Surah Al-Anbiyaa

أَمِٱتَّخَذُوٓا۟ءَالِهَةًۭمِّنَٱلْأَرْضِهُمْيُنشِرُونَ

And yet some people choose to worship certain earthly things or beings as deities that [are supposed to] resurrect [the dead; and they fail to realize that],

لَوْكَانَفِيهِمَآءَالِهَةٌإِلَّاٱللَّهُلَفَسَدَتَافَسُبْحَٰنَٱللَّهِرَبِّٱلْعَرْشِعَمَّايَصِفُونَ

had there been in heaven or on earth any deities other than God, both [those realms would surely have fallen into ruin! But limitless in His glory is God, enthroned in His awesome almightiness far] above anything that men may devise by way of definition!

لَايُسْـَٔلُعَمَّايَفْعَلُوَهُمْيُسْـَٔلُونَ

He cannot be called to account for whatever He does, whereas they will be called to account:

أَمِٱتَّخَذُوا۟مِندُونِهِۦٓءَالِهَةًۭقُلْهَاتُوا۟بُرْهَٰنَكُمْهَٰذَاذِكْرُمَنمَّعِىَوَذِكْرُمَنقَبْلِىبَلْأَكْثَرُهُمْلَايَعْلَمُونَٱلْحَقَّفَهُممُّعْرِضُونَ

and yet, they choose to worship [imaginary] deities instead of Him! Say [O Prophet]: “Produce an evidence for what you are claiming: this is a reminder [unceasingly voiced] by those who are with me, just as it was a reminder [voiced] by those who came before me.” But nay, most of them do not know the truth, and so they stubbornly turn away [from it]

وَمَآأَرْسَلْنَامِنقَبْلِكَمِنرَّسُولٍإِلَّانُوحِىٓإِلَيْهِأَنَّهُۥلَآإِلَٰهَإِلَّآأَنَا۠فَٱعْبُدُونِ

and [this despite the fact that even] before thy time We never sent any apostle without having revealed to him that there is no deity save Me, - [and that,] therefore, you shall worship Me [alone]!

وَقَالُوا۟ٱتَّخَذَٱلرَّحْمَٰنُوَلَدًۭاسُبْحَٰنَهُۥبَلْعِبَادٌۭمُّكْرَمُونَ

And [yet,] some say, “The Most Gracious has taken unto Himself a son”! Limitless is He in His glory! Nay, [those whom they regard as God’s “offspring” are but His] honoured servants:

لَايَسْبِقُونَهُۥبِٱلْقَوْلِوَهُمبِأَمْرِهِۦيَعْمَلُونَ

they speak not until He has spoken unto them, and [whenever they act,] they act at His behest.

يَعْلَمُمَابَيْنَأَيْدِيهِمْوَمَاخَلْفَهُمْوَلَايَشْفَعُونَإِلَّالِمَنِٱرْتَضَىٰوَهُممِّنْخَشْيَتِهِۦمُشْفِقُونَ

He knows all that lies open before them and all that is hidden from them: hence, they cannot intercede for any but those whom He has [already] graced with His goodly acceptance, since they themselves stand in reverent awe of Him.

وَمَنيَقُلْمِنْهُمْإِنِّىٓإِلَٰهٌۭمِّندُونِهِۦفَذَٰلِكَنَجْزِيهِجَهَنَّمَكَذَٰلِكَنَجْزِىٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

And if any of them were to say, “Behold, I am deity beside Him” - that one We should requite with hell: thus do We requite all [such] evildoers.

أَوَلَمْيَرَٱلَّذِينَكَفَرُوٓا۟أَنَّٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِوَٱلْأَرْضَكَانَتَارَتْقًۭافَفَتَقْنَٰهُمَاوَجَعَلْنَامِنَٱلْمَآءِكُلَّشَىْءٍحَىٍّأَفَلَايُؤْمِنُونَ

ARE, THEN, they who are bent on denying the truth not aware that the heavens and the earth were [once] one single entity, which We then parted asunder? – and [that] We made out of water every living thing? Will they not, then, [begin to] believe?

وَجَعَلْنَافِىٱلْأَرْضِرَوَٰسِىَأَنتَمِيدَبِهِمْوَجَعَلْنَافِيهَافِجَاجًۭاسُبُلًۭالَّعَلَّهُمْيَهْتَدُونَ

And [are they not aware that] We have set up firm mountains on earth, lest it sway with them, and [that] We have appointed thereon broad paths, so that they might find their way,

وَجَعَلْنَاٱلسَّمَآءَسَقْفًۭامَّحْفُوظًۭاوَهُمْعَنْءَايَٰتِهَامُعْرِضُونَ

and [that] We have set up the sky as a canopy well-secured? And yet, they stubbornly turn away from [all] the signs of this [creation],

وَهُوَٱلَّذِىخَلَقَٱلَّيْلَوَٱلنَّهَارَوَٱلشَّمْسَوَٱلْقَمَرَكُلٌّۭفِىفَلَكٍۢيَسْبَحُونَ

and [fail to see that] it is He who has created the night and the day and the sun and the moon - all of them floating through space!

وَمَاجَعَلْنَالِبَشَرٍۢمِّنقَبْلِكَٱلْخُلْدَأَفَإِي۟نمِّتَّفَهُمُٱلْخَٰلِدُونَ

AND [remind those who deny thee, O Prophet, that] never have We granted life everlasting to any mortal before thee: but do they, perchance, hope that al­though thou must die, they will live forever?”

كُلُّنَفْسٍۢذَآئِقَةُٱلْمَوْتِوَنَبْلُوكُمبِٱلشَّرِّوَٱلْخَيْرِفِتْنَةًۭوَإِلَيْنَاتُرْجَعُونَ

Every human being is bound to taste death; and We test you [all] through the bad and the good [things of life] by way of trial: and unto Us you all must return.

وَإِذَارَءَاكَٱلَّذِينَكَفَرُوٓا۟إِنيَتَّخِذُونَكَإِلَّاهُزُوًاأَهَٰذَاٱلَّذِىيَذْكُرُءَالِهَتَكُمْوَهُمبِذِكْرِٱلرَّحْمَٰنِهُمْكَٰفِرُونَ

But [thus it is:] whenever they who are bent on denying the truth consider thee, they make thee but a target of their mockery, [saying to one another,] “Is this the one who speaks [so contemptuously] of your gods?” and yet, it is they themselves who, at [every] mention of the Most Gracious, are wont to deny the truth!

خُلِقَٱلْإِنسَٰنُمِنْعَجَلٍۢسَأُو۟رِيكُمْءَايَٰتِىفَلَاتَسْتَعْجِلُونِ

Man is a creature of haste; [but in time] I shall make obvious to you [the truth of] My mes­sages: do not, then, ask Me to hasten [it]!

وَيَقُولُونَمَتَىٰهَٰذَاٱلْوَعْدُإِنكُنتُمْصَٰدِقِينَ

But they [who reject My messages are wont to] ask, “When is that promise [of God’s judgment] to be fulfilled? [Answer this, O you who believe in it,] if you are men of truth!”

لَوْيَعْلَمُٱلَّذِينَكَفَرُوا۟حِينَلَايَكُفُّونَعَنوُجُوهِهِمُٱلنَّارَوَلَاعَنظُهُورِهِمْوَلَاهُمْيُنصَرُونَ

If they but knew - they who are bent on deny­ing the truth - [that there will come] a time when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor from their backs, and will not find any succour!

بَلْتَأْتِيهِمبَغْتَةًۭفَتَبْهَتُهُمْفَلَايَسْتَطِيعُونَرَدَّهَاوَلَاهُمْيُنظَرُونَ

Nay, but [the Last Hour] will come upon them of a sudden, and will stupefy them: and they will be unable to avert it, and neither wilt they be allowed any respite.