38:1  Sad. By the Quran full of reminders,

38:2  the disbelievers are haughty and hostile.

38:3  How many generations We destroyed before them? They all cried out for help, but there was no time to escape.

38:4  They are surprised that a warner came from them, they say, “This is a fraudulent magician.

38:5  He’s turned all the gods into one god? How strange!”

38:6  Their leaders hastily set out to tell people, “Walk away and stick to your gods. That’s what you must do,

38:7  we’ve not heard of this in any religion of recent times. This is a fabrication.

38:8  Did this reminder have to be sent down to him of all people?” So, they doubt My reminder? Then wait till they taste My punishment.

38:9  Do they hold the keys to the coffers of your Lord’s Compassion, the Almighty, the Giver?

38:10  Or do they have control over the Heavens, the Earth and whatever lies in between? So let them climb the ropes

38:11  The armies of the confederates that oppose you will be defeated.

38:12  Before them, the people of Nuh, Ad and Pharaoh of the columns, they all denied their prophets,

38:13  as did Thamud, the people of Lut and the forest dwellers. Those were the confederates of their day;

38:14  they denied the messengers and so My punishment was justified.

38:15  And the Makkans can expect a single Blast that will not be postponed.

38:16  Your opponents said: “Our Lord, give us our share in advance of either Heaven or Hell before the Day of Reckoning.”

38:17  Put up with what they say, and remember Our servant, the strong-handed Dawud: he was devout.

38:18  We made the mountains echo with him, glorifying Us in the evening and in the morning,

38:19  and the birds in flocks, each of them obedient to Dawud.

38:20  And so We strengthened his rule, and We gave him wisdom and the ability to reach decisive judgements

38:21  Has the report of the parties to a dispute reached you? They climbed over the wall of his private chamber

38:22  and came to Dawud, he was frightened to see them; they said, “Don’t be afraid. We have a dispute; one party has wronged the other. So, judge between us without deviating and guide us towards a fair solution.”

38:23  One of them said, “This brother of mine has ninety-nine sheep, whereas I have one. He demands: ‘Let me look after it,’ and he’s putting pressure on me.”

38:24  Dawud said, “He is wrong to ask for your sheep. Business partners often take advantage, one of the other – except the believers who are righteous, but they are few!” When Dawud realised We had tested him, he begged forgiveness of His Lord, fell in prostration and repented.

38:25  So We forgave him. Dawud will enjoy closeness to Us in the most beautiful of homecomings

38:26  “Dawud, We appointed you Our vice-regent on Earth, so judge fairly between people and don’t act on a whim that may lead you astray from the path of Allah. Those who wander away from the path of Allah will have severe punishment for neglecting the Day of Reckoning.

38:27  We didn’t create the Heavens and the Earth and what lies between them purposeless, though the disbelievers may think so. Woe to those who disbelieve, they will suffer in the Fire!

38:28  Should We put those who believe and do righteous deeds on a par with those who wreak havoc in the land, or those who are mindful of Allah on a par with outright sinners?

38:29  This is a Book that We sent down to you, a blessed Book, so people might think about its message, and the intelligent might pay attention.

38:30  We granted Dawud a son, Sulayman. What an excellent servant! Truly devout.

38:31  One evening, when the pure-bred horses were paraded before Sulayman,

38:32  he said, “my love of fine things increased my Lord’s remembrance. He watched them till they disappeared out of sight.

38:33  Bring the horses back to me.” He patted their legs and necks.

38:34  We tested Sulayman with an illness, so he became thin as a skeleton sat on his throne, then turned devoutly to Us.

38:35  He said, “My Lord, forgive me, and grant me a kingdom the like of which no one after me will ever see. Only You are the Giver.”

38:36  So We made the winds compliant to him, blowing gently at his command wherever he wanted them to go;

38:37  and demons from the jinn, their builders, divers;

38:38  and others bound in chains.

38:39  Allah said: “This is Our gift for you to give it to others or withhold it as you like.”

38:40  Sulayman will enjoy closeness to Us in the most beautiful of homecomings

38:41  Mention Our servant, Ayyub, he cried out to his Lord: “Satan has wreaked sorrow and torment on me.”

38:42  Allah said: “Stamp your foot on the ground. This is a cool place to wash and drink.”

38:43  We treated him kindly and cured him, so We gave him his family back and an equal number of others with them, as a reminder for those gifted with understanding.

38:44  Allah told him: “Take a handful of grass and strike your wife with it so you don’t break your oath.” We found him to be patient. What a wonderful servant! So devout

38:45  And mention Our servants Ibrahim, Ishaq and Yaqub; they were strong men with insight.

38:46  We chose them for the special task of reminding others of the Abode of the Hereafter.

38:47  In Our Sight, they are the best of the chosen ones.

38:48  And mention Ismail, al-Yasa and Dhu’l-Kifl; they were the chosen ones.

38:49  This is a brief reminder; and for those mindful of Allah, there will be a beautiful homecoming,

38:50  the Gardens of Eden with open gates waiting for them;

38:51  and reclining there on sofas, asking for fruits of all kind and for drinks,

38:52  and beside them spouses modest in their glances and of equal age.

38:53  This is what you are promised for the Day of Reckoning.

38:54  This provision of Ours will not end

38:55  This is for the righteous , the tyrants will have a most terrifying of homecomings,

38:56  Hell, where they will burn. What a dreadful resting place!

38:57  Let them taste, scalding water and pus,

38:58  coupled with other similar torments.

38:59  This here is another crowd rushing headlong with you into Hell. No welcome for them. They will burn in the Fire.

38:60  The newcomers will say, “No! It is you, there is no welcome for you, you got us in to this. What a dreadful place to stay!”

38:61  Then they will say, “Our Lord, whoever got us in to this, double his punishment in the Fire.”

38:62  And they will say, “What is happening to us? Why don’t we see those men whom we considered evil?

38:63  We took them as a laughing stock? Or did we overlook them?”

38:64  That is how the people of the Fire will quarrel among themselves.

38:65  Say, Messenger: “I am a warner; and there is no God but Allah, the One, the Supreme,

38:66  the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth, and whatever lies in between, the Almighty, the Forgiving.”

38:67  Say: “It’s news of great importance

38:68  which you reject.

38:69  I have never had knowledge of the assembly on high when a dispute arose among them.

38:70  The revelation to me is that I am a warner.”

38:71  Remember when your Lord said to the angels, “I am creating a human being from clay.

38:72  So once I have formed him and blown My spirit into him, prostrate before him.”

38:73  So the angels prostrated all together

38:74  except Iblis; he was arrogant and ungrateful.

38:75  Allah said, “Iblis, what stopped you from prostrating to the one I created with My Hands? Were you arrogant then, or were you already from the haughty?”

38:76  Iblis said, “I am better than him. You created me from fire, and You created him from clay.”

38:77  Allah said, “Get out of here! You are an outlaw.

38:78  My curse will be on you till Judgement Day.

38:79  Iblis said, “My Lord, give me time till the day they’re resurrected.”

38:80  Allah said, “You have it

38:81  until the Day of the Appointed Hour.”

38:82  Iblis said, “I swear by Your Might, I will try to mislead them,

38:83  except the devout servants of Yours.”

38:84  Allah said, “That’s right; and I too speak the truth:

38:85  I will fill Hell with you, Iblis, and those who follow you.”

38:86  Say messenger: “I don’t ask you for any reward for this, nor am I claiming what I’m not.

38:87  This is a reminder for all people;

38:88  and in due course you will know its truth.”In the name of Allah, the Kind and Caring.