By those [angels] ranged in rows
who rebuke reproachfull
and recite God’s word
truly your God is One
Lord of the heavens and earth and everything between them, Lord of every sunrise
We have adorned the lowest heaven with stars
and made them a safeguard against every rebellious devil
they cannot eavesdrop on the Higher Assembly––pelted from every side
driven away, they will have perpetual torment––
if any [of them] stealthily snatches away a fragment, he will be pursued by a piercing flame
So [Prophet], ask the disbelievers: is it harder to create them than other beings We have created? We created them from sticky clay
You marvel as they scoff
take no heed when they are warned
and resort to ridicule when they see a sign
saying, ‘This is no more than blatant sorcery.’
‘What! After we have died and become dust and bones, shall we really be raised up again
along with our forefathers?’
Say, ‘Yes indeed, and you will be humiliated.’
Just one blast and––lo and behold!––they will loo
and say, ‘Woe to us! This is the Day of Judgement.’
[It will be said], ‘This is the Day of Decision, which you used to deny
[Angels], gather together those who did wrong, and others like them, as well as whatever they worshippe
beside God, lead them all to the path of Hell
and halt them for questioning
“Why do you not support each other now?” ’––
no indeed! They will be in complete submission on that Day––
and they will turn on one another accusingly
They will say, ‘You came to us from a position of power.’
They will say, ‘No! It was you who would not believe
we had no power over you- and you were already exceeding all limits
Our Lord’s sentence on us is just and we must all taste the punishment
We led you astray as we ourselves were astray.’
On that Day they will all share the torment
this is how We deal with the guilty
Whenever it was said to them, ‘There is no deity but God,’ they became arrogant
and said, ‘Are we to forsake our gods for a mad poet?’
‘No: he brought the truth and confirmed the earlier messengers
you will taste the painful torment
and be repaid only according to your deeds.’
Not so God’s true servants
They will have familiar provisions––
fruits- and will be honoure
in gardens of delight
seated on couches, facing one another
A drink will be passed round among them from a flowing spring
white, delicious to those who taste it
causing no headiness or intoxication
With them will be spouses- modest of gaze and beautiful of eye
like protected eggs
They will turn to one another with questions
one will say, ‘I had a close companion on earth
who used to ask me, “Do you really believe tha
after we die and become dust and bone, we shall be brought for judgement?”’
Then he will say, ‘Shall we look for him?’
He will look down and see him in the midst of the Fire
and say to him, ‘By God, you almost brought me to ruin
Had it not been for the grace of my Lord, I too would have been taken to Hell.’
Then he will say [to his blessed companions], ‘Are we never to die again after our earlier death
Shall we never suffer
This truly is the supreme triumph!’
Everyone should strive to attain this
Is this the better welcome, or the tree of Zaqqum
which we have made a test for the evildoers
This tree grows in the heart of the blazing Fire
and its fruits are like devils’ heads
They will fill their bellies eating from it
then drink scalding water on top of it
then return to the blazing Fire
They found their forefathers astray
and rushed to follow in their footsteps- before the disbelievers [of Mecca]
most men in the past went astray
even though We sent messengers to warn them
See how those who were warned met their end
Not so the true servants of God
Noah cried to Us, and how excellent was Our response
We saved him and his people from great distress
We let his offspring remain on the earth
We let him be praised by later generations
‘Peace be upon Noah among all the nations!’
This is how We reward those who do good
he was truly one of Our faithful servants
We drowned the rest
Abraham was of the same faith
he came to his Lord with a devoted heart
He said to his father and his people, ‘What are you worshipping
How can you choose false gods instead of the true God
So what is your opinion about the Lord of all the Worlds?’
then he looked up to the stars
He said, ‘I am sick,’
so [his people] turned away from him and left
He turned to their gods and said
‘Do you not eat? Why do you not speak?’
then he turned and struck them with his right arm
His people hurried towards him
but he said, ‘How can you worship things you carve with your own hands
when it is God who has created you and all your handiwork?’
They said, ‘Build a pyre and throw him into the blazing fire.’
They wanted to harm him, but We humiliated them
He said, ‘I will go to my Lord: He is sure to guide me
Lord, grant me a righteous son,’
so We gave him the good news that he would have a patient son
When the boy was old enough to work with his father, Abraham said, ‘My son, I have seen myself sacrificing you in a dream. What do you think?’ He said, ‘Father, do as you are commanded and, God willing, you will find me steadfast.’
When they had both submitted to God, and he had laid his son down on the side of his face
We called out to him, ‘Abraham
you have fulfilled the dream.’ This is how We reward those who do good
it was a test to prove [their true characters]
We ransomed his son with a momentous sacrifice
and We let him be praised by succeeding generations
‘Peace be upon Abraham!’
This is how We reward those who do good
truly he was one of Our faithful servants
We gave Abraham the good news of Isaac- a prophet and a righteous man
and blessed him and Isaac too: some of their offspring were good, but some clearly wronged themselves
We also bestowed Our favour on Moses and Aaron
We saved them and their people from great distress
We helped them, so they were the ones to succeed
We gave them the Scripture that makes things clear
We guided them to the right path
We let them be praised by succeeding generations
‘Peace be upon Moses and Aaron!’
This is how We reward those who do good
truly they were among Our faithful servants
Elijah too was one of the messengers
He said to his people, ‘Have you no fear of God
How can you invoke Baal and forsake the Most Gracious Creator
God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers?’
but they rejected him. They will be brought to punishment as a consequence
not so the true servants of God
We let him be praised by succeeding generations
‘Peace be to Elijah!’
This is how We reward those who do good
truly he was one of Our faithful servants
Lot was also one of the messengers
We saved him and all his family
except for an old woman who stayed behind
and We destroyed the rest
You [people] pass by their ruins morning
and night: will you not take heed
Jonah too was one of the messengers
He fled to the overloaded ship
They cast lots, he suffered defeat
and a great fish swallowed him, for he had committed blameworthy acts
If he had not been one of those who glorified God
he would have stayed in its belly until the Day when all are raised up
but We cast him out, sick, on to a barren shore
and made a gourd tree grow above him
We sent him to a hundred thousand people or more
They believed, so We let them live out their lives
Now [Muhammad], ask the disbelievers: is it true that your Lord has daughters, while they choose sons for themselves
Did We create the angels as females while they were watching
No indeed! It is one of their lies when they say
‘God has begotten.’ How they lie
Did He truly choose daughters in preference to sons
What is the matter with you? How do you form your judgements
Do you not reflect
Do you perhaps have clear authority
Bring your scriptures, if you are telling the truth
They claim that He has kinship with the jinn, yet the jinn themselves know that they will be brought before Him
God is far above what they attribute to Him
the true servants of God do not do such things
and neither you nor what you worship
can lure away from God an
except those who will burn in Hell
[The angels say], ‘Every single one of us has his appointed place
we are ranged in ranks
We glorify God.’
[The disbelievers] used to say
‘If only we had a scripture like previous people
we would be true servants of God,’
yet now they reject [the Quran]. They will soon realize
Our word has already been given to Our servants the messengers
it is they who will be helped
and the ones who support Our cause will be the winners
So [Prophet] turn away from the disbelievers for a while
Watch them: they will soon see
Do they really wish to hasten Our punishment
When it descends on their courtyards, how ter-rible that morning will be for those who were warned
[Prophet], turn away from the disbelievers for a while
Watch them: they will soon see
Your Lord, the Lord of Glory, is far above what they attribute to Him
Peace be upon the messenger
and praise be to God the Lord of all the Worlds