— 99 verses
Alif Lam Ra. These are verses of the perfect Book and of the illuminating Qur'an
Often do the disbelievers wish they Muslims
Leave them alone that they may eat and enjoy themselves and that vain hope may beguile them, but they will soon know
And never a town have WE destroyed but there was for it a known decree
No people can escape their doom by outstripping their appointed term, nor can they remain behind
And they said, `O thou to whom this exhortation has been sent down, thou art surely a madman
`Why dost thou not bring angels to us, if thou art of the truthful?
WE do not send down angels but with the requirements of justice, and when WE do send them, the disbelievers are not respited
Verily, it is WE Who have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely WE are its Guardians
And WE sent Messengers before thee among parties of ancient people
And there never came to them a Messenger but they mocked at him
Thus do WE cause this habit of mocking to enter into the hearts of the sinful people
They believe not in this Qur'an, though the example of the former peoples have gone before them
And even if WE open to them a gate in heaven, and they kept ascending through it
They would surely say, `Only our eyes are dazed; rather we are a bewitched people
And WE have, indeed, made mansions of stars in the heaven and have adorned it for beholders
And WE have guarded it against the intrusion of every rejected Satan
But if anyone hears stealthily something of revelation and distorts it, there pursues him a bright flame
And the earth have WE spread out, and set therein firm mountains and cause every thing to grow therein in proper proportion
And WE have made for you therein means of livelihood and also for all those for whom you do not provide
And there is not a thing but are limitless treasures thereof with US and WE sent it not down except in a known measure
And WE send fecundating winds, then WE send down water from the clouds, then WE give it to you to drink, and you could not yourselves store it
And verily, it is WE Who give life, and WE Who cause death; And it is WE Who are the sole Inheritors of ALL
And WE do know those who go ahead among you and WE also do know those who lag behind
And, surely, it is thy Lord Who will gather them together. Surely, HE is Wise, All-Knowing
And, surely, WE created man from dry ringing clay, of black mud wrought into shape
And the jinn WE have created before of the fire of hot wind
And remember when thy Lord said to the angels, I am about to create man of dry ringing clay, of black mud wrought into shape
So when I fashioned him in perfection and have breath into him of MY spirit, fall ye down in submission to him.
So the angels submitted, all of them together
But Iblis did not; he refused to be among those who submit
God said, `O Iblis, what has happened to thee that thou wouldst not be among those who submit?
He answered, `I am not going to submit to a mortal whom Thou hast created of dry ringing clay, of black mud wrought into shape.
God said, `Then get out hence, for surely, thou art rejected
And, surely, on thee shall be MY curse till the day of Judgment.
He said, `My Lord, then grant me respite till the day when they shall be raised.
God said, `Thou art of those who are respited
`Till the day of the appointed time.
He answered, `My Lord, since Thou hast adjudged me as gone astray, I will surely make straying from the right path appear beautiful to them on the earth and I will surely lead them all astray
`Except Thy chosen servants from among them.
God said, `This is a path leading straight to ME
`Surely, thou shall have no power over MY servants, except such of the erring ones as choose to follow thee.
And, surely, Hell is the promised place for them all
It has seven gates, and each gate has a portion of them allotted to it
Verily, the righteous, will be placed amid gardens and fountains
`Enter therein with peace, in security.
And WE shall remove whatever of rancour may be in their breasts so that they will be as brothers seated on thrones, facing one another
Fatigue shall not touch them, nor shall they ever be ejected therefrom
Tell MY servants, O Prophet, that I am surely, All-Forgiving, All-Merciful
And also that MY punishment is the most grievous punishment
And tell the about Abraham's guest
When they came to him and said, `Peace be upon you,' He answered, `Verily, we are afraid of you.
They said, `Be not afraid; we give thee glad tidings of a son who shall be endowed with great knowledge.
He said, `Do you give me this glad tidings despite the fact that old age has overtaken me? On what basis, then, do you give me this glad tidings?
They said, `We have indeed given thee true glad tidings, be not, therefore, of those who despair.
He said, `And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord but such as go astray?
He said, `What now is your real business, O ye messengers?
They said, `We have been sent unto a guilty people
Except the followers of Lot, Them shall we save all
`Except his wife. We have decreed that she shall be of those who remain behind.
And when the messengers came unto lot and his followers
He said, `Verily, you a party of strangers.
They said, `Yea; but we have brought thee that news of the punishment concerning which they have been in doubt
`And we have brought thee sure news, and certainly we are truthful
`So go forth with thy family in the latter part of the night, and follow thou in their rear. And let none of you look back, and now proceed to where you are commanded.
And WE communicated to him clearly this decree that the roots of these people would be cut off by the morning
And the people of the city came rejoicing
He said, `These are my guests, so put me not to shame
`And fear ALLAH and do not humiliate me.
They said, `Did we not forbid thee to entertain any people?
He said, `These are my daughters who are guarantee enough if you must do something.
By the life, they, too, in their mad intoxication of wandering in distraction
Then the punishment seized them at sunrise
`We turned their town upside down and WE rained upon them stones of clay
Surely, in this are many Signs for those who use their understanding
And that town lies on a road that still exists
Surely, in this is a Sign for believers
And the people of the Wood, too, were surely wrongdoers
So WE chastised them also. And they both lie on an open highway
And the People of the Hijr also treated the Messengers as liars
And WE gave them Our Signs, but they turned away from them
And they used to hew out houses in the mountains, in security
But the punishment seized them in the morning
And all they had earned availed them not
And WE have not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between the two but in accordance with the requirements of wisdom; and the Hour is sure to come. So do thou forbear with goodly forbearance
Verily, it is thy Lord WHO is the Great Creator, the All-Knowing
And WE have indeed given the seven oft-repeated verses, and the great Qur'an
Stretch not thine eyes towards what WE have bestowed on some classes of them for temporary enjoyment and grieve not for them; and lower thy wing of mercy for the believers
And say, `I am indeed a plain Warner.
Because WE have decided to send down punishment on those who have formed themselves into groups against thee
Who have pronounced the Qur'an to be so many lies
So by the Lord, WE will, surely, question them al
Concerning that which they used to do
So declare openly that thou art commanded to convey and turn aside from those who ascribe partners to ALLAH
WE will, certainly, suffice thee against those who mock
Who set up another god with ALLAH, but soon shall they come to know
And, indeed, WE know that thy bosom becomes straitened because of what they say
But glorify the Lord praising HIM, and be of those who prostrate themselves before Him
And continue worshiping thy Lord till death comes to thee