Al-Ahqaf
No Novelty Among the Messengers
In the name of God, the All-Benevolent, the Benevolent. Ḥa. Mim.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم حمThe descent of the Scripture comes from God, the All-Powerful, the Wise.
تنزيل الكتب من الله العزيز الحكيمWe did not create the heavens and the earth, and what is between them, except in truth and for an appointed term.
ما خلقنا السموت والارض وما بينهما الا بالحق واجل مسميAnd those who disown turn away from what they were warned of.
والذين كفروا عما انذروا معرضونSay: "Have you considered what you invoke besides God? Show me what they have created of the earth, or do they have a share in the heavens?"
قل اريتم ما تدعون من دون الله اروني ماذا خلقوا من الارض ام لهم شرك في السموتBring me a Writ prior to this one, or a remnant of knowledge, if you are truthful.
ايتوني بكتب من قبل هذا او اثره من علم ان كنتم صدقينAnd who is more astray than one who invokes, besides God, that which will not answer him until the Day of Appearance, while they remain heedless of their invocation?
ومن اضل ممن يدعوا من دون الله من لا يستجيب له الي يوم القيمه وهم عن دعايهم غفلونAnd when mankind is gathered, [these objects of invocation] will be enemies to them, and they will disown that obedience [which was devoted to them].
واذا حشر الناس كانوا لهم اعدا وكانوا بعبادتهم كفرينAnd when Our clear signs are recited to them, those who disown say of the truth once it reaches them: "This is a manifest illusion."
واذا تتلي عليهم ايتنا بينت قال الذين كفروا للحق لما جاهم هذا سحر مبينOr do they say: "He has invented it"?
ام يقولون افتريهSay: "If I have invented it, you can do nothing for me against God."
قل ان افتريته فلا تملكون لي من الله شياHe knows best what you engage in concerning it.
هو اعلم بما تفيضون فيهHe suffices as a witness between me and you.
كفي به شهيدا بيني وبينكمAnd He is the Most-Forgiving, the Benevolent.
وهو الغفور الرحيمSay: "I am not a novelty among the messengers, and I have no idea what will be done with me or with you."
قل ما كنت بدعا من الرسل وما ادري ما يفعل بي ولا بكمI follow only what is revealed to me.
ان اتبع الا ما يوحي اليAnd I am only a clear warner.
وما انا الا نذير مبينSay: "Have you considered: if this is from God and you disown it, while a witness among the Sons of Israel has testified to its conformity and believed, whereas you swell with pride..."
قل اريتم ان كان من عند الله وكفرتم به وشهد شاهد من بني اسريل علي مثله فامن واستكبرتمIndeed, God does not guide the wrongdoing people.
ان الله لا يهدي القوم الظلمينAnd those who disown say to those who believe: "If it were good, they would not have preceded us to it."
وقال الذين كفروا للذين امنوا لو كان خيرا ما سبقونا اليهAnd since they are not guided by it, they will say: "This is an ancient distortion."
واذ لم يهتدوا به فسيقولون هذا افك قديمAnd before it was the Scripture of Moussa, as a reference and a benevolence.
ومن قبله كتب موسي اماما ورحمهAnd this is a confirming Writ, in an unblemished, undistorted expression, so that you may warn those who have done wrong, and as good news for those who do good.
وهذا كتب مصدق لسانا عربيا لينذر الذين ظلموا وبشري للمحسنينIndeed, those who say: "Our Guardian is God," then stand straight — no fear will be upon them, nor will they grieve.
ان الذين قالوا ربنا الله ثم استقموا فلا خوف عليهم ولا هم يحزنونThose are the companions of the Garden, abiding therein eternally,
اوليك اصحب الجنه خلدين فيهاas a recompense for what they used to do.
جزا بما كانوا يعملونAnd We enjoined upon the human being beneficence toward his two parents.
ووصينا الانسن بولديه احسناHis mother carried him with hardship and bore him with hardship.
حملته امه كرها ووضعته كرهاAnd his bearing and his weaning are thirty months.
وحمله وفصله ثلثون شهراUntil he reaches his full maturity and reaches forty years, he says: "My Guardian, inspire me to be grateful for Your blessing which You bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do a righteous deed that pleases You.
حتي اذا بلغ اشده وبلغ اربعين سنه قال رب اوزعني ان اشكر نعمتك التي انعمت علي وعلي ولدي وان اعمل صلحا ترضيهAnd make righteous for me my descendants.
واصلح لي في ذريتيIndeed, I turn to You, and I am among those true to God alone."
اني تبت اليك واني من المسلمينThose are the ones from whom We accept the best of what they did, and overlook their bad deeds, among the companions of the Garden —
اوليك الذين نتقبل عنهم احسن ما عملوا ونتجاوز عن سياتهم في اصحب الجنهa true promise which they were promised.
وعد الصدق الذي كانوا يوعدونAnd he who says to his two parents: "Fie on you both! Do you promise me that I will be brought forth, when generations have already passed before me?" — while they both cry out to God for help: "Woe to you, believe! Indeed the promise of God is true" — and he says: "This is nothing but legends of the ancients."
والذي قال لولديه اف لكما اتعدانني ان اخرج وقد خلت القرون من قبلي وهما يستغيثان الله ويلك امن ان وعد الله حق فيقول ما هذا الا اسطير الاولينThose are the ones against whom the saying [of punishment] has proven true, among communities that had already passed before them, of the Occulted and mankind.
اوليك الذين حق عليهم القول في امم قد خلت من قبلهم من الجن والانسIndeed, they were losers.
انهم كانوا خسرينAnd to each are degrees according to what they did,
ولكل درجت مما عملواand so that He may faithfully repay them for their deeds, and they will not be wronged.
وليوفيهم اعملهم وهم لا يظلمونAnd the Day those who disown are exposed to the Fire: "You exhausted your good things in your present life and enjoyed them."
ويوم يعرض الذين كفروا علي النار اذهبتم طيبتكم في حياتكم الدنيا واستمتعتم بهاSo today you are recompensed the degrading punishment for having swelled with pride on earth without right, and for having overstepped [the limits].
فاليوم تجزون عذاب الهون بما كنتم تستكبرون في الارض بغير الحق وبما كنتم تفسقونAnd remember the brother of the Recidivists [Aad], when he warned his people at the Ahqaf — while warners had already passed before him and after him — [saying]: "Obey none but God."
واذكر اخا عاد اذ انذر قومه بالاحقاف وقد خلت النذر من بين يديه ومن خلفه الا تعبدوا الا اللهI indeed fear for you the punishment of an immense day.
اني اخاف عليكم عذاب يوم عظيمThey said: "Have you come to us to turn us away from our deities? Then bring us what you promise us, if you are among the truthful."
قالوا اجيتنا لتافكنا عن الهتنا فاتنا بما تعدنا ان كنت من الصدقينHe said: "The knowledge [of that] is with God alone; I convey to you what I was sent with, but I see you to be a people who are ignorant."
قال انما العلم عند الله وابلغكم ما ارسلت به ولكني اريكم قوما تجهلونThen, when they saw it as a cloud approaching their valleys, they said: "This is a cloud bringing us rain."
فلما راوه عارضا مستقبل اوديتهم قالوا هذا عارض ممطرناNo, it is rather what you sought to hasten —
بل هو ما استعجلتم بهa wind carrying a painful punishment,
ريح فيها عذاب اليمdestroying everything by the command of its Guardian.
تدمر كل شي بامر ربهاAnd they became such that nothing could be seen except their dwellings.
فاصبحوا لا يري الا مسكنهمThus do We recompense the severed people.
كذلك نجزي القوم المجرمينAnd We had certainly established them in what We have not established you, and We gave them hearing, sight, and Consciences,
ولقد مكنهم فيما ان مكنكم فيه وجعلنا لهم سمعا وابصرا وافدهbut neither their hearing, nor their sight, nor their Consciences availed them anything, since they used to stubbornly reject the signs of God,
فما اغني عنهم سمعهم ولا ابصرهم ولا افدتهم من شي اذ كانوا يجحدون بايت اللهand there enveloped them that which they used to mock.
وحاق بهم ما كانوا به يستهزونAnd We had certainly annihilated the cities around you, and We diversified the signs, that they might return.
ولقد اهلكنا ما حولكم من القري وصرفنا الايت لعلهم يرجعونWhy then did those they took, besides God, as an offering — as deities — not help them?
فلولا نصرهم الذين اتخذوا من دون الله قربانا الههRather, they strayed from them,
بل ضلوا عنهمand that was their distortion and what they used to invent.
وذلك افكهم وما كانوا يفترونAnd remember when We directed toward you a group of the Occulted, listening to the Recitation; and when they were present at it, they said: "Listen closely."
واذ صرفنا اليك نفرا من الجن يستمعون القران فلما حضروه قالوا انصتواThen, when it was concluded, they turned back to their people as warners.
فلما قضي ولوا الي قومهم منذرينThey said: "O our people, we have heard a scripture sent down after Moussa, confirming what came before it, guiding to the truth and to a straight road.
قالوا يقومنا انا سمعنا كتبا انزل من بعد موسي مصدقا لما بين يديه يهدي الي الحق والي طريق مستقيمO our people, respond to the caller of God and believe in him: He will forgive you some of your offenses and protect you from a painful punishment.
يقومنا اجيبوا داعي الله وامنوا به يغفر لكم من ذنوبكم ويجركم من عذاب اليمAnd whoever does not respond to the caller of God cannot escape on earth, and has no allies besides Him.
ومن لا يجب داعي الله فليس بمعجز في الارض وليس له من دونه اولياThose are in manifest error.
اوليك في ضلل مبينDo they not see that God, who created the heavens and the earth and was not wearied by their creation, is able to give life to the dead? Yes, indeed.
اولم يروا ان الله الذي خلق السموت والارض ولم يعي بخلقهن بقدر علي ان يحي الموتي بليHe is indeed capable of all things.
انه علي كل شي قديرAnd the Day those who disown are exposed to the Fire: "Is this not the truth?"
ويوم يعرض الذين كفروا علي النار اليس هذا بالحقThey will say: "Yes, by our Guardian!"
قالوا بلي وربناHe will say: "Then taste the punishment for what you used to disown."
قال فذوقوا العذاب بما كنتم تكفرونSo be patient, as the resolute among the messengers were patient, and do not seek to hasten [the punishment],
فاصبر كما صبر اولوا العزم من الرسل ولا تستعجلTo them: "As if, on the day they see what they were promised, they had remained only an hour of the day" — this is a transmission.
لهم كانهم يوم يرون ما يوعدون لم يلبثوا الا ساعه من نهار بلغSo will any be annihilated except the overstepping people?
فهل يهلك الا القوم الفسقون