Surah Az-Zumar

تَنزِيلُٱلْكِتَٰبِمِنَٱللَّهِٱلْعَزِيزِٱلْحَكِيمِ

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

إِنَّآأَنزَلْنَآإِلَيْكَٱلْكِتَٰبَبِٱلْحَقِّفَٱعْبُدِٱللَّهَمُخْلِصًۭالَّهُٱلدِّينَ

for, behold, it is We who have bestowed this revela­tion upon thee from on high, setting forth the truth: so worship Him, sincere in thy faith in Him alone!

أَلَالِلَّهِٱلدِّينُٱلْخَالِصُوَٱلَّذِينَٱتَّخَذُوا۟مِندُونِهِۦٓأَوْلِيَآءَمَانَعْبُدُهُمْإِلَّالِيُقَرِّبُونَآإِلَىٱللَّهِزُلْفَىٰٓإِنَّٱللَّهَيَحْكُمُبَيْنَهُمْفِىمَاهُمْفِيهِيَخْتَلِفُونَإِنَّٱللَّهَلَايَهْدِىمَنْهُوَكَٰذِبٌۭكَفَّارٌۭ

Is it not to God alone that all sincere faith is due? And yet, they who take for their protectors aught beside Him [are wont to say], “We worship them for no other reason than that they bring us nearer to God.” Behold, God will judge between them [on Resur­rection Day] with regard to all wherein they differ [from the truth]: for, verily, God does not grace with His guidance anyone who is bent on lying [to himself and is] stubbornly ingrate!

لَّوْأَرَادَٱللَّهُأَنيَتَّخِذَوَلَدًۭالَّٱصْطَفَىٰمِمَّايَخْلُقُمَايَشَآءُسُبْحَٰنَهُۥهُوَٱللَّهُٱلْوَٰحِدُٱلْقَهَّارُ

Had God willed to take Unto Himself a son, He could have chosen anyone that He wanted out of whatever He has created - [but] limitless is He in His glory! He is the One God, the One who holds absolute sway over all that exists!

خَلَقَٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِوَٱلْأَرْضَبِٱلْحَقِّيُكَوِّرُٱلَّيْلَعَلَىٱلنَّهَارِوَيُكَوِّرُٱلنَّهَارَعَلَىٱلَّيْلِوَسَخَّرَٱلشَّمْسَوَٱلْقَمَرَكُلٌّۭيَجْرِىلِأَجَلٍۢمُّسَمًّىأَلَاهُوَٱلْعَزِيزُٱلْغَفَّٰرُ

He it is who has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with [an inner] truth. He causes the night to flow into the day, and causes the day to flow into the night; and He has made the sun and the moon subservient [to His laws], each running its course for a term set [by Him]. Is not He the Almighty, the All-Forgiving?

خَلَقَكُممِّننَّفْسٍۢوَٰحِدَةٍۢثُمَّجَعَلَمِنْهَازَوْجَهَاوَأَنزَلَلَكُممِّنَٱلْأَنْعَٰمِثَمَٰنِيَةَأَزْوَٰجٍۢيَخْلُقُكُمْفِىبُطُونِأُمَّهَٰتِكُمْخَلْقًۭامِّنۢبَعْدِخَلْقٍۢفِىظُلُمَٰتٍۢثَلَٰثٍۢذَٰلِكُمُٱللَّهُرَبُّكُمْلَهُٱلْمُلْكُلَآإِلَٰهَإِلَّاهُوَفَأَنَّىٰتُصْرَفُونَ

He has created you [all] out of one living entity, and out of it fashioned its mate; and he has be­stowed upon you four kinds of cattle of either sex; [and] He creates you in your mothers’ wombs, one act of creation after another, in threefold depths of darkness. Thus is God, your Sustainer: unto Him belongs all dominion: there is no deity save Him: how, then, can you lose sight of the truth?

إِنتَكْفُرُوا۟فَإِنَّٱللَّهَغَنِىٌّعَنكُمْوَلَايَرْضَىٰلِعِبَادِهِٱلْكُفْرَوَإِنتَشْكُرُوا۟يَرْضَهُلَكُمْوَلَاتَزِرُوَازِرَةٌۭوِزْرَأُخْرَىٰثُمَّإِلَىٰرَبِّكُممَّرْجِعُكُمْفَيُنَبِّئُكُمبِمَاكُنتُمْتَعْمَلُونَإِنَّهُۥعَلِيمٌۢبِذَاتِٱلصُّدُورِ

If you are ingrate behold, God has no need of you; none the less, He does not approve of in­gratitude in His servants: whereas, if you show grati­tude, He approves it in you. And no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another’s burden. In time, unto your Sustainer you all must return, and then He will make you [truly] understand all that you were doing [in life]: for, verily, He has full knowledge of what is in the hearts [of men].

وَإِذَامَسَّٱلْإِنسَٰنَضُرٌّۭدَعَارَبَّهُۥمُنِيبًاإِلَيْهِثُمَّإِذَاخَوَّلَهُۥنِعْمَةًۭمِّنْهُنَسِىَمَاكَانَيَدْعُوٓا۟إِلَيْهِمِنقَبْلُوَجَعَلَلِلَّهِأَندَادًۭالِّيُضِلَّعَنسَبِيلِهِۦقُلْتَمَتَّعْبِكُفْرِكَقَلِيلًاإِنَّكَمِنْأَصْحَٰبِٱلنَّارِ

NOW [thus it is:] when affliction befalls man, he is likely to cry out to his Sustainer, turning unto Him [for help]; but as soon as He has bestowed upon him a boon by His grace, he forgets Him whom he in­voked before, and claims that there are other powers that could rival God - and thus leads [others] astray from His path. Say [unto him who sins in this way]: “Enjoy thyself for a while in this thy denial of the truth; [yet,] verily, thou art of those who are destined for the fire!

أَمَّنْهُوَقَٰنِتٌءَانَآءَٱلَّيْلِسَاجِدًۭاوَقَآئِمًۭايَحْذَرُٱلْءَاخِرَةَوَيَرْجُوا۟رَحْمَةَرَبِّهِۦقُلْهَلْيَسْتَوِىٱلَّذِينَيَعْلَمُونَوَٱلَّذِينَلَايَعْلَمُونَإِنَّمَايَتَذَكَّرُأُو۟لُوا۟ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ

Or [dost thou deem thyself equal to] one who devoutly worships [God] throughout the night, prostrating himself or standing [in prayer], ever- mindful of the life to come, and hoping for his Sustainer’s grace?” Say: “Can they who know and they who do not know be deemed equal?” [But] only they who are endowed with insight keep this in mind!

قُلْيَٰعِبَادِٱلَّذِينَءَامَنُوا۟ٱتَّقُوا۟رَبَّكُمْلِلَّذِينَأَحْسَنُوا۟فِىهَٰذِهِٱلدُّنْيَاحَسَنَةٌۭوَأَرْضُٱللَّهِوَٰسِعَةٌإِنَّمَايُوَفَّىٱلصَّٰبِرُونَأَجْرَهُمبِغَيْرِحِسَابٍۢ

Say: “[Thus speaks God:] ‘O you servants of Mine who have attained to faith! Be conscious of your Sustainer! Ultimate good awaits those who per­severe in doing good in this world. And [remember:] wide is God’s earth, [and,] verily, they who are patient in adversity will be given their reward in full, beyond all reckoning!’”

قُلْإِنِّىٓأُمِرْتُأَنْأَعْبُدَٱللَّهَمُخْلِصًۭالَّهُٱلدِّينَ

Say [O Muhammad]: “Behold, I am bidden to worship God, sincere in my faith in Him alone;

وَأُمِرْتُلِأَنْأَكُونَأَوَّلَٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ

and I am bidden to be foremost among those who surrender themselves unto God.”

قُلْإِنِّىٓأَخَافُإِنْعَصَيْتُرَبِّىعَذَابَيَوْمٍعَظِيمٍۢ

Say: “Behold, I would dread, were I to rebel against my Sustainer, the suffering [which would befall me] on that awesome Day [of Judgment].”

قُلِٱللَّهَأَعْبُدُمُخْلِصًۭالَّهُۥدِينِى

Say: “God alone do I worship, sincere in my faith in Him alone -

فَٱعْبُدُوا۟مَاشِئْتُممِّندُونِهِۦقُلْإِنَّٱلْخَٰسِرِينَٱلَّذِينَخَسِرُوٓا۟أَنفُسَهُمْوَأَهْلِيهِمْيَوْمَٱلْقِيَٰمَةِأَلَاذَٰلِكَهُوَٱلْخُسْرَانُٱلْمُبِينُ

and [it is up to you, O sinners, to] worship whatever you please instead of Him!” Say: “Behold, the [true] losers will be they who shall have lost their own selves and their kith and kin on Resurrection Day: for is not this, this, the [most] obvious loss?

لَهُممِّنفَوْقِهِمْظُلَلٌۭمِّنَٱلنَّارِوَمِنتَحْتِهِمْظُلَلٌۭذَٰلِكَيُخَوِّفُٱللَّهُبِهِۦعِبَادَهُۥيَٰعِبَادِفَٱتَّقُونِ

Clouds of fire will they have above them, and [similar] clouds beneath them…” In this way does God imbue His servants with fear. O you servants of Mine! Be, then, conscious of Me -

وَٱلَّذِينَٱجْتَنَبُوا۟ٱلطَّٰغُوتَأَنيَعْبُدُوهَاوَأَنَابُوٓا۟إِلَىٱللَّهِلَهُمُٱلْبُشْرَىٰفَبَشِّرْعِبَادِ

seeing that for those who shun the powers of evil lest they [be tempted to] worship them, and turn unto God instead, there is the glad tiding [of happiness in the life to come]. Give, then, this glad tiding to [those of] My ser­vants

ٱلَّذِينَيَسْتَمِعُونَٱلْقَوْلَفَيَتَّبِعُونَأَحْسَنَهُۥٓأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَٱلَّذِينَهَدَىٰهُمُٱللَّهُوَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَهُمْأُو۟لُوا۟ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ

who listen [closely] to all that is said, and follow the best of it: [for] it is they whom God has graced with His guidance, and it is they who are [truly] endowed with insight!

أَفَمَنْحَقَّعَلَيْهِكَلِمَةُٱلْعَذَابِأَفَأَنتَتُنقِذُمَنفِىٱلنَّارِ

On the other hand, could one on whom [God’s] sentence of suffering has been passed [be rescued by man]? Couldst thou, perchance, save one who is [already, as it were,] in the fire?

لَٰكِنِٱلَّذِينَٱتَّقَوْا۟رَبَّهُمْلَهُمْغُرَفٌۭمِّنفَوْقِهَاغُرَفٌۭمَّبْنِيَّةٌۭتَجْرِىمِنتَحْتِهَاٱلْأَنْهَٰرُوَعْدَٱللَّهِلَايُخْلِفُٱللَّهُٱلْمِيعَادَ

As against this they who of their Sustainer are conscious shall [in the life to come] have man­sions raised upon mansions high, beneath which run­ning waters flow: [this is] God’s promise - [and] never does God fail to fulfill His promise.