31:1  A. (Alef), L. (Lam), M. (Meem) the Surah opens with these introductory letters from the Arabic Alphabet to draw attention to the miracle of the Quran which though written in the people's tongue, cannot be emulated

31:2  These are divine revelations presented in the Book -the Quran-, the fountain- head of wisdom

31:3  The Book symbolizing the spirit of truth guiding into ail truth and to the best way of moral rightness which has had everlasting residence in the character of the Godhead and to the uprightness of decision. And it is a guide to the heart and the conduct and to the best way of life besides being a mercy to those who perfect their illustrious toils and turn their thoughts on moral excellence and benevolence and imprint their deeds with wisdom and piety

31:4  Who observe their act of worship, give Zakat (alms) -for alms are but the vehicles of prayer- and they are inspired with the certainty of the Hereafter which imbues their inmost being

31:5  Such persons are on the path of righteousness and Providence there guide and these are they who shall reap the fruits of victory here and hereafte

31:6  And among people is he who indulges in vain talk; his malice, being motivated in some satisfying way centers on misleading people from the path of Allah and on inciting them to deviate from sense in ignorance and want of divine knowledge; he makes the issue the object of ridicule. Such persons shall suffer the humiliating torment laid upon the damned

31:7  And when Our revelations are recited to him he simply withdraws and turns away in inordinate self-esteem as if he heard nothing divine as though he lacks intellect or he is defective in the sense of hearing. Tell him, O Muhammad and the like of him to expect a severe punishment

31:8  But those whose hearts reflect the image of religious and spiritual virtues and their deeds, wisdom and piety shall be rewarded with the blissful abode in the beautitude of the realm of heaven

31:9  wherein they will have passed through nature to Eternity as promised by Allah Whose promise is the truth personified. He is AL-Aziz (the Almighty) and AL- Hakim (the Source of Wisdom and wise mysterious dispensations)

31:10  He is it Who created the heavens and raised them with their spheres lying above or outside of each other inlaid with heavenly bodies superstructures kept aloft without pillars or visible means of support that you -people- can see.* He furnished the earth with firm stays, -mountains- placed in a certain setting, fixed as with an anchor, to stabilize** it lest it should sway you from side to side or in all directions. And He scattered over it animate beings of all sorts. And We send down from the floor of the vault of heaven rain water instrumental in vegetal growth in pairs of like things emerging in varying colours with good qualities and of great advantages

31:11  This is what Allah has brought into being and caused to exist. And now show me -you infidels- what have those you revered besides Him created, and brought into being! The fact is that the wrongful of actions are lost in the maze of error

31:12  We imparted to Loqman* wisdom and the capacity of judging rightly in matters relating to life and conduct and to the soundness of judgement in the choice of means and ends. And We exhorted him to impel himself to the feeling of gratitude and gratefulness, for he whose bosom surge forth and answers thanks, serves his own soul. He who denies Allah's favours must realize that Allah is Ghaniyun (Absolute and Independent) and Hamidun (worthy of all praise)

31:13  In exhorting his son Loqman said: "O my son, never Incorporate with Allah other deities, for polytheism is a grave offense and an unforgivable sin indeed"

31:14  We commended to man his parents to commit them to his kind care -and to display to them a gentle and a kind disposition- With travail does his mother bear him in her womb and she spends two years (in suckling him) before he is weaned. And We exhorted him, thus: "Impel yourself O man to the feeling of gratitude and gratefulness to Me and to your parents, for in the end to Me shall be the destination"

31:15  "And should they try to force you to adopt or accept polytheism and to incorporate with Me other deities of whom or (of which) you have empty knowledge, then refuse to accept and disobey them in this respect". "But keep friends with them in life and maintain the friendly feeling and disposition and let it be felt in equity". "And tread the path of those who turn to Allah and in Him they trust, and in the end, to Me shall all of you return when I will inform you of all that you did."

31:16  "My son", he said, "you must realize that everything material or immaterial as light or as little as a mustard seed be it inside a rock or in the heavens or on earth shall Allah bring it to light, Allah is Latifun (Gracious). He gives His servants an understanding, heart and He is Khabirun (Omniscient)"

31:17  "My son", he added, " observe the act of worship and enjoin equity, forbid what is wrong, odious and abominable and exercise patience with composure when exposed to a misfortune or wedded to a calamity, for this reflects an attitude of mind that mirrors high spirit and strong will."

31:18  "And do not", he continued, "give cheek to people nor inflate it with pride and vanity nor should you walk on earth displaying inordinate self-esteem or with an overweening opinion of your qualities, attainments or estate". "And do realize that Allah detests every boastful who exalts himself and displays inordinate self-esteem"

31:19  "And walk forth" he said, " with moderate steps and with regular pace comformable to a standard recognized as formally correct". "And .lower your voice when you give utterance or expression to an emotion, opinion, feeling, thought, or discussion and in your natural action, for the most repulsive, objectionable and displeasing sound produced by the vocal organs is the braying or the loud harsh sound of asses"

31:20  Do you people not see that Allah has subjected to you the heavens and the earth and reduced them to a state of subservience to your advantage and He made all grace abound in you, the seen or unseen! Yet among people are those who argue about Allah in ignorance and for want of thought, want of guidance and by want of a Book imparting divine knowledge wisdom and spiritual light

31:21  And when exhorted to tread the path of Allah and to recognize what He has revealed and accept it with consenting mind, they defiantly say: "We only lean on the particular system of faith and worship our fathers were bent on". A great pity, even if AL-Shaytan is leading them by the nose to the gates of Hell wherein they suffer the torment laid upon the damned

31:22  And he who sets a good face upon Allah and sets his heart to serve His purpose with deeds imprinted with wisdom and piety will have grasped firmly at the eternal, the unchangeable and the most secure handhold which never separates nor does it suffer a break. And to Allah, the Ultimate Authority, are committed and submitted all matters and all affairs for consideration, decision and execution here and Hereafter

31:23  And he who denies Allah O Muhammad and disobeys His statutes shall have much to answer for; let not his infidelity affect you with grief and deep sorrow. To Us shall they return when We inform them of all that they had done and/or left undone. Allah is indeed 'Alimun (Omniscient) of all private thoughts and feelings that are reposited in the bosoms

31:24  We will satisfy their needs and their desires and make them hold and enjoy the same for a little while and up to a predetermined point of time then We will compel them to pay the heavy price manifested in the unmerciful and unrelenting torment laid upon the damned

31:25  And if you should ask them O Muhammad as to who has created the heavens and the earth? They will say: "Allah". Then say to them: "Praise be to Him to Whom praises precede and thanks succeed". Never doubt but most of them have empty knowledge

31:26  To Allah belong all that is in heaven and all that is on earth the animate and the inanimate and He is AL-Ghaniy (the Independent), The Absolute. His grace abounds in the universe and AL-Hamid (the Worthy of all praise)

31:27  If the wood of all the trees growing on earth were to be manufactured into pens added to every other material having the function of a writing pen, and the vast body of water on the surface of the earth and seven times as much were ink serving the purpose of committing Allah's words to writing, never would Allah's words be exhausted; Allah is indeed Azizun and Hakimun (the Source of wisdom and wise mysterious dispensations)

31:28  You –people- must realize that your creation or the process of bringing you into being and the process of recreating you or bringing you back to life at Resurrection en mass entails no more than the creation of one single soul involves! Allah is Sami'un (Omnipresent with unlimited audition), and Bassirun (He keeps a vigilant eye upon the whole and upon all in all)

31:29  Do you not see that Allah causes the night to lose its character and identity by absorption into the day and causes the day to lose its character and identity by absorption into the night and that He reduced the sun and the moon to a state of subservience,* each describing its orbit for a determined period of time and that He is 'Alimun

31:30  This is to implement the absolute fact that Allah is the absolute truth and all that they invoke besides Him is falsehood personified and that Allah is AL- 'Aliye (the Supreme) and AL-Kabir (the Paramount!

31:31  Do you not see that the ships move on the surface of the waters -seas and rivers- by His bounteous invisible acting force producing their buoyancy and their motions; a process indicative indeed of His grace and the marvels He exhibits to you! In these divine signs there is enough food for thought to those who exercise patience and impel themselves to the feeling of gratitude and gratefulness

31:32  And when they-people at large-are overwhelmed at sea with waves rising in billows they invoke Allah for mercy and they invoke Him exclusively. And when He saves them and delivers them to safety, then only some of them do keep their promise and begin to adopt an honest and godly course of life and eventually lift to Him their inward sight. And no one denies Our divine signs and favours ignoring Our revelations but the one who professes friendship in order to betray, mislead, deceive or seduce others and disappoint their hopes and expectations and impels himself to the feeling of ingratitude and ungratefulness

31:33  O you people: "Keep in awe of Allah and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him and regard with fear a Day when no father can avail his son nor be of advantage to him or be able to afford him help nor can a son avail his father or be of profit to him, and do realize that Allah's promise is Truth personified. Therefore, do not let life below deceive you and entangle you with the fleshy passions and mundane vanity nor should anything power, business, wealth, knowledge, long life, status, lust, or AL-Shytan or those with characteristics befitting him ever alienate you from Allah

31:34  Allah keeps to Himself and in His hand rests the knowledge of the predetermined moment of the Final Hour. He causes the condensed water vapour in the atmosphere to fall down in rain drops from the floor of the vault of heaven as He will. He knows what is in the wombs of humans and animals, of the earth, of the depth of the night, of fortune and of any hidden cavity. No soul knows what it will earn; material or immaterial on the morrow and no soul knows where it is destined to come upon the encounter with death. Allah is indeed 'Alimun and Khabirun (intimately acquainted with all things.) see Introductio