21:1  People's reckoning draws closer, but they turn away without paying any attention.

21:2  Every time a new message comes to them from their Lord, they listen to it while they play,

21:3  with their hearts distracted. Those bent on wrongdoing conceal their private conversation, [saying], "Is he not [Muhammad] just a man like you? Do you succumb to magic with your eyes wide open?"

21:4  He said, "My Lord knows whatever is said throughout the heaven and earth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-knowing."

21:5  But they continue to quibble, "These [revelations] are only confused dreams," or, "He has just invented it," or, "He is merely a poet." "So [they say] let him bring us a sign like those who were sent previously."

21:6  We destroyed the communities before them who did not believe, so will they believe?

21:7  Those We have sent before you were only men whom We inspired. So, tell those who deny the truth: "if you do not know this, ask the people of earlier revelations."

21:8  And We did not give the prophets bodies that did not eat food, nor were they immortal.

21:9  Then We fulfilled Our promise to them and We saved those We willed, and destroyed those who exceeded all bounds.

21:10  We have sent down to you a Book containing all that you ought to bear in mind. Will you not reason, then?

21:11  And how many communities of unjust people have We destroyed, raising up other people in their place?

21:12  When they felt the might of Our punishment, they fled at once.

21:13  "Do not flee, but return to the life of luxury you enjoyed and to your homes, so that you may be questioned."

21:14  They said, "Woe to us! we were truly wrongdoers."

21:15  And that cry of theirs did not cease until We made them like stubble, silent and still

21:16  We did not create the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in play;

21:17  had We wished for amusement, We could have found it within Ourselves- had We so willed.

21:18  Instead, We hurl the Truth after falsehood, and the Truth destroys it, and it withers away. But woe to you for all your [attempts to] define [God].

21:19  To Him belongs everything in the heavens and on earth. And those near Him are never too proud to worship Him, nor do they tire [of doing so].

21:20  They exalt His limitless glory day and night, [and] do not grow weary.

21:21  Or have they taken for themselves earthly gods who resurrect the dead?

21:22  Had there been in heaven or on earth any deities other than God, they would both be ruined. But exalted be God in His limitless glory, Lord of the Throne, Who is far above anything they describe.

21:23  He will not be questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.

21:24  Or have they taken gods besides Him? Say, "Produce your proof. This is the message for those with me and the message of those before me." But most of them do not know the Truth, so they turn away.

21:25  We never sent any messenger before you [Prophet] without revealing to him that "There is no god except Me, so worship Me."

21:26  And yet, some say, "The Merciful-to-all has taken a son!" May He be exalted in His glory! " No! They are only His honored worshipers.

21:27  They do not speak before He does, and they act only on His command.

21:28  He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede [for anyone] except with His approval, as they are in reverent awe of Him.

21:29  Where any of them say, "I am a god besides Him"- that one We would repay with Hell. This is how We repay the transgressors.

21:30  Are the unbelievers not aware that the heavens and the earth were one mass before We separated them and made every living thing from water? Will they not believe, then?

21:31  And We placed within the earth firmly set mountains, lest it should shake with them, and We made valleys, as roadways as roadways that they might be guided [through them]

21:32  and We made the sky a protected roof, yet still, they turn away from its signs.

21:33  And It is He who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon; each floating in its orbit.

21:34  [Prophet] We did not grant immortality to any human being before you; so if you die, would they live forever?

21:35  Every soul is bound to taste death. We test you with evil and with good as a trial and to Us you will all return.

21:36  And when the unbelievers see you, they laugh at you, [saying], "Is this the one who keeps talking about your gods?" Yet when the Merciful-to-all is mentioned, they reject Him.

21:37  The human being is a creature of haste. I will show you My signs soon, so do not ask Me to show them sooner.

21:38  And they say, "When will this promise be fulfilled, if you are telling the truth?"

21:39  If the unbelievers only knew the time when they will not be able to divert the Fire from their faces or from their backs, and they will find no help.

21:40  Rather, it will come to them unexpectedly and bewilder them, and they will not be able to repel it, nor will they be reprieved.

21:41  Messengers before you were also mocked, but those who mocked them were overwhelmed by the very thing they mocked.

21:42  Say, "Who can protect you by night or day from the Merciful-to-all?" Yet they turn away when their Lord is mentioned.

21:43  Or, do they have gods to defend them from Us? They are unable [even] to help themselves, nor can they be protected from Us?

21:44  We have allowed these people and their fathers to enjoy life for a long time, until life seemed long and good to them. Do they not see how We come upon the land, eroding it from its extremities? Will they prevail then?

21:45  Say: "I can only warn you through Revelation," but the deaf cannot hear the call when they are warned.

21:46  Yet, if but a whiff of your Lord's punishment should touch them, they would surely say, "Woe to us! We have been unjust."

21:47  And We place the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so that no soul will be wronged in the least for though there be [only] the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it forth. It suffices that We will do the reckoning.

21:48  And We gave Moses and Aaron the Furqan [a standard by which to judge right from wrong] a light and a reminder for those who are ever mindful of God-

21:49  those who stand in awe of their Lord, though He is unseen, and who fear the Hour.

21:50  And this [Qur'an] too is a blessed message that We have sent down. Will you then ignore it?

21:51  Before [Moses] We gave Abraham sound judgment and We knew him well,

21:52  when he said to his father and his people, "What are these statues to which you are devoted?"

21:53  They said, "We found our fathers worshipping them."

21:54  He said, "You and your fathers have obviously gone astray."

21:55  They said, "Have you come to us with the Truth, or are you playing games?"

21:56  He said, "[No], rather, your Lord, who created them, is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and I am a witness to that.

21:57  And, by God, I will surely plot against your idols after You have turned your backs and gone away."

21:58  So he broke them into pieces, except for the largest one among them, so that they might return to it [and question].

21:59  They said, "Who has done this to our gods? He is unjust."

21:60  Some said, "We heard a young man mention them; they call him Abraham."

21:61  They said, "Then bring him before the eyes of the people, so that they may be witnesses."

21:62  They said, "Have you done this to our gods, Abraham?"

21:63  He said, "Rather, this one, the largest of them, did it, so ask them, if they are able to speak."

21:64  So they turned on one another, saying, "It is you who are the unjust."

21:65  Then, they reversed themselves, [saying], "You [Abraham] knew that these [idols] do not speak!"

21:66  He said, "Then do you worship what does not help or harm you at all instead of God?

21:67  Shame on you, and shame on what you worship instead of God. Will you not use reason then?"

21:68  They said, "Burn him and support your gods-if you are to act."

21:69  But We said, "Fire, be coolness and peace for Abraham."

21:70  And they intended to harm him, but We made them the greatest losers.

21:71  And We delivered him and Lot to the land which We had blessed for all people.

21:72  And We gave him Isaac and Jacob as an additional gift, and all [of them] We made righteous.

21:73  We made them leaders guiding others by Our command. And We inspired them to do good deeds, to establish prayer, and to give the purifying alms; they were our true worshippers.

21:74  And to Lot We gave sound judgment and knowledge, and We saved him from the town that was committing wicked deeds. They were evil, perverse people.

21:75  And We admitted him into Our mercy. He was of the righteous.

21:76  Long before that, We answered Noah when he called to Us, so We responded to him, and saved him and his family from the great calamity.

21:77  And We helped him against the people who denied Our signs. They were an evil people, so We drowned them, all together.

21:78  And David and Solomon, when they gave judgment concerning the field into which some people's sheep had strayed [at night]. We were witness to their judgment

21:79  and We gave understanding of the case to Solomon, and to each [of them] We gave sound judgment and knowledge. And We caused the mountains and the birds to join David in extolling Our limitless glory, for We are able to do [all things].

21:80  And We taught him to fashion coats of armor to protect you from your [enemy in] battle. But are you grateful?

21:81  And to Solomon We subjected the wind, which aped at his command toward the land that We had blessed. It is We who have knowledge of everything.

21:82  And among the [devils] rebellious creatures, who dove into the sea for him and did other work, but it was We who kept watch over them.

21:83  And [mention] Job, when he cried to his Lord, "Great harm has afflicted me, and you are the Most Merciful of the Merciful."

21:84  So We responded to him and removed the harm that afflicted him. And We restored his family and their like with them, as a mercy from Us and a reminder for God's worshippers.

21:85  And [mention] Ishmael and Idris and Dhul-Kifl; all were all steadfast.

21:86  And We admitted them into Our mercy for they were truly righteous.

21:87  And [Jonah] Zun-nun, when he went off in anger and thought that We would not punish him. Then he called out from the deep darkness, "There is no God except You; May You be exalted in Your glory. I have been among the unjust."

21:88  We responded to him and saved him from his grief. This is how We save the believers.

21:89  And Zechariah, when he called to his Lord, "My Lord, do not leave me childless, for you are the best of heirs."

21:90  We responded to him, gave him John, and healed his wife for him. They were always eager to do good deeds, calling out to Us in hope and fear, and they humbled themselves before Us.

21:91  And [mention Mary] the one who guarded her chastity. We breathed into her from Our Spirit, and made her and her son a sign for all people.

21:92  This is your community, a single community [of believers], and I am your Lord, so worship Me.

21:93  And [yet], they later disagreed and became divided, [but] they are all destined to return to Us.

21:94  So whoever does righteous deeds while he is a believer -his effort will not be ignored, and We shall record it in his favor.

21:95  No community that We have destroyed can possibly return

21:96  until Gog and Magog are let loose and they rush down from the heights,

21:97  Then, the true promise will approach and the eyes of the unbelievers will stare [in horror, while they say], "Woe to us; we were oblivious to this; rather, we were unjust."

21:98  You and what you worship other than God are the firewood of Hell. You will be coming to it.

21:99  Had these [false deities] been [actual] gods, they would not have come to it, but each one of them will stay there [in Hell] forever.

21:100  In it they will be wailing and they will not be able to hear.

21:101  As for those for whom We have decreed the best [reward]-they will be kept far removed from Hell.

21:102  They will not hear its sound, while they abide eternally in whatever their souls desire.

21:103  They will not be grieved by the greatest horror and the angels will greet them, [saying], "This is your Day which you have been promised"-

21:104  the Day when We will roll up the heavens as one rolls up a written scroll. Just as We produced the first creation, [so] We will repeat it. This is a binding promise on Us. We will do it.

21:105  We have written in the Zabour [Psalms] as We did in previous Scriptures, that My righteous worshipers shall inherit the earth.

21:106  Truly there is a message in this for people who worship!

21:107  We have only sent you [Prophet] as a mercy to humanity.

21:108  Say, "It is revealed to me that your god is but one God-so, will you be submissive to Him?"

21:109  But, if they turn away, then say, "I have proclaimed the message equally to [all of] you. And I do not know if what you have been promised is near or far.

21:110  He knows what is revealed when you speak, and He knows what you conceal.

21:111  For all I know [this delay in God's judgment] may be a trial for you and you will have enjoyment for a while."

21:112  Say [Prophet] "My Lord, judge [between us] in Truth. Our Lord is the Merciful-to-all, the one whose help is ever sought against that which you unbelievers speak."