Juz 26

Ha-Meem. (Alphabets of the Arabic language – Allah, and to whomever He reveals, know their precise meanings.)

The sending down of this Book is from Allah the Most Honourable, the Wise.

We did not create the heavens and the earth and all that is between them except with the truth, and for a fixed term; and the disbelievers have turned away from what they are warned!

Proclaim, (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “What is your opinion – regarding those whom you worship other than Allah – show me which part of the earth they have created, or do they own any portion of the heavens? Bring to me a Book preceding this (Qur’an), or some remnants of knowledge, if you are truthful.”

And who is more astray than one who worships those, instead of Allah, who cannot listen to their prayer until* the Day of Resurrection, and who do not even know of their worship! (Will never listen.)

And on the day when people are gathered, they will become their enemies, and will reject their worshippers. (The idols will give testimony against the polytheists.)

And when Our clear verses are recited to them, the disbelievers say regarding the Truth that has come to them, “This is an obvious magic!”

What! They dare say, “He has fabricated it”? Say (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “If I have fabricated it, then (I know that) you have no power to support me against Allah; He well knows the matters you are involved in; He is Sufficient as a Witness between me and you; and He only is the Oft Forgiving, the Most Merciful.”

Say, “I am not something new* among the Noble Messengers, nor do I know (on my own) what will happen to me** or with you; I only follow that which is divinely revealed to me, and I am purely a Herald of clear warning. (* I am like the earlier ones. ** My knowledge comes due to divine revelations.)

Say, “What is your opinion – if the Qur’an is from Allah and you have rejected faith in it, and a witness among the Descendants of Israel has already testified upon this and accepted faith, while you became arrogant? Indeed Allah does not guide the unjust.”

And the disbelievers said regarding the Muslims, “If there were any good in it, the Muslims would not have surpassed us in achieving it!”; and since they did not receive guidance with it, they will now say, “This is an old slander.”

And whereas before this exists the Book of Moosa, a guide and a mercy; and this is a Book giving testimony, in the Arabic language, to warn the unjust; and to give glad tidings to the virtuous.

Indeed those who said, “Allah is our Lord”, and then remained steadfast – upon them is neither any fear nor shall they grieve.

They are the People of Paradise, abiding in it forever; the reward of their deeds.

And We have commanded man to be good towards parents; his mother bore him with hardship, and delivered him with hardship; and carrying him and weaning him is for thirty months; until when he* reached maturity and became forty years of age, he said, “My Lord! Inspire me to be thankful for the favours you bestowed upon me and my parents, and that I may perform the deeds pleasing to You, and keep merit among my offspring; I have inclined towards you and I am a Muslim.” (* This verse was revealed concerning S. Abu Bakr – the first caliph, R. A. A)

These are the ones whose good deeds We will accept, and overlook their shortfalls – among the People of Paradise; a true promise which is being given to them.

And the one who said to his parents, “Uff – I am fed up with both of you! What! You promise me that I will be raised again whereas generations have passed away before me?” And they both seek Allah’s help and say to him, “May you be ruined, accept faith! Indeed Allah’s promise is true”; he therefore answers, “This is nothing except stories of former people.”

It is these upon whom the Word has proved true, among the nations that passed away before them, of jinns and men; indeed they were losers.

And for all persons are ranks according to their deeds; and so that He may repay them in full for their deeds, and they will not be wronged.

And on the day when the disbelievers will be presented upon the fire; it will be said to them, “You have wasted your portion of the good things in the life of this world and enjoyed them; so this day you will be repaid with the disgraceful punishment, the recompense of your wrongfully priding yourself in the land, and because you used to disobey.”

And remember the fellowman of the tribe of A’ad; when he warned his nation in the Ahqaf* – and indeed Heralds of warning passed away before and after him – that, “Do not worship anyone except Allah; indeed I fear the punishment of a Great Day upon you. (* A country among sand dunes.)

They said, “Have you come to us in order to turn us away from our Gods? Therefore bring upon us what you promise us, if you are truthful.”

He said, “Its knowledge is only with Allah; and I convey to you the messages of my Lord, but I perceive that you are an ignorant nation.”

So when they saw the punishment coming towards their valleys, spread like a cloud on the horizon, they said, “That is a cloud which will shower rain upon us”; said Hud “In fact this is what you were being impatient for; a windstorm carrying a painful punishment.”

“That destroys all things by the command of its Lord” – so at morning none could be seen except their empty houses; this is the sort of punishment We mete out to the guilty.

And We had indeed given them the means which We have not given you, and made ears and eyes and hearts for them; so their ears and eyes and hearts did not benefit them at all because they used to deny the signs of Allah, and the punishment they used to mock at encompassed them.

And We indeed destroyed townships surrounding you, and brought several signs so that they may desist.

So why did they – the ones whom they had chosen as Gods as a means of attaining Allah’s proximity – not help them? In fact the disbelievers lost them; and this is just their slander and fabrication.

And when We sent a number of jinns towards you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), listening attentively to the Qur’an; so when they presented themselves there, they said to each other, “Listen quietly!”; and when the recitation finished, they turned back to their people, giving them warning.

They said, “O our people! We have indeed heard a Book, sent down after Moosa, which confirms the Books preceding it, and guides towards the Truth and the Straight Path.”

“O our people! Listen to Allah’s caller and accept faith in Him, so that He may forgive you some of your sins and save you from the painful punishment.”

“And whoever does not listen to Allah’s caller cannot escape in the earth, and he has no supporters against Allah; they are in open error.”

Have they not realised that Allah, Who did not tire in creating the heavens and the earth and in creating them, is Able to revive the dead? Surely yes, why not? Indeed He is Able to do all things.

And on the day when the disbelievers are presented upon the fire; it will be said, “Is this not a reality?” They will answer, “By oath of our Lord, surely yes, why not?”; it will be said, “Therefore taste the punishment, the recompense of your disbelief.”

Therefore patiently endure (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) like the courageous Noble Messengers had endured, and do not be impatient for them; on the day when they see what they are promised, it will be as if they had not stayed on earth except part of a day; this is to be conveyed; will anyone be destroyed, except the disobedient?

Allah has destroyed the deeds of those who disbelieved and prevented from Allah’s way.

And those who accepted faith and did good deeds and believed in what has been sent down upon Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon him) – and that is the truth from their Lord – Allah has relieved them of some of their evils and refined their condition.

This is because the disbelievers followed falsehood and the believers followed the Truth which is from their Lord; this is how Allah illustrates the examples of people to them.

So when you confront the disbelievers, strike at their necks; until when you have slain them in plenty, tie them up firmly; then after that, you may either release them as a favour or take ransom, until the war lays down its ordeal; this is it; and had Allah willed He Himself could have taken revenge from them, but this is to test some of you with others; and Allah will surely never waste the deeds of those who were killed in His way.

He will soon guide them (towards Paradise) and make them succeed.

And He will admit them into Paradise – they have been made familiar with it.

O People who Believe! If you help the religion of Allah, He will help you and will stabilise you.

And for those who disbelieve – may they be ruined, and may Allah destroy all their deeds!

This is because they disliked what Allah has sent down – He has therefore squandered all their deeds.

So did they not travel in the land to see what sort of fate befell those who preceded them? Allah poured ruin upon them; and for the disbelievers are several like it.

This is because Allah is the Supporter of the believers, whereas the disbelievers do not have any supporter.

Allah will indeed admit those who believed and did good deeds into Gardens beneath which rivers flow; and the disbelievers enjoy, and they eat like the cattle eat, and their destination is in the fire.

And many a township existed which was stronger than your town (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) – those who removed you from your town – We destroyed them, so they do not have a supporter!

So will one who is upon on a clear proof from his Lord, ever be like any of those whose evil deeds are made to appear good to them and they follow their own desires?

A description of the Garden which is promised to the pious; in it are rivers of water which shall never pollute; and rivers of milk the taste of which shall never change; and rivers of wine delicious to drink; and rivers of purified honey; and in it for them are fruits of all kinds, and the forgiveness of their Lord; so will such ever be equal to those who are to stay in the fire for ever and who will be given boiling water to drink so that it tears their guts apart?

And among them are some who listen to what you say; until when they go away from you, they say to those who have been given knowledge, “What did he say now?”; they are those whose hearts Allah has sealed, and they follow their own desires.

And those who attained the right path – Allah increases the guidance for them and bestows their piety to them.

So what are they waiting for, except that the Last Day suddenly come upon them? For its signs have already appeared; so when it does come, of what use is their realising it?

Therefore know (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and seek the forgiveness of sins of your close ones and for the common believing men and women; and Allah knows your movements during the day and your resting during the night.

And the Muslims say, “Why was not a chapter sent down?” So when a positive chapter was sent down, and war was commanded in it, you will see those in whose hearts is a disease looking at you with the dazed looks of a dying man; so it would be better for them. –

To obey and speak good; so when the manifest command came – it would have been better for them if they had remained faithful to Allah.

So do you* portray that if you get governance, you would spread chaos in the land and sever your relations? (* The hypocrites)

It is these whom Allah has cursed, so He made them deaf to the Truth and blinded their eyes.

So do they not ponder the Qur’an deeply, or are there locks on some of their hearts?

Indeed those who turn back after the guidance had become clear to them – Satan has deceived them; and made them optimistic of living for ages.

This is because they said to those who dislike what Allah has sent down, “We will obey you regarding one matter*”; and Allah knows their secrets. (* To fight against the Holy Prophet).

So how (dreadful) will it be when the angels remove their souls, striking at their faces and their backs!

This is because they followed the matter which displeases Allah, and they disliked what pleases Him – He therefore squandered away all their deeds.

What! Do they, in whose hearts is a disease, fancy that Allah will not expose concealed enmities?

And if We will, We can show them to you so that you may recognise them by their faces; and you will surely recognise them by the way they talk; and Allah knows your deeds.

And We shall indeed test you until We make known the warriors and the steadfast among you – and to test your proclamations.

Indeed those who disbelieved and prevented others from Allah’s way, and opposed the Noble Messenger after the guidance had become clear to them – they cannot harm Allah in the least; and soon He will squander away their deeds.

O People who Believe! Obey Allah and obey the Noble Messenger, and do not render your deeds void.

Indeed those who disbelieved and prevented others from Allah’s way, and then died as disbelievers – so Allah will never forgive them.

Therefore do not relax, nor call towards truce by yourself; and it is you who will dominate; and Allah is with you, and He will never cause a loss in your deeds.

The worldly life is just a sport and pastime; and if you accept faith and be pious, He will bestow your rewards to you, and not at all ask you for your wealth.

Were He to ask it from you, and ask in plenty, you would be miserly, and the miserliness would expose the filth within your hearts.

Yes, undoubtedly it is you who are being called, that you may spend in Allah’s way; so some among you act miserly; and whoever is miserly, is being a miser upon himself; and Allah is the Independent (Wealthy – Not requiring anything), whereas you all are needy; and if you renege, He will replace you with other people – and they will not be like you.

We have indeed, for your sake (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), bestowed a clear victory.

So that Allah may forgive, for your sake, the sins of those before you and those after you, and complete His favours upon you, and to show you the Straight Path.

And so that Allah may provide you a great help.

It is He Who instilled peace in the hearts of the believers, so that it may increase their strength of conviction; and to Allah only belong the armies of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is All Knowing, Wise.

In order to admit the believing men and believing women into Gardens beneath which rivers flow, in which they will abide, and to relieve them of their misdeeds; and this, in Allah’s sight, is the greatest success.

And to punish the hypocrite men and hypocrite women, and the polytheist men and polytheist women, who think evilly about Allah; upon them only is the evil cycle of misfortune; and Allah has wreaked anger upon them, and has cursed them, and has prepared hell for them; and what an evil destination.

And to Allah only belong the armies of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is Most Honourable, Wise.

We have indeed sent you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) as a present witness and a Herald of glad tidings and warnings. (The Holy Prophet is a witness from Allah.)

In order that you, O people, may accept faith in Allah and His Noble Messenger, and honour and revere the Noble Messenger; and may say the Purity of Allah, morning and evening. (To honour the Holy Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – is part of faith. To disrespect him is blasphemy.)

Those who swear allegiance to you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), do indeed in fact swear allegiance to Allah; Allah's Hand* of Power is above their hands; so whoever breaches his oath, has breached his own greater promise; and whoever fulfils the covenant he has with Allah – so very soon Allah will bestow upon him a great reward. (Used as a metaphor.)

The ignorant ones who had stayed behind will now say to you, “Our wealth and our families prevented us from going by keeping us pre-occupied, therefore seek forgiveness for us”; they utter with their tongues what is not in their hearts; say, “So does anyone have any control over you against Allah, if He wills to harm you or provide you benefit? In fact Allah is Aware of what you do.”

“Rather you had assumed that the Noble Messenger and the Muslims will never return to their homes, and you thought this as good within your hearts, whereas you had thought evilly; and you were a people about to be ruined.”

And whoever does not accept faith in Allah and His Noble Messenger – We have indeed kept prepared a blazing fire for disbelievers.

And for Allah only is the kingship of the heavens and the earth; He may forgive whomever He wills, and punish whomever He wills; and Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Those who had stayed behind will now say, “When you go to receive the war booty, let us also go with you”; they wish to change the Words of Allah; say “You shall never come with us – this is already decreed by Allah”; so they will now say, “But rather you envy us”; in fact they never understood except a little.

Say to the ignorant who stayed behind, “You will soon be called against a nation of great military strength – to fight against them or that they become Muslims; so if you obey, Allah will give you an excellent reward; and if you turn away, the way you had turned away before, He will mete out a painful punishment to you.”

There is no reproach upon the blind, nor reproach against the lame, nor reproach upon the sick; and whoever obeys Allah and His Noble Messenger – Allah will admit him into Gardens beneath which rivers flow; and whoever turns away – He will mete out a painful punishment to him.

Indeed Allah was truly pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance to you beneath the tree – so He knew what was in their hearts – He therefore sent down peace upon them, and rewarded them with an imminent victory.

And plenty of war booty, to take; and Allah is Most Honourable, Wise.

Allah has promised you plenty of booty which you will take, and has bestowed this to you quickly, and restrained peoples’ hands from you; and in order that it may be a sign for the believers, and to guide you on the Straight Path.

And one more, not within your capacity, is within Allah’s hold; and Allah is Able to do all things.

And if the disbelievers were to fight you, they will turn away and flee, and then they will not find any supporter nor any aide.

The tradition of Allah, ongoing since before; and you will not find the tradition of Allah changing.

And it is He Who restrained their hands from you, and your hands from them in the valley of Mecca, after having given you control over them; and Allah sees all what you do.

It was these who disbelieved and prevented you from the Sacred Mosque, and stopped the sacrificial animals from reaching their place; and were it not for some Muslim men and Muslim women, whom you do not know – lest you may crush them and unintentionally incur some violation due to them – Allah would have permitted you to slay them; this relief for them, is so that Allah may admit into His mercy whomever He wills; and had they been separated, We would have indeed punished the disbelievers among them with a painful punishment.

Whereas the disbelievers had set up in their hearts an obstinacy – the same obstinacy of the days of ignorance – so Allah sent down His solace upon His Noble Messenger and upon the believers, and decreed upon them the words of piety, and they were more deserving and suitable for it; and Allah is the All Knowing.

Allah has indeed made the truthful dream of His Noble Messenger, come true; indeed you will all enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills, in safety – with your heads shaven or hair cut short – without fear; so He knows what you do not know, and has therefore ordained another imminent victory before this.

It is He Who has sent His Noble Messenger with the guidance and the true religion, in order to make it prevail over all other religions; and Allah is sufficient as a Witness. (The Holy Prophet is a light from Allah.)

Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon him) is the Noble Messenger of Allah; and his companions are stern with the disbelievers and merciful among themselves – you will see them bowing and falling in prostration, seeking Allah’s munificence and His pleasure; their signs are on their faces, from the effects of their prostration; this trait of theirs is mentioned in the Taurat; and their trait is mentioned in the Injeel; like a cultivation that sprouted its shoot, then strengthened it, then thickened and then stood firm upon its stem, pleasing the farmer – in order to enrage the disbelievers with them; Allah has promised forgiveness and a great reward to those among them who have faith and do good deeds.