42:1  Ha Mim

42:2  ´Ayn Sin Qaf

42:3  That is how He sends revelation to you and those before you. Allah is the Almighty, the All-Wise.

42:4  Everything in the heavens and everything in the earth belongs to Him. He is the Most High, the Magnificent.

42:5  The heavens are all but rent asunder from above when the angels glorify their Lord with praise and ask forgiveness for those who are on the earth. Allah is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

42:6  As for those who take others besides Him as protectors, Allah takes care of them. You are not set over them as a guardian.

42:7  Accordingly We have revealed to you an Arabic Qur´an so that you may warn the Mother of Cities* and those around it, and give warning of the Day of Gathering about which there is no doubt: one group in the Garden, the other in the Blazing Fire.

42:8  If Allah had willed, He would have made them a single nation. But He admits whoever He wills into His mercy and the wrongdoers have no protector and no helper.

42:9  Have they then taken others besides Him as protectors? But Allah is the Protector. He gives life to the dead. He has power over all things.

42:10  The judgement concerning anything you differ about is Allah´s concern. That is Allah, my Lord — I have put my trust in Him and to Him I turn —

42:11  the Bringer into Being of the heavens and the earth: He has given you mates from among yourselves, and given mates to the livestock, in that way multiplying you. Nothing is like Him. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

42:12  The Keys of the heavens and earth belong to Him. He expands the provision of anyone He wills or restricts it. He has knowledge of all things.

42:13  He has laid down the same deen for you as He enjoined on Nuh: that which We have revealed to you and which We enjoined on Ibrahim, Musa and ´Isa: ´Establish the deen and do not make divisions in it.´ What you call the idolaters to follow is very hard for them. Allah chooses for Himself anyone He wills and guides to Himself those who turn to Him.

42:14  They only split up after knowledge came to them, tyrannising one another. And were it not for a prior decree from your Lord for a specified term, the judgement between them would already have been made. Those who inherited the Book after them are indeed in grave doubt about it.

42:15  So call and go straight as you have been ordered to. Do not follow their whims and desires but say, ´I have iman in a Book sent down by Allah and I am ordered to be just between you. Allah is our Lord and your Lord. We have our actions and you have your actions. There is no debate between us and you. Allah will gather us all together. He is our final destination.´

42:16  The argument of those who argue about Allah, once He has been acknowledged, has no basis whatsoever with their Lord. There is anger upon them and they will have a harsh punishment.

42:17  It is Allah who has sent down the Book with truth and with the Just Balance. What will make you realise? Perhaps the Hour is close.

42:18  Those who do not have iman in it try to hasten it. But those who have iman in it are afraid of it. They know it is the truth. Those who doubt the Hour are greatly misguided.

42:19  Allah is very gentle with His slaves. He provides for anyone He wills. He is the Most Strong, the Almighty.

42:20  If anyone desires to cultivate the Next World, We will increase him in his cultivation. If anyone desires to cultivate this world, We will give him some of it but he will have no share in the Next World.

42:21  Or do they have partners who have laid down a deen for them for which Allah has not given any authority? Were it not for the prior Word of Decision, the judgement between them would already have been made. The wrongdoers will have a painful punishment.

42:22  You will see the wrongdoers afraid of what they have earned, when it is about to land right on top of them, whereas those who have iman and do right actions will be in the lush Meadows of the Gardens. They will have whatever they wish for with their Lord. That is the great favour.

42:23  That is the good news which Allah gives to His slaves who have iman and do right actions. Say: ´I do not ask you for any wage for this — except for you to love your near of kin. If anyone does a good action, We will increase the good of it for him. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Thankful.´

42:24  Or do they ask, ´Has he invented a lie about Allah?´ If Allah willed, He could seal up your heart. By His Words Allah wipes out the false and confirms the truth. He knows what the heart contains.

42:25  It is He who accepts tawba from His slaves and pardons evil acts and knows what they do.

42:26  He responds to those who have iman and do right actions and gives them increase from His favour. But the kafirun will have a harsh punishment.

42:27  Were Allah to expand the provision of His slaves, they would act as tyrants on the earth. But He sends down whatever He wills in a measured way. He is aware of and He sees His slaves.

42:28  It is He who sends down abundant rain, after they have lost all hope, and unfolds His mercy. He is the Protector, the Praiseworthy.

42:29  Among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and earth and all the creatures He has spread about in them. And He has the power to gather them together whenever He wills.

42:30  Any disaster that strikes you is through what your own hands have earned and He pardons much.

42:31  You will not be able to thwart Him on the earth and you have no protector or helper besides Allah.

42:32  Among His Signs are the tall ships sailing like mountains through the sea.

42:33  If He wills He makes the wind stop blowing and then they lie motionless on its back. There are certainly Signs in that for everyone who is steadfast and thankful.

42:34  Or He wrecks them for what they have earned though He pardons much.

42:35  Those who argue about Our Signs should know that they have no way of escape.

42:36  Whatever you have been given is only the enjoyment of the life of this world. What is with Allah is better and longer lasting for those who have iman and trust in their Lord:

42:37  those who avoid major wrong actions and indecencies and who, when they are angered, then forgive;

42:38  those who respond to their Lord and establish salat, and manage their affairs by mutual consultation and give of what We have provided for them;

42:39  those who, when they are wronged, defend themselves.

42:40  The repayment of a bad action is one equivalent to it. But if someone pardons and puts things right, his reward is with Allah. Certainly He does not love wrongdoers.

42:41  But if people do defend themselves when they are wronged, nothing can be held against them for doing that.

42:42  There are only grounds against those who wrong people and act as tyrants in the earth without any right to do so. Such people will have a painful punishment.

42:43  But if someone is steadfast and forgives, that is the most resolute course to follow.

42:44  Whoever Allah misguides has no one to protect them after that. You will see the wrongdoers saying, when they see the punishment, ´Is there no way back?´

42:45  You will see them as they are exposed to it, abject in their abasement, glancing around them furtively. Those who have iman will say, ´Truly the losers are those who lose themselves and their families on the Day of Rising.´ The wrongdoers are in an everlasting punishment.

42:46  They have no one to protect or help them apart from Allah. There is no way out for anyone Allah misguides.

42:47  Respond to your Lord before a Day comes from Allah which cannot be turned back. On that Day you will have no hiding-place and no means of denial.

42:48  But if they turn away, We have not sent you to be their guardian. You are only responsible for transmission. When We let a man taste mercy from Us he exults in it. But if something bad strikes him for what he has done he is ungrateful.

42:49  The kingdom of the heavens and earth belongs to Allah. He creates whatever He wills. He gives daughters to whoever He wishes; and He gives sons to whoever He wishes;

42:50  or He gives them both sons and daughters; and He makes whoever He wishes barren. Truly He is All-Knowing, All-Powerful.

42:51  It does not befit Allah to address any human being except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or He sends a messenger who then reveals by His permission whatever He wills. He is indeed Most High, All-Wise.

42:52  Accordingly We have revealed to you a Ruh by Our command. You had no idea of what the Book was, nor faith. Nonetheless We have made it a Light by which We guide those of Our slaves We will. Truly you are guiding to a Straight Path:

42:53  the Path of Allah to Whom everything in the heavens and everything on the earth belongs. Indeed all matters return eventually to Allah.