Alif. Lam. Mim. Sad.

[[and [and hence are certain that] God has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with [an inner] truth: for, behold, in this [very creation] there is a message indeed for all who believe [in Him].

In In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace:

And yet, it is you who slay one another and drive some of your own people from their homelands, aiding one another against them in sin and hatred; but if they come to you as captives, you ransom them - although the very [act of] driving them away has been made unlawful to you!. Do you, then, believe in some parts of the divine writ and deny the truth pf of other parts? What, then, could be the reward of those among you who do such things but ignominy in the life of this world and, on the Day of Resurrection, commitment to most grievous suffering? For God is not unmindful of what you do.

From My messages shall I cause to turn away all those who, without any right, behave haughtily on earth: for, though they may see every sign [of the truth], they do not believe in it, and though they may see the path of rectitude, they do not choose fo to follow it-whereas, if they see a path of error, they take it for their own: this, because they have given the lie to Our messages, and have remained heedless of them,"

HEN WHEN THE SUN is shrouded in darkness,

on the Day when allI secrets will be laid bare,

Nay, but you [yourselves, O children of Israel,] bear witness that when death was approaching Jacob, he said unto his sons: "Whom will you worship after I am gone?" They answered: "We will worship thy God, the God of thy forefathers Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac, the One God; and unto Himw; 1l we surrender ourselves."

Have they, perchance, a share in [God's] dominion? But [if they had], 1o, lo, they would not give to other people as much as [would fill] the groove of a date-stone!

O you who have attained to faith! Behold, many of the rabbis and monks do indeed wrongfully devour men's possessions and turn [others] away from the path of God. But as for all who lay up treasures of gold and silver and do not spend them for the sake of Gods God - give them the tiding of grievous suffering [in the life to come]:

[The hypocrites] swear by God that they have said nothing [wrong]; yet most certainly have they uttered a saying which amounts to a denial of the truth, and have [thus] denied the truth after [having professed] their self-surrender to God: for they were aiming at something which was beyond their reach. And they could find no fault [with the Faith] save that God had enriched them and [caused] His Apostle [to enrich them] out of His bounty! Hence, if they repent, it will be for their own good. but But if they turn away, God will cause them to suffer grievous suffering in this world and in the life to come, and they will find no helper on earth, and none to give [them] succour.

NOW IF GOD were to hasten for human beings the ill [which they deserve by their sinning] in the same manner as they [themselves] would hasten [the coming to them of what they consider to be] goad, good, their end would indeed come forthwith! But We leave them alone [for a while] -all those who do not believe that they are destined to meet Us: [We leave them alone] in their overweening arrogance, blindly stumbling to and fro.

Wealth and children are an 4dornment adornment of this, world's life: but good deeds, the fruit whereof endures forever, are of far greater merit in thy Sustainer's sight, and a far better source of hope.

SAY [unto all men]: “1 “I but warn you on the strength of divine revelation!” But the deaf [of heart] will not hearken to this call, however often they are warned.

[But] thus it is: never yet came any apostle to those who lived before their time but they said, “A spel1binder spellbinder [Lit., "sorcerer".] [is he], or a madman!”

Or have they, perchance, anys ages any sages to support their views? Well, then, if they are sincere in this their claim, let them produce those supporters of theirs

Hence, [be patient,] even though they who are bent on denying the truth would all but kill thee with their eyes whenever they hear this reminder, and [though] they say, "[As for Mubammad,] Muhammad,] behold, most surely he is a madman!"

But Satan caused them both to stumble therein, and thus brought about the loss of their erstwhile state. And so We said: "Down with you, [and be henceforth] enemies unto one another; and on earth you shall have your abode and your livelihood for a while !" while!"

Do you bid other people to be pious, the while you forget your own selves -and yet you recite the divine writ? Will you not, then, use your reason? ; reason?;

O children of Israel ! Israel! Remember those blessings of Mine with which I graced you, and how I favoured you above all other people;

And [remember] when you said: "O Moses, indeed we cannot endure but one kind of food; pray, then, to thy Sustainer that He bring forth for us aught of what grows from the earth - of its herbs, its cucumbers, its garlic, its lentils, its onions." Said [Moses]: "Would you take a lesser thing in exchange for what is [so much] better? Go back in shame to Egypt , Egypt, and then you can have what you are asking for!" And so, ignominy and humiliation overshadowed them, and they earned the burden of God's condemnation: all this, because they persisted in denying the truth of God's messages and in slaying the prophets against all right: all this, because they rebelled [against God], and persisted in transgressing the bounds of what is right.

AND LO! We accepted this solemn pledge from [you,] ' the children of Israel: "You shall worship none but God; and you shall do good unto your parents and kinsfolk, and the orphans, and the poor; and you shall speak unto all people in a kindly way; and you shall be constant in prayer; and you shall spend in charity. ”And charity.” And yet, save for a few of you, you turned away: for you are obstinate folk!

And yet, it is you who slay one another and drive some of your own people from their homelands, aiding one another against them in sin and hatred; but if they come to you as captives, you ransom them - although the very [act of] driving them away has been made unlawful to you! . you!. Do you, then, believe in some parts of the divine writ and deny the truth pf other parts? What, then, could be the reward of those among you who do such things but ignominy in the life of this world and, on the Day of Resurrection, commitment to most grievous suffering? For God is not unmindful of what you do.

O CHILDREN of Israel ! Israel! Remember those blessings of Mine with which I graced you, and how I favoured you above all other people;

And when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the Temple , Temple, [they prayed:] "O our Sustainer! Accept Thou this from us: for, verily, Thou alone art all-hearing, all-knowing!

Nay, but you [yourselves, O children of Israel ,] Israel,] bear witness that when death was approaching Jacob, he said unto his sons: "Whom will you worship after I am gone?" They answered: "We will worship thy God, the God of thy forefathers Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac, the One God; and unto Him w;1l w; 1l we surrender ourselves."

Say: "We believe in God, and in that which has been bestowed from on high upon us, and that which has been bestowed upon Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and ,their and, their descendants, and that which has been vouchsafed to Moses and Jesus; and that which has been vouchsafed to all the [other] prophets by their Sustainer: we make no distinction between any of them. And it is unto Him that we surrender ourselves."

AND PERFORM the pilgrimage and the pious visit [to Mecca ] Mecca] in honour of God; and if you are held back, give instead whatever offering you can easily afford. And do not shave your heads until the offering has been sacrificed; but he from among you who is ill or suffers from an ailment of the head shall redeem himself by fasting, or alms, or [any other] act of worship. And if you are hale and secure, then he who takes advantage of a pious visit before the [time of] pilgrimage shall give whatever offering he can easily afford; whereas he who cannot afford it shall fast for three days during the pilgrimage and for seven days after your return: that is, ten full [days]. All this relates to him who does not live near the Inviolable House of Worship. And remain conscious of God, and know that God is severe in retribution.

ALL MANKIND were once one single community; [then they began to differ - ] whereupon God raised up the prophets as heralds of glad tidings and as warners, and through them bestowed revelation from on high, setting forth the truth, so that it might decide between people with regard to all on which they had come to hold divergent views. Yet none other than the selfsame people who had been granted this [revelation] began, out of mutual jealousy, to disagree about its meaning after all evidence of the truth had come unto them. But God guided the believers unto the truth about which, by His leave, they had disagreed: for God guides onto a straight way him that wills [to be guided].

ART THOU NOT aware of those who forsook their homelands in their thousands for fear of death-whereupon God said unto them, "Die," and later brought them back to life ? life? Behold, God is indeed limitless in His bounty unto man -but most people are ungrateful.

Art thou not aware of those elders of the children of Israel , Israel, after the time of Moses, how they said unto a prophet of theirs, "Raise up a king for us, [and] we shall fight in God's cause"? Said he: "Would you, perchance, refrain from fighting if fighting is ordained for you?" They answered: "And why should we not fight in God's cause when we and our children have been driven from our homelands?" Yet, when fighting was ordained for them, they did turn back, save for a few of them; but God had full knowledge of the evildoers.

for if you do it not, then know that you are at war with God and His Apostle. But if you repent, then you shall be entitled to [the return of] your principal : principal: you will do no wrong, and neither will you be wronged.

And be conscious of the Day on which you shall be brought back unto God, whereupon every human being shall be repaid in full for what he has earned, and none shall be wronged . wronged.

those who say, "O our Sustainer! Behold, we believe [in Thee]; forgive us, then, our sins, and keep us safe from suffering through the fire" - : -:

and [will make him] an apostle unto the children of Israel .” Israel.” "I HAVE COME unto you with a message from your Sustainer. I shall create for you out of clay, as it were, the shape of [your] destiny, and then breathe into it, so that it might become [your] destiny by God's leave; and I shall heal the blind and the leper, and bring the dead back to life by God's leave; and I shall let you know what you may eat and what you should store up in your houses. Behold, in all this there is indeed a message for you, if you are [truly] believers.

And God ordained this [to be said by His Apostle ] Apostle] only as a glad tiding for you, and that your hearts should thereby be set at rest - since no succour can come from any save God, the Almighty, the Truly Wise -

But if good fortune comes to you from God, such a person is sure to say - just as if there had never been any question of love between you and him - : -: "Oh, would that I had been with them, and thus had a [share in their] mighty triumph !" triumph!"

And so, [We punished them ] them] for the break­ing of their pledge, and their refusal to acknowledge God's messages, and their slaying of prophets against all right, and their boast, "Our hearts are already full of knowledge"- nay, but God has sealed their hearts in result of their denial of the truth, and [now] they believe in but few things - ; -;

O YOU who have attained to faith! Be true to your covenants! Lawful to you is the [flesh of every] beast that feeds on plants, save what is mentioned to you [hereinafter ]: [hereinafter]: but you are not allowed to hunt while you are in the state of pilgrimage. Behold, God ordains in accordance with His will.

It is but a just recompense for those who make war on God and His apostle, and endeavour to spread corruption on earth, that they are being slain in great' numbers, or crucified in great numbers, or have, in l' result of their perverseness, their hands and feet cut off in great numbers, or are being [entirely] banished from [the face of] the earth: such is their ignominy in this world . world. But in the life to come [yet more] awesome suffering awaits them-

those who eagerly listen to any falsehood, greedily swallowing all that is evil! Hence, if they come to thee [for judgment], thou mayest either judge between them or leave them alone: for, if thou leave them alone, they cannot harm thee in any way. But if thou dost judge, judge between them with equity : equity: verily, God knows those who act equitably.

And We ordained for them in that [Torah]: A life for a life, and an eye for an eye, and a nose for a nose, and an ear for an ear, and a tooth for a tooth, and a [similar] retribution for wounds; but he who shall forgo it out of charity will atone thereby for some of his past sins. And they who do not judge in accordance with what God has revealed - they, they are the evildoers! , evildoers!,

And the Jews say, "God's hand is shackled!" It is their own hands that are shackled; and rejected [by God] are they because of this their assertion. Nay, but wide are His hands stretched out: He dispenses [bounty] as He wills. But all that has been bestowed from on high upon thee [O Prophet] by thy Sustainer is bound to make many of them yet more stubborn in their overweening arrogance and in their denial of the truth. And so We have cast enmity and hatred among the followers of the Bible , Bible, [to last] until Resurrection Day; every time they light the fires of war, God extinguishes them ; them; and they labour hard to spread corruption on earth: and God does not -love the spreaders of corruption.

Lo! God will say: "O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember the blessings which I bestowed upon thee and thy mother-how I strengthened thee with holy inspiration, so that thou couldst speak unto men in thy cradle, and as a grown man; and how I imparted unto thee revelation and wisdom, including the Torah and the Gospel; and how by My leave thou didst create out of clay, as it were, the shape of [thy followers'] destiny, and then didst breathe into it, so that it might become, by My leave, [their] destiny ; destiny; and how thou didst heal the blind and the leper by My leave, and how thou didst raise the dead by My leave; and how I prevented the children of Israel from harming thee when thou camest unto them with all evidence of the truth, and [when] those of them who were bent on denying the truth were saying, `This is clearly nothing but deception!"'

Whereupon, in their utter confusion, they will only [be able to] say: "By God, our Sustainer, we did not [mean to] ascribe divinity to aught beside Him !" Him!"

SAY: "Shall we invoke, instead of God, something that can neither benefit us nor harm us, and [thus] turn around on our heels after God has guided us aright? -like one whom the satans have enticed into blundering after earthly lusts, the while his companions, trying to guide him, call out unto him [from afar] , afar], `Come thou to us!"' Say: "Verily, God's guidance is the only guidance: and so we have been bidden to surrender ourselves unto the Sustainer of all the worlds,

And He it is who has brought you [all] into being out of one living entity, and [has appointed for each of you] a time-limit [on earth] and a resting-place [after death] : death]: clearly, indeed, have We spelled out these messages unto people who can grasp the truth!

AND [remember] Lot , Lot, when he said unto his people: "Will you commit abominations such as none in all the world has ever done before you?

AND UNTO [the people of] Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu'ayb . Shu'ayb. He said: "O my people! Worship God alone: you have no deity other than Him. Clear evidence of the truth has now come unto you from your Sustainer. Give, therefore, full measure and weight [in all your dealings], and do not deprive people of what is rightfully theirs; and do not spread corruption on earth after it has be, en so well ordered: [all] this is for your own good, 'if you would but believe.

And do not lie in ambush by every road [that leads to the truth ], truth], threatening and trying to turn away from God's path all who believe in Him, and trying to make it appear crooked. And remember [the time] when you were few, and [how] He made you many: and behold what happened in the end to the spreaders of corruption!

[But the children of Israel ] Israel] said: "We have suffered hurt ere thou camest to us and since thou hast come to us!" [Moses] replied: "It may well be that your Sustainer will destroy your foe and make you inherit the earth: and thereupon he will behold how you act."

AND WE BROUGHT the children of Israel across the sea; and thereupon they came upon people who were devoted to the worship of some idols of theirs. Said [the children of Israel ]: Israel]: "O Moses, set up for us a god even as they have gods!" He replied: "Verily, you are people without any awareness [of right and wrong]!

AND [then] We appointed for Moses thirty nights [on Mount Sinai ]; Sinai]; and We added to them ten, whereby the term of forty nights set bye, his Sustainer was fulfilled. And Moses said unto his brother Aaron: "Take thou my place among my people; and act righteously, and follow not the path of the spreaders of corruption."

And yet, as soon as He has granted them sound [offspring], they begin to ascribe to other powers beside Him a share in bringing about what He has granted them ! them! Sublimely exalted, however, is God- above anything to which men may ascribe a share in His divinity!

those who are constant in prayer and spend on others out of what We provide for them as sustenance : sustenance:

Lo! Thy Sustainer inspired the angels [to convey this His message to the believers]: "I am with you !" you!" [And He commanded the angels:] "And, give firmness unto those who have attained to faith [with these words from Me]: `I shall cast terror into the hearts of those who are bent on denying the truth; strike, then, their necks, [O believers,] and strike off every one of their finger-tips!"

If you have been praying for victory, [O believers] - victory has now indeed come unto you. And if you abstain [from sinning], it will be for your own good; but if you revert to it, We shall revoke [Our promise of aid] - and never will your community be of any avail to you, however great its numbers: for, behold, God is [only] with those who believe ! believe!

and if they turn away [from righteousness],know righteousness], know that God is your Lord Supreme: [and] how excellent is this Lord Supreme, and how excellent this Giver of Succour!

And, lo, Satan made all their doings seem goodly to them, and said, "No one can overcome you this day, for, behold, I shall be your protector !" protector!" but as soon as the two hosts came within sight of one another, he turned on his heels and said, "Behold, I am not responsible for you: behold, I see something that you do not see: behold, I fear God-for God is severe in retribution !" retribution!"

At the same time, the hypocrites and those in whose hearts was disease were saying, "Their faith has deluded these [believers] !" [believers]!" But he who places his trust in God [knows that], verily, God is almighty, wise.

This, because God would never change the blessings with which He has graced a people unless they change their inner selves : selves: and [know] that God is all-hearing, all-seeing.

And so, when the sacred months are over , over, slay those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God wherever you may come upon them, and take them captive, and besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every conceivable place ! place! Yet if they repent, and take to prayer, and render the purifying dues, let them go their way: for, behold, God is much forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

But with all this , this, God will turn in His mercy unto whom He wills: for God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

on the Day when that [hoarded wealth] shall be heated in the fire of hell and their foreheads and their sides and their backs branded therewith , therewith, [those sinners shall be told:] "These are the treasures which you have laid up for yourselves! Taste, then, [the evil of] your hoarded treasures!"

Had there been [a prospect of] immediate gain, and an easy journey, they would certainly have followed thee, [O Prophet:] but the distance was too great for them . them. And yet, [after your return, O believers,] they will swear by God, "Had we been able to do so, we would certainly have set out with you!" - [and by thus falsely swearing] they will be destroying their own selves: for God knows indeed that they are lying!

May God pardon thee [O Prophet] ! Prophet]! Why didst thou grant them permission [to stay at home] ere it had become obvious to thee as to who was speaking the truth, and [ere] thou camest to know. [who were] the liars?

For, only this prevents their spending from being accepted from them: they are bent on refusing to acknowledge God and His Apostle, and never pray without reluctance , reluctance, and never spend [on righteous causes] without resentment.

[And] they will [still] be offering excuses to you when you return to them ,[from them, [from the campaign]! Say: "Do not offer [empty] excuses, [for] we shall not believe you: God has already enlightened us about you. And God will behold your [future] deeds, and [so will] His Apostle; and in the end you will be brought before Him who knows all that is beyond the reach of a created being's perception as well as all that can be witnessed by a creature's senses or mind, and then He will make you truly understand what you were doing [in life]."

O you who have attained to faith! Fight against those deniers of the truth who are near you, and let them find you adamant ; adamant; and know that .God that. God is with those who are conscious of Him.

[and] in that [state of happiness] they will call out, "Limitless art Thou in Thy glory, O God!"-and will be answered with the greeting, "Peace !" "Peace!" And their call will close with [the words], "All praise is due to God, the Sustainer of all the worlds!"

Say: "Had God willed it [otherwise], I would not have conveyed this [divine writ] unto you, nor would He have brought it to your knowledge. Indeed. a whole lifetime have I dwelt among you ere this [revelation came unto me]: will you not, then, use your reason ?” reason?”

Yet as soon as He has saved them from this [danger], lo! they behave outrageously on earth, offending against all right ! right! O men! All your outrageous deeds are bound to fall back upon your own selves! [You care only for] the enjoyment of life in this world: [but remember that] in the end unto Us you must return, whereupon We shall make you truly understand all that you were doing [in life].

For, one Day We shall gather them all together, and then We shall say unto those who [in their lifetime] ascribed divinity to aught but God, "Stand where you are, you and those [beings and powers] to whom you were wont to ascribe a share in God's divinity! -for by then We shall have [visibly] separated them from one another . another. And the beings to whom they had ascribed a share in God's divinity will say [to those who had worshipped them], "It was not us that you were wont to worship;

And yet, they [who are bent on denying the truth] assert, "[Muhammad] has invented it!" Say [unto them]: "Produce, then, a surah of similar merit; and [to this end] call to your aid whomever you can, other than God, if what you say is true ! true!

And when they threw down [their staffs and cast a spell upon the people's eyes ], eyes], Moses said unto them: "What you have contrived is [but] sorcery which, verily, God will bring to nought! Verily, God does not further the works of spreaders of corruption -

IS IT, then, conceivable [O Prophet] that thou couldst omit any part of what is being revealed unto thee [because the deniers of the truth dislike it,-and] because thy heart is distressed at their saying, "Why has not a treasure been bestowed upon him from on high?" -or, "[Why has not] an angel come [visibly:: with him ?" him?" [They fail to understand that] thou art only a warner, whereas God has everything in His care ; care;

[yet] it is they who, in the life to come, shall have nothing but the fire -for in vain shall be all that they wrought in this [world], and worthless all that they ever did ! did!

Can, then, [he who cares for no more than the life of this world be compared with ] with] one who takes his stand on a clear evidence from his Sustainer, conveyed through [this] testimony from Him, as was the revelation vouchsafed to Moses aforetime-[a divine writ ordained by Him] to be a guidance and grace [unto man]? They [who understand this message-it is they alone who truly] believe in it; whereas for any of those who, leagued together [in common hostility], deny its truth - the fire shall be their appointed state [in the life to come]. And so, be not in doubt about this [revelation]: behold, it is the truth from thy Sustainer, even though most people will not believe in it.

who turn others away from the path of God and try to make it appear crooked -since it is they, they who refuse to acknowledge the truth of the life to come ! come!

Never can they elude [their final reckoning, even if they remain unscathed] on earth : earth: never will they find anyone who could protect them from God. [In the life to come] double suffering will be imposed on them for having lost the ability to hear [the truth] and having failed to see [it].

AND INDEED, [it was with the same message that] We sent forth Noah unto his people : people: "Behold, I come unto you with the plain warning

[But the great ones] said: "O Noah! Thou hast contended with us in argument, and hast [needlessly] prolonged our controversy : controversy: bring upon us, therefore, that with which thou dost threaten us, if thou art a man of truth!"

And his wife, standing [nearby], laughed [with happiness] ; happiness]; whereupon We gave her the glad tiding of [the birth of] Isaac and, after Isaac, of [his son] Jacob.

Said they: "O Shu'ayb! Does thy [habit of] praying compel thee to demand of us that we give up all that our forefathers were wont to worship, or that we refrain from doing whatever we please with our possessions ? possessions? Behold, [thou wouldst have us believe that] thou art indeed the only clement, the only right-minded man!"

And so, when they went away with him, they decided to cast him into the dark depths of the well. And We revealed [this] unto him: "Thou wilt yet remind them of this their deed at a time when they shall not perceive [who thou art] !" art]!"

But although they entered [Joseph's city] in the way their father had bidden them, this proved of no avail whatever to them against [the plan of] God [His request] had served only to satisfy Jacob's heartfelt desire [to protect them]: for, behold, thanks to what We had imparted unto him, he was indeed endowed with the knowledge [that God's will must always prevail ]; prevail]; but most people know it not.

[As soon as the cup came to light out of Benjamin's bag, the brothers] exclaimed: "If he has stolen-well, a brother of his used to steal afore-time !" afore-time!" Thereupon Joseph said to himself, without revealing his thought to them: "You are far worse in this respect, and God is fully aware of what you are saying.

Indeed, in the stories of these men there is a lesson for those who are endowed with insight. [As for this revelation, ] revelation,] it could not possibly be a discourse invented [by man]: nay indeed, it is [a divine writ] confirming the truth of whatever there still remains [of earlier revelations], clearly spelling out everything, and [offering] guidance and grace unto people who will believe.

And there are on earth [many] tracts of land close by one another [and yet widely differing from one another ]; another]; and [there are on it] vinyards, and fields of grain, and date-palms growing in clusters from one root or standing alone, [all] watered with the same water: and yet, some of them have We favoured above others by way of the food [which they provide for man and beast]. Verily, in all this there are messages indeed for people who use their reason!

of those who have responded to their Sustainer with a goodly response, and of those who did not respond to Him. [As for the latter,] if they possessed all that is on earth, and twice as much, they would surely offer it as ransom [on the Day of Judgment] : Judgment]: a most evil reckoning awaits them, and their goal is hell: and how evil a resting-place!

Thus have We raised thee [O Muhammad] as Our Apostle amidst a community [of unbelievers] before whose time [similar] communities have come and gone, so that thou might propound to them what We have revealed unto thee: for [in their ignorance] they deny the Most Gracious ! Gracious! Say: "He is my Sustainer. There is no deity save Him. In Him have I placed my trust, and unto Him is my recourse!"

IS, THEN, HE who has every living being in His almighty care, [dealing with each] according to what it deserves -[is, then, He like anything else that exists]? And yet, they ascribe to other beings a share in God's divinity! Say: "Give them any name [you please]: but do you [really think that you could] inform Him of anything on earth that He does not know-or [do you] but play with words ?, words?, Nay, goodly seems their false imagery to those who are bent on denying the truth, and so they are turned away from the [right] path: and he whom God lets go astray can never find any guide.

Hence, they unto whom We have vouchsafed this revelation rejoice at all that has been bestowed upon thee [O Prophet] from on high; but among the followers of other creeds there are such as deny the validity of some of it. Say [unto them, O Prophet]: "I have only been bidden to worship God, and not to ascribe divine. powers to aught beside Him : Him: unto Him do I call [all mankind], and He is my goal!"

Now those who lived before these [sinners] did, too, devise many a blasphemy -but the most subtle devising is that of God, who knows what each human being deserves : deserves: and the deniers of the truth will [in time] come to know to whom the future belongs.

ART THOU NOT aware that God has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with [an inner] truth? He can, if He so wills, do away with you and bring forth a new mankind [in your stead] : stead]:

for, verily, O my Sustainer, these [false objects of worship] have led many people astray! "Hence, [only] he who follows me [in this my faith]~ faith] ~ is truly of me; and as for him who disobeys me - Thou art, verily, much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!

for, behold, it is We-We alone -who grant life and deal death, and it is We alone who shall remain after all else will have passed away ! away!

he said: "Behold, you are people unknown [here] !" [here]!"

and we are bringing thee the certainty [of its fulfilment] : fulfilment]: for, behold, we are speaking the truth indeed.

and say: "Behold, I am indeed the plain warner [promised by God] ! God]!

[For, thou art the bearer of a divine writ ] writ] such as We have bestowed from on high upon those who [afterwards] broke it up into parts,

Now they who ascribe divinity to aught beside God say, "Had God so willed, we would not have worshipped aught but Him - neither we nor our forefathers; nor would we have declared aught as forbidden without a commandment from Him." Even thus did speak those [sinners] who lived before their time; but, then, are the apostles bound to do more than clearly deliver the message [entrusted to them] ? them]?

And God has said: "Do not take to worshipping two [or more] deities. He is the One and Only God: hence, of Me, of Me alone stand in awe !" awe!"

And [We grant you nourishment] from the fruit of date-palms and vines: from it you derive intoxicants as well as wholesome sustenance -in this, behold, there is a message indeed for people who use their reason ! reason!

And , And, God's [alone] is the knowledge of the hidden reality of the heavens and the earth. And so, the advent of the Last Hour will but manifest itself [in a single moment,] like the twinkling of an eye, or closer still: for, behold, God has the power to will anything.

And when they who were bent on evildoing behold the suffering [that awaits them, they will realize that] it will not be lightened for them [by virtue of their pleading] ; pleading]; and neither will they be granted respite.

And when they who were wont to ascribe divinity to beings other than God behold [on Judgment Day] those beings to whom they were wont to ascribe a share in His divinity, they will exclaim: "O our Sustainer! These are the beings to whom we ascribed a share in Thy divinity, and whom we were wont to invoke instead of Thee !" Thee!" -whereupon [those beings] will fling at them the retort: "Behold, you have indeed been lying [to yourselves]!"

They whose hearts and whose hearing and whose sight God has sealed -it is they, they who are heedless ! heedless!

LIMITLESS in His glory is He who transported His servant by night from the Inviolable House of Worship [at Mecca] to the Remote House of Worship [,at [, at Jerusalem] - the environs of which We had blessed -so that We might show him some of Our symbols: for, verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-seeing.

Hence, do not kill your children for fear of poverty : poverty: it is We who shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily, killing them is a great sin.

And do not take any human being's life -[the life] which God has willed to be, sacred-otherwise than in [the pursuit of] justice. Hence, if anyone has been slain wrongfully, We have empowered the defender of his rights [to exact a just retribution] ; retribution]; but even so, let him not exceed the bounds of equity in [retributive] killing. [And as for him who has been slain wrongfully behold, he is indeed succoured [by God] ! God]!

And do not touch the substance of an orphan, save to improve it, before he comes of age. And be true to every promise - for, verily, [on Judgment Day] you will be called to account for every promise which you have made ! made!

And lo! We said unto thee, [O Prophet:] "Behold, thy Sustainer encompasses all mankind [within His knowledge and might]: and so We have ordained that the vision which We have shown thee -as also the tree [of hell,] cursed in this Qur'an - shall be but a trial for men . men. Now [by Our mentioning hell] We convey a warning to them: but [if they are bent on denying the truth,] this [warning] only increases their gross, overweening arrogance."

[And] he added: "Tell me, is this [foolish being] the one whom Thou hast exalted above me? Indeed, if Thou wilt but allow me a respite till the Day of Resurrection, I shall most certainly cause his descendants-all but a few-to obey me blindly ! blindly!

And [since they see that they cannot persuade thee,] they endeavour to estrange thee from the land [of thy birth] with a view to driving thee away from ,it-but, from, it-but, then, after thou wilt have left, they themselves will not remain [in it] for more than a little while:

And say [in thy prayer]: "O my Sustainer! Cause me to enter [upon whatever I may do] in a manner .true manner. true and sincere, and cause me to leave [it] in a manner true and sincere, and grant me, out of Thy grace, sustaining strength!"

AND, INDEED, We gave unto Moses nine clear messages. Ask, then, the children of Israel [to tell thee what happened] when he came unto them, [and appealed to Pharaoh, ] Pharaoh,] and Pharaoh said unto him, "Verily, O Moses, I think that thou art full of sorcery!"

AND PROPOUND unto them the parable of the life of this world: [it is] like the water which We send down from the skies, and which is absorbed by the plants of the earth: but [in time] they turn into dry . dry. stubble which the winds blow freely about. And it is God [alone] who determines all things.

And they will be lined up before thy Sustainer, [and He will say: ] say:] "Now, indeed, you have come unto Us [in a lonely state], even as We created you in the first instances - although you were wont to assert that We would never 'appoint for you a meeting [with Us]!"

And so the two went on, till, when they came upon some village people, they asked them for food; but those [people] refused them all hospitality. And they saw in that (village] a wall which was on the point of tumbling down, and [the sage] rebuilt it[whereupon it [whereupon Moses] said: "Hadst thou so wished, surely thou couldst [at least] have obtained some payment for it?"

He answered: "As for him who does wrong [unto others ] others] - him shall we, in time, cause to suffer; and thereupon he shall be referred to his Sustainer, and He will cause him to suffer with unnameable suffering.

thus [We had made them, and thus he left them ; them; and We did encompass with Our knowledge all that he had in mind

and thereupon We shall, indeed, draw forth from every group [of sinners] the ones that had been most determined in their disdainful rebellion against the Most Gracious : Gracious:

Answered [Moses]: "Your tryst shall be the day of the Festival ; Festival; and let the people assemble when the sun is risen high."

[AND GOD SAID: ] SAID:] "Now what has caused thee, O Moses, to leave thy people behind in so great a haste?"

PERMISSION [to fight] is given to those against whom war is being wrongfully waged and, verily, God has indeed the power to succour them - : -:

“And say: ‘O my Sustainer! Cause me to reach a destination blessed [by Thee] for Thou art the best to show man how to reach his [true] destination!’ ” destination!’”

They will answer: ‘We have spent there a day, or part of a day; but ask those who [are able to] count [time]…” [time] …”

[Most of them are of this kind ] kind] save those who have attained to faith, and do righteous deeds, and remember God unceasingly, and defend them­selves [only] after having been wronged, and [trust in God’s promise that] those who are bent on wrong­doing will in time come to know how evil a turn their destinies are bound to take!

[God says:] Exalt not yourselves against Me, but come unto Me in willing surrender!’ ” surrender!’”

“Go thou back unto them [that have sent thee]! For, [God says:] ‘We shall most certainly come upon them with forces which they will never be able to withstand, and shall most certainly cause them to be driven from that [land of theirs], despicable and humbled!’ ” humbled!’”

[and] after having bound one another by an oath in God’s name, they said: “Indeed, we shall suddenly fall upon him and his household by night [and slay them all]; and then we shall boldly say to his next of kin, ‘We did not witness the destruction of his household - and, behold, we are indeed men of truth!’ ” truth!’”

And [so,] when the believers saw the Con­federates [advancing against them], they said, “This is what God and His Apostle have promised us!”- and, “Truly spoke God and His Apostle !” Apostle!” and all this but increased their faith and their readiness to surrender themselves unto God.

Say: “[Thus speaks God:] ‘O you servants of Mine who have attained to faith! Be conscious of your Sustainer! Ultimate good awaits those who per­severe in doing good in this world. And [remember:] wide is God’s earth, [and,] verily, they who are patient in adversity will be given their reward in full, beyond all reckoning!’ ” reckoning!’”

SAY: “[Thus speaks God:] ‘O you servants of Mine who have transgressed against your own selves! Despair not of God’s mercy: behold, God forgives all sins - for, verily, He alone is much-forgiving, a dis­penser of grace!’ ” grace!’”

And those who were bent on denying the truth will be urged on in throngs towards hell till, when they reach it, its gates will be opened, and its keepers will ask them, “Have there not come to you apostles from among yourselves, who conveyed to you your Sustainer’s messages and warned you of the coming of this your Day [of Judgment]? ”They Judgment]?” They will answer: “Yea, indeed!” But the sentence of suffering will [already] have fallen due upon the deniers of the truth;

[As for Jesus,] he was nothing but [a human being a servant [of Ours] whom We had graced [with prophethood], and whom We made an example for the children of Israel . Israel.

[O you who believe!] God has promised you many war-gains which you shall yet achieve; and He has vouchsafed you these [worldly gains] well in advance, and has stayed from you the hands of [hostile] people, so that this [your inner strength] may become a symbol to the believers [who will come after you ] , you], and that He may guide you all on a straight way.

And He it is who, in the valley of Mecca , Mecca, stayed their hands from you, and your hands from them, after He had enabled you to vanquish them; and God saw indeed what you were doing.

[It was not for your enemies sake that He stayed your hands from them: for] it was they who were bent on denying the truth, and who debarred you from the Inviolable House of Worship and prevented your offering from reaching its destina­tion. And had it not been for the believing men and believing women [in Mecca ], Mecca], whom you might have unwittingly trampled underfoot, and on whose account you might have become guilty, without knowing it, of a grievous wrong-: [had it not been for this, you would have been allowed to fight your way into the city: but you were forbidden to fight] so that [in time] God might admit to His grace whomever He wills. Had they [who deserve Our mercy and they whom We have condemned] been clearly discernible [to you], We would indeed have imposed grievous suffering [at your hands] on such of them as were bent on denying the truth.

CONSIDER Mount Sinai ! Sinai!

In them, indeed, you have a good example for everyone who looks forward [with hope and awe ] awe] to God and the Last Day. And if any turns away, [let him know that] God is truly self-sufficient, the One to whom all praise is due."

It is they who say [to their compatriots ], compatriots], "Do not spend anything on those who are with God's Apostle, so that they [may be forced to] leave." However, unto God belong the treasures of the heavens and the earth: but this truth the hypocrites cannot grasp.

[Think of ] of] the time when He shall gather you all together unto the Day of the [Last] Gathering - that Day of Loss and Gain! For, as for him who shall have believed in God and done what is just and right, He will [on that Day] efface his bad deeds, and will admit him into gardens through which running waters flow, therein to abide beyond the count of time: that will be a triumph supreme!

[Say, O Prophet: ] Prophet:] "Would that you two turn unto God in repentance, for the hearts of both of you have swerved [from what is right]! And if you uphold each other against him [who is God's message-bearer, know that] God Himself is his Protector, and [that,] therefore, Gabriel, and all the righteous among the believers and all the [other] angels will come to his aid."

and the sky will be rent asunder - for, frail will it have become on that Day - ; -;

[not giving way to their desires] with any but their spouses - that is, those whom they rightfully possess [through wedlock] - : -: for then, behold, they are free of all blame,

HAS THERE [not] been an endless span of time before man [appeared - a time] when he was not yet a thing to be thought of ? of?

and when all the apostles are called together at a time appointed. . . appointed...

Verily, We have warned you of suffering near at hand - [suffering] on the Day when man shall [clearly] see what his hands have sent ahead, and when he who has denied the truth shall say, "Oh, would that I were mere dust... !" dust...!"

[and] their eyes downcast. . . downcast...

and say[unto say [unto him], 'Art thou desirous of attaining to purity?

And, withal, they have no call to watch over [the beliefs of] others. . . others...

EXTOL the limitless glory of thy Sustainer's name:[the name: [the glory of] the Al-Highest,

and the mountains will be like fluffy tufts of wool. . . . wool....

Unto you, your moral law, and unto me, mine !" mine!"