ص ۚ وَالْقُرْآنِ ذِي الذِّكْرِ ١

Sad. By the Koran, containing the Remembrance --

بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي عِزَّةٍ وَشِقَاقٍ ٢

nay, but the unbelievers glory in their schism.

كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّن قَرْنٍ فَنَادَوا وَّلَاتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ ٣

How many a generation We destroyed before them, and they called, but time was none to escape.

وَعَجِبُوا أَن جَاءَهُم مُّنذِرٌ مِّنْهُمْ ۖ وَقَالَ الْكَافِرُونَ هَٰذَا سَاحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ ٤

Now they marvel that a warner has come to them from among them; and the unbelievers say, ’This is a lying sorcerer.

أَجَعَلَ الْآلِهَةَ إِلَٰهًا وَاحِدًا ۖ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَشَيْءٌ عُجَابٌ ٥

What, has he made the gods One God? This is indeed a marvellous thing.’

وَانطَلَقَ الْمَلَأُ مِنْهُمْ أَنِ امْشُوا وَاصْبِرُوا عَلَىٰ آلِهَتِكُمْ ۖ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَشَيْءٌ يُرَادُ ٦

And the Council of them depart, saying ’Go! Be steadfast to your gods; this is a thing to be desired.

مَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَٰذَا فِي الْمِلَّةِ الْآخِرَةِ إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا اخْتِلَاقٌ ٧

We have not heard of this in the last religion; this is surely an invention.

أَأُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ الذِّكْرُ مِن بَيْنِنَا ۚ بَلْ هُمْ فِي شَكٍّ مِّن ذِكْرِي ۖ بَل لَّمَّا يَذُوقُوا عَذَابِ ٨

What, has the Remembrance been sent down on him out of us all?’ Nay, but they are in doubt of My Remembrance; nay, they have not yet tasted My chastisement.

أَمْ عِندَهُمْ خَزَائِنُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ الْعَزِيزِ الْوَهَّابِ ٩

Or have they the treasuries of thy Lord’s mercy, the All-mighty, the All-giving?

أَمْ لَهُم مُّلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ۖ فَلْيَرْتَقُوا فِي الْأَسْبَابِ ١٠

Or is theirs the kingdom of the heavens and earth and of what between them is? Why, then let them ascend the cords!

جُندٌ مَّا هُنَالِكَ مَهْزُومٌ مِّنَ الْأَحْزَابِ ١١

A very host of parties is routed there!

كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَعَادٌ وَفِرْعَوْنُ ذُو الْأَوْتَادِ ١٢

Cried lies before them the people of Noah, and Ad, and Pharaoh, he of the tent-pegs,

وَثَمُودُ وَقَوْمُ لُوطٍ وَأَصْحَابُ الْأَيْكَةِ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ الْأَحْزَابُ ١٣

and Thamood, and the people of Lot, and the men of the Thicket - those were the parties;

إِن كُلٌّ إِلَّا كَذَّبَ الرُّسُلَ فَحَقَّ عِقَابِ ١٤

not one, that cried not lies to the Messengers, so My retribution was just.

وَمَا يَنظُرُ هَٰؤُلَاءِ إِلَّا صَيْحَةً وَاحِدَةً مَّا لَهَا مِن فَوَاقٍ ١٥

These are only awaiting for a single Cry, to which there is no delay.

وَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا عَجِّل لَّنَا قِطَّنَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْحِسَابِ ١٦

They say, ’Our Lord, hasten to us our share before the Day of Reckoning.’

اصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوُودَ ذَا الْأَيْدِ ۖ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ ١٧

Bear patiently what they say, and remember Our servant David, the man of might; he was a penitent.

إِنَّا سَخَّرْنَا الْجِبَالَ مَعَهُ يُسَبِّحْنَ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالْإِشْرَاقِ ١٨

With him We subjected the mountains to give glory at evening and sunrise,

وَالطَّيْرَ مَحْشُورَةً ۖ كُلٌّ لَّهُ أَوَّابٌ ١٩

and the birds, duly mustered, every one to him reverting;

وَشَدَدْنَا مُلْكَهُ وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحِكْمَةَ وَفَصْلَ الْخِطَابِ ٢٠

We strengthened his kingdom, and gave him wisdom and speech decisive.