1. Sad. Allah knows best what is meant by this. By the Qur’an holding the Remembrance! This is an oath whose apodosis is elided: in other words, the truth of the matter is as not as the unbelievers of Makka say about there being many gods.

2. But those who disbelieve – including the the people of Makka – are full of vainglory – in other words, they are too proud to believe – and entrenched in hostility – in enmity towards the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

3. How many generations (nations) We have destroyed before them! And they cried out when the punishment fell on them and when it was too late to escape and they had nowhere to run. So the unbelievers of Makka should take note.

4. They are surprised that a warner – a Messenger from among themselves – should come to them from among themselves and alert them to the Fire after the Resurrection. That is the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The unbelievers say, ‘This is a lying magician.

5. Has he turned all the gods into One God? They said this when he said to them, “Say, ‘There is no god except Allah.” They said, “How can one god be enough for all creation? That is truly astonishing”!’

6. Their leaders went off from the meeting they had with Abu Talib in which they listened to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he told them to say, “There is no god but Allah” – saying to one another: ‘Carry on as you are! Continue! Hold fast to your gods and to worshipping them. This doctrine of unity is clearly something planned.

7. We have not heard of this in the old religion the religion of Isa. This is merely something contrived – a lie.

8. Has the Reminder (the Qur’an) been sent down to him (Muhammad) out of all of us – when he is not the oldest of us or the noblest of us? Why was it sent down on him?’ Allah says, They are in doubt about My Reminder – the Revelation of the Qur’an – since they denied the one who brought it. They have yet to taste My punishment. If they had tasted the punishment, they would have believed the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, regarding what he brought, but their affirmation would not then benefited them.

9. Or do they possess the treasuries of your Lord’s mercy, the Almighty, the Ever-Giving? He is the One who gives Prophethood and other things to whomever He wishes.

10. Or does the kingdom of the heavens and earth and everything between them belong to them? If they claim that – let them, in that case, climb the ropes to heaven and bring the Revelation and choose whomever they wish!

11. Even a whole army of Confederates who deny you, such as the armies of those who formed parties against the Prophets before you, will be routed there! Previous armies were overwhelmed and destroyed. That is how We will destroy these as well.

12. Before them the people of Nuh denied the truth, as did ‘◊d and Pharaoh of the Stakes – he is called by this name because when he was angry with someone, he would tie their feet and hands to four stakes and then torture them –

13. …and Thamud and the people of Lut and the Companions of the Thicket – the people of Shu‘ayb, peace be upon him. Those too were Confederates.

14. Each one of them (the Confederates) denied the Messengers – because if people deny one, they deny all of them since they all call people to the same thing, which is affirmation of Allah’s unity – and so My punishment was inevitable and justly carried out.

15. These people (the unbelievers of Makka) too are only awaiting a single Blast – the blast of the Rising and then the punishment will alight on them – and it will not be repeated (read as fawaq or fuwaq).

16. They say – in mockery when the ayat was revealed: “As for him who is given his Book in his right hand…” (84:7) – ‘Our Lord, advance our share – the Book of our actions – to us before the Day of Reckoning.’

17. Allah says: Be steadfast in the face of what they say and remember Our slave Dwüd, who possessed true strength in worship. He used to fast every other day. He would pray half of the night and then sleep for a third and then pray for a sixth. He truly turned to the pleasure of his Lord.

18. We subjected the mountains to glorify with him in the evening – at the time of ‘Isha’ – and at sunrise – at the time of Duha, so both at the time when the sun shines and when its light disappears;

19. … and also We subjected the birds, flocking together to glorify with him – all of them – mountains and birds – turned to Him to obey Him by glorifying Him.

20. We made his kingdom strong – by means of guards and armies. Thirty thousand men used to guard his small room every night – and gave him wisdom – meaning Prophethood and correct judgement about things in general – and decisive speech – clear speech which achieves the desired result.

21. Has the story of the litigants reached you? This question implies wonder and encourages one to listen to what follows. O Muhammad, have you heard? How they climbed up to the Upper Room – which was his place of prayer. They did this when they were prevented from entering by the door since he was busy worshipping. Tell them this story –

22. …and came in on Dawud who was alarmed by them. They said, ‘Do not be afraid. We are two litigants – it is said that there were two groups of litigants because of the use of the plural; but the usual opinion is that there were only two men. They were two angels who came in the form of two litigants in order to point out to him what he had done. He had ninety-nine wives and wanted the wife of someone who had no other wife but her. He married her and consummated the marriage with her – one of whom has acted unjustly towards the other, so judge between us with truth – and guide us to what is correct – and do not be unjust and guide us to the Right Path.

23. This brother of mine in the dın has ninety-nine ewes – sheep, here representing wives – and I have only one. He said, “Let me have charge of it,” and got the better of me with his words.’ He won the argument and the other man put the sheep in his care.

24. He said, ‘He has wronged you by asking for your ewe to add to his ewes. Truly many partners are unjust to one another – except those who believe and do right actions, and how few they are!’ The angels who reverted to their proper form and returned to heaven said, “The man has judged against himself.” Dawud understood. Allah says: Dawud realised with certainty that We had put him to the test – meaning that he had fallen into affliction because of his love for that woman. He begged forgiveness from his Lord and fell down prone, prostrating, and repented.

25. So We forgave him for that; and he has nearness to Us – in addition to the good of this world he received and his high position there – and a good Homecoming in the Next World.

26. ‘Dawud, We have made you a khalif on the earth – giving you the management of people’s affairs – so judge between people with truth, and do not follow your own desires – the whims of your l ower self – letting them misguide you from the Way of Allah – from the evidence which indicates the unity of Allah. Those who are misguided from the Way of Allah – from belief in Allah – will receive a harsh punishment because they forgot the Day of Reckoning and therefore failed to believe. If they had had certainty about the Day of Rising, they would have believed when they were in this world.’

27. We did not create heaven and earth and everything between them to no purpose. That there is no purpose to creation is the opinion of those who disbelieve. Woe – wayl, which is the name of a valley in the Fire – to those who disbelieve, because of the Fire!

28. Would We make those who believe and do right actions the same as those who cause corruption on the earth? Would We make those who are godfearing the same as the dissolute? This was revealed when the unbelievers of Makka said to the believers, “In the Next World we will be given the same as you are given.”

29. It is a Book We have sent down to you, full of blessing, so let people of intelligence ponder its Signs – reflect on its meanings – and take heed – and therefore believe. Those who possess intelligence will be warned by it.

30. We gave Dawud Sulayman, – his son. What an excellent slave! He truly turned to his Lord. He frequently remembered Allah at all times.

31. When swift horses – the word used here, Safinat which is the plural of Safina, is a kind of horse that lifts up one of its feet, pointing the hoof down, and stands on the others. It comes from the verb, safana, to stand with one foot slightly raised. Jiyad is the plural of jawad, meaning a swift runner. When they stand, they are still, and when they run, they win – champing at the bit, were displayed before him in the afternoon – a thousand horses were presented to him after he had prayed Zuhr, since he wished to do jihad on them against the enemy. When he had only inspected nine hundred, the sun set and he had not yet prayed ‘Asr, so he was unhappy –

32. …he said, ‘I have put the love of good things – these horses – above the remembrance of my Lord – by failing to perform the ‘Asr prayer in its time – until the sun disappeared behind its veil – disappeared from sight.

33. Return them (the horses) to me!’ They were brought back. He took up a sword – and he set about slashing through their shanks and necks – slaughtering them out of desire to draw near to Allah since they had distracted him from the prayer. He gave the meat away as sadaqa and Allah gave him in their place something better and swifter: the wind which went at his command wherever he wished.

34. We tested Sulayman – by removing his kingdom – and placed a lifeless body on his throne. That came about because he married a woman he was passionately in love with and she used to worship an idol in his house without his knowledge. The power over his kingdom resided in his signet ring. He removed it once when he went to the lavatory and left it with his wife, Umayna, as was his custom. A jinn came in the form of Sulayman and took it from her. The name of the jinn was Sakhr, or possibly something else. He sat on the throne of Sulayman and the birds and other creatures devoted themselves to him. Sulayman came out looking different from his normal appearance and saw him on his throne. He said to the people, “I am Sulayman,” but they did not recognise him. Then he repented. Then after some days Sulayman was restored to his kingdom because he regained his ring and put it on and sat on his throne.

35. He said, ‘My Lord, forgive me and give me a kingdom the like of which will never be granted to anyone after me. Truly You are the Ever-Giving.’

36. So We subjected the wind to him to blow at his command, softly, wherever he directed and wished –

37. … and the shaytans, every builder of wondrous buildings and diver into the sea to bring out pearls –

38. …and others of them, yoked together in chains – jinn with shackles which fastened their hands to their necks.

39. We said to him: ‘This is Our gift: so bestow it on anyone you want or withhold it from anyone you want without reckoning.’

40. He will have nearness to Us and a good Homecoming.

41. Remember Our slave Ayyub; when he called on his Lord: ‘Shaytan has afflicted me with exhaustion and suffering.’ He ascribed his difficulties to Shaytan, even if all things come from Allah, out of courtesy towards Allah.

42. He was told: ‘Stamp on the ground with your foot! When he did so, a spring of water gushed forth. He was told: Here is a cool bath – water with which you can wash yourself – and water to drink.’ He washed and drank and all his illness left him, inside and out.

43. We gave him back his family and the same again with them – Allah brought back to life those of his children who had died and Allah gave him the same number again – as a mercy (blessing) from Us and a reminder and warning for people of intellect.

44. ‘Take a bundle of rushes (grass or canes) in your hand and strike your wife with that, since he had sworn an oath that he would strike her a hundred times because she was slow in coming to him one day; but do not break your oath by not striking her.’ So he took a hundred sticks of idhkhir herb or something else and hit her with them once. We found him (Ayyub) steadfast. What an excellent slave! He truly often turned to his Lord.

45. And remember Our slaves Ibrahim, Ishaq and Ya‘qub, men of true strength in worship and insight into the dın.

46. We purified their sincerity through sincere remembrance of the Abode of the Next World, meaning by remembering it and acting for it.

47. In Our eyes they are among the best of chosen men.

48. Remember Our slaves Ism‘ıl, Al-Yasa‘ and Dhu’l-Kifl; each of them was among the best of men. There is disagreement about whether Dhu’l-Kifl was a Prophet or not. It is said that he supported a hundred Prophets who fled to him to avoid being killed.

49. This is a Reminder praising them. Those who are godfearing will have a good Homecoming in the Next World:

50. Gardens of Eden – they will be the good Homecoming – whose gates will be open to them,

51. …where they will recline on couches, calling for plentiful fruit and drink;

52. …and there will be dark-eyed maidens with them, with eyes reserved for them (their husbands) alone. They will have the same age: thirty-three years.

53. This – what has been mentioned – is what you are promised – in the Unseen – on the Day of Reckoning.

54. This is Our provision which will never run out – it will never come to an end, but is constant and will abide.

55. This is what the believers will receive! Whereas for the profligate there is an evil Homecoming:

56. Hell, where they will enter and roast. What an evil restingplace!

57. This punishment is what they will receive! So let them taste it: boiling water and scalding pus (read as ghassaq and ghasaq) – which is discharged from the people of the Fire –

58. …and other (read as khar and akhar, pl. and sing.) such torments – like boiling water and pus and many different punishments.

59. The following is what will be said to them when they enter the Fire with their followers: This! A crowd hurtling in with you – entering with harshness. Then those who were followed will say: There is no welcome for them – meaning they will have no comfort. They will certainly roast in the Fire.

60. They (the followers) will say, ‘No, it is you who have no welcome. It is you who brought it (unbelief) upon us. What an evil place to settle is the Fire for us and you!’

61. They will say, ‘Our Lord, give him who brought this on us double the punishment – for his unbelief – in the Fire!’

62. They (the unbelievers) will say – in the Fire – ‘How is it that we do not see some men whom we used to count in the world among the worst of people?

63. Did we turn them into figures of fun (read as sukhriyya and sikhriyya)? They will notice their absence. Did our eyes disdain to look at them so that they cannot see them now?’ This refers to the poor Muslims like ‘Ammar, Bilal, Suhayb and Salman.

64. All this is certainly true and must occur: the bickering of the people of Hell.

65. Say, Muhammad, to the unbelievers of Makka: ‘I am only a warner about the Fire. There is no god except Allah, the One, the All-Conquering…

66. …Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything between them, the Almighty over all things, the Endlessly Forgiving towards His creation.’

67. Say to them: ‘This is momentous news…

68. …yet you ignore it! You turn away from the Qur’an, which informs you and brings you news of that which is only known by Revelation.

69. I knew nothing of the Highest Assembly of the angels when they debated about ◊dam when Allah said, “I am putting a regent on the earth.” (2:30)

70. It is only revealed to me that I am a clear warner – making the warning clear to you.’

71. Remember when your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am going to create a human being out of clay – meaning Adam.

72. When I have completely formed him and breathed some of My Spirit into him – so that he has life: the spirit is ascribed to Allah to honour Adam. Spirit is a subtle substance which gives life to the human being when it enters it – fall down in prostration to him – to greet him by bowing before him!’

73. So the angels prostrated, all of them together …

74. …except for Iblıs – the father of the jinn, who was with the angels – who was arrogant and was one of the unbelievers – in the knowledge of Allah.

75. He said, ‘Iblıs, what prevented you prostrating to what I created with My own Hands? This allusion of direct contact is to show honour to Adam, as Allah created all things. Were you now over - come by arrogance – said to rebuke him – or are you one of the exalted – too proud to prostrate because you are one of them?’

76. He said, ‘I am better than him. You created me from fire but You created him from clay.’

77. He said, ‘Get out of the Garden! It is said that this means “out of the heavens”. You are accursed and expelled!

78. My curse is upon you until the Day of Reckoning and repayment.’

79. He said, ‘My Lord, grant me a reprieve until the Day they (mankind) are raised again.’

80. He said, ‘You are among the reprieved…

81. …until the Day whose time is known.’ This is the time of the first Blast.

82. He said, ‘By Your might, I will mislead all of them…

83. …except for Your chosen slaves (the believers) among them.’

84. He said, ‘By the truth (read as fa’l-haqqu and fa’l-haqqi) – and I speak the truth –

85. I will fill up Hell with you (your descendants) and every one of them who follows you.’

86. Say: ‘I do not ask you for any wage for it – for conveying the Message, nor am I a man of false pretensions. He does not lay claim to what he does not merit, meaning that the Qur’an is not from him.

87. It (the Qur’an) is simply a reminder to all the worlds – in other words, to men and jinn and all creatures with understanding except for the angels.

88. You will come to know, people of Makka, the truth of what it is talking about after a while (after the Day of Resurrection).’ This implies an oath that that will be fulfilled.