ṭā sīn Those are the proofs of the Qur’an and of a Clear Writ

As guidance and glad tidings for the believers,

Those who uphold the duty, and render the purity, and of the Hereafter they are certain.

Those who believe not in the Hereafter, We have made their deeds fair to them, so they wander blindly.

Those are they for whom is the evil of punishment, and in the Hereafter are they the greatest losers.

And thou receivest the Qur’an from one wise and knowing.

When Moses said to his people: “I perceive a fire. I will bring you news from it, or bring you a flaming brand, that you might warm yourselves.”

Then when he came to it, he was called: — blessed is He who is in the fire and who is round about it, and glory be to God, the Lord of All Creation! —

“O Moses: it is I, God, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

“And cast thou thy staff.” And when he saw it stirring as if it were a dominus, he turned away, and did not return. “O Moses: fear thou not; the emissaries fear not in My presence,

“Save whoso did wrong; then he changed to good after evil, so am I forgiving and merciful.

“And enter thou thy hand into thy bosom; it will come forth white, without evil — among nine proofs to Pharaoh and his people; they are a perfidious people.”

And when Our visible proofs came to them, they said: “This is obvious sorcery”;

And they rejected them, though their souls were convinced thereof, in injustice and arrogance. So see thou how was the final outcome of the workers of corruption.

And We gave to David and Solomon knowledge; and they said: “Praise belongs to God who has preferred us above many of His believing servants.”

And Solomon inherited from David; and he said: “O mankind: we have been taught the speech of birds, and have been given of every thing; this is the clear favour.”

And there were gathered to Solomon his forces of domini and servi and birds; and they were marshalled.

When they had reached the valley of the ants, an ant said: “O ants: enter your dwellings lest Solomon and his forces crush you when they perceive not!”

And he smiled, laughing at her speech, and he said: “My Lord: direct Thou me to be grateful for Thy favour wherewith Thou favoured me and my parents, and to work righteousness pleasing to Thee; and make Thou me enter, by Thy mercy, among Thy righteous servants.”

And he inspected the birds, and said: “How is it with me that I see not the hoopoe? Or is he among the absent?

“I will punish him with a severe punishment, or I will slaughter him, unless he brings me a clear authority.”

But he tarried not long, and said: “I have encompassed what thou hast not encompassed; and I come to thee from Saba’ with a certain report.

“I found a woman ruling them; and she has been given of every thing; and she has a great throne.

“I found her and her people submitting to the sun, rather than to God.” (And the satan made their deeds fair to them; he turned them away from the path, so they are not guided

That they submit not to God who brings forth the hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what you hide and what you make known;

God, there is no god save He, Lord of the Great Throne.)

He said: “We will see if thou hast spoken truly or art of the liars.

“Go thou with this my writ; cast thou it unto them, then turn thou away from them and see thou what they will return.”

She said: “O eminent ones: there has been cast unto me a noble writ;

“It is from Solomon, and it is: ‘In the name of God, the Almighty, the Merciful:

“‘Exalt not yourselves against me, but come to me submitting!’”

She said: “O eminent ones: counsel me in my affair; I decide no affair until you bear me witness.”

They said: “We possess power and possess strong might, but the command is for thee; see thou what thou wilt command.”

She said: “Kings, when they enter a city, spoil it and make its most honoured people abject; and thus will they do.

“And I will send a gift to them, and see with what the emissaries return.”

So when he came to Solomon, he said: “Would you supply me with wealth? But what God has given me is better than what He has given you; the truth is, it is you who exult in your gift.

“Return thou to them: ‘We will come to them with forces they have no power to resist, and we will drive them therefrom in abjection; and they will be brought low.’”

He said: “O eminent ones: which of you will bring me her throne before they come to me submitting?”

A mischievous one among the domini said: “I will bring it to thee before thou canst rise from thy place; and I am for this strong and trustworthy.”

Said one with knowledge of the writ: “I will bring it to thee before thy glance return to thee.” And when he saw it set before him, he said: “This is of the bounty of my Lord, that He might try me, whether I am grateful or ungrateful; and whoso is grateful, he is but grateful for his soul; and whoso is ungrateful, then is my Lord free from need and generous.

(He said: “Disguise her throne for her; we will see if she is guided, or if she is of those not guided.”

And when she came, it was said: “Is thy throne like this?” She said: “As though the same.”) “And we were given knowledge before her; and we were submitting.

“And what she served, besides God, diverted her; she was of a people of false claimers of guidance.”

(It was said to her: “Enter thou the palace.” But when she saw it, she thought it a body of water and uncovered her legs. He said: “It is a palace made smooth with glass.”) She said, “My Lord: I have wronged my soul, and I submit with Solomon to God, the Lord of All Creation.”

And We sent to Thamūd their brother Ṣāliḥ: “— That you serve God,” but then were they two factions quarrelling.

He said: “O my people: why will you hasten on the evil before the good? Oh, that you did but ask pardon of God, that you might obtain mercy!”

They said: “We think thee and those with thee an evil omen.” He said: “Your evil omen is with God. The truth is, you are a people subjected to means of denial.”

And there were in the city nine men who wrought corruption in the land and did not right.

They said: “Swear one to another, by God, that we will attack him and his household by night. Then we will say to his ally: ‘We witnessed not the destruction of his household, and we are the truthful.’”

And they schemed a scheme, and We schemed a scheme; and they perceived not.

Then see thou how was the final outcome of their scheme: that We destroyed them and their people all together,

So those are their houses, desolate because of the wrong they did; in that is a proof for people who know.

And We delivered those who heeded warning and were in prudent fear.

And Lot: when he said to his people: “Do you commit sexual immorality with open eyes?

“Do you approach men with lust instead of women? The truth is, you are a people in ignorance.”

But the response of his people was only that they said: “Turn the family of Lot out of your city; they are men who keep themselves pure!”

And We delivered him and his household save his wife; We decreed her to be of those who stayed behind.

And We rained upon them a rain; and evil is the rain of those who were warned.

Say thou: “Praise belongs to God, and peace be upon His servants whom He has chosen!” Is God better, or that to which they ascribe a partnership?

If: He who created the heavens and the earth: — and sent down for you water from the sky wherewith We cause to grow gardens full of delight whereof it was not for you to cause the trees to grow — is there any god with God? The truth is, they are a people who ascribe equals.

If: He who made the earth a fixed lodging, and made rivers in its midst, and made firm mountains therein, and made a barrier between the two seas: is there any god with God? The truth is, most of them know not.

If: He who responds to one distressed when he calls to Him, and removes the evil, and makes you successors of the earth: is there any god with God? Little do you take heed.

If: He who guides you in the darknesses of the land and the sea, and who sends the winds as glad tidings at the time of His mercy: is there any god with God? Exalted be God above that to which they ascribe a partnership!

If: He who begins creation, then repeats it, and provides for you from the heaven and the earth: is there any god with God? Say thou: “Bring your evidence, if you be truthful.”

Say thou: “None in the heavens and the earth knows the Unseen save God.” And they perceive not when they will be raised.

The truth is, their knowledge fails concerning the Hereafter. The truth is, they are in doubt about it. The truth is, they are blind to it.

And those who ignore warning say: “When we are dust, and our fathers, will we be brought forth?

“We have been promised this, we and our fathers, before; this is only legends of the former peoples.”

Say thou: “Travel in the earth and see how was the final outcome of the lawbreakers.”

And grieve thou not over them, nor be thou in distress because of what they scheme.

And they say: “When is this promise, if you be truthful?”

Say thou: “It may be that close behind you is some of what you would hasten.”

And thy Lord is bountiful to mankind, but most of them are not grateful.

And thy Lord knows what their breasts conceal, and what they make known.

And there is nothing hidden in the heaven and the earth save is in a clear writ.

This Qur’an relates to the children of Israel most of that wherein they differ,

And it is guidance, and a mercy for the believers.

Thy Lord will decide between them by His judgment; and He is the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.

And place thou thy trust in God; thou art upon the manifest truth.

Thou wilt not make the dead to hear, nor wilt thou make the deaf to hear the call when they turn and go.

And thou wilt not guide the blind out of their error. Thou wilt only make hear him who believes in Our proofs, so they are submitting.

And when the word befalls them, We will bring forth for them a creature from the earth telling them that men were of Our proofs not certain.

And the day We gather from every community a crowd of those who deny Our proofs, then will they be marshalled.

When they have come, He will say: “Did you deny My proofs, when you had not encompassed them in knowledge? Or what was it you did?”

And the word will befall them because they did wrong, and they will not speak.

Have they not considered that We made the night that they might rest therein, and the day sight-giving? In that are proofs for people who believe.

And the day the Trumpet is blown, then terrified will be whoso is in the heavens and the earth save who God wills, and all will come to Him abased.

And thou seest the mountains; thou thinkest them solid, but they will pass as the passing of clouds: — the work of God who perfected all things; He is aware of what you do.

Whoso brings a good deed, for him will be better than it; and they will from the terror of that day be secure.

And whoso brings evil will be thrown on their faces into the Fire: “Are you rewarded save for what you did?”

“I have but been commanded to serve the Lord of this land who made it inviolable; and to Him all things belong. And I am commanded to be of those submitting,

“And to recite the Qur’an.” And whoso is guided, he is but guided for himself; and whoso strays, then say thou: “I am only of the warners.”

And say thou: “Praise belongs to God. He will show His proofs to you, and you will recognise them.” And thy Lord is not unmindful of what you do.