Surah 21 The Prophets - Al-Anbiya', 112 verses (Makka)
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
- Closer and closer to mankind comes their Reckoning:
yet they heed not and they turn away.
- Never comes (aught) to them of a renewed Message
from their Lord, but they listen to it as in jest,-
- Their hearts toying as with trifles. The
wrong-doers conceal their private counsels, (saying),
"Is this (one) more than a man like yourselves? Will ye
go to witchcraft with your eyes open?"
- Say: "My Lord knoweth (every) word (spoken) in the
heavens and on earth: He is the One that heareth and
knoweth (all things)."
- "Nay," they say, "(these are) medleys of dream! -
Nay, He forged it! - Nay, He is (but) a poet! Let him
then bring us a Sign like the ones that were sent to
(Prophets) of old!"
- (As to those) before them, not one of the
populations which We destroyed believed: will these
believe?
- Before thee, also, the apostles We sent were but
men, to whom We granted inspiration: If ye realise this
not, ask of those who possess the Message.
- Nor did We give them bodies that ate no food, nor
were they exempt from death.
- In the end We fulfilled to them Our Promise, and We
saved them and those whom We pleased, but We destroyed
those who transgressed beyond bounds.
- We have revealed for you (O men!) a book in which
is a Message for you: will ye not then understand?
- How many were the populations We utterly destroyed
because of their iniquities, setting up in their places
other peoples?
- Yet, when they felt Our Punishment (coming),
behold, they (tried to) flee from it.
- Flee not, but return to the good things of this
life which were given you, and to your homes in order
that ye may be called to account.
- They said: "Ah! woe to us! We were indeed
wrong-doers!"
- And that cry of theirs ceased not, till We made
them as a field that is mown, as ashes silent and
quenched.
- Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and
the earth and all that is between!
- If it had been Our wish to take (just) a pastime,
We should surely have taken it from the things nearest
to Us, if We would do (such a thing)!
- Nay, We hurl the Truth against falsehood, and it
knocks out its brain, and behold, falsehood doth
perish! Ah! woe be to you for the (false) things ye
ascribe (to Us).
- To Him belong all (creatures) in the heavens and on
earth: Even those who are in His (very) Presence are
not too proud to serve Him, nor are they (ever) weary
(of His service):
- They celebrate His praises night and day, nor do
they ever flag or intermit.
- Or have they taken (for worship) gods from the
earth who can raise (the dead)?
- If there were, in the heavens and the earth, other
gods besides God, there would have been confusion in
both! but glory to God, the Lord of the Throne: (High
is He) above what they attribute to Him!
- He cannot be questioned for His acts, but they will
be questioned (for theirs).
- Or have they taken for worship (other) gods besides
him? Say, "Bring your convincing proof: this is the
Message of those with me and the Message of those
before me." But most of them know not the Truth, and so
turn away.
- Not an apostle did We send before thee without this
inspiration sent by Us to him: that there is no god but
I; therefore worship and serve Me.
- And they say: "(God) Most Gracious has begotten
offspring." Glory to Him! they are (but) servants
raised to honour.
- They speak not before He speaks, and they act (in
all things) by His Command.
- He knows what is before them, and what is behind
them, and they offer no intercession except for those
who are acceptable, and they stand in awe and reverence
of His (Glory).
- If any of them should say, "I am a god besides
Him", such a one We should reward with Hell: thus do We
reward those who do wrong.
- Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the
earth were joined together (as one unit of creation),
before we clove them asunder? We made from water every
living thing. Will they not then believe?
- And We have set on the earth mountains standing
firm, lest it should shake with them, and We have made
therein broad highways (between mountains) for them to
pass through: that they may receive Guidance.
- And We have made the heavens as a canopy well
guarded: yet do they turn away from the Signs which
these things (point to)!
- It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the
sun and the moon: all (the celestial bodies) swim
along, each in its rounded course.
- We granted not to any man before thee permanent
life (here): if then thou shouldst die, would they live
permanently?
- Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test
you by evil and by good by way of trial. to Us must ye
return.
- When the Unbelievers see thee, they treat thee not
except with ridicule. "Is this," (they say), "the one
who talks of your gods?" and they blaspheme at the
mention of (God) Most Gracious!
- Man is a creature of haste: soon (enough) will I
show you My Signs; then ye will not ask Me to hasten
them!
- They say: "When will this promise come to pass, if
ye are telling the truth?"
- If only the Unbelievers knew (the time) when they
will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces,
nor yet from their backs, and (when) no help can reach
them!
- Nay, it may come to them all of a sudden and
confound them: no power will they have then to avert
it, nor will they (then) get respite.
- Mocked were (many) apostle before thee; But their
scoffers were hemmed in by the thing that they mocked.
- Say: "Who can keep you safe by night and by day
from (the Wrath of) (God) Most Gracious?" Yet they turn
away from the mention of their Lord.
- Or have they gods that can guard them from Us? They
have no power to aid themselves, nor can they be
defended from Us.
- Nay, We gave the good things of this life to these
men and their fathers until the period grew long for
them; See they not that We gradually reduce the land
(in their control) from its outlying borders? Is it
then they who will win?
- Say, "I do but warn you according to revelation":
But the deaf will not hear the call, (even) when they
are warned!
- If but a breath of the Wrath of thy Lord do touch
them, they will then say, "Woe to us! we did wrong
indeed!"
- We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of
Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with
unjustly in the least, and if there be (no more than)
the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to
account): and enough are We to take account.
- In the past We granted to Moses and Aaron the
criterion (for judgment), and a Light and a Message for
those who would do right,-
- Those who fear their Lord in their most secret
thoughts, and who hold the Hour (of Judgment) in awe.
- And this is a blessed Message which We have sent
down: will ye then reject it?
- We bestowed aforetime on Abraham his rectitude of
conduct, and well were We acquainted with him.
- Behold! he said to his father and his people, "What
are these images, to which ye are (so assiduously)
devoted?"
- They said, "We found our fathers worshipping them."
- He said, "Indeed ye have been in manifest error -
ye and your fathers."
- They said, "Have you brought us the Truth, or are
you one of those who jest?"
- He said, "Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens
and the earth, He Who created them (from nothing): and
I am a witness to this (Truth).
- "And by God, I have a plan for your idols - after
ye go away and turn your backs"..
- So he broke them to pieces, (all) but the biggest
of them, that they might turn (and address themselves)
to it.
- They said, "Who has done this to our gods? He must
indeed be some man of impiety!"
- They said, "We heard a youth talk of them: He is
called Abraham."
- They said, "Then bring him before the eyes of the
people, that they may bear witness."
- They said, "Art thou the one that did this with our
gods, O Abraham?"
- He said: "Nay, this was done by - this is their
biggest one! ask them, if they can speak
intelligently!"
- So they turned to themselves and said, "Surely ye
are the ones in the wrong!"
- Then were they confounded with shame: (they said),
"Thou knowest full well that these (idols) do not
speak!"
- (Abraham) said, "Do ye then worship, besides God,
things that can neither be of any good to you nor do
you harm?
- "Fie upon you, and upon the things that ye worship
besides God! Have ye no sense?"..
- They said, "Burn him and protect your gods, If ye
do (anything at all)!"
- We said, "O Fire! be thou cool, and (a means of)
safety for Abraham!"
- Then they sought a stratagem against him: but We
made them the ones that lost most!
- But We delivered him and (his nephew) Lut (and
directed them) to the land which We have blessed for
the nations.
- And We bestowed on him Isaac and, as an additional
gift, (a grandson), Jacob, and We made righteous men of
every one (of them).
- And We made them leaders, guiding (men) by Our
Command, and We sent them inspiration to do good deeds,
to establish regular prayers, and to practise regular
charity; and they constantly served Us (and Us only).
- And to Lut, too, We gave Judgment and Knowledge,
and We saved him from the town which practised
abominations: truly they were a people given to Evil, a
rebellious people.
- And We admitted him to Our Mercy: for he was one of
the Righteous.
- (Remember) Noah, when he cried (to Us) aforetime:
We listened to his (prayer) and delivered him and his
family from great distress.
- We helped him against people who rejected Our
Signs: truly they were a people given to Evil: so We
drowned them (in the Flood) all together.
- And remember David and Solomon, when they gave
judgment in the matter of the field into which the
sheep of certain people had strayed by night: We did
witness their judgment.
- To Solomon We inspired the (right) understanding of
the matter: to each (of them) We gave Judgment and
Knowledge; it was Our power that made the hills and the
birds celebrate Our praises, with David: it was We Who
did (all these things).
- It was We Who taught him the making of coats of
mail for your benefit, to guard you from each other's
violence: will ye then be grateful?
- (It was Our power that made) the violent (unruly)
wind flow (tamely) for Solomon, to his order, to the
land which We had blessed: for We do know all things.
- And of the evil ones, were some who dived for him,
and did other work besides; and it was We Who guarded
them.
- And (remember) Job, when He cried to his Lord,
"Truly distress has seized me, but Thou art the Most
Merciful of those that are merciful."
- So We listened to him: We removed the distress that
was on him, and We restored his people to him, and
doubled their number,- as a Grace from Ourselves, and a
thing for commemoration, for all who serve Us.
- And (remember) Isma'il, Idris, and Zul-kifl, all
(men) of constancy and patience;
- We admitted them to Our mercy: for they were of the
righteous ones.
- And remember Zun-nun, when he departed in wrath: He
imagined that We had no power over him! But he cried
through the deptHs of darkness, "There is no god but
thou: glory to thee: I was indeed wrong!"
- So We listened to him: and delivered him from
distress: and thus do We deliver those who have faith.
- And (remember) Zakariya, when he cried to his Lord:
"O my Lord! leave me not without offspring, though thou
art the best of inheritors."
- So We listened to him: and We granted him Yahya: We
cured his wife's (Barrenness) for him. These (three)
were ever quick in emulation in good works; they used
to call on Us with love and reverence, and humble
themselves before Us.
- And (remember) her who guarded her chastity: We
breathed into her of Our spirit, and We made her and
her son a sign for all peoples.
- Verily, this brotherhood of yours is a single
brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher:
therefore serve Me (and no other).
- But (later generations) cut off their affair (of
unity), one from another: (yet) will they all return to
Us.
- Whoever works any act of righteousness and has
faith,- His endeavour will not be rejected: We shall
record it in his favour.
- But there is a ban on any population which We have
destroyed: that they shall not return,
- Until the Gog and Magog (people) are let through
(their barrier), and they swiftly swarm from every
hill.
- Then will the true promise draw nigh (of
fulfilment): then behold! the eyes of the Unbelievers
will fixedly stare in horror: "Ah! Woe to us! we were
indeed heedless of this; nay, we truly did wrong!"
- Verily ye, (unbelievers), and the (false) gods that
ye worship besides God, are (but) fuel for Hell! to it
will ye (surely) come!
- If these had been gods, they would not have got
there! but each one will abide therein.
- There, sobbing will be their lot, nor will they
there hear (aught else).
- Those for whom the good (record) from Us has gone
before, will be removed far therefrom.
- Not the slightest sound will they hear of Hell:
what their souls desired, in that will they dwell.
- The Great Terror will bring them no grief: but the
angels will meet them (with mutual greetings): "This is
your Day,- (the Day) that ye were promised."
- The Day that We roll up the heavens like a scroll
rolled up for books (completed),- even as We produced
the first creation, so shall We produce a new one: a
promise We have undertaken: truly shall We fulfil it.
- Before this We wrote in the Psalms, after the
Message (given to Moses): My servants the righteous,
shall inherit the earth."
- Verily in this (Qur'an) is a Message for people who
would (truly) worship God.
- We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures.
- Say: "What has come to me by inspiration is that
your God is One God: will ye therefore bow to His Will
(in Islam)?"
- But if they turn back, Say: "I have proclaimed the
Message to you all alike and in truth; but I know not
whether that which ye are promised is near or far.
- "It is He Who knows what is open in speech and what
ye hide (in your hearts).
- "I know not but that it may be a trial for you, and
a grant of (worldly) livelihood (to you) for a time."
- Say: "O my Lord! judge Thou in truth!" "Our Lord
Most Gracious is the One Whose assistance should be
sought against the blasphemies ye utter!"
Quran
Surah 20 Ta-Ha
Surah 21 The Prophets
Surah 22 The Pilgrimage