Sura XLVI (46)
Al Ahkaf
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Ha.
Mim. The Revelation (sending down) of this Book is from the Mighty, the Wise!
We have
not created the Heavens and the Earth and all that is between them otherwise
than in truth and for a settled term. But they who believe not, turn away from
their warning.
Say: What think you? As for those whom you invoke
beside God, shew me what part of the earth it is which they have created? Had
they a share in the Heavens? Bring me a Book sent down by them before this
Koran, or traces of their knowledge; -- if you are men of truth.
And
who erreth more than he who, beside God, calleth upon that which shall not
answer him until the day of Resurrection? Yes, they regard not their
invocations;
And
when mankind shall be assembled together, they will become their enemies, and
ungratefully disown their worship.
And
when our clear signs are recited to them, they who believe not say of the truth
when it cometh to them, "This is plain sorcery."
Will
they say, "he hath devised It?" Say:
If I have devised the Koran, then not one single thing shall you ever obtain
for me from God! He best knoweth what you utter in its regard! Witness enough
is He between me and you! And He is the Gracious, the Merciful.
Say: I am no apostle of new doctrines: neither know I what will be done with me or you.
Only what is revealed to me do I follow, and I am only charged to warn openly.
Say: What think you? If this Book be from God, and you
believe it not, and a witness of the children of
46:10 But the infidels say of the believers,
"If it were a good Book they would not have been before us in believing it:" And not having submitted to guidance, they
proceed to say, "It is an old lying legend!"
But
before the Koran was the Book of Moses, a rule and a mercy; and this Book
confirmeth it (the Pentateuch) in the Arabic tongue -- that those who are
guilty of that wrong may be warned, and as glad tidings to the doers of good.
Assuredly
they who say, "Our Lord is God," and take the straight way to Him --
no fear shall come on them, neither shall they be put to grief:
These
shall be the inmates of Paradise to remain therein for ever, -- the recompense
of their deeds!
Moreover,
we have enjoined on man to shew kindness to his parents. With pain his mother
beareth him; with pain she bringeth him forth:
and his bearing and his weaning is thirty months; until when he attaineth his
strength, and attaineth to forty years, he saith, "O my Lord! stir me up
to be grateful for thy favours wherewith thou hast favoured me and my parents,
and to do good works which shall please thee:
and prosper me in my offspring: for to thee am
I turned, and am resigned to thy will" (am a Muslim).
These
are they from whom we will accept their best works, and whose evil works we
will pass by; among the inmates shall they be of Paradise: -- a true promise which they are promised.
But he
who saith to his parents, "Fie on you both! Promise you me that I shall be
taken forth from the grave alive, when whole generations have already passed
away before me?" But they both will implore the help of God, and say,
"Alas for thee! Believe: for the promise
of God is true." But he saith, "It is no more than a fable of the
ancients."
These
are they in whom the sentence passed on the nations, djinn and men, who
flourished before them, is made good. They shall surely perish.
And
there are grades for all, according to their works, that God may repay them for
their works; and they shall not be dealt with unfairly.
And
they who believe not shall one day be set before the fire. "You made away
your precious gifts during your life on earth; and you took your fill of
pleasure in them: This day, therefore, with
punishment of shame shall you be rewarded, for that you behaved you proudly and
unjustly on the earth, and for that you were given to excesses."
46:20 Remember, too, the brother of Ad when
he warned his people in Al Ahkaf -- and before and since his time there have
been warners -- "Worship none but God:
verily I fear for you the punishment of the great day."
They
said, "Art thou come to us to turn us away from our Gods? Bring on us now
the woes which thou threatenest if thou speakest truth."
"That
knowledge," said he, "is with God alone:
I only proclaim to you the message with which I am sent. But I perceive that
you are a people sunk in ignorance."
So
when they saw a cloud coming straight for their valleys, they said, "It is
a passing cloud that shall give us rain." "Nay, it is that whose
speedy coming you challenged -- a blast wherein is an afflictive punishment: --
It
will destroy everything at the bidding of its Lord!" And at morn nought
was to be seen but their empty dwellings! Thus repay we a wicked people.
With
power had we endued them, even as with power have we endued you; and we had
given them ears and eyes and hearts: yet
neither their eyes, nor their ears, nor their hearts aided them at all, when
once they gainsaid the signs of God; but that punishment which they had mocked
at enveloped them on all sides.
Of
old, too, did we destroy the cities which were round about you; and in order
that they might return to us, we varied our signs before them.
But
did those whom they took for gods beside God as his kindred deities, help them?
Nay, they withdrew from them. Such was their delusion, and their device!
And
remember when we turned aside a company of the djinn to thee, that they might
hearken to the Koran: and no sooner were they
present at its reading than they said to each other, "Hist;" and when
it was ended, they returned to their people with warnings.
They
said, "O our people! verily we have been listening to a book sent down
since the days of Moses, affirming the previous scriptures; it guideth to the
truth, and to the right way.
46:30 O our people! Obey the Summoner of
God, and believe in him, that He may forgive your sins, and rescue from an
afflictive punishment.
And he
who shall not respond to God's preacher, yet cannot weaken God's power on
earth, nor shall he have protectors beside Him. These are in obvious error."
See
they not that God who created the Heavens and the Earth, and was not wearied
with their creation, is of power to quicken the dead? Yea, he is for all things
Potent.
And a
day is coming when the infidels shall be set before the fire. "Is not this
it in truth?" They shall say, "Aye, by our Lord." He said,
"Taste then the punishment for that you would not believe."
Bear
thou up, then, with patience, as did the Apostles endued with firmness, and
seek not to accelerate their doom. For, on the day when they shall see that
with which they have been menaced,
It
shall be as though they had waited but an hour of the day. Enough! shall any
perish save they who transgress?