39. The Companies

  1. The revelation of this Book is fromAllah, the Exalted in Power, full of Wisdom.

  2. Verily it is We Who have revealed theBook to thee in Truth: so serve Allah, offering Him sincere devotion.

  3. Is it not to Allah that sincere devotionis due? But those who take for protectors other than Allah (say): “We onlyserve them in order that they may bring us nearer to Allah.” Truly Allahwill judge between them in that wherein they differ. But Allah guides notsuch as are false and ungrateful.

  4. Had Allah wished to take to Himself ason, He could have chosen whom He pleased out of those whom He doth create:but Glory be to Him! (He is above such things.) He is Allah, the One, theIrresistible.

  5. He created the heavens and the earth intrue (proportions): He makes the Night overlap the Day, and the Day overlapthe Night: He has subjected the sun and the moon (to His law): Each onefollows a course for a time appointed. Is not He the Exalted in Power – HeWho forgives again and again?

  6. He created you (all) from a singleperson: then created, of like nature, his mate; and he sent down for youeight head of cattle in pairs: He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers,in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness. such is Allah,your Lord and Cherisher: to Him belongs (all) dominion. There is no god butHe: then how are ye turned away (from your true Centre)?

  7. If ye reject ((Allah)), Truly Allah hathno need of you; but He liketh not ingratitude from His servants: if ye aregrateful, He is pleased with you. No bearer of burdens can bear the burdenof another. In the end, to your Lord is your Return, when He will tell youthe truth of all that ye did (in this life). for He knoweth well all that isin (men’s) hearts.

  8. When some trouble toucheth man, hecrieth unto his Lord, turning to Him in repentance: but when He bestoweth afavour upon him as from Himself, (man) doth forget what he cried and prayedfor before, and he doth set up rivals unto Allah, thus misleading othersfrom Allah.s Path. Say, “Enjoy thy blasphemy for a little while: verily thouart (one) of the Companions of the Fire!”

  9. Is one who worships devoutly during thehour of the night prostrating himself or standing (in adoration), who takesheed of the Hereafter, and who places his hope in the Mercy of his Lord -(like one who does not)? Say: “Are those equal, those who know and those whodo not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that receiveadmonition.

  10. Say: “O ye my servants who believe! Fearyour Lord, good is (the reward) for those who do good in this world.Spacious is Allah.s earth! those who patiently persevere will truly receivea reward without measure!”

  11. Say: “Verily, I am commanded to serveAllah with sincere devotion;

  12. “And I am commanded to be the first ofthose who bow to Allah in Islam.”

  13. Say: “I would, if I disobeyed my Lord,indeed have fear of the Penalty of a Mighty Day.”

  14. Say: “It is Allah I serve, with mysincere (and exclusive) devotion:

  15. “Serve ye what ye will besides him.”Say: “Truly, those in loss are those who lose their own souls and theirPeople on the Day of Judgment: Ah! that is indeed the (real and) evidentLoss!

  16. They shall have Layers of Fire abovethem, and Layers (of Fire) below them: with this doth Allah warn off hisservants: “O My Servants! then fear ye Me!”

  17. Those who eschew Evil,- and fall notinto its worship,- and turn to Allah (in repentance),- for them is GoodNews: so announce the Good News to My Servants,-

  18. Those who listen to the Word, and followthe best (meaning) in it: those are the ones whom Allah has guided, andthose are the ones endued with understanding.

  19. Is, then, one against whom the decree ofPunishment is justly due (equal to one who eschews Evil)? Wouldst thou,then, deliver one (who is) in the Fire?

  20. But it is for those who fear their Lord.That lofty mansions, one above another, have been built: beneath them flowrivers (of delight): (such is) the Promise of Allah. never doth Allah failin (His) promise.

  21. Seest thou not that Allah sends downrain from the sky, and leads it through springs in the earth? Then He causesto grow, therewith, produce of various colours: then it withers; thou wiltsee it grow yellow; then He makes it dry up and crumble away. Truly, inthis, is a Message of remembrance to men of understanding.

  22. Is one whose heart Allah has opened toIslam, so that he has received Enlightenment from Allah, (no better than onehard-hearted)? Woe to those whose hearts are hardened against celebratingthe praises of Allah. they are manifestly wandering (in error)!

  23. Allah has revealed (from time to time)the most beautiful Message in the form of a Book, consistent with itself,(yet) repeating (its teaching in various aspects): the skins of those whofear their Lord tremble thereat; then their skins and their hearts do softento the celebration of Allah.s praises. Such is the guidance of Allah. Heguides therewith whom He pleases, but such as Allah leaves to stray, canhave none to guide.

  24. Is, then, one who has to fear the bruntof the Penalty on the Day of Judgment (and receive it) on his face, (likeone guarded therefrom)? It will be said to the wrong- doers: “Taste ye (thefruits of) what ye earned!”

  25. Those before them (also) rejected(revelation), and so the Punishment came to them from directions they didnot perceive.

  26. So Allah gave them a taste ofhumiliation in the present life, but greater is the punishment of theHereafter, if they only knew!

  27. We have put forth for men, in thisQur’an every kind of Parable, in order that they may receive admonition.

  28. (It is) a Qur’an in Arabic, without anycrookedness (therein): in order that they may guard against Evil.

  29. Allah puts forth a Parable a manbelonging to many partners at variance with each other, and a man belongingentirely to one master: are those two equal in comparison? Praise be toAllah. but most of them have no knowledge.

  30. Truly thou wilt die (one day), and trulythey (too) will die (one day).

  31. In the end will ye (all), on the Day ofJudgment, settle your disputes in the presence of your Lord.

  32. Who, then, doth more wrong than one whoutters a lie concerning Allah, and rejects the Truth when it comes to him;is there not in Hell an abode for blasphemers?

  33. And he who brings the Truth and he whoconfirms (and supports) it – such are the men who do right.

  34. They shall have all that they wish for,in the presence of their Lord: such is the reward of those who do good:

  35. So that Allah will turn off from them(even) the worst in their deeds and give them their reward according to thebest of what they have done.

  36. Is not Allah enough for his Servant? Butthey try to frighten thee with other (gods) besides Him! for such as Allahleaves to stray, there can be no guide.

  37. And such as Allah doth guide there canbe none to lead astray. Is not Allah Exalted in Power, (Able to enforce HisWill), Lord of Retribution?

  38. If indeed thou ask them who it is thatcreated the heavens and the earth, they would be sure to say, “(Allah)”.Say: “See ye then? the things that ye invoke besides Allah,- can they, ifAllah wills some Penalty for me, remove His Penalty?- Or if He wills someGrace for me, can they keep back his Grace?” Say: “Sufficient is Allah forme! In Him trust those who put their trust.”

  39. Say: “O my People! Do whatever ye can: Iwill do (my part): but soon will ye know-

  40. “Who it is to whom comes a Penalty ofignominy, and on whom descends a Penalty that abides.”

  41. Verily We have revealed the Book to theein Truth, for (instructing) mankind. He, then, that receives guidancebenefits his own soul: but he that strays injures his own soul. Nor art thouset over them to dispose of their affairs.

  42. It is Allah that takes the souls (ofmen) at death; and those that die not (He takes) during their sleep: thoseon whom He has passed the decree of death, He keeps back (from returning tolife), but the rest He sends (to their bodies) for a term appointed verilyin this are Signs for those who reflect.

  43. What! Do they take for intercessorsothers besides Allah. Say: “Even if they have no power whatever and nointelligence?”

  44. Say: “To Allah belongs exclusively (theright to grant) intercession: to Him belongs the dominion of the heavens andthe earth: In the End, it is to Him that ye shall be brought back.”

  45. When Allah, the One and Only, ismentioned, the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter are filledwith disgust and horror; but when (gods) other than He are mentioned,behold, they are filled with joy!

  46. Say: “O Allah. Creator of the heavensand the earth! Knower of all that is hidden and open! it is Thou that wiltjudge between Thy Servants in those matters about which they have differed.”

  47. Even if the wrong-doers had all thatthere is on earth, and as much more, (in vain) would they offer it forransom from the pain of the Penalty on the Day of Judgment: but somethingwill confront them from Allah, which they could never have counted upon!

  48. For the evils of their Deeds willconfront them, and they will be (completely) encircled by that which theyused to mock at!

  49. Now, when trouble touches man, he criesto Us: But when We bestow a favour upon him as from Ourselves, he says,”This has been given to me because of a certain knowledge (I have)!” Nay,but this is but a trial, but most of them understand not!

  50. Thus did the (generations) before themsay! But all that they did was of no profit to them.

  51. Nay, the evil results of their Deedsovertook them. And the wrong-doers of this (generation)- the evil results oftheir Deeds will soon overtake them (too), and they will never be able tofrustrate (Our Plan)!

  52. Know they not that Allah enlarges theprovision or restricts it, for any He pleases? Verily, in this are Signs forthose who believe!

  53. Say: “O my Servants who havetransgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah. forAllah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

  54. “Turn ye to our Lord (in repentance) andbow to His (Will), before the Penalty comes on you: after that ye shall notbe helped.

  55. “And follow the best of (the courses)revealed to you from your Lord, before the Penalty comes on you – of asudden while ye perceive not!-

  56. “Lest the soul should (then) say: ‘Ah!Woe is me!- In that I neglected (my duty) towards Allah, and was but amongthose who mocked!’-

  57. “Or (lest) it should say: ‘If only Allahhad guided me, I should certainly have been among the righteous!’-

  58. “Or (lest) it should say when it(actually) sees the penalty: ‘If only I had another chance, I shouldcertainly be among those who do good!’

  59. “(The reply will be:) ‘Nay, but therecame to thee my Signs, and thou didst reject them: thou wast Haughty, andbecame one of those who reject faith!'”

  60. On the Day of Judgment wilt thou seethose who told lies against Allah.- their faces will be turned black; Isthere not in Hell an abode for the Haughty?

  61. But Allah will deliver the righteous totheir place of salvation: no evil shall touch them, nor shall they grieve.

  62. Allah is the Creator of all things, andHe is the Guardian and Disposer of all affairs.

  63. To Him belong the keys of the heavensand the earth: and those who reject the Signs of Allah,- it is they who willbe in loss.

  64. Say: “Is it some one other than Allahthat ye order me to worship, O ye ignorant ones?”

  65. But it has already been revealed tothee,- as it was to those before thee,- “If thou wert to join (gods withAllah., truly fruitless will be thy work (in life), and thou wilt surely bein the ranks of those who lose (all spiritual good)”.

  66. Nay, but worship Allah, and be of thosewho give thanks.

  67. No just estimate have they made ofAllah, such as is due to Him: On the Day of Judgment the whole of the earthwill be but His handful, and the heavens will be rolled up in His righthand: Glory to Him! High is He above the Partners they attribute to Him!

  68. The Trumpet will (just) be sounded, whenall that are in the heavens and on earth will swoon, except such as it willplease Allah (to exempt). Then will a second one be sounded, when, behold,they will be standing and looking on!

  69. And the Earth will shine with the Gloryof its Lord: the Record (of Deeds) will be placed (open); the prophets andthe witnesses will be brought forward and a just decision pronounced betweenthem; and they will not be wronged (in the least).

  70. And to every soul will be paid in full(the fruit) of its Deeds; and ((Allah)) knoweth best all that they do.

  71. The Unbelievers will be led to Hell incrowd: until, when they arrive, there, its gates will be opened. And itskeepers will say, “Did not apostles come to you from among yourselves,rehearsing to you the Signs of your Lord, and warning you of the Meeting ofThis Day of yours?” The answer will be: “True: but the Decree of Punishmenthas been proved true against the Unbelievers!”

  72. (To them) will be said: “Enter ye thegates of Hell, to dwell therein: and evil is (this) Abode of the Arrogant!”

  73. And those who feared their Lord will beled to the Garden in crowds: until behold, they arrive there; its gates willbe opened; and its keepers will say: “Peace be upon you! well have ye done!enter ye here, to dwell therein.”

  74. They will say: “Praise be to Allah, Whohas truly fulfilled His Promise to us, and has given us (this) land inheritage: We can dwell in the Garden as we will: how excellent a reward forthose who work (righteousness)!”

  75. And thou wilt see the angels surroundingthe Throne (Divine) on all sides, singing Glory and Praise to their Lord.The Decision between them (at Judgment) will be in (perfect) justice, andthe cry (on all sides) will be, “Praise be to Allah, the Lord of theWorlds!”