| | Musharraf Hussain rendition of Surah The Poets(ash-Shu`ara`)
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| 26:1 | | Ta Sin Meem |
| 26:2 | | These are the verses of the Book that clarifies realities. |
| 26:3 | | Perhaps you are over-worried your people won’t believe. |
| 26:4 | | Had We wished, We could have sent down to them from the sky a sign to which their necks will bow humbly; |
| 26:5 | | and yet no fresh revelation has ever come to them from the Most Kind without them objecting to it. |
| 26:6 | | They are in denial, but soon news will come to them about their earlier mockery. |
| 26:7 | | Haven’t they considered the Earth, and how We have grown abundantly every kind of living thing? |
| 26:8 | | In that is a sign; yet most will not believe, |
| 26:9 | | though Your Lord is the Almighty, the Caring |
| 26:10 | | Remember when your Lord called Musa: “Go to the unjust people, |
| 26:11 | | the people of Pharaoh. Will they not be mindful of Me?” |
| 26:12 | | Musa said, “My Lord, I fear they will deny me, |
| 26:13 | | and my chest feels tight, and my tongue is unable to speak without stammering; so, send Harun with me; |
| 26:14 | | furthermore they have a charge against me, so I fear they will kill me.” |
| 26:15 | | Allah said, “Not at all! Go, both of you, with Our signs. We will be with you, listening in.” |
| 26:16 | | So the two of them came to Pharaoh and said, “We are bearers of the message of the Lord of the worlds, |
| 26:17 | | so send the Israelites with us.” |
| 26:18 | | Pharaoh said, “When you were a child didn’t we bring you up? And didn’t you live with us for many years? |
| 26:19 | | Only you could do what you did, and be ungrateful?” |
| 26:20 | | Musa said, “I did that by mistake, |
| 26:21 | | and I fled from you because I feared you. Then my Lord granted me wisdom and made me a messenger. |
| 26:22 | | What sort of favour do you remind me of? That you have enslaved my people, the Israelites? |
| 26:23 | | Pharaoh said, “Who is this ‘Lord of the Worlds’?” |
| 26:24 | | Musa said, “The Lord of the Heavens and the Earth, and of whatever is between them, if you believe.” |
| 26:25 | | Pharaoh said to those around him, “Are you listening? |
| 26:26 | | Musa said, “Your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.” |
| 26:27 | | Pharaoh said, “This messenger of yours, who has been sent to you, is clearly mad!” |
| 26:28 | | Musa said, “The Lord of the East and the West and whatever is in between, if only you would reflect.” |
| 26:29 | | Pharaoh said, “If you take any god beside me, I will imprison you.” |
| 26:30 | | Musa said, “Even if I bring you clear proof?” |
| 26:31 | | He said, “Then fetch it, if you are telling the truth.” |
| 26:32 | | So Musa threw down his stick, and straightaway it turned into a wriggling snake; |
| 26:33 | | then he drew out his hand from his cloak, and it appeared to the onlookers brilliant white |
| 26:34 | | Pharaoh said to the nobles around him, “This man is an expert magician, |
| 26:35 | | who wants to expel you from your land with his magic. So, what do you suggest?” |
| 26:36 | | They said, “Put him and his brother off for a while, and send marshals to the cities |
| 26:37 | | to bring you every expert magician of ours.” |
| 26:38 | | So the magicians gathered for a tournament on an appointed day; |
| 26:39 | | and people were asked: “Will you be gathering for the tournament?” |
| 26:40 | | They replied, “We’ll follow the magicians, if they win.” |
| 26:41 | | When the magicians arrived, they asked Pharaoh: “Will we be rewarded, if we win?” |
| 26:42 | | ”Yes,” he said, “Then you’ll be among my close ones. |
| 26:43 | | Musa said to the magicians, “Cast whatever spells you have.” |
| 26:44 | | So they threw down their ropes and sticks, saying, “By Pharaoh’s might, we are surely the winners.” |
| 26:45 | | Then Musa threw down his staff, and at once it swallowed up their trickery. |
| 26:46 | | The magicians fell in prostration, |
| 26:47 | | saying, “We believe in the Lord of the worlds, |
| 26:48 | | the Lord of Musa and Harun.” |
| 26:49 | | Pharaoh said, “You’ve believed him before I granted you permission? He must be your tutor, who taught you magic, but you will learn your lesson. I will cut off your hands and your feet from the opposite sides and crucify the lot of you.” |
| 26:50 | | They said, “it doesn’t matter! We shall be returning to our Lord. |
| 26:51 | | We hope Our Lord will forgive our mistakes, since we were the first believers. |
| 26:52 | | We revealed to Musa: “Set off with My servants at night, no doubt you will be chased.” |
| 26:53 | | Pharaoh sent word to the cities for his soldiers to muster, |
| 26:54 | | saying, “These Israelites are a tiny ragbag bunch |
| 26:55 | | who have enraged us, |
| 26:56 | | while we are a united force, well trained and equipped.” |
| 26:57 | | So it was We brought them out of gardens and springs, |
| 26:58 | | and treasures and comfortable homes. |
| 26:59 | | That is how it was, and later We caused the Israelites to inherit it |
| 26:60 | | At sunrise, the Egyptians set off in pursuit of the Israelites. |
| 26:61 | | When eventually the two groups spotted each other, Musa’s companions said, “We’ve been caught.” |
| 26:62 | | But Musa said, “No way! My Lord is with me, and He will guide me.” |
| 26:63 | | We revealed to Musa: “Strike the sea with your staff.” The sea parted, each side like a mighty mountain. |
| 26:64 | | We lured Pharaoh to approach that place. |
| 26:65 | | We saved Musa and anyone was with him |
| 26:66 | | and drowned the others. |
| 26:67 | | There was a lesson in that, but most of them didn’t believe. |
| 26:68 | | Your Lord is the Almighty, the Caring |
| 26:69 | | Tell them the story of Ibrahim, |
| 26:70 | | when he asked his father and community: “What do you worship?” |
| 26:71 | | They said, “We worship idols and remain devoted to them.” |
| 26:72 | | He said, “Do they hear you when you pray, |
| 26:73 | | or benefit or harm you in any way?” |
| 26:74 | | They said, “We found our forefathers doing so.” |
| 26:75 | | Ibrahim said, “Have you thought about what you worship, |
| 26:76 | | you and your ancestors? |
| 26:77 | | These gods are my enemies, all apart from the Lord of the worlds |
| 26:78 | | Who has created and now guides me, |
| 26:79 | | and Who feeds me and gives me to drink. |
| 26:80 | | And when I am ill He heals me, |
| 26:81 | | and will make me die and bring me back to life; |
| 26:82 | | and I sincerely wish that He will forgive my sins on Judgement Day. |
| 26:83 | | “My Lord, grant me wisdom and unite me with the righteous, |
| 26:84 | | and grant me a reputation for truthfulness among the later generations. |
| 26:85 | | Make me one of the heirs of the Garden of Bliss; |
| 26:86 | | and forgive my father – he’s gone astray. |
| 26:87 | | Do not disgrace me on the Day when humanity will be resurrected, |
| 26:88 | | the Day when neither wealth nor children will benefit. |
| 26:89 | | Success is for the one who comes to Allah with a pure heart. |
| 26:90 | | Paradise will be brought close to the righteous; |
| 26:91 | | and Hell will be shown to the misguided, |
| 26:92 | | who will be asked: “Where is what you used to worship |
| 26:93 | | beside Allah? Are they helping you or even defending themselves?” |
| 26:94 | | Then they will be hurled into Hell, they and the misguided |
| 26:95 | | and the soldiers of Satan, all of them together. |
| 26:96 | | They will say, as they argue among themselves in Hell, |
| 26:97 | | “By Allah, we were mistaken |
| 26:98 | | when we made you equal to the Lord of the worlds. |
| 26:99 | | It was the brazen sinners who misguided us. |
| 26:100 | | Now we have no one to plead for us, |
| 26:101 | | nor even a close friend. |
| 26:102 | | If we could have a second chance we will be believers.” |
| 26:103 | | There is a sign in that, but most of them will not believe. |
| 26:104 | | Your Lord is the Almighty, the Caring |
| 26:105 | | The people of Nuh denied Allah’s messengers |
| 26:106 | | when their brother Nuh said to them, “Will you not be mindful of Allah? |
| 26:107 | | You have in me a messenger to be trusted, |
| 26:108 | | so be mindful of Allah and follow me. |
| 26:109 | | I don’t ask you for a reward for this. The Lord of the worlds will give me reward. |
| 26:110 | | So again, be mindful of Allah and follow me.” |
| 26:111 | | They said, “Shall we believe in you, when only the poorest follow you?” |
| 26:112 | | He said, “What knowledge have I of what they did. |
| 26:113 | | Their account rests with My Lord – if only you could sense that. |
| 26:114 | | I will not drive the believers away. |
| 26:115 | | I am a clear warner.” |
| 26:116 | | They said, “Nuh, if you don’t stop preaching, you will be tortured. |
| 26:117 | | Nuh said, “My Lord, my people have denied me, |
| 26:118 | | so judge between me and them, and save me and those who believe me.” |
| 26:119 | | So We saved him and those with him in the fully-laden ship, |
| 26:120 | | and We drowned anyone who remained behind. |
| 26:121 | | There is a lesson in that, but many will not believe. |
| 26:122 | | Your Lord is the Almighty, the Caring |
| 26:123 | | The people of Ad denied the messengers |
| 26:124 | | when their brother Hud said to them, “Won’t you believe in Allah? |
| 26:125 | | I am a trustworthy messenger to you, |
| 26:126 | | so believe in Allah and follow me; |
| 26:127 | | I won’t ask you for a fee; the Lord of the worlds will reward me. |
| 26:128 | | You build monuments on every hilltop to please yourselves, |
| 26:129 | | and take castles as homes so you might live forever? |
| 26:130 | | And, when you seize others’ wealth and land, you are utterly ruthless in doing so. |
| 26:131 | | So be mindful of Allah and follow me. |
| 26:132 | | Be mindful of Him Who has given you abundantly: what you know, |
| 26:133 | | cattle and children, |
| 26:134 | | gardens and freshwater springs. |
| 26:135 | | I fear for you the torment of a dreadful Day.” |
| 26:136 | | They said, “It is all the same to us, whether you preach or not; |
| 26:137 | | these are the customs of the past generations. |
| 26:138 | | We will not be punished.” |
| 26:139 | | They refused to believe him, so We destroyed them. There is a sign in that, but most won’t believe. |
| 26:140 | | Your Lord is the Almighty, the Caring |
| 26:141 | | The people of Thamud also denied Allah’s messengers. |
| 26:142 | | When their brother, Salih, said to them, “Will you not be mindful of Allah? |
| 26:143 | | You have in me a trustworthy messenger, |
| 26:144 | | so be mindful of Allah and follow me. |
| 26:145 | | I don’t ask you for a reward for this. The Lord of the worlds will reward me. |
| 26:146 | | Will you really be left safe and secure with all this, |
| 26:147 | | in gardens and springs, |
| 26:148 | | and fields and date palms with their ripe fruits, |
| 26:149 | | while you skilfully carve houses out of the mountains? |
| 26:150 | | So be mindful of Allah and follow me, |
| 26:151 | | don’t follow the way of the wasteful |
| 26:152 | | who spread corruption in the land rather than acting righteously.” |
| 26:153 | | They said, “You’ve been bewitched. |
| 26:154 | | You are a mortal like us; so bring a miracle, if you’re telling the truth. |
| 26:155 | | Salih said, “Here is a she-camel. She may drink and you may drink, each on fixed days. |
| 26:156 | | Don’t harm her in case the punishment of a terrible Day befalls you.” |
| 26:157 | | They hamstrung her, only to wake up the next day regretting it, |
| 26:158 | | when the torment overtook them. There is a lesson in this, though most of them will not believe. |
| 26:159 | | Your Lord is the Almighty, the Caring |
| 26:160 | | The people of Lut denied their messengers. |
| 26:161 | | When their brother, Lut, said to them, “Won’t you believe? |
| 26:162 | | I am a trustworthy messenger, |
| 26:163 | | so believe in Allah and follow me; |
| 26:164 | | I won’t ask you for a fee, the Lord of the worlds will reward me. |
| 26:165 | | Why, of all the people of the world do you approach males lustfully, |
| 26:166 | | leaving your wives whom your Lord has created for you? You are people who have crossed the bounds of decency.” |
| 26:167 | | They said, “If you don’t stop preaching Lut, you will be exiled.” |
| 26:168 | | He said, “I am disgusted by your actions. |
| 26:169 | | “My Lord, save me and my family from what they do.” |
| 26:170 | | So We saved him and all his family, |
| 26:171 | | except an old woman, who stayed behind. |
| 26:172 | | Then We destroyed the others, |
| 26:173 | | pelting them with a rain of brimstone. How dreadful was the rain on those who had been forewarned! |
| 26:174 | | There is a sign in that, but most will not believe. |
| 26:175 | | Your Lord is the Almighty, the Caring |
| 26:176 | | The companions of the forest also denied Allah’s messengers. |
| 26:177 | | When their brother, Shu‘ayb, said to them, “Will you not fear Allah? |
| 26:178 | | I am a trustworthy messenger to you, |
| 26:179 | | so be mindful of Allah and follow me. |
| 26:180 | | I won’t ask you for a fee for this. The Lord of the worlds will reward me. |
| 26:181 | | Be honest in your measures, and don’t be cheats. |
| 26:182 | | Weigh with accurate scales; |
| 26:183 | | don’t serve people short, and don’t spread corruption in the land. |
| 26:184 | | Be mindful of Him Who created you and many previous generations.” |
| 26:185 | | They said, “You are bewitched. |
| 26:186 | | You are a mortal like us; and we think you’re a liar. |
| 26:187 | | Cause a chunk of sky to fall on us, if you are telling the truth.” |
| 26:188 | | He said, “My Lord knows well what you do.” |
| 26:189 | | They refused to believe him, so the torment of a Day of impenetrable shade overtook them. What a dreadful Day of torment that was! |
| 26:190 | | There is a sign in that, but most will not believe. |
| 26:191 | | Your Lord is the Almighty, the Caring |
| 26:192 | | And this is the Revelation of the Lord of the worlds, |
| 26:193 | | which that trustworthy spirit, the Angel Jibreel, brought down |
| 26:194 | | straight into your heart so you become a warner |
| 26:195 | | in a clear Arabic language; |
| 26:196 | | and it is found in the scriptures of earlier nations. |
| 26:197 | | Have they not received a sign that the scholars of the Israelites will recognise? |
| 26:198 | | If We had revealed it to someone who wasn’t an Arab, |
| 26:199 | | and he had recited it to them, they still wouldn’t have believed it |
| 26:200 | | That’s how We allow rejection of the Quran to find its way into the hearts of the sinful. |
| 26:201 | | They will never believe in it until they see the painful punishment, |
| 26:202 | | which will come upon them all of a sudden, when they are unaware. |
| 26:203 | | They will say: “Can we be given some more time?” |
| 26:204 | | But are they not currently trying to hasten Our punishment? |
| 26:205 | | Suppose We granted them years of enjoyment, |
| 26:206 | | then when what they had been promised befell them, |
| 26:207 | | would what they had enjoyed benefit them? |
| 26:208 | | We never destroyed a city which hadn’t received warners |
| 26:209 | | as a reminder. We are never unjust |
| 26:210 | | It is not demons who brought down this Quran; |
| 26:211 | | nor would it be fitting for them, nor are they capable of doing so. |
| 26:212 | | They are barred from even hearing it. |
| 26:213 | | Therefore, don’t call upon any other god alongside Allah so you end up among the tormented. |
| 26:214 | | Warn your nearest relatives, |
| 26:215 | | and take whoever follows you from among the believers under your wing. |
| 26:216 | | Then, if they disobey you, say: “I am innocent of what you do,” |
| 26:217 | | and put your trust in the Almighty, the Caring, |
| 26:218 | | Who sees you while you stand in prayer |
| 26:219 | | and when you change position to be amongst those prostrating. |
| 26:220 | | He is the Hearer, the Knower |
| 26:221 | | Shall I tell you who will be visited by demons? |
| 26:222 | | They visit every sinful slanderer, |
| 26:223 | | who listens readily, and who is a liar. |
| 26:224 | | Likewise the poets, who are deceived, follow them too. |
| 26:225 | | Do you not see them wandering about in every valley, |
| 26:226 | | boastfully saying things they don’t do? |
| 26:227 | | Except the believing poets who are righteous, constantly remember Allah, and defend themselves against oppression. The oppressors will soon know the fate they will be returned to |
