الر ۚ تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ الْحَكِيمِ ١

Alif, Lam, Ra. (Only Allah and the Messenger [blessings and peace be upon him] know the real meaning). These are the Verses of the Book which is all wisdom.

أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا أَنْ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ رَجُلٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَنْ أَنذِرِ النَّاسَ وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنَّ لَهُمْ قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ ۗ قَالَ الْكَافِرُونَ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَسَاحِرٌ مُّبِينٌ ٢

Is it amazing for the people that We sent down Revelation to a (perfect) man from amongst themselves: ‘Warn (the disoriented and distracted) people (of Allah’s torment), and give glad tidings to the believers that there is high rank (i.e., exalted status) for them in the presence of their Lord’? The disbelievers said: ‘Indeed, this person is an evident magician.’

إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ ۖ يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ ۖ مَا مِن شَفِيعٍ إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ إِذْنِهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ ٣

Certainly, your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth (the upper and lower strata of the universe) in six days (i.e., aeons or phases, step by step). Then He established His sovereignty on the Throne (befitting His Glory with His supreme authority, i.e., after the creation of the universe He established His command and control by enforcing His law and system in all the worlds and heavenly bodies). He is the One Who devises strategies for all operations (i.e., makes everything function under a system). There is no one to intercede (with Him) without His permission. (The Glorious and Mighty) Allah is the One Who is your Lord; worship Him alone. So, do you not think (about accepting His direction and guidance)?

إِلَيْهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا ۖ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقًّا ۚ إِنَّهُ يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ بِالْقِسْطِ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَهُمْ شَرَابٌ مِّنْ حَمِيمٍ وَعَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ ٤

(O people!) It is to Him that you are all to return; (that) is Allah’s true promise. Surely, He is the One Who originates the creation. Then He is the One Who will repeat it so that He rewards with justice those who believe and do righteous works. And those who reject faith and disbelieve, there is for them scalding water to drink and a painful torment, a reward for their disbelief.

هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَاءً وَالْقَمَرَ نُورًا وَقَدَّرَهُ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ ۚ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ ۚ يُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ ٥

He is the One Who has made the sun (a source of) light and (with that) made the moon luminous, and appointed for it stages (to appear smaller or bigger) so that you might compute the number of years and the count (of time). Allah has not created (all this) but with a zero-defect strategy. (Through these cosmic realities) He expounds in detail the signs (of His creativity, unicity and might) for those who possess knowledge.

إِنَّ فِي اخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَمَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَّقُونَ ٦

Surely, in the alternation of night and day and in (all) that Allah has created in the heavens and the earth, there are (in like manner) signs for those who live by Godwariness.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا وَرَضُوا بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَاطْمَأَنُّوا بِهَا وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنْ آيَاتِنَا غَافِلُونَ ٧

Verily, those who do not expect to meet Us and are pleased with the worldly life and are well-contented with it and who are neglectful of Our signs,

أُولَٰئِكَ مَأْوَاهُمُ النَّارُ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ ٨

It is they whose abode is Hell, a recompense for the deeds they used to earn.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ يَهْدِيهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِإِيمَانِهِمْ ۖ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهِمُ الْأَنْهَارُ فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ ٩

Indeed, those who believe and consistently practise piety, their Lord will take them, for their faith, (to the Gardens) with streams flowing (under their abodes, located) in the Gardens of Bliss in the Hereafter.

دَعْوَاهُمْ فِيهَا سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَتَحِيَّتُهُمْ فِيهَا سَلَامٌ ۚ وَآخِرُ دَعْوَاهُمْ أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ١٠

(Finding these blessings and bounties,) they will pray in these (Gardens): ‘Holy You are, O Allah!’ And the word of their mutual greetings will be: ‘Peace.’ (Or the word for their reception from Allah and the angels will be: ‘Peace.’) And their supplication will end (with these words): ‘All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.’

۞ وَلَوْ يُعَجِّلُ اللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ الشَّرَّ اسْتِعْجَالَهُم بِالْخَيْرِ لَقُضِيَ إِلَيْهِمْ أَجَلُهُمْ ۖ فَنَذَرُ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ ١١

If Allah were to hasten evil (i.e., torment) for the (disbelieving) people, as they make haste for the worldly gains, then certainly their term (of life) would have been (hastily) completed for them (so that they reach Hell fast after dying). But We leave those who do not expect to meet Us in their rebellion (and revolt) so that they keep wandering disoriented.

وَإِذَا مَسَّ الْإِنسَانَ الضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنبِهِ أَوْ قَاعِدًا أَوْ قَائِمًا فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُ مَرَّ كَأَن لَّمْ يَدْعُنَا إِلَىٰ ضُرٍّ مَّسَّهُ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ١٢

And when a misery touches (such a) man, he calls out to Us whilst lying on his side or sitting or standing. But when We remove from him his affliction, he passes on (forgetting Us) as if he (never) called out to Us in the pain that had touched him. This is how the (wrong) deeds which the transgressors do are made to appear to them fascinating.

وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَمَّا ظَلَمُوا ۙ وَجَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَمَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْقَوْمَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ ١٣

And indeed, before you We (also) destroyed (a number of) communities when they perpetrated injustice. And their Messengers brought to them clear signs, but they would not believe. That is how We punish the evildoers (for their impious behaviour).

ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ خَلَائِفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ لِنَنظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ ١٤

Then, after them, We made you (their) successors in the land so that We might observe how you would behave (now).

وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ ۙ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا ائْتِ بِقُرْآنٍ غَيْرِ هَٰذَا أَوْ بَدِّلْهُ ۚ قُلْ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أُبَدِّلَهُ مِن تِلْقَاءِ نَفْسِي ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ ۖ إِنِّي أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّي عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ ١٥

And when Our enlightening Verses are recited to them, those who do not believe in meeting Us say: ‘Bring us a Qur’an different from this one or alter it.’ (O Glorious Messenger,) say: ‘I have no right to modify it of my own accord. I follow only (that) which is revealed to me. Indeed, I fear the chastisement of the Mighty Day if I go against my Lord.’

قُل لَّوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا تَلَوْتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَا أَدْرَاكُم بِهِ ۖ فَقَدْ لَبِثْتُ فِيكُمْ عُمُرًا مِّن قَبْلِهِ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ ١٦

Say: ‘Had Allah so willed, I would not have recited this (Qur’an) to you, nor would He (Himself) have made it known to you. I have indeed spent a (part of) life amongst you (even) before this (revelation of the Qur’an). So do you not understand?’

فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِآيَاتِهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ ١٧

So who is more unjust than one who fabricates lies against Allah or belies His Revelations? Certainly, the evildoers will never triumph.

وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ هَٰؤُلَاءِ شُفَعَاؤُنَا عِندَ اللَّهِ ۚ قُلْ أَتُنَبِّئُونَ اللَّهَ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۚ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ١٨

And (the idolaters) worship, apart from Allah, those (idols) which can neither harm nor benefit them, and (in justification of their false worship) they say: ‘These (idols) are our intercessors with Allah.’ Say: ‘Do you seek to inform Allah of the (fabricated) presumption (of intercession by idols) whose (existence) He is not aware of either in the heavens or in the earth (i.e., intercession with Him by any idol is not in His knowledge)? Holy is He, and far Exalted above those whom they set up as (His) peers.’

وَمَا كَانَ النَّاسُ إِلَّا أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَاخْتَلَفُوا ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ١٩

And the entire mankind was one Umma ([Community] in the beginning). Then they (differed amongst themselves and) disintegrated. And if it had not been decreed by your Lord (that the torment would not be hastened), the matters would have been settled between them in which they disagreed.

وَيَقُولُونَ لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ ۖ فَقُلْ إِنَّمَا الْغَيْبُ لِلَّهِ فَانتَظِرُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُم مِّنَ الْمُنتَظِرِينَ ٢٠

And (now) they say (because of the same respite): ‘Why has some (decisive) sign not been sent down to this (Messenger [blessings and peace be upon him]) from his Lord?’ Say: ‘The unseen is for Allah alone. So wait. I too am with you amongst those who wait.’