Chapter 15, 99 verses
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Alif. Lam. Ra. These are verses of the Scripture and a plain Reading.
Alif Lam Ra. These are the verses of the Book and (of) a Quran that makes (things) clear.
It may be that those who disbelieve wish ardently that they were Muslims.
Often will those who disbelieve wish that they had been Muslims.
Let them eat and enjoy life, and let (false) hope beguile them. They will come to know!
Leave them that they may eat and enjoy themselves and (that) hope may beguile them, for they will soon know.
And We destroyed no township but there was a known decree for it.
And never did We destroy a town but it had a term made known.
No nation can outstrip its term nor can they lag behind.
No people can hasten on their doom nor can they postpone (it).
And they say: O thou unto whom the Reminder is revealed, lo! thou art indeed a madman!
And they say: O you to whom the Reminder has been revealed! you are most surely insane:
Why bringest thou not angels unto us, if thou art of the truthful ?
Why do you not bring to us the angels if you are of the truthful ones?
We send not down the angels save with the Fact, and in that case (the disbelievers) would not be tolerated.
We do not send the angels but with truth, and then they would not be respited.
Lo! We, even We, reveal the Reminder, and lo! We verily are its Guardian.
Surely We have revealed the Reminder and We will most surely be its guardian.
We verily sent (messengers) before thee among the factions of the men of old.
And certainly We sent (apostles) before you among the nations of yore.
And never came there unto them a messenger but they did mock him.
And there never came an apostle to them but they mocked him.
Thus do We make it traverse the hearts of the guilty:
Thus do We make it to enter into the hearts of the guilty;
They believe not therein, though the example of the men of old hath gone before.
They do not believe in it, and indeed the example of the former people has already passed.
And even if We opened unto them a gate of heaven and they kept mounting through it,
And even if We open to them a gateway of heaven, so that they ascend into it all the while,
They would say: Our sight is wrong - nay, but we are folk bewitched.
They would certainly say: Only our eyes have been covered over, rather we are an enchanted people.
And verily in the heaven we have set mansions of the stars, and We have beautified it for beholders.
And certainly We have made strongholds in the heaven and We have made it fair seeming to the beholders.
And We have guarded it from every outcast devil,
And We guard it against every accursed Shaitan,
Save him who stealeth the hearing, and them doth a clear flame pursue.
But he who steals a hearing, so there follows him a visible flame.
And the earth have We spread out, and placed therein firm hills, and caused each seemly thing to grow therein.
And the earth - - We have spread it forth and made in it firm mountains and caused to grow in it of every suitable thing.
And we have given unto you livelihoods therein, and unto those for whom ye provide not.
And We have made in it means of subsistence for you and for him for whom you are not the suppliers.
And there is not a thing but with Us are the stores thereof. And we send it not down save in appointed measure.
And there is not a thing but with Us are the treasures of it, and We do not send it down but in a known measure.
And We send the winds fertilising, and cause water to descend from the sky, and give it you to drink. It is not ye who are the holders of the store thereof.
And We send the winds fertilizing, then send down water from the cloud so We give it to you to drink of, nor is it you who store it up.
Lo! and it is We, even We, Who quicken and give death, and We are the Inheritor.
And most surely We bring to life and cause to die and We are the heirs.
And verily We know the eager among you and verily We know the laggards.
And certainly We know those of you who have gone before and We certainly know those who shall come later.
Lo! thy Lord will gather them together. Lo! He is Wise, Aware.
And surely your Lord will gather them together; surely He is Wise, Knowing.
Verily We created man of potter's clay of black mud altered,
And certainly We created man of clay that gives forth sound, of black mud fashioned in shape.
And the jinn did We create aforetime of essential fire.
And the jinn We created before, of intensely hot fire.
And (remember) when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am creating a mortal out of potter's clay of black mud altered,
And when your Lord said to the angels: Surely I am going to create a mortal of the essence of black mud fashioned in shape.
So, when I have made him and have breathed into him of My Spirit, do ye fall down, prostrating yourselves unto him.
So when I have made him complete and breathed into him of My spirit, fall down making obeisance to him.
So the angels fell prostrate, all of them together
So the angels made obeisance, all of them together,
Save Iblis. He refused to be among the prostrate.
But Iblis (did it not); he refused to be with those who made obeisance.
He said: O Iblis! What aileth thee that thou art not among the prostrate ?
He said: O Iblis! what excuse have you that you are not with those who make obeisance?
He said: I am not one to prostrate myself unto a mortal whom Thou hast created out of potter's clay of black mud altered!
He said: I am not such that I should make obeisance to a mortal whom Thou hast created of the essence of black mud fashioned in shape.
He said: Then go thou forth from hence, for lo! thou art outcast.
He said: Then get out of it, for surely you are driven away:
And lo! the curse shall be upon thee till the Day of Judgment.
And surely on you is curse until the day of judgment.
He said: My Lord! Reprieve me till the day when they are raised.
He said: My Lord! then respite me till the time when they are raised.
He said: Then lo! thou art of those reprieved
He said: So surely you are of the respited ones
Till the Day of appointed time.
Till the period of the time made known.
He said: My Lord! Because Thou hast sent me astray, I verily shall adorn the path of error for them in the earth, and shall mislead them every one,
He said: My Lord! because Thou hast made life evil to me, I will certainly make (evil) fair - seeming to them on earth, and I will certainly cause them all to deviate
Save such of them as are Thy perfectly devoted slaves.
Except Thy servants from among them, the devoted ones.
He said: This is a right course incumbent upon Me:
He said: This is a right way with Me:
Lo! as for My slaves, thou hast no power over any of them save such of the froward as follow thee,
Surely. as regards My servants, you have no authority, over them except those who follow you of the deviators.
And lo! for all such, hell will be the promised place.
And surely Hell is the promised place of them all:
It hath seven gates, and each gate hath an appointed portion.
It has seven gates; for every gate there shall be a separate party of them.
Lo! those who ward off (evil) are among gardens and watersprings.
Surely those who guard (against evil) shall be in the midst of gardens and fountains:
(And it is said unto them): Enter them in peace, secure.
Enter them in peace, secure.
And We remove whatever rancour may be in their breasts. As brethren, face to face, (they rest) on couches raised.
And We will root out whatever of rancor is in their breasts - - (they shall be) as brethren, on raised couches, face to face.
Toil cometh not unto them there, nor will they be expelled from thence.
Toil shall not afflict them in it, nor shall they be ever ejected from it.
Announce, (O Muhammad) unto My slaves that verily I am the Forgiving, the Merciful,
Inform My servants that I am the Forgiving, the Merciful,
And that My doom is the dolorous doom.
And that My punishment - - that is the painful punishment.
And tell them of Abraham's guests,
And inform them of the guests of Ibrahim:
(How) when they came in unto him, and said: Peace. He said: Lo! we are afraid of you.
When they entered upon him, they said, Peace. He said: Surely we are afraid of you.
They said: Be not afraid! Lo! we bring thee good tidings of a boy possessing wisdom.
They said: Be not afraid, surely we give you the good news of a boy, possessing knowledge.
He said: Bring ye me good tidings (of a son) when old age hath overtaken me ? Of what then can ye bring good tidings ?
He said: Do you give me good news (of a son) when old age has come upon me? - - Of what then do you give me good news!
They said: We bring thee good tidings in truth. So be not thou of the despairing.
They said: We give you good news with truth, therefore be not of the despairing.
He said: And who despaireth of the mercy of his Lord save those who are astray ?
He said: And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord but the erring ones?
He said: And afterward what is your business, O ye messengers (of Allah) ?
He said: What is your business then, O apostles?
They said: We have been sent unto a guilty folk,
They said: Surely we are sent towards a guilty people,
(All) save the family of Lot. Them we shall deliver every one,
Except Lut's followers: We will most surely deliver them all,
Except his wife, of whom We had decreed that she should be of those who stay behind.
Except his wife; We ordained that she shall surely be of those who remain behind.
And when the messengers came unto the family of Lot,
So when the apostles came to Lut's followers,
He said: Lo! ye are folk unknown (to me).
He said: Surely you are an unknown people.
They said: Nay, but we bring thee that concerning which they keep disputing,
They said: Nay, we have come to you with that about which they disputed.
And bring thee the Truth, and lo! we are truth - tellers.
And we have come to you with the truth, and we are most surely truthful.
So travel with thy household in a portion of the night, and follow thou their backs. Let none of you turn round, but go whither ye are commanded.
Therefore go forth with your followers in a part of the night and yourself follow their rear, and let not any one of you turn round, and go forth whither you are commanded.
And We made plain the case to him, that the root of them (who did wrong) was to be cut at early morn.
And We revealed to him this decree, that the roots of these shall be cut off in the morning.
And the people of the city came, rejoicing at the news (of new arrivals).
And the people of the town came rejoicing.
He said: Lo! they are my guests. Affront me not!
He said: Surely these are my guests, therefore do not disgrace me,
And keep your duty to Allah, and shame me not!
And guard against (the punishment of) Allah and do not put me to shame.
They said; Have we not forbidden you from (entertaining) anyone ?
They said: Have we not forbidden you from (other) people?
He said: Here are my daughters, if ye must be doing (so).
He said: These are my daughters, if you will do (aught).
By thy life (O Muhammad) they moved blindly in the frenzy of approaching death.
By your life! they were blindly wandering on in their intoxication.
Then the (Awful) Cry overtook them at the sunrise.
So the rumbling overtook them (while) entering upon the time of sunrise;
And We utterly confounded them, and We rained upon them stones of heated clay.
Thus did We turn it upside down, and rained down upon them stones of what had been decreed.
Lo! therein verily are portents for those who read the signs.
Surely in this are signs for those who examine.
And lo! it is upon a road still uneffaced.
And surely it is on a road that still abides.
Lo! therein is indeed a portent for believers.
Most surely there is a sign in this for the believers.
And the dwellers in the wood indeed were evil - doers.
And the dwellers of the thicket also were most surely unjust.
So we took vengeance on them; and lo! they both are on a high - road plain to see.
So We inflicted retribution on them, and they are both, indeed, on an open road (still) pursued.
And the dwellers in Al - Hijr denied (Our) messengers.
And the dwellers of the Rock certainly rejected the apostles;
And we gave them Our revelations, but they were averse to them.
And We gave them Our communications, but they turned aside from them;
And they used to hew out dwellings from the hills, (wherein they dwelt) secure.
And they hewed houses in the mountains in security.
But the (Awful) Cry overtook them at the morning hour,
So the rumbling overtook them in the morning;
And that which they were wont to count as gain availed them not.
And what they earned did not avail them.
We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them save with truth, and lo! the Hour is surely coming. So forgive, (O Muhammad), with a gracious forgiveness.
And We did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them two but in truth; and the hour is most surely coming, so turn away with kindly forgiveness.
Lo! Thy Lord! He is the All - Wise Creator.
Surely your Lord is the Creator of all things, the Knowing.
We have given thee seven of the oft - repeated (verses) and the great Qur'an.
And certainly We have given you seven of the oft - repeated (verses) and the grand Quran.
Strain not thine eyes toward that which We cause some wedded pairs among them to enjoin, and be not grieved on their account, and lower thy wing (in tenderness) for the believers.
Do not strain your eyes after what We have given certain classes of them to enjoy, and do not grieve for them, and make yourself gentle to the believers.
And say: Lo! I, even I, am a plain warner,
And say: Surely I am the plain warner.
Such as We send down for those who make division,
Like as We sent down on the dividers
Those who break the Qur'an into parts.
Those who made the Quran into shreds.
Them, by thy Lord, We shall question, every one,
So, by your Lord, We would most certainly question them all,
Of what they used to do.
As to what they did.
So proclaim that which thou art commanded, and withdraw from the idolaters.
Therefore declare openly what you are bidden and turn aside from the polytheists.
Lo! We defend thee from the scoffers,
Surely We will suffice you against the scoffers
Who set some other god along with Allah. But they will come to know.
Those who set up another god with Allah; so they shall soon know.
Well know We that thy bosom is oppressed by what they say,
And surely We know that your breast straitens at what they say;
But hymn the praise of thy Lord, and be of those who make prostration (unto Him).
Therefore celebrate the praise of your Lord, and be of those who make obeisance.
And serve thy Lord till the Inevitable cometh unto thee.
And serve your Lord until there comes to you that which is certain.