1. Alif Lam Mim Ra. Allah knows best what the letters mean. Those are the Signs of the Book (the Qur’an). And what has been sent down to you from your Lord (the Qur’an) is the Truth and there is no room for doubt regarding it, but most people – including the people of Makka – do not believe that it is from Allah Almighty.

2. Allah is He who raised up the heavens without any support – He tells the truth about it having no support you can see – and then established Himself firmly on the Throne in a manner which befits Him. He made the sun and moon subservient, each running in its own orbit for a specified term – up until the Day of Rising. He directs the whole affair – decreeing what will happen in His kingdom. He makes the Signs of His power clear so that perhaps you, people of Makka, will be certain about the meeting with your Lord at the Resurrection.

3. It is He who stretched out the earth and placed (created) firmly embedded mountains and rivers in it and made two types of every kind of fruit. He covers over day with the darkness of night. There are Signs of Allah’s Oneness in that for people who reflect on the handiwork of Allah.

4. In the earth there are diverse regions side by side – different areas which adjoin one another; some are good, some saline, with little wind or much wind, all of which are among the signs of Allah’s power – and gardens of grapes and cultivated fields, and palmtrees sharing one root – palm-trees which have a single root from which they branch out – and others with individual roots, all watered (read as yusqa and tusqa) with the same water. And We make some things better (read as nufaddilu and yufaddilu, “He makes”) to eat (read as ukul and ukl) than others. Some things are sweet and some are bitter. There are Signs in that for people who use their intellect and ponder the creation.

5. If you, Muhammad, are surprised at their blindness – at how the unbelievers deny you – what could be more surprising than their words – which deny the Resurrection – ‘What, when (read as a idha and idha, without the interrogative particle) we are turned to dust, shall we then be created all anew?’ That is because the One who is able to originate creation without any prior example is able to bring it back again. These are the people who disbelieve in their Lord. Such people have iron collars round their necks. Such people are the Companions of the Fire, remaining in it timelessly, for ever.

6. The following was revealed when the unbelievers asked for the punishment to be hastened, out of mockery. They want you to hasten the bad (the punishment) rather than the good (mercy), when examples of punishment are there before them in the past. Your Lord has forgiveness for people for their wrongdoing; and if your Lord was not characterised by forgiveness, He would not leave any animal on the surface of the earth – but your Lord is also severe in retribution against those who disobey Him.

7. Those who disbelieve say, ‘If only a Sign – such as the Staff of Musa, his White Hand, or the She-camel of Salih – could be sent down to him (Muhammad) from his Lord!’ You are only a warner: your task is to alarm the unbelievers, not to bring Signs. Every people has a guide – a Prophet to call them to Allah with the Signs He gives him, not the ones they demand.

8. Allah knows what every female bears – every foetus, male or female, one or more, and all other things – and every shrinking of the womb after pregnancy and every swelling in pregnancy. Everything has its measure with Him, an amount and a limit which it does not exceed,

9. …the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible, the Most Great, the High-Exalted (read as muta’ali and muta’ali) – exalted over His creation by His power.

10. It makes no difference to His knowledge whether you keep secret what you say or voice it out loud, whether you hide in the darkness of the night or go out in the day.

11. Everyone – every human being – has a succession of angels in front of him and behind him, guarding him by Allah’s command – from jinn and other things. Allah never changes a people’s state – and removes blessings from them – until they change what is in themselves – exchange their good state for disobedience. When Allah desires evil (disobedience) for a people, there is no averting it (His punishment or anything else). They have no protector apart from Him. If Allah desires evil for them, who can defend them from Him.

12. It is He Who shows you the lightning, striking fear into travellers because of the lightning bolts and bringing hope to those who are resident and desire rain; it is He Who heaps up and creates the heavy clouds which bring the rain.

13. The thunder – which is an angel who is entrusted with the clouds and drives them along – glorifies His praise – saying, “Glory be to Allah and with His praise!” – as do the angels, out of fear of Him. He discharges the thunderbolts – flashes of fire which emerges from the clouds – striking with them anyone He wills and burning whomever Allah wishes. This was revealed about a man to whom the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent someone to call him to Allah. He asked, “Who is the Messenger of Allah? What is Allah? Is He made of gold, silver or brass?” So Allah sent down a thunderbolt and it took the top of his head off. Yet still they (the unbelievers) argue about Allah – with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace – when He is inexorable in His power! The unbelievers still argue although the power and seizing of Allah is unstoppable.

14. The call of truth – the words, “There is no god but Allah” – is made to Him alone. Those (the idols) they call upon (read as yad‘una and tad‘una “you call upon”) apart from Him do not respond to them at all in respect of what they ask for. It is like someone stretching out his cupped hands towards water at the top of a well, hoping to thereby convey it (the water) to his mouth: it will never get there. Just as the water will never reach a person’s mouth by that means, so the idols will never answer their prayers. The call of the unbelievers – a reference to their worship of idols or their actual supplication – only goes astray.

15. Everyone in heaven and earth prostrates to Allah, willingly – referring to the believers – or unwillingly – referring to the hypocrites and those who are compelled to do so by the sword, as do their shadows in the morning and the evening.

16. Say, Muhammad, to your people: ‘Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?’ If they do not answer, there is only one possible answer, so Say to them: ‘Allah.’ Say: ‘So why have you taken protectors apart from Him – a reference to the idols which they worship – who possess no power to help or harm themselves?’ Do you worship them and abandon their Creator? This question is to rebuke them. Say: ‘Are the blind (the unbelievers) and the seeing (the believers) equal? Or are darkness (unbelief) and light (belief) the same? They are not. Or have they assigned partners to Allah who create as He creates, so that all creating seems the same to them?’ Have their idols created in the way that Allah creates, so that all of them seem to them to be worthy of worship? The question implies a negative response, meaning that things are not like that. Only the true Creator deserves to be worshipped. Say: ‘Allah is the Creator of everything. Allah has no partner in His creation and so He has no partner in worship. He is the One, the All-Conquering over His slaves.’

17. Then Allah makes a metaphor of truth and falsehood. He (Allah) sends down water from the sky (rain) and river-beds fill up and flow according to their size, and the floodwater carries with it an increasing layer of scum on its surface. A similar kind of scum comes from what they heat up (read as yuqiduna and tuqiduna, “you heat up”) in the fire – a reference to minerals such as gold, silver and copper – when you desire to make jewellery or other things – such as utensils like vessels cast from molten metal. The scum on the melted metal resembles the scum found on floodwater. That is how Allah depicts the true and the false and makes a metaphor of them. As for the scum on the floodwater and melting metals, it is quickly swept away just as falsehood is swept away and discarded. But as for that which is of use to people – a reference to good water and pure metal – it remains behind in the ground for a time. In the same way falsehood disappears and vanishes, even if it appears to cover the truth at certain times, whereas the truth is firm and remains behind. That is a metaphor which Allah has made to make things clear.

18. Those who respond to their Lord by obeying Him (the believers) will receive the best (the Garden). But as for those who do not respond to Him (the unbelievers), even if they owned everything on the earth and the same again with it, they would offer it as a ransom from the punishment. They will receive an evil Reckoning, that of being taken to task for all that they did and not forgiven for any of it. Their shelter will be Hell. What an evil resting-place!

19. The following was revealed about Abu Jahl. Is he who knows that what has been sent down to you from your Lord and believes that it is the truth like him who is blind? Abu Jahl did not know it and did not believe in it. It is only people of intelligence who pay heed and respond to admonishment:

20. …those who fulfil Allah’s contract – the one which was made with them in the world of spirits; or it may mean any contract – and do not break their agreement by not believing or by abandoning the obligations;

21. …those who join what Allah has commanded to be joined – referring to belief, kinship and other things – and are afraid of the threat of their Lord, and fear an evil Reckoning;

22. …those who are steadfast – in respect of obedience and in the face of affliction and in terms of avoiding disobedience – in seeking the face of their Lord and not merely the goods of this world, and establish the prayer and spend – in obedience to Allah – from the provision We have given them, secretly and openly, and stave off evil with good by facing ignorance with forbearance and harm with steadfastness. It is they who will have the Ultimate Abode – the praiseworthy outcome in the Next World:

23. Gardens of Eden which they will enter, and all of their parents, wives and children who were righteous and believed – even if they did not do the same action as they did, they will be in their ranks to honour them. Angels will enter in to welcome them from every gate of the Garden – or at the gates of their palaces in the Garden when they enter them – to congratulate them.

24. They will say, ‘Peace be upon you because of your steadfastness in the world! How wonderful is the Ultimate Abode!’

25. But as for those who break Allah’s contract after it has been agreed and sever what Allah has commanded to be joined, and cause corruption in the earth by unbelief and committing acts of disobedience, the curse – distance from the mercy of Allah – will be upon them. They will have the Evil Abode in the Next World (Hellfire).

26. Allah expands provision to anyone He wills and restricts it for anyone He wills. They (the people of Makka) rejoice arrogantly in the life of this world and the worldly things they have acquired. Yet the life of this world, compared to the Next World, is only fleeting enjoyment which will soon disappear.

27. Those who disbelieve among the people of Makka say, ‘Why has a Sign – such as the Staff of Musa, his White Hand or the She-camel of Salih– not been sent down to him (Muhammad) from his Lord?’ Say to them: ‘Allah misguides whomever He wills – and the Signs would not help them to guidance to His dın at all – and guides to Himself – to His dın – all who turn back to Him:

28. …those who believe and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of Allah (His promise). Truly in the remembrance of Allah the hearts of the believer can find peace.’

29. Those who believe and do right actions, happiness – the word used here, tuba, is a verbal noun from tayyib (good). It is said to refer to a tree in the Garden, in whose shade a rider can ride for a hundred years – will be theirs and a wonderful Homecoming.

30. In the same way as We sent Prophets before you, We have sent you among a nation before which other nations passed away, to recite to them what We have revealed to you (the Qur’an). Yet they still disbelieve in the All-Merciful. When they are commanded to prostrate to the All-Merciful, they say, “What is the All-Merciful?” Say to them, Mu˛ammad: ‘He is my Lord; there is no god but Him. I put my trust in Him and I turn to Him.’

31. This ayat was revealed when they said to him, “If you are a Prophet, then make the mountains of Makka move away from us and make rivers and springs flow in it so that we can plant and cultivate, and resurrect for us our dead fathers to tell us that you are a Prophet. Even if there were a Qur’an which moved mountains from their places, or split the earth open or spoke to the dead by bringing the dead back to life, to make the people of Makka believe…! On the contrary! The affair is Allah’s altogether and belongs to no one else. Only those will believe whom He wishes to believe and not anyone else, even if He gives you what you demand. This was revealed when the Companions wanted to produce what the unbelievers asked for, out of desire for them to become believers. Do those who believe not know that if Allah had wanted to He could have guided all mankind without any Signs whatsoever? Those who disbelieve among the people of Makka will not cease to be struck by disaster for what they have done – for their unbelief. The word used here for “disaster”, qari‘a, is applied to various types of affliction: killing, capture, war and drought, or a disaster – at the hands of your army, Muhammad – will happen close to their homes (Makka) until Allah’s promise that you will be victorious over them is fulfilled. Allah will not fail to keep His promise. This happened at al-hudaybiyya and continued until Makka was conquered.

32. Messengers before you were mocked – as you are being mocked. This is to offer solace to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. I gave those who disbelieved a little more time and then I seized them with the penalty. How terrible was My retribution which was inflicted on them! That is what I will do to all those who mock you.

33. What then of Him who is standing watching over every self, seeing everything it does? He knows what it earns of good and evil. That is Allah. Is He like those who are not like that among the idols? He is not! Yet still they associate others with Allah. Say: ‘Name them! Who are they? Or would you inform Him (Allah) of something (a partner) in the earth He does not know? The answer to this is negative. He has no partner. If He had had one, He would have known it. Allah is exalted above that! Or are they – those they name as partners – words that are simply guesswork on your part?’ It is a false supposition with no inward reality. Yet the plotting (kufr) of those who disbelieved seems good to them and they bar the way: the path of guidance. Anyone misguided by Allah has no guide.

34. They will receive punishment in the life of this world by being killed and captured – and the punishment of the Next World is harsher still. They have no defender against the punishment of Allah.

35. What is the Garden promised to those who are godfearing like? What can We say to you about the description of the Garden? It has rivers flowing under it and its foodstuffs and cool shade never fail. That Garden is the final fate of those who are godfearing and avoid shirk. But the final fate of the unbelievers is the Fire.

36. Those to whom We gave the Book – such as ‘Abdullah ibn Salam and others of the Jews who believed – rejoice at what has been sent down to you because it agreed with the Divine revelation which they had; but some of the parties – those idolaters and Jews who attacked you out of enmity – refuse to acknowledge part of it – and deny things like the mention of the All-Merciful and suchlike. Say: ‘I have only been ordered – in what has been revealed to me – to worship Allah and not to associate anything with Him. I summon to Him and to Him I will return.’

37. Accordingly We have sent it (the Qur’an) down as a judgement in Arabic – by which judgement between people can be given. If you followed their whims and desires – a reference to what the unbelievers invite to regarding their religion – after the knowledge of Allah’s oneness that has come to you, you would have no protector or defender against the punishment of Allah.

38. When they criticised him for the number of his wives, this ayat was revealed. We sent Messengers before you and gave them wives and children. You are like them. Nor was any Messenger among them able to bring a Sign except by Allah’s permission. They were all human beings who were subject to the Lord. There is a prescribed limit to every term.

39. Allah erases whatever ruling or anything else He wills or endorses it (read as yuthbitu and yuthabbitu). The Master Copy of the Book (Umm al-Kitb) is in His Hands. Umm al-Kitab is the source of Revelation in which nothing is changed and it was what was written before time.

40. Whether We show you something of what We have promised them – of the punishment while you are alive – or We take you back to Us before they are punished, your responsibility is nothing but transmission and the Reckoning is Ours. We will call them to account when they return to Us.

41. Do they (the people of Makka) not see how We come to the land (their homeland) eroding it at its extremities by conquest at the hands of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace? Allah judges in whatever way He wishes in His creation – and there is no reversing His judgement. He is swift at reckoning.

42. Those in nations before them plotted a gainst their Prophets as they have plotted against you, but all plotting belongs to Allah. Their plotting is not like the plotting of Allah. He knows what each self earns and will calculate its repayment for it – this is all plotting because it comes from where they are not aware – and the unbeliever (kafir here in the singular is generic for all unbelievers; one reading has the plural kuffar) will soon know who has the Ultimate Abode. The Ultimate Abode is the praiseworthy end in the Next World. He will know whether he will have it or whether the Prophet and his Companions will.

43. Those who disbelieve in you say, ‘You are not a Messenger.’ Say to them: ‘Allah is a sufficient witness between you and me – to my truthfulness – and anyone else who has knowledge of the Book – the believers among the Jews and Christians.’