Kaaf, Haa, Yaa, Ayn, Saud
This is a recital of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zechariah
Behold, he prayed to his Lord in private
He said, “O my Lord, infirm indeed are my bones, and the hair on my head glistens with grey, but never am I unblessed, O my Lord, in my prayer to You
“And I indeed fear what my people will do after me, but my wife is barren, so give me an heir as from You
“One who will represent me, and represent the posterity of Jacob, and make him, O my Lord, one with whom You are well-pleased.
“O Zechariah, We give you good news of a son. His name will be Yahya, to none by that name have We given before.
He said, “O my Lord, how will I have a son, when my wife is barren and I have grown quite decrepit from old age?
He said, “So it will be. Your Lord says, ‘that is easy for Me. I indeed created you before, when you were nothing.’
Zechariah said, “O my Lord, give me a sign.” “Your sign,” he answered, “Shall be that you will not speak to any person for three nights, even though you are not mute.
So Zechariah came out to his people from his chamber, and he conveyed to them, “Praise God in the morning and in the evening”
“O Yahya, take hold of the Book with might.” And We gave him wisdom even as a youth
As well as piety as from Us, and refinement. He was devout
And kind to his parents, and he was not overbearing or rebellious
So peace be upon him the day he was born, the day he dies, and the day that he will be raised up to life
Relate in the Book, Mary. When she withdrew from her family to a place in the East
She screened herself from them, then We sent her our angel, and he appeared before her as a human being
She said, “I seek refuge from you with the Merciful Benefactor if you are a conscious being.
He said, “I am a messenger from your Guardian Evolver, sent to announce to you the gift of an innocent son
She said, “How will I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?
He said, “Your Lord says, ‘that is easy for Me, and We wish to appoint him as a sign to humanity and a mercy from Us, it is a matter decreed.’
So she conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote place
And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She cried, “O, I wish that I had died before this, I wish that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight.
But a voice cried to her from beneath the palm tree, “Grieve not, for your Guardian Evolver has provided a rivulet beneath you
“And shake towards yourself the trunk of the palm tree. It will make fresh, ripe dates fall upon you
“So eat and drink, and cool your eye, and if you see any person say, ‘I have vowed a fast to God, the Merciful Benefactor, and this day I will not enter into any conversation with any human being’
Then she brought him to her people carrying him. They said, “O Mary, truly a curious thing have you brought.
“O sister of Aaron, your father was not a man of wrong doing, nor your mother a woman unchaste.
But she pointed to the baby and they said, “How can we talk to one who is a baby in the cradle?
He said, “I am indeed a servant of God, He has given me revelation and made me a prophet
“And He has made me blessed wherever I am, and has recommended to me prayer and the paying of zakat as long as I live
“He has made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable
“So peace be upon me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I will be raised up to life again.
Such was Jesus the son of Mary. It is a statement of truth, about which they dispute
It is not befitting to God that He should have a son. Glory be to Him. When He determines a matter, He only says to it “Be” and it is
Indeed God is my Lord and your Lord. Therefore serve Him, this is a way that is straight
But the sects differ among themselves, and woe to the unbelievers because of the judgment of a momentous day
How plainly will they see and hear, the day that they will appear before Us, but the unjust, this day they are clearly in error
But warn them of the day of distress, when the matter will be determined, for they are negligent and they do not believe
It is We Who will inherit the earth, and all beings. To Us they will all be returned
Abraham, he was a man of truth, a prophet
Behold, he said to his father, “O my father, why worship that which hears not and sees not, and can profit you nothing
“O my father, knowledge has come to me which has not reached you. So follow me, I will guide you to a way that is balanced and straight
“O my father, serve not Satan, for Satan is a rebel against God, the Merciful Benefactor
“O my father, I fear lest a penalty afflict you from God, the Merciful Benefactor, and that you will become a friend to Satan.
He replied, “Do you hate my gods, O Abraham? If you do not cease, I will indeed stone you. So get away from me now.
Abraham said, “Peace be on you. I will pray to my Lord for your forgiveness, for He is to me the Merciful Benefactor
“And I will turn away from you all, and from those whom you invoke besides God. I will call on my Lord, perhaps because of my prayer to my Lord, I will not be unblessed.
Once he had turned away from them and from those whom they worshipped besides God, We bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob, and each one of them We made a prophet
And We bestowed Our mercy on them, and We granted them honor on the tongues of truth
Also, mention in the Book, Moses, for he was specially chosen, and he was a messenger, a prophet
And We called him from the right side of the Mountain, and made him draw near to Us to converse
And out of Our mercy, We gave him his brother Aaron, a prophet
Also mention in the Book, Ishmael. He was true to what he promised, and he was a messenger, a prophet
He would recommend to his people prayer and zakat, and he was most acceptable in the sight of his Lord
Also mention in the Book the story of Idris. He was a person of truth, a prophet
And We raised him to a lofty station
Those were some of the prophets on whom God bestowed His grace, from the posterity of Adam, and of those who We carried with Noah, and from the posterity of Abraham and Israel, from those whom We guided and chose. Whenever the signs of God, the Merciful Benefactor, were rehearsed to them, they would fall down in adoration and in tears
But after them followed a generation who neglected prayers and followed their lusts, soon will they face destruction
Except for those who repent and believe, and work righteousness, for these will enter the garden and they will not be wronged in the least
Gardens of eternity, those that God, the Merciful Benefactor, has promised to His servants, though unseen, His promise must come to pass
They will not hear any vain discourse, but only salutations of peace, and they will have therein their sustenance, morning and evening
Such is the garden which We give as an inheritance to those of Our servants who guard against wrong
“We do not descend, except by the command of your Guardian Evolver. To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us, and what is in between, and your Guardian Evolver never forgets
“Evolver of the heavens and of the earth, and of all that is in between, so worship Him, and be constant and patient in His worship. Do you know any who are worthy of the same name as He?
Some people say, “What, when I am dead, will I then be raised up alive?
But do people not remember that We created them before, out of nothing
So by your Lord, without doubt, We will gather them together, and the devils, then will We bring them forth on their knees around hell
Then We will certainly drag out from every sect, all those who were worse in obstinate rebellion against God, the Merciful Benefactor
And certainly We know best those who are most worthy of being burned in there forever
And none of you will avoid passing by it. This is a decree with your Lord which must be accomplished
But We will save those who guarded against wrong, and We will leave the wrongdoers in there, on their knees
When Our clear signs are rehearsed to them, the unbelievers say to those who believe, “Which of the two sides is in a better position? Which makes the best call?
And how many generations before them have we caused to perish, those who were even better off in possessions and appearance
Say, “If any people go astray, God the Merciful Benefactor, allows it until they see the warning of God, either during punishment or on the Hour, they will finally realize who is worse in position, and weakest in force
“And God advances in guidance, those who seek guidance, and the things that endure are good deeds, these are best in the sight of your Lord as a reward, and best for their return.
Have you then seen the person who rejects Our signs and says, “I will certainly be given wealth and sons?
Has he seen the unseen, or has he taken a contract with God, the Merciful Benefactor
No, We will record what he says, and We will add repeatedly to his punishment
To Us will return all that he speaks of, and he will appear before Us bare and alone
And they have taken gods other than God, to give them power and glory
Instead, they will reject their worship, and become enemies against them
Do you not see that We have sicked Satan on the unbelievers to incite them with fury
So do not rush them, for We count out for them a number
The day We will gather the righteous to God, the Merciful Benefactor, as a dependent
And We will drive those who are corrupt to hell, like thirsty livestock driven down to water
None will have the power of intercession except those who received permission from God, the Merciful Benefactor
They say, “God, the Merciful Benefactor, has a son.
Indeed you have put forward a thing most atrocious
At this the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin
That they should invoke a son for God, the Merciful Benefactor
For it is not consistent with the majesty of God, the Merciful Benefactor, that He should have a son
Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth come to God, the Merciful Benefactor, except as a servant
He takes account of them all, and has numbered them all exactly
And every one of them will come to Him alone on the Day of Accountability
On those who believe and do deeds of righteousness, God the Merciful Benefactor, will bestow love
We have made it easy in your own tongue, that with it you may give hope to the righteous, and warnings to people given to hostility
But how many generations before them have We caused to perish? Can you find a single one of them, or hear so much as a whisper of them