Surah Al-Ahzaab

يَٰٓأَيُّهَاٱلنَّبِىُّٱتَّقِٱللَّهَوَلَاتُطِعِٱلْكَٰفِرِينَوَٱلْمُنَٰفِقِينَإِنَّٱللَّهَكَانَعَلِيمًاحَكِيمًۭا

PROPHET! Remain conscious of God, and defer not to the deniers of the truth and the hypo­crites: for God is truly all-knowing, wise.

وَٱتَّبِعْمَايُوحَىٰٓإِلَيْكَمِنرَّبِّكَإِنَّٱللَّهَكَانَبِمَاتَعْمَلُونَخَبِيرًۭا

And follow [but] that which comes unto thee through revelation from thy Sustainer: for God is truly aware of all that you do, [O men].

وَتَوَكَّلْعَلَىٱللَّهِوَكَفَىٰبِٱللَّهِوَكِيلًۭا

And place thy trust in God [alone]: for none is as worthy of trust as God.

مَّاجَعَلَٱللَّهُلِرَجُلٍۢمِّنقَلْبَيْنِفِىجَوْفِهِۦوَمَاجَعَلَأَزْوَٰجَكُمُٱلَّٰٓـِٔىتُظَٰهِرُونَمِنْهُنَّأُمَّهَٰتِكُمْوَمَاجَعَلَأَدْعِيَآءَكُمْأَبْنَآءَكُمْذَٰلِكُمْقَوْلُكُمبِأَفْوَٰهِكُمْوَٱللَّهُيَقُولُٱلْحَقَّوَهُوَيَهْدِىٱلسَّبِيلَ

NEVER has God endowed any man with two hearts in one body: and [just as] He has never made your wives whom you may have declared to be “as unlawful to you as your mothers’ bodies” [truly] your mothers, so, too, has He never made your adopted sons [truly] your sons: these are but [figures of] speech uttered by your mouths - whereas God speaks the [absolute] truth: and it is He alone who can show [you] the right path.

ٱدْعُوهُمْلِءَابَآئِهِمْهُوَأَقْسَطُعِندَٱللَّهِفَإِنلَّمْتَعْلَمُوٓا۟ءَابَآءَهُمْفَإِخْوَٰنُكُمْفِىٱلدِّينِوَمَوَٰلِيكُمْوَلَيْسَعَلَيْكُمْجُنَاحٌۭفِيمَآأَخْطَأْتُمبِهِۦوَلَٰكِنمَّاتَعَمَّدَتْقُلُوبُكُمْوَكَانَٱللَّهُغَفُورًۭارَّحِيمًا

[As for your adopted children,] call them by their [real] fathers’ names: this is more equitable in the sight of God; and if you know not who their fathers were, [call them] your brethren in faith and your friends. However, you will incur no sin if you err in this respect: [what really matters is] but what your hearts intend - for God is indeed much-forgiv­ing, a dispenser of grace!

ٱلنَّبِىُّأَوْلَىٰبِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَمِنْأَنفُسِهِمْوَأَزْوَٰجُهُۥٓأُمَّهَٰتُهُمْوَأُو۟لُوا۟ٱلْأَرْحَامِبَعْضُهُمْأَوْلَىٰبِبَعْضٍۢفِىكِتَٰبِٱللَّهِمِنَٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَوَٱلْمُهَٰجِرِينَإِلَّآأَنتَفْعَلُوٓا۟إِلَىٰٓأَوْلِيَآئِكُممَّعْرُوفًۭاكَانَذَٰلِكَفِىٱلْكِتَٰبِمَسْطُورًۭا

The Prophet has a higher claim on the believers than [they have on] their own selves, [seeing that he is as a father to them] and his wives are their mothers: and they who are [thus] closely related have, in accordance with God’s decree, a higher claim upon one another than [was even the case between] the believers [of Yathrib] and those who had migrated [there for the sake of God]. None the less, you are to act with utmost goodness towards your [other] close friends as well: this [too] is written down in God’s decree.

وَإِذْأَخَذْنَامِنَٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَمِيثَٰقَهُمْوَمِنكَوَمِننُّوحٍۢوَإِبْرَٰهِيمَوَمُوسَىٰوَعِيسَىٱبْنِمَرْيَمَوَأَخَذْنَامِنْهُممِّيثَٰقًاغَلِيظًۭا

AND LO! We did accept a solemn pledge from all the prophets from thee, [O Muhammad,] as well as from Noah, and Abraham, and Moses, and Jesus the son of Mary -: for We accepted a most weighty, solemn pledge from [all of] them,

لِّيَسْـَٔلَٱلصَّٰدِقِينَعَنصِدْقِهِمْوَأَعَدَّلِلْكَٰفِرِينَعَذَابًاأَلِيمًۭا

so that [at the end of time] He might ask those men of truth as to [what response] their truthfulness [had received on earth]. And grievous suffering has He readied for all who deny the truth!

يَٰٓأَيُّهَاٱلَّذِينَءَامَنُوا۟ٱذْكُرُوا۟نِعْمَةَٱللَّهِعَلَيْكُمْإِذْجَآءَتْكُمْجُنُودٌۭفَأَرْسَلْنَاعَلَيْهِمْرِيحًۭاوَجُنُودًۭالَّمْتَرَوْهَاوَكَانَٱللَّهُبِمَاتَعْمَلُونَبَصِيرًا

O YOU who have attained to faith! Call to mind the blessings which God bestowed on you (at the time) when [enemy] hosts came down upon you, where­upon We let loose against them a storm wind and [heavenly] hosts that you could not see: yet God saw all that you did.

إِذْجَآءُوكُممِّنفَوْقِكُمْوَمِنْأَسْفَلَمِنكُمْوَإِذْزَاغَتِٱلْأَبْصَٰرُوَبَلَغَتِٱلْقُلُوبُٱلْحَنَاجِرَوَتَظُنُّونَبِٱللَّهِٱلظُّنُونَا۠

[Remember what you felt] when they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when [your] eyes became dim and [your] hearts came up to [your] throats, and [when] most conflicting thoughts about God passed through your minds:

هُنَالِكَٱبْتُلِىَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَوَزُلْزِلُوا۟زِلْزَالًۭاشَدِيدًۭا

[for] there and then were the believers tried, and shaken with a shock severe.

وَإِذْيَقُولُٱلْمُنَٰفِقُونَوَٱلَّذِينَفِىقُلُوبِهِممَّرَضٌۭمَّاوَعَدَنَاٱللَّهُوَرَسُولُهُۥٓإِلَّاغُرُورًۭا

And [remember how it was] when the hypo­crites and those with hearts diseased said [to one another], “God and His Apostle have promised us nothing but delusions!”

وَإِذْقَالَتطَّآئِفَةٌۭمِّنْهُمْيَٰٓأَهْلَيَثْرِبَلَامُقَامَلَكُمْفَٱرْجِعُوا۟وَيَسْتَـْٔذِنُفَرِيقٌۭمِّنْهُمُٱلنَّبِىَّيَقُولُونَإِنَّبُيُوتَنَاعَوْرَةٌۭوَمَاهِىَبِعَوْرَةٍإِنيُرِيدُونَإِلَّافِرَارًۭا

and when some of them said, “O you people of Yathrib! You cannot withstand [the enemy] here: hence, go back [to your homes]!” — Whereupon a party from among them asked leave of the Prophet, saying, “Behold, our houses are exposed [to attack]!” — The while they were not [really] exposed: they wanted nothing but to flee.

وَلَوْدُخِلَتْعَلَيْهِممِّنْأَقْطَارِهَاثُمَّسُئِلُوا۟ٱلْفِتْنَةَلَءَاتَوْهَاوَمَاتَلَبَّثُوا۟بِهَآإِلَّايَسِيرًۭا

Now if their town had been stormed, and they had been asked [by the enemy] to commit apos­tasy, [the hypocrites] would have done so without much delay

وَلَقَدْكَانُوا۟عَٰهَدُوا۟ٱللَّهَمِنقَبْلُلَايُوَلُّونَٱلْأَدْبَٰرَوَكَانَعَهْدُٱللَّهِمَسْـُٔولًۭا

although ere that they had vowed before God that they would never turn their backs [on His message]: and a vow made to God must surely be answered for!

قُللَّنيَنفَعَكُمُٱلْفِرَارُإِنفَرَرْتُممِّنَٱلْمَوْتِأَوِٱلْقَتْلِوَإِذًۭالَّاتُمَتَّعُونَإِلَّاقَلِيلًۭا

Say: “Whether you flee from [natural] death or from being slain [in battle], flight will not profit you - for, however you fare, you are not [allowed] to enjoy life for more than a little while!”

قُلْمَنذَاٱلَّذِىيَعْصِمُكُممِّنَٱللَّهِإِنْأَرَادَبِكُمْسُوٓءًاأَوْأَرَادَبِكُمْرَحْمَةًۭوَلَايَجِدُونَلَهُممِّندُونِٱللَّهِوَلِيًّۭاوَلَانَصِيرًۭا

Say: “Who is there that could keep you away from God if it be His will to harm you, or if it be His will to show you mercy?” For, [do they not know that] besides God they can find none to protect them, and none to bring them succour?

قَدْيَعْلَمُٱللَّهُٱلْمُعَوِّقِينَمِنكُمْوَٱلْقَآئِلِينَلِإِخْوَٰنِهِمْهَلُمَّإِلَيْنَاوَلَايَأْتُونَٱلْبَأْسَإِلَّاقَلِيلًا

God is indeed aware of those of you who would divert others [from fighting in His cause], as well as of those who say to their brethren, “Come hither to us [and face the enemy]!” — The while they [themselves] join battle but seldom,

أَشِحَّةًعَلَيْكُمْفَإِذَاجَآءَٱلْخَوْفُرَأَيْتَهُمْيَنظُرُونَإِلَيْكَتَدُورُأَعْيُنُهُمْكَٱلَّذِىيُغْشَىٰعَلَيْهِمِنَٱلْمَوْتِفَإِذَاذَهَبَٱلْخَوْفُسَلَقُوكُمبِأَلْسِنَةٍحِدَادٍأَشِحَّةًعَلَىٱلْخَيْرِأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَلَمْيُؤْمِنُوا۟فَأَحْبَطَٱللَّهُأَعْمَٰلَهُمْوَكَانَذَٰلِكَعَلَىٱللَّهِيَسِيرًۭا

begrudging you all help. But then, when danger threatens, thou canst see them looking to thee [for help, O Prophet], their eyes rolling [in terror] like [the eyes of] one who is overshadowed by death: yet as soon as the danger has passed, they will assail you [believers] with sharp tongues, begrudging you all that is good! [People like] these have never known faith - and therefore God will cause all their works to come to nought: for this is indeed easy for God.

يَحْسَبُونَٱلْأَحْزَابَلَمْيَذْهَبُوا۟وَإِنيَأْتِٱلْأَحْزَابُيَوَدُّوا۟لَوْأَنَّهُمبَادُونَفِىٱلْأَعْرَابِيَسْـَٔلُونَعَنْأَنۢبَآئِكُمْوَلَوْكَانُوا۟فِيكُممَّاقَٰتَلُوٓا۟إِلَّاقَلِيلًۭا

They think that the Confederates have not [really] withdrawn; and should the Confederates return, these [hypocrites] would prefer to be in the desert, among the bedouin, asking for news about you, [O believers, from far away;] and even were they to find themselves in your midst, they would but make a pretence at fighting [by your side].