Surah Al-Ahqaf

حمٓ

Ha. Mim.

تَنزِيلُٱلْكِتَٰبِمِنَٱللَّهِٱلْعَزِيزِٱلْحَكِيمِ

THE BESTOWAL from on high of this divine writ I issues from God, the Almighty, the Wise.

مَاخَلَقْنَاٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِوَٱلْأَرْضَوَمَابَيْنَهُمَآإِلَّابِٱلْحَقِّوَأَجَلٍۢمُّسَمًّۭىوَٱلَّذِينَكَفَرُوا۟عَمَّآأُنذِرُوا۟مُعْرِضُونَ

We have not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them otherwise than in accord­ance with [an inner] truth, and for a term set [by Us]: and yet, they who are bent on denying the truth turn aside from the warning which has been conveyed unto them.

قُلْأَرَءَيْتُممَّاتَدْعُونَمِندُونِٱللَّهِأَرُونِىمَاذَاخَلَقُوا۟مِنَٱلْأَرْضِأَمْلَهُمْشِرْكٌۭفِىٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِٱئْتُونِىبِكِتَٰبٍۢمِّنقَبْلِهَٰذَآأَوْأَثَٰرَةٍۢمِّنْعِلْمٍإِنكُنتُمْصَٰدِقِينَ

Say: “Have you [really] given thought to what it is that you invoke instead of God? Show me what these [beings or forces] have created anywhere on earth! Or had they, perchance, a share in [creating] the heavens? [If so,] bring me any divine writ pre­ceding this one, or any [other] vestige of knowledge - if what you claim is true!”

وَمَنْأَضَلُّمِمَّنيَدْعُوا۟مِندُونِٱللَّهِمَنلَّايَسْتَجِيبُلَهُۥٓإِلَىٰيَوْمِٱلْقِيَٰمَةِوَهُمْعَندُعَآئِهِمْغَٰفِلُونَ

And who could be more astray than one who invokes, instead of God, such as will not respond to him either now or on the Day of Resurrection, and are not even conscious of being invoked?

وَإِذَاحُشِرَٱلنَّاسُكَانُوا۟لَهُمْأَعْدَآءًۭوَكَانُوا۟بِعِبَادَتِهِمْكَٰفِرِينَ

such as, when all mankind is gathered [for judgment], will be enemies unto those [who worshipped them], and will utterly reject their worship?

وَإِذَاتُتْلَىٰعَلَيْهِمْءَايَٰتُنَابَيِّنَٰتٍۢقَالَٱلَّذِينَكَفَرُوا۟لِلْحَقِّلَمَّاجَآءَهُمْهَٰذَاسِحْرٌۭمُّبِينٌ

But whenever Our messages are conveyed to them in all their clarity, they who are bent on denying the truth speak thus of the truth as soon as it is brought to them: “This is clearly nothing but spell­binding eloquence!”

أَمْيَقُولُونَٱفْتَرَىٰهُقُلْإِنِٱفْتَرَيْتُهُۥفَلَاتَمْلِكُونَلِىمِنَٱللَّهِشَيْـًٔاهُوَأَعْلَمُبِمَاتُفِيضُونَفِيهِكَفَىٰبِهِۦشَهِيدًۢابَيْنِىوَبَيْنَكُمْوَهُوَٱلْغَفُورُٱلرَّحِيمُ

Or do they say, “He has invented all this”? Say [O Muhammad]: “Had I invented it, you would not be of the least help to me against God. He is fully aware of that [slander] into which you so reck­lessly plunge: enough is He as a witness between me and you! And [withal,] He alone is truly-forgiving, a true dispenser of grace.”

قُلْمَاكُنتُبِدْعًۭامِّنَٱلرُّسُلِوَمَآأَدْرِىمَايُفْعَلُبِىوَلَابِكُمْإِنْأَتَّبِعُإِلَّامَايُوحَىٰٓإِلَىَّوَمَآأَنَا۠إِلَّانَذِيرٌۭمُّبِينٌۭ

Say: “I am not the first of [God’s] apostles; and [like all of them,] I do not know what will be done with me or with you: for I am nothing but a plain warner.”

قُلْأَرَءَيْتُمْإِنكَانَمِنْعِندِٱللَّهِوَكَفَرْتُمبِهِۦوَشَهِدَشَاهِدٌۭمِّنۢبَنِىٓإِسْرَٰٓءِيلَعَلَىٰمِثْلِهِۦفَـَٔامَنَوَٱسْتَكْبَرْتُمْإِنَّٱللَّهَلَايَهْدِىٱلْقَوْمَٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

Say: “Have you given thought [to how you will fare] if this be truly [a revelation] from God and yet you deny its truth? - even though a witness from among the children of Israel has already borne wit­ness to [the advent of] one like himself, and has believed [in him], the while you glory in your arro­gance [and reject his message]? Verily, God does not grace [such] evildoing folk with His guidance!”

وَقَالَٱلَّذِينَكَفَرُوا۟لِلَّذِينَءَامَنُوا۟لَوْكَانَخَيْرًۭامَّاسَبَقُونَآإِلَيْهِوَإِذْلَمْيَهْتَدُوا۟بِهِۦفَسَيَقُولُونَهَٰذَآإِفْكٌۭقَدِيمٌۭ

But they who are bent on denying the truth speak thus of those who have attained to faith: “If this [message] were any good, these [people] would not have preceded us in accepting it!” And since they refuse to be guided by it, they will always say, “This is [but] an ancient falsehood!”

وَمِنقَبْلِهِۦكِتَٰبُمُوسَىٰٓإِمَامًۭاوَرَحْمَةًۭوَهَٰذَاكِتَٰبٌۭمُّصَدِّقٌۭلِّسَانًاعَرَبِيًّۭالِّيُنذِرَٱلَّذِينَظَلَمُوا۟وَبُشْرَىٰلِلْمُحْسِنِينَ

And yet, before this there was the revelation of Moses, a guide and a [sign of God’s] grace; and this [Qur’an] is a divine writ confirming the truth [of the Torah] in the Arabic tongue, to warn those who are bent on evildoing, and [to bring] a glad tiding to the doers of good:

إِنَّٱلَّذِينَقَالُوا۟رَبُّنَاٱللَّهُثُمَّٱسْتَقَٰمُوا۟فَلَاخَوْفٌعَلَيْهِمْوَلَاهُمْيَحْزَنُونَ

for, behold, all who say, “Our Sustainer is God”, and thereafter stand firm [in their faith] - no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve:

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَأَصْحَٰبُٱلْجَنَّةِخَٰلِدِينَفِيهَاجَزَآءًۢبِمَاكَانُوا۟يَعْمَلُونَ

it is they who are destined for paradise, therein to abide as a reward for all that they have done.

وَوَصَّيْنَاٱلْإِنسَٰنَبِوَٰلِدَيْهِإِحْسَٰنًاحَمَلَتْهُأُمُّهُۥكُرْهًۭاوَوَضَعَتْهُكُرْهًۭاوَحَمْلُهُۥوَفِصَٰلُهُۥثَلَٰثُونَشَهْرًاحَتَّىٰٓإِذَابَلَغَأَشُدَّهُۥوَبَلَغَأَرْبَعِينَسَنَةًۭقَالَرَبِّأَوْزِعْنِىٓأَنْأَشْكُرَنِعْمَتَكَٱلَّتِىٓأَنْعَمْتَعَلَىَّوَعَلَىٰوَٰلِدَىَّوَأَنْأَعْمَلَصَٰلِحًۭاتَرْضَىٰهُوَأَصْلِحْلِىفِىذُرِّيَّتِىٓإِنِّىتُبْتُإِلَيْكَوَإِنِّىمِنَٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ

NOW [among the best of the deeds which] We have enjoined upon man is goodness towards his parents. In pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth; and her bearing him and his utter dependence on her took thirty months. and so, when he attains to full maturity and reaches forty years, he [that is righteous] prays: “O my Sustainer! Inspire me so that I may forever be grateful for those blessings of Thine with which Thou hast graced me and my parents, and that I may do what is right [in a manner] that will meet with Thy goodly acceptance; and grant me righteousness in my offspring [as well]. Verily, unto Thee have I turned in repentance: for, verily, I am of those who have surrendered themselves unto Thee!”

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَٱلَّذِينَنَتَقَبَّلُعَنْهُمْأَحْسَنَمَاعَمِلُوا۟وَنَتَجَاوَزُعَنسَيِّـَٔاتِهِمْفِىٓأَصْحَٰبِٱلْجَنَّةِوَعْدَٱلصِّدْقِٱلَّذِىكَانُوا۟يُوعَدُونَ

It is [such as] these from whom We shall accept the best that they ever did, and whose bad deeds We shall overlook: [they will find themselves] among those who are destined for paradise, in fulfillment of the true promise which they were given [in this world].

وَٱلَّذِىقَالَلِوَٰلِدَيْهِأُفٍّۢلَّكُمَآأَتَعِدَانِنِىٓأَنْأُخْرَجَوَقَدْخَلَتِٱلْقُرُونُمِنقَبْلِىوَهُمَايَسْتَغِيثَانِٱللَّهَوَيْلَكَءَامِنْإِنَّوَعْدَٱللَّهِحَقٌّۭفَيَقُولُمَاهَٰذَآإِلَّآأَسَٰطِيرُٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

But [there is many a one] who says to his parents [whenever they try to imbue him with faith in God]: “Fie upon both of you! Do you promise me that I shall be brought forth [from the dead], although [so many] generations have passed away before me?” And [while] they both pray for God’s help [and say], “Alas for thee! For, behold, God’s promise always comes true!” - he but answers, “All this is nothing but fables of ancient times!”

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَٱلَّذِينَحَقَّعَلَيْهِمُٱلْقَوْلُفِىٓأُمَمٍۢقَدْخَلَتْمِنقَبْلِهِممِّنَٱلْجِنِّوَٱلْإِنسِإِنَّهُمْكَانُوا۟خَٰسِرِينَ

It is [such as] these upon whom the sentence [of doom] will fall due, together with the [other sinful] communities of invisible beings and humans that have passed away before their time. Verily, they will be lost:

وَلِكُلٍّۢدَرَجَٰتٌۭمِّمَّاعَمِلُوا۟وَلِيُوَفِّيَهُمْأَعْمَٰلَهُمْوَهُمْلَايُظْلَمُونَ

for, [in the life to come,] all shall have their degrees in accordance with whatever [good or evil] they did: and so, He will repay them in full for their doings, and none shall be wronged.

وَيَوْمَيُعْرَضُٱلَّذِينَكَفَرُوا۟عَلَىٱلنَّارِأَذْهَبْتُمْطَيِّبَٰتِكُمْفِىحَيَاتِكُمُٱلدُّنْيَاوَٱسْتَمْتَعْتُمبِهَافَٱلْيَوْمَتُجْزَوْنَعَذَابَٱلْهُونِبِمَاكُنتُمْتَسْتَكْبِرُونَفِىٱلْأَرْضِبِغَيْرِٱلْحَقِّوَبِمَاكُنتُمْتَفْسُقُونَ

And on the Day when those who were bent on denying the truth will be brought within sight of the fire, [they will be told:] “You have exhausted your [share of] good things in your worldly life, having enjoyed them [without any thought of the hereafter]: and so today you shall be requited with the suffering of humiliation for having gloried on earth in your arrogance, offending against all that is right, and for all your iniquitous doings!”