Surah An-Nahl

وَلَوْيُؤَاخِذُٱللَّهُٱلنَّاسَبِظُلْمِهِممَّاتَرَكَعَلَيْهَامِندَآبَّةٍۢوَلَٰكِنيُؤَخِّرُهُمْإِلَىٰٓأَجَلٍۢمُّسَمًّۭىفَإِذَاجَآءَأَجَلُهُمْلَايَسْتَـْٔخِرُونَسَاعَةًۭوَلَايَسْتَقْدِمُونَ

Now if God were to take men [immediately] to task for all the evil that they do [on earth], He would not leave a single living creature upon its face. However, He grants them respite until a term set [by Him]: but when the end of their term approaches, they can neither delay it by a single moment, nor can they hasten it.

وَيَجْعَلُونَلِلَّهِمَايَكْرَهُونَوَتَصِفُأَلْسِنَتُهُمُٱلْكَذِبَأَنَّلَهُمُٱلْحُسْنَىٰلَاجَرَمَأَنَّلَهُمُٱلنَّارَوَأَنَّهُممُّفْرَطُونَ

As it is, they ascribe to God something that they [themselves] dislike -and [all the while] their tongues utter the lie that [by doing so] they earn supreme merit! Truly, they earn but the fire, and will be left out [of God's grace]!

تَٱللَّهِلَقَدْأَرْسَلْنَآإِلَىٰٓأُمَمٍۢمِّنقَبْلِكَفَزَيَّنَلَهُمُٱلشَّيْطَٰنُأَعْمَٰلَهُمْفَهُوَوَلِيُّهُمُٱلْيَوْمَوَلَهُمْعَذَابٌأَلِيمٌۭ

By God, [O Prophet,] even before thy time have We sent apostles unto [various] communities: but [those who were bent on denying the truth have always refused to listen to Our messages because] Satan has made all their own doings seem goodly to them: and he is [as] close to them today [as he was to the sinners of yore]; hence, grievous suffering awaits them.

وَمَآأَنزَلْنَاعَلَيْكَٱلْكِتَٰبَإِلَّالِتُبَيِّنَلَهُمُٱلَّذِىٱخْتَلَفُوا۟فِيهِوَهُدًۭىوَرَحْمَةًۭلِّقَوْمٍۢيُؤْمِنُونَ

And upon thee [too] have We bestowed from on' high this divine writ for no other reason than that thou might make clear unto them all [questions of faith] on which they have come to hold divergent views, and [thus offer] guidance and grace unto people who will believe.

وَٱللَّهُأَنزَلَمِنَٱلسَّمَآءِمَآءًۭفَأَحْيَابِهِٱلْأَرْضَبَعْدَمَوْتِهَآإِنَّفِىذَٰلِكَلَءَايَةًۭلِّقَوْمٍۢيَسْمَعُونَ

AND GOD sends down water from the skies, giving life thereby to the earth after it had been lifeless: in this, behold, there is a message indeed for people who [are willing to] listen.

وَإِنَّلَكُمْفِىٱلْأَنْعَٰمِلَعِبْرَةًۭنُّسْقِيكُممِّمَّافِىبُطُونِهِۦمِنۢبَيْنِفَرْثٍۢوَدَمٍۢلَّبَنًاخَالِصًۭاسَآئِغًۭالِّلشَّٰرِبِينَ

And, behold, in the cattle [too] there is indeed a lesson for you: We give you to drink of that [fluid] which is [secreted from] within their bellies between that which is to be eliminated [from the animal's body] and [its] life-blood: milk pure and pleasant to those who drink it.

وَمِنثَمَرَٰتِٱلنَّخِيلِوَٱلْأَعْنَٰبِتَتَّخِذُونَمِنْهُسَكَرًۭاوَرِزْقًاحَسَنًاإِنَّفِىذَٰلِكَلَءَايَةًۭلِّقَوْمٍۢيَعْقِلُونَ

And [We grant you nourishment] from the fruit of date-palms and vines: from it you derive intoxicants as well as wholesome sustenance -in this, behold, there is a message indeed for people who use their reason!

وَأَوْحَىٰرَبُّكَإِلَىٱلنَّحْلِأَنِٱتَّخِذِىمِنَٱلْجِبَالِبُيُوتًۭاوَمِنَٱلشَّجَرِوَمِمَّايَعْرِشُونَ

And [consider how] thy Sustainer has inspired the bee: "Prepare for thyself dwellings in mountains and in trees, and in what [men] may build [for thee by way of hives];

ثُمَّكُلِىمِنكُلِّٱلثَّمَرَٰتِفَٱسْلُكِىسُبُلَرَبِّكِذُلُلًۭايَخْرُجُمِنۢبُطُونِهَاشَرَابٌۭمُّخْتَلِفٌأَلْوَٰنُهُۥفِيهِشِفَآءٌۭلِّلنَّاسِإِنَّفِىذَٰلِكَلَءَايَةًۭلِّقَوْمٍۢيَتَفَكَّرُونَ

and then eat of all manner of fruit, and follow humbly the paths ordained for thee by thy Sustainer." [And lo!] there issues from within these [bees] a fluid of many hues, wherein there is health for man. In all this, behold, there is a message indeed for people who think!

وَٱللَّهُخَلَقَكُمْثُمَّيَتَوَفَّىٰكُمْوَمِنكُممَّنيُرَدُّإِلَىٰٓأَرْذَلِٱلْعُمُرِلِكَىْلَايَعْلَمَبَعْدَعِلْمٍۢشَيْـًٔاإِنَّٱللَّهَعَلِيمٌۭقَدِيرٌۭ

AND GOD has created you, and in time will cause you to die; and many a one of you is reduced in old age to a most abject state, ceasing to know anything of what he once knew so well. Verily, God is all-knowing, infinite in His power!

وَٱللَّهُفَضَّلَبَعْضَكُمْعَلَىٰبَعْضٍۢفِىٱلرِّزْقِفَمَاٱلَّذِينَفُضِّلُوا۟بِرَآدِّىرِزْقِهِمْعَلَىٰمَامَلَكَتْأَيْمَٰنُهُمْفَهُمْفِيهِسَوَآءٌأَفَبِنِعْمَةِٱللَّهِيَجْحَدُونَ

And on some of you God has bestowed more abundant means of sustenance than on others: and yet, they who are more abundantly favoured are [often] unwilling to share their sustenance with those whom their right hands possess, so that they [all] might be equal in this respect. Will they, then, God's blessings [thus] deny?

وَٱللَّهُجَعَلَلَكُممِّنْأَنفُسِكُمْأَزْوَٰجًۭاوَجَعَلَلَكُممِّنْأَزْوَٰجِكُمبَنِينَوَحَفَدَةًۭوَرَزَقَكُممِّنَٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِأَفَبِٱلْبَٰطِلِيُؤْمِنُونَوَبِنِعْمَتِٱللَّهِهُمْيَكْفُرُونَ

And God has given you mates of your own kinds and has given you, through your mates, children and children's children, and has provided for you sustenance out of the good things of life. Will men, then, [continue to] believe in things false and vain, and thus blaspheme against God's blessings? -

وَيَعْبُدُونَمِندُونِٱللَّهِمَالَايَمْلِكُلَهُمْرِزْقًۭامِّنَٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِوَٱلْأَرْضِشَيْـًۭٔاوَلَايَسْتَطِيعُونَ

and will they [continue to] worship, instead of God, something that has it not within its power to provide for them any sustenance whatever from the heavens or the earth, and can do nothing at all?

فَلَاتَضْرِبُوا۟لِلَّهِٱلْأَمْثَالَإِنَّٱللَّهَيَعْلَمُوَأَنتُمْلَاتَعْلَمُونَ

Hence, do not coin any similitudes for Gods Verily, God knows [all], whereas you have no [real] knowledge.

ضَرَبَٱللَّهُمَثَلًاعَبْدًۭامَّمْلُوكًۭالَّايَقْدِرُعَلَىٰشَىْءٍۢوَمَنرَّزَقْنَٰهُمِنَّارِزْقًاحَسَنًۭافَهُوَيُنفِقُمِنْهُسِرًّۭاوَجَهْرًاهَلْيَسْتَوُۥنَٱلْحَمْدُلِلَّهِبَلْأَكْثَرُهُمْلَايَعْلَمُونَ

God propounds [to you] the parable of [two men-] a man enslaved, unable to do anything of his own accord, and a [free] man upon whom We have bestowed goodly sustenance [as a gift] from Ourselves, so that he can spend thereof [at will, both] secretly and openly. Can these [two] be deemed equal? All praise is due to God [alone]: but most of them do not understand it.

وَضَرَبَٱللَّهُمَثَلًۭارَّجُلَيْنِأَحَدُهُمَآأَبْكَمُلَايَقْدِرُعَلَىٰشَىْءٍۢوَهُوَكَلٌّعَلَىٰمَوْلَىٰهُأَيْنَمَايُوَجِّههُّلَايَأْتِبِخَيْرٍهَلْيَسْتَوِىهُوَوَمَنيَأْمُرُبِٱلْعَدْلِوَهُوَعَلَىٰصِرَٰطٍۢمُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ

And God propounds [to you] the parable of two [other] men -one of them dumb, unable to do anything of his own accord, and a sheer burden on his master: to whichever task the latter directs him, he accomplishes no good. Can such a one be considered the equal of [a wise man] who enjoins the doing of what is right and himself follows a straight way?

وَلِلَّهِغَيْبُٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِوَٱلْأَرْضِوَمَآأَمْرُٱلسَّاعَةِإِلَّاكَلَمْحِٱلْبَصَرِأَوْهُوَأَقْرَبُإِنَّٱللَّهَعَلَىٰكُلِّشَىْءٍۢقَدِيرٌۭ

And, God's [alone] is the knowledge of the hidden reality of the heavens and the earth. And so, the advent of the Last Hour will but manifest itself [in a single moment,] like the twinkling of an eye, or closer still: for, behold, God has the power to will anything.

وَٱللَّهُأَخْرَجَكُممِّنۢبُطُونِأُمَّهَٰتِكُمْلَاتَعْلَمُونَشَيْـًۭٔاوَجَعَلَلَكُمُٱلسَّمْعَوَٱلْأَبْصَٰرَوَٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةَلَعَلَّكُمْتَشْكُرُونَ

And God has brought you forth from your mothers' wombs knowing nothing-but He has endowed you with hearing, and sight, and minds, so that you might have cause to be grateful.

أَلَمْيَرَوْا۟إِلَىٱلطَّيْرِمُسَخَّرَٰتٍۢفِىجَوِّٱلسَّمَآءِمَايُمْسِكُهُنَّإِلَّاٱللَّهُإِنَّفِىذَٰلِكَلَءَايَٰتٍۢلِّقَوْمٍۢيُؤْمِنُونَ

Have, then, they [who deny the truth] never considered the birds, enabled [by God] to fly in mid-air, with none but God holding them aloft? In this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who will believe!

وَٱللَّهُجَعَلَلَكُممِّنۢبُيُوتِكُمْسَكَنًۭاوَجَعَلَلَكُممِّنجُلُودِٱلْأَنْعَٰمِبُيُوتًۭاتَسْتَخِفُّونَهَايَوْمَظَعْنِكُمْوَيَوْمَإِقَامَتِكُمْوَمِنْأَصْوَافِهَاوَأَوْبَارِهَاوَأَشْعَارِهَآأَثَٰثًۭاوَمَتَٰعًاإِلَىٰحِينٍۢ

And God has given you [the ability to build] your houses as places of rest, and has endowed you with [the skill to make] dwellings out of the skins of animals - easy for you to handle when you travel and when you camp -and [to make] furnishings and goods for temporary use of their [rough] wool and their soft, furry wool and their hair.