Chapter 15, 99 verses
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Alif-Lam-Ra. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur'an, and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings].These are Verses of the Book and a plain Qur'an.
A. L. R. These are the Ayats of Revelation, - of a Qur'an that makes things clear.
How much would those who disbelieved wish that they had been Muslims [those who have submitted themselves to Allah's Will in Islam i.e. Islamic Monotheism - this will be on the Day of Resurrection when they will see the disbelievers going to Hell and the Muslims going to Paradise].
Again and again will those who disbelieve, wish that they had bowed (to Allah's will) in Islam.
Leave them to eat and enjoy, and let them be preoccupied with (false) hope. They will come to know!
Leave them alone, to enjoy (the good things of this life) and to please themselves: let (false) hope amuse them: soon will knowledge (undeceive them).
And never did We destroy a township but there was a known decree for it.
Never did We destroy a population that had not a term decreed and assigned beforehand.
No nation can advance its term, nor delay it.
Neither can a people anticipate its term, nor delay it.
And they say: "O you (Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) to whom the Dhikr (the Qur'an) has been sent down! Verily, you are a mad man!
They say: "O thou to whom the Message is being revealed! truly thou art mad (or possessed)!
"Why do you not bring angels to us if you are of the truthful?"
"Why bringest thou not angels to us if it be that thou hast the Truth?"
We send not the angels down except with the truth (i.e. for torment), and in that case, they (the disbelievers) would have no respite!
We send not the angels down except for just cause: if they came (to the ungodly), behold! no respite would they have!
Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'an) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption) .
We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).
Indeed, We sent (Messengers) before you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) amongst the sects (communities) of old.
We did send messengers before thee amongst the religious sects of old:
And never came a Messenger to them but they did mock at him.
But never came a messenger to them but they mocked him.
Thus do We let it (polytheism and disbelief) enter the hearts of the Mujrimun [criminals, polytheists and pagans (because of their mocking at the Messengers)].
Even so do we let it creep into the hearts of the sinners -
They would not believe in it (the Qur'an); and already the example of (Allah's punishment of) the ancients (who disbelieved) has gone forth.
That they should not believe in the (Message); but the ways of the ancients have passed away.
And even if We opened to them a gate from the heaven and they were to keep on ascending thereto (all the day long)
Even if We opened out to them a gate from heaven, and they were to continue (all day) ascending therein,
They would surely say (in the evening): "Our eyes have been (as if) dazzled (we have not seen any angel or heaven). Nay, we are a people bewitched."
They would only say: "Our eyes have been intoxicated: Nay, we have been bewitched by sorcery."
And indeed, We have put the big stars in the heaven and We beautified it for the beholders.
It is We Who have set out the zodiacal signs in the heavens, and made them fair - seeming to (all) beholders;
And We have guarded it (near heaven) from every outcast Shaitan (devil).
And (moreover) We have guarded them from every cursed devil:
Except him (devil) who steals the hearing then he is pursued by a clear flaming fire.
But any that gains a hearing by stealth, is pursued by a flaming fire, bright (to see).
And the earth We have spread out, and have placed therein firm mountains, and caused to grow therein all kinds of things in due proportion.
And the earth We have spread out (like a carpet); set thereon mountains firm and immovable; and produced therein all kinds of things in due balance.
And We have provided therein means of living, for you and for those whom you provide not [moving (living) creatures, cattle, beasts, and other animals].
And We have provided therein means of subsistence, - for you and for those for whose sustenance ye are not responsible.
And there is not a thing, but with Us are the stores thereof. And We send it not down except in a known measure.
And there is not a thing but its (sources and) treasures (inexhaustible) are with Us; but We only send down thereof in due and ascertainable measures.
And We send the winds fertilizing (to fill heavily the clouds with water), then cause the water (rain) to descend from the sky, and We give it to you to drink, and it is not you who are the owners of its stores [i.e. to give water to whom you like or to withhold it from whom you like].
And We send the fecundating winds, then cause the rain to descend from the sky, therewith providing you with water (in abundance), though ye are not the guardians of its stores.
And certainly We! We it is Who give life, and cause death, and We are the Inheritors.
And verily, it is We Who give life, and Who give death: it is We Who remain inheritors (after all else passes away).
And indeed, We know the first generations of you who had passed away, and indeed, We know the present generations of you (mankind), and also those who will come afterwards.
To Us are known those of you who hasten forward, and those who lag behind.
And verily, your Lord will gather them together. Truly, He is All-Wise, All-Knowing.
Assuredly it is thy Lord Who will gather them together: for He is perfect in Wisdom and Knowledge.
And indeed, We created man from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud.
We created man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape;
And the jinn, We created aforetime from the smokeless flame of fire.
And the Jinn race, We had created before, from the fire of a scorching wind.
And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: "I am going to create a man (Adam) from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud.
Behold! thy Lord said to the angels: "I am about to create man, from sounding clay from mud moulded into shape;
"So, when I have fashioned him completely and breathed into him (Adam) the soul which I created for him, then fall (you) down prostrating yourselves unto him."
"When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him."
So the angels prostrated themselves, all of them together.
So the angels prostrated themselves, all of them together:
Except Iblis (Satan) - he refused to be among the prostrators.
Not so Iblis: he refused to be among those who prostrated themselves.
(Allah) said: "O Iblis (Satan)! What is your reason for not being among the prostrators?"
(Allah) said: "O Iblis! what is your reason for not being among those who prostrated themselves?"
[Iblis (Satan)] said: "I am not the one to prostrate myself to a human being, whom You created from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud."
(Iblis) said: "I am not one to prostrate myself to man, whom Thou didst create from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape."
(Allah) said: "Then, get out from here, for verily, you are Rajim (an outcast or a cursed one)." [Tafsir At-Tabari]
(Allah) said: "Then get thee out from here; for thou art rejected, accursed.
"And verily, the curse shall be upon you till the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)."
"And the curse shall be on thee till the day of Judgment."
[Iblis (Satan)] said: "O my Lord! Give me then respite till the Day they (the dead) will be resurrected."
(Iblis) said: "O my Lord! give me then respite till the Day the (dead) are raised."
Allah said: "Then, verily, you are of those reprieved,
(Allah) said: "Respite is granted thee
"Till the Day of the time appointed."
"Till the Day of the Time appointed."
[Iblis (Satan)] said: "O my Lord! Because you misled me, I shall indeed adorn the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth, and I shall mislead them all.
(Iblis) said: "O my Lord! because Thou hast put me in the wrong, I will make (wrong) fair - seeming to them on the earth, and I will put them all in the wrong, -
"Except Your chosen, (guided) slaves among them."
"Except Thy servants among them, sincere and purified (by Thy Grace)."
(Allah) said: "This is the Way which will lead straight to Me."
(Allah) said: "This (way of My sincere servants) is indeed a way that leads straight to Me.
"Certainly, you shall have no authority over My slaves, except those who follow you of the Ghawun (Mushrikun and those who go astray, criminals, polytheists, and evil-doers).
"For over My servants no authority shalt thou have, except such as put themselves in the wrong and follow thee."
"And surely, Hell is the promised place for them all.
And verily, Hell is the promised abode for them all!
"It (Hell) has seven gates, for each of those gates is a (special) class (of sinners) assigned.
To it are seven gates: for each of those gates is a (special) class (of sinners) assigned.
"Truly! The Muttaqun (the pious - See V.2:2) will be amidst Gardens and water-springs (Paradise).
The righteous (will be) amid gardens and fountains (of clear - flowing water).
"(It will be said to them): 'Enter therein (Paradise), in peace and security.'
(Their greeting will be): "Enter ye here in peace and security."
"And We shall remove from their breasts any deep feeling of bitterness (that they may have). (So they will be like) brothers facing each other on thrones.
And We shall remove from their hearts any lurking sense of injury: (they will be) brothers (joyfully) facing each other on thrones (of dignity).
"No sense of fatigue shall touch them, nor shall they (ever) be asked to leave it."
There no sense of fatigue shall touch them, nor shall they (ever) be asked to leave.
Declare (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) unto My slaves, that truly, I am the Oft-Forgiving, the Most-Merciful.
Tell My servants that I am indeed the Oft - forgiving, Most Merciful;
And that My Torment is indeed the most painful torment.
And that My Penalty will be indeed the most grievous Penalty.
And tell them about the guests (the angels) of Ibrahim (Abraham).
Tell them about the guests of Abraham.
When they entered unto him, and said: Salam (peace)! [Ibrahim (Abraham)] said: "Indeed! We are afraid of you."
When they entered his presence and said, "Peace!" He said, "We feel afraid of you!"
They (the angels) said: "Do not be afraid! We give you glad tidings of a boy (son) possessing much knowledge and wisdom."
They said: "Fear not! We give thee glad tidings of a son endowed with wisdom."
[Ibrahim (Abraham)] said: "Do you give me glad tidings (of a son) when old age has overtaken me? Of what then is your news?"
He said: "Do ye give me glad tidings that old age has seized me? Of what, then, is your good news?"
They (the angels) said: "We give you glad tidings in truth. So be not of the despairing."
They said: "We give thee glad tidings in truth: be not then in despair!"
[Ibrahim (Abraham)] said: "And who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord except those who are astray?"
He said: "And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord, but such as go astray?"
[Ibrahim (Abraham) again] said: "What then is the business on which you have come, O Messengers?"
Abraham said: "What then is the business on which ye (have come), O ye messengers (of Allah)?"
They (the angels) said: "We have been sent to a people who are Mujrimun (criminals, disbelievers, polytheists, sinners).
They said: "We have been sent to a people (deep) in sin,
"(All) except the family of Lut (Lot). Them all we are surely going to save (from destruction).
"Excepting the adherents of Lut: them we are certainly (charged) to save (from harm), - All -
"Except his wife, of whom We have decreed that she shall be of those who remain behind (i.e. she will be destroyed)."
"Except his wife, who, We have ascertained, will be among those who will lag behind."
Then, when the Messengers (the angels) came unto the family of Lut (Lot).
At length when the messengers arrived among the adherents of Lut,
He said: "Verily! You are people unknown to me."
He said: "Ye appear to be uncommon folk."
They said: "Nay, we have come to you with that (torment) which they have been doubting.
They said: "Yea, we have come to thee to accomplish that of which they doubt.
"And we have brought you the truth (the news of the destruction of your nation) and certainly, we tell the truth.
"We have brought to thee that which is inevitably due, and assuredly we tell the truth.
"Then travel in a part of the night with your family, and you go behind them in the rear, and let no one amongst you look back, but go on to where you are ordered."
"Then travel by night with thy household, when a portion of the night (yet remains), and do thou bring up the rear: let no one amongst you look back, but pass on whither ye are ordered."
And We made known this decree to him, that the root of those (sinners) was to be cut off in the early morning.
And We made known this decree to him, that the last remnants of those (sinners) should be cut off by the morning.
And the inhabitants of the city came rejoicing (at the news of the young men's arrival).
The inhabitants of the city came in (mad) joy (at news of the young men).
[Lut (Lot)] said: "Verily! these are my guests, so shame me not.
Lut said: "These are my guests: disgrace me not:
"And fear Allah and disgrace me not."
"But fear Allah, and shame me not."
They (people of the city) said: "Did we not forbid you from entertaining (or protecting) any of the 'Alamin (people, foreigners and strangers from us)?"
They said: "Did we not forbid thee (to speak) for all and sundry?"
[Lut (Lot)] said: "These (the girls of the nation) are my daughters (to marry lawfully), if you must act (so)."
He said: "There are my daughters (to marry), if ye must act (so)."
Verily, by your life (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم), in their wild intoxication, they were wandering blindly.
Verily, by thy life (O Prophet), in their wild intoxication, they wander in distraction, to and fro.
So As-Saihah (torment - awful cry) overtook them at the time of sunrise.
But the (mighty) Blast overtook them before morning,
And We turned (the towns of Sodom in Palestine) upside down and rained down on them stones of baked clay.
And We turned (the cities) upside down, and rained down on them brimstones hard as baked clay.
Surely! In this are signs for those who see (or understand or learn the lessons from the Signs of Allah).
Behold! in this are Signs for those who by tokens do understand.
And verily! They (the cities) were right on the highroad (from Makkah to Syria i.e. the place where the Dead Sea is now) .
And the (cities were) right on the high - road.
Surely! Therein is indeed a sign for the believers.
Behold! in this is a sign for those who believed.
And the Dwellers in the Wood [i.e. the people of Madyan (Midian) to whom Prophet Shu'aib (عليه السلام) was sent by Allah), were also Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers).
And the Companions of the Wood were also wrong - doers;
So, We took vengeance on them. They are both on an open highway, plain to see.
So We exacted retribution from them. They were both on an open highway, plain to see.
And verily, the dwellers of Al-Hijr (the rocky tract) denied the Messengers.
The Companions of the Rocky Tract also rejected the messengers:
And We gave them Our Signs, but they were averse to them.
We sent them Our Signs, but they persisted in turning away from them.
And they used to hew out dwellings from the mountains (feeling themselves) secure.
Out of the mountains did they hew (their) edifices, (feeling themselves) secure.
But As-Saihah (torment - awful cry) overtook them in the early morning (of the fourth day of their promised punishment days).
But the (mighty) Blast seized them of a morning,
And all that they used to earn availed them not.
And of no avail to them was all that they did (with such art and care)!
And We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them except with truth, and the Hour is surely coming, so overlook (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) their faults with gracious forgiveness. [This was before the ordainment of Jihad - holy fighting in Allah's cause].
We created not the heavens, the earth, and all between them, but for just ends. And the Hour is surely coming (when this will be manifest). So overlook (any human faults) with gracious forgiveness.
Verily, your Lord is the All-Knowing Creator.
For verily it is thy Lord who is the Master - Creator, knowing all things.
And indeed, We have bestowed upon you seven of Al-Mathani (seven repeatedly recited Verses), (i.e. Surat Al-Fatihah) and the Grand Qur'an.
And We have bestowed upon thee the Seven Oft - repeated (verses) and the Grand Qur'an.
Look not with your eyes ambitiously at what We have bestowed on certain classes of them (the disbelievers), nor grieve over them. And lower your wings for the believers (be courteous to the fellow-believers).
Strain not thine eyes. (Wistfully) at what We have bestowed on certain classes of them, nor grieve over them: but lower thy wing (in gentleness) to the believers.
And say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم): "I am indeed a plain warner."
And say: "I am indeed he that warneth openly and without ambiguity," -
As We have sent down on the dividers, (Quraish pagans or Jews and Christians).
(Of just such wrath) as We sent down on those who divided (Scripture into arbitrary parts), -
Who have made the Qur'an into parts. (i.e. believed in one part and disbelieved in the other). [Tafsir At-Tabari]
(So also on such) as have made Qur'an into shreds (as they please).
So, by your Lord (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم), We shall certainly call all of them to account.
Therefore, by the Lord, We will, of a surety, call them to account,
For all that they used to do.
For all their deeds.
Therefore proclaim openly (Allah's Message - Islamic Monotheism) that which you are commanded, and turn away from Al-Mushrikun (polytheists, idolaters, and disbelievers - See V.2:105).
Therefore expound openly what thou art commanded, and turn away from those who join false gods with Allah.
Truly! We will suffice you against the scoffers,
For sufficient are We unto thee against those who scoff, -
Who set up along with Allah another ilah (god); but they will come to know.
Those who adopt, with Allah, another god: but soon will they come to know.
Indeed, We know that your breast is straitened at what they say.
We do indeed know how thy heart is distressed at what they say.
So glorify the praises of your Lord and be of those who prostrate themselves (to Him).
But celebrate the praises of thy Lord, and be of those who prostrate themselves in adoration.
And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (i.e. death).
And serve thy Lord until there come unto thee the Hour that is Certain.