Surah Al Ahkaf

حم

Ha Mim.

تَنْزِيلُ الْكِتَابِ مِنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ

The revelation of the Book is from Allah the Exalted in Power, Full of Wisdom.

مَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى ۚ

We created not the heavens and the earth and all between them but for just ends, and for a term appointed:

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا عَمَّا أُنْذِرُوا مُعْرِضُونَ

but those who reject Faith turn away from that whereof they are warned.

قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ

Say: "Do ye see what it is ye invoke besides Allah?

أَرُونِي مَاذَا خَلَقُوا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ أَمْ لَهُمْ شِرْكٌ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ ۖ

Show me what it is they have created on earth, or have they a share in the heavens?

ائْتُونِي بِكِتَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ هَذَا أَوْ أَثَارَةٍ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

Bring me a Book (revealed) before this, or any remnant of knowledge (ye may have), if ye are telling the truth!"

وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ يَدْعُو مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَنْ لَا يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ

And who is more astray than one who invokes, besides Allah, such as will not answer him to the Day of Judgement,

وَهُمْ عَنْ دُعَائِهِمْ غَافِلُونَ

and who (in fact) are unconscious of their call (to them)?

وَإِذَا حُشِرَ النَّاسُ كَانُوا لَهُمْ أَعْدَاءً وَكَانُوا بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ كَافِرِينَ

And when mankind are gathered together (at the Resurrection), they will be hostile to them and reject their worship (altogether)!

وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ

When Our Clear Signs are rehearsed to them,

قَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ هَذَا سِحْرٌ مُبِينٌ

the Unbelievers say, of the Truth when it comes to them: "This is evident sorcery!"

أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ ۖ

Or do they say, "He has forged it"?

قُلْ إِنِ افْتَرَيْتُهُ فَلَا تَمْلِكُونَ لِي مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا ۖ

Say: "Had I forged it, then can ye obtain no single (blessing) for me from Allah.

هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تُفِيضُونَ فِيهِ ۖ

He knows best of that whereof ye talk (so glibly)!

كَفَى بِهِ شَهِيدًا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ ۖ

Enough is He for a witness between me and you! And He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

قُلْ مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلَا بِكُمْ ۖ

Say: "I am no bringer of new-fangled doctrine among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you.

إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ وَمَا أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ

I follow but that which is revealed to me by inspiration: I am but a Warner open and clear."

قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ كَانَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ وَكَفَرْتُمْ بِهِ

Say: "See ye? If (this teaching) be from Allah, and ye reject it,

وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ عَلَى مِثْلِهِ فَآمَنَ وَاسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

and a witness from among the Children of Israel testifies to its similarity (with earlier scriptures), and has believed while ye are arrogant, (how unjust ye are!)truly, Allah guides not a people unjust."

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَوْ كَانَ خَيْرًا مَا سَبَقُونَا إِلَيْهِ ۚ

The Unbelievers say of those who believe: "If (this Message) were a good thing, (such men) would not have gone to it first, before us!"

وَإِذْ لَمْ يَهْتَدُوا بِهِ فَسَيَقُولُونَ هَذَا إِفْكٌ قَدِيمٌ

and seeing that they guide not themselves thereby, they will say, "This is an (old), old falsehood!"

وَمِنْ قَبْلِهِ كِتَابُ مُوسَى إِمَامًا وَرَحْمَةً ۚ

And before this, was the Book of Moses as a guide and a mercy;

وَهَـٰذَا كِتَـٰبٌ۬ مُّصَدِّقٌ۬ لِّسَانًا عَرَبِيًّ۬ا لِّيُنذِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ وَبُشۡرَىٰ لِلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ  

and this Book confirms (it) in the Arabic tongue; to admonish the unjust, and as Glad Tidings to those who do right.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا

Verily those who say,"Our Lord is Allah," and remain firm (on that Path) --

فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

Such shall be Companions of the Garden, dwelling Therein (for aye): a recompense for their (good) deeds.

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ إِحْسَانًا ۖ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ كُرْهًا وَوَضَعَتْهُ كُرْهًا ۖ

We have enjoined on man Kindness to his parents: in pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth.

وَحَمْلُهُ وَفِصَالُهُ ثَلَاثُونَ شَهْرًا ۚ

The carrying of the (child) to his weaning is (a period of) thirty months.

حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَبَلَغَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً قَالَ

At length, when he reaches the age of full strength and attains forty years, he says,

رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَى وَالِدَيَّ

"O my Lord! grant me that I may be grateful for Thy favor which Thou hast bestowed upon me, and upon both my parents,

وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي فِي ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ

and that I may work righteousness such as Thou mayest approve; and be gracious to me in my issue.

إِنِّي تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِنِّي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

Truly have I turned to Thee and truly do I bow (to Thee) in Islam."

أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ نَتَقَبَّلُ عَنْهُمْ أَحْسَنَ مَا عَمِلُوا وَنَتَجَاوَزُ عَنْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ فِي أَصْحَابِ الْجَنَّةِ ۖ

Such are they from whom We shall accept the best of their deeds and pass by their ill deeds: (they shall be) among the Companions of the Garden:

وَعْدَ الصِّدْقِ الَّذِي كَانُوا يُوعَدُونَ

a promise of truth, which was made to them (in this life).

وَالَّذِي قَالَ لِوَالِدَيْهِ أُفٍّ لَكُمَا أَتَعِدَانِنِي أَنْ أُخْرَجَ وَقَدْ خَلَتِ الْقُرُونُ مِنْ قَبْلِي

But (there is one) who says to his parents, "Fie on you! Do ye hold out the promise to me that I shall be raised up, even though generations have passed before me (without rising again)?"

وَهُمَا يَسْتَغِيثَانِ اللَّهَ وَيْلَكَ آمِنْ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ

And they two seek Allah's aid, (and rebuke the son): "Woe to thee! have Faith! For the promise of Allah is true."

فَيَقُولُ مَا هَذَا إِلَّا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ

But he says, "This is nothing but tales of the ancients!"

أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَوْلُ فِي أُمَمٍ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ ۖ

Such are they against whom is proved the Sentence among the previous generations of Jinns and men, that have passed away;

إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا خَاسِرِينَ

for they will be (utterly) lost.

وَلِكُلٍّ دَرَجَاتٌ مِمَّا عَمِلُوا ۖ

 And to all are (assigned) degrees according to the deeds which they (have done),

وَلِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ

and in order that (Allah) may recompense their deeds, and no injustice be done to them.

وَيَوْمَ يُعْرَضُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا عَلَى النَّارِ

And on the Day that the Unbelievers will be placed before the Fire,

أَذْهَبْتُمْ طَيِّبَاتِكُمْ فِي حَيَاتِكُمُ الدُّنْيَا وَاسْتَمْتَعْتُمْ بِهَا

(it will be said to them): "Ye received your good things in the life of the world, and ye took your pleasure out of them:

فَالْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ الْهُونِ

but today shall ye be recompensed with a Penalty of humiliation:

بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَبِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَفْسُقُونَ

for that ye were arrogant on earth without just cause, and that ye (ever) transgressed."

وَاذْكُرْ أَخَا عَادٍ

Mention (Hud) one of 'Ad's (own) brethren:

إِذْ أَنْذَرَ قَوْمَهُ بِالْأَحْقَافِ وَقَدْ خَلَتِ النُّذُرُ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ

behold, he warned his people about the winding Sand-tracts: but there have been Warners before him and after him:

أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّهَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ

"Worship ye none other than Allah: truly I fear for you the Penalty of a Mighty Day."

قَالُوا أَجِئْتَنَا لِتَأْفِكَنَا عَنْ آلِهَتِنَا

They said: "Hast thou come in order to turn us aside from Our gods?

فَأْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَا إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ

Then bring upon us the (calamity) with which thou dost threaten us, if thou art telling the truth!"

قَالَ إِنَّمَا الْعِلْمُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ

He said: "The Knowledge (of when it will come) is only with Allah:

وَأُبَلِّغُكُمْ مَا أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ وَلَكِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ قَوْمًا تَجْهَلُونَ  

I proclaim to you the mission on which I have been sent: but I see that ye are a people in ignorance!"...

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ عَارِضًا مُسْتَقْبِلَ أَوْدِيَتِهِمْ قَالُوا هَذَا عَارِضٌ مُمْطِرُنَا ۚ

Then, when they saw the (Penalty in the shape of ) a cloud traversing the sky, coming to meet their valleys, they said, "This cloud will give us rain!"

بَلْ هُوَ مَا اسْتَعْجَلْتُمْ بِهِ ۖ رِيحٌ فِيهَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

"Nay, it is the (calamity) ye were asking to be hastened! -- a wind wherein is a Grievous Penalty!

تُدَمِّرُ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّهَا

"Everything will it destroy by the command of its Lord!"

 فَأَصْبَحُوا لَا يُرَى إِلَّا مَسَاكِنُهُمْ ۚ

Then by the morning they -- nothing was to be seen but (the ruins of) their houses!

كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْقَوْمَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ

Thus do We recompense those given to sin!

وَلَقَدْ مَكَّنَّاهُمْ فِيمَا إِنْ مَكَّنَّاكُمْ فِيهِ

And We had firmly established them in a (prosperity and) power which We have not given to you (ye Quraish!)

وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ سَمْعًا وَأَبْصَارًا وَأَفْئِدَةً

and We had endowed them with (faculties of) hearing, seeing, heart and intellect:

فَمَا أَغْنَى عَنْهُمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَلَا أَبْصَارُهُمْ وَلَا أَفْئِدَتُهُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِذْ كَانُوا يَجْحَدُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ

but of no profit to them were their (faculties of) hearing, sight, and heart and intellect, when they went on rejecting the Signs of Allah;

وَحَاقَ بِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

and they were (completely) encircled by that which they used to mock at!

وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا مَا حَوْلَكُمْ مِنَ الْقُرَى

We destroyed aforetime populations round about you;

وَصَرَّفْنَا الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

and We have shown the Signs in various ways, that they may turn (to Us).

فَلَوْلَا نَصَرَهُمُ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ قُرْبَانًا آلِهَةً ۖ

Why then was no help forthcoming to them from those whom they worshipped as gods, besides Allah, as a means of access (to Allah)?

بَلْ ضَلُّوا عَنْهُمْ ۚ

Nay, they left them in the lurch:

وَذَلِكَ إِفْكُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ

but that was their Falsehood and their invention.

وَإِذْ صَرَفْنَا إِلَيْكَ نَفَرًا مِنَ الْجِنِّ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقُرْآنَ

Behold, We turned towards thee a company of Jinns (quietly) listening to the Qur'án:

فَلَمَّا حَضَرُوهُ قَالُوا أَنْصِتُوا ۖ

when they stood in the presence thereof, they said, "Listen in silence!"

فَلَمَّا قُضِيَ وَلَّوْا إِلَى قَوْمِهِمْ مُنْذِرِينَ

When the (reading) was finished, they returned to their people, to warn (them of their sins).

قَالُوا يَا قَوْمَنَا إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا كِتَابًا أُنْزِلَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مُوسَى مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ

They said, "O our people! We have heard a Book revealed after Moses, confirming what came before it:

يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ وَإِلَى طَرِيقٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ

it guides (men) to the Truth and to a Straight Path.

يَا قَوْمَنَا أَجِيبُوا دَاعِيَ اللَّهِ وَآمِنُوا بِهِ

"O our people, hearken to the one who invites (you) to Allah, and believe in him:

يَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ مِنْ ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُجِرْكُمْ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

He will forgive you your faults, and deliver you from a Penalty Grievous.

وَمَنْ لَا يُجِبْ دَاعِيَ اللَّهِ فَلَيْسَ بِمُعْجِزٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءُ ۚ

"If any does not hearken to the one who invites (Us) to Allah, he cannot frustrate (Allah's Plan) on earth, and no protectors can he have besides Allah:

أُولَئِكَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ  

such men (wander) in manifest error."

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَلَمْ يَعْيَ بِخَلْقِهِنَّ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَى أَنْ يُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتَى ۚ

See they not that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, and never wearied with their creation, is able to give life to the dead?

بَلَى إِنَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Yea, verily He has power over all things.

وَيَوْمَ يُعْرَضُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا عَلَى النَّارِ

And on the Day that the Unbelievers will be placed before the Fire,

أَلَيْسَ هَذَا بِالْحَقِّ ۖ

(they will be asked,) "Is this not the Truth?"

قَالُوا بَلَى وَرَبِّنَا ۚ

They will say, "Yea, by our Lord!"

قَالَ فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ

(One will say:) "Then taste ye the Penalty, for that ye were wont to deny (Truth)!"

فَاصْبِرْ كَمَا صَبَرَ أُولُو الْعَزْمِ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ وَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلْ لَهُمْ ۚ

كَأَنَّهُمْ يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَ مَا يُوعَدُونَ لَمْ يَلْبَثُوا إِلَّا سَاعَةً مِنْ نَهَارٍ ۚ

On the Day that they see the (Punishment) promised them, (it will be) as if they had not tarried more than an hour in a single day.

بَلَاغٌ ۚ

(Thine but) to proclaim the Message:

فَهَلْ يُهْلَكُ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

but shall any be destroyed except those who transgress?

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