Juz 29

Most Auspicious is He in Whose control is the entire kingship; and He is Able to do all things.

The One Who created death and life to test you – who among you has the better deeds; and He only is the Most Honourable, the Oft Forgiving.

The One Who created the seven heavens atop each other; do you see any discrepancy in the creation of the Most Gracious? Therefore lift your gaze – do you see any cracks?

Then lift your gaze again, your gaze will return towards you, unsuccessful and weak.

And indeed We have beautified the lower heaven with lamps, and have made them weapons against the devils, and have kept prepared for them the punishment of the blazing fire.

And for those who disbelieved in their Lord, is the punishment of hell; and what a wretched outcome!

They will hear it hissing when they will be thrown into it, and it is boiling.

As if about to explode with rage; whenever a group is thrown into it, the guardians of hell will ask them, “Did not a Herald of Warning come to you?”

They will say, “Yes, why not – indeed a Herald of Warning did come to us – in response we denied and said ‘Allah has not sent down anything – you are not except in a great error’.”

And they will say, “Had we listened or understood, we would not have been among the people of hell.”

So now they admit their sins! Therefore accursed be the people of hell!

Indeed for those who fear their Lord without seeing is forgiveness, and a great reward.

And whether you speak softly or proclaim it aloud; He indeed knows what lies within the hearts!

What! Will He Who has created not know? Whereas He knows every detail, the All Aware!

It is He Who subjected the earth for you, therefore tread its paths and eat from Allah’s sustenance; and towards Him is the resurrection.

Have you become unafraid of the One Who controls the heavens, that He will not cause you to sink into the earth when it trembles?

Or have you become unafraid of the One Who controls the heavens, that He will not send a torrent of stones upon you? So now you will realise, how My warning turned out!

And indeed those before them had denied – therefore how did My rejection turn out!

And did they not see the birds above them, spreading and closing their wings? None except the Most Gracious holds them up; indeed He sees all things.

Or which army do you have that will help you against the Most Gracious? The disbelievers are in nothing except an illusion.

Or who is such that will give you sustenance if Allah stops His sustenance? In fact they persist in rebellion and hatred.

So is one who walks inverted upon his face more rightly guided, or one who walks upright on the Straight Path?

Proclaim (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “It is He Who created you, and made ears and eyes and hearts for you; very little thanks do you offer!”

Say, “It is He Who has spread you out in the earth, and towards Him you will be raised.”

And they say, “When will this promise come, if you are truthful?”

Proclaim, “Surely Allah has its knowledge; and I am only a Herald of plain warning.”

So when they will see it close, the faces of the disbelievers will become ghastly, and it will be declared, “This is what you were demanding.”

Say (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “What is your opinion –Allah may either destroy me and those with me, or have mercy on us – so who is such that will protect the disbelievers from the painful punishment?”

Proclaim, “He only is the Most Gracious – we have accepted faith in Him and have relied only upon Him; so you will now realise who is in open error.”

Say, “What is your opinion – if in the morning all your water were to sink into the earth, then who is such who can bring you water flowing before you?”

Nuun* – by oath of the pen and by oath of what is written by it. (Alphabet of the Arabic language; Allah and to whomever He reveals, know their precise meanings.)

You are not insane, by the munificence of your Lord.

And indeed for you is an unlimited reward.

And indeed you possess an exemplary character.

So very soon, you will see and they too will realise –

- That who among you was insane.

Indeed your Lord well knows those who have strayed from His path, and He well knows those who are upon guidance.

Therefore do not listen to the deniers.

They wish that in some way you may yield, so they too might soften their stand.

Nor ever listen to any excessive oath maker, ignoble person.

The excessively insulting one, spreader of spite.

One who excessively forbids the good, transgressor, sinner.

Foul mouthed, and in addition to all this, of improper lineage.

Because he* has some wealth and sons. (Walid bin Mugaira, who cursed the Holy Prophet.)

When Our verses are recited to him, he says, “These are stories of earlier people.”

We will soon singe his pig-nose.

We have indeed tested them the way We had tested the owners of the garden when they swore that they would reap its harvest the next morning.

And they did not say, “If Allah wills”.

So an envoy from your Lord completed his round upon the garden, whilst they were sleeping.

So in the morning it became as if harvested.

They then called out to each other at daybreak.

That, “Go to your fields at early morn, if you want to harvest.”

So they went off, while whispering to one another.

“Make sure that no needy person enters your garden this day.”

And they left at early morn, assuming they were in control of their purpose.

Then when they saw it, they said, “We have indeed strayed.”

“In fact, we are unfortunate.”

The best among them said, “Did I not tell you, ‘Why do you not proclaim His purity?’”

They said, “Purity is to our Lord – we have indeed been unjust.”

So they came towards each other, blaming.

They said, “Woe to us – we were indeed rebellious.”

“Hopefully, our Lord will give us a better replacement than this – we now incline towards our Lord.”

Such is the punishment; and indeed the punishment of the Hereafter is the greatest, if only they knew!

Indeed for the pious, with their Lord, are Gardens of Serenity.

Shall We equate the Muslims to the guilty?

What is the matter with you? What sort of a judgement you impose!

Is there a Book for you, from which you read?

- That for you in it is whatever you like?

Or is it that you have a covenant from Us, right up to the Day of Judgement, that you will get all what you claim?

Ask them, who among them is a guarantor for it?

Or is it that they have partners in worship? So they should bring their appointed partners, if they are truthful.

On the day when the Shin* will be exposed and they will be called to prostrate themselves, they will be unable. (Used as a metaphor)

With lowered eyes, disgrace overcoming them; and indeed they used to be called to prostrate themselves whilst they were healthy.

Therefore leave the one who denies this matter, to Me; We shall soon steadily take them away, from a place they do not know.

And I will give them respite; indeed My plan is very solid.

Or is it that you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) ask any fee from them, so they are burdened with the penalty?

Or that they possess the hidden, so they are writing it?

Therefore wait for your Lord’s command, and do not be like the one of the fish; who cried out when he was distraught. (Prophet Yunus – peace be upon him.)

Were it not for his Lord’s favour that reached him, he would have surely been cast onto the desolate land, reproached.

His Lord therefore chose him and made him among those deserving His proximity.

And indeed the disbelievers seem as if they would topple you with their evil gaze when they hear the Qur’an, and they say, “He is indeed insane.”

Whereas it is not but an advice to the entire creation!

The true event!

How tremendous is the true event!

And what have you understood, how tremendous the true event is!

The tribes of Thamud and A’ad denied the event of great dismay. (The Day of Resurrection)

So regarding the Thamud, they were destroyed by a terrible scream.

And as for A’ad, they were destroyed by a severe thundering windstorm.

He forced it upon them with strength, consecutively for seven nights and eight days – so you would see those people overthrown in it, like trunks of date palms fallen down.

So do you see any survivor among them?

And Firaun, and those before him, and the dwellings that were inverted and thrown, had brought error.

They therefore disobeyed the Noble Messengers of their Lord – so He seized them with an intense seizure.

Indeed when the water swelled up, We boarded you onto the ship.

In order to make it a remembrance for you, and in order that the ears that store may remember.

So when the Trumpet will be blown, with a sudden single blow.

And the earth and the mountains will be lifted up and crushed with a single crush.

So that is the day when the forthcoming event will occur.

And the heaven will split asunder – so on that day it will be unstable.

And the angels will be on its sides; and on that day, eight angels will carry the Throne of your Lord above them.

On that day all of you will be brought forth, so none among you wishing to hide will be able to hide.

So whoever is given his book in his right hand – he will say, “Take, read my account!”

“I was certain that I will confront my account.”

He is therefore in the desired serenity.

In a lofty Garden –

The fruit clusters of which are hanging down.

“Eat and drink with pleasure – the reward of what you sent ahead, in the past days.”

And whoever is given his book in his left hand – he will say, “Alas, if only my account were not given to me!”

“And had never come to know my account!”

“Alas, if only it had been just death.”

“My wealth did not in the least benefit me.”

“All my power has vanished.”

It will be said, “Seize him, and shackle him.”

“Then hurl him into the blazing fire.”

“Then bind him inside a chain which is seventy arm-lengths.”

“Indeed he refused to accept faith in Allah, the Greatest.”

“And did not urge to feed the needy.”

“So he does not have any friend here this day.”

“Nor any food except the pus discharged from the people of hell.”

“Which none except the guilty shall eat.”

So by oath of the things you see.

And by oath of those you do not see.

This Qur’an is the speech of Allah with a gracious Noble Messenger.

And it is not the speech of a poet; how little do you believe!

Nor is it the speech of a soothsayer; how little do you ponder!

Sent down by the Lord Of The Creation.

And had he fabricated just one matter upon Us –

We would have definitely taken revenge from him.

Then would have cut off his heart’s artery.

Then none among you would be his saviour.

And indeed this Qur’an is an advice for the pious.

And indeed We know that some among you are deniers.

And indeed it is a despair for the disbelievers.

And indeed it is a certain Truth.

Therefore (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), proclaim the purity of your Lord, the Greatest.

A requester seeks the punishment that will take place –

- Upon the disbelievers – the punishment that none can avert.

From Allah, the Lord of all pinnacles.

The angels and Jibreel, ascend towards Him – the punishment will befall on a day which spans fifty thousand years.

Therefore patiently endure, in the best manner (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him).

They deem it to be remote.

Whereas We see it impending.

The day when the sky will be like molten silver.

And the hills will be light as wool.

And no friend will ask concerning his friend.

They will be seeing them; the guilty will wish if only he could redeem himself from the punishment of that day, by offering his sons.

And his wife and his brother.

And the family in which he was.

And all those who are in the earth – then only if the redemption saves him!

Never! That is indeed a blazing fire.

A fire that melts the hide.

It calls out to him who reverted and turned away.

And accumulated wealth and hoarded it.

Indeed man is created very impatient, greedy.

Very nervous when touched by misfortune.

And refraining, when good reaches him.

Except those who establish prayer.

Those who are regular in their prayers.

And those in whose wealth exists a recognised right,

For those who beg, and for the needy who cannot even ask.

And those who believe the Day of Judgement to be true.

And those who fear the punishment of their Lord.

Indeed the punishment of their Lord is not a thing to be unafraid of!

And those who protect their private organs (from adultery).

Except with their wives and the bondwomen in their possession, for there is no reproach on them.

So those who desire more than this – it is they who are the transgressors.

And those who protect the property entrusted to them, and their agreements.

And those who are firm upon their testimonies.

And those who protect their prayers.

It is these who will be honoured in Gardens.

So what is the matter with these disbelievers, that they stare at you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him)?

From the right and the left, in groups?

Does every man among them aspire to be admitted into the Garden of serenity?

Never! We have indeed created them from a thing they know.

So I swear by the Lord of every East and every West, that We are indeed Able.

To replace them by those better than them; and none can escape from Us.

Therefore leave them, involved in their indecencies and play, till they confront their day which they are promised.

A day when they will come out of the graves in haste, as if rushing towards their goals.

With lowered eyes, disgrace overcoming them; this is the day, which they had been promised.

Indeed We sent Nooh towards his people saying that, “Warn your people before the painful punishment comes upon them.”