26. The Poets

  1. Ta. Sin. Mim.

  2. These are verses of the Book that makes(things) clear.

  3. It may be thou frettest thy soul withgrief, that they do not become Believers.

  4. If (such) were Our Will, We could senddown to them from the sky a Sign, to which they would bend their necks inhumility.

  5. But there comes not to them anewly-revealed Message from ((Allah)) Most Gracious, but they turn awaytherefrom.

  6. They have indeed rejected (the Message):so they will know soon (enough) the truth of what they mocked at!

  7. Do they not look at the earth,- how manynoble things of all kinds We have produced therein?

  8. Verily, in this is a Sign: but most ofthem do not believe.

  9. And verily, thy Lord is He, the Exaltedin Might, Most Merciful.

  10. Behold, thy Lord called Moses: “Go tothe people of iniquity,-

  11. “The people of the Pharaoh: will theynot fear Allah.”

  12. He said: “O my Lord! I do fear that theywill charge me with falsehood:

  13. “My breast will be straitened. And myspeech may not go (smoothly): so send unto Aaron.

  14. “And (further), they have a charge ofcrime against me; and I fear they may slay me.”

  15. Allah said: “By no means! proceed then,both of you, with Our Signs; We are with you, and will listen (to yourcall).

  16. “So go forth, both of you, to Pharaoh,and say: ‘We have been sent by the Lord and Cherisher of the worlds;

  17. “‘Send thou with us the Children ofIsrael.'”

  18. (Pharaoh) said: “Did we not cherish theeas a child among us, and didst thou not stay in our midst many years of thylife?

  19. “And thou didst a deed of thine which(thou knowest) thou didst, and thou art an ungrateful (wretch)!”

  20. Moses said: “I did it then, when I wasin error.

  21. “So I fled from you (all) when I fearedyou; but my Lord has (since) invested me with judgment (and wisdom) andappointed me as one of the apostles.

  22. “And this is the favour with which thoudost reproach me,- that thou hast enslaved the Children of Israel!”

  23. Pharaoh said: “And what is the ‘Lord andCherisher of the worlds’?”

  24. (Moses) said: “The Lord and Cherisher ofthe heavens and the earth, and all between,- if ye want to be quite sure.”

  25. (Pharaoh) said to those around: “Did yenot listen (to what he says)?”

  26. (Moses) said: “Your Lord and the Lord ofyour fathers from the beginning!”

  27. (Pharaoh) said: “Truly your apostle whohas been sent to you is a veritable madman!”

  28. (Moses) said: “Lord of the East and theWest, and all between! if ye only had sense!”

  29. (Pharaoh) said: “If thou dost putforward any god other than me, I will certainly put thee in prison!”

  30. (Moses) said: “Even if I showed yousomething clear (and) convincing?”

  31. (Pharaoh) said: “Show it then, if thoutellest the truth!”

  32. So (Moses) threw his rod, and behold, itwas a serpent, plain (for all to see)!

  33. And he drew out his hand, and behold, itwas white to all beholders!

  34. (Pharaoh) said to the Chiefs around him:”This is indeed a sorcerer well- versed:

  35. “His plan is to get you out of your landby his sorcery; then what is it ye counsel?”

  36. They said: “Keep him and his brother insuspense (for a while), and dispatch to the Cities heralds to collect-

  37. “And bring up to thee all (our)sorcerers well-versed.”

  38. So the sorcerers were got together forthe appointment of a day well-known,

  39. And the people were told: “Are ye (now)assembled?-

  40. 40. “That we may follow the sorcerers(in religion) if they win?”

  41. So when the sorcerers arrived, they saidto Pharaoh: “Of course – shall we have a (suitable) reward if we win?

  42. He said: “Yea, (and more),- for ye shallin that case be (raised to posts) nearest (to my person).”

  43. Moses said to them: “Throw ye – thatwhich ye are about to throw!”

  44. So they threw their ropes and theirrods, and said: “By the might of Pharaoh, it is we who will certainly win!”

  45. Then Moses threw his rod, when, behold,it straightway swallows up all the falsehoods which they fake!

  46. Then did the sorcerers fall down,prostrate in adoration,

  47. Saying: “We believe in the Lord of theWorlds,

  48. “The Lord of Moses and Aaron.”

  49. Said (Pharaoh): “Believe ye in Himbefore I give you permission? surely he is your leader, who has taught yousorcery! but soon shall ye know!

  50. “Be sure I will cut off your hands andyour feet on opposite sides, and I will cause you all to die on the cross!”

  51. They said: “No matter! for us, we shallbut return to our Lord!

  52. “Only, our desire is that our Lord willforgive us our faults, that we may become foremost among the believers!”

  53. By inspiration we told Moses: “Travel bynight with my servants; for surely ye shall be pursued.”

  54. Then Pharaoh sent heralds to (all) theCities,

  55. (Saying): “These (Israelites) are but asmall band,

  56. “And they are raging furiously againstus;

  57. “But we are a multitude amplyfore-warned.”

  58. So We expelled them from gardens,springs,

  59. Treasures, and every kind of honourableposition;

  60. Thus it was, but We made the Children ofIsrael inheritors of such things.

  61. So they pursued them at sunrise.

  62. And when the two bodies saw each other,the people of Moses said: “We are sure to be overtaken.”

  63. (Moses) said: “By no means! my Lord iswith me! Soon will He guide me!”

  64. Then We told Moses by inspiration:”Strike the sea with thy rod.” So it divided, and each separate part becamelike the huge, firm mass of a mountain.

  65. And We made the other party approachthither.

  66. We delivered Moses and all who were withhim;

  67. But We drowned the others.

  68. Verily in this is a Sign: but most ofthem do not believe.

  69. And verily thy Lord is He, the Exaltedin Might, Most Merciful.

  70. And rehearse to them (something of)Abraham’s story.

  71. Behold, he said to his father and hispeople: “What worship ye?”

  72. They said: “We worship idols, and weremain constantly in attendance on them.”

  73. He said: “Do they listen to you when yecall (on them), or do you good or harm?”

  74. They said: “Nay, but we found ourfathers doing thus (what we do).”

  75. He said: “Do ye then see whom ye havebeen worshipping,-

  76. “Ye and your fathers before you?-

  77. “For they are enemies to me; not so theLord and Cherisher of the Worlds;

  78. “Who created me, and it is He Who guidesme;

  79. “Who gives me food and drink,

  80. “And when I am ill, it is He Who curesme;

  81. “Who will cause me to die, and then tolife (again);

  82. “And who, I hope, will forgive me myfaults on the day of Judgment.

  83. “O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me, andjoin me with the righteous;

  84. 84. “Grant me honourable mention on thetongue of truth among the latest (generations);

  85. “Make me one of the inheritors of theGarden of Bliss;

  86. “Forgive my father, for that he is amongthose astray;

  87. “And let me not be in disgrace on theDay when (men) will be raised up;-

  88. “The Day whereon neither wealth nor sonswill avail,

  89. “But only he (will prosper) that bringsto Allah a sound heart;

  90. “To the righteous, the Garden will bebrought near,

  91. “And to those straying in Evil, the Firewill be placed in full view;

  92. “And it shall be said to them: ‘Whereare the (gods) ye worshipped-

  93. “‘Besides Allah. Can they help you orhelp themselves?’

  94. “Then they will be thrown headlong intothe (Fire),- they and those straying in Evil,

  95. “And the whole hosts of Iblis together.

  96. “They will say there in their mutualbickerings:

  97. “‘By Allah, we were truly in an errormanifest,

  98. “‘When we held you as equals with theLord of the Worlds;

  99. “‘And our seducers were only those whowere steeped in guilt.

  100. “‘Now, then, we have none to intercede(for us),

  101. “‘Nor a single friend to feel (for us).

  102. “‘Now if we only had a chance of returnwe shall truly be of those who believe!'”

  103. Verily in this is a Sign but most ofthem do not believe.

  104. And verily thy Lord is He, the Exaltedin Might, Most Merciful.

  105. The people of Noah rejected theapostles.

  106. Behold, their brother Noah said to them:”Will ye not fear ((Allah))?

  107. “I am to you an apostle worthy of alltrust:

  108. “So fear Allah, and obey me.

  109. “No reward do I ask of you for it: myreward is only from the Lord of the Worlds:

  110. “So fear Allah, and obey me.”

  111. They said: “Shall we believe in theewhen it is the meanest that follow thee?”

  112. He said: “And what do I know as to whatthey do?

  113. “Their account is only with my Lord, ifye could (but) understand.

  114. “I am not one to drive away those whobelieve.

  115. “I am sent only to warn plainly inpublic.”

  116. They said: “If thou desist not, O Noah!thou shalt be stoned (to death).”

  117. He said: “O my Lord! truly my peoplehave rejected me.

  118. “Judge Thou, then, between me and themopenly, and deliver me and those of the Believers who are with me.”

  119. So We delivered him and those with him,in the Ark filled (with all creatures).

  120. Thereafter We drowned those who remainedbehind.

  121. Verily in this is a Sign: but most ofthem do not believe.

  122. And verily thy Lord is He, the Exaltedin Might, Most Merciful.

  123. The ‘Ad (people) rejected the apostles.

  124. Behold, their brother Hud said to them:”Will ye not fear ((Allah))?

  125. “I am to you an apostle worthy of alltrust:

  126. “So fear Allah and obey me.

  127. “No reward do I ask of you for it: myreward is only from the Lord of the Worlds.

  128. “Do ye build a landmark on every highplace to amuse yourselves?

  129. “And do ye get for yourselves finebuildings in the hope of living therein (for ever)?

  130. “And when ye exert your strong hand, doye do it like men of absolute power?

  131. “Now fear Allah, and obey me.

  132. “Yea, fear Him Who has bestowed on youfreely all that ye know.

  133. “Freely has He bestowed on you cattleand sons,-

  134. “And Gardens and Springs.

  135. “Truly I fear for you the Penalty of aGreat Day.”

  136. They said: “It is the same to us whetherthou admonish us or be not among (our) admonishers!

  137. “This is no other than a customarydevice of the ancients,

  138. “And we are not the ones to receivePains and Penalties!”

  139. So they rejected him, and We destroyedthem. Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.

  140. And verily thy Lord is He, the Exaltedin Might, Most Merciful.

  141. The Thamud (people) rejected theapostles.

  142. Behold, their brother Salih said tothem: “Will you not fear ((Allah))?

  143. “I am to you an apostle worthy of alltrust.

  144. “So fear Allah, and obey me.

  145. “No reward do I ask of you for it: myreward is only from the Lord of the Worlds.

  146. “Will ye be left secure, in (theenjoyment of) all that ye have here?-

  147. “Gardens and Springs,

  148. “And corn-fields and date-palms withspathes near breaking (with the weight of fruit)?

  149. “And ye carve houses out of (rocky)mountains with great skill.

  150. “But fear Allah and obey me;

  151. “And follow not the bidding of those whoare extravagant,-

  152. “Who make mischief in the land, and mendnot (their ways).”

  153. They said: “Thou art only one of thosebewitched!

  154. “Thou art no more than a mortal like us:then bring us a Sign, if thou tellest the truth!”

  155. He said: “Here is a she-camel: she has aright of watering, and ye have a right of watering, (severally) on a dayappointed.

  156. “Touch her not with harm, lest thePenalty of a Great Day seize you.”

  157. But they ham-strung her: then did theybecome full of regrets.

  158. But the Penalty seized them. Verily inthis is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.

  159. And verily thy Lord is He, the Exaltedin Might, Most Merciful.

  160. The people of Lut rejected the apostles.

  161. Behold, their brother Lut said to them:”Will ye not fear ((Allah))?

  162. “I am to you an apostle worthy of alltrust.

  163. “So fear Allah and obey me.

  164. “No reward do I ask of you for it: myreward is only from the lord of the Worlds.

  165. “Of all the creatures in the world, willye approach males,

  166. “And leave those whom Allah has createdfor you to be your mates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!”

  167. They said: “If thou desist not, O Lut!thou wilt assuredly be cast out!”

  168. He said: “I do detest your doings.”

  169. “O my Lord! deliver me and my familyfrom such things as they do!”

  170. So We delivered him and his family,- all

  171. Except an old woman who lingered behind.

  172. But the rest We destroyed utterly.

  173. We rained down on them a shower (ofbrimstone): and evil was the shower on those who were admonished (but heedednot)!

  174. Verily in this is a Sign: but most ofthem do not believe.

  175. And verily thy Lord is He, the Exaltedin Might Most Merciful.

  176. The Companions of the Wood rejected theapostles.

  177. Behold, Shu’aib said to them: “Will yenot fear ((Allah))?

  178. “I am to you an apostle worthy of alltrust.

  179. 179. “So fear Allah and obey me.

  180. “No reward do I ask of you for it: myreward is only from the Lord of the Worlds.

  181. “Give just measure, and cause no loss(to others by fraud).

  182. “And weigh with scales true and upright.

  183. “And withhold not things justly due tomen, nor do evil in the land, working mischief.

  184. “And fear Him Who created you and (whocreated) the generations before (you)”

  185. They said: “Thou art only one of thosebewitched!

  186. “Thou art no more than a mortal like us,and indeed we think thou art a liar!

  187. “Now cause a piece of the sky to fall onus, if thou art truthful!”

  188. He said: “My Lord knows best what yedo.”

  189. But they rejected him. Then thepunishment of a day of overshadowing gloom seized them, and that was thePenalty of a Great Day.

  190. Verily in that is a Sign: but most ofthem do not believe.

  191. And verily thy Lord is He, the Exaltedin Might, Most Merciful.

  192. Verily this is a Revelation from theLord of the Worlds:

  193. With it came down the spirit of Faithand Truth-

  194. To thy heart and mind, that thou mayestadmonish.

  195. In the perspicuous Arabic tongue.

  196. Without doubt it is (announced) in themystic Books of former peoples.

  197. Is it not a Sign to them that theLearned of the Children of Israel knew it (as true)?

  198. Had We revealed it to any of thenon-Arabs,

  199. And had he recited it to them, theywould not have believed in it.

  200. Thus have We caused it to enter thehearts of the sinners.

  201. They will not believe in it until theysee the grievous Penalty;

  202. But the (Penalty) will come to them of asudden, while they perceive it not;

  203. Then they will say: “Shall we berespited?”

  204. Do they then ask for Our Penalty to behastened on?

  205. Seest thou? If We do let them enjoy(this life) for a few years,

  206. Yet there comes to them at length the(Punishment) which they were promised!

  207. It will profit them not that theyenjoyed (this life)!

  208. Never did We destroy a population, buthad its warners –

  209. By way of reminder; and We never areunjust.

  210. No evil ones have brought down this(Revelation):

  211. It would neither suit them nor wouldthey be able (to produce it).

  212. Indeed they have been removed far fromeven (a chance of) hearing it.

  213. So call not on any other god with Allah,or thou wilt be among those under the Penalty.

  214. And admonish thy nearest kinsmen,

  215. And lower thy wing to the Believers whofollow thee.

  216. Then if they disobey thee, say: “I amfree (of responsibility) for what ye do!”

  217. And put thy trust on the Exalted inMight, the Merciful,-

  218. Who seeth thee standing forth (inprayer),

  219. And thy movements among those whoprostrate themselves,

  220. For it is He Who heareth and knoweth allthings.

  221. Shall I inform you, (O people!), on whomit is that the evil ones descend?

  222. They descend on every lying, wickedperson,

  223. (Into whose ears) they pour hearsayvanities, and most of them are liars.

  224. And the Poets,- It is those straying inEvil, who follow them:

  225. Seest thou not that they wanderdistracted in every valley?-

  226. And that they say what they practisenot?-

  227. Except those who believe, workrighteousness, engage much in the remembrance of Allah, and defendthemselves only after they are unjustly attacked. And soon will the unjustassailants know what vicissitudes their affairs will take!