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1By those [angels] ranged in rows

2who rebuke reproachfully

3and recite God’s word

4truly your God is One

5Lord of the heavens and earth and everything between them, Lord of every sunrise

6We have adorned the lowest heaven with stars

7and made them a safeguard against every rebellious devil

8they cannot eavesdrop on the Higher Assembly––pelted from every side

9driven away, they will have perpetual torment––

10if any [of them] stealthily snatches away a fragment, he will be pursued by a piercing flame

11So [Prophet], ask the disbelievers: is it harder to create them than other beings We have created? We created them from sticky clay

12You marvel as they scoff

13take no heed when they are warned

14and resort to ridicule when they see a sign

15saying, ‘This is no more than blatant sorcery.’

16‘What! After we have died and become dust and bones, shall we really be raised up again

17along with our forefathers?’

18Say, ‘Yes indeed, and you will be humiliated.’

19Just one blast and––lo and behold!––they will look

20and say, ‘Woe to us! This is the Day of Judgement.’

21[It will be said], ‘This is the Day of Decision, which you used to deny

22[Angels], gather together those who did wrong, and others like them, as well as whatever they worshipped

23beside God, lead them all to the path of Hell

24and halt them for questioning

25“Why do you not support each other now?” ’––

26no indeed! They will be in complete submission on that Day––

27and they will turn on one another accusingly

28They will say, ‘You came to us from a position of power.’

29They will say, ‘No! It was you who would not believe

30we had no power over you- and you were already exceeding all limits

31Our Lord’s sentence on us is just and we must all taste the punishment

32We led you astray as we ourselves were astray.’

33On that Day they will all share the torment

34this is how We deal with the guilty

35Whenever it was said to them, ‘There is no deity but God,’ they became arrogant

36and said, ‘Are we to forsake our gods for a mad poet?’

37‘No: he brought the truth and confirmed the earlier messengers

38you will taste the painful torment

39and be repaid only according to your deeds.’

40Not so God’s true servants

41They will have familiar provisions––

42fruits- and will be honoured

43in gardens of delight

44seated on couches, facing one another

45A drink will be passed round among them from a flowing spring

46white, delicious to those who taste it

47causing no headiness or intoxication

48With them will be spouses- modest of gaze and beautiful of eye

49like protected eggs

50They will turn to one another with questions

51one will say, ‘I had a close companion on earth

52who used to ask me, “Do you really believe that

53after we die and become dust and bone, we shall be brought for judgement?”’

54Then he will say, ‘Shall we look for him?’

55He will look down and see him in the midst of the Fire

56and say to him, ‘By God, you almost brought me to ruin

57Had it not been for the grace of my Lord, I too would have been taken to Hell.’

58Then he will say [to his blessed companions], ‘Are we never to die again after our earlier death

59Shall we never suffer

60This truly is the supreme triumph!’

61Everyone should strive to attain this

62Is this the better welcome, or the tree of Zaqqum

63which we have made a test for the evildoers

64This tree grows in the heart of the blazing Fire

65and its fruits are like devils’ heads

66They will fill their bellies eating from it

67then drink scalding water on top of it

68then return to the blazing Fire

69They found their forefathers astray

70and rushed to follow in their footsteps- before the disbelievers [of Mecca]

71most men in the past went astray

72even though We sent messengers to warn them

73See how those who were warned met their end

74Not so the true servants of God

75Noah cried to Us, and how excellent was Our response

76We saved him and his people from great distress

77We let his offspring remain on the earth

78We let him be praised by later generations

79‘Peace be upon Noah among all the nations!’

80This is how We reward those who do good

81he was truly one of Our faithful servants

82We drowned the rest

83Abraham was of the same faith

84he came to his Lord with a devoted heart

85He said to his father and his people, ‘What are you worshipping

86How can you choose false gods instead of the true God

87So what is your opinion about the Lord of all the Worlds?’

88then he looked up to the stars

89He said, ‘I am sick,’

90so [his people] turned away from him and left

91He turned to their gods and said

92‘Do you not eat? Why do you not speak?’

93then he turned and struck them with his right arm

94His people hurried towards him

95but he said, ‘How can you worship things you carve with your own hands

96when it is God who has created you and all your handiwork?’

97They said, ‘Build a pyre and throw him into the blazing fire.’

98They wanted to harm him, but We humiliated them

99He said, ‘I will go to my Lord: He is sure to guide me

100Lord, grant me a righteous son,’

101so We gave him the good news that he would have a patient son

102When the boy was old enough to work with his father, Abraham said, ‘My son, I have seen myself sacrificing you in a dream. What do you think?’ He said, ‘Father, do as you are commanded and, God willing, you will find me steadfast.’

103When they had both submitted to God, and he had laid his son down on the side of his face

104We called out to him, ‘Abraham

105you have fulfilled the dream.’ This is how We reward those who do good

106it was a test to prove [their true characters]

107We ransomed his son with a momentous sacrifice

108and We let him be praised by succeeding generations

109‘Peace be upon Abraham!’

110This is how We reward those who do good

111truly he was one of Our faithful servants

112We gave Abraham the good news of Isaac- a prophet and a righteous man

113and blessed him and Isaac too: some of their offspring were good, but some clearly wronged themselves

114We also bestowed Our favour on Moses and Aaron

115We saved them and their people from great distress

116We helped them, so they were the ones to succeed

117We gave them the Scripture that makes things clear

118We guided them to the right path

119We let them be praised by succeeding generations

120‘Peace be upon Moses and Aaron!’

121This is how We reward those who do good

122truly they were among Our faithful servants

123Elijah too was one of the messengers

124He said to his people, ‘Have you no fear of God

125How can you invoke Baal and forsake the Most Gracious Creator

126God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers?’

127but they rejected him. They will be brought to punishment as a consequence

128not so the true servants of God

129We let him be praised by succeeding generations

130‘Peace be to Elijah!’

131This is how We reward those who do good

132truly he was one of Our faithful servants

133Lot was also one of the messengers

134We saved him and all his family

135except for an old woman who stayed behind

136and We destroyed the rest

137You [people] pass by their ruins morning

138and night: will you not take heed

139Jonah too was one of the messengers

140He fled to the overloaded ship

141They cast lots, he suffered defeat

142and a great fish swallowed him, for he had committed blameworthy acts

143If he had not been one of those who glorified God

144he would have stayed in its belly until the Day when all are raised up

145but We cast him out, sick, on to a barren shore

146and made a gourd tree grow above him

147We sent him to a hundred thousand people or more

148They believed, so We let them live out their lives

149Now [Muhammad], ask the disbelievers: is it true that your Lord has daughters, while they choose sons for themselves

150Did We create the angels as females while they were watching

151No indeed! It is one of their lies when they say

152‘God has begotten.’ How they lie

153Did He truly choose daughters in preference to sons

154What is the matter with you? How do you form your judgements

155Do you not reflect

156Do you perhaps have clear authority

157Bring your scriptures, if you are telling the truth

158They claim that He has kinship with the jinn, yet the jinn themselves know that they will be brought before Him

159God is far above what they attribute to Him

160the true servants of God do not do such things

161and neither you nor what you worship

162can lure away from God any

163except those who will burn in Hell

164[The angels say], ‘Every single one of us has his appointed place

165we are ranged in ranks

166We glorify God.’

167[The disbelievers] used to say

168‘If only we had a scripture like previous people

169we would be true servants of God,’

170yet now they reject [the Quran]. They will soon realize

171Our word has already been given to Our servants the messengers

172it is they who will be helped

173and the ones who support Our cause will be the winners

174So [Prophet] turn away from the disbelievers for a while

175Watch them: they will soon see

176Do they really wish to hasten Our punishment

177When it descends on their courtyards, how ter-rible that morning will be for those who were warned

178[Prophet], turn away from the disbelievers for a while

179Watch them: they will soon see

180Your Lord, the Lord of Glory, is far above what they attribute to Him

181Peace be upon the messengers

182and praise be to God the Lord of all the Worlds