Alif Lam Mim Sad

This Book has been sent down to you [Prophet]––let there be no anxiety in your heart because of it––so that you may use it to give warning and to remind the believers:

‘Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord; do not follow other masters beside Him. How seldom you take heed!’

How many towns We have destroyed! Our punishment came to them by night or while they slept in the afternoon:

their only cry when Our punishment came to them was, ‘How wrong we were!’

We shall certainly question those to whom messengers were sent–– and We shall question the messengers themselves––

and, with full knowledge, for We were never far from them, We shall tell them what they did.

On that Day the weighing of deeds will be true and just: those whose good deeds are heavy on the scales will be the ones to prosper,

and those whose good deeds are light will be the ones who have lost their souls through their wrongful rejection of Our messages.

We established you [people] on the earth and provided you with a means of livelihood there––small thanks you give!

We created you, We gave you shape, and then We said to the angels, ‘Bow down before Adam,’ and they did. But not Iblis: he was not one of those who bowed down.

God said, ‘What prevented you from bowing down as I commanded you?’ and he said, ‘I am better than him: You created me from fire and him from clay.’

God said, ‘Get down from here! This is no place for your arrogance. Get out! You are contemptible!’

but Iblis said, ‘Give me respite until the Day people are raised from the dead,’

and God replied, ‘You have respite.’

And then Iblis said, ‘Because You have put me in the wrong, I will lie in wait for them all on Your straight path:

I will come at them- from their front and their back, from their right and their left- and You will find that most of them are ungrateful.’

God said, ‘Get out! You are disgraced and banished! I swear I shall fill Hell with you and all who follow you!

But you and your wife, Adam, live in the Garden. Both of you eat whatever you like, but do not go near this tree or you will become wrongdoers.’

Satan whispered to them so as to expose their nakedness, which had been hidden from them: he said, ‘Your Lord only forbade you this tree to prevent you becoming angels or immortals,’

and he swore to them, ‘I am giving you sincere advice’-

he lured them with lies. Their nakedness became exposed to them when they had eaten from the tree: they began to put together leaves from the Garden to cover themselves. Their Lord called to them, ‘Did I not forbid you to approach that tree? Did I not warn you that Satan was your sworn enemy?’

They replied, ‘Our Lord, we have wronged our souls: if You do not forgive us and have mercy, we shall be lost.’

He said, ‘All of you get out! You are each other’s enemies. On earth you will have a place to stay and livelihood- for a time.’

He said, ‘There you will live; there you will die; from there you will be brought out.’

Children of Adam, We have given you garments to cover your nakedness and as adornment for you; the garment of God-consciousness is the best of all garments- this is one of God’s signs, so that people may take heed.

Children of Adam, do not let Satan seduce you, as he did your parents, causing them to leave the Garden, stripping them of their garments to expose their nakedness to them: he and his forces can see you from where you cannot see them: We have made evil ones allies to those who do not believe.

Yet when [these people] do something disgraceful, they say, ‘We found our forefathers doing this,’ and, ‘God has commanded us to do this.’ Say [Prophet], ‘God does not command disgraceful deeds. How can you say about God things that you do not know [to be true]?’

Say, ‘My Lord commands righteousness. Direct your worship straight to Him wherever you pray; call on Him; devote your religion entirely to Him. Just as He first created you, so you will come back [to life] again.’

Some He has guided and some are doomed to stray: they have taken evil ones rather than God as their masters, thinking that they are rightly guided.

Children of Adam, dress well whenever you are at worship, and eat and drink [as We have permitted] but do not be extravagant: God does not like extravagant people.

Say [Prophet], ‘Who has forbidden the adornment and the nourishment God has provided for His servants?’ Say, ‘They are [allowed] for those who believe during the life of this world: they will be theirs alone on the Day of Resurrection.’ This is how We make Our revelation clear for those who understand.

Say [Prophet], ‘My Lord only forbids disgraceful deeds- whether they be open or hidden- and sin and unjustified aggression, and that you, without His sanction, associate things with Him, and that you say things about Him without knowledge.’

There is a time set for every people: they cannot hasten it, nor, when it comes, will they be able to delay it for a single moment.

Children of Adam, when messengers come to you from among yourselves, reciting My revelations to you, for those who are conscious of God and live righteously, there will be no fear, nor will they grieve.

But those who reject Our revelations and arrogantly scorn them are the people of the Fire and there they will remain.

Who is more wrong than the person who invents lies against God or rejects His revelations? Such people will have their preordained share [in this world], but then, when Our angels arrive to take them back, saying, ‘Where are those you used to call on beside God?’ they will say, ‘They have deserted us.’ They will confess that they were disbelievers and

God will say, ‘Join the crowds of jinn and humans who have gone before you into the Fire.’ Every crowd curses its fellow crowd as it enters, then, when they are all gathered inside, the last of them will say of the first, ‘Our Lord, it was they who led us astray: give them double punishment in the Fire’- God says, ‘Every one of you will have double punishment, though you do not know it’-

and the first of them will say to the last, ‘You were no better than us: taste the punishment you have earned.’

The gates of Heaven will not be open to those who rejected Our revelations and arrogantly spurned them; even if a thick rope were to pass through the eye of a needle they would not enter the Garden. This is how We punish the guilty-

Hell will be their resting place and their covering, layer upon layer- this is how We punish those who do evil.

But those who believe and do good deeds- and We do not burden any soul with more than it can bear- are the people of the Garden and there they will remain.

We shall have removed all ill feeling from their hearts; streams will flow at their feet. They will say, ‘Praise be to God, who guided us to this: had God not guided us, We would never have found the way. The messengers of our Lord brought the Truth.’ A voice will call out to them, ‘This is the Garden you have been given as your own on account of your deeds.’

The people of the Garden will cry out to the people of the Fire, ‘We have found what our Lord promised us to be true. Have you found what your Lord promised you to be true?’ and they will answer, ‘Yes’. A voice will proclaim from their midst, ‘God’s rejection [hangs] over the evildoers:

those who turned others away from God’s path and tried to make it crooked, those who denied the Hereafter.’

A barrier divides the two groups with men on its heights recognizing each group by their marks: they will call out to the people of the Garden, ‘Peace be with you!’- they will not have entered, but they will be hoping,

and when their glance falls upon the people of the Fire, they will say, ‘Our Lord, do not let us join the evildoers!’-

and the people of the heights will call out to certain men they recognize by their marks, ‘What use were your great numbers and your false pride?

And are these the people you swore God would never bless? [Now these people are being told], “Enter the Garden! No fear for you, nor shall you grieve.”’

The people of the Fire will call to the people of Paradise, ‘Give us some water, or any of the sustenance God has granted you!’ and they will reply, ‘God has forbidden both to the disbelievers-

those who took their religion for distraction, a mere game, and were deluded by worldly life.’ Today We shall ignore them, just as they have ignored their meeting with this Day and denied Our Revelations.

We have brought people a Scripture- We have explained it on the basis of true knowledge- as guidance and mercy for those who believe.

What are they waiting for but the fulfilment of its [final prophecy]? On the Day it is fulfilled, those who had ignored it will say, ‘Our Lord’s messenger spoke the truth. Is there anyone to intercede for us now? Or can we be sent back to behave differently from the way we behaved before?’ They will really have squandered their souls, and all [the idols] they invented will have deserted them.

Your Lord is God, who created the heavens and earth in six Days, then established Himself on the throne; He makes the night cover the day in swift pursuit; He created the sun, moon, and stars to be subservient to His command; all creation and command belong to Him. Exalted be God, Lord of all the worlds!

Call on your Lord humbly and privately- He does not like those who transgress His bounds:

do not corrupt the earth after it has been set right- call on Him fearing and hoping. The mercy of God is close to those who do good.

It is God who sends the winds, bearing good news of His coming grace, and when they have gathered up the heavy clouds, We drive them to a dead land where We cause rain to fall, bringing out all kinds of crops, just as We shall bring out the dead. Will you not reflect?

Vegetation comes out of good land in abundance, by the will of its Lord, but out of bad land only scantily: We explain Our Revelations in various ways to those who give thanks.

We sent Noah to his people. He said, ‘My people, serve God: you have no god other than Him. I fear for you the punishment of a fearsome Day!’

but the prominent leaders of his people said, ‘We believe you are far astray.’

He replied, ‘My people, there is nothing astray about me! On the contrary, I am a messenger from the Lord of all the Worlds:

I am delivering my Lord’s messages to you and giving you sincere advice. I know things from God that you do not.

Do you find it so strange that a message should come from your Lord- through a man in your midst- to warn you and make you aware of God so that you may be given mercy?’

but they called him a liar. We saved him, and those who were with him, on the Ark and We drowned those who rejected Our revelations- they were wilfully blind.

To the people of 'Ad We sent their brother, Hud. He said, ‘My people, serve God: you have no god other than Him. Will you not take heed?’

but the disbelieving leaders of his people said, ‘We believe you are a fool,’ and ‘We think you are a liar.’

He said, ‘My people, there is nothing foolish about me! On the contrary, I am a messenger from the Lord of all the Worlds:

I am delivering my Lord’s messages to you. I am your sincere and honest adviser.

Do you find it so strange that a message should come from your Lord, through a man in your midst, to warn you? Remember how He made you heirs after Noah’s people, and increased your stature: remember God’s bounties, so that you may prosper.’

They said, ‘Have you really come to tell us to serve God alone and to forsake what our forefathers served? If what you say is true, bring us the punishment you threaten.’

He said, ‘You are already set to receive your Lord’s loathing and anger. Are you arguing with me about mere names you and your forefathers invented, names for which God has given no sanction? Just wait; I too am waiting.’

We saved him, and those who were with him, through Our mercy; We destroyed those who denied Our revelations and would not believe.

To the people of Thamud We sent their brother, Salih. He said, ‘My people, serve God: you have no god other than Him. A clear sign has come to you now from your Lord: this is God’s she-camel- a sign for you- so let her graze in God’s land and do not harm her in any way, or you will be struck by a painful torment.

Remember how He made you heirs after 'Ad and settled you in the land to build yourselves castles on its plains and carve houses out of the mountains: remember God’s blessings and do not spread corruption in the land,’

but the arrogant leaders among his people said to the believers they thought to be of no account, ‘Do you honestly think that Salih is a messenger from his Lord?’ They said, ‘Yes. We believe in the message sent through him,’

but the arrogant leaders said, ‘We reject what you believe in,’

and then they hamstrung the camel. They defied their Lord’s commandment and said, ‘Salih, bring down the punishment you threaten, if you really are a messenger!’

An earthquake seized them: by the next morning they were lying dead in their homes.

So he turned away from them, saying, ‘My people, I delivered my Lord’s messages to you and gave you sincere advice, but you did not like those who gave sincere advice.’

We sent Lot and he said to his people, ‘How can you practise this outrage? No one in the world has outdone you in this.

You lust after men rather than women! You transgress all bounds!’

The only response his people gave was to say [to one another], ‘Drive them out of your town! These men want to keep themselves chaste!’

We saved him and his kinsfolk- apart from his wife who stayed behind-

and We showered upon [the rest of] them a rain [of destruction]. See the fate of the evildoers.

To the people of Midian We sent their brother, Shuayb. He said, ‘My people, serve God: you have no god other than Him. A clear sign has come to you from your Lord. Give full measure and weight and do not undervalue people’s goods; do not cause corruption in the land after it has been set in order: this is better for you, if you are believers.

Do not sit in every pathway, threatening and barring those who believe in God from His way, trying to make it crooked. Remember how you used to be few and He made you multiply. Think about the fate of those who used to spread corruption.

If some of you believe the message I bring and others do not, then be patient till God judges between us. He is the best of all judges.’

His people’s arrogant leaders said, ‘Shuayb, we will expel you and your fellow believers from our town unless you return to our religion.’ He said, ‘What! Even if we detest it?

If we were to return to your religion after God has saved us from it, we would be inventing lies about Him: there is no way we could return to it- unless by the will of God our Lord: in His knowledge He comprehends everything. We put our trust in God. Our Lord, expose the truth [and judge] between us and our people, for You are the best judge.’

The disbelieving leaders among his people said, ‘You will certainly be losers if you follow Shuayb’-

an earthquake seized them: by the next morning they were lying dead in their homes;

it was as if those who had rejected Shuayb had never lived there; it was those who had rejected Shuayb who were the losers-

so he turned away from them, saying, ‘My people, I delivered my Lord’s messages to you and gave you sincere advice, so why should I grieve for people who refused to believe?’

Whenever We sent a prophet to a town, We afflicted its [disbelieving] people with suffering and hardships, so that they might humble themselves [before God],

and then We changed their hardship into prosperity, until they multiplied. But then they said, ‘Hardship and affluence also befell our forefathers,’ and so We took them suddenly, unawares.

If the people of those towns had believed and been mindful of God, We would have showered them with blessings from the heavens and earth, but they rejected the truth and so We punished them for their misdeeds.

Do the people of these towns feel secure that Our punishment will not come upon them by night, while they are asleep?

Do the people of these towns feel secure that Our punishment will not come upon them by day, while they are at play?

Do they feel secure against God’s plan? Only the losers feel secure against God’s plan.

Is it not clear to those who inherit the land from former generations that We can punish them too for their sins if We will? And seal up their hearts so that they cannot hear?

We have told you [Prophet] the stories of those towns: messengers came to them, and clear signs, but they would not believe in what they had already rejected- in this way God seals the hearts of disbelievers.

We found that most of them did not honour their commitments; We found that most of them were defiant.

After these, We sent Moses to Pharaoh and his leading supporters with Our signs, but they rejected them. See the fate of those who used to spread corruption.

Moses said, ‘Pharaoh, I am a messenger from the Lord of all the Worlds,

duty-bound to say nothing about God but the truth, and I have brought you a clear sign from your Lord. Let the Children of Israel go with me.’

He said, ‘Produce this sign you have brought, if you are telling the truth.’

So Moses threw his staff and- lo and behold!- it was a snake, clear to all,

and then he pulled out his hand and- lo and behold!- it was white for all to see.

The leaders among Pharaoh’s people said, ‘This man is a learned sorcerer!

He means to drive you out of your land!’ Pharaoh said, ‘What do you suggest?’

They said, ‘Delay him and his brother for a while, and send messengers to all the cities

to summon every learned sorcerer to you.’

The sorcerers came to Pharaoh and said, ‘Shall we be rewarded if we win?’

and he replied, ‘Yes, and you will join my inner court.’

So they said, ‘Moses, will you throw first or shall we?’

He said, ‘You throw,’ and they did, casting a spell on people’s eyes, striking fear into them, and bringing about great sorcery.

Then We inspired Moses, ‘Throw your staff,’ and- lo and behold!––it devoured their fakery.

The truth was confirmed and what they had produced came to nothing:

they were defeated there and utterly humiliated.

The sorcerers fell to their knees

and said, ‘We believe in the Lord of the Worlds,

the Lord of Moses and Aaron!’

but Pharaoh said, ‘How dare you believe in Him before I have given you permission? This is a plot you have hatched to drive the people out of this city! Soon you will see:

I will cut off your alternate hands and feet and then crucify you all!’

They said, ‘And so we shall return to our Lord-

Your only grievance against us is that we believed in the signs of our Lord when they came to us. Our Lord, pour steadfastness upon us and let us die in devotion to You.’

The leaders among Pharaoh’s people said to him, ‘But are you going to leave Moses and his people to spread corruption in the land and forsake you and your gods?’ He replied, ‘We shall kill their male children, sparing only the females: We have complete power over them.’

Moses said to his people, ‘Turn to God for help and be steadfast: the earth belongs to God- He gives it as their own to whichever of His servants He chooses- and the happy future belongs to those who are mindful of Him,’

and they replied, ‘We were being persecuted long before you came to us, and since then too.’ He said, ‘Your Lord may well destroy your enemy and make you successors to the land to see how you behave.’

We inflicted years of drought and crop failure on Pharaoh’s people, so that they might take heed,

then, when something good came their way, they said, ‘This is our due!’. When something bad came, they ascribed it to the evil omen of Moses and those with him, but their ‘evil omen’ was really from God, though most of them did not realize it.

They said, ‘We will not believe in you, no matter what signs you produce to cast a spell on us,’