing to her in the perfect form of a man.” Here—as also in 2:87, 253; 5:110; and 16:2,102—the text translates the Arabic phrase ruh al-quds: literally, “the spirit of [God] the Holy.”
4:173Arabic fa-yuʿadhdhibuhumʿadhab alim: literally, “He will punish them with a painful punishment.”
4:175Note the parallelism and contrast with vv. 168–69.
4:176The discussion here harks back to vv. 11–12, when inheritance and the rules of its disbursement were first introduced. It grounds all the moral teachings of this sura in a final, concretized case.
Sura 5
The Table Spread (Al-Maʾida)
5:2Arabic wa-la al-hadya wa-la al-qalaʾid: literally, “nor of the offerings nor of the garlanded ones.”
5:2The Arabic al-bait al-haram clearly refers to the Kaʿba in Mecca, and the preceding elements relate to the rites of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage.
5:2Here as elsewhere, when a noncanonical Beautiful Name is invoked in the Quran, it will usually be capitalized to indicate its source, with appropriate stress, parallel to other Beautiful Names in the canonical list of ninety-nine. See the introduction for further explanation.
5:3See v. 90, where divining arrows, as well as sacrifices at stone altars, are forbidden.
5:3Arabic “al-islam”: literally, “submission [to My will].” This is taken by most commentators to be the final revelation, revealed to the Prophet less than three months before his death in 632 CE. It is framed in a verse accenting obedience and forgiveness, each in tandem with the other.
5:5Those “given the book” are Jews and Christians.
5:11The Quraysh.
5:12I.e., if you spend money legitimately earned in the way of God.
5:22“They” here refers to the Canaanites, prior inhabitants of what became the Land of Israel.
5:30Arabic fa-qatalahu fa-asbaha min al-khasirin: literally, “then he killed him and became one of the lost.” But the repetition does not sit well in English.
5:32Arabic fasad fi al-ard: literally, “spreading corruption on earth.” This is a widely applicable moral imperative: to prevent broadscale physical violence or moral failure within the nascent Muslim community, concrete prohibitions and punishments are to be meted out. Their actual applicability has been, and continues to be, a matter of ongoing interpretation, with variant approaches and decrees.
5:41In the opinion of most Quranic commentators, this refers to an incident in which a Jewish woman and man had committed adultery and were brought to the Prophet for his ruling. The Prophet asked about precedents from the Torah but was given false information. It was up to the Prophet to decide: if he opted for lashing, the accused were told to take it; but if stoning, they were warned to beware.
5:44This is addressed to the rabbis and Jewish scholars.
5:50Here again, as in numerous other passages, “ignorance” is the translation of jahiliyya, the period preceding the advent of Islam.
5:69Since the Sabians were monotheists, the passage echoes a recurrent Quranic message of inclusiveness: all who believe and do good deeds will find salvation.
5:80Arabic labiʾsa ma qaddamat lahum anfusuhum: literally, “wicked is what their souls send forward for them” (to be added to their account on the day of judgment).
5:95This rectangular building, which Muslims believe was built by Abraham, is at the center of the mosque in Mecca, around which pilgrims circumambulate.
5:103There are Arabic terms for each of these domestic animals: bahira, saʾiba, wasila, and ham. All were deemed worthy of sacrifice, and efficacious, as part of Meccan idol worship prior to the coming of Islam.
5:104Arabic ma wajadna ʿalayhi abaʿana: literally, “what we found our forefathers doing.”
Sura 6
Cattle (Al-Anʿam)
6:2The two terms are presumed to be one’s earthly span of life as fixed by God and the moment of final reckoning.
6:8The “judgment” clearly refers to the day of judgment.
6:12Arabic katabaʿala nafsihi al-rahma: literally, “decreed for Himself the showing of mercy.”
6:27Arabic wa-nakun min al-muʾminin: literally, “and we would be among the believers.”
6:35Arabic wa-in kana kabura ʿalayka iʿraduhum: literally, “and if their turning away is hard on you,” clearly a rhetorical question, implying that nothing could change the disbelievers.
6:38The Arabic word umam (sing. umma) is usually “nation(s)” but here it’s best rendered as “communities” see the next note, regarding v. 42. See also umma in Glossary, page 533.
6:42Arabic umam: either “nations,” as here, or “communities” (v. 38).
6:44Arabic fatahna ʿalayhim abwab kull shay’: literally, “we opened for them the gates of everything.”
6:45Arabic fa-qutiʿa: literally, “was cut off.”
6:54The expression in Arabic, kataba ʿala nafsihi al-rahma (literally, “decreed for Himself the showing of mercy”), is identical to v. 12 above.
6:61The envoys clearly are angels.
6:73Arabic bi al-haqq: literally, “in truth.”
6:92“The mother of cities” is another name for Mecca.
6:112Arabic zukhrufa al-qawl ghurur: literally, “with adorned speech in deception.”
6:113Arabic wa-liyaqtarifu ma hum muqtarifun: literally, “and they commit the things they are committing.”
6:114Arabic fa-la takunanna min al-mumtarin: literally, “then do not be among those who doubt.”
6:125“Submission [to God’s will],” here as elsewhere, is the literal meaning of the Arabic word islam. See Glossary, page 531.
6:135Arabic iʿmalu ʿala makanatikum: literally, “act according to your place or station.”
6:157Arabic suʾ al-ʿadhab bima kanu yasdifun: literally, “We gave them a dread punishment for their turning away,” but the repetition seems heavy in English.
6:158Again, the repetition in Arabic—baʿd ayat rabbika (literally, “some signs of your Lord”)—seems excessive in English.
Sura 7
The Heights (Al-Aʿraf)
7:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
7:8The “balance” refers to the divine scales of justice, which will weigh good deeds and bad deeds.
7:13It is from Eden that Satan was banished.
7:16Echoing Sura 1:7, “not astray,” this verse confirms the agency of Satan as the one who leads humankind astray.
7:20Both Satan and his son Khannas prefer “whispering” as a form of communication; see 114:4, where the “whisperer” is deemed to be Khannas.
7:29Arabic ʿaqimu wujuhakum ʿinda kull masjid: literally, “set your faces forward at each place of prayer.”
7:34The same Arabic word, ajal, is used for the fixed term of life for a community as for the fixed term of life for a single person; see 6:2 and Glossary, page 529.
7:40A familiar image from the Gospels: see Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:5, and Luke 18:25. Here, it refers not just to a rich man, but to all sinners.
7:71The “names” of idols are referred to elsewhere, in 12:40 and 53:23; they seem clearly to be the three stone idols or goddesses, al-Lat, al-Uzza, and Manat (53:19–20).
7:78This same incident of prophecy, betrayal, and destruction—all linked to the she-camel of Thamud—becomes the backdrop for 91:11–14. It serves as the prototype for many punishment stories in the Quran.
7:79Arabic wa-lakin la tuhibbun al-nasihin: literally, “but you dislike those who give advice.”
7:84Parallel to 11:82, which is also about Lot, “When Our command came to pass, We turned their town upside down, and rained upon it stones of baked clay, layer upon layer.”
7:142Most commentators suggest that the first thirty days were dedicated to fasting, and that the Torah was revealed only during the final ten days.
7:144Arabic kalimati: literally, “My word”—i.e., God’s direct word (without mediation)—and so the nickname for Moses is kalimatu Allah, “The word of God.”
7:151Arabic arham al-rahimin: literally, “the Most Merciful of the merciful.”
7:155Arabic khair al-ghafirin: literally, “the Best of Forgivers.”
7:157Muhammad is the “unlettered” prophet since he does not read or write yet understands and communicates to others what has been revealed to him and is then written down by others.
7:157References to predictions about a coming prophet occur in Deuteronomy 18:15 and John 14:16.
7:165Arabic baʾis: literally, “wretched.”
7:166For this phrase, see also, e.g., 2:65, 31:19, and 62: 5.
7:167It is not clear who will be the agents inflicting punishment against the Jews, whether Assyrians or Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Persians, or even Muslims.
7:169Arabic wa-darasu ma fihi: literally, “they studied what was in it.”
7:171See parallel passage and imagery in 4:154.
7:172This reference to the eternal covenant between the Divine and humankind is often evoked by the single question: alastu bi-rabbikum? (Am I not your Lord?) The day of resurrection is also known as yawm alastu.
7:180Arabic wa-li Allah al-asmaʾ al-husna: literally, “to God belong the Beautiful Names.” The Beautiful Names of God recur throughout the Quran, as in this condensed expression here, and then again in 17:110, 20:8, and 59:24.
7:187Arabic thaqulat: literally, “it weighs heavily.”
7:202Arabic ikhwanuhum: literally, “their brothers.”
Sura 8
The Spoils of War (Al-Anfal)
8:11Arabic amana minhu: literally, “a security from Him.”
8:17There is a tradition that the Prophet threw pebbles at the foe during the Battle of Badr.
8:34The “sacred mosque” is the Kaʿba in Mecca.
8:38Arabic qad madat sunnat al-awwalin: literally, “there preceded the practice or protocol of predecessors.”
8:41Arabic yawm al-furqan: literally, “[on] the day of the criterion [between right and wrong].” See Glossary, page 530.
8:42That is, once the Meccans saw how large the Quraysh army was, they would have opted not to fight.
8:43At first, the Quraysh army had appeared in a dream as few and weak, yet later they were many and fearsome. The divine strategy was to shift from the apparent small army to the actual huge enemy force.
8:48Arabic wa-inni jar lakum: literally, “and indeed, I am a neighbor for you.”
8:51Arabic dhalika bima qaddamat aydikum: literally, “this is because of what your hands have sent forth.”
8:68Arabic law la kitab min Allah: literally, “had it not been a book from God.”
8:68The issue at stake here is what to do with prisoners taken at the Battle of Badr, since the divine decree has been clear: forgive them rather than kill them.
8:72The emigrants have the right to inherit from the Medinans. The clear sense of this passage is that relatives (alone) are no longer kinsfolk but rather all who have become believers, at once emigrants (from Mecca to Medina) and those who strive “[with you] in the cause of God.”
8:72From Mecca to Medina.
8:72They seek your help against those who would persecute them due to their religion.
8:75This is likely synonymous with umm al-kitab, the ultimate source of all deeds, persons, and outcomes (3:7, 12:39, and 43:4; see Glossary, page 532). Most exegetes agree that this abrogates the implication regarding inheritance in v. 72, and it reaffirms that the sole rights of inheritance belong to blood relatives. Some commentators state that “allies” can inherit from someone only if the deceased does not have blood relatives.
Sura 9
Repentance (Al-Tawba)
9:4The “term” indicated here are the months of Rajab, Dhu al-Qaʾda, Dhu al-Hijja, and Muharram. They had been honored as a truce period by pre-Islamic Arabs, and this revelation confirms the continuation of that practice under Islam.
9:8This refers to the first group of polytheists mentioned in the previous verse.
9:17This and the next two verses appear to be directed at those who did not believe in Muhammad’s prophecy but were still attached to the Kaʿba as a place of worship.
9:25The Battle of Hunayn took place after the conquest of Mecca in 630 CE, in the neighboring town of Taʿif. Both vv. 25 and 26 depict the fortunes of this battle.
9:29The jizya tax is levied on non-Muslims under Muslim rule, in return for protection of their homes, property, and persons by Muslim authorities. Though this is the single mention of it in the Quran, the jizya tax became an axial feature of Muslim law.
9:30Ezra, esteemed by all Jews, is believed to be God’s son only by some Jews from Arabia, while the affirmation that Jesus is the son of God is believed by all Christians—even though opinions vary wildly about what “sonship” means.
9:30Sura 5:75 raises the same critique with the same wording: “how deluded they are!”
9:36To wit, the months of Rajab, Dhu al-Qaʾda, Dhu al-Hijja, and Muharram. See the note for 9:4.
9:36The injunction here is similar to 2:194: “and for all violations, a fair requital. If anyone assaults you, you may respond in kind, equally against them.”
9:37This is a correction of the correction to calendrical time practiced by pre-Islamic Arabs, in order to synchronize the solar and lunar calendars. It is here explicitly rejected in order to maintain the Muslim difference, to wit, that a lunar calendar is rotated not just in ordinary time but in liturgical time, changing the dates for the Ramadan fast and the Hajj pilgrimage each year.
9:38This and the next verse (v. 39), as well as several verses below, are related to the expedition that the Prophet organized to Tabuk, in order to oppose the Byzantines, in 630. The expected battle never occurred but the instigator of the Byzantine leader, Heraclius, was a Medinan notable opposed to the Prophet, Abu Amir. Some refused to fight and they are again rebuked in v. 81 below.
9:40This moment, known as the hijra or “flight,” marked Muhammad’s escape from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE, which became 1 AH. His companion was Abu Bakr, later his successor, the first caliph of Islam.
9:42Arabic yuhlikun anfusahum: literally, “they ruin themselves.”
9:44This and the next few verses seem to be calming Muhammad about the decision he made to accept halfhearted excuses from those who claimed to be Muslims but asked for exemption from the campaign at Tabuk. They were wrong not to assent to fight, though no fighting ever occurred, yet as the revelation explains, their faint participation would have created even greater problems for those who did agree to fight.
9:48Arabic laka al-umur: literally, “your affairs.”
9:52A similar injunction, with nearly identical wording, occurs in 7:71.
9:60Sadaqat, here translated as “alms,” is not the same as zakat, also “alms.” The latter is compulsory, the former voluntary, yet the aims for which both can and should be distributed are set by God as “an obligation” on all believers.
9:68Arabic hiya hasbuhum: literally, “it suffices for them.”
9:74Arabic wa-hammu bi ma lam yanalu: literally, “and they planned what they could not attain.” Most commentators take this to be a plot against the Prophet, inspired by those who wanted more than their share of booty.
9:81See note for 9:38.
9:90“Bedouin Arabs” are nomadic Arabs; they are discussed further in vv. 97–99 and are also mentioned later, in 48:11–16 and 49:14–17.
9:100The forerunners (sabiqun) stand above all others, as also noted in 56:10; they are given special preference in the hereafter.
9:107This verse seems to refer to a specific mosque, one built by opponents of the Prophet in Medina who claimed to be Muslims yet did not accept his authority. It was later destroyed.
9:118Another reference to those who did not participate in the battle at Tabuk.
9:128These final two verses (128–29) are thought to have been the last revealed to Muhammad; their hopeful tone lifts the mood of this entire sura to a realm of resolve that divine mercy will triumph in the end.
Sura 10
Jonah (Yunus)
10:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
10:2Arabic awhayna ila rajul minhum: literally, “We revealed to a man among them.”
10:5The lunar calendar in Islam is based on this and similar verses (6:96, 17:12).
10:12Arabic lijanbihi: literally, “on his side.” Elsewhere the same expression appears in the plural, “on their sides” (3:191, 4:104).
10:16The Prophet Muhammad is here alluding to the fact that he was forty years old before receiving the initial revelation that subsequently became the Quran.
10:19Arabic law la kalima sabaqat min rabbika: literally, “had it not been for a Word that preceded from your Lord.”
10:19The Word from God is that people will continue to disagree: “had God willed, they would not have fought—but God does as He intends” (2:253).
10:26Arabic ulaʾika ashab al-janna hum fiha khalidun: literally, “they shall be companions of the garden, where they shall live forever.”
10:39Arabic kadhdhabu bima lam yuhitu biʿilmihi: literally, “they deny that, the knowledge of which they cannot compass.”
10:87Arabic qibla: literally, “prayer direction.” People could pray in their homes to avoid persecution.
10:103Arabic haqq ʿalayna: literally, “as is Our right or obligation,” but since God cannot be obliged to do anything, it is His right to choose, or His choice.
10:105Arabic aqim wajhaka: literally, “set your face.”
10:108Arabic fa-man ihtada fa innama yahtadi linafsihi: literally, “so whoever is guided, is guided for, or to, himself.”
10:108Arabic yadillu ʿalayha: literally, “he strays against it.”
Sura 11
Hud (Hud)
11:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
11:1Arabic ‘uhkimat ayatuhu: literally, “its verses made clear.” This passage is parallel to 3:7 (“Some of its verses are clear in meaning”), where the original Arabic ayat muhkamat literally translates as “verses with clear meaning.”
11:3Arabic yawm kabir: literally, “a great day.”
11:17Arabic wa-man yakfur bihi min al-ahzab fa-al-nar mawʿiduhu: literally, “and whoever among the groups denies it, the fire will be his appointed place.”
11:21Arabic wa-dalla ʿanhum ma kanu yaftarun: literally, “and all that they invented strayed from them.”
11:35This verse is best understood as a parenthetic comment within the narrative about Noah. It is inserted to verify the truthfulness of the Prophet Muhammad, harking back to the reproof of vv. 13–14.
11:40Arabic wafara al-tannur: literally, “and the oven boiled over.”
11:44Mount Judi is located near Lake Van, within the greater region known as Ararat.
11:49Arabic inna al-ʿaqiba lil-muttaqin: literally, “the outcome belongs to those mindful of God.”
11:50I.e., their fellow countryman.
11:50Arabic in antum illa muftarun: literally, “you are merely inventors [of gods].”
11:54Arabic anni bariʾ mimma tushrikun: literally, “I am innocent of what you associate.”
11:78The implication seems clear: Lot wanted to commend his daughters as partners in preference to the guest messengers, males, whom his townsmen were intent on violating. But it is equally important to note that they were corrupt people “who before this had performed evil deeds.” It is greed, selfishness, and inhospitality that marks these people, not their homosexuality.
11:83Each stone had inscribed on it the person to be killed; parallel to 51:34.
11:88Or “I only want to set things right.”
11:101Arabic wa-ma zaduhum ghayra tatbib: literally, “and increased them in nothing but ruin.”
11:107Arabic faʿʿal lima yurid: literally, “an Accomplisher of whatever He wishes.”
11:108The implication is that a higher reward exists for some of the most favored, to wit, those foremost in faith, noted in 56:10–11: “the foremost [in faith] shall be foremost [in place]; these will be nearest to God.”
11:117Some translators render muslihun as “reformers,” but “righteous” seems to make better sense in this context.
Sura 12
Joseph (Yusuf)
12:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
12:8Arabic wa-nahnu ʿusba: literally, “though we are a group.”
12:9Arabic wajh abikum: literally, “your father’s face.”
12:9Arabic wa-takunu min baʿdihi qawm salihin: literally, “and after this, you can be a righteous people.”
12:15Arabic wa-la yashʿurun: literally, “while they are not aware.”
12:18Arabic bal sawwalat lakum anfusukum amr: literally, “no, your souls have enticed you to a matter.”
12:18Arabic fa-sabr jamil: literally, “so patience is beautiful.”
12:18Arabic tasifun: literally, “you describe.”
12:20Arabic darahim: literally, “dirhams,” a form of coinage.
12:26Arabic shahid min ahliha: literally, “a witness from her family.”
12:36Arabic min al-muhsinin: literally, “one of those who do good.”
12:41Arabic qudiya al-amr alladhi fihi tastaftiyan: literally, “the matter has been decreed about which you both inquire.”
12:52Several translators attribute these words to the governor’s wife but they do not make sense as such; Joseph specifically asked the king to question the women so that his name can be cleared.
12:54Arabic astakhlishu linafsi: literally, “I may keep him for myself.”
12:59Benjamin.
12:61Arabic inna lafaʿilun: literally, “we will certainly act.”
12:102This and the verses that follow are addressed to Muhammad.
Sura 13
Thunder (Al-Raʿd)
13:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
13:14Arabic illa fi dalal: literally, “nothing but in error or deviance.”
13:38Arabic likull ajal kitab: sometimes translated as “there is a decreed time for everything.” See ajal in Glossary, page 529.
13:39The phrase umm al-kitab means literally “the Mother of the Book,” as also in 3:7. See Glossary, page 532.
Sura 14
Abraham (Ibrahim)
14:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
14:2Arabic wa-wayl lil-kafirin min ʿadhab shadid: literally, “and woe to the unbelievers from a severe punishment.”
14:9ʿAd and Thamud are the tribes to whom earlier prophets, Hud and Salih, had been sent, as recounted in 7:65–79.
14:9Arabic fa-raddu aydiyahum fi afwahihim: literally, “then they placed their hands in their mouths.”
14:12Arabic wa-ʿala Allah falyatawakkal al-mutawakkilun: literally, “and in God let all who trust, trust.”
14:15Arabic wa-istaftahu wa khaba kull jabbar ʿanid: literally, “and they sought victory, and every obstinate tyrant was disappointed.”
14:16Arabic maʾ sadid: literally, “purulent water,” or pus mixed with blood.
14:19Arabic bi ʿl-haqq: literally, “with truth.”
14:32Arabic wa-sakhkhara lakum al-fulk: literally, “and He subjected the ships to you.”
14:39This is the sole verse where Isaac and Ishmael are mentioned together. 37:101–2 mention a son to be sacrificed, and commentators disagree about which of the two sons was to be sacrificed. Some give preference to Ishmael since there, like here, he is the first mentioned, though indirectly. The biblical story (Genesis 22:1–19) mentions only Isaac as a potential sacrifice.
14:43Arabic la yartaddu ilayhim tarfuhum: literally, “their gaze not returning to them.”
Sura 15
The Rocky Plain (Al-Hijr)
15:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
15:4Arabic illa wa laha kitab maʿlum: literally, “without its being decreed a fixed notice.”
15:6Arabic innaka lamajnun: literally, “you are possessed by jinn.”
15:11Arabic ma yaʾtihim min rasul illa kanu bihi yastahziʾun: literally, “no messenger came to them that they did not mock.”
15:13Arabic wa-qad khalat sunnat al-awwalin: literally, “and the practice of the ancients had preceded [them].”
15:17Arabic shaitan rajim: literally, “an accursed devil.” This is the last part of an invocation, “I take refuge from the accursed devil,” made before every recitation of the Quran.
15:18A similar punishment, in parallel terms, is indicated for the “rebellious devil” in 37:7–10.
15:29Similarly, it is the Archangel Gabriel who breathes God’s spirit into Mary to form the child Jesus (see 66:12).
15:47Arabic ikhwan: literally, “brothers.”
15:54Arabic fa-bima tubashshirun: literally, “about what do you give good news then?”
15:67The angels who came to Lot were disguised as handsome boys, and the townspeople came with the intention of coercing them into being sexual partners.
15:70Arabic alam nanhaka ʿan al-ʿalamin: literally, “did we not forbid you from the worlds?” This phrase has been variously interpreted as Lot’s people telling him not to interfere when they approached anyone with sexual motives or not to extend hospitality to any guests. Given the context, the former implication seems more plausible.
15:71According to some commentators, as a last resort, Lot offers his own daughters in order to save the young men, whom he does not as yet apprehend to be angels. But “my daughters” could be interpreted more generically as referring to the women of the town, and as urging the townspeople to seek females in marriage.
15:78The forest dwellers are thought to be the people of Midian, summoned by the prophet Shuʿayb (26:176–77).
15:80An area north of Medina, linked to the tribe of Thamud, discussed in vv. 80–84.
15:87The “seven much recited verses” are often thought to be the primary seven verses of the Quran, i.e., the seven verses of Sura 1, al-Fatiha, the Mother of the Book.
15:88The same tender image of lowering one’s wing is used in 17:24, with reference to protecting one’s parents.
15:99Arabic hatta yaʾtiyaka al-yaqin: literally, “until the certainty (of death) comes to you.”
Sura 16
The Bee (Al-Nahl)
16:2Arabic bi al-ruh min amrihi: literally, “with the spirit by His command.” See note for 16:102 and see also ruh in Glossary, page 532.
16:8Arabic wa zina: literally, “as ornament.”
16:10Arabic fihi tusimuna: literally, “you graze in it.”
16:25Arabic saʾa ma yazirun: literally, “what they will bear is evil.”
16:57Arabic wa-lahum ma yashtahun: literally, “and to themselves what they desire”—i.e., sons. Ascribing daughters to God seems to refer to the goddesses of 53:19, prompting the alleged “Satanic verses” controversy.
16:59A common practice among early-seventh-century Arabs, before the coming of Islam, was to bury unwanted female children in the sand, noted and critiqued in 81:8–9.
16:60Most High (Aʿla) is one of the Beautiful Names, as well as the name of a Quranic sura, number 87.
16:62That is, daughters rather than sons.
16:62Sons are “the best things.”
16:65Arabic baʿda mawtiha: literally, “after its death.”
16:74Arabic inna allaha yaʿlamu wa-antum la taʿlamuna: literally, “God knows and you do not know.”
16:77Arabic wa-ma amru al-saʿati: literally, “and what is the command of the hour.”
16:82Arabic al-balaghu al-mubinu: literally, “the manifest message.”
16:89Arabic shahidun ʿalayhim min anfusihim: literally, “a witness against them, from among themselves.”
16:92Tafsir al-Jalalayn, a classical Quranic commentary, speaks of a woman in Mecca who would weave her yarn all day and then undo it. Also, there is a famous precedent for this strategy in Homer’s Odyssey, where Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, wards off her suitors by telling them that she will make a decision concerning them when she has finished weaving a shroud for Odysseus’ father, Laertes. She weaves it by day and unravels it by night.
16:98This injunction has led to the practice of always renouncing Satan the accursed before reciting any sura or verse of the Quran.
16:101The notion that God replaces one verse of the Quran with another, known technically as “abrogation,” is a matter of great dispute. See naskh in Glossary, page 532. The burden of proof is on the interpreter, to understand each verse in context. See note for 2:106 and also 41:41–42, where it is declared that “it is a Book of great power that no falsehood might reach from any side.”
16:102The Archangel Gabriel, named as such here and also elsewhere (2:87, 253; 5:110; 16:2; 19:17; 40:15; 42:52; and 97:4), but not to be confused with the Holy Spirit linked to God the Father and God the Son in Christian belief. See ruh al-quds in Glossary, page 532.
16:103The Arabic aʿajami, translated here as “a foreign tongue,” literally means any language that is not Arabic, especially Persian. This may be a reference to scripture that the Prophet heard from Christians and Jews while he was still a merchant.
16:115The command about forbidden food, combined with leniency for circumstances, is reiterated elsewhere in the Quran (2:173, 5:3, and 6:145–46).
16:118See 6:146 for a parallel injunction.
16:126Arabic lahuwa khair lil-sabirin: literally, “it will be better for those who are patient.”
16:127Arabic wa-ma sabruka illa bi Allah: literally, “and your patience is only in God.”
Sura 17
The Night Journey (Al-Israʾ)
17:1In Arabic, “the farthest mosque” is Al-Masjid al-Aqsa. Revered by Muslims worldwide, it was constructed in the eighth century; nearby, a memorial to the Prophet’s Ascent known as Qubbat al-Sakhra, or Dome of the Rock, was also built. Together they have become al-Haram ash-Sharif, the Holy Domain or the Temple Mount, marking Jerusalem as the third most sacred city in Islam, after Mecca and Medina.
17:2The Book here is clearly the Torah, and what follows alludes to events depicted there.
17:4It is unclear what events might be alluded to here, but certainly the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE seems likely, along with the catastrophes that followed it; see v. 7.
17:12Compare with Sura 10:5, where the orderly succession of night and day is also invoked as a sign of God’s care for humankind, and a means of calculating time.
17:13The image of an invisible necklace measuring one’s deeds calls to mind the frequent reference to a day of reckoning, when all actions are measured and sorted out as “good” or “evil”; see, e.g., 99:7–8.
17:24See the same tender image in 15:88.
17:27Arabic al-shayatin: literally, “the Satans or the devils.” See Shaytan in Glossary, page 532.
17:30Arabic innahu kana bi-ʿibadihi khabir basir: literally, “He is All Aware and All Seeing of His servants.”
17:33On the day of reckoning.
17:40On ascribing daughters to God, see note for 16:57.
17:51Arabic aw khalq mimma yakburu fi sudurikum: literally, “or a creation of what is even greater in your breasts.”
17:53When speaking to people of religion.
17:59See the extensive commentary on the people of Thamud elsewhere, e.g., 7:73–79 and 91:11.
17:60The vision shown to the Prophet on the Night Journey; see v. 1.
17:60See 37:62–65, where the tree of Zaqqum, created of fire, bears fronds like the heads of devils.
17:67Arabic man tadʿuna illa iyyahu: literally, “whomever you invoke other than Him.”
17:73Other than a revelation.
17:76Arabic wa-in kadu layastafizzunaka min al-ard: literally, “they were about to frighten you (to drive you) from the land.”
17:77The word sunna, here translated as “way,” has come to represent the name for the majority Muslim community. Sunni Muslims are those who follow the sunna, or way of God, as also the sunna or way of the Prophet.
17:78In Arabic the phrase Qurana al-fajr (“the Quran at dawn”) is repeated here, just two lines after its previous usage.
17:79This injunction connotes the special benefit of late night prayer (tahajjud). Even though it is supererogatory, it is said to have extraordinary power.
17:80Arabic adkhilni mudkhala sidq wa-akhrijni mukhraja sidq: literally, “let me enter by a truthful entrance and leave by a truthful exit.”
17:80This language suggests a prayer by Muhammad before returning to Mecca on the Final Pilgrimage (630 CE), since it was then that the final Quranic sura was revealed to him: “When God’s help comes and His victory . . .” (110:1).
17:84Arabic ahda sabil: literally, “best guided to a path.”
17:85Arabic al-ruh min amr rabbi: literally, “the spirit is by the command of my Lord.”
17:86Arabic la tajid laka bihi ʿalayna wakil: literally, “you would not find concerning it against Us an advocate.”
17:92Cf. Sura 34:9: “If We willed, We could make the earth swallow them, or fragments of the sky fall on them.”
17:92Cf. Sura 2:55: “And you said, ‘Moses, we’ll never believe in you until we see God, appearing.’ Then the thunderbolt struck you, as you looked on.”
17:101These nine signs are never specified; they are also mentioned in 27:12.
17:104Arabic lafif: literally, “motley crowd.”
17:107Arabic lil-adhqan: literally, “on their chins.”
17:110Arabic al-asmaʾ al-husna: “the Beautiful Names” are laced throughout the Quran. See also 7:180, 20:8, and 59:24, as well as Glossary, page 530.
17:111The Beautiful Name Kabir—(the Most) Great or Magnificent—provides the Quranic basis for the familiar phrase Allahu Akbar, God is the Greater, or Most Great. See also 4:34, 13:9, 22:62, 31:30, 34:23, and 40:12.
Sura 18
The Cave (Al-Kahf)
18:1Arabic ʿiwaj: literally, “crookedness.”
18:2The Arabic qayyim is literally “straight,” as translated here, but it can also mean “self-contained,” with the same etymology as the Divine Name Qayyum: Self-Subsisting (2:255, 3:2, and 20:111).
18:2Arabic hasan: literally, “good.”
18:9This is the first of three mysterious episodes that occur only here in the Quran: the cave sleepers (vv. 9–26), Moses’ encounter with a sly stranger (vv. 61–83), and the two-horned figure building a wall against Gog and Magog (vv. 84–99). The sweep of these stories evokes interstitial spaces: between death and rising from the dead, between two bodies of water (v. 61), between two mountain barriers (vv. 93–94). The interpretative possibilities stagger the imagination, leading mystics to see a spiritual depth that evokes what one observer, Norman O. Brown, calls the apocalypse of Islam. The cave dwellers here have been compared to the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, but that narrative link only adds to the multitiered corridors of interpretative possibility for this verse and all that follows.
18:12See v. 19 for an exchange between two parties concerning the length of time they had been sleeping the cave.
18:13Arabic nabaʾahum bil-haqq: literally, “their story in truth.”
18:22Arabic rajm bil-ghaib: literally, “casting stones at the unseen.”
18:24This is often taken to be the scriptural impetus for the everyday Muslim expression “if God wills.”
18:25This verse can be seen as a commentary on v. 22, which involves estimating the number of cave inhabitants. In other words, all such conjecture, whether about the cave dwellers or their length of stay, is guessing at what cannot be known.
18:26This is one of many verses in the Quran that echo and register the Beautiful Names in multiple forms: as exclamatory phrases (“how clearly He Sees, how clearly He Hears”), as agentive noun (“no protector but Him”), and as object (“His judgment”).
18:29Arabic wa-saʾat murtafaq: literally, “and an evil resting place.”
18:30Arabic man ahsana ʿamal: literally, “whoever does good.”
18:33The river metaphor in this parable anticipates, even as it parallels, the confluence of two waters in v. 61.
18:39Arabic ma shaʾa Allah: literally, “what God wills.”
18:44Arabic al-haqq: literally, “the truth.”
18:45Arabic ʿala kull shaiʾ muqtadir: literally, “the One Holding Sway over everything.”
18:50This is the only verse to identify Iblis as a jinn. Jinn recur in the Quran as both believers (46:29 and 72:14) and residents of hell (11:119). An entire sura (number 72) is dedicated to them, in which they attest to the truth of the Quran. See Glossary, page 531.
18:54Some translate this as “more contentious than any other creature.”
18:57Arabic ma qaddamat yadahu: literally, “what his own hands have sent forth” (to be judged on the day of judgment).
18:61Arabic majmaʿ al-bahrain: literally, “the meeting of two waters,” an echo of the river in v. 33, and also the point of separation as well as convergence between two persons. The mysterious stranger, not named here, has been identified through extensive commentary as al-Khidr, “the Green One,” whose deep knowledge, or inner wisdom, contrasts with, even as it complements, the external wisdom conveyed to Moses through prophecy. The entire passage—vv. 60–82—has been the subject of extensive commentary, especially by Sufi masters who are also Quranic exegetes.
18:65Arabic wa-ʿallamnahu min ladunna ʿilm: literally, “and We taught him a knowledge from within Us.”
18:71Arabic hatta: literally, “until.”
18:71Arabic ʿakharaqtaha: literally, “did you make the hole in it?”
18:78Arabic taʾwil: literally, “interpretation.” It signifies “deeper meaning” here as it often does elsewhere, especially in Joseph’s dreams (see 12:6, 21, 36, 44, 45, 100 and 101).
18:81Arabic aqraba ruhm: literally “nearer in affection.”
18:83Dhu al-Qarnain literally means “the two-horned.” This figure serves as a symbol of power over disparate realms, East and West, and so many commentators have presumed it refers to Alexander the Great, also represented on his own coins with two horns. But the name’s greatest significance may be the culmination of dyads, from the Cave Sleepers (between time) to the two travelers, Moses and al-Khidr (between water), and now the convergence of two mountains (v. 93) with only a pass between them.
18:91This is the same expression used by al-Khidr to challenge Moses in v. 68, but here it becomes an affirmation, not a limitation: just as the knowledge of Moses did not encompass al-Khidr’s actions, so Dhu al-Qarnayn is encompassed in all that he does by God’s Knowledge.
18:94Gog and Magog are also present in 21:96–97, and there as here they portend imminent destruction, so much so that many commentators have linked them to Mongols (Chinese warrior tribes) and to Tartars (Central Asian Turkic tribes).
18:109Parallel to 31:27: “If all the trees on earth were pens, and the seas were ink, with seven more seas beyond, still the Word of God would not be exhausted.”
Sura 19
Mary (Maryam)
19:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
19:5Arabic wa-inni khiftu al-mawaliya min waraʾi: literally, “But I fear for my kin after me.”
19:6It is widely agreed that this “legacy” is not of wealth but prophethood. See also 3:38–39, which refers to God’s granting Zachariah’s prayer, and the angels giving him the good news that he would have a righteous son, a prophet.
19:7The birth of John to his wife (Elizabeth, inferred but not named here) precedes the birth of Jesus in the Quran, as it does in the New Testament. See also 21:89–90.
19:8The words “he said” are omitted here since the speaker is clearly Zachariah, and these words echo Abraham’s words to the angel to the effect that Sarah is too old to conceive.
19:9Arabic min qabl: literally, “from before (the time you were born).”
19:10Arabic sawiyya: literally, “consecutively.” Another common interpretation of sawiya is “[even though you are] sound or well,” i.e. even though you are otherwise able to speak.
19:11Cf. Sura 3:41 for a parallel passage: “Your sign is that you will not speak to people for three straight days, except by gestures.” Here in Sura 19, the words “by gestures” are not explicitly stated in the original, only implied.
19:14The word al-jabbar, translated here as “imperious,” is also one of the ninety-nine Beautiful Names of God, usually translated as “The Compeller” (but we render as “The Irresistible” on page 536). See also v. 32, where the same attribute is imputed to Jesus; in both cases, it has a negative connotation.
19:18The word “withdraw” is implied but not stated in the text.
19:27Arabic laqad jiʾti shaiʾ fariy: literally, “surely you’ve brought a terrible thing.”
19:29Arabic ilayhi: literally “to him.”
19:34Arabic qawl al-haqq: literally, “the true statement,” as translated. This echoes 4:171: “Jesus, son of Mary, was but a messenger of God—His Word, conveyed to Mary, through His spirit.”
19:37Those who disbelieve or hide the truth will have their account reckoned or “witnessed” on the day of judgment.
19:43Arabic ma lam yaʾtika: literally, “which has not come to you.”
19:50Arabic wa-jaʿalna lahum lisan sidq ʿaliy: literally, “and We made for them a tongue of truth, exalted.”
19:51The distinction between “prophet” (nabi) and “messenger” (rasul) is based on function. While prophets were divinely inspired and taught what had already been revealed, messengers brought forth a new scripture from God. Therefore, every messenger was a prophet but not every prophet was a messenger. Hence, Moses was a messenger since he received the Torah, as was David since he received the Psalms, and Jesus also since he conveyed the Gospels. In contrast, Abraham, Solomon, and Idris were prophets but not messengers. Ishmael is the exception: while not bringing a book, he is lauded as both prophet and messenger (v. 54).
19:56Idris is cited only here and in 21:85, where he is linked both to Ishmael and to Ezekiel.
19:84Arabic innama naʿuddu lahum ʿadd: literally, “We are only counting for them a (fixed) number.” See ajal in Glossary, page 529.
Sura 20
Ta Ha (Ta Ha)
20:1On these disconnected letters, see al- muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531. Unlike other such letters, these two, ta and ha, may indicate an abbreviated address: “O man,” according to some early commentaries cited in Muhammad Asad, The Message of the Quran (Watsonville, Calif.: The Book Foundation, 2003), 525n1.
20:12This valley, mentioned only here and in 79:16, is assumed to be near Mount Sinai.
20:25Arabic sadri: literally, “my chest” or “my breast.”
20:27Arabic wa-hlul ʿuqda min lisani: literally, “and untie the knot in my tongue.”
20:40The narrative of Moses in this verse is elaborated elsewhere (28:12–28), where characters, events, and places are explained.
20:70Arabic ulqiya: literally, “were thrown down.”
20:85“Samiri” seems to refer to the Samaritans, but this group did not exist in Moses’ time, so it may be a reference to strangers who joined the Jews fleeing Egypt.
20:87Likely the spoils taken from the Egyptians; see Exodus 12:35–36.
20:99Arabic wa-qad atainaka min ladunna dhikr: literally, “and We gave you a remembrance from within us.” This passage is parallel to 18:65 (“and whom we had taught from Our Knowledge”), where the original Arabic waʿallamnahu min ladunna ʿilm literally translates as “and We taught him a knowledge from within Us.”
20:102Arabic zurq: literally, “blue,” but in this case with fear.
20:104The play on perception of time is randomized: all life seems like ten days to the sinners, a single day to the wise.
20:107Arabic la tara fiha ʿiwaj wa-la amt: literally, “you will see in it neither crookedness nor curve.”
20:110An echo of 2:255, Ayat al-Kursi, the Verse of the Throne.
20:111Again, the Beautiful Names are the same two as found in 2:255, Ayat al-Kursi: “God—there is no god but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting.”
20:129Arabic wa-lawla kalima sabaqat: literally, “had it not been for a preceding word.”
Sura 21
The Prophets (Al-Anbiyaʾ)
21:4Arabic qala: literally, “He said,” yet both here and in v. 112, it seems preferable to translate as though it were a second-person-singular imperative: qul. The audience here, as elsewhere, is the Prophet Muhammad, though in a few instances of the more than three hundred in the Quran, qul can be used to address all believers (2:136, 3:84, 29:20, and 112:1).
21:19Arabic man ʿindahu: literally, “those with Him,” which could refer to the angels or to those nearest him among the devout (56:11).
21:26The reference here is to angels, whom the Meccans regarded as the daughters of God, elevated to a status comparable to that which Christians ascribe to Jesus.
21:28The theme of omniscience and omnipotence, extending even to intercessory capability, echoes several Quranic verses, especially 2:255, Ayat al-Kursi (the Verse of the Throne).
21:33Arabic yasbahun: literally, “they swim.”
21:47Arabic wa-kafa bina hasibin: literally, “We are sufficient as Reckoners,” but carrying the sense of proficiency.
21:64Another reading would be “They turned to reflect upon themselves.”
21:65Arabic nukisu ʿala ruʾusihim: literally, “they were turned upside down on their heads.” It is not clear whether they confirmed their disbelief or were convinced by Abraham’s argument.
21:68Arabic in kuntum faʿilin: literally, “if you are doers (of what you deem to be correct).” One group of idolaters seems to be inciting another group.
21:91Arabic fiha: literally, “in her,” meaning Mary. For ease of expression, the order of the original is reversed; in Arabic the clause reads literally, “As for the one who preserved her chastity, We breathed into her of Our spirit.”
21:95Arabic Arabic la yarjiʿun: literally, “they will not return.”
21:96Gog and Magog are distant figures linked elsewhere to Dhu al-Qarnain, or Alexander, in 18:94. These legendary, “twin” giants are perhaps from Mongolia, though some commentators trace them to Turkic or Chinese ancestry.
21:105This or similar phraseology is found four times in Psalm 37 (vv. 9, 11, 29, 34), as well as in Matthew 5:5.
21:112Arabic qala: literally, “He said,” but better “Say.” See note to 21:4.
Sura 22
The Pilgrimage (Al-Hajj)
22:1This word is famously used in John Donne’s “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” to refer to the colossal movements of the planetary spheres, movements that are far larger than mere earthquakes; it seems especially apt in this context. Some Islamic commentators see this global convulsion, before the sun rises from the West (not the East), as one of the major signs of the end of the world.
22:6The word al-haqq is usually translated as “the truth.” But what appears to be indicated is that God is the ultimate reality, the ultimate ground of the reality of all things.
22:13Arabic darruhu aqrabu min nafʿihi: literally, “one who is closer to harm than benefit.”
22:15There are several interpretations of this passage. Some commentators view “him” as the Prophet, referring to the fact that certain tribes allied with him were dubious as to whether he would receive God’s help. Others think the verse refers to Muslims who were beginning to grow impatient for God’s help.
22:17Magians is the Arabic term for Zoroastrians.
22:25The Arabic al-badi, translated here as “visitors,” usually refers to pastoral nomads (e.g., see 33:20).
22:29Here, as in v. 33, the “ancient house” refers to the Kaʿba.
22:30Arabic illa ma yutla ʿalaykum: literally, “except what has been recited to you.”
22:32The phrase “rituals of God” refers to not only the rites of the pilgrimage but also the places and actions linked to each of its successive stages.
22:39This verse is the earliest pronouncement of what became the principle of self-defense in Islamic law, not invoked until after Muhammad had left Mecca for Medina in 622 CE (1 AH), the hijra or exodus. Sura 2:190–94, which also permits fighting in self-defense, was revealed about a year later.
22:45Arabic qasr mashid: literally, “lofty palaces.”
22:47This bears comparison with Psalm 90:4: “A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night” (New International Version).
22:58To reinforce this notion, the next seven verses (59–65) have collocative Beautiful Names, each amplifying the message of how God is the Best Provider.
Sura 23
The Believers (Al-Muʾminun)
23:14Arabic khalq akhar: literally, “another creature.”
23:17Arabic sabʿa taraʾiq: literally, “seven paths,” but these paths refer to the orbits of the seven heavenly spheres or heavens (as elsewhere in the Quran: see 67:3 and 71:15).
23:20Mount Sinai is the title and topic of Sura 52, but its full name is given only here and in Sura 95 where it is also linked to “the blessed olive tree,” central to ayat an-nur, the Verse of Light (24:35).
23:21There is a similar tribute to livestock in 16:5: “He created cattle for you, giving you warmth and other uses; you consume them for food.”
23:53Arabic kull hizb bima ladayhim farihun: literally, “each faction rejoicing in what they themselves have.” This judgment applies to Muslims as well as to Jews and Christians, according to a well-known saying of the Prophet: “Jews have been divided into seventy-one sects, Christians into seventy-two, while my community will be divided into seventy-three.”
23:60This phrase echoes 8:2: “True believers are those whose hearts tremble in awe at the mention of God.”
23:93Arabic imma turiyanni: literally, “if you show me.”
23:109Arabic khair al-rahimin: literally, “the Best of those who show mercy”; also in v. 118.
Sura 24
Light (Al-Nur)
24:3Nikah is contractual marriage within Islam, but here is an unusual instance where it clearly refers to those bonded in marriage outside Islam, with the adulterers being linked to polytheists—hence, both are outside Islam.
24:9This is a private, nonjuridical procedure, designed to preserve marital harmony.
24:10This conditional phrase is repeated four times in two sequences in this sura, with the echo for v. 10 coming in v. 14 and for v. 20 in v. 21.
24:11This begins an extended Quranic revelation (vv. 11–20) that defends the Prophet’s young wife, ʿAʾisha, against lies that were brought against her by some of the early Muslims, here defined as “liars in the eyes of God.” The incident, known as “the affair of the lie,” occurred in 627 CE when ʿAʾisha was left behind as a Muslim expeditionary force broke camp early, departing without her. Because a companion later found her and returned her to the Prophet, some rumors spread, occasioning this revelation to confirm her innocence as also the malevolence of those who brought the false charges.
24:15Arabic idh talaqqawnahu bialsinatikum: literally, “when you received it with your tongues.”
24:28Arabic azka: literally, “purer.”
24:31Eunuchs or old men.
24:31A reference to the anklets that women often wore.
24:33Among pre-Islamic practices was the use of female slaves as prostitutes.
24:35This verse has enjoyed a rich history of interpretation over the centuries. The “Light” has been variously interpreted as signifying divine guidance, knowledge, or power. Significantly, the verse stresses twice that God speaks in parables.
24:35The word “soil” is introduced here for poetic effect. It does not alter the meaning.
24:37See 14:42–43 for an expansion of this image: “till a day when their eyes will stare [in horror], racing forward, their heads craned back, their gaze fixed rigid, and their hearts void.”
24:60Arabic la yarjuna nikah: literally, “who have no desire for marriage.”
24:61Arabic ma malaktum mafatihahu: literally, “for which you own the keys.”
Sura 25
The Criterion (Al-Furqan)
25:1Furqan (criterion) is another name for revelation in general and the Quran in particular. See Glossary, page 530.
25:8Janna (garden) is the same word as “paradise,” hence this is a sarcastic comment.
25:15Arabic masir: literally, “destiny.”
25:20That is, can you be patient when facing adversity or ridicule or rejection from unbelievers?
25:22Another reading would be: “The angels will declare, ‘None shall pass beyond this forbidden barrier.’ ”
25:28A more literal translation would be “Woe unto me,” but that seems too archaic.
25:30Arabic ittakhadhu hadha al-Quran mahjur: literally, “have taken this Quran as a forsaken thing.”
25:32Both here and in 17:106, the process of revelation is depicted as piecemeal yet continuous. In 73:4, the same deliberative and measured process of recitation is enjoined on the Prophet.
25:38These are pre-Islamic Arabian tribes who denied previous prophets, mentioned elsewhere in the Quran.
 
 
25:39There is a clear contrast between God’s lessons, here offered, and those offered above by the disbelievers (vv. 9 and 33).
25:40Arabic matar al-saw’i: literally, “evil rain,” referring to Sodom.
25:53The word rendered as “barrier” is a Persian word, barzakh, in the original. See also 23:100 and Glossary, page 530.
25:56Arabic wa-nadhir: literally, “and as a warner,” but that expression is unidiomatic in English.
Sura 26
The Poets (Al-Shuʿara)
26:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
26:9This doublet of the Divine Names appears no less than eight more times in this sura—vv. 68, 104, 122, 140, 159, 175, 191, and 217—in similar sequence, an echo of the same protocol in Sura 55.
26:14Moses had inadvertently killed an Egyptian. See below.
26:20Moses is referring to an incident of false accusation, then further connivance to impugn him among the Egyptians. It is elaborated elsewhere, in 28:15–21.
26:30Arabic bishaiʾ mubin: literally, “something clear.”
26:51Arabic awwal al-muʾminin: literally, “the first believers.”
26:58The reference here seems to be the prosperity the Egyptians had enjoyed under Pharaoh, with the promise in the next verse (v. 59) that Israelites would be their eventual successors in kind once they completed their escape to a new home.
26:74Arabic wajadna abaʾana kadhalika yafʿalun: literally, “we found our forefathers doing this.”
26:88Arabic banun: literally, “sons.”
26:128The word aya literally means “sign.” Here it refers to a place of worship, so it’s translated as “altar.” See Glossary, page 530.
26:138Arabic wa-ma nahnu bimuʿadhdhabin: literally, “we are not the ones to be punished.”
26:152The reference here is to a bedrock element of Islamic ethics, maslaha, or the common, collective good.
26:158The punishment predicted by Salih.
26:173Arabic fa-saʾa matar: literally, “evil was the rain.”
26:193The Archangel Gabriel.
26:215For a similar image, see 17:24: “lower over them both the wing of humility, with mercy.”
26:224This is the first, and sole, reference to poets in the sura named “The Poets.” For deeper exegesis on the ambiguity of poetry in relation to Quranic discourse, see “About This Translation,” pages xxxiii–xxxvii.
26:225A metaphor to contrast the precision of Quranic rhetoric with the meanderings of poets.
Sura 27
The Ants (Al-Naml)
27:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
27:5Arabic suʾ al-ʿadhab: literally, “an evil torment.”
27:8The fire is here understood to be the Light of God.
27:10The Arabic word for snake, jann, is a play on the word jinn. See 28:31 for the identical expression.
27:12Arabic fi jaybika: literally, “in your pocket,” referring to the opening in the cloak by his breast.
27:16The phrase mantiq at-tayr has become a popular trope in Muslim spirituality, due to a Sufi poem of that title penned by the twelfth-century master Farid ud-din Attar, and known in English as “The Conference of the Birds.”
27:18The subtlety of this reference to ants must be underscored. Like bees and spiders, ants also are honored with a sura named after them because in their minute labor they mirror the marvel of divine creation. Solomon’s appreciation for ants, and then birds, is deemed to be a measure of his own wisdom.
27:20The hoopoe is the central figure, equivalent to a messenger from the unseen (Jabril/Gabriel), in Attar’s “The Conference of the Birds.”
27:22Arabic ahattu bima lam tuhit bihi: literally, “I have encompassed what you have not encompassed.”
27:22Sabaʾ is Sheba in English, and what follows is the encounter of Solomon with the Queen of Sheba. Solomon is clearly confronting her on account of the solar worship of her followers, the Sabians.
27:30This is the sole passage in the Quran where the basmala is included in a verse not at the beginning of a sura.
27:31Arabic muslimin: literally, “ones who have submitted”—i.e., “muslims,” but here in a more general sense. See note to 27:91 and muslim in Glossary, page 531.
27:39An ʿifrit belongs to a class of jinn who are winged creatures, noted for their ruthlessness, power, and cunning, as well as their large size.
27:39Before Solomon would rise at midday from his duties adjudicating.
27:40Arabic qabla an yartadd ilaika tarfuka: literally, “before your own gaze returns to you.”
27:45See parallel reference in 11:61: “And to the people of Thamud We sent their brother Salih.” The Thamud were said to be descendants of Noah. While not mentioned in the Bible, they appear repeatedly in the Quran: see also 7:73–79 and 26:141–58.
27:55For the story of Lot and his recalcitrant people, see also 7:80–84, 11:77–83, and 15:61–79.
27:58Arabic saʾa matar: literally, “evil was the rain.”
27:61Arabic hajiz, parallel to the Persian barzakh (“buffer” or “limit”) as in 55:20. See barzakh in Glossary, page 530.
27:82Arabic dabba: literally, “crawling or walking creature,” often speculated to be a wild animal portending the end of the world and the day of judgment.
27:89This phrase echoes the refrain of 55:60: “What is the reward for goodness beyond goodness?”
27:91Arabic min al-muslimin: literally, “among the submitters.” This group includes all those linked to the example of Abraham; see 4:125: “Who is better in religion than one who submits his entire self to God, does what is good, and follows the creed of Abraham, the pure in faith?” Here, as in vv. 31 and 38, Islam is implied but not stated since it did not exist as a formal religion at the time of Moses, Solomon, or Sheba—who are, along with Salih and Lot, the principal subjects of this sura. See islam in Glossary, page 531.
Sura 28
The Story (Al-Qasas)
28:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
28:3Arabic bi al-haqq: literally, “with the truth.” This phrase is used both to refer to God and the Book below in three verses (vv. 48, 53, and 75). See Glossary, page 530.
28:4Arabic innahu kana min al-mufsidin: literally, “he was among those who spread corruption.”
28:6Arabic nuriya: literally, “We might show.”
28:6Haman was the chief minister of Pharaoh.
28:11Arabic qussihi: literally, “follow him.”
28:13The story of Moses the castaway child, recovered by an Egyptian, then returned to his mother and nurtured by her, is also recounted in 20:37–40, with parallels to Exodus 2:1–10.
28:15This story is also noted in 20:40, with parallels to Exodus 2:11–15.
28:19Arabic min al-muslihin: literally, “among those who promote the collective good.”
28:20Arabic inni laka min al-nasihin: literally, “I am among those who give you good advice.”
28:22The Arabs of Midian (also known as Madyan) were closely related to the Hebrews.
28:27Arabic fa-min ʿindika: literally, “that is from (within) you.”
28:29Arabic inni anastu nar laʿalli atikum minha bikhabar: literally, “I saw a (distant) fire; perhaps I might bring you from it some news”—i.e., about which direction they might take on their journey.
28:32Those who have fear raise their hand for protection.
28:35This account of Moses’ call, and God’s direct speech to him, also occurs in 20:9–23, 26:10–68, and 27:7–14, with differing details and emphases in each narrative.
28:44That is, Mount Sinai.
28:46The repetition of the call to Moses on Mount Sinai underscores the intent of mercy which follows, and the recurrent emphasis on truth, harking back to v. 3.
28:47The sentence seems to be deliberately incomplete: before they finish one line of argument, the disbelievers shift to another in the following verse (v. 48).
28:49This is a challenge to the Quraysh similar to what is found elsewhere, e.g., 2:23 and 17:88.
28:53The Word, the Book, the truth—all confirmed the right response for those listeners already inclined to submit (to God’s will). Here again muslimun is better not translated as “Muslims.” See note to 27:9 and islam in Glossary, page 531.
28:57That is, a safe sanctuary in Mecca.
28:58This is an invocation of the Beautiful Name Warith (Heir) in the plural. See also 15:23.
28:59Umm here refers to Mecca, which is considered to be the “mother”—i.e., the center or capital—of towns around it.
28:70Arabic fi al-ula wa al-akhira: literally, “in the first [world] and the last.”
28:76Korah (Qarun) is elsewhere linked to both Pharaoh and Haman; see 29:39 and 40:23–25.
28:77Arabic la tansa nasibaka min al-dunya: literally, “do not forget your portion in this world,” but also to share with others through charity and good works.
28:80Arabic illa al-sabirin: literally “except those who are patient.”
28:81Arabic fiʾa: literally, “party” or “group.”
28:85Arabic maʿad: literally, “a place of return,” which may refer to Mecca, since this verse, like most of the sura, was revealed on the hijra, or exodus, from Mecca to Medina. But it could also allude to the ultimate place of return, the next world.
Sura 29
The Spider (Al-ʿAnkabut)
29:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
29:5Ajal is the term used to refer to the time when each person is destined to die; no one can add to, or subtract from, the days allotted for their life. See Glossary, page 529.
29:6Arabic laghaniyyʿ an al-ʿalamin; literally “without need of the worlds,” where the “worlds” implies His creation or His created beings.
29:10Arabic al-ʿalamin: literally, “worlds,” as in v. 6, but here rendered as “creatures” to capture the idiom in English. See Glossary, page 529.
29:15Arabic li al-ʿalamin: literally “for the worlds” but here connoting “for nations.” See Glossary, page 529.
29:25Arabic yakfuru baʿdukum bibaʿd wa-yalʿan baʿdukum baʿd: literally, “some of you will deny others and some of you will curse others.”
29:35Arabic minha: literally, “of it.”
29:41The instance of the spider echoes the bee and the ant, other small creatures whose industry is heralded and recalled as the title of the sura in which they appear.
29:69Arabic fina: literally, “in Us.”
Sura 30
The Byzantines (Al-Rum)
30:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
30:4The earlier defeat of the Byzantines by the Persians had been hailed by the Meccans as a victory for pagans over the Christians, but it was not in God’s plan that the Persians should prevail, save for a short time (a few years).
30:11The creative and re-creative agency of God is accented throughout the Quran but repeatedly within different registers in this sura: see vv. 19, 40, 50, and 54.
30:13Arabic bishurakaʾihim: literally “in their partners,” but translated as “in these gods” to clarify the sense that the partners are associated with God.
30:18These are the verses that established the hours and names for the daily ritual prayers incumbent upon all Muslims.
30:22Coupled with 5:48, where differences in laws and revelations is a divine decree, we have here the strongest Quranic affirmation for linguistic and ethnic difference as a sign for those who can, and should, discern them.
30:28Arabic al-ayat: literally, “the signs.” Since they refer to God, they are marked as “Our signs.” See Glossary, page 530.
30:30Arabic al-dinu al-qayyimu: literally, “the steadfast faith.” Here and in v. 43, it is equivalent to “the religion of truth” (9:33) and “the religion of God” (24:2). See din in Glossary, page 530.
30:30Arabic fitrat Allah: literally, “the primordial nature of God,” also echoed in the title of Sura 35, al-Fatir or “The Originator.”
30:51Arabic min baʿdihi yakfurun: literally, “they would continue to disbelieve after this.”
30:53muslimun is best translated as “those who submit [to the will of God].” See Glossary, page 531.
Sura 31
Luqman (Luqman)
31:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
31:6This may refer to al-Nadr ibn al-Harith, who diverted the attention of the Quraysh from the Quran using old Persian tales. The Arabic literally talks about someone who “buys” idle tales; some commentators say that the verse refers to a man who bought a maidservant to sing songs. Since the verb yashtari connotes business transactions, it is translated here as “who invests.”
31:7The Arabic word for “deafness,” waqr, as pointed out by several commentators, means “heaviness.” It’s also used in 41:44.
31:16Arabic mithqal habba: literally, “the weight of a mustard seed.”
31:19This line refers not to the pace at which one should walk but rather the demeanor of arrogance or modesty expressed in one’s mode of walking.
31:19Arabic al-hamir: literally, “of asses.”
31:20The “illuminating book,” here as elsewhere, alludes to the Quran.
31:21Arabic ma wajadna ʿalayhi abaʾana: literally, “what we found our fathers on.”
31:27Arabic kalimat: literally “the words,” but here emphasized as “the Word.”
Sura 32
Prostration (Al-Sajda)
32:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
32:3Arabic ma ʿatahum min nadhir min qablika: literally, “whom no one came to warn before you.”
32:9Arabic al-afʾida: literally, “hearts.”
32:16Arabic junubuhum: literally, “their sides.”
Sura 33
The Allied Forces (Al-Ahzab)
33:4Arabic tudhahirun minhunna ummahatikum: literally, “you made them appear like your mothers.” This challenges a pre-Islamic practice of divorce that equated the wife with the mother’s back—i.e., here wives are treated as “mothers.” See 58:2, where the same practice is cited and eschewed.
33:4The reference here is to a freed slave who became part of Muhammad’s family.
33:5Arabic mawalikum: literally “allies,” “protectors,” or “patrons.”
33:6Blood relatives alone should inherit; but one can still do one’s friend a kindness by leaving them something in one’s will.
33:9This attack refers to the Battle of the Trench, which took place in 627 CE; it was the last major battle before the conquest of Mecca in 630.
33:13Yathrib was the pre-Islamic name for Medina, where Muhammad settled after the hijra (exodus from Mecca) in 622 CE. The name was later changed to al-Madina al-Munawwara, i.e., City of Light.
33:20The “allied forces” is the coalition arrayed against the Muslims at the Battle of the Trench in 627 CE (also known as the Battle of the Allied Forces, after which this sura is named). This coalition of Arab and Jewish tribes engaged in a twenty-seven-day siege of the town of Yathrib (later known as Medina), where the Muslims were enclosed.
33:20It is implied that they would feel safe in the desert.
33:23Their vow to fight until they win or die; the implication is that they died.
33:25It is said that God repulsed the disbelievers (the Banu Qurayza) with a sandstorm.
33:37The reference here is to Zayd, the adopted son of the Prophet. The Prophet married him to his own cousin Zaynab, but after Zayd divorced her, she became the Prophet’s wife. This verse explains that the marriage is legitimate since adopted sons do not entail a blood relationship.
33:40The “seal of the prophets” underscores Muhammad’s status as the final messenger of God.
33:49Arabic ʿidda: literally “reckoning”; in this case, the waiting period is the six months that is obligatory for a man who wants a divorce to ensure that the wife is not pregnant (see also 2:226–28).
33:55The intent is to allow them to speak directly with close male relatives absent a protective screen, required otherwise (v. 53).
33:72The notion of moral responsibility or trust as distinctive to humankind echoes the message of 59:21: “Had We sent down this Quran upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled, cleave itself into a chasm, in fear of God.” Yet, as the next verse goes on to say, not all humankind proved worthy of that trust, only believing men and women, those to whom “God is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.”
Sura 34
Sheba (Sabaʾ)
34:16Likely the Maʾrib dam in Yemen.
34:19They wished to flaunt their camels and possessions while traveling through the desert.
34:20In 7:16–17, Iblis vowed to lie in wait for Adam’s descendants, promising God: “You will find that most of them are not grateful to You.”
34:26Arabic al-Fattah: literally, “the Opener” or “the Decider.” This is another Beautiful Name with multiple meanings, but here it is best rendered as “Judge.”
34:33Arabic taʾmurunana: literally, “you were commanding us.”
34:51From the grave.
34:52The “distant place” clearly refers to their life in this world.
34:54A judgment repeated elsewhere: see 11:62, 110; and 14:9.
Sura 35
The Originator (Fatir)
35:10Arabic al-kalim al-tayyib: literally, “good words.”
35:18Arabic wa-la tazir wazira wizr ukhra: literally, “no bearer of burdens can bear another’s burden.”
35:18Arabic bi al-ghaib: literally, “in the unseen.”
35:24Arabic illa khala fiha nadhir: literally, “except there has been in it a warner.”
35:37Arabic yatadhakkar fihi man tadhakkar: literally, “for those who would be warned to be warned.”
35:39In 2:30 Adam is designated as God’s regent.
35:39This phrase is repeated in the Arabic, but its repetition would be too cumbersome in English.
Sura 36
Ya Sin (Ya Sin)
36:1Ya Sin, according to many commentators, may be an abbreviated exclamation, with sin alluding to insan and meaning “O Human,” or, in the rendition of Muhammad Asad: “O Thou Human Being” (Asad, The Message of the Quran: [Watsonville, Calif.: The Book Foundation, 2003], 758n1).
36:11Regarding “unseen,” see al-ghaib in Glossary, page 530.
36:14These messengers are likely Moses and Jesus, each representing a scripture, first the Torah, then the Gospels.
36:18Arabic wa-layamassannakum minna ʿadhab alim: literally, “and a painful punishment from us will surely touch you.”
36:26Paradise, frequently evoked as a garden, contrasts with the Garden of Eden, fraught with peril as well as food. The garden of paradise anticipates the presence of God, where peace reigns.
36:42Arabic ma yarkabun: literally, “which they ride.”
36:46Arabic wa-ma taʾtihim min aya min ayat rabbihim illa kanu ʿanha muʿridin: literally, “and no sign ever comes to them from the signs of their Lord except from it they turn away.”
36:52There is a mandatory pause here in the Arabic, indicating that the subsequent lines comprise a reply to the question just posed; but since this pause is not replicable in English, “A voice will answer” has been added.
36:63The suffering of self-realization, experienced by sinners who deny God in this life, is a foretaste of the hell to come in the next world.
36:69The Quran repeatedly denies its own status as poetry, though sajʿ or rhymed prose is commended. See “About This Translation,” pages xxxiii–xxxvii.
36:75Arabic jund muhdarun: literally, “an army present [to defend them].”
36:77Again, the use of insan here seems to justify Muhammad Asad’s decision to label Ya Sin as an anticipation of the direct address in all that follows “O You Human.” We have not followed his initiative due to the familiarity of the Arabic title for all Muslims.
Sura 37
Arrayed in Ranks (Al-Saffat)
37:1Most commentators deem these first three verses as referring to angels; see v. 8.
37:5Arabic rabb al-mashariq: literally, “Lord of the easts,” but clearly evoking places where the sun rises.
37:19See v. 2 and Sura 79.13 for the same image.
37:21There is a mandatory pause here in the Arabic, indicating that the subsequent lines comprise a reply to the question just posed; but since this pause is not replicable in English, “A voice will say” has been added.
37:23Arabic sirat al-jahim: literally, “path of hell,” which rhymes with its opposite al-sirat al-mustaqim, “the straight path” (see 1:6).
37:26The Arabic mustaslimun could be translated as “they seek to become Muslims,” but that rendition would be anachronistic, as often noted above (e.g., note for 2:128), since the revelation is addressed to idolaters in a period before Islam had coalesced as a denominated movement.
37:28Arabic innakum kuntum taʾtunana ʿan al-yamini: literally, “it was you who would come to us from the right”—i.e., from a position claiming authority and influence.
37:49Arabic bayd maknun: literally, “hidden eggs.” Some translations render this as “hidden eggs [of ostriches],” often associated with beautiful women in Arabic poetry. See 56:23 for a parallel image in a similar eschatological setting.
37:62A tree distinctive to hell, whose fronds cause great pain and disgust. See also 44.43 and 56.52.
37:75Arabic fa-laniʿma al-mujibun: literally, “how excellent are the responders.”
37:79Arabic fi al-ʿalamin: literally, “in all the worlds” or “in all the universe.”
37:83Arabic min shiʿatihi: literally, “of his party.”
37:97Arabic bunyan: literally, “a structure.”
37:102Sources disagree about whether it was Isaac or Ishmael who was to be sacrificed, but the main point here is the son’s willingness to be sacrificed. See also the notes to 14:39 and 37:101–2.
37:107The sacrifice was the ram, said to be brought from God, the Unseen.
37:141According to tradition, the ship’s crew believed that the tempest that capsized the ship was due to divine wrath on account of misbehavior by one of its passengers. Jonah, who had disobeyed God when he fled Nineveh, was singled out; see also 21:87–88.
Sura 38
Sad (Sad)
38:1On this and other disconnected letters, see muqattaʿ at in Glossary, page 531.
38:3Arabic wa-lata hin manas: literally, “but there was no time to escape.”
38:6Arabic inna hadha lashaiʾ yurad: literally, “this was certainly something to be desired.”
38:7Arabic fi al-milla al-akhira: literally, “in the last religion.” Possibly, a reference to Christianity or a later form of pre-Islamic Arab paganism.
38:10Arabic asbab: literally, “ropes’ ” or “bonds,” as in 2:166, but also “paths” as in 40:36–37.
38:12Sometimes translated as “tent posts,” this is likely a reference to the remains of Pharaoh’s monumental buildings, or to his practice of impaling his victims; see 7:137 and 89:10.
38:13Probably a reference to the people of Midian who rejected the prophet Shuʿayb (26:176–89 as well as 15:78–79 and 50:14).
38:21The “two litigants” are most likely angels sent to David after his contrivance to have Uriah, one of his soldiers, killed in battle so that he could marry Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba. The full story, as related in 2 Samuel 11, does not appear in the Quran, but its sequel is clearly the topic here.
38:23Arabic wa-ʿazzani fi al-khitab: literally, “and he dominated me in speech.”
38:24According to some commentators David realizes the similarity between this scenario and his own action in desiring another man’s wife to add to the many wives he already had. Other commentators dispute this occurrence and state that David’s “lapse” was his failing to account for both sides in the dispute before arbitrating.
38:25Arabic maʾab: literally, “place of return.”
38:32Arabic hatta tawarat bil-hijab: literally, “until they were hidden behind the veil” or “behind the barrier.”
38:33The sparse Quranic text suggests that both David and Solomon were tested in their obedience to God over their love of His creation.
38:38See 21:82–83 for a similar depiction of devils obeying Solomon, while in 34:12–13 it is they who obey him.
38:44According to commentators, this is a clear reference to God’s willingness to forgive those who make oaths in haste (5:88); in this case, Job’s pledge to beat his wife after she blasphemed is “fulfilled,” without causing harm to her.
38:48Arabic Dhu al-Kifl, also used in 21:85, and thought to be either Ezekiel or Elijah.
38:81Arabic ila yawm al-waqt al-maʿlum: literally, “until the day of the known time.”
Sura 39
The Crowds (Al-Zumar)
39:2Arabic mukhlis lahu al-din: literally, “sincere to Him in religion.”
39:6Arabic thamaniya: literally, “eight.”
39:6On the three stages of darkness, see 22:5.
39:23Arabic mathaniya: literally, “doubled.” See 15:87.
39:36Arabic bi alladhina min dunihi: literally, “with others besides Him.”
39:39Arabic iʿmalu ʿala makanatikum: literally, “act according to your standpoint.”
39:42The sense of this verse, that each night we die, and each morning are either restored or kept by God, is paralleled in 6:60: “It is He Who calls back your souls by night, knowing all you have done by day; then, He raises you up, to fulfill the appointed term. To Him you shall return—then He will inform you of all you have done.”
39:45Arabic Allah wahdahu: literally, “God alone.”
39:74Arabic al-ard: literally, “the land” or “the earth.” But “realm” seems preferable here since it needs to be stressed that the location is paradise, not the earth or any earthly terrain.
Sura 40
The Forgiving (Al-Ghafir)
40:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
40:3Arabic, dhi al-tawl: literally, “Owner of Abundance.” This unique occurrence of a Beautiful Name culminates a list of six from the long list of Divine Names, here accenting God’s disposition to forgive again and again.
40:11Arabic amattana: literally, “you caused us to die,” but the term, according to most commentators, seems to refer to the state of non-being before and after life on earth.
40:24Haman is said to have been Pharaoh’s chief minister, while Korah (Qarun) was Moses’ cousin.
40:36Arabic asbab: literally, “ropes.”
40:55The “sin” here refers to the Prophet’s impatience for God’s help—through some miracle—when his followers were being persecuted.
40:69Arabic yusrafun: literally, “they are turned away.”
40:75Some translators render this as “exulted in untruth.”
Sura 41
Explained in Full (Fussilat)
41:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
41:5Arabic fi akinna: literally, “in coverings.”
41:9“Two days” is clearly an allegorical expression, as is “four days” in the next verse.
41:13God’s reprimand to the people of ʿAd and Thamud is detailed in 7:65–79.
41:14Arabic min bayni aydihim wa min khalfihim: literally, “from between their hands and from behind them.” The implication is that messengers tried to persuade them from various perspectives.
41:15Arabic bighayri al-haqqi: literally, “without truth” or “without right.”
41:25Arabic ma bayna aydihim wa ma khalfahum: literally, “from in front and from behind them.” Another rendering could be “this world and the hereafter.”
41:25Arabic al-qawl: literally, “the saying.”
41:26Arabic taghlibun: literally, “you will triumph.”
41:33Arabic muslimun, here rendered as “those who bow to God’s will,” is sometimes translated as “Muslims.” However, the Muslims were not yet a self-conscious community, and not yet formed and named as Muslims. See Glossary, page 531.
41:34Arabic alladhi bainaka wa-bainahu ʿadawa: literally, “he between whom and you there was enmity.”
41:35Arabic dhu hazz ʿazim: literally, “possessing a great portion.” But clearly, what is indicated here is not material wealth but moral or spiritual substance. A parallel phrase occurs in 103:3: those who succeed are “those who believe, and do good deeds, urging one another toward truth, and urging one another toward patience.”
41:42Arabic min bain yadaihi wa-la min khalfihi: literally, “neither in front nor behind them.” This is the third and final usage of a similar phrase in this sura.
41:44The opponents are those with a veil between them and the Book (see v. 5). The reference to a non-Arab (ʿajam) messenger echoes 26:198–99.
41:45Arabic law la kalima sabaqat min rabbika: literally, “Had a word not gone forth from your Lord.” That is to say, it was God who ordained dissension among humankind, as noted in 2:253 and expressed again, in similar words, in 10:19.
Sura 42
Consultation (Al-Shura)
42:2On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
42:6Arabic awliyaʾ: “protectors” (sing. wali, “protector”). Others may be “protectors” but “Protector,” one of God’s Beautiful Names, alludes to the day of gathering when no one else can protect or intercede for the believer (see vv. 8, 31, 44, and 46). It is only God Who convenes, prevails, and protects on that day. He alone is “Ruler of the day of reckoning” (1:4), at once Protector and Restorer (v. 9).
42:7A reference to Mecca.
42:15“The Book” here clearly encompasses all scripture prior to the Quran, as is evident in 2:136: “Say, ‘We believe in God, in what has been revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, and in the Books given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord; we make no distinction between any among them, and to God we submit our will.’ ”
42:16Arabic min baʿd ma ustujiba lahu: literally, “after what had been responded to Him.”
42:23The promise of good in this life multiplying good in the next life recurs in 55:60: “What is the reward for goodness, beyond goodness?”
42:27Rizq or “provision” (see also v. 12 above) echoes another of God’s Beautiful Names, al-Razzaq, the Sustainer (51:58).
42:27That is, man, by nature greedy and ungrateful (see v. 48), would have wanted even more than what God had provided.
42:43These three verses (vv. 41–43) provide a case study in the importance of context for all declarations condoning violence in the Quran. Taken by themselves, vv. 41–42 seem to justify self-defense, but the clearly preferred response is given in v. 43: “whoever forbears and forgives, displays in this an ideal resolve.” There is also the insistence on proportionality in response to wrong: the retribution cannot be greater than the initial offense.
Sura 43
Gold Adornments (Al-Zukhruf)
43:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
43:4Arabic fi umm al-kitab: literally, “in the Mother of the Book,” a reference to the original tablet that is in God’s keeping. The adjectives that follow refer both to the Book and to its keeper. See Glossary, page 532.
43:15The pagan Arabs attributed daughters to God, as noted in 16:57.
43:17This verse alludes to the fact that the pagan Arabs were often so dejected over the birth of a daughter—which they regarded as a liability—that they would bury her alive in the sand. A similar internal debate occurs in 16:56–59, where the practice of burying infant daughters is condemned. It concludes with this ominous query: “Should he keep her, to his ignominy, or bury her alive in the sand?” (16:59) The evil of this practice is underscored in 81:8–9.
43:18This is how the pagan Arabs regarded girls.
43:28Arabic kalima baqiya: literally, “an enduring word.”
43:31That is, Mecca and Taʾif.
43:35The word order of the Arabic original of vv. 33–35 needs to be altered to make clear the divine motive for not making all humankind into one nation. This theme is raised elsewhere (16:93 and 42:8), yet without the disparities of wealth foregrounded here.
43:48Arabic min ukhtiha: literally, “than its sister.”
43:61Arabic wa-innahu laʿilm li al-saʿa: literally, “and it gives knowledge of the hour.” The sentence could, alternatively, be translated as “The Quran gives knowledge of the hour.” But a well-attested hadith declares: “One of the signs of the hour will be the appearance of Jesus the son of Mary before the day of resurrection.”
43:77Malik is the angel who serves as the keeper of hell.
43:88Arabic wa-qilihi: literally, “and his saying.” What follows is an echo of the same lament from 25:30: “The messenger said, ‘My Lord, my people have forsaken this Quran.’ ”
Sura 44
Smoke (Al-Dukhan)
44:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
44:7Arabic in kuntum muqinin: literally, “if only you were certain.”
44:13Arabic rasul mubin: literally, “a clarifying messenger.”
44:20Arabic an tarjumuni: literally, “if you seek to stone me,” but here meant allegorically.
44:24Arabic rahw: literally, “at rest or calmed.”
44:27Arabic naʿma: literally, “a blessing.”
44:32Arabic ʿala al-ʿalamin: literally, “over all the worlds.” See Glossary, page 529.
44:33Arabic ma fihi balaʾ mubin: literally, “in which there was a clear test.” An example of such testing through revelatory signs is God’s command to Abraham that he sacrifice his son (37:102–6), not mentioned by name but thought to be Ishmael.
44:37A title for kings in South Arabia—that is, Yemen—since Tubbaʿ is a town noted also in 50:14 for rejecting the prophets.
44:43A tree distinctive to hell, whose fronds cause great pain and disgust. See also 37:62 and 56:52.
44:59That is, the unbelievers.
Sura 45
Kneeling (Al-Jathiya)
45:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
45:14References to “days of God” occur only here and in 14:5, addressed to Moses. It is likely a reference to the day of final reckoning, also known as the day of resurrection (v. 17 and elsewhere). The plural reference is yet another sign that God’s ways are not ours, nor His days like our days.
45:18Here shariʿa is rendered as “proper path [of religion],” to set Muhammad’s mission apart from those that preceded him. Subsequently shariʿa became a technical term for the expansive set of ethical and juridical norms in Islam.
45:20Arabic basaʾir: literally, “visible proofs,” echoing the Divine Name of God as al-Basir, the All Observant, the All Seeing.
45:28Arabic: ila kitabiha: literally, “to its book.” It is also a reference to the ultimate Book, umm al-kitab, “the Mother of the Book.” See Glossary, page 532.
Sura 46
Sand Dunes (Al-Ahqaf)
46:1On these disconnected letters, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
46:3Arabic bi al-haqq: literally, “with truth” or “in truth.” That is, God created the heavens and earth with just reasons and an appropriate purpose, since the word haqq can mean not only “truth” but also “right” or “just.”
46:3Arabic ʿamma ʿundhiru muʿridun: literally, “turning away from what they have been warned about.”
46:15Arabic min al-muslimin: literally, “among the submitters.” See muslim in Glossary, page 531.
46:16Arabic waʿd al-sidq alladhi kanu yuʿadun: literally, “a true promise they had been promised.”
46:35Arabic ulu al-ʿazm min al-rusul: literally, “the resolute among the [prior] messengers,” usually taken to refer to Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (all prior to Muhammad), due to the severe tests they underwent after being called to prophecy.
Sura 47
Muhammad
47:3Arabic yadrib Allah li al-nas amthalahum: literally, “God coins their likeness for people,” anticipating that God alone can judge their true likeness, as He does below in v. 38.
47:10Arabic afalam yasiru fi al-ard: literally, “have they not traveled through the earth.” Here, it’s a metaphor of time as well as space, encompassing all preceding generations of humankind.
47:17Arabic atahum taqwahum: literally, “He gives them their mindfulness.”
47:19Arabic mutaqallabakum wa mathwakum: literally, “your restlessness and your places of rest.”
47:21Arabic qawl maʿruf: literally, “an honorable saying,” but the qualifier maʿruf means more than honor. It is part of the axial moral norm in Islam: al-amr bil-maʿruf wa al-nahy ʿan al-munkar—“Enjoining what is good and forbidding what is bad.” Often used in the Quran (3:104, 110; 9:71, 112; 31:17), it highlights a collective duty to encourage righteous behavior and discourage immorality at all times, in peace and in war.
47:21Arabic fa-idha ʿazama al-amr: literally, “once the matter is determined.”
47:23Arabic wa-aʿma absarahum: literally, “and He blinds their sight.”
47:31Arabic hatta naʿlama: literally, “so that We might know.”
47:31Arabic akhbarakum: literally, “your news.”
Sura 48
Victory (Al-Fath)
48:9Some commentators interpret “honoring” and “revering” as applying to the Prophet.
48:10This verse equates loyalty to the Prophet with loyalty to God. It echoes a historical moment in 628 CE, when the Prophet was undertaking a return pilgrimage to Mecca. Encamped at Hudaybiyya, an area just outside Mecca, Muhammad requested a pledge of allegiance from his followers, and what later became known as the Treaty of Hudaybiyya was then secured with Muhammad’s opponents, permitting Muslims to reenter Mecca peacefully as pilgrims—although only after a year’s delay.
48:18The actual pledge at Hudaybiyya was reported to have taken place under a tree, while the victory, with “many spoils of war yet to take” (v. 19), refers to the conquest of Khaybar, which took place in 629 CE, after the treaty but before the peaceful pilgrimage to Mecca in 630.
48:26Arabic kalimat al-taqwa: literally, “the word of mindfulness of God.” This refers, as in v. 18, to the promise that they had made to God under the tree at Hudaybiyya.
48:29Arabic simahum fi wujuhihim: literally, “their mark is on their faces.”
48:29The reference in the Gospels is to the seed and mustard seed parables in Mark 4:26–32, while the Torah likely a reference to the command for bands of God’s word to mark the forehead, as set forth in Deuteronomy 6:8 and 11:18.
Sura 49
The Private Apartments (Al-Hujurat)
49:1Arabic la tuqaddimu bain yadai Allah wa rasulihi: literally, “do not advance [yourselves] before God and His messenger.”
49:14The priority of submission over faith is echoed in what is known as the hadith of Gabriel: conveyed to the Prophet Muhammad by the Archangel Gabriel, it explains islam (“submission”) as the first step, followed by iman (“faith”), then ihsan (“virtue”) the highest stage of human engagement with the Divine.
49:17Arabic sadiqin: literally, “truthful.”
49:18Only the second of these accolades (“He Sees”) echoes a Beautiful Name (Arabic basir: literally, Seer), but both it and “God Knows” are capitalized to underscore the consistency of God’s presence in English.
Sura 50
Qaf (Qaf)
50:1On this disconnected letter, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
50:4Arabic ma tanqus al-ard minhum: literally, “what the earth diminishes of them.”
50:4A reference to umm al-kitab. See Glossary, page 532.
50:14Nearly all these groups are identified elsewhere in the Quran as disbelievers and, in the case of Pharaoh, persecutors of believers. The people of Midian are ashab al-aika (literally, “people of the forest”) since it is they who were sent, and rejected, the prophet Shuʿayb (26:176–89).
50:17Arabic yatalaqqa al-mutalaqqiyani: literally, “Two receivers . . . receive.” These are Nakir and Munkar, noted in 16:28–32.
Sura 51
Scattering Winds (Al-Dhariyat)
51:4Like the first three verses of Sura 37, these four verses could refer to either winds or angels, but here winds seems more likely.
51:19Arabic wa-fi amwalihim haqq li al-saʾil wa-al-mahrum: literally, “and both beggars and the needy have a right to their wealth.”
51:36Arabic al-muslimin: literally, “those who submit.” See muslim in Glossary, page 531.
Sura 52
Mount Sinai (Al-Tur)
52:2The Torah, delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai.
52:4The Kaʿba, “maintained only by those who believe in God and the last day” (9:18).
52:5The sky, as also in 21:32: “We raised the sky, a secure canopy.”
52:21Arabic rahin: literally, “a pledge.”
Sura 53
The Star (Al-Najm)
53:5The Archangel Gabriel.
53:16Arabic idh yaghsha al-sidra ma yaghsha: literally, “when the lote-tree was cloaked with whatever cloaked it.”
53:20All three were pre-Islamic goddesses, whose stone idols the pagan Arabs worshipped.
53:21This refers to the attribution of male offspring (considered desirable) to pagan Arabs, contrasting them with goddesses as God’s daughters (daughters being deemed undesirable).
53:25Arabic fa-li Allah al-akhira wa-al-ula: literally, “to God belong the next life and the first.”
53:31The sense of goodness here is twofold, as it is elsewhere (e.g., 55:60): God is always “with those who are mindful of Him and those who do good” (16:128; see also 5:93), and then there is the reward of paradise: “that [paradise] is the reward of those who do good (5:85).
53:36The Torah.
53:37Upheld his belief in the One God.
53:47Life after death.
53:49A star worshipped by the polytheistic Arabs.
53:54Arabic fa-ghashshaha ma ghashsha: literally, “So there covered them that which covered.”
Sura 54
The Moon (Al-Qamar)
54:1Some commentators have connected this verse to an alleged miracle of the Prophet Muhammad, while others have suggested that the split moon refers to a future event, auguring the end of the world and the day of resurrection. The message from v. 6ff. seems to favor the latter interpretation.
54:2Another rendering would be “This is powerful sorcery.”
54:29Arabic Arabic fa-taʿata: literally, “then he took hold.”
54:29A more extended account of this incident is furnished in 7:73–79, where the prophet Salih urges the people of Thamud to serve God alone and explains to them that God’s she-camel, which was sent as a sign to them, should be left unharmed and allowed to pasture. But the leader of the most rebellious and proud faction in Thamud denounced the believers, and the disbelieving faction slaughtered the camel, thereby bringing divine retribution (Sura 91).
Sura 55
The All Merciful (Al-Rahman)
55:16Although in the Arabic this refrain is repeated verbatim at v. 18 etc., it has here been varied across a range of word combinations and moods in a manner that is intended to retain its essential meaning. When the Arabic is recited, the refrain can be intoned in a variety of ways; if exactly the same refrain is repeated in English, it would not only come across as tedious and mechanical, but would fail to be faithful to the variation of tone that animates the Arabic.
55:17Where the sun rises in winter and summer.
55:17Where the sun sets in winter and summer.
55:29Arabic kull yawm huwa fi shaʾn: literally, “He is daily in a matter.”
55:37Arabic ka al-dihan: literally, “like dregs of olive oil” or “red leather.”
55:54Cf. 18:30–31: “those who believe and do good deeds . . . will have eternal gardens, with rivers flowing beneath. There they will be adorned in bracelets of gold, and they will wear robes of green, of fine silk and rich brocade; they will recline there on raised couches—a blessèd reward, an excellent home.”
55:60The sense of goodness here is twofold, as it is elsewhere (e.g., 53:31): God is always “with those who are mindful of Him and those who do good” (16:128; see also 5.93), and then there is the reward of paradise: “that [paradise] is the reward for those who do good” (5:85).
55:72Houri is the name for a large-eyed maiden of paradise.
Sura 56
The Inexorable Event (Al-Waqiʿa)
56:8Arabic fa ashab al-maimana ma ashab al-maimana: literally, “the companions of the right hand—who are the companions of the right hand?”
56:11The ranking of divine judgment and reward is anticipated in the phrase “those on the right” (74:39) and then elaborated into three categories in another verse: “We gave the Book as a legacy to Our servants whom We favored. Some of them wrong their own souls, some are moderate, and others by God’s leave are foremost in good deeds—the greatest grace” (35:32).
56:28Arabic fi sidr: literally, “in lote-trees,” said to be among the markers of paradise (53:14).
56:37These women are the houris mentioned in v. 22.
56:52On the tree of Zaqqum, a tree distinctive to hell whose fronds cause great pain and disgust, see also 37:62 and 44:43.
56:60Arabic qaddarna bainakum al-mawt: literally, “We decreed death among you.”
56:60Arabic wa-ma nahnu bimasbuqin: literally, “and We are not to be overtaken.”
56:62God’s power to create and re-create is echoed elsewhere, as in 29:20: “Say, ‘Travel through the earth and see how He originated creation; then God will bring about a new creation, for God has Power over all things.’ ”
56:75This may also refer to the staged revelation of the Quran that anticipates the following verses.
Sura 57
Iron (Al-Hadid)
57:7To the war effort; see v. 10.
57:10This refers to the capitulation of Meccan opponents to the ascendant Muslims in 630 CE.
57:25The “balance” (mizan) indicates among other things the scales by which good and bad deeds are weighed or measured. It can refer to the body of religious law, which stipulates the criteria of such assessment, as well as the human faculties as harmonized in the notion of conscience.
57:27The message here is that monasticism was not ordained by God, yet the chief fault of those (Christian monks and nuns) who followed it was their failure to observe fully its requirements.
57:28The Light—recognition of the Prophet and obedience to God’s commands—seems to be the same introduced earlier in v. 9, then developed in vv. 12–13 as a distinguishing mark between believers and hypocrites in the next life.
Sura 58
The Woman Who Pleads (Al-Mujadila)
58:2Arabic yuzahirun: literally “made them appear [like their mothers’ backs]”; this underscores the evil of zihar, the pre-Islamic practice of divorce—equating the wife to be divorced with the mother’s back in order to nullify marriage—but it begs the question of why the marriage was initially deemed feasible. This practice is also cited and condemned in 33:4.
58:8The passage is referring to certain Jews who would address the Prophet with the greeting al-sam ʿalaikum, which means “death to you,” instead of the conventional greeting “peace be to you.”
58:11The message here, as elsewhere, is the necessity of faith—but faith enhanced by knowledge is still better. This is often used to justify a class of religious specialists in Islam known as the ʿulama, “those possessing knowledge.”
58:22Arabic wa-ayyadahum biruh minhu: literally, “and He strengthened them with a spirit from Him.” This same accolade is found elsewhere only with reference to Jesus: 2:87 and 253; 5:110.
Sura 59
The Gathering (Al-Hashr)
59:2The “gathering” is the gathering of a Jewish tribe that at first supported the new Muslim community in Medina, but then became their opponents, ca. 625 CE. It also provides the title for this sura.
59:11The reference here, and throughout the sura, is to a group of Jews, the Banu Nadir, who were expelled from Mecca in 625 CE.
59:17Arabic fa-kana ʿaqibatahuma annahuma fi al-nar: literally, “the end of both will be in the fire.”
59:24Al-asmaʾ al-husna is the key phrase in Arabic. Found here and in 17:110, it signals the recurrent importance of remembering God by His Beautiful Names. See Glossary, page 530.
Sura 61
In Ranks (Al-Saff)
61:8Arabic biafwahihim: literally, “with their mouths.”
61:14Arabic fa-asbahu zahirin: literally, “they became dominant.”
Sura 62
The Friday Prayer (Al-Jumuʿa)
62:2Cf. 2:78: “unlettered people who don’t know the Book”—i.e., pagan Arabs.
62:6Arabic annakum awliyaʾ li Allah: literally, “that you are friends [or allies] of God.”
62:6The same critique is set forth in 2:94–95.
62:7Arabic bima qaddamat aydihim: literally, “on account of what their hands have sent forth.”
Sura 63
The Hypocrites (Al-Munafiqun)
63:8Some translate this as “the more honorable.”
Sura 64
Mutual Fraud (Al-Taghabun)
64:6Arabic dhalika biannahu: literally, “that is because.” The word “for” translates the expression more succinctly.
64:8The Light is the Quran, as in 7:157: “those . . . guided by the light sent down with him [Muhammad].”
64:17That is, if you spend money legitimately earned in the way of God; parallel to 5:12—see the note for that verse, page 547.
Sura 65
Divorce (Al-Talaq)
65:1An interval in which a woman who is divorced cannot marry another man, equivalent to three full cycles of menstruation.
65:7Arabic baʿda ʿusr yusr: literally, “after a hardship comes ease.” Cf. echo in 94:5–6: “with every hardship comes ease—yes, with every hardship comes ease.”
65:12The seven earths seem to complement each of the seven heavens. In both instances, the message is to reinforce the dictum that creation—of heaven(s) and of earth(s)—is a divinely ordained occurrence.
Sura 66
Prohibition (Al-Tahrim)
66:1Tension among the Prophet’s wives seems to have prompted this revelation, late in the Medinan period, ca. 629 CE. Abstention from marital privilege was the Prophet’s response, here corrected by divine counsel.
66:4Arabic ʿalaihi: literally, “against him,” clearly here, the Prophet.
66:5Arabic saʾihat: literally, “traveling,” but here “fasting” seems preferable.
Sura 67
Dominion (Al-Mulk)
67:9Arabic fi dalal kabir: literally, “in a great straying.”
67:16Arabic amintum: literally, “do you have faith?”
Sura 68
The Pen (Al-Qalam)
68:1On this disconnected letter, see muqattaʿat in Glossary, page 531.
68:13A reference to al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, a member of the Quraysh and a staunch critic of the Prophet.
68:17The story that follows (vv. 17–32) seems to be cast in the form of a parable.
68:48Arabic sahib al-hut: literally, “the companion of the whale.”
68:51Arabic layuzliqunaka: literally, “they would surely make you slip.”
Sura 69
Reality (Al-Haqqa)
69:4The fate of these unfortunate people has been described elsewhere (see 7:65–73)—a fate decreed by their denial of messengers sent to them.
Sura 70
The Paths of Ascent (Al-Maʿarij)
70:4The rhetorical hyperbole accenting “fifty thousand years” stresses the difference between human and divine reckoning of time, as in 32:5, where the end occurs “on a day which spans a thousand years in your counting.”
70:29Arabic lifurujihim hafizun: literally, “guarding their private parts.”
70:40Arabic birabb al-mashariq wa-al-magharib: literally, “Lord of the Easts and the Wests” but clearly here as elsewhere (e.g., 37:5) evoking places where the sun rises and sets.
70:41Arabic wa-ma nahnu bimasbuqin: literally, “and We will not be surpassed.”
70:42See also 43:83: “So leave them to gossip and frolic—until they encounter their promised day.”
Sura 71
Noah (Nuh)
71:17The earth equates with dust; cf. 40:67: “It is He Who created you from dust, then from sperm, then from a clot of blood.”
71:23These are Mesopotamian gods who were also worshipped in pre-Islamic Arabia, but mentioned in the Quran only here.
71:24Arabic la tazid al-zalimin illa dalal: literally, “do not increase the wrongdoers except in error.”
Sura 72
The Jinn (Al-Jinn)
72:1The jinn are intermediate beings—neither humans nor angels. Jinn can transmit divine wisdom but are also expected to worship God and not be channels of misleading signs or outright magic. See Glossary, page 531.
72:9A similar punishment is promised for any “rebellious devil” (37:7) with whom evil jinn are here linked, as in 37:10: “Any [devil] who eavesdrops, snatching an overheard fragment, shall be pursued by a luminous flame.”
72:17The message is subtle but strict: God’s blessings are not just a boon but also a measure of human loyalty, requiring continuous awareness of the Giver as well as the gift.
72:19That is, Muhammad. The implication is that the Arabs were worshipping him instead of God.
72:27These are similar to the angels who monitor all humans; cf. 13:11: “Each person has a train of angels before them and behind them, guarding them by God’s command.”
Sura 73
The One Enwrapped (Al-Muzzammil)
73:2Before five daily prayers became obligatory for Muslims, a night prayer was common practice. It remains a supererogatory prayer of high value, especially during Ramadan.
73:5Arabic qawl thaqil: literally, “a weighty Word.”
73:9A description of God as Lord at sunrise and sunset, similar to those at 37:5, 55:17, and 70:40.
73:20Since the injunction to jihad was sanctioned only after the hijra, this verse must date to the Prophet’s stay in Medina. All the preceding verses belong to the early Meccan period.
73:20That is, if you spend money legitimately earned in the way of God; parallel to 5:12—see corresponding note, page 547.
Sura 74
The One Enfolded (Al-Muddaththir)
74:1Most commentators presume this to be an image of the Prophet covering himself as he prepared for the onset of revelation, but it can also refer to the fact that his prophetic mission is about to end his revelatory solitude as he is now instructed to “arise and warn.”
74:11Like an earlier passage (68:10–14), this directive (vv. 11–26) could refer to a specific opponent of the Prophet, al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, or it could apply generally to any disbeliever with wealth and children.
74:30“Nineteen” may be the number of angels or the spectrum of human faculties.
74:47Arabic hatta atana al-yaqin: literally, “until the certainty [of death] came to us.” Cf. parallel passage at 15:99.
74:52That is, they want the scripture to be self-evident, as noted in 2:118: “And those with no knowledge say, ‘Why does God not speak to us?’ or ‘Why does no sign come to us?’ ”
74:56Arabic huwa ahl al-taqwa wa-ahl al-maghfira: literally, “He is worthy of Mindfulness, and worthy to be Forgiving.” The meaning of ahl here suggests the location rather than the state of the One, the Only God. Related to “people” or “family,” the most common meanings of ahl, are notions of “home” or “origin,” so “source” seems to capture both God as the focus (for taqwa) and as the force (for maghfira). These are Beautiful Names only found here in the Quran.
Sura 75
Resurrection (Al-Qiyama)
75:13Arabic bima qaddama wa-akhkhara: literally, “what they advanced and what they delayed.”
75:18Through the Archangel Gabriel.
75:19This directive is parallel to that given in 20:114: “And Prophet, don’t be overhasty reciting the Quran before [each] revelation to you is completed. Rather, say, ‘My Lord, increase my knowledge.’ ”
75:27Arabic man raqin: literally, “who is a curer?”
75:35Arabic laka: literally, “to you” but here personifying the end or death.
Sura 76
Humankind (Al-Insan)
76:18A spring in paradise, mentioned only here.
76:23Arabic nazzalna alaikum al-Quran tanzil: literally, “We sent down the Quran with a sending down,” which seems to imply all at once, as in 97:1: “We revealed this Word on the night of decree,” although others view it as having been sent down gradually or in stages.
Sura 77
Those Sent Out (Al-Mursalat)
77:4The reference is clearly to angels as the mediators.
77:30Arabic shuʿab: literally, “branches.”
Sura 78
The Announcement (Al-Nabaʾ)
78:19Arabic wa-futihat al-samaʾ fa-kanat abwab: literally, “the sky was opened, and became doors.”
78:20Arabic fa-kanat sarab: literally, “and became a mirage.”
78:30Arabic fa-lan nazidakum illa ʿadhab: literally, “We will not increase you except in torment.”
78:38A title of the Archangel Gabriel.
78:40The ironic echo of dust at death comes elsewhere, e.g., in 56:47 where disbelievers protest: “When we die, when we are dust and bones, will we really be resurrected?” Instead of only being raised up, they also experience more torment (v. 30 above).
Sura 79
Those Who Force Out (Al-Naziʿat)
79:7The first blowing of the trumpet brings about the last day when all perish, and the second blow resurrects them.
79:16A valley near Mount Sinai.
79:20Turning the staff into a serpent.
79:25Arabic al-akhira wa-al-ula: literally, “in the last life and the first.”
Sura 80
He Frowned (ʿAbasa)
80:1The opening verse reflects the occasion for revealing this verse: the Prophet had ignored someone who was literally blind, while trying to convince others, pagan Meccan leaders, of the truth of his prophecy. The blind man, ʿAbd Allah ibn Umm Maktum, became a devoted follower of Islam; he also served as one of the first muezzins, those who call other Muslims to prayer at the obligatory daily times.
80:4Arabic dhikra: literally, “a reminder.”
80:5Arabic man istaghna: literally, “who considers himself free of need.”
80:10The theological lesson here is clear: God, not the Prophet, moves people to accept His revelation. Other verses confirm the same lesson (e.g., 28:56 and 18:28), but less directly.
Sura 81
The Folding Up (Al-Takwir)
81:3Arabic idha al-jibal suyyirat: literally, “when the mountains are moved”; however, they actually vanish. See 20:105–7: “They ask you about the mountains. Say, ‘My Lord shall blast them into fragments. He will leave them leveled as a plain. You shall see there neither peak nor vale.’ ”
81:7The reference echoes a theme that recurs throughout the Quran: the cleaving of two groups on the right and the left, sorted into the good and the bad, some rewarded, others condemned, on the day of judgment.
81:19The Archangel Gabriel, with Muhammad as his companion (v. 22).
81:23A further reference to the vision of heaven, where Muhammad sees Gabriel; see 53:5–7: “one mighty in power has taught him, one imbued with great strength, who stood at the horizon’s peak.”
81:27Arabic ʿalamin: literally, “all the worlds.” See Glossary, page 529.
Sura 83
Those Who Defraud (Al-Mutaffifin)
83:7Sijjin is a place in eternity equivalent to prison (sijn).
83:18Arabic ʿilliyyina: literally, “lofty places,” mirroring Sijjin (vv. 7, 8).
83:27Another fountain in paradise.
Sura 84
The Splitting Asunder (Al-Inshiqaq)
84:7Arabic kitabahu literally: “His book.” It seems preferable to pluralize the two groups, since once again, this “record” refers to the ultimate record, the Mother of the Book, umm al-kitab. See Glossary, page 532.
Sura 85
The Constellations (Al-Buruj)
85:4Those “who made the pit” could refer to the story of a Yemeni king, Dhu Nawas al-Yamani, who ordered a huge pit to be dug and filled with fire, into which were thrown those who had converted to Christianity before the advent of Islam (Tabari). It could also refer to disbelievers who make their own “hell,” a related image of which appears in the Psalms (94:13, where “a pit is dug for the wicked”).
85:18The fate of Pharaoh is often described in the Quran (e.g., 7:103–17), while the people of Thamud are usually linked with the people of ʿAd (e.g., 7:65–73), their common fate decreed by their denial of the messengers sent to them.
85:20Arabic min waraʾihim: literally, “from behind them.”
85:22“A preserved tablet” seems to be another name for “the repository of all scripture” (Arabic, umm al-kitab, literally “the Mother of the Book”), cited in 3:7, 13:39, and 43:4. See Glossary, page 532.
Sura 86
The Night Traveler (Al-Tariq)
86:11Arabic wa-al-samaʾ dhat al-rajʿ: literally, “by the sky as it returns,” implying the change of weather, the cycle of sun and rain.
Sura 87
The Most High (Al-Aʿla)
87:19Abraham is not usually thought to have received a written revelation or scripture, but since there is the Testament of Abraham in Jewish-Christian apocrypha, scripture about Abraham may assumed to be scripture by him, all preserved in umm al-kitab, the Mother of the Book, the lodestone of all revelation (3:7).
Sura 89
The Breaking Dawn (Al-Fajr)
89:2The number “ten” could refer to the first ten nights at the beginning of Muharram, the first month in the Muslim year, or it could refer to the first ten nights of Dhu al-Hijjah, the month of pilgrimage. See 2:196: “those without means should fast for three days during the major pilgrimage, and seven days upon your return, ten days in all.”
89:3If one accepts “ten nights” as a reference to the month of pilgrimage, it is marked both by “odd”—three plus seven—and “even”—ten. There are numerous other explanations of this elliptical reference.
89:9The people of ʿAd and Thamud belonged to a pre-Islamic group that rejected the prophet Hud, cited in 7:65–72 (and repeated in 11:50–60 and 26:123–40).
89:10Arabic dhi al-awtad: literally, “owner of the tent pegs.”
89:24Arabic hayati: literally, “my life [to come],” not the present life—i.e., good deeds accrued in this life will be of benefit in the life to come.
Sura 91
The Sun (Al-Shams)
91:11A more extended account of this incident is provided in 7:73–79, where the prophet Salih urges the people of Thamud to serve God alone and explains to them that God’s she-camel, which was sent as a sign to them, should be left unharmed and allowed to pasture. But the leader of the most rebellious and proud faction in Thamud denounces the believers and the disbelieving faction slaughters the camel, thereby bringing divine retribution.
Sura 92
Night (Al-Layl)
92:7Arabic fa-sanuyassiruhu li al-yusra: literally, “We will ease for them the path to ease.”
92:18Arabic yatazakki: literally, “to promote purity.”
Sura 93
Morning Light (Al-Duha)
93:1The word duha refers to the period of time from after sunrise until before noon. In 91:1 and 79:29 it indicates the full brightness of the sun.
93:3According to Ibn ʿAbbas, as reported by Ibn Kathir, this verse was revealed after a lapse in the revelations given to the Prophet, which caused him great anxiety and which prompted the polytheists to taunt that “his Lord has abandoned him and hates him.” The verse is intended to answer the taunt by reassuring the Prophet of his mission.
Sura 94
The Broadening (Al-Sharh)
94:2Arabic wizraka: literally, “your burden.”
94:4Arabic dhikraka: literally, “your remembrance.”
94:8Arabic: wa-ila rabbika fa-rghab: literally, “and to your Lord be attentive” or “turn your attention.”
Sura 95
The Fig (Al-Tin)
95:3Mecca.
95:7Arabic din: literally, “religion” as in 109:6 (“you have your religion and I have mine”) but also connoting judgment as in 1:4 (“Ruler of the day of reckoning”) and reward as in 24:25 (“their due recompense”). Here “reckoning” seems most apt. See Glossary, page 530.
Sura 96
Clot of Blood (Al-ʿAlaq)
96:9From this verse to the end (vv. 9–19), the person recalled and rebuked is likely Abu Jahl, an early, fierce enemy of the Prophet. He and his companions will be ensnared by “the angels of hell” (v. 18).
Sura 97
The Night of Decree (Al-Qadr)
97:1Arabic inna anzalnahu: literally, “We revealed it.”
Sura 98
Clear Proof (Al-Bayyina)
98:5The syntax is slightly inverted here.
98:7Arabic khair al-bariyat: literally, “the best of creation.”
Sura 99
The Earthquake (Al-Zalzala)
99:4Arabic akhbaraha: literally, “her news.”
Sura 100
Racing Steeds (Al-ʿAdiyat)
100:1Arabic wa-al-ʿadiyat: literally, “by the racing steeds, panting.” Since some commentators have taken the initial five lines to be an invocation not of Arabian horses but of wayward souls, charging after their own interests, it seems preferable to make that comparison explicit in the translation. “By those racing like steeds, panting” welds together the two parts of this sura (vv. 1–5 and 6–11), underscoring their stark ethical imperative: not to be ungrateful but mindful “that on that day, their Lord shall be fully Aware of them” (v. 11).
Sura 101
The Thundering Calamity (Al-Qariʿa)
101:1Arabic al-qariʿa: literally, “the striking calamity,” alluding to the day of judgment (v. 4).
Sura 102
Competing for Worldly Gain (Al-Takathur)
102:5Arabic ʿilm al-yaqin: literally, “knowledge of certainty.”
102:7Arabic ʿain al-yaqin: literally, “eye of certainty.”
Sura 104
The Backbiter (Al-Humaza)
104:9Arabic ʿamad mumadda: literally, “extended pillars.”
Sura 105
The Elephant (Al-Fil)
105:1An Ethiopian army attempted to invade Mecca either in the 540s, two or three decades prior to Muhammad’s birth, or in 570 CE, the year of his birth. The army had an elephant at its head. Birds are said to have pelted the soldiers with stones, providing the drama at the heart of this verse.
Sura 106
Quraysh (Quraysh)
106:1This sura should be connected to the previous one, signaling that the Quraysh, the tribe of Muhammad, had survived the mid-sixth-century Yemeni assault due to God’s grace, not their own military prowess.
Sura 108
Abundance (Al-Kawthar)
108:1There are several hadith that relate kawthar (“abundance”), cited only here in the Quran, to a river in paradise. Its initial meaning, in reference to Muhammad and believers, is that in quality as well as measure, goodness will multiply for those God has favored.
108:3They will have no progeny. Some of the Quraysh—specifically, As ibn Waʾil—had said that the Prophet was “cut off,” that he would have no progeny since his three sons had died at an early age.
Sura 111
The Palm Fiber (Al-Masad)
111:1Abu Lahab was an uncle of the Prophet who, together with his wife, fiercely opposed the Prophet, and so this sura is directed against them as a reminder to others that wealth and material gains will not prevail. The image of the cord around his wife’s neck suggests that her “twisted” nature is evident to those who see her, while also reaffirming the Quranic dictum that “We have fastened every man’s fate around his own neck” (17:13) also applies to women.
Sura 112
Unity/Sincerity (Al-Ikhlas)
112:2Arabic samad: literally, “rock,” but connoting someone or something stable and immovable, at once irreducible and unreproducible—i.e., the Absolute. It is among the Beautiful Names of God, found only here in the Quran.
Sura 113
The Dawn (Al-Falaq)
113:1Falaqa means “to split,” hence the image is that of the dawn which splits or breaks apart from night.
113:2The evil here clearly refers to the evil practiced by God’s creatures, those imbued with (moral) agency.
113:4This refers to some hostile tribes in Medina whose members put a spell on the Prophet; this sura and the next were revealed in order to extricate him from their influence.

Sura 114
Humankind (Al-Nas)
114:5As noted in 7:20, “whispering” is the preferred mode of communication for both Satan and his son, aka al-Khannas, “the whisperer.”
 
 

Introduction

In the cave of Hira on the outskirts of the Arabian city of Mecca, the Prophet Muhammad is said to have received his first revelation. The cave is so small that only one person can enter it; it overlooks a rocky landscape, craggy, rich with bright bronze-colored sand. From this height the Prophet looked down—and meditated on what was right and wrong in the beliefs and practices of his people. He came down from the mountain, ablaze with language that was neither verse nor prose, language that we have ever since been struggling to understand, struggling to render into our own idiom.

Muhammad would meditate in the cave of Hira during the holy month of Ramadan, the time in each year when blood feuds were suspended. It was a time when Meccans who had wealth and leisure retreated to the outskirts of their town, to the hills that enclosed them, and to the caves that offered shelter and repose.

Muhammad had been following this practice for over a decade. Then, one night in Ramadan in the year 610, when he was about forty years old, he felt a strange stirring inside him. He welcomed the nighttime in this special month; it drew him deep into himself and allowed him to resist those impulses that pulled him back to the world, to concerns with family or business or travel. He was alert to repelling those impulses. They clouded his vision, they denied him peace of mind, and above all, they blocked his search for the truth. Yet this was a different stirring. It was deep, arresting. It overpowered him, and then it produced words, words that were not his.1 He listened:
“Read!” And he was shown a piece of silk with words embroidered on it.
He did not know how to read. “What shall I read?” he asked.
“Read!” came the command, and again the brocade was thrust before him.

He stammered, “But what shall I read?”
Muhammad could not read. All those who accompanied him on caravan trips, whether to Egypt or Syria, to Yemen or Abyssinia, could read commercial symbols but there was not yet a fully developed written Arabic.2 His companions handled the few documents of exchange that required reading or signing. When Muhammad had to sign, he would ask others to read aloud what was written, then he would sign by pressing the palm of his hand to the paper. Why then did this voice ask him to read?3

Even as he was thinking these thoughts, the voice commanded him, for the third time:
“Read!”
“But what, what shall I read?” Then the words appeared:
Read—in the Name of your Lord
Who created—
created humankind from a clot
of blood.
Read—for your Lord
is Most Bountiful,
Who taught by the pen—
taught humankind
what it did not know.

SURA AL-ʿALAQ, 96:1–5

According to some traditions, these words appeared on a coverlet of brocade and, urged for the third time, Muhammad somehow read them. But the Arabic command iqraʾ can mean not only “read!” but “recite!” hence in other traditions he is said to have recited the words after Gabriel. But in either scenario, he is said to have related that these words were written on his heart, through some miracle of comprehension. He wondered, had he become a man possessed, an ecstatic poet, the kind his clansmen distrusted, even despised? He had barely absorbed the experience when his whole body began to tremble. He waited for more counsel. But nothing came. He hurried down the mountain, running toward Mecca. Halfway down the voice returned. Now it was a booming voice with a face, a man’s face. The face appeared to come from beyond the horizon. The celestial form announced: “O Muhammad, you are the messenger of God, and I am Gabriel.” He tried to look away but wherever he turned, there was the Archangel Gabriel on the horizon, meeting his gaze.

Muhammad’s encounter on the mountain, in the tiny cave of Hira, was to change the course of world history. Revelations continued to come for the next twenty-two years, and they were eventually compiled as the text of Quran (literally, “recitation”), which, along with Muhammad’s practice, became the basis of the religion of Islam. These revelatory experiences raised him from a humble shepherd and a trader to the rank not only of prophet, but of statesman, military strategist, ruler, and, above all, a model of conduct for millions of human beings across the globe. His life can be marked by five dates: 570 CE,4 the approximate year of his birth; 595, when he married; 610, when he was called to prophecy in Mecca; 622, the year of the hijra or migration, when he left Mecca for Yathrib (later renamed Medina); and 632, when, after subduing his enemies, he died in Medina. Between the time of his birth and the time of his death, he had transformed and unified the warring tribes of Arabia into a single community of faith, and within fifty years of his death, the vast Islamic empire had overtaken the Persian and Byzantine empires, reaching the very gates of Europe. Today, his followers number almost two billion people.

Early Years
Muhammad was born into the Quraysh, the most powerful tribe of Mecca, and he belonged to the clan of Hashim. He was an orphan, losing his father, Abdullah, in the year of his birth and his mother, Amina, when he was just six. He was adopted first by his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib and then by his uncle Abu Talib; his first cousin ʿAli was a boyhood companion. At this time, Mecca was a thriving center of both religious worship and commerce. Muhammad was employed in its caravan trade. By all accounts, he was a striking young man, handsome, of medium build, with black eyes, a reddish complexion, and hair flowing to his shoulders. He rapidly earned the reputation of being al-Amin (the trustworthy). Hearing of his noble character, a wealthy businesswoman named Khadija sent him on one of her trading caravans to Syria. Khadija was a widow in her forties and she became so enamored of Muhammad’s qualities that she proposed marriage to him, which he accepted. They had two sons, who both died young, and four daughters. For twenty-five years he remained devoted to her as his only wife.

When Muhammad received the first revelation, Khadija was the first person to believe in him and support him. She had sent scouts to the mountain, who found him and brought him home. As soon as they left, he collapsed into her lap, telling her of his experience. “O son of my uncle,” she exclaimed, “rejoice . . . and be of good heart. By Him in whose hand is Khadija’s soul, I have hope that you will be the prophet of this people.”5 Muhammad received a similar assurance from Khadija’s Christian cousin Waraqa ibn Qusayy. The first man to accept the Prophet’s message was ʿAli. Among the early converts to Islam were the respected merchant Abu Bakr, who would later become the first caliph of the Islamic empire, and his uncle Hamza, known for his military prowess. ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab, another prominent noble of Mecca (and later to become the second caliph), was initially shocked on learning that his sister Fatima had converted to Islam; but when he went to her house to upbraid her, he heard the beauty of what she was reciting from the Quran and he quickly embraced the new faith.

Opposition to the New Religion
Three years after the first revelation, the Prophet was instructed by the Archangel to disseminate the message of Islam publicly, and this is when resistance grew. Like Christianity, Islam was a revolutionary religion. Just as the values of Christianity were sharply opposed to those of the brutal and materialistic Roman empire, so the early verses of the Quran emphatically derided the corruption into which Meccan tribal society had degenerated. The new religion was focused on issues of social and economic justice, insisting on fairness in business transactions, denouncing usury, espousing rights for women and the poor, and prohibiting such savage practices as the burial of newly born unwanted young girls. Since Mecca was an economic and religious center, its Qurayshi leaders saw Muhammad as undermining their entire way of life—not only their idolatrous religion but their commerce and their social practices.

In consequence, the early Muslims were subjected to torture, killing, and confiscation of their property. Muhammad’s enemies included some of his own close relatives and tribesmen. Among them was his uncle Abu Lahab, whom God cursed through a revelation, along with his wife. Worst of all was the leader of the Makhzum clan of the Quraysh, Abu Jahl, who would make a mockery of Muhammad and assault his followers. Shortly after the conversion of ‘Umar, the Quraysh publicly ostracized Muhammad and his followers. Notwithstanding the protection afforded to the Prophet by his uncle Abu Talib, the poorer and weaker Muslims were continually subjected to mistreatment. A number of them, with the Prophet’s permission, sought refuge in Abyssinia, where they were welcomed by its king, Najashi (the Negus), despite efforts of the Meccans to dissuade him. This is known as the first hijra or migration.

In 619 Muhammad endured his annus horribilus. In that year he lost Khadija, his wife, his confidante, and his mainstay in all that he did. Muhammad’s monogamous marriage with Khadija for almost twenty-five years was something highly unusual at that time. From the age of fifty until fifty-two he remained unmarried. Thereafter, between the ages of fifty-three and sixty, he married ten women, primarily for political reasons. For example, he married ʿAʾisha and Hafsa, daughters respectively of the influential leaders Abu Bakr and ʿUmar. He also married a Jewish woman, Rehana, to form ties with the tribe of Bani Qurayza, as well as a Christian woman, Maryam, which helped forge a link with Muqawqis, the ruler of Egypt. His marriage to an aging and impoverished woman called Sawda was designed to exemplify kindness to women.

In the same year that Khadija died, Muhammad also lost Abu Talib, his uncle, his father by trust, his protector against hostile clansmen and other Meccan detractors. Abu Talib had been one of the most respected elders of the Quraysh and he had been committed to safeguarding the Prophet even though he himself never converted to Islam. Without his protection, Muhammad and his followers became far more vulnerable to abuse and persecution. Realizing that he could garner no more support in Mecca, the Prophet walked about fifty miles to a neighboring town called Taʾif, hoping to convert people there. But they drove him out, stirring up their slaves to insult him and throw stones at him. Muhammad regarded this as the bitterest day of his life.
After these setbacks, there occurred an extraordinary event in that eventful year of 619. The Prophet was awakened from his sleep at the Kaʿba by the Archangel, who took him on “the night journey” (isra) on a white horse from Mecca to the mosque of Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem (originally, the temple built by Solomon). There the Prophet found Abraham, Moses, and Jesus with all the prophets, whom he led in prayer. He was then led through an ascension (miʿraj) of the seven heavens, one by one, in which he again met the various prophets, and was finally taken into the Divine Presence, where he received instruction that Muslims were obliged to pray five times daily. On returning, the Prophet met with skepticism when he related his adventure; but Abu Bakr believed instantly, and was thenceforth honored with the title al-Siddiq, which means “one who confirms or supports the truth.”

The Flight to Medina
Even after the momentous experience of 619, Muhammad continued to face harassment, persecution, and threats of assassination to himself and his followers. He sought help in other oasis towns, with tribes beyond his own. Some 250 miles to the north of Mecca was the town of Yathrib. It was inhabited by tribes that were finding it impossible to live together in peace. They sought in Muhammad—known for his truthfulness and fairness—a just leader who would arbitrate their disputes. Muhammad agreed, on condition that they accept Islam. During the annual pilgrimage in Mecca in 620, a delegation of six men from Yathrib came to meet with Muhammad. Having converted, they agreed to return to Yathrib and deliver the message of Islam to their townspeople. The following year, a delegation of twelve leading men, including five from the previous year, came and pledged allegiance to the Prophet and to Islam at ʿAqaba (known as the First ʿAqaba). In 622 a further delegation of seventy-three men and two women pledged allegiance to the Prophet, again at ʿAqaba, and vowed to protect him if he came to reside in their city (the Second ʿAqaba). These pledges promised hope of an established community with its own sovereign territory—something Muhammad needed if his religion were to survive.
The Prophet now encouraged his followers to migrate to Yathrib; it was not long before most of them had gone, leaving behind in Mecca only Abu Bakr, ʿAli, and the Prophet himself. After a plot by the Quraysh to assassinate Muhammad was foiled, the Prophet also departed, along with Abu Bakr. They stayed initially in a cave in Mount Thaur to the south of Mecca. The Quraysh, who came looking for them with murderous intent, found an acacia tree in front of the cave, with a spiderweb spread between the tree and the mouth of the cave; also, a rock dove had made her nest there. Concluding that no one could be hidden inside, they left.

The Prophet and Abu Bakr, with their Bedouin guide, reached the oasis of Qubaʾ, not far from Yathrib, in late September 622. They stayed there for three days during which the Prophet laid the foundations of the first mosque. They departed soon for the city since there was great anticipation in Medina of the Prophet’s arrival. A guard of honor from the Yathribi tribes of Aws and Khazraj rode on both sides of the Prophet as he proceeded through the city lined with people gathered to greet him. He ordered that a mosque be built at the courtyard where his camel chose to rest. The Prophet gave the title of ansar (helpers) to the Muslims of Medina while the Muslims of the Quraysh and other tribes who had immigrated there were called muhajirun (emigrants).

In order to bring peace and unity to the community in his new city, the Prophet made a covenant (later known as the Constitution of Medina) between the eight clans of the ansar and the muhajirun, as well as between the Jews and the Muslims. The nine Muslim tribes and the Jews of the oasis now constituted a single umma or community. Muslims and Jews were to be accorded equal status, with freedom of belief, and they were obliged to fight enemies or to make peace with them as one people. Yathrib was now known as the City of the Prophet or Madinat al-nabi, and today simply as Medina. It was from Medina that Muhammad was to begin his journey as a prophet both for fellow Arabs and all humankind. The flight (hijra) to Medina in 622 marked the beginning of a new moment and also a new calendar; 622 became the first year for the community who accepted Muhammad, those who prayed with him, those who fought for his cause, those who, like him, waited for guidance from beyond through Gabriel.

Early Wars
The Muslim immigrants to Medina had left their belongings behind in Mecca, which was seized by their opponents. Much of their property had already been confiscated and they were still under threat. Shortly after his arrival in Medina there came to Muhammad the following revelation in the Quran:
Permission to fight is given
to those who are attacked,
for they have been wronged.6
And God is All Powerful
in His support of them—
those driven out of their homes unjustly
—merely for saying, “Our Lord is the One God.”
If God did not restrain some people
by means of others, then monasteries,
churches, synagogues, and mosques
—where the name of God
is remembered often—would be torn down.
God will help those who help His cause,
for God is Supremely Strong, Almighty.

SURA AL-HAJJ, 22:39–40

But this was always to be a defensive war, a reluctant recourse to violence when other stratagems had failed. The war Muhammad waged against the Meccans was not a struggle for prestige or wealth; it was a war for the survival of God’s Word. The helpers from Medina joined the migrants from Mecca. They provided the migrants with food and shelter from their own resources, but they were all stretched to the limit. They began to raid the caravans of their Meccan foes. They raided only small caravans at first, and never attacked during those times when fighting, especially blood feuds, was prohibited. As someone who had guided many successful caravans, Muhammad knew the routes and the seasons. He also knew the wells where Meccan traders would pass with their camels and their goods.

After the Muslims attacked a Meccan caravan at the oasis of Nakhla in December 623, the provocation to Muhammad’s former tribespeople was clear. Muhammad and his followers braced for the next outbreak in what was to become an enduring conflict with their Meccan kinsmen. During the next nine years Muhammad planned thirty-eight battles that were fought by his fellow believers. He himself led twenty-seven military campaigns. The merchant messenger had become not only a recognized prophet but also a successful military strategist.

Muhammad did not have to wait long before leading his first full-scale military campaign. It came at the wells of Badr the following year, in 624. The Muslims chose to attack a caravan coming south from Palestine to Mecca. The Meccans learned of their plan, opposing them with a force of a thousand men and two hundred horses, far outnumbering the Muslim band of three hundred men. Notwithstanding their smaller numbers, the Muslims won a decisive victory. The Quran indicated, as yet another divine sign, that they had been helped by a heavenly host:
God helped you at the Battle of Badr
when you were but a weak force;
be mindful, then, of God,
that you might be thankful.
Remember when you said
to the believers, “Is it not enough
that your Lord reinforced you with
three thousand descending angels?
Yes—if you remain patient
and mindful of God, even if
the enemy falls upon you suddenly,
your Lord will reinforce you with
five thousand assigned angels.”
God made it only a message
of hope for you, to reassure
your hearts—there is no help
except from God,
the Almighty, the Wise—
SURA AL ʿIMRAN, 3:123–26

The Battle of Badr struck fear into the hearts of the Meccans, but it also made some even more firmly resolved to defeat the upstart Muslims. Among the Meccan opponents was Hind ibn ʿUtba, the wife of the mighty Meccan warrior Abu Sufyan. Having lost both her uncle and her father at Badr, she incited her husband, even though he was both Muhammad’s cousin and his foster brother, to plan for the next encounter. By 625 he had assembled a large army of three thousand men, both foot soldiers and cavalry, which marched toward Medina. The Muslims, a force of only seven hundred men, countered by moving out of the city proper to engage their rivals on the slopes of a nearby mountain, Uhud.

Despite the superior numbers of the Meccans, it went well for the Muslims until some of Muhammad’s followers broke ranks too early. Muhammad had placed fifty archers on a hill to protect the rear of his army but forty of them, perhaps anticipating another victory such as Badr and eager for spoils, rushed down the hill. The Meccans counterattacked, and Khalid ibn al-Walid, one of the brilliant Meccan nobles, led his squadron to the unprotected rear of the Muslim formation. Catching them unawares, he began a great slaughter. The Prophet’s uncle Hamza was felled by a skilled Meccan javelin thrower paid by Hind, and Muhammad himself, though protected by twenty of his closest followers, was knocked off his horse. One of his teeth was broken, his face gashed, a lip bruised. Daring to hope that Muhammad might die from his wounds, Abu Sufyan began to taunt the defeated Muslim troops. Muhammad sent his trusted lieutenant, ʿUmar, to give him the riposte: “God is most high, most glorious,” shouted ʿUmar. “We are by no means equal: our dead are in paradise, yours are in hell; and by God, you have not killed the Prophet. He hears us even as we speak!”

Not only was Muhammad listening, but he also had resolved to learn the deeper lesson behind this bitter defeat. The defeat of Uhud became as important for Islam as the victory of Badr. It reinforced Muhammad’s resolve to secure the loyalty of all his followers—both the Muslims and the non-Muslims bound to him by treaty. There followed some difficult, often bloody purges of tribes near Medina, then a major battle in 627—the Battle of the Trench. A mighty army composed of ten thousand men, four thousand from the Quraysh themselves and the rest from various tribes, was led again by Abu Sufyan, the architect of Uhud. Abu Sufyan had hoped to invade Medina, to defeat and destroy the Muslim upstarts once and for all. The Muslims dug a trench around the city, to which the Meccans laid siege. Three thousand Muslims were encamped outside the city with the trench between them and their foes. Even after several days the Quraysh were unable to cross the trench and hostilities were restricted to a mutual discharge of arrows. The weather was cold and wet and the invading armies were rapidly running out of supplies. Their horses and camels were dying. Then a fierce sandstorm raged over the plain and blew away the tents of the Quraysh. Abu Sufyan told his men to go home, and the allied tribes also deserted their camps. Through this act of God, the Muslims had gained an important victory, which meant their survival.

The Treaty of Hudaybiyya
Inspired by a dream in the year 628, Muhammad instructed his followers to set out for a pilgrimage to the Kaʿba in Mecca, a rectangular shrine regarded as the holiest place on earth by Muslims. They believe the Kaʿba to have been built by Abraham. It was to this place that Abraham sent his concubine Hagar and her son, Ishmael. It was here that, with divine guidance, he had made provision for a branch of his family. The central role of this shrine is voiced by Abraham in the Quran:
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.

SURA IBRAHIM, 14:37

After the time of Abraham, however, the shrine had become the site of idols that represented local gods and tribal deities. Some believed that these idols possessed a power rivaling the God of Abraham. Others frowned on this polytheism, including local Jews and Christians, as well as some Arabs who traced their views to an ancient Arab prophet, Salih, who had also followed the monotheism of Moses and Jesus. But by the time of Muhammad, idolatry prevailed, and the Quraysh had become guardians of the sanctuary and overseers of the annual pilgrimage that people made from various parts of Arabia and beyond. It was an integral part of Muhammad’s mission to rid the Kaʿba of these idols and to reaffirm belief in the one God, Allah.
Muhammad set out with about fourteen hundred followers, each wearing two white cloths, the traditional garb of pilgrims, accompanied by animals garlanded for sacrifice. News of his plans evoked a dilemma among the Quraysh; as guardians of the shrine, they would be violating their own tribal customs if they were to prevent pilgrims from approaching the holy site; yet allowing them entry would represent a moral triumph for Muhammad. They sent the fierce warrior Khalid ibn al-Walid with two hundred horsemen to bar the pilgrims’ approach. The Muslims managed to avoid him and made camp at Hudaybiyya en route to Mecca. Eventually, the Quraysh sent Suhayl ibn ʿAmr, an unremittent opponent of the new religion, to negotiate a pact with the Prophet.

The result was the Treaty of Hudaybiyya, which stated that the Muslims would be allowed to perform the pilgrimage only in the following year and, in an important provision, declared a ten-year period of peace, as well as the freedom of people to align themselves with either side. Although some of the Muslims were frustrated at having to postpone their pilgrimage, a revelation from the Quran spoke of the treaty as “a clear victory” (Sura 48:1). It was indeed a victory since it enabled many people to come to the Prophet to declare their faith; over the next two years the Muslim community more than doubled. During this time, the Prophet sent letters inviting a number of rulers to embrace Islam: Heraclius in Byzantium, Khosrow of Persia, Muqawqis in Egypt, and the Negus of Abyssinia. Only the last of these accepted his invitation. Many of the Prophet’s former opponents, including Khalid ibn Walid, also embraced Islam and were forgiven for all they had previously wrought against Muhammad.

The Peaceful Entry into Mecca
Their treaty with the Quraysh allowed the Muslims to focus on other dangers. In 629, Muhammad led his forces against the strongholds of Khaybar, a town to the north occupied by a group of Jews who had betrayed their agreement with him. After several days, all the fortresses of the town had been overcome or had surrendered. Muhammad agreed to let the Jews remain on the terms that they themselves had proposed—namely, that they would pay him a yearly rent of half their harvest. In 630 the Treaty of Hudaybiyya was violated by the Meccans, with momentous consequences. The Quraysh helped one of their allied clans in a night raid against a clan allied with the Muslims. Fearing the repercussions of this, the Meccans sent Abu Sufyan to pacify the Prophet, but to no avail. The Prophet prepared a campaign to take Mecca and sent messengers to allied tribes for help. They responded enthusiastically and the Muslim army, composed of Bedouins, immigrants, and helpers, numbered nearly ten thousand men. They encamped on the outskirts of Mecca and the sight of their many thousand campfires that night confirmed the fears of the Quraysh. They once again sent Abu Sufyan, with two other men, to the Prophet, and by the morning all three had declared their faith in the one God and His Prophet. Abu Sufyan returned to tell his fellow Meccans that Muhammad was about to enter the city with an irresistible force. But he also conveyed Muhammad’s message that anyone in his house was safe, and that anyone who stayed at home or in the mosque would not be harmed.

It was January in the year 630. The sight of the returning Muslim Meccans and their allies melted the hearts of many who had been their bitter enemies. Tribe after tribe entered the city, each with its banners and pennants, followed by the Prophet’s squadron of immigrants and helpers, fully armed so that only their eyes were visible. They entered the city peacefully from four directions, with no bloodshed beyond a small skirmish started by the Quraysh. The Prophet had forbidden any fighting. After his ritual purification with water, Muhammad prayed and then rode to the southeast corner of the Kaʿba to touch the black stone7 with his staff. Then he performed the traditional seven circumambulations of the shrine. He now turned to the wide circle of 360 idols that surrounded the Kaʿba, pointing at each one with his staff as he rode, and each in turn fell on its face. His cousin ʿAli brought him the key to the Kaʿba, which he entered with two companions. The inside walls were covered with pictures of pagan deities. The Prophet had these effaced; but two icons he preserved, one said to be of Abraham and the other of the Virgin Mary with the child Jesus.

Having ordered that the idols should be broken and burned, Muhammad received the homage of his enemies, who now came to enter Islam, including Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan. Most of the Meccans pledged their allegiance. He forgave them all.

Final Encounters and the Unification of Arabia
After the conquest of Mecca, the Muslims fought further battles, notably in 630 at the Hunayn valley against tribes to the east and southeast of Mecca who were intent on halting the spread of Islam. The battle at Hunayn proved to be a decisive victory for the Muslims. Later in the same year, a rumor reached Medina that the Byzantine emperor Heraclius, alarmed at the growing power of the Muslims, planned to attack them, and was amassing his legions along the Syrian frontier. The Prophet decided to meet them at Tabuk, some 350 miles from Medina, with an army of thirty thousand men, the largest he had ever commanded. After spending some twenty days at Tabuk, the Muslims realized that the rumors had been unfounded. They made alliances with local tribes and began the march back to Medina.

Muhammad was now the most powerful leader in Arabia, most of which he had succeeded in uniting under one faith. People were to be bound now not by blood or tribal kinship but by a shared belief in the one God and His final messenger. In the so-called Year of Deputations (632), most tribes had come to him to profess their acceptance of Islam. These included the Bani Thaqif from Taʿif who, some twelve years earlier, had so disdainfully driven Muhammad from their town. The Prophet also stipulated that Jews and Christians should not be compelled to forgo their religion but would pay a poll tax (jizya) to protect them and maintain their houses of worship.8 When the Christians of Najran came to make a pact with the Prophet, he allowed them to pray in the mosque according to their own ritual and guaranteed the safety of their churches and their property.

The expedition to Tabuk and the coming of the numerous delegations convinced some of Muhammad’s followers that they would no longer be called upon to fight. They prepared to sell their arms and armor. But the Prophet forbade this, saying that his followers would continue to fight for the truth until the coming of the Antichrist, who would wreak great corruption on the earth. The Prophet foretold the Second Coming of Jesus, who would lead this struggle. Beyond making these predictions about the last days, Muhammad also clarified the essentials of the new religion. His companion ʿUmar reported that, one day, while the Prophet was sitting with his followers, a man dressed in pure white came to ask him the meaning of “submission” (islam). The Prophet explained that it comprised five obligations: to testify that there is no god other than the one God and that Muhammad is His messenger; to perform the required prayers; to give what is due in charity; to fast during the month of Ramadan; and, if possible, to make the pilgrimage to Mecca during the Hajj season. These were to become known as the five pillars of Islam. The Prophet later explained that the man, who corroborated his answers, was Gabriel, who had come to teach them their religion.

The Farewell Pilgrimage
In 632 CE the Prophet undertook his final pilgrimage to Mecca. He was joined by multitudes who gathered from all directions, numbering over thirty thousand men and women. From this time on, no polytheists were allowed into the holy precincts. During the pilgrimage, the Prophet instructed his followers about the rites and customs of the Hajj, and then took up a position on the hill of ʿArafat to address them in his farewell sermon. He told them that their blood and property were sacrosanct; that they would surely meet their Lord and be questioned about their works. He reminded them that usury was abolished and that all blood that had been shed in the pagan period was to be left unavenged. He encouraged them by saying that Satan had despaired of leading them astray in large matters, hence they should beware of his influence in smaller things. He reminded them that husbands and wives had rights over each other. Finally, he told them that he had left two things with them that would prevent their going astray: the Quran and his own example.9

Soon after his return to Medina, the Prophet had just finished praying for the dead at the local cemetery when he fell ill with an intense headache. He indicated to his companions that he was nearing his end, his meeting with his Lord. He also declared Abu Bakr to be his inseparable friend, and as his illness increased, he instructed that Abu Bakr should lead the prayer in the mosque. The Prophet prayed his final prayer, seated to the right behind his chosen companion. He returned to the apartment of ʿAʾisha, his youngest wife, and died with his head on her breast. ʿUmar did not believe that the Prophet had died and stood in the mosque to tell people that he was still alive. While he was speaking, Abu Bakr arrived and intervened, telling the people that if they worshipped Muhammad, they should know that Muhammad was dead, but if they worshipped God, He was ever living and does not die. He quoted this verse from the Quran:
Muhammad is no more than
a messenger, and messengers
passed away before him. If he died
or were killed, would you turn
upon your heels? Whoever so turns
can do no harm to God;
but God will reward those
who are grateful.

SURA AL ʿIMRAN, 3:144

In accordance with his own instructions, the Prophet was buried where he died. It was decided within the community that Abu Bakr should succeed him as its leader and he would become the first caliph of the Islamic empire. People flocked from all over Medina to the Prophet’s gravesite to say prayers for him, feeling that a great door—to communications from the beyond—had been closed. Indeed, the revelations had finished, but the miracle of the inimitable Quran remained with them.

General Characteristics of the Quran
The Quran (meaning “recitation”) was revealed to the Prophet by the Archangel Gabriel over a period of twenty-three years (610–632). Its Arabic text has survived unchanged for over fourteen centuries, and it is the primary source of authority in Islam, complemented by the hadith (traditions or sayings of the Prophet). The Quran consists of 114 suras or chapters, which are in turn composed of ayat or “verses” (singular: aya). The suras are traditionally divided into Meccan and Medinan, named after their place of revelation. The earlier suras revealed at Mecca are shorter, proclaiming God’s Oneness, establishing the Prophet’s credentials, addressing issues of social justice, and reminding people of impending judgment, with graphic evocations of heaven and hell. The later suras, revealed after Muhammad’s migration to Medina, are longer, more prosaic, and concern laws and regulations of various aspects of domestic and social life such as marriage, inheritance, and business transactions; the need to establish a united community; connections with the Jews and Christians (the “people of the Book”); and stories of earlier prophets.

In time, the words Muhammad heard, remembered, and recited became a book. It was confirmed as a canonical written text by his third successor, the Caliph ʿUthman, who arranged all the variants into one standardized version. The order of the suras here is not chronological and generally the longer ones are placed earlier, with the shortest ones at the end. The Quran often refers to itself as the book (kitab), but a book that is not identical with its physical version (known as mushaf). The Quran has existed as a written text since the seventh century; excerpts from it are inscribed in stone on the Dome of the Rock, a memorial in Jerusalem, by an early Muslim ruler, the Caliph ʿAbd al-Malik.10 It has been written down by countless generations of Muslims, making calligraphy a major art form in Islamic civilization. The written Quran is prized as a sacred object around the world. In many Muslim households, a copy of the Quran is set out in a prominent place on a special stand (kursi).

The Quran speaks of itself as the final stage of four revealed books, the other three being the Torah, the Gospels, and the Psalms.11 Among the Arabs, those practicing Judaism or Christianity (but not paganism) would have been familiar with its presumption of a single God beyond human knowing. However, in other respects, the new revelation echoed a cosmology that was readily accepted by all—a heaven populated with angels and archangels, a hell strewn with devils, and, in between these, ambiguous creatures called jinn, who are neither angelic nor demonic yet omnipresent and vigilant.

Notwithstanding the rich diversity of its cosmology, the central theme of the Quran is the unity of God, who has no partners, a point stressed again and again, as in this verse:
Among His signs are
night and day, sun and moon.
Do not bow before sun and moon,
but bow before God,
Who created them—
if it is Him alone you worship.

SURA FUSSILAT, 41:37

The sun, moon and stars, men, women, and children, elephants, spiders and ants, trees, plants, and grass—all have been created by a single unitary force, God. God’s Oneness is the foundation of the other Quranic themes: the attributes of God, as in the ninety-nine Beautiful Names of God, the most prominent among them being the Creator, the Merciful, the Forgiving, and the All Knowing. Acknowledging the unity of God entails complete “submission” to Him.

The one God is the Creator, Ruler, and Protector of all things in the universe. The rhythm of creation reflects His signs (ayat), the same word used to denote “verses.” Far from being random, creation is designed to reflect the natural—and human—order as He willed it:
Your Lord is God, Who created
the heavens and the earth in six days,
then took up the throne.
He veils day with night,
which trails it swiftly.
He created the sun, moon, and stars—
all subject to His command.
Is the creation not His,
and the command? Blessèd be God,
Lord of the universe.

SURA AL-AʿRAF, 7:54

Other major themes include the obligation of human beings to worship God, not only through prayer but by practicing justice, honesty, and charity, as summarized in this passage:
Righteousness
does not reside
in turning your faces
toward East or West;
rather, it resides in those—
who believe in God
and the last day,
in the angels, the Book,
and the prophets;
who give their wealth
—despite their love of it—
for kin, for orphans, the needy,
the traveler, for those who ask,
and for freeing slaves;
who are steadfast in prayer,
who give in charity,
keeping their covenants;
who suffer in patience
hardship, pain, and
times of conflict—
they are the ones
who are truthful, and
they are the ones
mindful of God.

SURA AL-BAQARA, 2:177

The only attribute through which human beings can attain any degree of superiority over others is taqwa, or mindfulness of God—which means striving for all the qualities enumerated in this verse. The Quran speaks of itself as the final revelation, completing and confirming both the Jewish and Christian scriptures; it accords a very special place to Abraham, Jesus, and the Virgin Mary, while affirming that Muhammad is the last messenger of God, the “seal” of the prophets.

Perhaps the signal characteristic of the Quran is its perfection in its original form, its conventionally cited “inimitability,” and the inevitable diminishment it suffers when translated into another language. Nonetheless, the majority of the world’s Muslims do not read (or comprehend spoken) Arabic and need the Quran to be conveyed to them in their own language. No translation can ever substitute for the Quran itself, but as we will explain in the next section, we believe that at least some of the power of this majestic book can be conveyed in English.

1The following narrative is based on three literary sources unless otherwise indicated:
(1) The Quran itself as it appears in print in what is known as the ʿUthmanic recension, authorized by the third caliph, in the mid-seventh century. Wherever the Quran is quoted, it will be noted briefly with English renditions from the current translation.
(2) Hadith, which are accounts relating both words and actions of the Prophet Muhammad, gathered in numerous collections of varying authenticity from the eighth century on.
(3) The sira or biography of the Prophet, compiled from both hadith and Quranic passages, also dating from the eighth century. This biographical account draws largely on two sources: Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah (Life of the Prophet of God) written in the mid-eighth century and translated into English by Alfred Guillaume as The Life of Muhammad (Karachi: Oxford University Press, 1955), and Martin Lings, Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources (Rochester, Vt.: Inner Traditions International, 1983).
2For more on the status of literacy in sixth-century Arabia, see Ahmad al-Jallad, “The Linguistic Landscape of Pre-Islamic Arabia: Context for the Qur’an,” in The Oxford Handbook of Qur’anic Studies, edited by M. Shah and M. A. S. Haleem (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020), 111–27. The author stresses the importance of further analyzing the limited samples of pre-Islamic epigraphy and also conducting “a lexical study of Qur’anic vocabulary in the light of North Arabian inscriptions” (125). Both projects, it is hoped, will provide new insight into the earliest linguistic options for Quranic prophecy.
3There is a persistent ambiguity about what “read” meant as a command to someone who was “illiterate.” One could translate the command iqraʾ to mean “recite,” but such a rendition weakens the exchange in English. As Muhammad Asad explains, the concept of “reciting” implies no more than the oral delivery—with or without understanding—of something already laid down in writing or committed to memory, whereas “reading” primarily signifies a conscious taking-in, with or without an audible utterance but with a view to understanding them, of words and ideas received from an outside source: see his The Message of the Quran (Watsonville, Calif.: The Book Foundation, 2003), 1099n1.
4Throughout the introduction and the notes, we use CE (common era) to refer to the solar Julian calendar, distinct from the lunar Islamic calendar, known as AH (anno hegirae). The latter commemorates the hijra or migration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Yathrib, later renamed Medina, in 622 CE.
5Ibn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad, 107.
6This verse is the earliest pronouncement of what became the principle of self-defense in Islamic law, not invoked until after Muhammad had left Mecca for Medina in 622 CE (1 AH), the hijra or migration. Sura 2:190–94, which also permits fighting in self-defense, was revealed about a year later. The reference to “mosques” underscores that the verse was influenced by developments in Medina.
7This is a stone set in the southeast corner of the Kaʿba, believed to date back to Adam.
8The poll tax or jizya was levied on non-Muslims in return for protection from any invading or attacking force because they were not required to fight in the Muslim army.
9Lings, Muhammad, 651.
10See The Quran: A Biography (2006), chap. 4 for citation, as well as an explanation of the multiple Quranic verses from the Dome of the Rock.
11All four scriptures are related in the Quran to their prophetic conduits: the Torah to Moses (Sura 32:33), the Psalms to David (Sura 17:55), the Gospels to Jesus (Sura 5:11), and, of course, the Quran to Muhammad.