In the name of God, the Almighty,¹ the Merciful.

¹ alif lām mīm ṣād¹

² A Writ¹ sent down to thee — so let there be no distress in thy heart therefrom — that thou warn thereby, and as a reminder to the believers.²

³ Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord, and follow not allies besides¹ Him; little do you take heed.

⁴ And how many a city have We destroyed! Our might came upon it by night, or while they slept at noonday,

⁵ And their cry when Our might came to them was only that they said: “We were wrongdoers!”¹

⁶ Then will We question those to whom were sent, and We will question the emissaries,¹

⁷ And We will relate to them with knowledge; and We were not absent.

⁸ And the weighing, that day, will be the truth;¹ then whose balances are heavy: it is they who are the successful.²

⁹ And whose balances are light: those are they who lost their souls because they wronged Our proofs.¹

¹⁰ And We have established you in the earth and made for you therein livelihoods; little are you grateful.

¹¹ And We created you; then We formed you; then said We to the angels: “Submit¹ to Adam,” and they submitted.² Not so³ Iblīs; he was not of those who submit.⁴

¹² He said: “What prevented thee from submitting¹ when I commanded thee?” Said he: “I am better than he; Thou createdst me of fire, and Thou createdst him of clay.”

¹³ He said: “Get thee down therefrom;¹ it is not for thee to wax proud therein,² so go thou forth; thou art of those brought low.”

¹⁴ Said he: “Grant Thou me respite until the day they are raised up.”

¹⁵ He said: “Thou art of those granted respite.”

¹⁶ Said he: “Because Thou hast caused me to err, I will lie in wait for them on Thy straight path,¹

¹⁷ “Then will I come to them from before them, and from behind them, and from their right, and from their left; and Thou wilt not find most of them grateful.”

¹⁸ He said: “Go thou forth therefrom, condemned and banished. Whoso follows thee from among them — I will fill Gehenna with you all together.”¹

¹⁹ And: “O Adam: dwell thou and thy wife in the garden, and eat¹ from wheresoever² you³ will. But approach⁴ not this tree lest you⁵ be among the wrongdoers.”⁶

²⁰ Then the satan¹ whispered to them,² to make manifest to them³ what was hidden from them⁴ of their⁵ shame.⁶ He said: “Your Lord forbade you⁷ this tree only lest you⁸ become angels, or of those abiding eternally.”

²¹ And he swore to them: “I am to you¹ a sincere counsellor.”

²² And he led them¹ by delusion; then when they² tasted of the tree, their shame³ was made manifest to them,⁴ and they⁵ began to draw over them⁶ of the leaves of the garden. And their Lord called to them:⁷ “Did I not forbid you⁸ that tree? And did I not say to you:⁹ ‘The satan¹⁰ is an open enemy to you’?”¹¹

²³ They¹ said: “Our Lord: we have wronged our souls; and if Thou forgive us not and have not mercy on us, we will be among the losers.”

²⁴ He said: “Get you¹ down, an enemy to one another. And for you upon the earth are a dwelling-place and provision for a time.”

²⁵ He said: “On it will you live, and on it will you die, and from it will you be brought forth.”

²⁶ O children of Adam: We have sent down upon you raiment to hide your shame,¹ and as adornment;² but the raiment of prudent fear,³ that is best. That is among the proofs⁴ of God, that they might take heed.

²⁷ O children of Adam: let not the satan¹ subject you to means of denial² as he turned your parents³ out of the garden, removing from them⁴ their raiment, that he might make manifest their⁵ shame⁶ to them.⁷ He and his kind⁸ see you from where⁹ you see them not. We have made the satans¹⁰ allies of those who do not believe.¹¹

²⁸ And when they¹ commit sexual immorality,² they say: “We found our fathers doing it,”³ and: “God enjoined it upon us.”⁴ Say thou: “God enjoins not sexual immorality;⁵ do you ascribe to God what you know not?”

²⁹ Say thou: “My Lord has enjoined equity.¹ Uphold² your countenances³ at every place of worship,⁴ and call to Him, sincere to Him in doctrine;⁵ as He created you, so you will return.”

³⁰ A faction He guided, and upon a faction was misguidance due:¹ they took the satans² as allies instead of³ God, and think they are guided.⁴

³¹ O children of Adam: take your adornment at every place of worship;¹ and eat and drink,² but commit not excess; God loves not the committers of excess.

³² Say thou: “Who has made unlawful the adornment of God which He brought forth for His servants, and the good things of provision?”¹ Say thou: “These are for those who heed warning² in the life of this world exclusively on the Day of Resurrection.” Thus do We set out and detail³ the proofs⁴ for people who know.

³³ Say thou: “My Lord has only made unlawful sexual immoralities¹ — whether open or concealed — and sin,² and sectarian zealotry³ without cause,⁴ and that you ascribe a partnership⁵ with God to that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you ascribe to God what you know not.”

³⁴ And for every community is a term; then when their term comes, they will not defer an hour, nor will they advance.

³⁵ O children of Adam: if there come to you messengers from among you, relating to you My proofs,¹ then whoso is in prudent fear² and makes right — no fear will be upon them, nor will they grieve.

³⁶ But those who deny Our proofs¹ and wax proud at them — those are the companions of the Fire; therein they abide eternally.

³⁷ And who is more unjust than he who invents a lie about God, or denies His proofs?¹ Those: there reaches them their portion of the Writ;² when³ Our messengers come to them, to take them,⁴ they say: “Where is that to which you called besides⁵ God?” They will say: “They have strayed from us.” And they will bear witness against themselves that they were false claimers of guidance.⁶

³⁸ He will say: “Enter among the communities that have passed away before you of domini¹ and servi² into the Fire!” Whenever a community³ enters, it curses its sister;⁴ when⁵ they have followed one another therein all together, the last of them will say to⁶ the first of them: “Our Lord: these led us astray; so give Thou them double punishment of the Fire!” He will say: “For each is double, but you know not.”

³⁹ And the first of them will say to the last of them: “You were no better than were we,¹ so taste the punishment for what you earned!”

⁴⁰ Those who deny Our proofs¹ and wax proud at them: for them the gates of heaven will not be opened, nor will they enter the Garden any more than a twisted rope² can pass through the eye of a needle; and thus We requite the lawbreakers.

⁴¹ They have a resting-place of Gehenna, and over them are coverings;¹ and thus We requite the wrongdoers.²

⁴² And those who heed warning¹ and do righteous deeds: — We burden not any soul save to its capacity — those are the companions of the Garden; therein they abide eternally.

⁴³ And We will remove any rancour from their hearts;¹ there flow beneath them rivers; and they will say: “Praise belongs to God who has guided us to this! And we would not have been guided had not God guided us. The messengers of our Lord came with the truth.”² And they will be called: “That is the Garden which you are made to inherit for what you did.”

⁴⁴ And the companions of the Garden will call to the companions of the Fire: “We have found what our Lord promised us true;¹ have you found what your Lord promised you true?”² They will say: “Yea.” Then will there proclaim a proclaimer between them: “The curse of God is upon the wrongdoers:³

⁴⁵ “Those who turned away from¹ the path of God and sought to make it crooked, and were deniers of the Hereafter!”

⁴⁶ And between them¹ is a partition; and upon the elevations are men recognising each by their mark;² and they will call to the companions of the Garden: “Peace be upon you!” They have not entered it, though they desire to.

⁴⁷ And when their eyes are turned towards the companions of the Fire, they say: “Our Lord: place Thou not us with the wrongdoing¹ people.”

⁴⁸ And the companions of the elevations will call to men, recognising them by their mark,¹ saying: “What did it avail you, your accumulating, and that you waxed proud?

⁴⁹ “Are these¹ they whom you swore God would never reach with mercy?”² — “Enter the Garden! You need not fear, nor will you grieve!”

⁵⁰ And the companions of the Fire will call to the companions of the Garden: “Pour forth¹ upon us some water, or some of what God has provided for you.” They will say: “God has made both unlawful to the false claimers of guidance:²

⁵¹ “Those who took their doctrine¹ as play and diversion, and whom the life of this world deluded.” — “So this day do We forget them, even as they forgot the meeting of this their day, and as they rejected Our proofs.”²

⁵² And We have brought them a Writ¹ which We set out and detailed² according to knowledge — a guidance and mercy for people who believe.

⁵³ Look they save for the fulfilment¹ thereof? The day the fulfilment² thereof comes, those who had forgotten it before will say: “The messengers of our Lord came with the truth,³ so have we any intercessors that might intercede for us? Or will we be sent back that we might do other than what we did?” They will have lost their souls; and strayed from them will be what they invented.

⁵⁴ Your Lord is God, who created the heavens and the earth in six days,¹ then established Himself upon the Throne. He covers the night, the day hastening after it swiftly, and the sun and the moon and the stars are subject by His command. In truth,² His are the creation and the command. Blessed be God, the Lord of All Creation!

⁵⁵ Call to your Lord humbly and in secret. He loves not the transgressors

⁵⁶ So work not corruption in the land after its right ordering. And call to Him in fear and hope; the mercy of God is near to the doers of good.

⁵⁷ And He it is that sends the winds as glad tidings before¹ His mercy. When² they have gathered up³ heavy clouds,⁴ We drive them to a dead land and send down the water therein,⁵ and bring forth therewith every⁶ fruit, — thus will We bring forth the dead — that you might take heed.

⁵⁸ And the good land: its vegetation comes forth by the leave of its Lord; and what is bad comes not forth save with difficulty. Thus do We expound the proofs¹ for people who are grateful.

⁵⁹ We sent Noah to his people, and he said: “O my people: serve God; you have no god but He; I fear for you the punishment of a tremendous day.”

⁶⁰ Said the eminent ones among his people: “We see thee in manifest error.”

⁶¹ He said: “O my people: there is no error in me; but I am a messenger from the Lord of All Creation:

⁶² “I convey to you the messages of my Lord, and give sincere counsel to you; and I know from God what you know not.

⁶³ “Do you marvel that there has come to you remembrance¹ from your Lord through a man among you, that he should warn you, and that you should be in prudent fear,² and that you might obtain mercy?”

⁶⁴ Then they denied him;¹ so We delivered him and those with him in the ship, and drowned those who denied Our proofs;² they were a blind people.

⁶⁵ And to ʿĀd, their brother Hūd. He said: “O my people: serve God; you have no god but He. Will you then not¹ be in prudent fear?”²

⁶⁶ Said the eminent ones who disbelieved¹ among his people: “We see thee in foolishness; and we consider thee a liar.”²

⁶⁷ He said: “O my people: there is no foolishness in me; but I am a messenger from the Lord of All Creation:

⁶⁸ “I convey to you the messages of my Lord; and I am a sincere counsellor to you, one trustworthy.

⁶⁹ “Do you marvel that there has come to you remembrance¹ from your Lord through a man among you, that he should warn you? And remember when He made you successors after the people of Noah, and increased you in creation² abundantly; then remember the favours of God, that you might be successful.”

⁷⁰ They said: “Hast thou come to us that we should serve God alone and leave what our fathers served? Then bring thou us what thou promisest us,¹ if thou be of the truthful.”

⁷¹ He said: “There have come upon you from your Lord abomination and wrath; dispute you with me concerning names¹ which you have named, you and your fathers? God sent not down for these any authority. Then wait — I am with you waiting.”²

⁷² So We delivered him and those with him by mercy from Us, and We cut off the root¹ of those who denied Our proofs;² and they were not believers.³

⁷³ And to Thamūd, their brother Ṣāliḥ.¹ He said: “O my people: serve God; you have no god but He; there has come to you clear evidence from your Lord: this is the she-camel of God, as a proof² for you, so leave her to eat in God’s earth, and touch her not with evil³ lest there take you a painful punishment.

⁷⁴ “And remember when He made you successors after ʿĀd, and settled you in the earth; you make castles out of its plains and hew the mountains into houses. Then remember the favours of God and commit not evil in the earth, working corruption.”

⁷⁵ Said the eminent ones who had waxed proud among his people to those they counted weak, to those who believed among them: “Know you¹ that Ṣāliḥ is an emissary from his Lord?” They said: “We believe in² that wherewith he has been sent.”

⁷⁶ Said those who had waxed proud: “We are deniers of that in which you believe.”

⁷⁷ And they hamstrung¹ the she-camel; and they scorned the command of their Lord, saying: “O Ṣāliḥ: bring thou us what thou promisest us, if thou be among the emissaries.”

⁷⁸ So the earthquake seized them; and morning found them lying prone in their home,

⁷⁹ So he turned from them, and said: “O my people: I had conveyed to you the message of my Lord, and been a sincere counsellor to you; but you love not sincere counsellors.”

⁸⁰ And Lot:¹ when he said to his people: “Do you commit sexual immorality,² that none among all mankind has preceded you?

⁸¹ “You approach men with lust rather than¹ women; the truth is,² you are a people committing excess.”

⁸² And the response of his people was only that they said: “Turn them out of your city; they are a people who keep themselves pure!”

⁸³ And We delivered him and his household save his wife; she was of those who stayed behind;

⁸⁴ And We rained upon them a rain.¹ Then see thou how was the final outcome of the lawbreakers.

⁸⁵ And to Madyan,¹ their brother Shuʿayb.² He said: “O my people: serve God; you have no god but He; there has come to you clear evidence from your Lord, so fulfil the measure and the balance, and deprive not people of their possessions;³ and work not corruption in the land after its right ordering; that is better for you, if you be believers.⁴

⁸⁶ “And lie not in wait¹ on every road, threatening and turning away from² the path of God him who believes in³ Him, and seeking deviation therein.⁴ And remember when you were few, and He multiplied you; and see how was the final outcome of the workers of corruption.

⁸⁷ “And if a number among you believes in¹ that wherewith I have been sent, and a number believes not: be patient until God judges between us; and He is the best of judges.”

⁸⁸ Said the eminent ones who had waxed proud among his people: “We will turn thee, O Shuʿayb, and those who heed warning¹ with thee, out of our city if you return not to our creed.” He said: “Even though we be unwilling?

⁸⁹ “We should have invented a lie about God if we returned to your creed after God has delivered us from it. It is not for us to return to it save if God our Lord should will. Our Lord encompasses all things in knowledge. In God have we placed our trust.” — “Our Lord, decide Thou between us and our people with justice,¹ for Thou art the best of those who give decision.”

⁹⁰ And said the eminent ones who disbelieved¹ among his people: “If you follow Shuʿayb, you will then be the losers.”

⁹¹ So the earthquake seized them; and morning found them lying prone in their home,

⁹² Those who denied Shuʿayb, as though they had never lived¹ therein; those who denied Shuʿayb, it was they who were the losers.

⁹³ Then he turned from them and said: “O my people: I had conveyed to you the messages of my Lord, and been a sincere counsellor to you; so how should I grieve for a people of false claimers of guidance?¹”

⁹⁴ And We sent not to a city a prophet save that We took its people with affliction and adversity, that they might humble themselves.

⁹⁵ Then We changed the place of evil¹ for good until they increased in number² and said: “Adversity and prosperity did touch our fathers,”³ — then We took them unawares, when they perceived not.

⁹⁶ And had the people of the cities believed and been in prudent fear,¹ We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied, so We seized them for what they earned.

⁹⁷ Did then the people of the cities feel secure from Our might coming upon them by night while they slept?

⁹⁸ Or did the people of the cities feel secure from Our might coming upon them at midday while they played?

⁹⁹ Did they then feel secure from the scheme of God? And none feels secure from the scheme of God save the losing people.

¹⁰⁰ Is it not guidance¹ to those who inherit the land after its people that, if We willed, We would strike them for their transgressions,² and seal their hearts so they hear not?

¹⁰¹ Those cities: We relate some of their reports to thee; and their messengers came to them with clear signs, but they were not to believe in¹ what they had denied before; thus God seals the hearts of the false claimers of guidance.²

¹⁰² And We found not for most of them any covenant;¹ but We found most of them perfidious.²

¹⁰³ Then We raised up after them Moses with Our proofs¹ to Pharaoh² and his eminent ones, but they wronged them; then see thou how was the final outcome of the workers of corruption: —

¹⁰⁴ And Moses said: “O Pharaoh:¹ I am a messenger from the Lord of All Creation,

¹⁰⁵ “Obliged to ascribe not to God save the truth.¹ I have come to you with clear evidence from your Lord; so send thou with me the children of Israel.”

¹⁰⁶ Said he: “If thou hast come with a proof,¹ bring thou it, if thou be of the truthful.”

¹⁰⁷ So he cast his staff — and then was it a clear serpent!

¹⁰⁸ And he drew forth his hand — and then was it white for the beholders!

¹⁰⁹ Said the eminent ones of the people of Pharaoh:¹ “This is a learned sorcerer²

¹¹⁰ “Who would turn you out of your land; so what do you command?”

¹¹¹ They said: “Delay thou him and his brother, and send thou into the cities gatherers

¹¹² “To bring to thee every learned sorcerer.”¹

¹¹³ And the sorcerers¹ came to Pharaoh.² They said: “There is a reward for us if we be the victors.”³

¹¹⁴ Said he: “Yea; and you will be of those brought near.”¹

¹¹⁵ They said: “O Moses: wilt thou cast, or will we be the ones who cast?”

¹¹⁶ He said: “Cast.” And when they cast, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck fear into them, and they produced a mighty sorcery.¹

¹¹⁷ And We instructed¹ Moses: “Cast thou thy staff,” — and then it swallowed up what they falsified!

¹¹⁸ And the truth¹ was established, and what they did made vain.

¹¹⁹ Thereupon were they defeated; and they turned about, brought low.

¹²⁰ And the sorcerers¹ fell in submission.²

¹²¹ They said: “We believe in¹ the Lord of All Creation,

¹²² “The Lord of Moses and Aaron.”

¹²³ Said Pharaoh:¹ “You believe in² him³ before I gave you leave. This is a scheme you schemed in the city that you might turn out its people. But you will come to know!

¹²⁴ “I will cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides; then will I crucify¹ you all together.”

¹²⁵ They said: “We are returning to our Lord.

¹²⁶ “And thou resentest us only that we believed in¹ the proofs² of our Lord when they came to us.” — “Our Lord: pour Thou out patience upon us, and take Thou us as ones submitting.”³

¹²⁷ And the eminent ones among the people of Pharaoh¹ said: “Wilt thou leave Moses and his people to work corruption in the land, and leave thee and thy gods?” Said he: “We will kill their sons and spare their women; for² indeed we have them in subjugation.”³

¹²⁸ And Moses said to his people: “Seek help in God, and be patient; the earth belongs to God; He causes to inherit it whom He wills among his servants. And the final outcome is for those of prudent fear.”¹

¹²⁹ They said: “We have been hindered¹ before thou camest to us and since thou camest to us.”² Said he: “It may be that your Lord will destroy your enemy, and make you successors in the earth, so He might see how you will do.”³

¹³⁰ And We seized the house of Pharaoh¹ with drought and loss of crops,² that they might take heed.

¹³¹ And when good came to them, they said: “This is ours.” And if evil¹ befell them, they thought Moses and those with him an evil omen; in truth,² their evil omen was but with God, but most of them knew not.

¹³² And they said: “Whatever proof¹ thou bring us wherewith to bewitch us, we will not believe thee.”

¹³³ And We sent upon them the flood, and the locusts, and the lice, and the frogs, and the blood — proofs¹ set out and detailed² — but they had waxed proud and were a people of lawbreakers.

¹³⁴ And when the scourge came upon them, they said: “O Moses: call thou to thy Lord for us by what He covenanted with thee: if thou remove the scourge from us, we will believe thee, and send the children of Israel with thee.”

¹³⁵ But when We removed the scourge from them to a term they were to reach, then they reneged.

¹³⁶ And We took vengeance on them, and drowned them¹ in the sea² because they denied Our proofs³ and were heedless of them.

¹³⁷ And We caused the people who were despised to inherit the east of the land and its west which We had blessed.¹ And the most fair word of thy Lord was fulfilled to the children of Israel because they were patient; and We annihilated what Pharaoh² and his people wrought and what they built.³

¹³⁸ And We passed the children of Israel through the sea; and they came upon a people devoted to¹ idols² which they had. They said: “O Moses: make thou for us a god, just as they have gods.” He said: “You are a people in ignorance.

¹³⁹ “These: doomed to ruin is what they are in, and vain is what they have been doing.”

¹⁴⁰ He said: “Am I to seek for you a god other than God when He has favoured you above all mankind?”

¹⁴¹ And when We delivered you from the house of Pharaoh,¹ they were afflicting you with an evil punishment, killing your sons, and sparing your women; and in that was a great trial from your Lord.

¹⁴² And We appointed for Moses thirty nights, and completed them with ten; so he completed the time appointed by his Lord of forty nights. And Moses said to his brother Aaron: “Be thou my successor¹ among my people; and make thou right; and follow thou not the path of the workers of corruption.”

¹⁴³ And when Moses came at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said: “My Lord: show Thou me that I might look upon Thee.” Said He: “Thou wilt not see Me; but look thou upon the mountain: if it should remain in its place, then thou wilt see Me.” And when his Lord was revealed¹ upon the mountain, He made it level;² and Moses fell down thunderstruck.³ Then when he recovered, he said: “Glory⁴ be to Thee! I turn to Thee repentant; and I am the first of the believers!”⁵

¹⁴⁴ Said He: “O Moses: I have chosen thee above mankind, by My messages and by My words; so hold thou to what I have given thee, and be thou among the grateful.”

¹⁴⁵ And We wrote for him on the tablets every¹ thing as an admonition and an explanation for everything:² “Hold thou them fast, and command thou thy people to take the best thereof. I will show thee the abode of the perfidious:³

¹⁴⁶ “I will divert from My proofs¹ those who wax proud in the earth without cause;² and if they see every proof³ believe in⁴ it not; and if they see the path of sound judgment take it not as a path, but if they see the path of error take it as a path. For it is that⁵ they denied Our proofs⁶ and were heedless of them!”⁷

¹⁴⁷ And those who deny Our proofs¹ and the meeting of the Hereafter: their works are vain; will they be rewarded save for what they did?²

¹⁴⁸ And the people of Moses, while he was away,¹ took up a calf out of their ornaments — a body that lowed. Did they not consider that it spoke not to them, neither guided them to a path? They took it up, and were wrongdoers.²

¹⁴⁹ And when regret overcame them¹ and they saw that they had gone astray, they said: “If our Lord have not mercy on us and forgive us, we will be among the losers.”

¹⁵⁰ And when Moses returned to his people, wrathful and grieved, he said: “Evil is what you took up while I was away;¹ were you impatient over the command of your Lord?” And he cast down the tablets, and seized his brother by the head, dragging him to him. Said he: “Son of my mother: the people despised me and were about to kill me. Then cause thou not the enemies to gloat over me,² nor place thou me with the wrongdoing³ people.”

¹⁵¹ He said: “My Lord: forgive Thou me and my brother, and enter Thou us into Thy mercy; and Thou art the most merciful of those who show mercy.”

¹⁵² (Those who took up the calf:¹ there will reach them wrath from their Lord, and humiliation in the life of this world; and thus do We requite the forgers.

¹⁵³ But those who do evil deeds,¹ then repent after that and believe: to them is thy Lord after that forgiving and merciful.)

¹⁵⁴ And when the wrath had calmed in¹ Moses, he took up the tablets; and in their inscription were guidance and mercy for those who fear their Lord.

¹⁵⁵ And Moses chose of his people seventy men for Our appointed time; then when the earthquake seized them, he said: “My Lord: if Thou hadst willed, Thou wouldst have destroyed them before, and me. Wilt Thou destroy us for what the foolish among us have done? It is but Thy means of denial:¹ Thou sendest whom Thou wilt astray thereby, and guidest whom Thou wilt. Thou art our ally, so forgive Thou us, and have Thou mercy on us; and Thou art the best of those who forgive.

¹⁵⁶ “And prescribe Thou for us in the World good, and in the Hereafter; we have returned¹ to Thee.” He said: “I strike with My punishment whom I will; but My mercy encompasses all things: I will ordain it² for those of prudent fear,³ and who render the purity,⁴ and those who believe in⁵ Our proofs:⁶

¹⁵⁷ “Those who follow the Messenger, the unschooled¹ prophet, whom² they find written with them in the Torah³ and the Gospel,⁴ who enjoins on them what is fitting⁵ and forbids them perversity,⁶ and making lawful for them the good things, and making unlawful for them the bad, and relieving them of their burden⁷ and the fetters that were upon them — those who believed in⁸ him, and supported him, and helped him, and followed the light which was sent down with him: it is they who are the successful.”⁹

¹⁵⁸ (Say thou: “O mankind: I am the messenger of God to you all together — to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no god save He.¹ He gives life and He gives death.” So believe in² God and His messenger, the unschooled³ prophet, who believes in⁴ God and His words; and follow him,⁵ that you might be guided.)

¹⁵⁹ And among the people of Moses is a community which guides by the truth,¹ and does justice thereby.

¹⁶⁰ And We divided them into twelve tribes as communities.¹ And We instructed² Moses when his people sought water of him: “Strike thou with thy staff the rock”; and there gushed therefrom twelve springs — each people knew its drinking-place. And We caused the cloud to overshadow them, and sent down upon them manna and quails: “Eat of the good things that We provided you.” And they wronged Us not, but they wronged their souls.

¹⁶¹ And when it was said to them: “Dwell in this city, and eat of it wheresoever you will; and say: ‘A mitigation!’¹ And enter the gate in submission;² We will forgive you your offences.³ We will increase the doers of good.”

¹⁶² Then those who did wrong among them changed the word¹ to other than what had been said to them; so We sent upon them a scourge from the sky because they did wrong.

¹⁶³ And ask thou them about the town that was by the sea, when they transgressed the Sabbath, when their fish came to them openly¹ on the day of their Sabbath. But on the day they had no Sabbath, they came not to them. Thus did We try them, because they were perfidious.²

¹⁶⁴ And when a community among them said: “Why admonish you a people whom God will destroy or punish with a severe punishment?” they said: “As justification¹ before your Lord; and that they might be in prudent fear.”²

¹⁶⁵ And when they¹ forgot that whereof they had been reminded, We delivered those who forbade evil,² and seized those who did wrong with a wretched punishment, because they were perfidious.³

¹⁶⁶ And when they scorned what they had been forbidden, We said to them: “Be despised apes!”

¹⁶⁷ And when thy Lord proclaimed that He would raise up against them, until the Day of Resurrection, him who would afflict them with an evil punishment[...].¹ Thy Lord is swift in retribution; and He is forgiving and merciful.

¹⁶⁸ And We divided¹ them in the earth into communities² — some of them righteous, and some of them other than that — and We tried them with good things and evil deeds,³ that they might return.

¹⁶⁹ And there followed after them successors who inherited the Writ,¹ taking the goods of this fleeting life,² and saying: “It will be forgiven us.” And if there come to them goods the like thereof, they will take them. Has there not been taken from³ them an agreement to the Writ,⁴ that they ascribe not to God save the truth,⁵ and that they study what is therein? And the abode of the Hereafter is better for those of prudent fear.⁶ Will you then not⁷ use reason!

¹⁷⁰ And those who hold fast the Writ,¹ and uphold the duty² — We cause not to be lost the reward of those who do right.

¹⁷¹ And when We raised¹ the mountain above them as if it were a canopy: — and they supposed it was to fall upon them² — “Hold fast what We give you; and remember what is therein, that you might be in prudent fear.”

¹⁷² And when thy Lord brought forth from the children of Adam, from their backs,¹ their progeny, and made them bear witness as to themselves: “Am I not your Lord?” — they said: “Verily,² we bear witness.” — “Lest you say on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Of this were we unaware,’

¹⁷³ “Or you say: ‘Our fathers but ascribed a partnership¹ before, and we were progeny after them; wilt Thou then destroy us for what the creators of vanity did?’”

¹⁷⁴ And thus¹ do We set out and detail² the proofs,³ and that they might return.

¹⁷⁵ And recite thou to them the report of him to whom We gave Our proofs,¹ but he detached himself from them; so the satan² followed³ him, and he was of those who err.

¹⁷⁶ And had We willed, We would have raised him thereby;¹ but he clung to the earth and followed his vain desire. So his likeness is as the likeness of a dog: if thou win him over,² he pants; or if thou leave him, he pants.³ That is the likeness of the people who deny Our proofs;⁴ so relate thou to them the story, that they might reflect.

¹⁷⁷ Evil as an example are the people who deny Our proofs,¹ and they wrong their souls.

¹⁷⁸ Whom God guides, he is guided; and whom God sends astray, it is they who are the losers.

¹⁷⁹ And We have created¹ for Gehenna many among the domini² and the servi:³ they have hearts wherewith they understand not; and they have eyes wherewith they see not; and they have ears wherewith they hear not. Those are like cattle; nay,⁴ — they are further astray — it is they who are the heedless.

¹⁸⁰ And to God belong the fairest names; then call to Him by them, and leave those who deviate concerning His names;¹ they will be rewarded for what they did.

¹⁸¹ And among those We created is a community which guides in truth¹ and does justice thereby.²

¹⁸² And those who deny Our proofs:¹ We will deal with them by degrees whence² they know not.

¹⁸³ And I grant them respite; My plan is firm.¹

¹⁸⁴ Have they not reflected? Their companion is not possessed;¹ he is only a clear warner.

¹⁸⁵ Have they not considered the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and what things God has created, and that it may be that their term has drawn nigh? And in what narration¹ after this will they believe?

¹⁸⁶ Whom God sends astray, there is no guide for him; and He leaves them wandering blindly in their inordinacy.

¹⁸⁷ They ask thee concerning the Hour: “When is its arrival?”¹ Say thou: “Knowledge thereof is but with my Lord; none reveals its time save He. It weighs heavily in the heavens and the earth; it comes not upon you save unexpectedly.” They ask thee as though thou wert privy² thereto; say thou: “Knowledge thereof is but with God”;³ but most men know not.

¹⁸⁸ Say thou: “I have no power to do myself benefit or harm save that God should will. And had I knowledge of the Unseen, I would have acquired abundance of wealth, and evil would not have touched me; I am only a warner and bearer of glad tidings to people who believe.”

¹⁸⁹ He it is that created you from a single soul; and He created therefrom its mate,¹ that he might be reassured thereby.² Then when he covers³ her, she bears a light load, and she passes by with it.⁴ And when it becomes heavy they⁵ call to God, their Lord: “If Thou givest us a sound one,⁶ we will be among the grateful.”

¹⁹⁰ Then when He gives them¹ a sound one, they² appoint Him partners³ in what He gave them;⁴ but exalted is God above that to which they ascribe a partnership!⁵

¹⁹¹ Ascribe they¹ a partnership² to what creates not anything, when they³ are created?

¹⁹² And they¹ are not able to help them, nor do they² help themselves.

¹⁹³ And¹ if you² invite them³ to the guidance, they follow you not: — it is the same to you whether you call to them, or are silent —

¹⁹⁴ Those to whom you¹ call other than² God are servants like you;³ so call them,⁴ and let them respond⁵ to you if you⁶ be truthful.

¹⁹⁵ Have they¹ legs wherewith they walk?² Or have they hands wherewith they hold?³ Or have they eyes wherewith they see?⁴ Or have they ears wherewith they hear?⁵ Say thou: “Call your partners;⁶ then scheme against me, and grant me no respite.

¹⁹⁶ “My ally is God¹ who sent down the Writ;² and He is an ally to the righteous.³

¹⁹⁷ “And those to whom you¹ call other than² Him are unable to help you,³ nor do they⁴ help themselves.”

¹⁹⁸ And if you invite them¹ to guidance, they hear not;² and thou seest them looking at thee, but they see not.³

¹⁹⁹ Take thou the surplus;¹ and enjoin thou what is customary;² and turn thou away from the ignorant.³

²⁰⁰ And if there provoke thee a provocation¹ from the satan,² seek thou refuge in God; He is hearing and knowing.

²⁰¹ Those who are in prudent fear,¹ when a visitation² from the satan³ touches them, they take heed⁴ — and then do they see.

²⁰² When their brethren¹ assist them in error — then do they not cease.²

²⁰³ And when thou bringest them not a proof,¹ they say: “Oh, that thou hadst but² chosen one!”³ Say thou: “I follow only what is revealed⁴ to me from my Lord;⁵ this⁶ is a means of insight⁷ from your Lord, and guidance, and a mercy for people who believe.”

²⁰⁴ And when the Qur’an¹ is recited: heed it and listen attentively, that you might obtain mercy.

²⁰⁵ And remember thou thy Lord within thy soul in humility and fear; and without publicity of speech,¹ morning and evening;² and be thou not among the heedless.

²⁰⁶ Those who are in the presence of thy Lord are not too proud for His service; and they glorify¹ Him, and they submit² to Him.