The Rock 15

Alif. Lam. Ra. These are verses of the Scripture and a plain Reading.

It may be that those who disbelieve wish ardently that they were Muslims.

Let them eat and enjoy life, and let (false) hope beguile them. They will come to know!

And We destroyed no township but there was a known decree for it.

No nation can outstrip its term nor can they lag behind.

And they say: O thou unto whom the Reminder is revealed, lo! thou art indeed a madman!

Why bringest thou not angels unto us, if thou art of the truthful?

We send not down the angels save with the Fact, and in that case (the disbelievers) would not be tolerated.

Lo! We, even We, reveal the Reminder, and lo! We verily are its Guardian.

We verily sent (messengers) before thee among the factions of the men of old.

And never came there unto them a messenger but they did mock him.

Thus do We make it traverse the hearts of the guilty:

They believe not therein, though the example of the men of old hath gone before.

And even if We opened unto them a gate of heaven and they kept mounting through it,

They would say: Our sight is wrong - nay, but we are folk bewitched.

And verily in the heaven we have set mansions of the stars, and We have beautified it for beholders.

And We have guarded it from every outcast devil,

Save him who stealeth the hearing, and them doth a clear flame pursue.

And the earth have We spread out, and placed therein firm hills, and caused each seemly thing to grow therein.

And we have given unto you livelihoods therein, and unto those for whom ye provide not.

And there is not a thing but with Us are the stores thereof. And we send it not down save in appointed measure.

And We send the winds fertilising, and cause water to descend from the sky, and give it you to drink. It is not ye who are the holders of the store thereof.

Lo! and it is We, even We, Who quicken and give death, and We are the Inheritor.

And verily We know the eager among you and verily We know the laggards.

Lo! thy Lord will gather them together. Lo! He is Wise, Aware.

Verily We created man of potter's clay of black mud altered,

And the jinn did We create aforetime of essential fire.

And (remember) when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am creating a mortal out of potter's clay of black mud altered,

So, when I have made him and have breathed into him of My Spirit, do ye fall down, prostrating yourselves unto him.

So the angels fell prostrate, all of them together

Save Iblis. He refused to be among the prostrate.

He said: O Iblis! What aileth thee that thou art not among the prostrate?

He said: I am not one to prostrate myself unto a mortal whom Thou hast created out of potter's clay of black mud altered!

He said: Then go thou forth from hence, for lo! thou art outcast.

And lo! the curse shall be upon thee till the Day of Judgment.

He said: My Lord! Reprieve me till the day when they are raised.

He said: Then lo! thou art of those reprieved

He said: My Lord! Because Thou hast sent me astray, I verily shall adorn the path of error for them in the earth, and shall mislead them every one,

Save such of them as are Thy perfectly devoted slaves.

He said: This is a right course incumbent upon Me:

Lo! as for My slaves, thou hast no power over any of them save such of the froward as follow thee,

And lo! for all such, hell will be the promised place.

It hath seven gates, and each gate hath an appointed portion.

Lo! those who ward off (evil) are among gardens and watersprings.

(And it is said unto them): Enter them in peace, secure.

And We remove whatever rancour may be in their breasts. As brethren, face to face, (they rest) on couches raised.

Toil cometh not unto them there, nor will they be expelled from thence.

Announce, (O Muhammad) unto My slaves that verily I am the Forgiving, the Merciful,

(How) when they came in unto him, and said: Peace. He said: Lo! we are afraid of you.

They said: Be not afraid! Lo! we bring thee good tidings of a boy possessing wisdom.

He said: Bring ye me good tidings (of a son) when old age hath overtaken me? Of what then can ye bring good tidings?

They said: We bring thee good tidings in truth. So be not thou of the despairing.

He said: And who despaireth of the mercy of his Lord save those who are astray?

He said: And afterward what is your business, O ye messengers (of Allah)?

They said: We have been sent unto a guilty folk,

(All) save the family of Lot. Them we shall deliver every one,

Except his wife, of whom We had decreed that she should be of those who stay behind.

And when the messengers came unto the family of Lot,

He said: Lo! ye are folk unknown (to me).

They said: Nay, but we bring thee that concerning which they keep disputing,