36 Is God not enough for His servant? Yet they threaten you [Prophet] with those they worship other than Him. If God allows someone to stray he has no one to guide him; 37 if God guides someone no one can lead him astray. Is God not mighty and capable of retribution? 38 If you [Prophet] ask them, ‘Who created the heavens and earth?’ they are sure to answer, ‘God,’ so say, ‘Consider those you invoke beside Him: if God wished to harm me, could they undo that harm? If God wished to show me mercy, could they withhold that mercy?’ Say, ‘God is enough for me: all those who trust should put their trust in Him.’ 39 Say, ‘My people, do whatever is in your power– and so will I. You will find out 40 who will suffer humiliation, a and on whom a lasting torment will descend.’
41 We have sent the Scripture down to you [Prophet] with the Truth for people. Whoever follows the guidance does so for his own benefit, whoever strays away from it does so at his own peril: you are not in charge of them. 42 God takes the souls of the dead and the souls of the living while they sleep– He keeps hold of those whose death He has ordained and sends the others back until their appointed time– there truly are signs in this for those who reflect. 43 Yet they take intercessors besides God! Say, ‘Even though these have no power or understanding?’ 44 Say, ‘All intercession belongs to God alone; He holds control of the heavens and the earth; in the end you will all return to Him.’
45 Whenever God is mentioned on His own, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter shrink with aversion, but they rejoice when gods other than Him are mentioned. 46 Say, ‘God! Creator of the heavens and earth! Knower of all that is hidden and all that is open, You will judge between Your servants regarding their differences.’ 47 If the evildoers possessed the earth’s assets twice over they would offer them to ransom themselves from the terrible suffering on the Day of Resurrection: God will show them something they had not reckoned with, 48 the evil of their deeds will become plain to them, and they will be overwhelmed by that at which they used to laugh.
49 When man suffers some affliction, he cries out to Us, but when We favor him with Our blessing, he says, ‘All this has been given to me because of my knowledge’– it is only a test, though most of them do not know it. 50 Those who lived before them said the same. What they did was of no use to them; 51 they suffered its evil effects. Today’s wrongdoers will also suffer the evil effects of their deeds: they will not escape. 52 Do they not know that God provides abundantly for anyone He will and gives sparingly to anyone He will? There truly are signs in this for those who believe.
53 Say, ‘[God says], My servants who have harmed yourselves by your own excess, do not despair of God’s mercy. God forgives all sins: He is truly the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful. 54 Turn to your Lord. Submit to Him before the punishment overtakes you and you can no longer be helped.
Those Driven in Groups
55 Follow the best teaching sent down to you from your Lord, before the punishment suddenly takes you, unawares, 56 and your soul says, “Woe is me for having neglected what is due to God, and having been one of those who scoffed!” 57 Or it says, “If God had guided me, I would have joined the righteous!” 58 Or, faced by punishment, it says, “If only I could have another chance, I would join those who do good!” 59 No indeed! My messages came to you and you rejected them: you were arrogant and rejected the truth.’
60 On the Day of Resurrection, you [Prophet] will see those who told lies against God, their faces darkened. Is there not ample punishment for the arrogant in Hell? 61 But God will deliver those who took heed of Him to their place of safety: no harm will touch them, nor will they grieve. 62 God is the Creator of all things; He has charge of everything; 63 the keys of the heavens and earth are His. Those who have rejected the revelations of God will be the losers.
64 Say, ‘Do you order me to worship someone other than God, you foolish people?’ 65 It has already been revealed to you [Prophet] and to those before you: ‘If you ascribe any partner to God, all your work will come to nothing: you will be one if the losers. 66 No! Worship God alone and be one of those who are grateful to Him.’ 67 These people have no grasp of God’s true measure. On the Day of Resurrection, the whole earth will be in His grip. The heavens will be rolled up in His right hand– Glory be to Him! He is far above the partners they ascribe to Him!– 68 the Trumpet will be sounded, and everyone in the heavens and earth will fall down senseless except those God spares. It will be sounded once again and they will be on their feet, looking on. 69 The earth will shine with the light of its Lord; the Record of Deeds will be laid open; the prophets and witnesses will be brought in. Fair judgement will be given between them: they will not be wronged 70 and every soul will be repaid in full for what it has done. He knows best what they do.
71 Those who rejected the Truth will be led to Hell in their throngs. When they arrive, its gates will open and its keepers will say to them, ‘Were you not sent your own messengers to recite the revelations of your Lord to you and warn you that you would meet this Day?’ and they will say, ‘Yes indeed we were.’ But the sentence of punishment will have been passed against those who rejected the truth. 72 It will be said, ‘Enter the gates of Hell: there you will remain. How evil is the abode of the arrogant!’
73 Those who were mindful of their Lord will be led in throngs to the Garden. When they arrive, they will find its gates wide open, and its keepers will say to them, ‘Peace be upon you. You have been good. Come in: you are here to stay,’ 74 and they will say, ‘Praise be to God who has kept His promise to us and given us this land as our own. Now we may live wherever we please in the Garden.’ How excellent is the reward of those who labor! 75 You [Prophet] will see the angels surrounding the Throne, glorifying their Lord with praise. True judgement will have been passed between them, and it will be said, ‘Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds.’
Footnotes
a. In this world; the lasting torment will be in the Hereafter.
The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)
The Qur'an / a new translation by M. A. S. Abdel Haleem, copyright © 2004 Oxford World's Classics (Oxford University Press). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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