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

21:1 Their reckoning draw nigh to men, and they turn away in heedlessness

21:2 There comes not to them a new Reminder from their Lord but they hear it while they sport

21:3 Their hearts trifling. And they -- the wrongdoers -- counsel in secret: He is nothing but a mortal like yourselves; will you then yield to enchantment while you see

21:4 He said: My Lord knows (every) utterance in the heaven and the earth, and He is the Hearer, the Knower

21:5 Nay, say they: Medleys of dreams! nay, he has forged it! nay, he is a poet! so let him bring to us a sign such as the former (prophets) were sent (with)

21:6 Not a town believed before them which We destroyed: will they then believe

21:7 And We sent not before thee any but men to whom We sent revelation; so ask the followers of the Reminder if you know not

21:8 Nor did We give them bodies not eating food, nor did they abide

21:9 Then We made Our promise good to them; so We delivered them and whom We pleased, and We destroyed the extravagant

21:10 Certainly We have revealed to you a Book which will give you eminence. Do you not then understand

21:11 And how many a town which was iniquitous did We demolish, and We raised up after it another people

21:12 So when they felt Our might, lo! they began to flee from it

21:13 Flee not and return to the easy lives which you led, and to your dwellings, that you may be questioned

21:14 They said: O woe to us! Surely we were unjust

21:15 And this cry of theirs ceased not till We made them cut off, extinct

21:16 And We created not the heaven and the earth and what is between them for sport

21:17 Had We wished to take a pastime, We would have taken it from before Ourselves; by no means would We do (so)

21:18 Nay, We hurl the Truth against falsehood, so it knocks out its brains, and lo! it vanishes. And woe to you for what you describe

21:19 And to Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And those who are with Him are not too proud to serve Him, nor are they weary

21:20 They glorify (Him) night and day: they flag not

21:21 Or have they taken gods from the earth who give life

21:22 If there were in them gods besides Allah, they would both have been in disorder. So glory be to Allah, the Lord of the Throne, being above what they describe

21:23 He cannot be questioned as to what He does, and they will be questioned

21:24 Or, have they taken gods besides Him? Say: Bring your proof. This is the reminder of those with me and the reminder of those before me. Nay, most of them know not the Truth, so they turn away

21:25 And We sent no messenger before thee but We revealed to him that there is no God but Me, so serve Me

21:26 And they say: The Beneficent has taken to Himself a son. Glory be to Him! Nay, they are honoured servants -

21:27 They speak not before He speaks, and according to his command they act

21:28 He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they intercede not except for him whom He approves, and for fear of Him they tremble

21:29 And whoever of them should say, I am a god besides Him, such a one We recompense with hell. Thus We reward the unjust

21:30 Do not those who disbelieve see that the heavens and the earth were closed up, so We rent them. And We made from water everything living. Will they not then believe

21:31 And We made firm mountains in the earth lest it be convulsed with them, and We made in it wide ways that they might follow a right direction

21:32 And We have made the heaven a guarded canopy; yet they turn away from its signs

21:33 And He it is Who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon. All float in orbits

21:34 And We granted abiding for ever to no mortal before thee. If thou diest, will they abide

21:35 Every soul must taste of death. And We test you by evil and good by way of trial. And to Us you are returned

21:36 And when those who disbelieve see thee, they treat thee not but with mockery: Is this he who speaks of your gods? And they deny when the Beneficent God is mentioned

21:37 Man is created of haste. Soon will I show you My signs, so ask Me not to hasten them

21:38 And they say: When will this threat come to pass, if you are truthful

21:39 If those who disbelieve but knew the time when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor from their backs, and they will not be helped

21:40 Nay, it will come to them all of a sudden and confound them, so they will not have the power to avert it, nor will they be respited

21:41 And messengers before thee were indeed mocked, so there befell those of them who scoffed, that whereat they scoffed

21:42 Say: Who guards you by night and by day from the Beneficent? Nay, they turn away at the mention of their Lord

21:43 Or, have they gods who can defend them against Us? They cannot help themselves, nor can they be defended from Us

21:44 Nay, We gave provision to these and their fathers, until life was prolonged to them. See they not then that We are visiting the land, curtailing it of its sides? Can they then prevail

21:45 Say: I warn you only by revelation; and the deaf hear not the call when they are warned

21:46 And if a blast of the chastisement of thy Lord were to touch them, they would say: O woe to us! Surely we were unjust

21:47 And We will set up a just balance on the day of Resurrection, so that no soul will be wronged in the least. And if there be the weight of a grain of mustard see, We will bring it. And sufficient are We to take account

21:48 And certainly We gave Moses and Aaron the criterion and a light and a reminder for those who keep from evil

21:49 Who fear their Lord in secret and they are fearful of the Hour

21:50 And this is a blessed Reminder, which We have revealed. Will you then deny it

21:51 And certainly We gave Abraham his rectitude before, and We knew him well

21:52 When he said to his sire and his people: What are these images to whose worship you cleave

21:53 They said: We found our fathers worshipping them

21:54 He said: Certainly you have been, you and your fathers, in manifest error

21:55 They said: Hast thou brought us the truth, or art thou of the jesters

21:56 He said: Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Who created them; and I am of those who bear witness to this

21:57 And, by Allah! I will certainly plan against your idols after you go away, turning your backs

21:58 So he broke them into pieces, except the chief of them, that haply they might return to it

21:59 They said: Who has done this to our gods? Surely he is one of the unjust

21:60 They said: We heard a youth, who is called Abraham, speak of them

21:61 They said: Then bring him before the people’s eyes, perhaps they may bear witness

21:62 They said: Hast thou done this to our gods, O Abraham

21:63 He said: Surely (someone) has done it. The chief of them is this; so ask them, if they can speak

21:64 Then they turned to themselves and said: Surely you yourselves are wrongdoers

21:65 Then they were made to hang down their heads: Thou knowest indeed that they speak not

21:66 He said: Serve you then besides Allah what does you no good, nor harms you

21:67 Fie on you and on what you serve besides Allah! Have you no sense

21:68 They said: Burn him, and help your gods, if you are going to do (anything)

21:69 We said: O fire, be coolness and peace for Abraham

21:70 And they intended a plan against him, but We made them the greater losers

21:71 And We delivered him and Lot (directing them) to the land which We had blessed for the nations

21:72 And We gave them Isaac; and Jacob, a son’s son. And We made (them) all good

21:73 And We made them leaders who guided (people) by Our command, and We revealed to them the doing of good and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of alms, and Us (alone) they served

21:74 And to Lot We gave wisdom and knowledge, and We delivered him from the town which wrought abomination. Surely they were an evil people, transgressors

21:75 And We admitted him to Our mercy; surely he was of the righteous

21:76 And Noah, when he cried aforetime, so We answered him, and delivered him and his people from the great calamity

21:77 And We helped him against the people who rejected Our messages. Surely they were an evil people, so We drowned them all

21:78 And David and Solomon, when they gave judgment concerning the field, when the people’s sheep strayed therein by night, and We were bearers of witness to their judgment

21:79 So We made Solomon to understand it. And to each (of them) We gave wisdom and knowledge. And We made the mountains, declaring (Our) glory, and the birds, subservient to David. And We were the Doers

21:80 And We taught him the making of coats of mail for you, to protect you in your wars; will you then be grateful

21:81 And to Solomon (We subdued) the wind blowing violent, pursuing its course by His command to the land which We had blessed, and We are ever Knower of all things

21:82 And of the devils there were those who dived for him and did other work besides that; and We kept guard over them

21:83 And Job, when he cried to his Lord; Distress has afflicted me! and Thou art the most Merciful of those who show mercy

21:84 So We responded to him and removed the distress he had, and We gave him his people and the like of them with them: a mercy from Us and a reminder to the worshippers

21:85 And Ishmael and Idris and Dhu-l-Kifl; all were of the patient ones

21:86 And We admitted them to Our mercy; surely they were of the good ones

21:87 And Dhu-l-Nun, when he went away in wrath, and he thought that We would not straiten him, so he called out among afflictions: There is no God but Thou, glory be to Thee! Surely I am of the sufferers of loss

21:88 So We responded to him and delivered him from grief. And thus do We deliver the believers

21:89 And Zacharias, when he cried to his Lord: My Lord leave me not alone! and Thou art the Best of inheritors

21:90 So We responded to him and gave him John and made his wife fit for him. Surely they used to vie, one with another, in good deeds and called upon Us, hoping and fearing; and they were humble before Us

21:91 And she who guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her of Our inspiration, and made her and her son a sign for the nations

21:92 Surely this your community is a single community, and I am your Lord, so serve Me

21:93 And they cut off their affair among them: To Us will all return

21:94 So whoever does good deeds and is a believer, there is no rejection of his effort, and We surely write (it) down for him

21:95 And it is forbidden to a town which We destroy: they shall not return

21:96 Even when Gog and Magog are let loose and they sally forth from every elevated place

21:97 And the True Promise draws nigh, then lo! the eyes of those who disbelieve will be fixedly open: O woe to us! Surely we were heedless of this; nay, we were unjust

21:98 Surely you and what you worship besides Allah are fuel of hell; to it you will come

21:99 Had these been gods, they would not have come to it. And all will abide therein

21:100 For them therein is groaning and therein they hear not

21:101 Those for whom the good has already gone forth from Us, they will be kept far off from it -

21:102 They will not hear the faintest sound of it and they will abide in that which their souls desire

21:103 The great Terror will not grieve them, and the angels will meet them: This is your day which you were promised

21:104 The day when We roll up heaven like the rolling up of the scroll of writings. As We began the first creation, We shall reproduce it. A promise (binding) on Us. We shall bring it about

21:105 And certainly We wrote in the Book after the reminder that My righteous servants will inherit the land

21:106 Surely in this is a message for a people who serve (us)

21:107 And We have not sent thee but as a mercy to the nations

21:108 Say: It is only revealed to me that your God is one God: will you then submit

21:109 But if they turn back, say: I have warned you in fairness, and I know not whether that which you are promised is near or far

21:110 Surely He knows what is spoken openly and He knows what you hide

21:111 And I know not if this may be a trial for you and a provision till a time

21:112 He said: My Lord, judge Thou with truth. And Our Lord is the Beneficent, Whose help is sought against what you ascribe (to Him)