al-Anbiya` (The Prophets) at IslamAwakened.com

21:1 Their reckoning draws nigh to men, yet in heedlessness they turn aside

21:2 No reminder comes to them from their Lord of late, but they listen while they mock

21:3 and their hearts make sport thereof! And those who do wrong discourse secretly (saying), 'Is this man aught but a mortal like yourselves? will ye accede to magic, while ye can see?

21:4 Say, 'My Lord knows what is said in the heavens and the earth, He hears and knows!

21:5 'Nay!' they say, 'a jumble of dreams; nay! he has forged it; nay! he is a poet; but let him bring us a sign as those of yore were sent.

21:6 No city before them which we destroyed believed - how will they believe

21:7 Nor did we send before them any but men whom we inspired? Ask ye the people of the Scriptures if ye do not know

21:8 Nor did we make them bodies not to eat food, nor were they immortal

21:9 Yet we made our promise to them good, and we saved them and whom we pleased; but we destroyed those who committed excesses

21:10 We have sent down to you a book in which is a reminder for you; have ye then no sense

21:11 How many a city which had done wrong have we broken up, and raised up after it another people

21:12 And when they perceived our violence they ran away from it

21:13 'Run not away, but return to what ye delighted in, and to your dwellings! haply ye will be questioned.

21:14 Said they, 'O woe is us! verily, we were wrong-doers.

21:15 And that ceased not to be their cry until we made them mown down,- smouldering out

21:16 We did not create the heaven and the earth and what is between the two in play

21:17 Had we wished to take to a sport, we would have taken to one from before ourselves; had we been bent on doing so

21:18 Nay, we hurl the truth against falsehood and it crashes into it, and lo! it vanishes, but woe to you for what ye attribute (to God)

21:19 His are whosoever are in the heavens and the earth, and those who are with Him are not too big with pride for His service, nor do they weary

21:20 They celebrate His praises by night and day without intermission

21:21 Or have they taken gods from the earth who can raise up (the dead)

21:22 Were there in both (heaven and earth) gods beside God, both would surely have been corrupted. Celebrated then be the praise of God, the Lord of the throne, above what they ascribe

21:23 He shall not be questioned concerning what He does, but they shall be questioned

21:24 Have they taken gods beside Him? Say, 'Bring your proofs. This is the reminder of those who are with me, and of those who were before me.' Nay, most of them know not the truth, and they do turn aside

21:25 We have not sent any prophet before thee, but we inspired him that, 'There is no god but Me, so serve ye Me.

21:26 And they say, 'The Merciful has taken a son; celebrated be His praise!' - Nay, honoured servants

21:27 they do not speak until He speaks; but at His bidding do they act

21:28 He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they shall not intercede except for him whom He is pleased with; and they shrink through fear

21:29 And whoso of them should say, 'Verily, I am god instead of Him,' such a one we recompense with hell; thus do we recompense the wrongdoers

21:30 Do not those who misbelieve see that the heavens and the earth were both solid, and we burst them asunder; and we made from water every living thing - will they then not believe

21:31 And we placed on the earth firm mountains lest it should move with them, and He made therein open roads for paths, haply they may be guided

21:32 and we made the heaven a guarded roof; yet from our signs they turn aside

21:33 He it is who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, each floating in a sky

21:34 We never made for any mortal before thee immortality; what, if thou shouldst die, will they live on for aye

21:35 Every soul shall taste of death! we will test them with evil and with good, as a trial; and unto us shall they return

21:36 And when those who misbelieve see thee, they only take thee for a jest, 'Is this he who mentions your gods?' Yet they at the mention of the Merciful do disbelieve

21:37 Man is created out of haste. I will show, you my signs; but do not hurry Me

21:38 And they say, 'When will this threat (come to pass), if ye tell the truth?

21:39 Did those who misbelieve but know when the fire shall not be warded off from their faces nor from their backs, and they shall not be helped

21:40 Nay, it shall come on them suddenly, and shall dumbfounder them, and they shall not be able to repel it, nor shall they be respited

21:41 Prophets before thee have been mocked at, but that whereat they jested encompassed those who mocked

21:42 Say, 'Who shall guard you by night and by day from the Merciful?' Nay, but they from the mention of their Lord do turn aside

21:43 Have they gods to defend them against us? These cannot help themselves, nor shall they be abetted against us

21:44 Nay, but we have granted enjoyment to these men and to their fathers whilst life was prolonged. Do they not see that we come to the land and shorten its borders? Shall they then prevail

21:45 Say, 'I only warn you by inspiration;' but the deaf hear not the call when they are warned

21:46 But if a blast of the torment of thy Lord touches them, they will surely say, 'O, woe is us! verily, we were wrong-doers!

21:47 We will place just balances upon the resurrection day, and no soul shall be wronged at all, even though it be the weight of a grain of mustard seed, we will bring it; for we are good enough at reckoning up

21:48 We did give to Moses and Aaron the Discrimination, and a light and a reminder to those who fear

21:49 who are afraid of their Lord in secret; and who at the Hour do shrink

21:50 This is a blessed reminder which we have sent down, will ye then deny it

21:51 And we gave Abraham a right direction before; for about him we knew

21:52 When he said to his father and to his people, 'What are these images to which ye pay devotion?

21:53 Said they, 'We found our fathers serving them.

21:54 Said he, 'Both you and your fathers have been in obvious error.

21:55 They said, 'Dost thou come to us with the truth, or art thou but of those who play?

21:56 He said, 'Nay, but your Lord is Lord of the heavens and the earth, which He originated; and I am of those who testify to this

21:57 and, by God! I will plot against your idols after ye have turned and shown me your backs!

21:58 So he brake them all in pieces, except a large one they had; that haply they might refer it to that

21:59 Said they, 'Who has done this with our gods? verily, he is of the wrong-doers!

21:60 They said, 'We heard a youth mention them who is called Abraham.

21:61 Said they, 'Then bring him before the eyes of men; haply they will bear witness.

21:62 Said they, 'Was it thou who did this to our gods, O Abraham?

21:63 Said he, 'Nay, it was this largest of them; but ask them, if they can speak.

21:64 Then they came to themselves and said, 'Verily, ye are the wrong-doers.

21:65 Then they turned upside down again: 'Thou knewest that these cannot speak.

21:66 Said he, 'Will ye then serve, beside God, what cannot profit you at all, nor harm you

21:67 fie upon you, and what ye serve beside God! have ye then no sense?

21:68 Said they, 'Burn him, and help your gods, if ye are going to do so!

21:69 We said, 'O fire! be thou cool and a safety for Abraham!

21:70 They desired to plot against him, but we made them the losers

21:71 And we brought him and Lot safely to the land which we have blessed for the world

21:72 and we bestowed upon him Isaac and Jacob as a fresh gift, and each of them we made righteous persons

21:73 and we made them high priests to guide (men) by our bidding, and we inspired them to do good works, and to be steadfast in prayer, and to give alms; and they did serve us

21:74 And Lot, to him we gave judgment and knowledge, and we brought him safely out of the city which had done vile acts; verily, they were a people who wrought abominations

21:75 And we made him enter into our mercy; verily, he was of the righteous

21:76 And Noah, when he cried aforetime, and we answered him and saved him and his people from the mighty trouble

21:77 and we helped him against the people who said our signs were lies; verily, they were a bad people, so we drowned them all together

21:78 And David and Solomon, when they gave judgment concerning the field, when some people's sheep had strayed therein at night; and we testified to their judgment

21:79 and this we gave Solomon to understand. To each of them we gave judgment and knowledge; and to David we subjected the mountains to celebrate our praises, and the birds too,- it was we who did it

21:80 And we taught him the art of making coats of mail for you, to shield you from each other's violence; are ye then grateful

21:81 And to Solomon (we subjected) the wind blowing stormily, to run on at his bidding to the land which Ave have blessed, - for all things did we know,

21:82 and some devils to dive for him, and to do other works beside that; and we kept guard over them

21:83 And Job, when he cried to his Lord, 'As for me, harm has touched me, but Thou art the most merciful of the merciful ones.

21:84 And we answered him, and removed from him the distress that was upon him; and we gave his family, and the like of them with them, as a mercy from us, and a remembrance to those who serve us

21:85 And Ishmael, and Idris, and Dhu 'l Kifl, all of these were of the patient

21:86 and we made them enter into our mercy; verily, they were among the righteous

21:87 And Dhu 'nnun, when he went away in wrath and thought that we had no power over him; and he cried out in the darkness, ' There is no god but Thou, celebrated be Thy praise! Verily, I was of the evildoers!

21:88 And we answered him, and saved him from the trouble. Thus do we save believers

21:89 And Zachariah, when he cried unto his Lord, 'O Lord! leave me not alone; for thou art the best of heirs.

21:90 And we answered him, and bestowed upon him John; and we made his wife right for him; verily, these vied in good works, and called on us with longing and dread, and were humble before us

21:91 And she who guarded her private parts, and we breathed into her of our Spirit, and we made her and her son a sign unto the worlds

21:92 Verily, this your nation is one nation; and I am your Lord, so serve me

21:93 But they cut up their affair amongst themselves; they all shall return to us

21:94 and he who acts aright, and he who is a believer, there is no denial of his efforts, for, verily, we will write them down for him

21:95 There is a ban upon a city which we have destroyed that they shall not return

21:96 until Yagug and Magug are let out, and they from every hummock shall glide forth

21:97 And the true promise draws nigh, and lo! they are staring - the eyes of those who misbelieve! O, woe is us! we were heedless of this, nay, we were wrong-doers

21:98 Verily, ye, and what ye serve beside God, shall be the pebbles of hell, to it shall ye go down

21:99 Had these been God's they would not have gone down thereto: but all shall dwell therein for aye

21:100 for them therein is groaning, but they therein shall not be heard

21:101 Verily, those for whom the good (reward) from us was fore-ordained, they from it shall be kept far away

21:102 they shall not hear the slightest sound thereof, and they in what their souls desire shall dwell for aye

21:103 The greatest terror shall not grieve them; and the angels shall meet them, (saying), 'This is your day which ye were promised!

21:104 The day when we will roll up the heavens as es-Sigill rolls up the books; as we produced it at its first creation will we bring it back again - a promise binding upon us; verily, we are going to do it

21:105 And already have we written in the Psalms after the reminder that the earth shall my righteous servants inherit.

21:106 Verily, in this is preaching for a people who serve me

21:107 We have only sent thee as a mercy to the worlds

21:108 Say, 'I am only inspired that your God is one God; are ye then resigned?

21:109 But if they turn their backs say, 'I have proclaimed (war) against all alike, but I know not if what ye are threatened with be near or far!

21:110 Verily, He knows what is spoken openly, and He knows what ye hide

21:111 I know not, haply, it is a trial for you and a provision for a season

21:112 Say, 'My Lord! judge thou with truth! and our Lord is the Merciful whom we ask for aid against what they ascribe!