31:1  Alif. Lãm. Mĩm.

31:2  Those there are signs of the wise Book—

31:3  Guidance and mercy for the ones who do good in selfless devotion to God.

31:4  The ones who make the [daily] Prayer a steadfast anchor and give Zakat and have faith-certain in the Hereafter.

31:5  Those are on guidance from their Rabb, and those are the spiritually successful ones.

31:6  Of men is such who deals out parodies of the [divine] discourse, to mislead from the way of Allah— bereft of knowledge— and to seize it as something to mock. For such is a disgraceful punishment.

31:7  When OUR verses are recited to him, he turns away arrogantly defiant, as if he did not hear them, as though there were a deafness in his two ears! So, give him the divine tidings of an agonizing punishment.

31:8  Surely, the ones who have embraced Faith and have done the right deeds, for them are gardens of the eternal bliss,

31:9  abiders therein. Allah’s promise is reality. And HE is the almighty, the all-wise.

31:10  HE created the heavens without any pillars which you can see, and HE has strewn anchored mountains in the earth lest it shakes with you and spread therein all manner of creatures. And WE sent down water from the sky, and thereby WE have propagated therein every kind of worthy [and giving] species.

31:11  This is the creation of Allah. So then, show me what those besides HIM have created. Nay! The ones who displace the Truth are plainly astray.

31:12  And WE did impart to Luqman [this] wisdom: Be grateful unto Allah. Whosoever is grateful to HIM, he is grateful only for his own soul, and he who has been ungrateful [it was to his own diminishment] for surely, Allah is ever self-sufficient, ever praised.

31:13  And [it was about wisdom] when Luqman said to his son, while he was counselling him, “O my dear son, do not associate partners with Allah. Of certain, the association of partners with Allah is categorically a transcendent wrong [of misattribution].”

31:14  WE have entrusted man with his parents— his mother carried him with debility upon debility, and through to his weaning for [another] two years: “Be grateful to ME and unto your parents. Unto ME is the end [of all journeys].”

31:15  Whereas if the two strive to influence you that you associate with ME that for which you have no knowledge, then obey them not. But be by their side in the world, in a kind and empathic manner and follow the path of one who is always turning toward ME. Then unto ME is your defined return. Thereupon I am to tell you about what you were doing.

31:16  “O my dear son, know it to be so: if there be a weight of a grain of mustard seed in a rock or in the heavens or in the earth, Allah will bring it forth. Know that Allah is subtle and unfathomable [in HIS will and ways], ever aware.

31:17  O my dear son, maintain Prayer and enjoin all which is fair; forbid all which is immoral, and persevere with patience what befalls you. Verily, that is amongst the resolute of undertakings.

31:18  Do not carry a contemptuous demeanor toward fellow men, and do not walk haughtily on earth. Surely, Allah does not love each and every bragging self-conceited one.

31:19  Be moderate in your bearing and temper your voice. Surely, the most disagreeable of voices is the [overriding] bray of the asses.”

31:20  Do you not see that Allah has put in compliance for you whatever is in the heavens and on the earth, and HE has showered HIS blessings upon you— outward and inward! But among humankind is one who quibbles about Allah, bereft of knowledge, and without guidance and without an enlightening book [of Scripture].

31:21  And when it is said to them, “Follow what Allah has sent down,” they say, “Nay, we follow what we found our forefathers on.” What! Even if Satan was calling them toward the punishment of the Blaze!

31:22  And whosoever surrenders his being unto Allah while he does good in selfless devotion to God, he has surely grasped the most reliable clasp and unto Allah is the finality of all matters.

31:23  And whoever has disbelieved— do not let his disbelief grieve you. Unto US is their defined return, then WE shall tell them about what they were doing. Verily, Allah is ever knowing of the bosoms’ inner holdings.

31:24  WE indulge them with the temporal, a little, then WE will compel them toward an intractable punishment.

31:25  If you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will readily say, “Allah.” Say, “All praise is for Allah.” However, most of them do not realize.

31:26  To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Surely, Allah is the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy.

31:27  Were it that whatever on earth of every tree were pens, and the sea [with] seven seas in aid lined behind it [to help write]— the words of Allah would not be exhausted. Behold! Allah is almighty, all-wise.

31:28  Your creation and your resurrection are not but like [the creation and resurrection of] a single soul. Of certain Allah is all-hearing, all-seeing.

31:29  Do you not realize that Allah gives passage to the night into the day and gives passage to the day into the night and has made the sun and the moon compliant, each on course for a definite term. And [do you not realize] that Allah is fully aware of what you do?

31:30  That [is so] because Allah is the REALITY and that whatever they seek other than HIM is all falsehood. And [do they not realize] that Allah is the supremely Exalted, the Transcendent.

31:31  Have you not realized that the vessels stream across the sea by the blessing of Allah, so HE may show you of HIS signs? Verily, in that are definite signs for each gratefully committed one.

31:32  And when waves cover them like awnings, they call Allah, sincere of Faith unto HIM. Yet the moment HE delivers them to the shore, from them are [the insincere] straddlers. None disavows OUR signs except each disloyal and ungrateful one.

31:33  O humankind, be conscious of your Rabb and hold in awe a day when no parent will redeem his child, nor will anyone ever given birth be anywise a redeemer for his [or her] parent. Surely, the promise of Allah is reality. Do not therefore ever let this earthly life delude you and let not this persistent delusion delude you about Allah.

31:34  It is Allah—with HIM is the knowledge of the Hour. HE sends down the rain, and HE knows what is in the wombs. No soul can ascertain what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul can ascertain in which land it is to die. Verily, Allah is ever knowing, all-aware.