42:1  Ha. Meem.

42:2  Ayn. Seen. Qaaf.

42:3  Thus, does HE reveal unto you and unto those who preceded you. Allah is the Almighty, the All-Wise.

42:4  To HIM belongs whatever is in the heavens and on the earth. HE is the Supremely Exalted, the Transcendent.

42:5  The skies are ever near tearing open from above, while the angels in reverent adulation, with praise of their Rabb, seeking forgiveness for the ones on earth. Unquestionably, Allah truly is the Forgiving, the ever Merciful.

42:6  And the ones who have taken allies besides HIM— Allah is [yet] their custodian. You are not a trustee over them.

42:7  And thus, have WE revealed upon you an Arabic Recital so that you may warn the mother of cities and the ones around it, and warn them of the day of the universal gathering— there is not a doubt in it. One set of people is to be in Garden and the other set in the Blaze.

42:8  And if Allah had so willed, HE would have made them a single [religious] community. Instead, HE will admit into HIS mercy the ones HE wills— and those who persist in wrongdoing will have neither an ally, nor a helper.

42:9  Or have they taken allies besides HIM? Whereas Allah, HE is the true Ally. HE gives life to the dead, and HE is in almighty control of all things and their measure.

42:10  Whatever you differ about in any matter— the judgement of it is up to Allah. [Say], “Such is my Rabb. In HIM do I repose my trust and unto HIM do I resort [for all things].”

42:11  The Originator of the heavens and the earth. HE made spouses for you from amongst yourselves. And mates amongst cattle. HE spreads you wide thereby. There is not to be anything like HIS likeness. HE is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

42:12  To HIM belong the reins of the heavens and the earth. HE expands the sustenance for whomever HE wills, and HE measures it out. Surely, HE is ever knowing about all things.

42:13  HE has prescribed for you of the religion which HE had enjoined upon Noah, and that which WE have revealed unto you and that which WE enjoined upon Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Stay anchored in the religion and be not divided therein. What you are calling them to is much too intolerable for the polytheists. Allah picks who HE wills, unto HIMSELF, and HE guides unto HIMSELF whoever resorts to HIM [in repentance].

42:14  And they did not become divided except after the Knowledge came to them, out of rivalrous violations between them. And if not for a word from your Rabb which took precedence through to a defined term, it would have been duly judged between them. And indeed, those who were given to inherit the timeless Book after them, are [now] categorically in doubtful distrust of it.

42:15  So, to that [i.e., the Truth revealed to you], do then give the call and stand firm, like you have been directed, and do not follow their fancies. And say, “I believe in that which Allah has sent down of the timeless Book and I have been commanded that I be just between you. Allah is our Rabb and your Rabb. For us our deeds, and for you, your deeds— not an argument between us and you. Allah unites us, and unto HIM is the journey’s end.

42:16  The ones who argue concerning Allah— after HE has been responded to— their argument is invalid in the sight of their Rabb and upon them is indignation and for them is a severe punishment.

42:17  Allah is HE WHO sent down the timeless Book with the Truth and the Balance. And what can make you ascertain? The Hour may well be near.

42:18  The ones who do not believe in it ask to hasten it, while the ones who have believed, are deferential to it, and realize that it is the Truth. Unquestionably, those who quibble concerning the Hour are in deep error.

42:19  Allah has unfathomable ways with HIS servants. HE provides for whomever HE wills. HE is the All-powerful, the Almighty.

42:20  Whoever intends [through his deeds] the harvest of the Hereafter, WE will increase HIS harvest for him, and whoever intends [through his deeds] the harvest of the world, WE will give him of the world— while in the Hereafter he has no marked share.

42:21  Or do they have associate deities who have prescribed for them a part of the religion which Allah has not allowed? Had it not been for a word of the final decree, it would have been duly judged between them. And indeed, the wrongdoers have an agonizing punishment.

42:22  You will see the wrongdoers fretful of what they have earned, while it actualizes around them. Whereas the ones who had believed and had done the right deeds are in the serene meadows of the Garden. For them is whatever they will with their Rabb. That is the transcendent Bounty.

42:23  That is what Allah gives good tidings of, to HIS devotees— the ones who have embraced Faith and have done the right deeds. Say, “I ask you not for a compensation for it, except for the love between the ones close by kinship or proximity.” Whoever commits a good, WE shall increase the good therein for him. Surely, Allah is forgiving, ever appreciative.

42:24  Or do they say, “He has invented a lie against Allah.” But then— if Allah wills, HE can place a seal upon your heart. Allah purges falsehood and gives validity to the Truth with HIS pronouncements. HE is ever knowing of the bosoms’ inner holdings.

42:25  It is HE WHO accepts HIS devotees’ repentance and effaces the misdeeds. And HE knows all that you do.

42:26  And HE responds to the ones who have embraced Faith and have done the right deeds, and HE gives them increasingly of HIS bounty. Whereas the disbelievers— for them is a severe punishment.

42:27  If Allah had expanded [beyond a measure] the provision of HIS free-willed servants, they would have crossed all bounds on the earth, but HE sends down with precise measuring what HE wills. Verily, HE is ever aware, ever seeing of HIS devotees.

42:28  And HE it is Who sends down the rain after they have lost hope, and HE broadcasts HIS mercy. HE is the Protector, the Praiseworthy.

42:29  And among HIS signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and what HE has dispersed between the two of native creatures. HE has almighty control over their collection, at HIS will.

42:30  Whatever calamity will have befallen you— it will be because what your [own] hands had earned. Whereas HE pardons much and often.

42:31  You cannot anywise be thwarters on earth, and other than HIM, there is not any protector or helper for you.

42:32  And among HIS signs are the ships [with sails] like banners in the sea.

42:33  If HE wills, HE can still the wind, so they would stay motionless on the [sea’s] surface. Verily, in that are definite signs for each gratefully committed one.

42:34  Or wreck [the ships] for what they have earned. Whereas HE pardons much and often.

42:35  And to let those who contest OUR signs know, there is no place of escape for them.

42:36  Whatever of anything you have been given— it is a temporal provision for the earthly life. Whereas that which is with Allah is better and permanent for the ones who have believed and rely on their Rabb.

42:37  And the ones who avoid the major sins and indecencies, and when moved to anger, they [forgo and] forgive.

42:38  And the ones who respond to their Rabb and stay anchored in prayer, and their undertaking is one of consultation between them, and they spend from whatever of sustenance WE provide for them.

42:39  And the ones who, when the outrageous wrong besets them, they defend themselves.

42:40  A payback of a dark deed is a dark deed like it. So then, whoever pardons and opts for reconciliation— his reward is on Allah. Surely, HE does not love the wrongdoers.

42:41  And surely whoever defends himself after being wronged, there is not to be a cause of action against them.

42:42  The only cause of action is against those who do wrong to humanity and act outrageously on earth, without right. For them is an agonizing punishment.

42:43  And indeed, whosoever remains patient and forgives— surely, that is indeed among the resolute of undertakings.

42:44  Whosoever Allah leaves astray— for him there is no protecting ally beyond HIM. You will see the wrongdoers, when they see the punishment, saying: “Is there any way to a turning-back?”

42:45  And you will see them being brought to it, humbled with abasement, looking with furtive glances. And the ones who had believed said, “The squanderers are the ones who lost themselves and their families on this Day of Resurrection.” Unquestionably, the wrongdoers are in an affixed punishment.

42:46  And there is not for them besides Allah any protecting allies to help them. Whosoever Allah leaves astray— he has no way.

42:47  Respond to your Rabb, before the coming of a day for which is no revocation from Allah. You have not any place of refuge that day, nor any disowning.

42:48  So, if they dismissively turn away— WE did not send you as a guardian over them. Upon you is nothing but the conveyance [of the Message]. Surely, when WE give man a taste of mercy from US, he rejoices in it, and if some ill befalls on account of what his own hands have sent forth, man then is one faithless ingrate.

42:49  To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. HE creates what HE wills, HE gifts females to whomever HE wills, and HE gifts the males to whomever HE wills.

42:50  Or HE pairs them as males and females and renders barren whoever HE wills. Surely, HE is ever-knowing, almightily in control of all things and their measure.

42:51  It is not to be for a mortal that Allah speaks to him, except through divine revelation or from behind a veil, or HE sends a messenger. So [by any of these means] HE reveals by HIS leave, what HE wills. Surely, HE is supremely exalted, all-wise.

42:52  And thus, did WE reveal unto you a spirit issuing from OUR command. You were not to ascertain what the Book was, nor Faith. But WE placed it [i.e., the Quran] as a light. WE guide therewith whosoever of OUR devotees WE will. And indeed, you certainly are guiding to a timelessly straight Path—

42:53  the Path of Allah, the ONE unto Whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Unquestionably, unto Allah all matters wind up.