25. As to those who have rejected
(God), and would keep back (men)
From the Way of God, and
From the Sacred Mosque, which
We have made (open) to (all) men —
Equal is the dweller there
And the visitor from the country
And any whose purpose therein
Is profanity or wrong-doing —
Them will We cause to taste
Of a most grievous Penalty.

SECTION 4.

26. Behold! We gave the site,
To Abraham, of the (Sacred) House,
(Saying): “Associate not anything
(In worship) with Me;
And sanctify My House
For those who compass it round,
Or stand up,
Or bow, or prostrate themselves
(Therein in prayer).

27. “And proclaim the Pilgrimage
Among men: they will come
To thee on foot and (mounted)
On every kind of camel,
Lean on accout of journeys
Through deep and distant
Mountain highways;

28. “That they may witness
The benefits (provided) for them,
And celebrate the name
Of God, through the Days
Appointed, over the cattle
Which He has provided for them
(For sacrifice): then eat ye
Thereof and feed the distressed
Ones in want.

29. “Then let them complete
The rites prescribed
For them, perform their vows,
And (again) circumambulate
The Ancient House.”

30. Such (is the Pilgrimage):
Whoever honours the sacred
Rites of God, for him
It is good in the sight
Of his Lord. Lawful to you
(For food in Pilgrimage) are cattle,
Except those mentioned to you
(As exceptions): but shun
The abomination of idols,
And shun the word
That is false, —

31. Being true in faith to God,
And never assigning partners
To Him: if anyone assigns
Partners to God, he is
As if he had fallen
From heaven and been snatched up
By birds, or the wind
Had swooped (like a bird
On its prey) and thrown him
Into a far-distant place.

32. Such (is his state): and
Whoever holds in honour
The Symbols of God,
(In the sacrifice of animals),
Such (honour) should come truly
From piety of heart.

33. In them ye have benefits
For a term appointed:
In the end their place
Of sacrifice is near
The Ancient House.

SECTION 5.

34. To every people did We
Appoint rites (of sacrifice),
That they might celebrate
The name of God over
The sustenance He gave them
From animals (fit for food).
But your god is One God:
Submit then your wills to him
(In Islam): and give thou
The good news to those
Who humble themselves, —

35. To those whose hearts,
When God is mentioned,
Are filled with fear,
Who show patient perseverance
Over their afflictions, keep up
Regular prayer, and spend
(In charity) out of what
We have bestowed upon them.

36. The sacrificial camels
We have made for you
As among the symbols from
God: in them is (much)
Good for you: then pronounce
The name of God over them
As they line up (for sacrifice):
When they are down
On their sides (after slaughter),
Eat ye thereof, and feed
Such as (beg not but)
Live in contentment,
And such as beg
With due humility: thus have
We made animals subject
To you, that ye
May be grateful.

37. It is not their meat
Nor their blood, that reaches
God: it is your piety
That reaches Him: He
Has thus made them subject
To you, that ye may glorify
God for his guidance to you:
And proclaim the Good News
To all who do right.

38. Verily God will defend
(From ill) those who believe:
Verily, God loveth not
Any that is a traitor
To faith, or shows ingratitude.

SECTION 6.

To those against whom
War is made, permission
Is given (to fight), because
They are wronged; — and verily,
God is most Powerful
For their aid; —

40. (They are) those who have
Been expelled from their homes
In defiance of right,
(For no cause) except
That they say,” Lord
Is God”. Did not God
Check one set of people
By means of another,
There would surely have been
Pulled down monasteries, churches,
Synagogues, and mosques, in which
The name of God is commemorated
In abundant measure. God will
Certainly aid those who
Aid His (cause); — for verily
God is Full of Strength,
Exalted in Might,
(Able to enforce His Will).

41. (They are) those who,
If We establish them
In the land, establish
Regular prayer and give
Regular charity, enjoin
The right and forbid wrong:
With God rests the end
(And decision) of (all) affairs.

42. If they treat thy (mission)
As false, so did the Peoples
Before them (with their Prophets), —
The People of Noah,
And ’Ad and Thamūd;

43. Those of Abraham and Lūt;

44. And the Companions
Of the Madyan people;
And Moses was rejected
(In the same way). But I
Granted respite to the Unbelievers,
And (only) after that
Did I punish them:
But how (terrible) was
My rejection (of them)!

45. How many populations have We
Destroyed, which were given
To wrong-doing? They tumbled down
On their roofs. And how many
Wells are lying idle and neglected,
And castles lofty and well-built?

46. Do they not travel
Through the land, so that
Their hearts (and minds)
May thus learn wisdom
And their ears may
Thus learn to hear?
Truly it is not their eyes
That are blind, but their
Hearts which are
In their breasts.

47. Yet they ask thee
To hasten on the Punishment!
But God will not fail
In His promise. Verily
A Day in the sight of thy Lord
Is like a thousand years
Of your reckoning.

48. And to how many populations
Did I give respite, which
Were given to wrong-doing?
In the end I punished them.
To Me is the destination (of all).

SECTION 7.

49. Say: “O men! I am (Sent) to you only to give
A clear warning:

50. “Those who believe and work
Righteousness, for them
Is forgiveness and a sustenance
Most generous.

51. “But those who strive
Against Our Signs, to frustrate
Them, — they will be
Companions of the Fire.”

52. Never did We send
An apostle or a prophet
Before thee, but, when he
Framed a desire, Satan
Threw some (vanity)
Into his desire: but God
Will cancel anything (vain)
That Satan throws in,
And God will confirm
(And establish) His Signs:
For God is full of knowledge
And wisdom:

53. That He may make
The suggestions thrown in
By Satan, but a trial
For those in whose hearts
Is a disease and who are
Hardened of heart: verily
The wrong-doers are in a schism
Far (from the Truth):

54. And that those on whom
Knowledge has been bestowed may learn
That the (Qur-ān) is the Truth
From thy Lord, and that they
May believe therein, and their hearts
May be made humbly (open)
To it: for verily God is
The Guide of those who believe,
To the Straight Way.

55. Those who reject Faith
Will not cease to be
In doubt concerning (Revelation)
Until the Hour (of Judgment)
Comes suddenly upon them,
Or there comes to them
The Penalty of a Day of Disaster.

56. On that Day the Dominion
Will be that of God:
He will judge between them:
So those who believe
And work righteous deeds will be
In Gardens of Delight.

57. And for those who reject Faith
And deny Our Signs,
There will be a humiliating
Punishment.

SECTION 8.

58. Those who leave their homes
In the cause of God,
And are then slain or die,
On them will God bestow verily
A goodly Provision:
Truly God is He Who
Bestows the best Provision.

59. Verily He will admit then
To a place with which
They shall be well pleased:
For God is All-Knowing,
Most Forbearing.

60. That (is so). And if one
Has retaliated to no greater
Extent than the injury he received,
And is again set upon
Inordinately, God will help
Him: for God is One
That blots out (sins)
And forgives (again and again).

61. What is because God merges
Night into Day, and He
Merges Day into Night, and
Verily it is God Who hears
And sees (all things).

62. That is because God — He
Is the Reality; and those
Besides Him whom they invoke, —
They are but vain Falsehood:
Verily God is He, Most High,
Most Great.

63. Seest thou not that God
Sends down rain from the sky,
And forthwith the earth
Becomes clothed with green?
For God is He Who understands
The finest mysteries, and
Is well-acquainted (with them).

64. To Him belongs all that is
In the heavens and on earth:
For verily God, — He is
Free of all wants,
Worthy of all praise.

SECTION 9.

65. Seest thou not that God
Has made subject to you (men)
All that is on the earth,
And the ships that sail
Through the sea by His command?
He withholds the sky (rain)
From falling on the earth
Except by His leave:
For God is Most Kind
And Most Merciful to man.

66. It is He Who gave you life,
Will cause you to die,
And will again give you
Life: truly man is
A most ungrateful creature!

67. To every People have We
Appointed rites and ceremonies
Which they must follow:
Let them not then dispute
With thee on the matter,
But do thou invite (them)
To thy Lord: for thou art
ssuredly on the Right Way.

68. If they do wrangle with thee,
Say, “God knows best
What it is ye are doing.”

69. “God will judge between you
On the Day of Judgment
Concerning the matters in which
Ye differ.”

70. Knowest thou not that
God knows all that is
In heaven and on earth?
Indeed it is all
In a record, and that
Is easy for God.

71. Yet they worship, besides God,
Things for which no authority
Has been sent down to them,
And of which they have
(Really) no knowledge:
For those that do wrong
There is no helper.

72. When Our Clear Signs
Are rehearsed to them,
Thou wilt notice a denial
On the faces of the Unbelievers!
They nearly attack with violence
Those who rehearse Our Signs
To them. Say, “Shall I
Tell you of something
(Far) worse than these Signs?
It is the Fire (of Hell)!
God has promised it
To the Unbelievers!
And evil is that destination!”

SECTION 10.

73. O men! Here is
A parable set forth!
Listen to it! Those
On whom, besides God,
Ye call, cannot create
(Even) a fly, if they all
Met together for the purpose!
And if the fly should snatch
Away anything from them,
They would have no power
To release it from the fly.
Feeble are those who petition
And those whom they petition!

74. No just estimate have they
Made of God: for God
Is He Who is strong
And able to carry out
His Will.

75. God chooses Messengers
From angels and from men
For God is He Who hears And sees (all things).

76. He knows what is before them
And what is behind them:
And to God go back
All questions (for decision).

77. O ye who believe!
Bow down, prostrate yourselves,
And adore your Lord;
And do good;
That ye may prosper.

78. And strive in His cause
As ye ought to strive,
(With sincerity and under discipline).
He has chosen you, and has
Imposed no difficulties on you
In religion; it is the cult
Of your father Abraham.
It is He Who has named
You Muslims, both before
And in this (Revelation);
That the Apostle may be
A witness for you, and ye
Be witnesses for mankind!
So establish regular Prayer,
Give regular Charity,
And hold fast to God!
He is your Protector —
The best to protect
And the Best to help!

Sūra XXIII.

Mu-minūn, or The Believers.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.

1. The Believers must
(Eventually) win through, —

2. Those who humble themselves
In their prayers;

3. Who avoid vain talk;

4. Who are active in deeds
Of charity;

5. Who abstain from sex,

6. Except with those joined
To them in the marriage bond,
Or (the captives) whom
Their right hands possess, —
For (in their case) they are
Free from blame,

7. But those whose desires exceed
Those limits are transgressors; —

8. Those who faithfully observe
Their trusts and their covenants;

9. And who (strictly) guard
Their prayers; —

10. These will be the heirs,

11. Who will inherit Paradise:
They will dwell therein
(For ever).

12. Man We did create
From a quintessence (of clay);

13. Then We placed him
As (a drop of) sperm
In a place of rest,
Firmly fixed;

14. Then We made the sperm
Into a clot of congealed blood;
Then of that clot We made
A (foetus) lump; then We
Made out of that lump
Bones and clothed the bones
With flesh; then We developed
Out of it another creature.
So blessed be God,
The Best to create!

15. After that, at length
Ye will die.

16. Again, on the Day
Of Judgment, will ye be
Raised up.

17. And We have made, above you,
Seven tracts; and We
Are never unmindful
Of (Our) Creation,

18. And We send down water
From the sky according to
(Due) measure, and We cause it
To soak in the soil;
And We certainly are able
To drain it off (with ease).

19. With it We grow for you
Gardens of date-palms
And vines: in them have ye
Abundant fruits: and of them
Ye eat (and have enjoyment), —

20. Also a tree springing
Out of Mount Sinai,
Which produces oil,
And relish for those
Who use it for food.

21. And in cattle (too) ye
Have an instructive example:
From within their bodies
We produce (milk) for you
To drink; there art, in them,
(Besides), numerous (other)
Benefits for you;
And of their (meat) ye eat;

22. And on them, as well as
In ships, ye ride.

SECTION 2.

23. (Further, We sent a long line
Of prophets for your instruction).
We sent Noah to his people:
He said, “O my people!
Worship God! Ye have
No other god but Him.
Will ye not fear (Him)?”

24. The chiefs of the Unbelievers
Among his people said:
“He is no more than a man
Like yourselves: his wish is
To assert his superiority
Over you: if God had wished
(To send messengers),
He could have sent down
Angels: never did we hear
Such a thing (as he says),
Among our ancestors of old.”

25. (And some said): “He is
Only a man possessed:
Wait (and have patience)
With him for a time.”

26. (Noah) said: “O my Lord!
Help me: for that they
Accuse me of falsehood!”

27. So We inspired him
(With this message): “Construct
The Ark within Our sight
And under Our guidance: then
When comes Our command,
And the fountains of the earth
Gush forth, take thou on board
Pairs of every species, male
And female, and thy family —
Except those of them
Against whom the Word
Has already gone forth:
And address Me not
In favour of the wrong-doers;
For they shall be drowned
(In the Flood).

28. And when thou hast embarked
On the Ark — thou and those
With thee, — say: “Praise be
To God, Who has saved us
From the people who do wrong.”

29. And say: “O my Lord!
Enable me to disembark
With Thy blessing: for Thou
Art the Best to enable (us)
To disembark.”

30. Verily in this there are
Signs (for men to understand);
(Thus) do We try (men).”

31. Then We raised after them
Another generation.

32. And We sent to them
An apostle from among themselves,
Saying), “Worship God!
Ye have no other god
But Him. Will ye not
Fear (Him)?”

SECTION 3.

33. And the chiefs
Of his people, who disbelieved
And denied the Meeting
In the Hereafter, and on whom
We had bestowed the good things
Of this life, said: “He is
No more than a man
Like yourselves: he eats
Of that of which ye eat,
And drinks of what ye drink.

34. “If ye obey a man
Like yourselves, behold,
It is certain ye will be lost.

35. “Does he promise that
When ye die and become dust
And bones, ye shall be
Brought forth (again)?

36. “Far, very far is that
Which ye are promised!

37. “There is nothing but
Our life in this world!
We shall die and we live!
But we shall never
Be raised up again!

38. “He is only a man
Who invents a lie
Against God, but we
Are not the ones
To believe in him!”

39. (The prophet) said:
“O my Lord! help me:
For that they accuse me
Of falsehood.”

40. (God) said: “In but
A little while, they
Are sure to be sorry!”

41. Then the Blast overtook them
With justice, and We made them
As rubbish of dead leaves
(Floating on the stream of Time)!
So away with the people
Who do wrong!

42. Then We raised after them
Other generations.

43. No people can hasten
Their term, nor can they
Delay (it).

44. Then sent We Our apostles
In succession: every time
There came to a people
Their apostle, they accused him
Of falsehood: so We made
Them follow each other
(In punishment): We made them
As a tale (that is told):
So away with a people
That will not believe!

45. When We sent Moses
And his brother Aaron,
With Our Signs and
Authority manifest,

46. To Pharaoh and his Chiefs:
But these behaved insolently:
They were an arrogant people.

47. They said: “Shall we believe
In two men like ourselves?
And their people are subject
To us!”

48. So they accused them
Of falsehood, and they became
Of those who were destroyed.

49. And We gave Moses
The Book, in order that
They might receive guidance.

50. And We made
The son of Mary
And his mother
As a Sign:
We gave them both
Shelter on high ground,
Affording rest and security
And furnished with springs.

SECTION 4.

51. O ye apostles! enjoy
(All) things good and pure,
And work righteousness:
For I am well-acquainted
With (all) that ye do.

52. And verily this Brotherhood
Of yours is a single Brotherhood,
And I am your Lord
And Cherisher: therefore
Fear Me (and no other).

53. But people have cut off
Their affair (of unity),
Between them, into sects:
Each party rejoices in that
Which is with itself.