26

1Ta Sin Mim

2These are the verses of the Scripture that makes things clear

3[Prophet], are you going to worry yourself to death because they will not believe

4If We had wished, We could have sent them down a sign from heaven, at which their necks would stay bowed in utter humility

5Whenever they are brought a new revelation from the Lord of Mercy, they turn away

6they deny it, but the truth of what they scorned will soon hit them

7Do they not see the earth, and what noble kinds of thing We grow in it

8There truly is a sign in this, though most of them do not believe

9your Lord alone is the Almighty, the Merciful

10Your Lord called to Moses: ‘Go to those wrongdoers

11the people of Pharaoh. Will they not take heed?’

12Moses said, ‘My Lord, I fear they will call me a liar

13and I will feel stressed and tongue-tied, so send Aaron too

14besides, they have a chargeagainst me, and I fear they may kill me.’

15God said, ‘No [they will not]. Go, both of you, with Our signs––We shall be with you, listen-ing

16Go, both of you, to Pharaoh and say, “We bring a message from the Lord of the Worlds

17let the Children of Israel leave with us.” ’

18Pharaoh said, ‘Did we not bring you up as a child among us? Did you not stay with us for many years

19And then you committed that crime of yours: you were so ungrateful.’

20Moses replied, ‘I was misguided when I did it

21and I fled from you in fear; later my Lord gave me wisdom and made me one of His messengers

22And is this- that you have enslaved the Children of Israel- the favour with which you reproach me?’

23Pharaoh asked, ‘What is this “Lord of the Worlds”?’

24Moses replied, ‘He is the Lord of the heavens and earth and everything between them. If you would only have faith!’

25Pharaoh said to those present, ‘Do you hear what he says?’

26Moses said, ‘He is your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.’

27Pharaoh said, ‘This messenger who has been sent to you is truly possessed.’

28Moses continued, ‘Lord of the East and West and everything between them. If you would only use your reason!’

29But Pharaoh said [to him], ‘If you take any god other than me, I will throw you into prison,’

30and Moses asked, ‘Even if I show you something convincing?’

31‘Show it then,’ said Pharaoh, ‘if you are telling the truth.’

32So Moses threw down his staff and- lo and behold!- it became a snake for everyone to see

33Then he drew out his hand and- lo and behold!- it was white for the onlookers to see

34Pharaoh said to the counsellors around him, ‘This man is a learned sorcerer

35He means to use his sorcery to drive you out of your land! What do you suggest?’

36They answered, ‘Delay him and his brother for a while, and send messengers to all the cities

37to bring every accomplished sorcerer to you.’

38The sorcerers were [to be] assembled at the appointed time on a certain day

39and the people were asked

40‘Are you all coming? We may follow the sorcerers if they win!’

41When the sorcerers came, they said to Pharaoh, ‘Shall we be rewarded if we win?’

42and he said, ‘Yes, and you will join my inner court.’

43Moses said to them, ‘Throw down whatever you will.’

44They threw their ropes and staffs, saying, ‘By Pharaoh’s might, we shall be victorious.’

45But Moses threw his staff and- lo and behold!- it swallowed up their trickery

46and the sorcerers fell down on their knees

47exclaiming, ‘We believe in the Lord of the Worlds

48the Lord of Moses and Aaron.’

49Pharaoh said, ‘How dare you believe in him before I have given you permission? He must be the master who taught you sorcery! Soon you will see: I will cut off your alternate hands and feet and then crucify the lot of you!’

50‘That will do us no harm,’ they said, ‘for we are sure to return to our Lord

51We hope that our Lord will forgive us our sins, as we were the first to believe.’

52Then We revealed Our will to Moses, ‘Leave with My servants by night, for you will be pursued!’

53Pharaoh sent messengers into the cities, proclaiming

54‘These people are a puny band––

55they have enraged us

56and we are a large army, on the alert.’

57So it was that We made them leave their gardens and their springs

58their treasures and their noble dwellings

59We gave [such] things [later]to the Children of Israel

60Pharaoh and his people pursued them at sunrise

61and as soon as the two sides came within sight of one another, Moses’ followers said, ‘We shall definitely be caught.’

62Moses said, ‘No, my Lord is with me: He will guide me,’

63and We revealed to Moses: ‘Strike the sea with your staff.’ It parted- each side like a mighty mountain

64and We brought the others to that place

65We saved Moses and all his companions

66and drowned the rest

67There truly is a sign in this, though most of them do not believe

68your Lord alone is the Almighty, the Merciful

69Tell them the story of Abraham

70when he asked his father and his people, ‘What do you worship?’

71They said, ‘We worship idols, and are constantly in attendance on them.’

72He asked, ‘Do they hear you when you call

73Do they help or harm you?’

74They replied, ‘No, but this is what we saw our fathers doing.’

75Abraham said, ‘Those idols you have worshipped

76you and your forefathers

77are my enemies; not so the Lord of the Worlds

78who created me. It is He who guides me

79He who gives me food and drink

80He who cures me when I am ill

81He who will make me die and then give me life again

82and He who will, I hope, forgive my faults on the Day of Judgement

83My Lord, grant me wisdom; join me with the righteous

84give me a good name among later generations

85make me one of those given the Garden of Bliss

86forgive my father, for he is one of those who have gone astray

87and do not disgrace me on the Day when all people are resurrected

88the Day when neither wealth nor children can help

89when the only one who will be saved is the one who comes before God with a heart devoted to Him.’

90When the Garden is brought near to the righteous

91and the Fire is placed in full view of the misguided

92it will be said to them, ‘Where are those you worshipped

93beside God? Can they help you now, or even help themselves?’

94and then they will all be hurled into Hell, together with those that misled them

95and all Iblis’s supporters

96There they will say to their gods, as they bicker among themselves

97‘We were clearly misguided

98when we made you equal with the Lord of the Worlds

99It was the evildoers who led us astray

100and now we have no intercessor

101and no true friend

102If only we could live our lives again, we would be true believers!’

103There truly is a sign in this, though most of them do not believe

104your Lord alone is the Almighty, the Merciful

105The people of Noah, too, called the messengers liars

106Their brother Noah said to them, ‘Will you not be mindful of God

107I am a faithful messenger sent to you

108be mindful of God and obey me

109I ask no reward of you, for my only reward is with the Lord of the Worlds

110be mindful of God and obey me.’

111They answered, ‘Why should we believe you when the worst sort of people follow you?’

112He said, ‘What knowledge do I have of what they used to do

113It is for my Lord alone to bring them to account- if only you could see

114I will not drive believers away

115I am here only to give people a clear warning.’

116So they said, ‘Noah, if you do not stop this, you will be stoned.’

117He said, ‘My Lord, my people have rejected me

118so make a firm judgement between me and them, and save me and my believing followers.’

119So We saved him and his followers in the fully laden ship

120and drowned the rest

121There truly is a sign in this, though most of them do not believe

122your Lord alone is the Almighty, the Merciful

123The people of Ad, too, called the messengers liars

124Their brother Hud said to them, ‘Will you not be mindful of God

125I am a faithful messenger sent to you

126be mindful of God and obey me

127I ask no reward of you, for my only reward is with the Lord of the Worlds

128How can you be so vain that you set up monuments on every high place

129Do you build fortresses because you hope to be immortal

130Why do you act like tyrants whenever you attack someone

131Be mindful of God and obey me

132be mindful of Him who has provided you with everything you know

133He has given you livestock, sons

134gardens, springs

135for I truly fear that the torment of a grievous day will overtake you.’

136They replied, ‘It makes no difference to us whether you warn us or not

137for we only do what our forefathers used to do

138we shall not be punished.’

139They denounced him as a liar, and so We destroyed them. There truly is a sign in this, though most of them do not believe

140your Lord alone is the Almighty, the Merciful

141The people of Thamud, too, called the messengers liars

142Their brother Salih said to them, ‘Will you not be mindful of God

143I am a faithful messenger to you

144be mindful of God and obey me

145I ask no reward from you, for my only reward is with the Lord of the Worlds

146[Do you think] you will be left secure for ever in what you have here

147gardens, springs

148fields, palm trees laden with fruit

149carving your fine houses from the mountains

150Be mindful of God and obey me

151do not obey those who are given to excess

152and who spread corruption in the land instead of doing what is right.’

153They said, ‘You are bewitched

154You are nothing but a man like us. Show us a sign, if you are telling the truth.’

155He said, ‘Here is a camel. She should have her turn to drink and so should you, each on a specified day

156so do not harm her, or the punishment of a terrible day will befall you.’

157But they hamstrung her. In the morning they had cause to regret it

158the punishment fell upon them. There truly is a sign in this, though most of them will not believe

159your Lord alone is the Almighty, the Merciful

160The people of Lot, too, called the messengers liars

161Their brother Lot said to them, ‘Will you not be mindful of God

162I am a faithful messenger to you

163be mindful of God and obey me

164I ask no reward from you, for my only reward is with the Lord of the Worlds

165Must you, unlike [other] people, lust after males

166and abandon the wives that God has created for you? You are exceeding all bounds,’

167but they replied, ‘Lot! If you do not stop this, you will be driven away.’

168So he said, ‘I loathe what you do

169Lord, save me and my family from what they are doing.’

170We saved him and all his family

171except for an old woman who stayed behind

172then We destroyed the others

173and poured a rain of destruction down upon them. How dreadful that rain was for those who had been forewarned

174There truly is a sign in this, though most of them will not believe

175your Lord alone is the Almighty, the Merciful

176The forest-dwellers, too, called the messengers liars

177Shuayb said to them, ‘Will you not be mindful of God

178I am a faithful messenger to you

179be mindful of God and obey me

180I ask no reward of you, for my only reward is with the Lord of the Worlds

181Give full measure: do not sell others short

182Weigh with correct scales

183do not deprive people of what is theirs. Do not spread corruption on earth

184Be mindful of God who created you and former generations,’

185but they replied, ‘You are bewitched

186You are nothing but a man like us. In fact we think you are a liar

187Make bits of the heavens fall down on us, if you are telling the truth.’

188He said, ‘My Lord knows best what you do.’

189They called him a liar, and so the torment of the Day of Shadow came upon them- it was the torment of a terrible day

190There truly is a sign in this, though most of them will not believe

191your Lord alone is the Almighty, the Merciful

192Truly, this Quran has been sent down by the Lord of the Worlds

193the Trustworthy Spirit brought it down

194to your heart [Prophet], so that you could bring warning

195in a clear Arabic tongue

196This was foretold in the scriptures of earlier religions

197Is it not proof enough for them that the learned men of the Children of Israel have recognized it

198If We had sent it down to someone who was not an Arab

199and he had recited it to them, they still would not have believed in it

200So We make it pass straight through the hearts of the guilty

201they will not believe in it until they see the grievous torment

202which will suddenly hit them when they are not expecting it

203and then they will say, ‘Can we have more time?’

204How can they ask that Our punishment be brought to them sooner

205Think, if we let them enjoy this life for some years

206and then the promised torment came upon them

207what good would their past enjoyment be to them

208Never have We destroyed a town without sending down messengers to warn it

209as a reminder from Us: We are never unjust

210It was not the jinn who brought down this Quran

211it is neither in their interests nor in their power

212indeed they are prevented from overhearing it

213So [Prophet] do not invoke any gods beside God, or you will incur punishment

214Warn your nearest kinsfolk

215and lower your wing tenderly over the believers who follow you

216If they disobey you, say, ‘I bear no responsibility for your actions.’

217Put your trust in the Almighty, the Merciful

218who sees you when you stand up [for prayer]

219and sees your movements among the worshippers

220He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing

221Shall I tell you who the jinn come down to

222They come down to every lying sinner

223who readily lends an ear to them, and most of them are liars

224only those who are lost in error follow the poets

225Do you not see how they rove aimlessly in every valley

226how they say what they do not do

227Not so those [poets] who believe, do good deeds, remember God often, and defend themselves after they have been wronged. The evildoers will find out what they will return to