1. Alif Lam Ra. Allah knows best what is meant by the letters. A Book whose yats are perfectly constructed with a wondrous order and amazing meanings and then demarcated – distinguishing rulings, stories and admonitions from Allah – coming directly from One who is All-Wise, All-Aware (Allah).

2. ‘Do not worship anyone but Allah! I am a warner – of the punishment if you disbelieve – and bringer of good news – of the reward if you believe – to you from Him.

3. Ask your Lord for forgiveness for shirk and then repent to Him: turn to Him by obeying Him. He will let you enjoy a good life – give you a pleasant life and ample provision in this world – until a specified time (your death), and will give His favour to all who merit it by their actions in the Next World as repayment. But if you turn your backs, I fear for you the punishment of a Mighty Day ( the Day of Rising).

4. You will return to Allah. He has power over all things, including reward and punishment.’

5. This ayat was revealed, as al-Bukhrı related from Ibn ‘Abbas, about people who were ashamed to go to the lavatory or to have sexual intercourse in the open air. It is also said that it is about the hypocrites. See how they wrap themselves round trying to conceal their feelings from Him (Allah)! No, indeed! When they wrap their garments round themselves to cover themselves, He (Allah) knows what they keep secret and what they make public, so their concealment is of no effect. He knows what their hearts contain.

6. There is no creature that crawls on the earth which is not dependent upon Allah for its provision – Allah is responsible for providing for it as a favour from Him. He knows where it lives – a reference to either this world or the loins – and where it dies – a reference to where it will be lodged after death or to the womb. They are all mentioned in a Clear Book (the Preserved Tablet).

7. It is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days – the first day was Sunday and the sixth Friday – when His Throne – before He created the heaven and the earth – was on the water – which was on the back of the wind – in order to test which of you has the best actions. In other words: Allah created the heavens and earth and everything they contain for the use and benefit of humanity in order to test them and see which of them are most obedient to Allah. If you, Muhammad, say, ‘You will be raised up after death,’ those who disbelieved will say, ‘This Qur’an – which speaks of the Resurrection and what you say – is nothing but downright (clear) magic (read as sihr, as here, and also sahir which means “magician”, referring to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace).’

8. If We postpone the punishment for them for a limited time (umma here means “time”), they will say in mockery, ‘What is holding it back – stopping it from happening?’ Allah says: No, indeed! The day it reaches them it will not be averted from happening to them and the things they mocked at (the punishment) will encopass them.

9. If We let an unbelieving man taste mercy (wealth and health) from Us, and then take it away from him, he is despairing of Allah’s mercy, ungrateful – vehement in disbelieving in Allah…

10. …but if We let him taste blessings after hardship (poverty and difficulty) has afflicted him, he says, ‘My troubles (afflictions) have gone away,’ – when he did not expect them to depart and is not grateful for it – and he is overjoyed, boastful – he is arrogant and boasts to people about what he has been given –

11. … except for those who are steadfast in hardship and do right actions in times of blessing. They will receive forgiveness and a great reward (the Garden).

12. Perhaps you, Mu˛ammad, are leaving aside part of what has been revealed to you – not conveying part of what has been revealed to you because they may despise it – and your breast is constricted by this when you recite it to them because they say, ‘Why has treasure not been sent down to him or an angel not accompanied him to support him as we have demanded?’ You are only a warner: you only have to convey the Message to them, not to bring about what they have demanded – and Allah is Guardian over all things and He will repay them.

13. Or do they say, ‘He has invented it (the Qur’an)?’ Say, ‘Then produce ten invented suras like this in eloquence and quality of Arabic, as you are Arabic speakers with eloquence like me. So Allah challenged them with this first and then with producing even one süra – and call on anyone you can besides Allah for help in doing so, if you are telling the truth about it being forged.’

14. If they do not respond to you – to your invitation to them to help one another to come up with ten suras – then know, idolaters, that it has been sent down with Allah’s direct knowledge and is not a forgery and that there is no god but Him. So will you not become Muslims after this definitive proof?

15. As for those who desire the life of this world and its finery – a reference to those who persist in shirk and also said to be about those who show off – We will give them full payment in it (this world) for their actions. They will be repaid in this world for whatever good they did, such as their gifts of sadaqa and maintenance of ties of kinship, meaning that their provision will be expanded for them. They will not be deprived here of their due or short-changed for any good they have done.

16. But such people will have nothing in the Next World but the Fire. What they achieved here will come to nothing – will be nullified. What they did will prove to be null and void in the Next World and they will have no reward.

17. But as for those who have clear evidence from their Lord – a reference to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, or the believers, the evidence mentioned being the Qur’an – followed up by a witness to his truthfulness from Him (Allah), meaning Jibril – and before it (the Qur’an) the Book of Musa (the Torah) came which attests to him as a model and a mercy – such people – those who have clear evidence – believe in it (the Qur’an) and so they shall have the Garden. Any faction of the unbelievers which rejects it is promised the Fire. Be in no doubt about it (the Qur’an); it is the Truth from your Lord. But most people – including the people of Makka – do not believe.

18. Who (no one) could do greater wrong than those who invent lies against Allah by ascribing a partner and child to him? Such people will be arrayed before their Lord on the Day of Rising with all creatures, and the witnesses – the angels who testify that the Messengers conveyed the Message and that the unbelievers denied it – will say, ‘Those are the ones who lied against their Lord.’ Yes indeed! Allah’s curse is on the wrongdoers (idolaters),

19. …those who bar access to the Way of Allah (Islam), desiring to make it (the Way) crooked and reject the Next World.

20. They were not able to thwart Allah on earth, and had no protectors to defend them against His punishment besides Allah. The punishment will be doubled for them because they misled others. They were unable to hear the truth and could not see it because of their excessive hatred, which made them like those physically unable to do that.

21. Those are the people who have lost their own selves because they go to the eternal Fire. What they invented against Allah – a reference to the partners they ascribed to Him – has abandoned them.

22. Without question (truly) they will be the greatest losers in the Next World.

23. As for those who believe and do right actions and humble themselves before their Lord, they are the Companions of the Garden, remaining in it timelessly, for ever.

24. The likeness of the two groups (the unbelievers and the believers) is that of the blind and deaf – a simile for the unbelievers – and the seeing and hearing – a simile for the believe r s. Are they the same as one another? So will you not pay heed and be admonished?

25. We sent Nuh to his people: ‘I am (read as inni and anni) a clear warner to you, someone who makes the warning clear to you.

26. Worship none but Allah. If you worship anything else, I fear for you the punishment of a painful Day in this world and the Next.’

27. The ruling circle (the nobles) of those of his people who disbelieved said, ‘We do not see you as anything but a human being like ourselves. We do not see that you have any superiority over us. We do not see anyone fo l l owing you but the lowest of us – such as weavers and shoemakers – unthinkingly (read as badi’r- ra’y and badi’a’r- ra’y, an expression implying acting without reflection, doing the first thing that comes to mind). We do not see you as superior to us. We do not think that you deserve to be followed by us. On the contrary, we consider you to be liars in claiming to have a Message.’ They included his people with him when they addressed him, which is why the second person plural is used here.

28. He said, ‘My people, what do you think? Tell me. If I were to have clear evidence from my Lord and He had given me a mercy (Prophethood) direct from Him, but it was hidden (read as ‘ummiy -at and also ‘amiyat, in which case the meaning becomes “you were blind to it”) from you, could we force it on you and compel you to accept it if you were unwilling to do so? We cannot do that.

29. My people, I do not ask you for any wealth for it – conveying the Message. My wage (reward) is the responsibility of Allah alone. I will not chase away those who believe as you command me. They are surely going to meet their Lord at the Resurrection – and He will repay them and take what is owed to them from those who wronged them and drove them away. But I see you as ignorant people, ignorant of what your final outcome will be.

30. My people, who would help me and defend me against the punishment of Allah if I did drive them away? I would have no helper. So will you not pay heed and be admonished?

31. I do not say to you that I possess the treasuries of Allah; nor do I know the Unseen; nor do I say that I am an angel; I am merely a mortal like you; nor do I say to those who are vile in your eyes and whom you disdain that Allah will not give them any good. Allah knows best what is in their hearts. If I did say that, I would certainly be one of the wrongdoers.’

32. They said, ‘Nuh, you have argued with us and disputed with us and argued much; so bring us what you have promised us (the punishment) if you are telling the truth about it.’

33. He said, ‘Allah will bring it to you if He wills to hasten it for you – and that is up to Him, not up me – and you will not be able to prevent it and escape Allah.

34. My counsel will not benefit you, for all my desire to counsel you, if Allah desires to lead you into error. He is your Lord and you will return to Him.’

35. Then Allah makes the following interpolation: Or do they ( the unbelievers of Makka) say, ‘He (Muhammad) has invented it (the Qur’an)’? Say: ‘If I have invented it, the crime (the sin and its penalty) will be laid at my door; but I am innocent of the crimes which you commit in ascribing forgery to me.’

36. It was revealed to Nuh: ‘None of your people are going to believe except for those who already believe, so do not be distressed and sad at what (the shirk) they do. So Nuh prayed against them, saying, “My Lord, do not leave any of them on the earth…” (71:28) and Allah answered his supplication and then said the following:

37. Build the Ark under Our supervision – We will oversee and protect it – and as We reveal and command. But do not address Me concerning the wrongdoers who disbelieve. Do not ask Me not to destroy them. They shall be drowned.’

38. The present tense is used in this narrative even though it is a story about the past. He began to build the Ark and every time some nobles of his people passed him by, they ridiculed and mocked him. He said, ‘Though you ridicule us now, we will certainly ridicule you as you do us. We will be saved and you will be drowned.

39. You will soon know who will receive a punishment which disgraces him and find unleashed against himself an everlasting punishment which will befall him.’

40. So when he finished constructing it Our command to destroy them came and water bubbled up from the earth (lit. oven) and that was a sign for Nuh. We said, ‘Load into it (the Ark) a pair of every species – a male and female of every species. In one version of the story Allah gathered before Nuh the beasts and birds and other creatures. He began to place his hands on every species, his right hand on the male and his left on the female, and directed them into the Ark – and your family – his wife and children – except for those against whom the Word was preordained – that they would be destroyed. They were his son Kin’an and his wife, but not Sam, Ham and Yafith whom he embarked with their three wives – and all who believe.’ But those who believed with him were only few. It is said that there were six men and their wives, and it is also said that the total number of people in the Ark was about eighty, half of whom were men and half women.

41. He (Nuh) said, ‘Embark in it. In the name of Allah be its voyage (read as majraha and mujraha) and its landing (read as marsaha and mursaha) – meaning the journey and its ending! Truly my Lord is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful since He did not destroy us.’

42. It sailed with them through mountainous wave s – they were like mountains in their height and magnitude – and Nuh called out to his son Kin‘an who had kept himself apart from the Ark, ‘ My son! Come on board with us. Do not stay with the unbelievers!’

43. He said, ‘I will take refuge on a mountain; it will protect me and defend me from the flood.’ Nuh said, ‘There is no protection from Allah’s command and punishment today except for those He (Allah) has mercy on.’ They are the ones who are protected. Allah said: The wa ves surged in between them and he (Kin‘an) was among the drowned.

44. It was said, ‘Earth, swallow up your water which issued from you!’ – and the earth drank it all up except what descended from the sky which became rivers and oceans – and, ‘Heaven, hold back your rain! Stop raining,’ and it stopped. And the water subsided and the affair of the destruction of the people of Nuh was concluded and the Ark came to land on al-Judi, a mountain in Mesopotamia near to Mosul. And it was said, ‘Away with (destruction to) the people of the wrongdoers (the unbelievers)!’

45. Nuh called out to his Lord and said, ‘My Lord, my son Kin‘an is one of my family, and You promised to save them and Your promise is surely the truth and will not be broken and You are the Justest (most knowledgeable and fair) of Judges.’

46. He (Allah) said, ‘Nuh, he is definitely not of your family – those of them who were destined to be saved – or one of the people of your din. He is someone whose action (read as ‘amalun ghayru and ‘amala ghayra) was not righteous. Your asking for him to be saved was not correct because he was an unbeliever and the unbelievers will not be saved. Do not, therefore, ask Me (read as tas’alni and tas’alanna) for something about which you have no knowledge – meaning the deliverance of his son. I admonish you lest you should be among the ignorant by asking for something you have no knowledge of.’

47. He said, ‘My Lord, I seek refuge with You from asking You for anything about which I have no knowledge. If You do not forgive me for my neglect and have mercy on me, I will be among the lost.’

48. It was said, ‘Nuh, descend from the Ark with peace – or with the greeting – from Us and with blessings (good things) on you and on the nations which will issue from those who are with you in the Ark: in other words, from his children and descendants who were believers. But there are nations which come from among those who were with you to whom We will give enjoyment in this world and then a painful punishment from Us will afflict them in the Next World.’ They are the unbelievers.

49. That (the story of Nuh) is some of the news of the Unseen which was concealed from you which We reveal to you, Muhammad. Neither you nor your people knew it (the Qur’an) before this time. So be steadfast in conveying the Message and in the face of injury as Nuh was. The best (most praiseworthy) end result is for those who are godfearing.

50. And to ‘Ad We sent their brother Hüd from their tribe. He said, ‘My people, worship Allah and affirm His oneness. You have no god apart from Him. You are merely fabricators, in that you worship idols and deny Allah.

51. My people, I do not ask you for any wage for it (conveying the Message). My wage is the responsibility of Him who brought me into being (created me); so will you not use your intellect?

52. My people, ask forgiveness of your Lord for committing shirk and then repent to Him – turn to Him by obeying Him. He will send heaven down to you in abundant rain – and it was at a time of drought when rain was scarce – and increase you with strength (wealth) upon strength (children). Do not turn away as evildoers (idolaters).’

53. They said, ‘Hud, you have not brought us any clear sign - proof of what you say. We will not forsake our gods for what you say. We do not believe you.

54. We only say about you that one of our gods has driven you mad.’ They said that one of their gods had made him mad and befuddled him because he had spoken badly of the idols. He said, ‘I call on Allah to be my witness, and you also bear witness, that I am free of all the gods you have apart from Him.

55. So scheme against me – plot my destruction – all of you together, you and your idols, and then grant me no respite or reprieve.

56. I have put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature – no living creature that crawls on the earth – He does not hold by the forelock – an expression meaning to have control over something and control it. There is no benefit or harm except by Allah’s permission. The forelock is mentioned because if someone has his forelock seized, it means he is in a state of extreme humiliation. My Lord is on a Straight Path: the Path of Truth and Justice.

57. If you turn your backs, I have transmitted to you what I was sent to you with, and my Lord will replace you with another people, and you will not harm Him at all by your shirk. My Lord is the Guardian and Preserver of everything.’

58. When Our command (punishment) came, We rescued Hud and those who had believed along with him by a mercy (guidance) from Us. We rescued them from a harsh punishment.

59. That was ‘Ad – a reference to their artefacts and remains. In other words, “Travel in the land and look at them.” Then Allah describes their states and what they did. They denied the Signs of their Lord and disobeyed all His Messengers – in the plural because whoever disobeys one Messenger disobeys all the Messengers, since they share in the fundamental principle of what they brought, which is affirmation of Allah’s unity – and (the lowly people) followed the command of every obdurate tyrant – their leaders who were obdurate against the Truth.

60. They were pursued by a curse from people in this world and on the Day of Rising they will be cursed in front of all creatures. Yes indeed! ‘Ad rejected and denied their Lord, so away with ‘Ad, the people of Hud! They were placed far from the mercy of Allah.

61. To Thamud We sent their brother Salih from their tribe. He said, ‘My people, worship Allah and affirm His unity. You have no god apart from Him. He brought you into being (created you) from the earth by creating your ancestor Adam from it and made you its inhabitants and gave you dwellings in which you live, so ask His forgiveness for committing shirk and then repent to Him: turn to Him by obeying Him. My Lord is Close to His creation by His knowledge and Quick to Respond to those who ask of Him.’

62. They said, Salih, we had great hopes in you that you would be a notable man before this happened: before you did this. Do you forbid us to worship what (the idols) our fathers worshipped? We have grave doubts about what (the message of Divine unity) you are calling us to.’

63. He said, ‘My people, what do you think? If I were to possess a Clear Sign from my Lord and He had given me mercy ( Prophethood) from Him, who would help me and defend against the punishment of Allah if I disobeyed Him? You would not increase me – by commanding me to do that – in anything but loss (misguidance).

64. My people, here is the she-camel of Allah as a Sign for you. So leave her alone to eat on Allah’s earth and do not inflict any harm on her by hamstringing her or you will be overcome by an imminent punishment if you do so.’

65. But they hamstrung her – a man named Quddur did the action on their instructions – so he (Salih) said, ‘Enjoy yourselves and live in your land for three more days. Then you will be destroyed. That is a promise which will not be belied.’

66. Then when Our command came to destroy them, We rescued Salih and those who believed along with him – who numbered four thousand – by a mercy from Us and We saved them from the disgrace of that day (read as yawmi’idhin and yawma’idhin). Your Lord is the All-Strong, the Almighty.

67. The Great Blast seized hold of those who did wrong and morning found them lying flattened in their homes, dead bodies on the ground.

68. It was as if they had never lived there at all – as if they had never been in their homes. Yes indeed! Thamud rejected their Lord. So away with Thamüd! This means both the area and the tribe.

69. Our messengers brought the good news of Ishaq and Ya‘ qub after him to Ibrahim. They said, ‘Peace!’ and he too said, ‘Peace be upon you!’ and brought in a roasted calf without delay.

70. When he saw that their hands were not reaching for it, he suspected them and felt afraid of them inside himself. They said, ‘Have no fear! We have been sent to the people of Lut to destroy them.’

71. His wife – whose name was Sara – was standing there serving them and she laughed out loud at the news of their destruction. So We gave her the good news of Ishaq, and beyond Ishaq, his son Ya‘qub. The good news meant that she would live long enough to see Ya‘qub.

72. She said, ‘Woe is me! This expression is used when something extraordinary happens. How can I give birth when I am an old woman of ninety-nine years and my husband here is an aged man of a hundred or a hundred and twenty? This is indeed an astonishing thing – that a child should be born to two old people.

73. They said, ‘Are you astonished at Allah’s command (His power)? May Allah’s mercy and His blessings be upon you, People of the House of Ibrhım! He is Praiseworthy, All-Glorious and Generous.’

74. When the feeling of fear left Ibrhım, and the good news of a child reached him, he disputed with Us (with Our messengers) about the people of Lut.

75. Ibrahim was forbearing – meaning that he had great patience – compassionate, penitent – continually repentant. He asked them, “Would you destroy a town which contains three hundred believers?” They said, “No.” He asked, “Would you destroy a town with two hundred believers in it?’ They replied, “No.” He said, “Would you destroy a town with forty believers in it?” and they said, “No.” He said, “Would you destroy a town with fourteen believers in it?” and they replied, “No.” He said, “What if there was one believer in it?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Lü† is in it.” They said, “We know better who is in it”…

76. When he went on for a long time arguing with them, they said, ‘Ibrahim, turn away from this arguing! Your Lord’s command to destroy them has come. A punishment is coming to them which cannot be repelled.’

77. When Our messengers came to Lut, he was distressed for them – sad on their behalf – and very concerned for them – because they were angels who had taken the form of handsome young men and he feared what his people might do to them – and said, ‘This is a dreadful day.’

78. His people came running to him excitedly when they learned of them – they were long used to committing evil acts – for a considerable period before their arrival the people had been committing sodomy with men. He (Lü† ) said, ‘My people, here are my daughters. Marry them. They are purer for you. So be fearful of Allah and do not shame me with my guests (although the word for “guest”, dayf, is in the singular here it has a plural meaning). Is there not one rightly-guided man among you who will command the right and forbid the wrong?’

79. They said, ‘You know we have no claim on (need of) your daughters. You know very well what it is we want – to commit sodomy.’

80. He said, ‘If only I had the strength to combat you or could take refuge in some powerful support – such as a clan to help me fight you!’

81. When the angels saw this, they said, ‘Lut, we are messengers from your Lord. They will not be able to get at you with evil. Set out with your family – except for your wife (read as imra’ataka and imra’atuka), so do not travel with her – in the middle of the night and none of you should look back to see the terrible fate that will befall them. What strikes them will strike her as well. It is said that he did not set out with her; it is also said that she set out but then turned around and exclaimed, “O my people!” and a stone hit and killed her. Lut asked the angels about the time of their destruction and they declared: Their promised appointment is the morning. He said, “I want it to be sooner than that,” and they said: Is the morning not close at hand?’

82. When Our command came to destroy them, We turned their cities upside down – Jibril lifted them up into the sky and slammed them upside down onto the earth – and rained down on them stones of hard baked clay, piled on top of one another in layers…

83. …each one earmarked by your Lord – each stone bore the name of the person for whom it was intended. And they (the stones or their land) are never far from the wrongdoers such as the people of Makka.

84. And to Madyan We sent their brother Shu‘ayb. He said, ‘My people, worship Allah and affirm His unity! You have no god apart from Him. Do not give short measure and short weight. I see you prospering – in possession of a blessing which makes you wealthy – and I fear for you – if you do not believe – the punishment of an all-encompassing Day which will destroy you.

85. My people, give full measure and full weight with justice; do not diminish people’s goods – do not curtail what is due to them in any way; and do not go about the earth, corrupting it, by killing or any other type of wicked behaviour.

86. What endures with Allah – Allah’s eternal provision for you, gained by your giving full weight and measure – is better for you – than what you might gain by cheating people – if you are believers. I am not set over you as your keeper – a guardian over you responsible for repaying you for what you do. I was sent to warn you.’

87. They said in mockery, ‘Shu‘ayb, do your prayers instruct you to tell us that we should abandon what (the idols) our fathers worshipped or stop doing whatever we want to with our wealth? The meaning is that in their opinion this was clearly something fallacious to which someone who really meant good would never call them. You are clearly the forbearing, the rightly-guided!’ They said that in mockery.

88. He said, ‘My people, what do you think? If I do possess a Clear Sign from my Lord and He has given me His good (lawful) provision – why then should I want to mix it with the unlawful by miserlines and stinting? – I would clearly not want to go behind your backs and do something I have forbidden you to do. I only want to put things right as far as I can by being just. My success is with Allah alone; I can only do this within the constraints my limited capability and that is also true of all acts of obedience. I have put my trust in Him and I turn to Him.

89. My people, do not let your breach (disagreement) with me provoke you into doing wrong so that the same thing happens to you (the punishment) as happened to the people of Nuh and the people of Hud and the people of Salih; and the people of Lut are not far distant from you, a reference either to the ruined houses of the people of Lut which were quite near at hand or to the time of their destruction which was not so long before.

90. Ask your Lord for forgiveness and then repent to Him. My Lord is Most Merciful to the believers, Most Loving to them.’

91. They said, proclaiming their lack of concern, ‘Shu‘ayb, We do not understand much of what you say and we see you are weak and humble among us. Were it not for your clan, we would have stoned you. We do not hold you in high esteem!’ In other words, they did not think that he was too noble to stone. It was his clan who were powerful.

92. He said, ‘My people, do you esteem my clan more than you do Allah – so that you do not kill me because of them, not for the sake of Allah? You have made Him (Allah) into something to cast disdainfully behind your backs! You abandon Him and pay no attention to Him. But my Lord encompasses everything that you do in knowledge, and will repay you for it!

93. My people, do as you think best. That is what I am doing. You will certainly come to know who will receive a punishment to disgrace him, and who is a liar. So look out; Wait for the result of the business. I will be on the lookout with you.’

94. When Our command came ordering their destruction, We rescued Shu‘ayb and those who had believed along with him by a mercy from Us. The Great Blast (a shout from Jibril) seized hold of those who did wrong and morning found them lying flattened corpses in their homes

95. …as if they had never lived there at all. Yes indeed! Away with Madyan as with Thamud!

96. We sent Musa with Our Signs and clear (manifest) authority…

97. …to Pharaoh and his ruling circle. They followed Pharaoh’s command but Pharaoh’s command was not rightly guided (correct).

98. He will go ahead of his people on the Day of Rising – they will follow him then as they followed him in this world – and lead them down so that they enter into the Fire. What an evil watering-hole to be led to!

99. They are pursued by a curse in this world and a curse on the Day of Rising. What an evil gift to be given!

100. That which has been mentioned is some of the news of the cities which We relate to you, Muhammad. Some of them (the cities) are still standing– although their people have been destroyed while others are now just stubble where the people have been destroyed and there is no trace of buildings either except for the equivalent of stubble after a field has been harvested.

101. We did not wrong them destroying them for no sin; rather they wronged themselves by committing shirk. The gods they called upon and worshipped besides Allah did not help them at all or defend them when Allah’s command ( punishment) came upon them: they did nothing but increase their ruin. Their worship of idols only increased them in loss.

102. Such a seizing is the iron grip of your Lord when He seizes the people of the cities which do wrong by perpetrating wrong actions: nothing will avail them when He seizes them. His grip is painful, violent. Al-Bukhari and Muslim related from Abu Musa al- Ash‘ari that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah gives respite to the wrongdoer but then, when He seizes him, he does not escape Him.” Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, recited this ayat, “Such is the iron grip of your Lord…”

103. There is certainly a Sign (lesson) in that (the stories mentioned) for anyone who fears the punishment of the Next World on the Day of Rising. That is a Day to which mankind will all be gathered. That is a Day which will be witnessed by everyone – by all sentient creatures.

104. We will only postpone it until a predetermined time, a time already known by Allah.

105. On the Day it comes, no self will speak except by His (Allah’s) permission. Some of them will be wretched and others glad – and that was predestined before the beginning of time.

106. As for those who are wretched in Allah’s foreknowledge, they will be in the Fire, where they will sigh and gasp,

107. …remaining in it timelessly, for ever, as long as the heavens and earth endure, except as your Lord wills – to make it longer, which has no limit. The meaning is that they will be in it for ever. Your Lord is the Doer of what He wills.

108. As for those who are glad (read as su‘idu and sa‘idu), they will be in the Garden, remaining in it timelessly, for ever, as long as the heavens and earth endure, except as your Lord wills – as mentioned above: and He indicates it for them – an uninterrupted gift. The gift is free of obligation, but Allah knows best what He means.

109. So be in no doubt, Muhammad, about what (the idols) these people worship – Allah will punish them as He punished those before them. This is solace for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. They only worship as their forebears worshipped previously and We punished them. We will pay them their portion of the punishment in full, with no rebate!

110. We gave Musa the Book (the Torah) and people differed concerning it – there was both affirmation and denial, as was the case with the Qur’an – and had it not been for a prior Word from your Lord – that the Reckoning and repayment of creatures would be deferred until the Day of Rising – it – what they disagreed about – would already have been decided between them in this world. They (the deniers) are indeed in grave doubt about it.

111. Your Lord will pay each one of them (each creature) in full repayment for their actions. He is aware of what they do. Allah knows their inward and their outward.

112. Go straight in terms of action, as you have been commanded by your Lord, and call people to Him and also those who turn with you to Allah and believe should go straight; and do not exceed the bounds – the limits set by Allah. He sees what you do and will repay you.

113. Do not rely on – and incline with love and flattery to – those who do wrong – or be content with what they do, thus causing the Fire to afflict you, for you have no protector to protect you from it besides Allah; then you will not be helped against Allah’s punishment.

114. Establish the prayer at each end of the day – morning and evening, referring to the Subh, Zuhr and ‘Asr prayers – and in the first part of the night – referring to the Maghrib and ‘Isha’ prayers. Good actions – such as the five prayers – eradicate bad actions (minor wrong actions). This was revealed about someone who kissed a woman who was not a relative of his, and told the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He asked, “Is this for me?” The Prophet answered, “It is for all of my Community.” (al-Bukhari and Muslim) This is a reminder for people who pay heed and are warned.

115. And be steadfast, Muhammad, meaning “endure the harm your people do you” – or it may mean “be steadfast in the prayer. – Allah does not let the wage – for steadfastness in obedience – of gooddoers go to waste.

116. Would that there had been more people with a vestige of good – people who have din and excellence – among the generations (past nations) of those who came before you, who forbade corruption in the earth – in other words, they did not do that – other than the few among them whom We saved: they did forbid it, and so We saved them. Those who did wrong by perpetrating corruption and not forbidding it gladly pursued the life of luxury that they were given and were evildoers.

117. Your Lord would never have destroyed the cities wrongfully while as their inhabitants (the believers) were putting things right.

118. If your Lord had wanted to, He would have made mankind into one community with one din, but they persist in their differences in respect of the din.

119. …except for those whom your Lord has mercy on and for whom He desires good so that they do not disagree. That is what He created them for – He created the people who disagree for this and the people on whom He has mercy for that – so that the Word of your Lord would be fulfilled: ‘I will fill up Hell with the jinn and mankind all together.’

120. We have given you all that is needed of this news about the Messengers so that We may make your heart firm and tranquil by means of it. The truth has come to you in this, and an admonishment and reminder to the believers. The believers are singled out for mention since they benefit by it through their belief in it as opposed to the unbelievers who do not.

121. Say to those who do not believe: ‘Do (act) as you think best. That is what we are doing. This is a threat to them.

122. And wait for the outcome of your business. We too are waiting for that.’

123. The Unseen of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah – He has knowledge of what is unseen in both heavens and the earth – and the whole affair will be returned to Him: He will take revenge on those who disobey e d. So worship Him by affirming His unity and put your trust in Him. He will be enough for you. Your Lord is not unaware of what you do (read as ta‘maluna and ya‘maluna, “they do”). He defers them to their pre-determined time.