57. Surah Al-Hadid

What is in the heavens and the earth gives glory to God; and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He gives life, and He gives death, and He is over all things powerful.

He is the First and the Last, and the Outer and the Inner; and He knows all things.

He it is that created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself upon the Throne. He knows what penetrates into the earth, and what comes forth from it, and what descends from the heaven, and what ascends into it. And He is with you wherever you may be; and God sees what you do.

To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; and to God are matters returned.

He makes the night enter into the day, and makes the day enter into the night. And He knows what is in the breasts.

Believe in God and His messenger, and spend of that whereof He has made you heirs. And those who heed warning among you and spend: theirs will be a great reward.

And why should you not believe in God, when the Messenger is calling you to believe in your Lord, and He has taken your agreement, if you be believers?

He it is that sends down to His servant clear proofs, that He might bring you out of darkness into the light; and God is to you kind and merciful.

And what is with you that you spend not in the cause of God, when to God belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth? Not equal among you is he who spent and who fought before the victory — those are greater in degree than those who spent and fought afterwards. But to each has God promised the best; and God is aware of what you do.

Who is he that will lend to God a goodly loan? And He will multiply it to him, and he will have a noble reward.

The day thou wilt see the believing men and the believing women, their light running before them and on their right hands: — “Your glad tidings this day: gardens beneath which rivers flow, you abiding eternally therein!” That is the Great Achievement.

The day the wavering men and the wavering women will say to those who heeded warning: “Wait for us, that we may acquire some of your light,” it will be said: “Go back behind you, and seek light.” And a wall will be set up between them having a door, the inward of which is Mercy, and the outward, to the fore thereof, is Punishment.

They will cry to them: “Were we not with you?” They will say: “Verily, but you subjected your souls to means of denial, and you waited, and you doubted, and vain desires deluded you, until the command of God came; and the Deluder deluded you concerning God,

“So this day no ransom will be taken from you, or from those who ignore warning. Your shelter is the Fire; it is your protector.” And evil is the journey’s end!

Has not the time come for those who heed warning that their hearts should be humbled to the remembrance of God, and what has come down of the truth, and that they be not as those given the Writ before? And the span seemed long to them, so their hearts hardened; and many of them are perfidious.

Know that God gives life to the earth after its death. We have made plain the proofs to you, that you might use reason.

The men who give in charity, and the women who give in charity, and have lent to God a goodly loan — it will be multiplied for them, and they will have a noble reward.

And those who believe in God and His messengers: it is they who are the men of truth and the witnesses in the sight of their Lord — they have their reward, and their light. But those who ignore warning and deny Our proofs: those are the companions of Hell.

Know that the life of this world is only play and diversion, and adornment, and mutual boasting among you, and competition for increase in wealth and children. As the likeness of a rain, it impresses the atheists with its growth; then it withers and thou seest it turn yellow; then it becomes debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment, and forgiveness from God, and approval. And the life of this world is only the enjoyment of delusion.

Compete for forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden the breadth whereof is as the breadth of the heaven and the earth —prepared for those who believe in God and His messengers. That is the bounty of God, which He gives to whom He wills; and God is possessor of tremendous bounty.

No calamity befalls in the earth, nor in yourselves, save is in a Writ before We bring it into being — that, for God, is easy —

That you grieve not over what eludes you, nor exult at what comes to you; and God loves not every conceited boaster:

Those who are miserly, and enjoin miserliness upon men. And whoso turns away: God, He is the Free from Need, the Praiseworthy.

And We sent Our messengers with the clear signs, and sent down with them the Writ and the balance, that men uphold equity — and We sent down iron wherein is mighty power and benefits for men — and that God might know him who helps Him and His messengers unseen; God is strong and exalted in might.

And We sent Noah, and Abraham, and placed among their progeny prophethood and the Writ. And among them is he who is guided; but many of them are perfidious.

Then We sent, following in their footsteps, Our messengers; and We sent, following, Jesus, son of Mary. And We gave him the Gospel, and We placed in the hearts of those who followed him compassion and mercy. But monasticism, they invented it; We did not prescribe it for them — only the seeking of the approval of God; but they did not observe it with the observance due it. And We gave those who heeded warning among them their reward; but many of them are perfidious.

O you who heed warning: be in prudent fear of God, and believe in His messenger; He will give you a double share of His mercy, and appoint for you a light whereby you will walk, and will forgive you, — and God is forgiving and merciful —

That the doctors of the Law might know that they have no power over the bounty of God, and that bounty is in the hand of God; He gives it to whom He wills; and God is possessor of tremendous bounty.