| | Linda “iLHam” Barto rendition of Surah The Prophets(al-Anbiya`)
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| 21:1 | | Closer and closer to humanity the reckoning comes, yet they are oblivious and remain obstinate. |
| 21:2 | | Every time a new reminder comes to them from their Lord, they listen to it in jest. |
| 21:3 | | Their minds are frivolously distracted. In secret counsel, the unjust discuss, “Is this [the Prophet] not only a mortal like any of you? Will you wittingly yield to [his] magical charm?” |
| 21:4 | | Say, “My Lord knows every word spoken throughout Heaven and Earth. He is the Listener and the Omniscient.” |
| 21:5 | | “Bunk!” they say. “Medleys of dreams! Bunk! He forged it. Bunk! He is only a poet. He must produce a sign like those [miracles] of the past [by the earlier prophets].” |
| 21:6 | | Before them were populations, none of which believed before We destroyed them. Will these [contemporary populations] believe? |
| 21:7 | | Before you [Prophet Muhammed], messengers We sent were mere men to whom We granted inspiration. If you doubt that, ask those [Jews] who remember [the Word]. |
| 21:8 | | We did not give (the messengers) bodies with no need of food, and they were not exempt from death. |
| 21:9 | | Eventually, We fulfilled Our promise to them, and We saved them and those whom We pleased, but We destroyed those who sinned without boundaries. |
| 21:10 | | We have revealed for you a Book in which is a reminder for you. Will you not understand? |
| 21:11 | | How many populations did We destroy because of their sins? [We] established other people in their places. |
| 21:12 | | Yet, when they felt Our punishment, they tried to run from it. |
| 21:13 | | Do not run. Instead, return to the good things given to you in this life. [Return to] your homes so that you may be questioned. |
| 21:14 | | They said, “Oh, woe to us! We were sinners indeed.” |
| 21:15 | | Their cry did not end until We made them like extinct crops. |
| 21:16 | | We did not create the skies and Earth and all among them simply as a sport. |
| 21:17 | | If it had been Our desire to indulge in fun, We would have done so on Our own, if We acted so. |
| 21:18 | | Instead [of playing sport], We hurl truth against deceit in order to destroy (deceit), and then deception perishes. Beware of incurring misery because of your [false] descriptions [of God]. |
| 21:19 | | To Him belong all that is of the skies and Earth. Even those [angels] in His very presence are not too proud to serve Him, and neither do they tire. |
| 21:20 | | They celebrate [His glory] night and day, without pause. |
| 21:21 | | Have they chosen earthly gods that can resurrect? |
| 21:22 | | If there were, in (the skies and the earth), gods besides Allah, there would have been confusion. Glory to Allah, the Lord of the Throne! [He is] above what they attribute to Him. |
| 21:23 | | He cannot be questioned for His acts, but they will be questioned. |
| 21:24 | | Have they accepted gods besides Him? Say, “Bring your evidence! This is a reminder for those with me and a reminder for those before me.” Most of them do not know the truth, so they avoid it. |
| 21:25 | | We did not send a messenger before you [Muhammed] without Our revelation to him: “No god is there except Me, so worship Me.” |
| 21:26 | | They say, “The Most Gracious has begotten a son.” Glory to Him! (Such “sons”) are only honored servants. |
| 21:27 | | They do not speak before He speaks. They act by His command. |
| 21:28 | | He knows what is before them and what is behind them. They cannot intercede except those who are approved. They stand in awe and reverence of Him. |
| 21:29 | | If any of them said, “I am indeed a god besides Him,” We would reward that one with Hell. That is how We reward the sinners. |
| 21:30 | | Do the unbelievers not understand that the skies and Earth were massed together before we split them apart? We made every living thing from water! Will they not believe? |
| 21:31 | | We established, on the earth, mountains standing firmly to prevent (the earth) from trembling with them. We made mountain passes so that perhaps they will be guided. |
| 21:32 | | We made the sky as a canopy, well-guarded. Still, they reject the signs of such things. |
| 21:33 | | He created the night and the day and the sun and the moon. They all swim, each to its own path. |
| 21:34 | | We did not allow any person before you to live forever. If you [Prophet Muhammed] die, would they live forever? |
| 21:35 | | Every soul shall have a taste of death, and We test you by evil and by goodness as a trial [so you may have opportunities to prove yourselves deserving of Paradise]. To Us you must return. |
| 21:36 | | When the unbelievers see you [Prophet Muhammed], they don’t show you anything but disrespect: “Is this the one who runs his mouth about your gods?” They scoff at the mention of the Most Gracious. |
| 21:37 | | Humanity is a creature of haste. Soon I will show You My signs [of the end times], but don’t rush Me! |
| 21:38 | | They say, “When will this promise come to pass, if you are telling the truth?” |
| 21:39 | | If the unbelievers only knew when they will not be able to deflect the fire from their faces or from their backs, when no help can come to them! |
| 21:40 | | It will come upon them suddenly and overwhelm them. They will have no power to avert it, and they will get no reprieve. |
| 21:41 | | Messengers before (Prophet Muhammed) were mocked, but their scoffers were contained by their own contempt. |
| 21:42 | | Say, “Who can protect you by night and by day from the Most Gracious?” Yet they turn away from the mention of their Lord. |
| 21:43 | | Do they have gods that can guard them from Us? (False gods) cannot help themselves, and they cannot be protected from Us. |
| 21:44 | | We provided for these people and their parents until their lives grew long. Do they not see that We are shrinking the land’s borders? Is it then they who will win? |
| 21:45 | | Say, “I only warn you according to revelation.” But the unhearing will not hear the call when they are warned. |
| 21:46 | | If only a breath of the wrath of your Lord touches them, they will then say, “Woe to us! We truly sinned!” |
| 21:47 | | We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection so that not a soul will be treated with the least injustice. If there is the weight of a mustard seed, We will expose it. We are sufficient to take account. |
| 21:48 | | Truly, We granted to Moses and Aaron the criterion and a light and a reminder for the righteous. |
| 21:49 | | [They are] those who fear their Lord in the unseen and who fear the hour. |
| 21:50 | | This is a blessed reminder that We have sent down. Will you then reject it? |
| 21:51 | | We previously bestowed upon Abraham his integrity. We were well acquainted with him. |
| 21:52 | | He said to his father and his people, “What are these images to which you are devoted?” |
| 21:53 | | They said, “We found our parents worshiping them.” |
| 21:54 | | He said, “You and your parents are truly in obvious sin.” |
| 21:55 | | They said, “Have you brought us the truth or are you one of those who joke?” |
| 21:56 | | He said, “No, your Lord is the Lord of skies and Earth. He created them, and I testify to this. |
| 21:57 | | “By Allah, I have a plan for your idols after you go away and turn your backs.” |
| 21:58 | | (Abraham) broke (the idols) to pieces except for the biggest one of them, so that (the idolaters) may address it. |
| 21:59 | | They said, “Who has done this to our gods? He must truly be a man of irreverence!” |
| 21:60 | | They said, “We heard a young man called Abraham speak about (these gods).” |
| 21:61 | | They said, “Bring him before the eyes of the people so they may bear witness.” |
| 21:62 | | They said, “Are you the one that did this to our gods, O Abraham?” |
| 21:63 | | He said, “No, this was done by the biggest one. Ask them, if they can speak.” |
| 21:64 | | They turned to themselves and said, “Surely, you are the ones in the wrong.” |
| 21:65 | | They hung their heads [with shame]. “Certainly, you know that these [idols] do not speak.” |
| 21:66 | | (Abraham) said, “Do you then worship, instead of Allah, things that can neither benefit you nor harm you? |
| 21:67 | | “Shame on you and upon the things that you worship instead of Allah. Have you no sense?” |
| 21:68 | | They said, “Burn him and support your gods if you will!” |
| 21:69 | | We said, “O Fire, be cool and safe for Abraham.” |
| 21:70 | | They sought a strategy against him, but We made them the biggest losers. |
| 21:71 | | We delivered (Abraham) and Lot to the land that We blessed for the nations. |
| 21:72 | | We bestowed Isaac on (Abraham), and, in addition, [We gave him] Jacob [his grandson]. We made righteous men of them all. |
| 21:73 | | We made them leaders who guide by Our command. We inspired them to do good deeds, to establish ritual prayer, and to give required charity. They constantly served Us. |
| 21:74 | | Also to Lot We gave judgment and knowledge. We saved him from the town that practiced abominations. They were certainly evil people, openly defiant. |
| 21:75 | | We admitted him to Our mercy. Indeed, he was one of the righteous. |
| 21:76 | | [Remember] Noah and when he cried previously. We listened to him and delivered him and his family from the disaster. |
| 21:77 | | We helped him against people who rejected Our signs. Truly, they were a sinful people. We drowned all of them. |
| 21:78 | | [Remember] David and Solomon. They gave judgment in the matter of the field into which the sheep of certain people had strayed. We witnessed their judgment. |
| 21:79 | | To Solomon We inspired understanding of (the matter). To each We gave judgment and knowledge. We made the hills and the birds celebrate Our praises with David. We did it. |
| 21:80 | | We taught (David) how to make coats of armor for you to protect you from your battle. Will you then be grateful? |
| 21:81 | | For Solomon, the wind violently blew, by his command, to the land that We blessed. We know all things. |
| 21:82 | | Some of the demons dived for him and did other work. We guarded them. |
| 21:83 | | [Remember] Job. He called to his Lord, “Truly distress has seized me, but You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.” |
| 21:84 | | So We listened to him, We removed the distress that was upon him. We restored his people to him and multiplied them. [This was] all a grace from Us and a tribute for the worshipers. |
| 21:85 | | [Remember] Ishmael, Enoch, and Ezekiel. All were among the patient. |
| 21:86 | | We admitted them into Our mercy, for they were among the righteous ones. |
| 21:87 | | [Remember] the man of the fish [Jonah]! When he left angrily, he thought that We had no power over him. In depths of darkness, he cried, “No god is there but You! Glory to You! I was wrong.” |
| 21:88 | | We listened to him and delivered him from distress. Thus do We deliver those of faith. |
| 21:89 | | [Remember] Zechariah when he cried to his Lord, “My Lord, do not leave me without children, although You are the best of inheritors.” |
| 21:90 | | We listened to him, and We granted him John [the Baptist]. We cured his wife [of her infertility]. (Ishmael, Enoch, Ezekiel, Jonah, and Zechariah) were quick to perform good deeds. They always called on Us with love and reverence and humbled themselves before Us. |
| 21:91 | | [Remember] she who guarded her chastity [Mary mother of Jesus]. We breathed into her of Our Spirit. We made her and her son a sign for all people. |
| 21:92 | | Truly, this faith family of yours is a single faith family. I am your Lord; therefore, serve Me. |
| 21:93 | | Some people tore their affair [of religion] from one another. They will all return to Us. |
| 21:94 | | As for whoever performs righteous deeds while a believer, his/her effort will not be rejected. We will indeed record it. |
| 21:95 | | There is a ban, however, on any population that We have destroyed. They will not return… |
| 21:96 | | …until Gog and Magog are let loose to descend from every hill. |
| 21:97 | | The true promise will then draw near. Watch! The eyes of the unbelievers will stare. “Woe to us! We were certainly heedless of this. We certainly were sinners.” |
| 21:98 | | Truly, you [unbelievers] and the gods you worship instead of Allah are fuel for Hell. You will come to it. |
| 21:99 | | If these had really been gods, they would not have gotten there. All in it will abide continuously. |
| 21:100 | | In it will be crying, and they will hear nothing else. |
| 21:101 | | Surely those for whom goodness has come from Us will be far from (Hell). |
| 21:102 | | They will not hear the slightest sound from it. They will live forever with what their souls desire. |
| 21:103 | | The great terror will bring them no grief. The angels will meet them: “This is your day that you were promised.” |
| 21:104 | | On that day We will roll up the skies like a scroll rolled up for manuscripts. As We produced the first creation, We will produce a new one. This is a promise that We have undertaken. Truly, We shall fulfill it. |
| 21:105 | | Before this, We wrote in the Psalms, after the reminder [given to Moses], that My righteous servants shall inherit the earth. |
| 21:106 | | Truly, in this is a message for people who would worship. |
| 21:107 | | We did not send you [Muhammed] except as a mercy for all creatures. |
| 21:108 | | Say, “What has been revealed to me is only that your God is One God. Will you therefore submit?” |
| 21:109 | | If they turn away, however, say, “I have proclaimed [the message] to you all equally. I do not know whether what you are promised is near or far. |
| 21:110 | | Indeed, He knows what is public in speech, and He knows what you keep secret. |
| 21:111 | | I do not know if it may be a trial for you and an enjoyment for a time.” |
| 21:112 | | Say, “My Lord, judge in truth. Our Lord Most Gracious is the One whose assistance is sought against what you attribute.” |
