26:1  Ta Seen Meem,

26:2  these are the verses of the Book that make everything clear.

26:3  Perhaps, [Prophet] you punish yourself with grief because they will not believe.

26:4  If We so will, We can send down from heaven a miracle that will force their necks to remain bowed in humility.

26:5  Whenever a new revelation comes to them from the Merciful-to-all, they turn away.

26:6  They have already denied the truth, but the news of what they used to ridicule will come back to [hunt] them.

26:7  Do not they see the Earth, and how many kinds of noble pairs of plants We have caused to grow in it?

26:8  There is a sign in this, but most of them will not believe.

26:9  Indeed your Lord is the Revered, the Mercy Giver.

26:10  When your Lord called on Moses, [saying], “Go to the unjust people,

26:11  the people of Pharaoh. Will they not be mindful of Me?”

26:12  He said, “My Lord, I fear that they will call me a liar,

26:13  and that my breast will tighten, and my tongue will be tied, so send for Aaron.

26:14  Besides, they have a charge against me, so I fear that they will kill me.”

26:15  [God] said, “No. Go both of you with Our signs; We are with you, listening.

26:16  Go to Pharaoh and say, “We are messengers from the Lord of the worlds ,

26:17  let the Children of Israel go with us.”

26:18  [Pharaoh] said, “Did we not raise you among us as a child, and did you not live among us for many years?

26:19  [Then] you committed that crime of yours; you were so ungrateful.”

26:20  [Moses] said, “At the time I did it, I was of the misguided.

26:21  So I fled from you because I feared you. Then my Lord gave me wisdom and made me one of the Messengers.

26:22  As for that favor of which you remind me, was it not because you enslaved the Children of Israel?”

26:23  Pharaoh said, “But what is the Lord of the worlds?”

26:24  He said, “The Lord of the heavens and Earth and all that is between them if you only knew.”

26:25  [Pharaoh] said to those around him, “Do you hear [what he said]?”

26:26  [Moses went on], “Your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.”

26:27  [Pharaoh] said, “This messenger who has been sent to you is really mad.”

26:28  [Moses] said, “Lord of the east and the west and that between them, if you [would just use your] reason.”

26:29  [Pharaoh] said, “If you take a god other than me, I will surely imprison you.”

26:30  [Moses] said, “Even if I show you undeniable proof?”

26:31  [Pharaoh] said, “Bring it, then, if you are telling the truth.”

26:32  So [Moses] threw down his staff, and behold, it was an undeniable snake.

26:33  Then he drew out his hand, and behold- it was [shining] white for all to see.

26:34  [Pharaoh] said to the notables around him, “This is a skilled magician.

26:35  He wants to drive you out of your land with his magic, so what do you recommend?”

26:36  They said, “Let him and his brother wait for a while, and [meanwhile] send marshals to all the cities

26:37  to bring every skilled magician.”

26:38  So the magicians were assembled at the appointed time on the appointed day.

26:39  It was said to the People, “Have you assembled

26:40  so that we might follow the magicians if they win?”

26:41  When the magicians arrived, they said to Pharaoh, “Is there a reward for us if we win?”

26:42  He said, “Yes. You will be in my inner circle.”

26:43  Moses said to them, “Throw whatever you will throw.”

26:44  So they threw their ropes and their staffs, and said, “By the reverence of Pharaoh, We will surely win.”

26:45  Then Moses threw down his staff, and it devoured their deceptions.

26:46  And down fell the magicians in prostration [to God],

26:47  saying, “We believe in the Lord of the Worlds,

26:48  the Lord of Moses and Aaron.”

26:49  [Pharaoh] said, “How dare you believe in Him before I have given you permission? He [Moses] must be your leader who has taught you magic. But soon, you will know. I will cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I will crucify all of you.”

26:50  They said, “We do not care! We will be returning to our Lord.

26:51  We hope that our Lord will forgive us our sins because we were the first believers.”

26:52  We later revealed to Moses, “Travel by night with My worshipers, for you will be pursued.”

26:53  Then Pharaoh sent his marshals to the cities,

26:54  [ saying], “[The Children of Israel] are a small band,

26:55  but they are offending us,

26:56  and we are a vigilant society.”

26:57  So We expelled them from [their] gardens and springs

26:58  treasures and honored estates.

26:59  Thus it was. [In time], We caused the Children of Israel to inherit all of this.

26:60  So, they [the Egyptians] pursued them at sunrise,

26:61  and when the two sides sighted one another, Moses’ companions’ said, “We will be overtaken!”

26:62  [Moses] said, “No! my Lord is with me; He will guide me.”

26:63  Then, We revealed to Moses, “Strike with your staff the sea.” It parted, and each part looked like a mountain.

26:64  We brought the pursuers right into it

26:65  and We saved Moses and all who were with him

26:66  and We drowned the others.

26:67  There is a sign in this, but most of them will not believe.

26:68  Truly your Lord is the Revered, the Mercy Giver.

26:69  Tell them the story of Abraham

26:70  when he asked his father and his people, “What do you worship?”

26:71  They said, “We worship idols, and we always attend to them.”

26:72  He asked, “Do they hear you when you call on them?

26:73  Or do they benefit you, or harm you?”

26:74  They said, “But this is what we found our fathers doing.”

26:75  He said, “Have you really thought about what You have been worshipping,

26:76  you and your forefathers?

26:77  They are enemies to me. [I worship none] except the Lord of the worlds,

26:78  Who created me. It is He Who guides me.

26:79  and He who feeds me and gives me drink,

26:80  and He who heals me when I am ill,

26:81  and He who will cause me to die and then bring me back to life,

26:82  and who, I hope, will forgive my sins on the Day of Judgment.”

26:83  [Abraham then said], “My Lord, grant me wisdom and allow me to join with the righteous,

26:84  and grant me a lasting mention as one who told the truth among later generations.

26:85  And make me among those who will inherit the Garden of Bliss.

26:86  Forgive my father, for he has been of those who were misguided,

26:87  and do not disgrace me on the Day they are [all] resurrected,

26:88  the Day when neither wealth nor children will benefit [anyone]

26:89  except the one who comes to God with a flawless heart.”

26:90  [On that day], Paradise will be brought near to those who were mindful of God

26:91  and Hell will be brought forth for those who were misled.

26:92  It will be said to them, “Where are those you used to worship

26:93  other than God? Can they help you or help themselves?”

26:94  So They will be hurled into Hell with those who misled them

26:95  with Iblīs’ helpers, all together.

26:96  While bickering with each other they will say,

26:97  “By God, we were obviously misguided

26:98  when we equated you with the Lord of the worlds.

26:99  No one misguided us except those who forced us to reject God’s messages.

26:100  So now we have no intercessors,

26:101  nor a devoted friend.

26:102  If we can only go back [to the world), we will be believers.”

26:103  There is a sign in this, but most of them will not believe.

26:104  Truly your Lord is the Revered, the Mercy Giver.

26:105  The people of Noah denied the Messengers

26:106  when their brother Noah said to them, “Will you not be mindful of God?

26:107  I am a trustworthy messenger to you.

26:108  So be mindful of God and obey me.

26:109  I ask no reward from you for doing this; my reward comes only from the Lord of the worlds.

26:110  So be mindful of God, and obey me.”

26:111  They said, “How can we believe you when you are followed mostly by the lowest [class of people]?”

26:112  He said, “What do I know about what they have been doing?

26:113  It is for my Lord alone to bring them to account if you [could] only understand.

26:114  I am not one to drive away the believers.

26:115  I am only a clear warner.”

26:116  They said, “If you do not desist, Noah, you will surely be stoned.”

26:117  He said, “My Lord, my people have denied me.

26:118  Judge between us decisively, and save me and the believers with me.”

26:119  So We saved him and those with him in the laden ark,

26:120  and then We drowned the rest.

26:121  There is a sign in this, but most of them will not believe.

26:122  Truly your Lord is the Revered, the Mercy Giver.

26:123  [The people of] Aad denied the Messengers

26:124  when their brother Hud said to them, “Will you not be mindful of God?

26:125  I am a trustworthy messenger to you,

26:126  so be mindful of God and obey me.

26:127  I ask no reward from you for doing this; my reward is only from the Lord of the worlds.

26:128  Do you build a tower on every hill just to amuse yourselves,

26:129  and construct for yourselves mighty castles hoping to live there eternally?

26:130  And when you attack, why do you attack like tyrants.

26:131  So be mindful of God, and obey me,

26:132  and be mindful of Him Who provided you with everything you know-

26:133  grazing livestock and children,

26:134  gardens and springs.

26:135  I fear for you the punishment of a terrible day.”

26:136  They said, “It is all the same to us whether you preach or not;

26:137  this is only what our forefathers used to do.

26:138  We will not be punished.”

26:139  They denied him, so We destroyed them. There is a sign in this, but most of them will not believe.

26:140  Truly your Lord is the Revered, the Mercy Giver.

26:141  [The people of] Thamud denied the Messengers

26:142  when their brother Salih said to them, “Will you not be mindful of God?

26:143  I am a trustworthy messenger to you,

26:144  so be mindful of God and obey me.

26:145  I ask no reward from you for doing this; my reward [comes) only from the Lord of the worlds.

26:146  Do you think that you will be left secure in what you have here,

26:147  [your] gardens and springs,

26:148  fields of crops and palm trees with softened fruit?

26:149  And the fine homes that you skillfully carved out of the mountains?

26:150  Be mindful of God and obey me,

26:151  and do not obey those given to excess,

26:152  who spread corruption on Earth and do not set things right.”

26:153  They said, “You are bewitched.

26:154  You are only a man like us, so bring a sign if you are telling the truth.”

26:155  He said, “This is a camel. She will have time to drink, and you will have a time, [each) on an appointed day.

26:156  Do not harm her unless you want to be seized by the punishment of a terrible day.”

26:157  But they hamstrung her and woke up fully regretful

26:158  and the punishment seized them. There is a sign in this, but most of them will not believe.

26:159  Truly your Lord is the Revered, the Mercy Giver.

26:160  The People of Lot denied the Messengers

26:161  When their brother Lot said to them, “Will you not be mindful of God?

26:162  I am a trustworthy messenger to you,

26:163  So be mindful of God, and obey me.

26:164  I ask no reward from you for doing this; my reward comes only from the Lord of the worlds.

26:165  Why do you get intimate with men

26:166  and leave the mates your Lord has created for you? You people have transgressed all bounds.”

26:167  They said, “If you do not stop this, Lot, you will surely be kicked out.”

26:168  He said, “I despise your actions.

26:169  My Lord, save my family and me from (the consequence of] what they do.”

26:170  So We saved him and his family, all of them

26:171  except for an old woman who stayed behind.

26:172  Then, We destroyed the others.

26:173  We poured upon them a rain of destruction. How terrible is such rain on those who had been forewarned?

26:174  There is a sign in this, but most of them would not believe.

26:175  Truly, your Lord is the Revered, the Mercy Giver.

26:176  The woods-dwellers denied the Messengers

26:177  When Shu‘ayb said to them, “Will you not be mindful of God?

26:178  I am a trustworthy messenger to you,

26:179  so be mindful of God and obey me.

26:180  I ask no reward from you for doing this; my reward comes only from the Lord of the worlds.

26:181  Give full measure, and do not cheat.

26:182  Weigh with an even scale

26:183  and do not mislead people into thinking that their goods are worth less than their real value, and do not spread corruption on Earth.

26:184  Fear Him who created you and the former generations.”

26:185  They said, “You are surely bewitched.

26:186  You are a man like us, and we think you are a liar.

26:187  Make a fragment of the sky fall on us if you are telling the truth.”

26:188  He said, “My Lord knows best what you are doing.”

26:189  But they did not believe him, and the punishment of the day of shadow seized them truly, the punishment of a terrible day.

26:190  There is a sign in this, but most of them will not believe.

26:191  Truly your Lord is the Revered, the Mercy Giver.

26:192  This [Qur’an] is the revelation sent as you received it from the Lord of the worlds,

26:193  and brought down by The Trustworthy Spirit

26:194  to your heart, that you may (Prophet] be of the warners

26:195  in the clear perfected [Arabic] tongue.

26:196  It is mentioned in the scriptures of the ancients.

26:197  Is it not a sign that the scholars of the Children of Israel knew it?

26:198  Yet even if We had revealed it to a non-Arab,

26:199  and he had recited it to them, they would still not believe in it.

26:200  This is how We make it go unheeded through the hearts of those who force others to reject Our messages;

26:201  they will not believe until they see the painful punishment

26:202  that will come upon them suddenly when they do not expect it.

26:203  They will say, “May we have more time?”

26:204  Why do they ask that we hasten Our punishment?

26:205  Do you see that, if We gave them years of enjoyment,

26:206  then inflicted the punishment as promised,

26:207  what good would the years of enjoyment be to them?

26:208  We have never destroyed a town without sending messengers to warn

26:209  and remind it, for We have never been unjust.

26:210  The devils did not bring it [this Qur’an] down.

26:211  They are not able, nor are they capable.

26:212  As they are indeed barred from hearing [what goes on around the throne of His majesty].

26:213  So do not invoke another deity besides God, or you will incur punishment.

26:214  Warn your closest relatives,

26:215  and be humble and kind to the believers who follow you,

26:216  but, if they disobey you, then say, “I am not responsible for what you are doing.”

26:217  And rely upon the Revered, the Mercy Giver,

26:218  Who sees you when you arise

26:219  and when you move among those who prostrate themselves.

26:220  He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

26:221  Shall I inform you upon whom the devils descend?

26:222  They descend upon every sinful liar

26:223  who readily lends an ear, but most of them are liars.

26:224  As for the poets, [only] the perverse follow them;

26:225  Do you not see that they wander aimlessly in every valley

26:226  and say what they do not do?

26:227  But except those [poets) who believe, do righteous deeds, remember God often, and defend themselves after they were wronged. Those who do wrong will soon know the kind of reversal they will receive!