37. Surah As-Saffat

By those lined up in rows,

And those driving with force,

And the reciters of a remembrance!

Your God is One:

Lord of the Heavens and the Earth and what is between them, and the Lord of the Easts.

We have adorned the lower heaven with the adornment of the stars

And as protection against every refractory satan.

They listen not to the exalted assembly, and they are pelted from every side,

Repelled — and they have a constant punishment —

Save he who snatches a fragment; and a piercing flame follows him.

So ask thou them: are they harder to create, or those We have created? We created them of clinging clay.

Yet thou dost marvel; and they deride

And, when they are reminded, bear not in mind

And, when they see a proof, turn in derision.

And they say: “This is only obvious sorcery.

“When we are dead and are dust and bones, will we be raised?

“And will our forefathers?”

Say thou: “Yea, and you will be abased.”

Then will it be but one cry — and then will they be looking on —

And they will say: “Woe is us! This is the Day of Judgment.”

“This is the Day of Decision which you denied!

“Gather those who did wrong, and their wives, and what they served

“Instead of God, and guide them to the path of Hell!

“But stop them — they are to be questioned:

“What ails you that you help not one another?”

The truth is they, this day, are in submission!

And they will draw near to one another, asking one of another,

They will say: “You came to us from the right hand.”

Those will say: “Nay, you were not believers,

“And we had over you no authority. The truth is, you were people transgressing all bounds,

“So the word of our Lord has become binding upon us: We are to taste.

“And we caused you to err — we were those who err.”

And they, that day, are sharers in the punishment.

Thus do We with the lawbreakers.

They — when it was said to them: “There is no god save God,” — waxed proud,

(And they said: “Are we to leave our gods for a possessed poet?”

The truth is, he brought the truth and confirmed the emissaries:

“You are to taste the painful punishment

“And you will be rewarded only for what you did.”)

Save the sincere servants of God.

Those will have a known provision:

Fruits. And they will be honoured;

In the Gardens of Bliss

Upon couches, facing one another,

Circulated among them will be a cup from a running spring,

White, delightful to the drinkers,

Wherein is no sickness, nor are they intoxicated thereby,

And with them maidens of modest-eyed gaze,

As if they were eggs closely guarded.

And they will draw near to one another, asking one of another:

(A speaker among them will say: “I had a companion,

“Said he: ‘Art thou in truth of those who give credence:

“‘When we are dead and dust and bones, will we be held to account?’”

He will say: “Will you look?”

Then will he look and see him in the midst of Hell.

He will say: “By God, thou hadst almost brought me to ruin!

“And were it not for the favour of my Lord, I would have been among those summoned.”)

“Are we then not to die,

“Save our former death, and are not to be punished?”

That is the Great Achievement!

For the like of this let the workers work!

Is that better as a welcome, or the Tree of Zaqqūm?

We have made it a means of denial for the wrongdoers.

It is a tree that comes forth in the root of Hell,

Its spathes are as the heads of satans,

They will eat thereof, and fill thereof their bellies;

Then on top of it will they have a mixture of scalding water;

Then will their return be to Hell.

They found their fathers astray,

And in their footsteps are they hastening.

And most of the former peoples had gone astray before them,

And We had sent among them warners.

So see thou how was the final outcome of those who were warned,

Save the sincere servants of God.

And Noah called to Us — and how excellent were the responders!

And We delivered him and his household from the great distress,

And We made his progeny those remaining.

And We left for him among those who came later:

“Peace be upon Noah among all mankind!”

Thus reward We the doers of good;

He was among Our believing servants.

Then drowned We the others.

And of his kind was Abraham,

When he came to his Lord with a pure heart,

When he said to his father and his people: “What do you serve?

“Is it falsehood — gods besides God — you desire?

“So what is your thought about the Lord of All Creation?”

(And he cast a look at the stars,

And said: “I am sick.”)

Then they turned away from him, and left.

Then he turned aside to their gods, and said: “Do you not eat?

“What ails you, that you speak not?”

And he turned upon them, striking with his right hand.

Then came they towards him in haste.

He said: “Serve you what you hew

“When God created you and what you make?”

They said: “Build for him a structure, and cast him into the blazing fire!”

And they intended for him a plan; but We made them the lowest.

And he said: “I am going to my Lord; He will guide me.”

“My Lord: give Thou me from among the righteous.”

So We gave him glad tidings of a clement lad;

And when he reached the age of working with him, he said: “O my son: I saw in a dream, that I was sacrificing thee. So look thou — what seest thou?” He said: “O my father: do thou what thou art commanded; thou wilt find me, if God wills, of the patient.”

And when they had submitted, and he had thrown him down upon his brow,

We called to him: “O Abraham:

“Thou hast confirmed the vision!” Thus reward We the doers of good;

This was the clear trial.

And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice,

And We left for him among those who came later:

“Peace be upon Abraham!”

Thus reward We the doers of good;

He was among Our believing servants.

And We gave him glad tidings of Isaac, a prophet among the righteous.

And We blessed him, and Isaac; and among their progeny is the doer of good and the manifest doer of wrong to himself.

And We bestowed favour upon Moses and Aaron,

And delivered them and their people from the great distress,

And We helped them, so they were the victors.

And We gave them the Clarifying Writ,

And We guided them to the straight path.

And We left for them among those who came later:

“Peace be upon Moses and Aaron!”

Thus reward We the doers of good;

They were among Our believing servants.

And Elijah was among the emissaries,

When he said to his people: “Will you not be in prudent fear?

“Will you call to Baal and leave the best of creators:

“God, your Lord, and the Lord of your fathers of old?”

But they denied him; then are they those summoned,

Save the sincere servants of God.

And We left for him among those who came later:

“Peace be upon Ilyāsīn!”

Thus reward We the doers of good;

He was among Our believing servants.

And Lot was among the emissaries,

When We delivered him and his household all together,

Save an old woman among those who stayed behind;

Then destroyed We the others.

And you pass by them in the morning

And at night. Will you then not use reason!

And Jonah was among the emissaries,

When he fled to the laden ship,

Then he cast lots, and was among those refuted.

Then the fish swallowed him, when he was blameworthy.

And were he not among the givers of glory,

He would have tarried in its belly until the day they are raised.

But We cast him on the bare shore when he was sick,

And We caused to grow over him a tree of gourd;

And We sent him to a hundred thousand or more;

And they believed, so We gave them enjoyment for a time.

And ask thou them: has thy Lord daughters and they sons?

If We created the angels females, while they were witnesses:

(In truth, it is of their falsehood that they say:

“God has begotten,” and they are liars.)

Chose He daughters over sons?

What ails you? How judge you?

Will you then not take heed!

If you have a clear authority,

Then bring your writ, if you be truthful.

And they have made between Him and the jinnaa kinship — when the jinna know they will be summoned —

(Glory be to God above what they describe!)

Save the sincere servants of God.

And you, and what you serve,

You will not tempt against Him

Save him who is to burn in Hell.

“And there is none among us save has an appointed station;

“And we are those lined up;

“And we are the givers of glory.”

And they say:

“Were we to have had a remembrance from the former peoples

“We would have been the sincere servants of God!”

But they denied it; and they will come to know!

And Our word has gone forth to Our servants, the emissaries:

They — they — will be those helped.

And Our host — they will be the victors.

So turn thou from them for a time.

And see thou them; for they will come to see!

Then is it Our punishment they wish to hasten?

And when it descends in their courtyard, then evil is the morning of those who were warned!

And turn thou from them for a time.

And see thou; for they will come to see!

Glory be to thy Lord, the Lord of Power and Glory, above what they describe!

And peace be upon the emissaries!

And praise belongs to God, the Lord of All Creation!