| | Aisha Bewley rendition of Surah Those Who Set The Ranks, Drawn up in Ranks, The Rangers(as-Saffat)
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| 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! |
