16:1  God's judgement is bound to come; so do not seek to hurry it on. Limitless is He in His glory and sublimely exalted above anything people may associate with Him.

16:2  He sends down angels with this divine inspiration, [bestowed] by His will on such of His servants as He pleases: 'Warn [mankind] that there is no deity other than Me: so fear Me.'

16:3  He has created the heavens and the earth in truth; sublimely exalted is He above anything people may associate with Him.

16:4  He creates man out of a drop of sperm; yet this same man is openly contentious.

16:5  He creates cattle which give you warmth and other benefits; and from them you obtain food.

16:6  And you find beauty in them when you drive them home in the evening and when you take them out to pasture in the morning.

16:7  And they carry your loads to distant lands, which you could not otherwise reach without much hardship to yourselves. Your Lord is certainly Most Compassionate, Merciful.

16:8  And [He creates] horses, mules and asses for you to ride or put on show. And He creates other things of which you have no knowledge.

16:9  It is God alone who points to the right path. Yet many may swerve from it. Had He so willed, He would have guided you all aright.

16:10  It is He who sends down water from the skies. From it you drink, and with it grow the plants on which you pasture your cattle.

16:11  And with it He causes crops to grow for you, and olive trees, and date-palms, and grapes, and all other kinds of fruit. Surely in this there is a sign for people who think.

16:12  And He has made the night and the day and the sun and the moon to be subservient to you; and all the stars are subservient to His command. In this there are signs for people who use their reason.

16:13  On the earth He has fashioned for you objects of various hues; surely in this there is a sign for people who take heed.

16:14  It is He who has made the sea subservient to [His laws], so that you may eat fresh meat from it, and take from it gems which you may wear. You see the ships ploughing through the waves, so that you may be able to go forth in quest of His bounty, and that you may be grateful.

16:15  He has placed firm mountains on earth lest it should sway with you; and rivers and paths so that you may find your way

16:16  as well as landmarks. By the stars, too, are people guided.

16:17  Is He, then, who creates like one that cannot create? Will you not, then, think?

16:18  Should you try to count God's blessings, you will never be able to compute them. God is indeed Much Forgiving, Merciful.

16:19  God knows all that you keep secret and all that you bring into the open.

16:20  Those beings that some people invoke beside God cannot create anything; they themselves are created.

16:21  They are dead, not living, and they do not know when they will be raised back to life.

16:22  Your God is the One God. Those who deny the life to come have hearts that persist in denying the truth. They are full of arrogance.

16:23  God surely knows what they keep secret and all that they bring into the open. He does not love those who are arrogant.

16:24  Whenever they are asked, 'What has your Lord bestowed from on high?' they say: 'Fables of the ancients!'

16:25  On the Day of Resurrection they shall bear the full weight of their burdens, as well as some of the burdens of those ignorant ones whom they have led astray. Evil is the burden they shall bear.

16:26  Those who lived before them also schemed. But God struck their edifice at its foundation, and its roof fell in upon them from above, and suffering befell them from where they did not perceive.

16:27  Then, on the Day of Resurrection He will cover them with ignominy, and say: 'Where are those alleged partners of Mine concerning whom you have engaged in dispute?' Those who are endowed with knowledge will say: 'Ignominy and misery shall this day befall the unbelievers,

16:28  those whom the angels have gathered in death while they are still wronging themselves.' These will then offer their submission, saying: 'We have done no wrong!' [They will be answered]: 'Yes, indeed. God has full knowledge of all that you were doing!

16:29  Enter the gates of hell, where you shall abide.' Evil indeed is the abode of the arrogant!

16:30  But when the God-fearing are asked: 'What has your Lord revealed?' they say: 'All that is good.' For those who do good in this world, good reward [is assured]; but far better is their abode in the hereafter. Blessed is the dwelling place of the God- fearing.

16:31  The Gardens of Eden they will enter; through which running waters flow. There they shall have everything they desire. Thus shall God reward the God-fearing;

16:32  those whom the angels gather in death while they are in a state of purity, saying: 'Peace be upon you! Enter paradise by virtue of what you were doing [in life].'

16:33  Are they [who disbelieve] awaiting anything but for the angels to appear before them, or for your Lord's command to come? Those before them did the same. It was not God who wronged them, but it was they who wronged themselves.

16:34  The evil consequences of their misdeeds overtook them, and they were overwhelmed by the very thing they used to deride.

16:35  Those who associate partners with God say, 'Had God so willed, neither we nor our forefathers would have worshipped any other than Him, nor would we have declared anything forbidden without a commandment from Him.' Those before them said the same. Are the messengers bound to do anything other than to clearly deliver the message?

16:36  Indeed, We have raised a messenger in every community, [who said to them]: 'Worship God and shun the Evil One.' Among them were some whom God graced with His guidance, while others were inevitably doomed by their error. Go, then, about the earth and observe what was the end of those who denied the truth.

16:37  However eager you may be to show them the right way, [know that] God does not bestow His guidance upon any whom He judges to have gone astray. They shall have none to support them.

16:38  They most solemnly swear by God that God never raises the dead to life. Yes indeed! That is a promise to which He has bound Himself, even though most people do not know it.

16:39  [Thus] He will make clear to them the reality of matters over which they differ, and the unbelievers will know that they were liars.

16:40  Whenever We will anything to be, We need only say, Be' — and it is.

16:41  As for those who forsake their homes for the sake of God after having suffered injustice, We shall most certainly give them a fine abode in this life; yet better still is their reward in the life to come, if they but knew it.

16:42  [Such reward is granted to] those who, having been patient in adversity, place their trust in their Lord.

16:43  The messengers We sent before you were but men whom We inspired. So, if you have not realized this, ask those who are endowed with knowledge.

16:44  [We sent such messengers] with clear proofs and divine books, and We have now bestowed on you the reminder so that you may elucidate to mankind all that has been bestowed on them, and that they may take thought.

16:45  Do those who devise evil schemes feel secure that God will not cause the earth to swallow them, or that suffering will not befall them whence they do not perceive?

16:46  Or that He will not suddenly take them to task in the midst of their comings and goings; for they can never frustrate His design?

16:47  Or that He will seize them when they are alert and apprehensive? Surely your Lord is Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

16:48  Do people not see how every object God has created casts its shadow right and left, prostrating itself before God in complete submission?

16:49  For, before God prostrates itself every living thing in the heavens and the earth, as do the angels. They do not behave in arrogant defiance.

16:50  They fear their Lord, who is high above them, and do as they are bidden.

16:51  God has said: 'Do not take [for worship] two deities, for He is but one God. Hence, of Me alone stand in awe.'

16:52  His is all that is in the heavens and the earth, and to Him alone submission is always due. Will you then fear anyone but God?

16:53  Whatever blessing you have comes from God; and whenever harm befalls you, it is to Him that you cry out for help.

16:54  Yet no sooner does He remove the harm from you than some among you associate partners with their Lord,

16:55  [as if] to show their ingratitude for what We have given them. Enjoy, then, your life [as you may]; before long you will come to know [the truth].

16:56  They assign a share of the sustenance We provide for them to what they know nothing of. By God, you shall certainly be called to account for your false inventions.

16:57  And they assign daughters to God, who is limitless in His glory, whereas for themselves they choose what they desire.

16:58  And when any of them is given the happy news of the birth of a girl, his face darkens and he is filled with gloom.

16:59  He tries to avoid all people on account of the [allegedly] bad news he has received, [debating within himself ] shall he keep the child despite the shame he feels, or shall he bury it in the dust? Evil indeed is their judgement.

16:60  To those who do not believe in the life to come applies the attribute of evil, whereas to God applies the attribute of all that is most sublime, for He is Almighty, Wise.

16:61  If God were to take people to task for their wrongdoing, He would not leave a single living creature on the face [of the earth]. But He gives them respite for a set term. When their time arrives, they cannot delay it by an hour, nor can they hasten it.

16:62  They attribute to God what they hate [for themselves]. And their tongues assert the lie that theirs is the supreme reward. Without doubt, it is the Fire that awaits them, and they will be hastened on into it.

16:63  By God, We have sent messengers to various communities before your time, but Satan made their foul deeds seem fair to them. He is also their patron today. A grievous suffering awaits them.

16:64  We have bestowed upon you from on high this book for no other reason than that you may make clear to them those issues on which they differ, and [to serve] as guidance and grace to people who believe.

16:65  And God sends down water from the skies, giving life to the earth after it has been lifeless. In this there is surely a sign for people who listen.

16:66  In cattle too you have a worthy lesson: We give you to drink of that [fluid] which is in their bellies, produced alongside excretions and blood: pure milk, pleasant to those who drink it.

16:67  And from the fruit of the date- palms and vines you derive intoxicants and wholesome food. Surely in this there is a sign for people who use their reason.

16:68  Your Lord has inspired the bee: 'Take up homes in the mountains, in the trees and in structures people may put up.

16:69  Then eat of all manner of fruit, and follow humbly the paths your Lord has made smooth for you.' There issues from its inside a drink of different colours, a cure for people. Surely in this there is a sign for people who think.

16:70  It is God who has created you; and in time will cause you to die. Some of you are left to the most feeble stage of life, so that they no longer know what they had previously known. God is indeed All-Knowing, infinite in His power.

16:71  To some of you God has given more than He has given to others. Those who are so favoured are unwilling to share their provisions with those whom their right hands possess, so that they are all equal in this respect. Will they, then, deny God's favours?

16:72  And God has given you spouses of your own kind and has given you, through your spouses, children and grandchildren, and provided you with wholesome sustenance. Will they, then, believe in falsehood and deny God's grace and blessings?

16:73  Instead of God, they worship something that can provide them with no sustenance from the heavens or the earth. Never can they have such power.

16:74  Do not, then, compare anything with God. Indeed, God knows all, whereas you have no knowledge.

16:75  God makes this comparison' between a man enslaved, unable to do anything of his own accord, and a [free] man on whom We have bestowed goodly favours, and he gives of it both in private and in public. Can these two be equal? All praise is to God alone, but most people have no knowledge.

16:76  And God makes another comparison between two men, one of whom is dumb and can do nothing of his own accord He is a sheer burden to his master: wherever he sends him, he accomplishes no good. Can he be considered equal to one who enjoins justice and follows a straight path?

16:77  To God belongs the hidden secrets of the heavens and the earth. The advent of the Last Hour will be accomplished in a twinkling of an eye, or closer still. God has power over all things.

16:78  God has brought you forth from your mothers' wombs devoid of all knowledge, but He has given you hearing, and sight, and minds, so that you may be grateful.

16:79  Do they not see the birds and how they are enabled to fly in mid-air? None but God holds them aloft. In this there are signs for people who will believe.

16:80  And God has made your homes as places of rest, and has given you dwellings out of the skins of animals, which are easy for you to handle when you travel and when you camp. Out of their wool, fur and hair, He has given you furnishings and articles of convenience for temporary use.

16:81  And God has made for you, out of the many things He has created, shelter and shade, and has given you places of refuge in the mountains, and has furnished you with garments to protect you from the heat and other garments to protect you from your [mutual] violence. Thus does He perfect His favours to you, sod that you may submit to Him.

16:82  But if they turn away [from you, remember that] your only duty is to deliver [your message] clearly.

16:83  They are certainly aware of God's favours, but they nevertheless refuse to acknowledge them. Most of them are unbelievers.

16:84  One day We will raise up a witness from every community, but then the unbelievers will not be allowed to make pleas, nor will they be allowed to make amends.

16:85  And when the wrongdoers actually see the suffering [that awaits them], it will in no way be mitigated for them, nor will they be granted respite.

16:86  And when those who associate partners with God will see their [alleged] partners, they will say: 'Our Lord, these are our partners whom we used to invoke instead of You.' But they will throw their word back at them, saying: 'You are indeed liars.'

16:87  On that day, they shall proffer submission to God; and all their inventions will have forsaken them.

16:88  Upon those who disbelieve and debar others from the path of God We will heap suffering upon suffering in punishment for all the corruption they wrought.

16:89  One day We will raise up within every nation a witness from among themselves to testify against them. And We will bring you, [Prophet] as a witness against these [i.e. your people]. We have bestowed from on high upon you the book to make everything clear, and to provide guidance and grace, and to give good news to those who submit themselves to God.

16:90  God enjoins justice, kindness [to all], and generosity to one's kindred; and He forbids all that is shameful, all reprehensible conduct and aggression. He admonishes you so that you may take heed.

16:91  Fulfil your covenant with God whenever you make a pledge. Do not break your oaths after you have confirmed them, and have made God your surety. God certainly knows all that you do.

16:92  Be not like her who untwists the yarn which she has firmly spun, using your oaths as a means to deceive one another, simply because a particular community may be more powerful than another. By this, God puts you to the test. On the Day of Resurrection He will make clear to you all that on which you now differ.

16:93  Had God so willed, He would have surely made you all one single community. But He lets go astray him that wills [to go astray] and guides aright him that wills [to be guided]. You shall certainly be called to account for all that you do.

16:94  Do not use your oaths as a means to deceive one another, lest your foot should slip after it has been firm, and lest you should be made to suffer the evil [consequences] of your having debarred others from the path of God, with tremendous suffering awaiting you.

16:95  Do not barter away- your covenant with God for a trifling price. Surely, that which is with God is far better for you, if you but knew it.

16:96  Whatever you have is certain to come to an end, but that which is with God is everlasting. We will certainly grant those who are patient in adversity their reward according to the best that they ever did.

16:97  Whoever does righteous deeds, whether man or woman, and is a believer, We shall most certainly give a good life. And We shall indeed reward these according to the best that they ever did.

16:98  Whenever you read the Qur'ān, seek refuge with God from Satan, the accursed.

16:99  He certainly has no power over those who believe and place their trust in their Lord.

16:100  He has power only over those who are willing to follow him, and thus ascribe to him a share in God's divinity.

16:101  When We replace one verse by another — and God knows best what He reveals — they say: 'You are but a fabricator.' Indeed most of them have no knowledge.

16:102  Say: 'The Holy Spirit has brought it down from your Lord in truth, so as to strengthen the believers, and to provide guidance and good news to those who surrender themselves to God.'

16:103  We know full well that they say: 'It is but a man that teaches him [all] this.' But the man to whom they so maliciously allude speaks a foreign tongue, while this is Arabic speech, pure and clear.

16:104  Those who do not believe in God's revelations shall not be granted guidance by God. Grievous suffering awaits them.

16:105  It is only those who do not believe in God's revelations that invent falsehood. It is they indeed who are liars.

16:106  As for anyone who denies God after having accepted the faith — and this certainly does not apply to one who does it under duress; while his heart remains true to his faith, but applies to him who willingly opens his heart to unbelief — upon all such falls God's wrath, and theirs will be a tremendous suffering.

16:107  This is because they love the life of this world better than the life to come. God does not bestow His guidance on those who reject the truth.

16:108  Such are those whose hearts and ears and eyes are sealed by God; such are the heedless

16:109  Without doubt, in the life to come they will be the losers.

16:110  But then, your Lord [grants forgiveness] to those who forsake their homes after enduring trials and persecution, and strive hard [in God's cause] and remain patient in adversity. After all this, your Lord is certainly Much- Forgiving, Most Merciful.

16:111  One day every soul will come pleading for itself. Every soul will be repaid in full for all its actions, and none shall be wronged.

16:112  God cites the case of a town living in security and ease. Its sustenance comes to it in abundance from all quarters. Yet it was ungrateful for God's favours. Therefore, God caused it to experience the misery of hunger and fear for what its people used to do.

16:113  There had come to them a messenger from among themselves, but they denied him. Therefore suffering overwhelmed them as they were wrongdoers.

16:114  So eat of all the lawful and good things God has provided for you, and be grateful to God for His favours, if it is truly Him that you worship.

16:115  He has forbidden you only carrion, blood, the flesh of swine and anything over which any name other than God's has been invoked. But if anyone is driven to it by necessity, neither desiring it nor exceeding his immediate need, then God is Much- Forgiving, Merciful.

16:116  Do not say — for any false thing you may utter with your tongues — that 'This is lawful and this is forbidden', so as to attribute your lying inventions to God. Indeed those who attribute their lying inventions to God will never be successful.

16:117  Brief is their enjoyment [of this life], and grievous suffering awaits them [in the life to come].

16:118  To the Jews We have made unlawful such things as We have mentioned to you earlier. We did them no wrong, but they were the ones who persistently wronged themselves.

16:119  But indeed your Lord [grants forgiveness] to those who do evil out of ignorance, and then repent and mend their ways. After all this, your Lord is certainly Much- Forgiving, Merciful.

16:120  In truth Abraham was a model, devoutly obedient to God, and true in faith. He was not one of those who associated partners with God.

16:121  He showed his gratitude for the blessings bestowed by Him who had chosen him and guided him to a straight path.

16:122  We bestowed on him good in this world; and truly, in the life to come he will be among the righteous.

16:123  And now We have inspired you with [this message]: 'Follow the creed of Abraham, who was true in faith, and who was not one of those who associated partners with God.'

16:124  [The observance of] the Sabbath was ordained only to those who differed about him. Your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection with regard to all that on which they dispute.

16:125  Call people to the path of your Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with them in the most kindly manner. Your Lord knows best who strays from His path and who are rightly guided.

16:126  If you should punish, then let your punishment be commensurate with the wrong done to you. But to endure patiently is far better for those who are patient in adversity.

16:127  Endure, then, with patience, remembering always that it is only God who helps you to be patient; and do not grieve over them, nor be distressed by their intrigues.

16:128  God is indeed with those who remain God-fearing and those who do good.