الر ۚ تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ وَقُرْآنٍ مُّبِينٍ ١

Alif Lam Ra. Those are the signs of the Book and of a manifest Koran.

رُّبَمَا يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْ كَانُوا مُسْلِمِينَ ٢

Perchance the unbelievers will wish that they had surrendered:

ذَرْهُمْ يَأْكُلُوا وَيَتَمَتَّعُوا وَيُلْهِهِمُ الْأَمَلُ ۖ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ ٣

leave them to eat, and to take their joy, and to be bemused by hope; certainly they will soon know!

وَمَا أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍ إِلَّا وَلَهَا كِتَابٌ مَّعْلُومٌ ٤

Never a city have We destroyed, but it had a known decree,

مَّا تَسْبِقُ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ ٥

and no nation outstrips its term, nor do they put it back.

وَقَالُوا يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِي نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الذِّكْرُ إِنَّكَ لَمَجْنُونٌ ٦

They say: ’Thou, upon whom the Remembrance is sent down, thou art assuredly possessed!

لَّوْ مَا تَأْتِينَا بِالْمَلَائِكَةِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ ٧

Why dost thou not bring the angels unto us, if thou speakest truly?’

مَا نُنَزِّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةَ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَمَا كَانُوا إِذًا مُّنظَرِينَ ٨

We send not down the angels, save with truth;

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ ٩

then they would not be respited. It is We who have sent down the Remembrance, and We watch over it.

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ فِي شِيَعِ الْأَوَّلِينَ ١٠

Indeed, We sent Messengers before thee, among the factions of the ancients,

وَمَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ ١١

and not a single Messenger came to them, but they mocked at him;

كَذَٰلِكَ نَسْلُكُهُ فِي قُلُوبِ الْمُجْرِمِينَ ١٢

even so We cause it to enter into the hearts of the sinners --

لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ ۖ وَقَدْ خَلَتْ سُنَّةُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ١٣

they believe not in it, though the wont of the ancients is already gone.

وَلَوْ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَابًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ فَظَلُّوا فِيهِ يَعْرُجُونَ ١٤

Though We opened to them a gate in heaven, and still they mounted through it,

لَقَالُوا إِنَّمَا سُكِّرَتْ أَبْصَارُنَا بَلْ نَحْنُ قَوْمٌ مَّسْحُورُونَ ١٥

yet would they say, ’Our eyes have been dazzled; nay, we are a people bewitched!’

وَلَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا فِي السَّمَاءِ بُرُوجًا وَزَيَّنَّاهَا لِلنَّاظِرِينَ ١٦

We have set in heaven constellations and decked them out fair to the beholders,

وَحَفِظْنَاهَا مِن كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ رَّجِيمٍ ١٧

and guarded them from every accursed Satan

إِلَّا مَنِ اسْتَرَقَ السَّمْعَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ شِهَابٌ مُّبِينٌ ١٨

excepting such as listens by stealth -- and he is pursued by a manifest flame.

وَالْأَرْضَ مَدَدْنَاهَا وَأَلْقَيْنَا فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ وَأَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مَّوْزُونٍ ١٩

And the earth -- We stretched it forth, and cast on it firm mountains, and We caused to grow therein of every thing justly weighed,

وَجَعَلْنَا لَكُمْ فِيهَا مَعَايِشَ وَمَن لَّسْتُمْ لَهُ بِرَازِقِينَ ٢٠

and there appointed for you livelihood, and for those you provide not for.