الم ١

Alif, Lam, Mim. (Only Allah and the Messenger [blessings and peace be upon him] know the real meaning.)

اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ٢

Allah! None is worthy of worship but He, the Ever-Living, Self-Subsisting and Sustainer (of the entire universe with His Strategy).

نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَأَنزَلَ التَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنجِيلَ ٣

(O Beloved!) He is the One Who has revealed to you (this) Book with truth. (It) confirms (all those Books) that were revealed before it. And He is the One Who has revealed the Torah and the Injil (the Gospel).

مِن قَبْلُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَنزَلَ الْفُرْقَانَ ۗ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ ذُو انتِقَامٍ ٤

(As the Books were revealed) before this to guide the people, He has (now, in like manner,) revealed (the Qur’an,) the criterion to distinguish right from wrong. Verily, those who deny Allah’s Revelations, for them is rigorous punishment. And Allah is Almighty, the Lord of Retribution.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ ٥

Surely, nothing is hidden from Allah in the earth or in the heaven.

هُوَ الَّذِي يُصَوِّرُكُمْ فِي الْأَرْحَامِ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ ۚ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ٦

He is the One Who shapes your forms the way He wills in the wombs (of mothers). None is worthy of worship but He. He is Almighty, All-Wise.

هُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُّحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ ۖ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ۗ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ رَبِّنَا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ ٧

He is the One Who has revealed to you the Book comprising some firm and solid Verses (i.e., literally clear and precise in meaning); they are the foundation of (the commandments) of the Book. And other Verses are figurative (i.e., containing abstract and allusive meaning). So, those who have deviation in their hearts follow only its figurative Verses (just) under the urge to create disruption and with the motive to supply them self-seeking interpretation instead of their true interpretation. But none knows its true interpretation apart from Allah. And those who are perfectly firm in knowledge say: ‘We believe in it. The whole (Book) has been revealed by our Lord.’ And direction and guidance is the share of only those who possess wisdom and insight.

رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ ٨

(And they submit:) ‘O our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have honoured us with guidance, and grant us mercy especially from Your presence. Truly, You alone are the Great Bestower.

رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ جَامِعُ النَّاسِ لِيَوْمٍ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ ٩

O our Lord! You will surely bring together mankind on the Day about which there is no doubt. Verily, Allah does not go against (His) promise.’

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَن تُغْنِيَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ وَقُودُ النَّارِ ١٠

Indeed, those who reject faith, neither their wealth nor their children shall be able to save them anyway from (the torment of) Allah. It is they who are the fuel of Hell.

كَدَأْبِ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ وَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا فَأَخَذَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ ١١

(Their) line of action (also) resembles that of the people of Pharaoh and those before them who belied Our Revelations. So, Allah seized them because of their sins and Allah gives severe punishment.

قُل لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَتُغْلَبُونَ وَتُحْشَرُونَ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ ۚ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ ١٢

Say to the disbelievers: ‘You will soon be overpowered and driven towards Hell, and that is a very evil abode.’

قَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ آيَةٌ فِي فِئَتَيْنِ الْتَقَتَا ۖ فِئَةٌ تُقَاتِلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَأُخْرَىٰ كَافِرَةٌ يَرَوْنَهُم مِّثْلَيْهِمْ رَأْيَ الْعَيْنِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يُؤَيِّدُ بِنَصْرِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِّأُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ ١٣

There is certainly a sign for you in the two parties that encountered each other (in the battlefield of Badr)—one party (i.e., the Muslims) fought (a defensive war) in the cause of Allah, and the other comprised the disbelievers (i.e., the Meccan aggressors who invaded the peaceful Muslims of Medina). They saw them with their (own) eyes as twice their own number. And Allah provides strength with His reinforcement to whom He wills. In this incident, there is surely a (notable) lesson of warning for those who have eyes.

زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ وَالْبَنِينَ وَالْقَنَاطِيرِ الْمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَالْخَيْلِ الْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ وَالْحَرْثِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَآبِ ١٤

(Excessively) attractive has been made, for the people, the love of lusts (that) include women, children, and hoarded treasures of gold and silver, and branded horses and cattle and crops. (All) this is the provision of the worldly life and with Allah is the best abode.

۞ قُلْ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُم بِخَيْرٍ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَأَزْوَاجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ وَرِضْوَانٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ ١٥

(O Beloved!) Say: ‘Shall I give you the news of something far better than all this? (Yes,) for the Godfearing there are (such) Gardens with their Lord beneath which streams flow. They will live there forever. There will be (for them) chaste wives, and (above all) they shall enjoy the pleasure of Allah.’ And Allah monitors His servants well.

الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ١٦

(These are the people) who say: ‘O our Lord, we have surely believed, so, forgive us our sins and save us from the torment of Hell.’

الصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْمُنفِقِينَ وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالْأَسْحَارِ ١٧

(They are) steadfast (people), truthful in their words and deeds and submissive in devotion and obedience. And they spend in the way of Allah, and (rise) in the later hours of the night to implore Allah’s pardon.

شَهِدَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَأُولُو الْعِلْمِ قَائِمًا بِالْقِسْطِ ۚ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ١٨

Allah bears witness that none is worthy of worship apart from Him; and the angels and those who possess knowledge also bear testimony to it (as well as the fact) that He designs and executes every plan with justice. None is worthy of worship but He. He is Almighty, All-Wise.

إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الْإِسْلَامُ ۗ وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ ۗ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ ١٩

Truly, Islam is the only Din (Religion) in Allah’s sight. And the People of the Book disagreed, after knowledge had come to them, only on account of their mutual jealousy and contention. And he who denies Allah’s revelations, then surely Allah hastens in calling to account.

فَإِنْ حَاجُّوكَ فَقُلْ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّهِ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِ ۗ وَقُل لِّلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ وَالْأُمِّيِّينَ أَأَسْلَمْتُمْ ۚ فَإِنْ أَسْلَمُوا فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوا ۖ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَاغُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ ٢٠

(O Beloved!) If they, even then, dispute with you, say to them: ‘I have bowed my humble face in absolute submissiveness before the presence of Allah and so have those who follow me.’ And say to the People of the Book as well as the illiterate ones: ‘Do you also bow before Allah absolutely (i.e., do you accept Islam)?’ And, if they embrace submission, then they have truly achieved guidance. But if they turn away, your responsibility is only to deliver the command. And Allah is Watchful of His servants.