Meccan, 52 verses
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
A.L.R. (Alif. Lam. Ra.) A book that We sent down to you, so that you bring people out of the darkness and into the light with their Lord’s permission, the path of the powerful, the praiseworthy.
God is the One, to Him belongs whatever is in the skies and on the earth. And woe to the disbelievers from a severe punishment.
Those who like this world's life over the Hereafter and obstruct God's way and look for its distortion, they are lost far (from the right path).
We did not send any messenger except in the language of his people, in order to clarify (the message) for them. God misguides anyone He wants, and guides anyone He wants, and He is the powerful, the wise.
And We had certainly sent Moses with Our signs (saying:) “Bring your people out of the darkness and into the light and remind them of the days of God.” Indeed there are signs in that for every patient and thankful (person).
And (remember) when Moses said to his people: “Remember God’s favors upon you when He saved you from Pharaoh’s people who subjected you to the harsh punishment while killing your sons and letting your women live. There was a great trial in that from your Lord.”
And (also remember) when your Lord declared: “If you are thankful, I shall increase you (and your reward), and if you are ungrateful then indeed My punishment is certainly severe.”
And Moses said: “If you and everyone on the earth disbelieve together, God is rich (and has no need) and praiseworthy.”
Didn't the story of those before you come to you, people of Noah and Aad and Thamud and those after them? No one knows them except God. Their messengers brought them clear evidences, but they put their hands to their mouths and said: “Indeed we disbelieve in what you are sent with it, and we are certainly in serious doubt about what you invite us to it.”
Their messengers said: “Is there any doubt about God, creator of the skies and the earth? He invites you to forgive you of your sins and postpones you (your death and punishment) until a limited period.” They said: “You are only a human being like us, you want to turn us away from what our fathers used to serve, so bring us a clear reason.”
Their messengers told them: “We are only human beings like you, but God favors upon any one of His servants that He wants, and it is not for us to bring you a reason except with God’s permission, and believers should put their trust in God,
and why should we not put our trust in God while He has guided us in our ways? And we shall persevere over what you annoy us. And those who trust should put their trust in God.”
And those who disbelieved said to their messengers: “We shall drive you out of our land or you shall return to our faith.” Then their Lord revealed to them: “We shall destroy the wrongdoers,
and We shall make you inhabit the land after them. That is for those who fear My position and fear My threat (of punishment).”
And they asked for victory, and every stubborn tyrant was disappointed.
Hell is ahead of him, and he will be made to drink from rotten water.
He will sip it and will not swallow it easily, and death comes to him from everywhere but he does not die, and beyond it is a severe punishment.
The works of those who disbelieve in their Lord are like ashes, on which a strong wind blows on a stormy day. They are not able to gain anything from what they did. That is being lost far (from the right path).
Do you not see that God created the skies and the earth in truth? If He wants, He eliminates you and brings a new creation.
And that is not difficult for God.
And all (people) will appear before God, then the weak ones tell those who were arrogant: “We were your followers, so can you be of any use to us against God’s punishment at all?” They say: “If God had guided us, we would have certainly guided you, it is the same for us whether we are anxious or we are patient, for there is no way of escape for us.”
And when the matter is decided, Satan will say: “Indeed God promised you a true promise, and I promised you and I failed you (in keeping my promise), I had no authority over you except that I invited you and you accepted my invitation, so do not blame me but blame yourselves, I am not your rescuer and you are not my rescuer, I disbelieve in you associating me (as partner) with God in the past.” Indeed the wrongdoers will have a painful punishment.
Those who believe and do good are admitted to gardens which rivers flow through them, remaining in there forever with their Lord's permission. Their greeting in it is: “Peace (and well-being).”
Do you not see how God gives an example? Good word is like a good tree, its root is firm and its branches are in the sky.
It gives its fruit all the time with its Lord’s permission. And God gives examples for people, so that they may take notice.
Example of a bad word is like a bad tree which is uprooted from the surface of the earth and it has no stability.
God strengthens those who believe with firm words, in this world's life and in the Hereafter, and He misguides the wrongdoers. And God does what He wants.
Have you not seen those who exchange God’s favor with disbelief, and they made their people end up in the house of doom?
Hell, they enter (and burn in) there, and it is a miserable place to stay.
And they set up equals to God in order to misguide (people) from His way. Say: “Enjoy (yourselves for a while), because your final return is to the fire.”
Say to My servants, those who believe, to perform mandatory prayer and to spend secretly and openly from what We have provided for them, before a day comes that there is no trading and no friendship in it.
God is the One Who created the skies and the earth and sent down rain from the sky, then He brought out the produce as your provision with it, and He brought the ships under your control (and at your service) so that you sail in the sea by His command, and He brought rivers under your control.
And He brought the sun and the moon, which continuously hold their courses (orbits), under your control (to be of service to you), and He brought the night and the day under your control.
And He gave you from all that you asked Him. And if you count God’s favor, you cannot count them. The human being is certainly wrongdoer and ungrateful.
And remember when Abraham said: “My Lord, make this territory safe, and keep me and my children away from serving idols;
my Lord, indeed they misguided a lot of people, so whoever follows me then he is of me, and whoever disobeys me, indeed You are forgiving and merciful;
our Lord, indeed I have made some of my descendants live in a barren valley by Your sacred house, so that they may perform mandatory prayer; our Lord, make the hearts of people fond of them, and provide them with the produce so they may be thankful;
our Lord, you know what we hide and what we disclose, and nothing in the skies and on the earth hides from God;
all praise belongs to God, the One Who gave me Ishmael and Isaac in spite of old age. Indeed my Lord is the listener of the prayer;
my Lord, make me and my descendants performers of mandatory prayer, our Lord, and accept my prayer;
our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers on a day that reckoning is established.”
Do not think that God is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. God only postpones them (their punishment) to a day that the eyes stare (in horror) in it.
Rushing forward with their heads raised up, their eyes do not blink, and their hearts are empty.
And warn people of a day that the punishment comes to them, then those who did wrong say: “Our Lord, postpone (the punishment) for us for a short period, so that we accept Your call and follow the messengers.” (God says:) “Did you not swear in the past that you will have no ending (and you will not die)?”
And you have resided in the houses of those who did wrong to themselves, and it was made clear to you what We did to them, and We have given you examples (of what they did and what was done to them).
And they have plotted their plot, and their plot was with God (He was aware of them), even if their plot was to wipe out the mountains by it (it would not be of any use against God’s power).
Do not think that God breaks His promise to His messengers. Indeed God is powerful, revengeful.
On a day that the earth is changed to a different earth and so is the skies, and they (people) appear before God, the One and the supreme (and the dominant),
and on that day, you see the guilty ones are tied together in chains,
their clothes are from tar and the fire covers their faces,
so that God repays everyone according to what it has done. God is quick in reckoning.
This (Quran) is a notification for (all) the people, so that they are warned with it, and to know that only He is the One god, and for people of understanding (reasonable people) to take notice.