34:1  All kind of true and perfect praise is due to Allah, to Whom belongs whatsoever lies in the heavens and whatsoever lies in the earth. To Him alone shall all praise belong in the Here-after. And He is the All-Wise, the All-Aware

34:2  He (- God the Almighty) knows all that goes into the earth and all that comes forth from it, and all that comes down from the heaven and all that goes up to it. And He is the Ever Merciful, the Great Protector

34:3  And those who disbelieve say, `The Hour will never come upon us.' Say, `Why not, by my Lord, Who knows the unseen, it is bound to come upon you. Nothing escapes Him (unobserved), not even so much as an atom's weight in the heavens or in the earth, nor is anything there smaller or greater than that (but is recorded) in a book revealing (the truth, and is governed by a plain law)

34:4  (The Hour shall come) so that He may reward those who believe and do deeds of righteousness. It is they for whom there awaits protection (from the consequences of sin), and honourable and generous provision

34:5  But (as to) those who strive hard against Our revelations seeking to frustrate (Our plan), it is they who will suffer a harrowing punishment of the worst sort

34:6  Those who have been given knowledge know that whatever has been revealed to you from your Lord is the very lasting truth, and that it guides to the path of (One Who is) the All-Mighty, the Highly Praiseworthy (in His own right)

34:7  And those who disbelieve say (one to another), `Shall we show you a man who gives you the important news (that) when you are (dead and) broken up into a complete disintegration, you shall then be raised to a new life

34:8  `Has he forged a lie in the name of Allah? Or is he afflicted with madness?' Neither of the two, of course, (is true,) the thing is that those who do not believe in the Hereafter are courting a sure agony and are steeped in a dismal error

34:9  Do they not see (how they are surrounded on all sides by) the heaven and the earth that lie before and behind them? If We (so) please, We can make them low (and abased) in the land (and thus show some signs of the earth), or let some portion of the clouds fall down upon them (showing some heavenly signs). Behold! there is a sign in this for every penitent servant (of God)

34:10  And certainly We bestowed Our (gracious) favours on David. (We said,) `O (you dwellers of the) mountains, obey him.' And (We assigned) the birds and the swift footed horses (their duty); and We made the iron soft and pliant for him

34:11  (We said to him,) `Make full length coats of mail (to cover the whole body) forging links of proper measure (for their smooth working).' (And We also said to him and his followers,) `Do righteous deeds. I am a keen Observer of what you do.

34:12  And We made such winds serve Solomon the blowing of which in the forenoon (and thus help sailing of his ships) was equal to (a voyage of) a month (by the other ships); similarly its blowing in the afternoon was (also) equal to (a voyage of) a month (by them). And We made a spring of molten copper to flow for him. Also (given into his service were) some of the jinns (- wild and rebellious mountain tribes known as Amalaqites), who worked under him as trained craftsmen) by the command of his Lord. And (We also told them) whoever of them deviated from and disobeyed Our command (- that they should obey Solomon) We shall make him suffer the agony of burning

34:13  Those (jinns -handy craftsmen) made for him (- Solomon) whatever he desired, places for worship and plans and basins (as large) as the tanks and large and heavy cooking pots well-set (on their trivets due to their large size). (And We said,) `Act gratefully, O people of David.' Yet few are My people who are (really) grateful

34:14  And when We ordained death for him (- Solomon) the people only came to know of his death through a (worthless) creature of earth (- Solomon's son) that was eating away his (father's) staff (- ruling power and glory). So when it fell down the jinn realized then plainly that had they known the secret (of the hollowness of the kingdom) they would have never remained in (a state of) humiliating torment

34:15  There was indeed a great sign for Sheba in their homeland. (They had) two gardens (one) on the right and (one) on the left, (and We had said to them,) `Eat of the provisions (and enjoy the gifts) of your Lord and render Him thanks. (Yours is) a happy and beautiful land and Lord a Great Protector.

34:16  But they turned away. Thereupon We sent against them a devastating flood. And We replaced their two (excellent) gardens by two (other) gardens bearing bitter fruit and (containing) Tamarisk and a few nettle shrubs (here and there)

34:17  That is how We recompensed them because of their ingratitude. It is only the ungrateful whom We recompense (in the like manner)

34:18  And We had placed between them (- the Shebians) and the towns (of Syria) which We had blessed, (other) towns facing each others and prominently visible, and We had fixed easy (journeying) stages between them. (We said to the people of Sheba), `Journey through them by night and day, safe and secure.

34:19  But (due to their ingratitude) they wanted (as if) to say, `Our Lord! make longer the distance between (the stages of) our journeys.' And they did injustice to themselves. So We reduced them to mere legends and We broke them into complete disintegration (and scattered them far and wide). Behold! there are signs in this for all those who are patiently- persevering and highly grateful persons

34:20  And Iblis found that he judged regarding them correctly, (that he would be successful in leading the progeny of Adam astray,) excepting (only) a party of true believers, so (all) the rest of the people followed him

34:21  Though he (- Iblis) had no authority over them (for it is by their own wrong beliefs and evil deeds that mankind brings about their spiritual ruin). (It happened thus) so that We might distinguish those who believed in the Hereafter from those who were suffering from doubts about it. Indeed, your Lord is Watchful over and Preserver of everything

34:22  Say, `Call on those whom you take (for gods) besides Allah. They possess no power not even so much as the weight of an atom in the heavens or in the earth, nor do they share any control over either of them, nor does He receive any support from these (false gods).

34:23  No intercession will avail with Him except (for him about) whom He permits (it). (Those for whom the intercession is permitted will keep waiting) until when their hearts are relieved of awe they would ask (one another), `What is it that your Lord said?' Some of them will reply, `(He said) the truth.' And He is the Highest, the Greatest

34:24  Say, `Who provides you sustenance from the heavens and the earth?' (Then) tell, `(None other than) Allah.' Surely, we (- the believers) are on the right guidance, nonetheless you (the disbelievers) are engrossed in evident error

34:25  Say, `You will not be called upon to account for our sins, nor shall we be called upon to account for your doings.

34:26  Say, `Our Lord will bring us together (in a battle-field as opponents) and then He will judge between us with truth for He alone is the Supreme Judge, the All-Knowing

34:27  Say, `Show me those beings whom you number with Him as (His) associates. By no means (should you associate partners with Him) for it is Allah (alone) Who is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise

34:28  (Prophet!) We have sent you not but towards entire mankind (till the end of time) as a Bearer of glad-tidings and as a Warner but most people do not know (that the Message of Islam is universal and the Qur'an the last revealed Book)

34:29  And they say, `Tell us, if you speak the truth when this promise will be (fulfilled).

34:30  Say, `For you is the appointment of a day which you cannot delay by a single moment (and thus avoid it), nor shall you be able to go ahead (of it to find an escape from it for a single moment).

34:31  And those who disbelieve say, `We will never believe in this Qur'an nor in (the Books) that preceded it.' Could you but see their condition when the wrongdoers will be made to stand before their Lord, they will be bandying words (and so throwing back the blame) on one another. Those who had been suppressed and made weak will say to those who considered themselves superior, `Had it not been for you we would surely have been believers.

34:32  (Thereupon) those who considered themselves superior will say to those who had been suppressed and made weak (in the world), `Was it we who kept you away from (following) the guidance after it had come to you? No, this was not the case. Rather you were guilty in your own right.

34:33  And those who were suppressed and made weak (in the world) will say to those who considered themselves superior, `Nay, (We did not become guilty in our own right) rather it was due to your schemes (which you hatched) by day and night (that kept us away from guidance); for then you urged us to disbelieve in Allah and set up equals with Him (to be worshipped).' And they will not be able to conceal their remorse when they see the punishment; We shall put shackles round the necks of these disbelievers. They will be recompensed only according to their (actual) deeds

34:34  We sent no Warner to any town but its corrupted well-to-do people said, `Surely we disbelieve in the Messages that you have been sent with.

34:35  And they (also) say, `We are better off in respect of wealth and children (as compared with others) and we are not at all going to be made to suffer.

34:36  Say, `Verily, my Lord multiplies the means of livelihood for whom He will and makes them scant (for whom He pleases), but most people do not know (the reason behind)

34:37  Neither your wealth nor your children are a means that can bring you near to Us in rank. But it is only those who believe and do righteous deeds (whose faith and virtue will be the means to bring them near to Us). They shall have the reward for their (virtuous) deeds many times over and shall be occupying the lofty places with peace and security

34:38  But those who strive hard in their opposition to Our Messages seeking to render (Our plan) null and void (and thinking they will escape Us), it is they who will be brought to face punishment

34:39  Say, `Surely, my Lord multiplies the means of livelihood for such of His servants as He will and makes them scant for him (whom He pleases). And whatever you spend (in some noble cause) He exceeds it (in giving reward) so as to leave it (- your own contribution) behind; He is the Best of Providers

34:40  (Never be oblivious of) the day when He will gather them all together, then He will say to the angels, `Are these the ones who used to worship you?

34:41  They will say, `Holy is Your name. It is You Who are our Protector against them, not they. It was not us but the jinns that they worshipped. It was in them that most of them believed (and not in Us)

34:42  So (it will be said to the false gods and their worshippers,) `This day you have no power to help or harm one another.' And We shall say to the wrongdoers, `Suffer the agony of the Fire which you used to cry lies to.

34:43  And when Our clear Messages are recited to them they say, `This fellow is but a man who wishes to keep you away from (worshipping the gods) that your fathers used to worship.' And they say (of the Qur'an), `This is nothing but a forged lie unprecedent.' And those who disbelieve say regarding this (perfect) truth when it has come to them, `This is nothing but a hoax causing a split (among the people).

34:44  Whereas We had given them none of (Our) Books which they studied, nor did We send to them any Warner (in the recent past) before you (that they should have known the abuses involved in forging lies)

34:45  Their predecessors had also cried lies (to the Prophets of their time). And these (Makkans) have not attained (even) a tenth of that (resources of wealth and strength) which We had given their predecessors, yet they cried lies to My Messages so (let these see) how (terrible) was the change I brought about and how (tremendous) was (the result of) My disapproval

34:46  Say, `I advise you (to do) one thing, (it is) that you keep Allah (before) you, stand up in twos (- collectively) and ones (- singly) and then ponder (over the teachings of this Prophet). (You will come to the conclusion) that there is no vestige of insanity in (this) companion of yours (- Muhammad). He is only a Warner to you of a great calamity which is impending (over you)

34:47  Say, `Whatever reward I might have asked of you (for my this exhortation) you can keep it with you. (I claim) my reward only from Allah for He is the Witness over all things.

34:48  Say, `My Lord will do away (with falsehood) by means of the truth. (He is) thoroughly Aware of the hidden realities.

34:49  Say, `The perfect truth has come (in Makkah) and (as a prophecy keep it in mind that) falsehood (and idol-worship has gone) never to sprout (again from this soil) and never to return (to it)

34:50  Say, `If I am lost, it is I who suffer the loss (for my own faults), but if I am rightly guided, it is entirely due to (the truth) that my Lord has revealed to me. Verily, He is All-Hearing, Ever Nigh

34:51  And (you will be simply astonished) if you could only see when these (disbelievers) will be in the grip of fear; but then there will be no escape and they will be seized (with punishment) at a place nearby (- at Badr)

34:52  Then they will say, `We (now) believe in this (- Qur'an). But how can the attainment (of faith) be possible from a position (of disbelief) so far off

34:53  While they had indeed disbelieved in it before this, and they were shooting at the unknown (and making far fetched and useless conjectures about the failure of the Prophet and their own triumph) from a place far off

34:54  A barrier has been placed between them and their longings (and they will fail to see the realisation of their hearts desire, the failure of the Prophet in his mission), as was done with the people similar to them before (this). They (too) suffered from disquieting doubts