Praise be to Allah, to Whom belong all things in the heavens and on earth: to Him be Praise in the
Hereafter: and He is Full of Wisdom, acquainted with all things.
He knows even what goes into the earth, and what comes out of it, what comes down from heaven, and what
goes up unto it: and He is the Most Merciful, the Oft-Forgiving.
The Unbelievers say, "Never to us will come the Hour": Say, "Nay! but most surely, by my Lord, it will
come upon you;- by Him Who knows the unseen,- from Whom is not hidden the least little atom in the
heavens or on earth: Nor is there anything less than that, or greater, but is in a Record Perspicuous:
And those to whom knowledge has come see that the (Revelation) sent down to thee from thy Lord - that is
the Truth, and that it guides to the Path of the Exalted (in Might), Worthy of all praise.
The Unbelievers say (in ridicule): "Shall we point out to you a man that will tell you, when ye are all
scattered to pieces in pieces, that ye shall then be raised (new) in a New Creation?
"Has he invented a falsehood against Allah, or has a spirit (seized) him?"- Nay, it is those who believe
not in the Hereafter, that are in (real) Penalty, and in farthest error.
See they not what is before them and behind them, of the sky and the earth? If We wished, We could cause
the earth to swallow them up, or cause a piece of the sky to fall upon them. Verily in this is a Sign
for every devotee that turns to Allah (in repentance).
We bestowed aforetime on David Vicarious emphasis from us: "O ye Mountains! Sing ye back the Praises of
Allah with him! and ye birds (also)!" And We made the iron soft for him;-
(Commanding), "Make thou coats of mail, balancing well the rings of chain
armour,
and work ye righteousness; for be sure I see (clearly) all that ye do."
And to Solomon (We made) the Wind (obedient): Its early morning (stride)
was a
month's (journey), and its evening (stride) was a month's (journey); and We made a Font of
molten brass
to flow for him; and there were Jinns that worked in front of him, by the leave of his Lord, and
if any
of them turned aside from our command, We made him taste of the Penalty of the Blazing Fire.
They worked for him as he desired, (making) arches, images, basins as
large as
reservoirs, and (cooking) cauldrons fixed (in their places): "Work ye, sons of David, with
thanks! but
few of My servants are grateful!"
Then, when We decreed (Solomon's) death, nothing showed them his death
except a
little worm of the earth, which kept (slowly) gnawing away at his staff: so when he fell down,
the Jinns
saw plainly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have tarried in the humiliating
Penalty
(of their Task).
There was, for Saba, aforetime, a Sign in their home-land - two Gardens
to the
right and to the left. "Eat of the Sustenance (provided) by your Lord, and be grateful to Him: a
territory fair and happy, and a Lord Oft-Forgiving!"
But they turned away (from Allah), and We sent against them the Flood of
Arim,
and We converted their two garden (rows) into gardens producing bitter fruit, and tamarisks, and
some
few (stunted) Lote-trees.
Between them and the Cities on which We had poured our blessings, We had
placed
Cities in prominent positions, and between them We had appointed stages of journey in due
proportion:
"Travel therein, secure, by night and by day."
But they said: "Our Lord! Place longer distances between our journey-stages": but they wronged
themselves (therein). At length We made them as a tale (that is told), and We dispersed them all in
scattered fragments. Verily in this are Signs for every (soul that is) patiently constant and grateful.
But he had no authority over them,- except that We might test him who believes in the Hereafter from him
who is in doubt concerning it: and thy Lord doth watch over all things.
Say: "Call upon other (gods) whom ye fancy, besides Allah: they have no power,- not the weight of an
atom,- in the heavens or on earth: no (sort of) share have they therein, nor is any of them a helper to
Allah.
No intercession can avail in His Presence, except for those for whom He has granted permission. So far
(is this the case) that, when terror is removed from their hearts (at the Day of Judgment, then) will
they say, 'what is it that your Lord commanded?' they will say, 'That which is true and just; and He is
the Most High Most Great.'
Say: "Who gives you sustenance, from the heavens and the earth?" Say: "It is Allah; and certain it is
that either we or ye are on right guidance or in manifest error!"
Say: "Our Lord will gather us together and will in the end decide the
matter
between us (and you) in truth and justice: and He is the one to decide, the One Who knows all."
The Unbelievers say: "We shall neither believe in this scripture nor in
(any)
that (came) before it." Couldst thou but see when the wrong-doers will be made to stand before
their
Lord, throwing back the word (of blame) on one another! Those who had been despised will say to
the
arrogant ones: "Had it not been for you, we should certainly have been believers!"
The arrogant ones will say to those who had been despised: "Was it we who
kept
you back from Guidance after it reached you? Nay, rather, it was ye who were transgressors."
Those who had been despised will say to the arrogant ones: "Nay! it was a
plot
(of yours) by day and by night: Behold! Ye constantly ordered us to reject Allah and to
attribute
equals
to Him!" They will declare (their) repentance when they see the Penalty: We shall put yokes on
the
necks
of the Unbelievers: It would only be a requital for their (ill) Deeds.
It is not your wealth nor your sons, that will bring you nearer to Us in
degree:
but only those who believe and work righteousness - these are the ones for whom there is a
multiplied
Reward for their deeds, while they dwell in the dwellings of high (Bliss), in peace and
security.
Say: "Verily my Lord enlarges and restricts the Sustenance to such of his
servants as He pleases: and nothing do ye spend in the least (in His cause) but He replaces it:
for
He
is the Best of those who grant Sustenance."
They will say, "Glory to Thee! our (tie) is with Thee - as Protector -
not
with
them. Nay, but they worshipped the Jinns: most of them believed in them."
So on that Day no power shall they have over each other, for profit or
harm:
and
We shall say to the wrong-doers, "Taste ye the Penalty of the Fire,- the which ye were wont to
deny!"
When Our Clear Signs are rehearsed to them, they say, "This is only a man
wishing
to hinder you from the (worship) which your fathers practised." And they say, "This is only a
falsehood
invented!" and the Unbelievers say of the Truth when it comes to them, "This is nothing but
evident
magic!"
And their predecessors rejected (the Truth); these have not received a
tenth
of
what We had granted to those: yet when they rejected My messengers, how (terrible) was My
rejection
(of
them)!
Say: "I do admonish you on one point: that ye do stand up before Allah -
(it
may
be) in pairs, or (it may be) singly,- and reflect (within yourselves): your Companion is not
possessed:
he is no less than a Warner to you, in face of a terrible Penalty."
Say: "If I am astray, I only stray to the loss of my own soul: but if I
receive guidance, it is because of the inspiration of my Lord to me: it is He Who hears all things,
and is (ever) near."
If thou couldst but see when they will quake with terror; but then there will
be no escape (for them), and they will be seized from a position (quite) near.
And between them and their desires, is placed a barrier, as was done in the
past with their partisans: for they were indeed in suspicious (disquieting) doubt.