1. Praise be to Allah,
Who hath sent to His Servant the
Book, and hath allowed therein
no Crookedness:
2. (He hath made it) Straight
(and Clear) in order that He may
warn (the godless) of a terrible
Punishment from Him, and that He
may give Glad Tidings to the
Believers who work righteous
deeds, that they shall have a
goodly Reward,
3. Wherein they shall remain for
ever:
4. Further, that He may warn
those (also) who say, "(Allah)
hath begotten a son":
5. No knowledge have they of
such a thing, nor had their
fathers. It is a grievous thing
that issues from their mouths as
a saying what they say is
nothing but falsehood!
6. Thou wouldst only, perchance,
fret thyself to death, following
after them, in grief, if they
believe not in this Message.
7. That which is on earth we
have made but as a glittering
show for the earth, in order
that We may test them - as to
which of them are best in
conduct.
8. Verily what is on earth we
shall make but as dust and dry
soil (without growth or
herbage).
9. Or dost thou reflect that the
Companions of the Cave and of
the Inscription were wonders
among Our Sign?
10. Behold, the youths betook
themselves to the Cave: they
said, "Our Lord! bestow on us
Mercy from Thyself, and dispose
of our affair for us in the
right way!"
11. Then We draw (a veil) over
their ears, for a number of
years, in the Cave, (so that
they heard not):
12. Then We roused them, in
order to test which of the two
parties was best at calculating
the term of years they had
tarried!
13. We relate to thee their
story in truth: they were youths
who believed in their Lord, and
We advanced them in guidance:
14. We gave strength to their
hearts: Behold, they stood up
and said: "Our Lord is the Lord
of the heavens and of the earth:
never shall we call upon any god
other than Him: if we did, we
should indeed have uttered an
enormity!
15. "These our people have taken
for worship gods other than Him:
why do they not bring forward an
authority clear (and convincing)
for what they do? Who doth more
wrong than such as invent a
falsehood against Allah.
16. "When ye turn away from them
and the things they worship
other than Allah, betake
yourselves to the Cave: Your
Lord will shower His mercies on
you and disposes of your affair
towards comfort and ease."
17. Thou wouldst have seen the
sun, when it rose, declining to
the right from their Cave, and
when it set, turning away from
them to the left, while they lay
in the open space in the midst
of the Cave. Such are among the
Signs of Allah. He whom Allah,
guides is rightly guided; but he
whom Allah leaves to stray,- for
him wilt thou find no protector
to lead him to the Right Way.
18. Thou wouldst have deemed
them awake, whilst they were
asleep, and We turned them on
their right and on their left
sides: their dog stretching
forth his two fore-legs on the
threshold: if thou hadst come up
on to them, thou wouldst have
certainly turned back from them
in flight, and wouldst certainly
have been filled with terror of
them.
19. Such (being their state), we
raised them up (from sleep),
that they might question each
other. Said one of them, "How
long have ye stayed (here)?"
They said, "We have stayed
(perhaps) a day, or part of a
day." (At length) they (all)
said, "(Allah) (alone) knows
best how long ye have stayed
here.... Now send ye then one of
you with this money of yours to
the town: let him find out which
is the best food (to be had) and
bring some to you, that (ye may)
satisfy your hunger therewith:
And let him behave with care and
courtesy, and let him not inform
any one about you.
20. "For if they should come
upon you, they would stone you
or force you to return to their
cult, and in that case ye would
never attain prosperity."
21. Thus did We make their case
known to the people, that they
might know that the promise of
Allah is true, and that there
can be no doubt about the Hour
of Judgment. Behold, they
dispute among themselves as to
their affair. (Some) said,
"Construct a building over
them": Their Lord knows best
about them: those who prevailed
over their affair said, "Let us
surely build a place of worship
over them."
22. (Some) say they were three,
the dog being the fourth among
them; (others) say they were
five, the dog being the sixth,-
doubtfully guessing at the
unknown; (yet others) say they
were seven, the dog being the
eighth. Say thou: "My Lord
knoweth best their number; It is
but few that know their (real
case)." Enter not, therefore,
into controversies concerning
them, except on a matter that is
clear, nor consult any of them
about (the affair of) the
Sleepers.
23. Nor say of anything, "I
shall be sure to do so and so
tomorrow"-
24. Without adding, "So please
Allah." and call thy Lord to
mind when thou forgettest, and
say, "I hope that my Lord will
guide me ever closer (even) than
this to the right road."
25. So they stayed in their Cave
three hundred years, and (some)
add nine (more)
26. Say: "(Allah) knows best how
long they stayed: with Him is
(the knowledge of) the secrets
of the heavens and the earth:
how clearly He sees, how finely
He hears (everything)! They have
no protector other than Him; nor
does He share His Command with
any person whatsoever.
27. And recite (and teach) what
has been revealed to thee of the
Book of thy Lord: none can
change His Words, and none wilt
thou find as a refuge other than
Him.
28. And keep thy soul content
with those who call on their
Lord morning and evening,
seeking His Face; and let not
thine eyes pass beyond them,
seeking the pomp and glitter of
this Life; no obey any whose
heart We have permitted to
neglect the remembrance of Us,
one who follows his own desires,
whose case has gone beyond all
bounds.
29. Say, "The truth is from your
Lord": Let him who will believe,
and let him who will, reject
(it): for the wrong-doers We
have prepared a Fire whose
(smoke and flames), like the
walls and roof of a tent, will
hem them in: if they implore
relief they will be granted
water like melted brass, that
will scald their faces, how
dreadful the drink! How
uncomfortable a couch to recline
on!
30. As to those who believe and
work righteousness, verily We
shall not suffer to perish the
reward of any who do a (single)
righteous deed.
31. For them will be Gardens of
Eternity; beneath them rivers
will flow; they will be adorned
therein with bracelets of gold,
and they will wear green
garments of fine silk and heavy
brocade: They will recline
therein on raised thrones. How
good the recompense! How
beautiful a couch to recline on!
32. Set forth to them the
parable of two men: for one of
them We provided two gardens of
grape-vines and surrounded them
with date palms; in between the
two We placed corn-fields.
33. Each of those gardens
brought forth its produce, and
failed not in the least therein:
in the midst of them We caused a
river to flow.
34. (Abundant) was the produce
this man had : he said to his
companion, in the course of a
mutual argument: "more wealth
have I than you, and more honour
and power in (my following of)
men."
35. He went into his garden in a
state (of mind) unjust to his
soul: He said, "I deem not that
this will ever perish,
36. "Nor do I deem that the Hour
(of Judgment) will (ever) come:
Even if I am brought back to my
Lord, I shall surely find
(there) something better in
exchange."
37. His companion said to him,
in the course of the argument
with him: "Dost thou deny Him
Who created thee out of dust,
then out of a sperm-drop, then
fashioned thee into a man?
38. "But (I think) for my part
that He is Allah, My Lord, and
none shall I associate with my
Lord.
39. "Why didst thou not, as thou
wentest into thy garden, say: '(Allah)'s
will (be done)! There is no
power but with Allah.' If thou
dost see me less than thee in
wealth and sons,
40. "It may be that my Lord will
give me something better than
thy garden, and that He will
send on thy garden thunderbolts
(by way of reckoning) from
heaven, making it (but) slippery
sand!-
41. "Or the water of the garden
will run off underground so that
thou wilt never be able to find
it."
42. So his fruits (and
enjoyment) were encompassed
(with ruin), and he remained
twisting and turning his hands
over what he had spent on his
property, which had (now)
tumbled to pieces to its very
foundations, and he could only
say, "Woe is me! Would I had
never ascribed partners to my
Lord and Cherisher!"
43. Nor had he numbers to help
him against Allah, nor was he
able to deliver himself.
44. There, the (only) protection
comes from Allah, the True One.
He is the Best to reward, and
the Best to give success.
45. Set forth to them the
similitude of the life of this
world: It is like the rain which
we send down from the skies: the
earth's vegetation absorbs it,
but soon it becomes dry stubble,
which the winds do scatter: it
is (only) Allah who prevails
over all things.
46. Wealth and sons are
allurements of the life of this
world: But the things that
endure, good deeds, are best in
the sight of thy Lord, as
rewards, and best as (the
foundation for) hopes.
47. One Day We shall remove the
mountains, and thou wilt see the
earth as a level stretch, and We
shall gather them, all together,
nor shall We leave out any one
of them.
48. And they will be marshalled
before thy Lord in ranks, (with
the announcement), "Now have ye
come to Us (bare) as We created
you first: aye, ye thought We
shall not fulfil the appointment
made to you to meet (Us)!":
49. And the Book (of Deeds) will
be placed (before you); and thou
wilt see the sinful in great
terror because of what is
(recorded) therein; they will
say, "Ah! woe to us! what a Book
is this! It leaves out nothing
small or great, but takes
account thereof!" They will find
all that they did, placed before
them: And not one will thy Lord
treat with injustice.
50. Behold! We said to the
angels, "Bow down to Adam": They
bowed down except Iblis. He was
one of the Jinns, and he broke
the Command of his Lord. Will ye
then take him and his progeny as
protectors rather than Me? And
they are enemies to you! Evil
would be the exchange for the
wrong-doers!
51. I called them not to witness
the creation of the heavens and
the earth, nor (even) their own
creation: nor is it for helpers
such as Me to take as lead (men)
astray!
52. One Day He will say, "Call
on those whom ye thought to be
My partners," and they will call
on them, but they will not
listen to them; and We shall
make for them a place of common
perdition.
53. And the Sinful shall see the
fire and apprehend that they
have to fall therein: no means
will they find to turn away
therefrom.
54. We have explained in detail
in this Qur'an, for the benefit
of mankind, every kind of
similitude: but man is, in most
things, contentious.
55. And what is there to keep
back men from believing, now
that Guidance has come to them,
nor from praying for forgiveness
from their Lord, but that (they
ask that) the ways of the
ancients be repeated with them,
or the Wrath be brought to them
face to face?
56. We only send the apostles to
give Glad Tidings and to give
warnings: But the unbelievers
dispute with vain argument, in
order therewith to weaken the
truth, and they treat My Signs
as a jest, as also the fact that
they are warned!
57. And who doth more wrong than
one who is reminded of the Signs
of his Lord, but turns away from
them, forgetting the (deeds)
which his hands have sent forth?
Verily We have set veils over
their hearts lest they should
understand this, and over their
ears, deafness, if thou callest
them to guidance, even then will
they never accept guidance.
58. But your Lord is Most
forgiving, full of Mercy. If He
were to call them (at once) to
account for what they have
earned, then surely He would
have earned, then surely He
would have hastened their
punishment: but they have their
appointed time, beyond which
they will find no refuge.
59. Such were the populations we
destroyed when they committed
iniquities; but we fixed an
appointed time for their
destruction.
60. Behold, Moses said to his
attendant, "I will not give up
until I reach the junction of
the two seas or (until) I spend
years and years in travel."
61. But when they reached the
Junction, they forgot (about)
their Fish, which took its
course through the sea
(straight) as in a tunnel.
62. When they had passed on
(some distance), Moses said to
his attendant: "Bring us our
early meal; truly we have
suffered much fatigue at this
(stage of) our journey."
63. He replied: "Sawest thou
(what happened) when we betook
ourselves to the rock? I did
indeed forget (about) the Fish:
none but Satan made me forget to
tell (you) about it: it took its
course through the sea in a
marvellous way!"
64. Moses said: "That was what
we were seeking after:" So they
went back on their footsteps,
following (the path they had
come).
65. So they found one of Our
servants, on whom We had
bestowed Mercy from Ourselves
and whom We had taught knowledge
from Our own Presence.
66. Moses said to him: "May I
follow thee, on the footing that
thou teach me something of the
(Higher) Truth which thou hast
been taught?"
67. (The other) said: "Verily
thou wilt not be able to have
patience with me!"
68. "And how canst thou have
patience about things about
which thy understanding is not
complete?"
69. Moses said: "Thou wilt find
me, if Allah so will, (truly)
patient: nor shall I disobey
thee in aught."
70. The other said: "If then
thou wouldst follow me, ask me
no questions about anything
until I myself speak to thee
concerning it."
71. So they both proceeded:
until, when they were in the
boat, he scuttled it. Said
Moses: "Hast thou scuttled it in
order to drown those in it?
Truly a strange thing hast thou
done!"
72. He answered: "Did I not tell
thee that thou canst have no
patience with me?"
73. Moses said: "Rebuke me not
for forgetting, nor grieve me by
raising difficulties in my
case."
74. Then they proceeded: until,
when they met a young man, he
slew him. Moses said: "Hast thou
slain an innocent person who had
slain none? Truly a foul
(unheard of) thing hast thou
done!"
75. He answered: "Did I not tell
thee that thou canst have no
patience with me?"
76. (Moses) said: "If ever I ask
thee about anything after this,
keep me not in thy company: then
wouldst thou have received
(full) excuse from my side."
77. Then they proceeded: until,
when they came to the
inhabitants of a town, they
asked them for food, but they
refused them hospitality. They
found there a wall on the point
of falling down, but he set it
up straight. (Moses) said: "If
thou hadst wished, surely thou
couldst have exacted some
recompense for it!"
78. He answered: "This is the
parting between me and thee: now
will I tell thee the
interpretation of (those things)
over which thou wast unable to
hold patience.
79. "As for the boat, it
belonged to certain men in dire
want: they plied on the water: I
but wished to render it
unserviceable, for there was
after them a certain king who
seized on every boat by force.
80. "As for the youth, his
parents were people of Faith,
and we feared that he would
grieve them by obstinate
rebellion and ingratitude (to
Allah and man).
81. "So we desired that their
Lord would give them in exchange
(a son) better in purity (of
conduct) and closer in
affection.
82. "As for the wall, it
belonged to two youths, orphans,
in the Town; there was, beneath
it, a buried treasure, to which
they were entitled: their father
had been a righteous man: So thy
Lord desired that they should
attain their age of full
strength and get out their
treasure - a mercy (and favour)
from thy Lord. I did it not of
my own accord. Such is the
interpretation of (those things)
over which thou wast unable to
hold patience."
83. They ask thee concerning
Zul-qarnain. Say, "I will
rehearse to you something of his
story."
84. Verily We established his
power on earth, and We gave him
the ways and the means to all
ends.
85. One (such) way he followed,
86. Until, when he reached the
setting of the sun, he found it
set in a spring of murky water:
Near it he found a People: We
said: "O Zul-qarnain! (thou hast
authority,) either to punish
them, or to treat them with
kindness."
87. He said: "Whoever doth
wrong, him shall we punish; then
shall he be sent back to his
Lord; and He will punish him
with a punishment unheard-of
(before).
88. "But whoever believes, and
works righteousness,- he shall
have a goodly reward, and easy
will be his task as We order it
by our Command."
89. Then followed he (another)
way,
90. Until, when he came to the
rising of the sun, he found it
rising on a people for whom We
had provided no covering
protection against the sun.
91. (He left them) as they were:
We completely understood what
was before him.
92. Then followed he (another)
way,
93. Until, when he reached (a
tract) between two mountains, he
found, beneath them, a people
who scarcely understood a word.
94. They said: "O Zul-qarnain!
the Gog and Magog (People) do
great mischief on earth: shall
we then render thee tribute in
order that thou mightest erect a
barrier between us and them?
95. He said: "(The power) in
which my Lord has established me
is better (than tribute): Help
me therefore with strength (and
labour): I will erect a strong
barrier between you and them:
96. "Bring me blocks of iron."
At length, when he had filled up
the space between the two steep
mountain-sides, He said, "Blow
(with your bellows)" Then, when
he had made it (red) as fire, he
said: "Bring me, that I may pour
over it, molten lead."
97. Thus were they made
powerless to scale it or to dig
through it.
98. He said: "This is a mercy
from my Lord: But when the
promise of my Lord comes to
pass, He will make it into dust;
and the promise of my Lord is
true."
99. On that day We shall leave
them to surge like waves on one
another: the trumpet will be
blown, and We shall collect them
all together.
100. And We shall present Hell
that day for Unbelievers to see,
all spread out,-
101. (Unbelievers) whose eyes
had been under a veil from
remembrance of Me, and who had
been unable even to hear.
102. Do the Unbelievers think
that they can take My servants
as protectors besides Me? Verily
We have prepared Hell for the
Unbelievers for (their)
entertainment.
103. Say: "Shall we tell you of
those who lose most in respect
of their deeds?-
104. "Those whose efforts have
been wasted in this life, while
they thought that they were
acquiring good by their works?"
105. They are those who deny the
Signs of their Lord and the fact
of their having to meet Him (in
the Hereafter): vain will be
their works, nor shall We, on
the Day of Judgment, give them
any weight.
106. That is their reward, Hell,
because they rejected Faith, and
took My Signs and My Messengers
by way of jest.
107. As to those who believe and
work righteous deeds, they have,
for their entertainment, the
Gardens of Paradise,
108. Wherein they shall dwell
(for aye): no change will they
wish for from them.
109. Say: "If the ocean were ink
(wherewith to write out) the
words of my Lord, sooner would
the ocean be exhausted than
would the words of my Lord, even
if we added another ocean like
it, for its aid."
110. Say: "I am but a man like
yourselves, (but) the
inspiration has come to me, that
your Allah is one Allah. whoever
expects to meet his Lord, let
him work righteousness, and, in
the worship of his Lord, admit
no one as partner. |