| | Linda “iLHam” Barto rendition of Surah Ornaments of Gold, Luxury, The Embellishment(az-Zukhruf)
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| 43:1 | | Ha. Meem. |
| 43:2 | | Consider the Book that clarifies. |
| 43:3 | | Truly, We have made it an Arabic Qur’an so you may understand. |
| 43:4 | | Truly, it is in the Mother of the Book. [It is] in Our presence, esteemed and filled with wisdom. |
| 43:5 | | Should We take the message from you and ignore you because you are a sinful people? |
| 43:6 | | How many prophets did We send among the ancient peoples? |
| 43:7 | | A prophet never came to them without their mocking him. |
| 43:8 | | We destroyed people that had greater strength than these. The parables of the ancient peoples have been passed down. |
| 43:9 | | If you were to question them about who created the skies and Earth, they would surely reply, “They were created by the Victorious, the All-knowing.” |
| 43:10 | | [He] has made for you the earth for a bed. [He] has made for you roads in it so you may be guided. |
| 43:11 | | [He] sends down measured rain from the sky. With it, We revive a land that was dead. Likewise, you will be revived. |
| 43:12 | | [He] has created pairs in all things. [He] has made for you ships and animals on which you ride. |
| 43:13 | | You may sit firmly on their backs. When you are so seated, you may celebrate the favor of your Lord. Say, “Glory to the One who has subjected these for us, for we could never have done this. |
| 43:14 | | “We must certainly turn to our Lord.” |
| 43:15 | | Yet, they attribute to some of His servants a share [with Him]. Certainly, humanity is ungrateful. |
| 43:16 | | Has He taken daughters from what He has created and then has chosen sons for you? |
| 43:17 | | When news is brought to one of them [of the birth of a daughter] of what he imagines is a likeness of the Most Gracious, his face darkens, and he is filled with grief. |
| 43:18 | | Is a (female) [that you regard as] raised with trinkets and defenseless in a fight [comparable to Allah]? |
| 43:19 | | They consider as females the angels who are servants to the Most Gracious. Did they witness their creation? Their testimony will be recorded. They will be made accountable. |
| 43:20 | | They say, “If it had been the will of the Most Gracious, We would not have worshiped (goddesses).” They have no knowledge of that. They only lie. |
| 43:21 | | Have We given them a Book before this to which they are clinging? |
| 43:22 | | No! They say, “We saw our ancestors following a religion, and we are following in their footsteps.” |
| 43:23 | | In the same way, whenever We sent a warner, before you, to any people, the wealthy ones among them said, “We saw our ancestors following a religion, and we will certainly follow in their footsteps.” |
| 43:24 | | (The warner) said, “What? Even though I have brought you better guidance than that which you found your ancestors following?” They said, “We truly do not believe that with which you were sent.” |
| 43:25 | | So We took justice of them. Now see what became of those who rebelled. |
| 43:26 | | Abraham said to his father and his people, “I certainly remove myself from what you worship. |
| 43:27 | | [I worship] only the One who made me. He will certainly guide me.” |
| 43:28 | | He made it a word to endure among those who came after him, so they may revert. |
| 43:29 | | Indeed, I have given the good things of this life to these [people] and their ancestors until the truth has come to them. [I have given] a messenger to clarify. |
| 43:30 | | When the truth came to them, however, they said, “This is black magic, and we reject it.” |
| 43:31 | | Also, they say, “Why is this Qur’an not sent down to some leader of the two cities?” |
| 43:32 | | Would they portion out the mercy of your Lord? It is We who portion out among them their livelihood in the life of this world. We raise some of them above others in ranks so that some may command work from others. The mercy of your Lord is better than what they collect. |
| 43:33 | | If it were not that people would become one community, We could have provided silver housetops for those that do not believe in the Most Gracious. [We could have provided] [silver] stairways on which to ascend. |
| 43:34 | | [We could have provided] [silver] doors for their houses and couches on which to recline. |
| 43:35 | | [We could have provided] gold jewelry. All this, however, would be only luxuries of the present life. The hereafter, in the sight of your Lord, is for the righteous. |
| 43:36 | | If someone rejects the remembrance of the Most Gracious, We appoint a devil for him/her as a companion. |
| 43:37 | | Truly, (the devils) hinder (people) from the path, but they think they are rightly guided. |
| 43:38 | | Finally, when such a one comes to Us, he/she says [to the devil], “I would rather the distance between me and you be the distance of East and West.” Evil is the companion! |
| 43:39 | | On that day, it will be of no benefit to you, since you have sinned, to be sharing your suffering. |
| 43:40 | | Can you make the unhearing to hear? [Can you] give direction to the unseeing? [Can you give direction] to one in obvious sin? |
| 43:41 | | Even if We take you away, We will make them pay [for their sins]. |
| 43:42 | | We may show you what We have promised them. Truly, We will prevail over them. |
| 43:43 | | So hold tightly to what is revealed to you. Truly, you are on the Straight Way. |
| 43:44 | | This is indeed a reminder for you and your people. Soon you will be made accountable. |
| 43:45 | | Question Our messengers that We sent before you. Did We appoint any gods other than the Most Gracious to be worshiped? |
| 43:46 | | We certainly sent Moses with Our signs to Pharaoh and his chiefs. He said, “Truly, I am a messenger of the Lord of the Worlds.” |
| 43:47 | | When he came to them with Our signs, they ridiculed them. |
| 43:48 | | We showed them sign after sign, each greater than the previous. We seized them with punishment so they might return [to Allah]. |
| 43:49 | | They said, “O sorcerer, petition your Lord for us according to His covenant with you. We will truly accept guidance.” |
| 43:50 | | But when We removed the penalty from them, they broke their promise. |
| 43:51 | | Pharaoh proclaimed to his people, “O my people, does the dominion of Egypt not belong to me? Consider the streams flowing beneath me. Do you not see then? |
| 43:52 | | Am I not better than this contemptible wretch? He can scarcely express himself clearly. |
| 43:53 | | Why are gold bracelets not bestowed on him? Why are angels not with him?” |
| 43:54 | | In this way, he tricked his people, and they obeyed him. They were truly a rebellious people. |
| 43:55 | | Finally, they angered Us. We took retribution from them. We drowned them all. |
| 43:56 | | We made them belong to the past. [We made them] an example for later generations. |
| 43:57 | | When [Jesus] the son of Mary is presented as an example, look how your people jest! |
| 43:58 | | They say, “Is he any better than our gods?” They ask you this only for the sake of argument, because they are a contentious people. |
| 43:59 | | (Jesus) was merely a servant [not a god]. We granted Our favor to him, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel. |
| 43:60 | | If it had been Our will, we could have made angels from among you, succeeding over the earth. |
| 43:61 | | (Jesus) shall be a sign of the hour [of judgment]; therefore, have no doubt about this, but follow Me. This is the Straight Way. |
| 43:62 | | Do not allow Satan to hinder you; truly, he is your avowed enemy. |
| 43:63 | | Jesus came with obvious signs. He said, “Truly, I have come to you with wisdom in order to clarify some of that about which you dispute; therefore, fear Allah and obey me. |
| 43:64 | | “Truly, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is the Straight Way.” |
| 43:65 | | Sects from among them had disagreements. Woe to the sinners because of the penalty of a terrible day! |
| 43:66 | | Do they merely wait for the hour so it will hit them all of a sudden when they least expect it? |
| 43:67 | | Friends on that day will be enemies to each other except for the righteous. |
| 43:68 | | My sincere followers, no fear will be upon you that day, and you will not grieve. |
| 43:69 | | You have believed in Our signs and bowed in submission. |
| 43:70 | | Enter Paradise with your spouses, rejoicing. |
| 43:71 | | To them, dishes and goblets of gold will be passed. All that souls desire will be there. All that delights the eyes [will be there]. You will abide there. |
| 43:72 | | Such will be Paradise of which you are made heirs because of your deeds. |
| 43:73 | | You will have there an abundance of fruit that satisfies. |
| 43:74 | | The sinners will be in the punishment of Hell for their dwelling. |
| 43:75 | | Punishment will not be eased for them. In despair, they will be overwhelmed. |
| 43:76 | | We will not be unjust to them. It is they who have been unjust to themselves. |
| 43:77 | | They will cry, “O Malik [the angel], if only your Lord would terminate us!” He will say, “You will certainly continue to exist.” |
| 43:78 | | Truly, We have delivered to you the truth, but most of you hate truth. |
| 43:79 | | Have (the sinners) come up with their own plan? It is We who have the plan! |
| 43:80 | | Do they think that We do not hear their secrets and private counsel? Indeed! And our messengers [the angels] are by them, keeping a record. |
| 43:81 | | Say, “If the Most Gracious had a son, I would be the first to worship him. |
| 43:82 | | “Glory to the Lord of the skies and Earth, the Lord of the Throne! He is above the things they devise.” |
| 43:83 | | Leave them to idle talk and sport until they meet that day of theirs that they have been promised. |
| 43:84 | | It is He who is God in Heaven and God on Earth. He is the sum of all wisdom and knowledge. |
| 43:85 | | Blessed is He who governs the skies and the earth and all that is contained therein. With Him is the knowledge of the hour [of judgment] and to Him you shall return. |
| 43:86 | | Those whom are invoked besides Allah have no power of intercession except those who bear witness to the truth and have knowledge. |
| 43:87 | | If you ask (the sinners) who created them, they will certainly say, “God!” Why then are they so perverted? |
| 43:88 | | Consider his lament: “O my Lord, truly these people will never believe!” |
| 43:89 | | Simply ignore them, wishing them, “Peace!” Soon they will know. |
