as-Saffat (Those Who Set The Ranks, Drawn up in Ranks, The Rangers) at IslamAwakened.com

37:1 By those drawn up in ranks,

37:2 and by the warners crying warning,

37:3 and by the reciters of the Reminder:

37:4 your God is One:

37:5 Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything between them; Lord of the Easts.

37:6 We have adorned the lowest heaven with the beauty of the planets

37:7 and guarded it against every defiant shaytan.

37:8 They cannot eavesdrop on the Highest Assembly and they are stoned from every side,

37:9 repelled with harshness — they will suffer eternal punishment —

37:10 except for him who snatches a snippet and then is pursued by a piercing flame.

37:11 Ask them for a fatwa: is it they who are stronger in structure or other things We have created? We created them from sticky clay.

37:12 No wonder you are surprised as they laugh with scorn!

37:13 When they are reminded they do not pay heed.

37:14 When they see a Sign they only laugh with scorn.

37:15 They say, ´This is just downright magic.

37:16 When we are dead and turned to dust and bones will we then be raised up again alive?

37:17 And our earlier ancestors as well?´

37:18 Say: ´Yes, and you will be in a despicable state.´

37:19 There will be but one Great Blast and then their eyes will open.

37:20 They will say, ´Alas for us! This is the Day of Reckoning!´

37:21 This is the Day of Decision you used to deny.

37:22 Assemble those who did wrong together with their associates and what they worshipped

37:23 besides Allah, and guide them to the Path of the Blazing Fire!

37:24 And call them to a halt. They will be asked:

37:25 ´Why are you not helping one another?´

37:26 No, today they come in absolute submission.

37:27 They will confront each other, questioning one another.

37:28 One group will say, ´You used to come at us from a position of power.´

37:29 The others will say, ´The truth is that you were not muminun.

37:30 We had no authority over you. Rather you were unbridled people.

37:31 Our Lord´s Word has been carried out against us, that we would taste it.

37:32 We misled you and we were ourselves misled.´

37:33 On that Day they will be partners in the punishment.

37:34 That is how We deal with evildoers.

37:35 When they were told, ´There is no god but Allah,´ they were arrogant.

37:36 They said, ´Are we to forsake our gods for a mad poet?´

37:37 Rather he has brought the truth and confirmed the Messengers.

37:38 You will definitely taste the painful punishment

37:39 and you will only be repaid for what you did —

37:40 except for Allah´s chosen slaves.

37:41 They will have preordained provision:

37:42 sweet fruits and high honour

37:43 in Gardens of Delight

37:44 on couches face to face;

37:45 a cup from a flowing spring passing round among them,

37:46 as white as driven snow, delicious to those who drink,

37:47 which has no headache in it and does not leave them stupefied.

37:48 There will be dark-eyed maidens with them, with eyes reserved for them alone,

37:49 just like closely guarded pearls.

37:50 They will confront each other, questioning one another.

37:51 One of them will say, ´I used to have a friend

37:52 who would say to me, "Are you one of those who say that it is true:

37:53 that when we have died and are turned to dust and bones, we will face a Reckoning?"´

37:54 He will say, ´Are you looking down?´

37:55 So he will look down and see him in the midst of the Blazing Fire

37:56 and say, ´By Allah, you almost ruined me!

37:57 If it were not for the blessing of my Lord, I would have been among those arraigned.

37:58 Are we not going to die,

37:59 except for our first death? Are we not going to be punished?

37:60 Truly this is the Great Victory!

37:61 It is for the like of this that all workers should work!´

37:62 Is that better by way of hospitality or the tree of Zaqqum

37:63 which We have made to be an ordeal for the wrongdoers?

37:64 It is a tree that emerges in the depths of the Blazing Fire.

37:65 Its fruits are just like the heads of shaytans.

37:66 They will eat from it and fill their bellies with it.

37:67 Then they will have a boiling brew to drink on top of it.

37:68 Then their destination will be the Blazing Fire.

37:69 They found their fathers misguided

37:70 and they are following hard upon their heels.

37:71 Most of the earlier peoples went astray before them

37:72 though We sent warners to them.

37:73 See the final fate of those who were warned —

37:74 except for Allah´s chosen slaves.

37:75 Nuh called out to Us and what an excellent Responder We are!

37:76 We rescued him and his family from the terrible plight

37:77 and made his descendants the survivors;

37:78 and We left the later people to say of him:

37:79 ´Peace be upon Nuh among all beings!´

37:80 That is how we recompense the good-doers.

37:81 He truly was one of Our slaves who are muminun.

37:82 Then We drowned the rest.

37:83 One of his followers in iman was Ibrahim

37:84 when he came to his Lord with an unblemished heart,

37:85 and said to his father and his people, ´What are you worshipping?

37:86 Is it falsehood — gods besides Allah — that you desire?

37:87 So what are your thoughts about the Lord of all the worlds?´

37:88 He took a look at the stars

37:89 and said, ´I am sick.´

37:90 So they turned their backs on him.

37:91 He turned surreptitiously to their gods and said, ´Do you not eat?

37:92 What is the matter with you that you do not speak?´

37:93 He turned on them, striking out with his right hand.

37:94 They came rushing back to him.

37:95 He said, ´Do you worship something you have carved

37:96 when Allah created both you and what you do?´

37:97 They said, ´Build a pyre for him and fling him into the blaze!´

37:98 They tried to outwit him but We made them the lowest.

37:99 He said, ´I am going towards my Lord; He will be my guide.

37:100 My Lord, bestow on me a right-acting child!´

37:101 And We gave him the good news of a forbearing boy.

37:102 When he was of an age to work with him, he said, ´My son, I saw in a dream that I must sacrifice you. What do you think about this?´ He said, ´Do as you are ordered, father. Allah willing, you will find me resolute.´

37:103 Then when they had both submitted and he had lain him face down on the ground,

37:104 We called out to him, ´Ibrahim!

37:105 you have discharged your vision.´ That is how We recompense good-doers.

37:106 This was indeed a most manifest trial.

37:107 We ransomed him with a mighty sacrifice

37:108 and left the later people saying of him:

37:109 ´Peace be upon Ibrahim.´

37:110 That is how We recompense good-doers.

37:111 He truly was one of Our mumin slaves.

37:112 We gave him the good news of Ishaq, a Prophet, one of the righteous.

37:113 We showered blessings upon him and upon Ishaq. Among their descendants are good-doers and also people who clearly wrong themselves.

37:114 We showed great kindness to Musa and Harun.

37:115 We rescued them and their people from their terrible plight.

37:116 We supported them and so they were the victors.

37:117 We gave them the clarifying Book

37:118 and guided them on the Straight Path,

37:119 and left the later people saying of them,

37:120 ´Peace be upon Musa and Harun!´

37:121 That is how We recompense good-doers.

37:122 They truly were among Our slaves who are muminun.

37:123 Ilyas was one of the Messengers.

37:124 When he said to his people, ´Will you not have taqwa?

37:125 Do you call on Baal and abandon the Best of Creators?

37:126 Allah is your Lord and Lord of your forefathers, the previous peoples,´

37:127 they denied him and so they will be among those arraigned —

37:128 except for Allah´s chosen slaves.

37:129 We left the later people saying of him,

37:130 ´Peace be upon the family of Yasin!´

37:131 That is how We recompense good-doers.

37:132 He truly was one of Our slaves who are muminun.

37:133 And Lut was one of the Messengers.

37:134 When We rescued him and all his family —

37:135 except an old woman among those who stayed behind.

37:136 Then We utterly destroyed the rest.

37:137 And you pass by them in the daytime and at night.

37:138 So will you not use your intellect?

37:139 Yunus too was one of the Messengers.

37:140 When he ran away to the fully laden ship

37:141 and cast lots and lost.

37:142 Then the fish devoured him and he was to blame.

37:143 Had it not been that he was a man who glorified Allah,

37:144 he would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are raised again.

37:145 So We cast him up onto the beach and he was sick;

37:146 and We caused a gourd tree to grow over him.

37:147 We sent him to a hundred thousand or even more.

37:148 They had iman and so We gave them enjoyment for a time.

37:149 Ask them for a fatwa: does your Lord have daughters while they themselves have sons?

37:150 Or did We create the angels female, with them as witnesses?

37:151 No indeed, it is one of their blatant lies to say,

37:152 ´Allah has given birth´. They are truly liars.

37:153 Has He chosen daughters over sons?

37:154 What is the matter with you? How do you reach your judgement?

37:155 Will you not pay heed?

37:156 Or do you have some clear authority?

37:157 Bring your Book, then, if you are telling the truth!

37:158 They claim there is a blood-tie between Him and the jinn but the jinn know very well that they will be arraigned.

37:159 Glory be to Allah above what they describe —

37:160 except for Allah´s chosen slaves.

37:161 You and those you worship:

37:162 you will entice no one to them

37:163 except for him who is to roast in the Blazing Fire.

37:164 ´There is not one of us who does not have a known station.

37:165 We are those drawn up in ranks.

37:166 We are those who glorify.´

37:167 They used to say,

37:168 ´If we had only had a Reminder from the previous peoples,

37:169 we would certainly have been sincere slaves of Allah!´

37:170 But they have rejected it and they will soon know!

37:171 Our Word was given before to Our slaves, the Messengers,

37:172 that they would certainly be helped.

37:173 It is Our army which will be victorious.

37:174 Therefore turn from them for a time.

37:175 And watch them, for they will soon see!

37:176 Are they trying to hasten Our punishment?

37:177 When it descends in their courtyard — how evil will be the morning of those who were warned!

37:178 Therefore turn from them for a time.

37:179 And watch, for they will soon see!

37:180 Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Might, beyond anything they describe.

37:181 And peace be upon the Messengers.

37:182 And praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds!