1. Ha Mim. Allah knows best what is meant by this.

2 . The revelation of the Book (the Qur’an) is from Allah, the Almighty, the All-Knowing,

3. … the Forgiver of wrong action committed by believers, the Accepter of their repentance, the Severe in retribution for the unbelievers, the Possessor of abundance – in other words, ample blessings. He is always described by these attributes. There is no god but Him. He is the final destination and place of return.

4. No one disputes Allah’s Signs (the Qur’an) except those who disbelieve. Do not let their free movement about the earth deceive you. Do not let the fact that they have ample livelihood and are healthy deceive you. Their final end will be the Fire.

5. The people of Nuh denied the truth before them, and the Confederates after them – peoples such as Ad, Thamud and others. Every nation planned to seize its Messenger – and kill him – and used false arguments to rebut the truth and deny it. So I seized them with the Punishment and how was My retribution against them!

6. So your Lord’s Words about those who disbelieved proved true – “I will fill Hellfire…” (7:18) – that they are indeed the Companions of the Fire.

7. Those who bear the Throne, and all those around it glorify their Lord with praise – by saying, “Glory be to Allah and with His praise” – and believe in Him with their inner sight; in other words, they affirm His unity, and ask forgiveness for those who believe. They say: ‘Our Lord, You encompass everything in Your mercy and knowledge! Forgive those who turn to You – repenting of their shirk – and who follow Your Way of Islam; and safeguard them from the punishment of the Blazing Fire.

8 . Our Lord, admit them to the Gardens of Eden You have promised them, and all of their parents, wives and children who acted rightly. Truly You are the Almighty, the All-Wise in what You do.

9. And safeguard them from Punishment for their evil acts on the Day of Rising. Those You safeguard from evil acts are truly the recipients of Your mercy on that Day. That is the Mighty Victory.’

10. Those who disbelieved will be addressed by the angels. They will hate themselves when they enter the Fire, but ‘Allah’s hatred of you, when you were called to belief but then chose unbelief – in the world – is even greater than your hatred of yourselves.’

11. They will say, ‘Our Lord, twice You caused us to die and twice You gave us life. They were dead sperm and then were brought to life. Then they were made to die and then brought to life for the Resurrection. We admit our wrong actions in denying the Resurrection. Is there no way out of the Fire and no way to return to the world so that we may obey our Lord? The answer is: “No”.

12. That punishment which you are suffering is because when Allah alone is called upon in the world you disbelieve in His unity, but if others are associated with Him as partners you believe in idolatry. Judgement in punishing you belongs to Allah, the All-High over His creation, the All-Great.

13. It is He who shows you His Signs – evidence of His unity – and sends down provision (rain) to you out of heaven. But none pay heed – and are warned – save those who repent and turn from shirk.

14. So call upon Allah and worship Him, making your dın sincerely His – free of any shirk – even though the unbelievers detest it hate your sincere devotion to the din.

15. He is the Raiser of ranks – this may mean that Allah has immense attributes or that He is the One who elevates the ranks of the believers in the Garden, the Possessor of the Throne – in other words, its Creator. He sends the Spirit (Revelation) by His command to whichever of His slaves He wills so that he may warn mankind about the Day of Meeting (read as at-talaqi and at-talaqi) – that is the Day when the people of heaven and people of earth meet as well as the worshipper and the Worshipped, the wronger and the wronged –

16. …the Day when they will issue forth from their grave sand when not one thing about them will be hidden from Allah. ‘To whom does the kingdom belong today? Allah answers His own question. To Allah, the One, the Conqueror!

17. Every self will be repaid today for what it earned. Today there will be no injustice. Allah is swift at reckoning.’ He will reckon all creation in half a day measuring by the days of this world, as stated in hadith.

18. And warn them of the Day of Immediacy – another name for the Day of Rising. The word for “Immediacy”, azifa, is taken from the verb azifa, used for when a traveller approaches his destination – when hearts rise – because of fear – choking to the throat – filling the throats out of anxiety. The wrongdoers will have no close friend nor any intercessor who might be heard. They will have no intercessor whose intercession will be accepted. There is sense in the description since they have no intercessors at all, as Allah says, “Now we have no one to intercede for us.” (26:100) So this is based on their claim to have intercessors, meaning that even if someone were to intercede, it would not be accepted.

19. He (Allah ) knows the eyes’ deceit – stolen glances at the unlawful – and what people’s breasts conceal – what is hidden inside their hearts.

20. Allah will judge with truth; and those they (the unbelievers of Makka) call upon (read as yad‘una and tad‘una, “you call upon”) and worship apart from Him – meaning the idols – will not judge with anything at all. So how can they attribute partners to Allah? It is Allah who is the All-Hearing – of their words, the All-Seeing – of what they do.

21. Have they not travelled in the earth and seen the final fate of those before them? They were greater than them (read as minhum and also as minkum, “greater than you”) in strength and left far deeper traces on the earth – a reference to buildings and castles; yet Allah seized them and destroyed them for their wrong actions and they had no one to protect them from the Punishment of Allah.

22. That was because their Messengers brought them the Clear Signs (miracles) but they remained unbelievers. So Allah seized them. He is Most Strong, Severe in Retribution.

23. We sent Musa with Our Signs and clear authority – manifest proof –

24. …to Pharaoh, Haman and Qarun. But they said, ‘A lying magician.’

25. When he brought them the truth from Us they said, ‘Slaughter the sons of those who believe with him but let their women live.’ The stratagems of the unbelievers are nothing but errors – and come to nothing.

26. Pharaoh said, ‘Let me kill Musa – indicating that his people were trying to restrain him from doing so – and let him call upon his Lord to defend him from me! I am afraid that he may change your din and stop you from worshipping me if you follow him, and bring about (read as yuzhira and yazhara) corruption in the land – such as killing and other things.’

27. Musa said, ‘I seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord from every proud man who does not believe in the Day of Reckoning.’

28. A man among Pharaoh’s people who had faith – said to be his cousin – but kept his faith concealed, said, ‘Are you going to kill a man for saying “My Lord is Allah” when he has brought you Clear Signs (miracles) from your Lord? If he is telling a lie, be it on his own head – the harm of his lie will come back on him. But if he is telling the truth, then some of what he is promising you – in terms of punishment – will certainly happen to you. Allah does not guide any unbridled inveterate (idolatrous) liar.

29. My people, the kingdom is yours today, as masters in the land – you have control of the land of Egypt – but who will help us against Allah’s violent force – and inevitable punishment if we kill His friends – if it comes upon us? We will have no helper.’ Pharaoh said, ‘I only show you what I see myself – I only direct you to that to which I direct myself: in other words, the killing of Musa – and I only guide you to the path of rectitude – the correct way.’

30. The man who had faith said, ‘My people, I fear for you a day like that of the Confederates…

31. …the same as happened to the people of Nuh and ‘Ad and Thamud and those who followed after them – in other words, the same repayment and punishment as that meted out to those who disbelieved before you in this world. Allah does not want any injustice for His slaves.

32. My people, I fear for you the Day of Calling Out (read as tanadi and tanadi) – another name used for the Day of Rising, because the people of the Garden will call to the people of the Fire and vice versa. The people of the Garden will call out about their happiness and the people of the Fire about their wretchedness and other things –

33. …the Day when you will turn your backs in flight from the place of reckoning towards the Fire, having no one to protect you from the punishment of Allah. Whoever Allah misguides will have no guide.

34. Yusuf brought you the Clear Signs (miracles) before – a reference to Yusuf, the son of Ya‘qub because, according to one view, he lived until the time of Musa; or to Yusuf son of Ibrahim son of Yusuf son of Ya‘qub according to another view – but you never stopped doubting what he brought to you, to the extent that when he died, you said – without any proof – “Allah will never send another Messenger after him.” So they continued to reject Yusuf and others. That is how Allah misguides those who are unbridled – and idolaters and full of doubt – about the Signs which you had witnessed.’

35. Those who argue about the Signs of Allah (miracles) without any authority or proof coming to them do something hateful in the sight of Allah and in the sight of the people who believe. That – misguidance – is how Allah seals up the heart of every arrogant oppressor – through their misguidance. When the heart of a person is arrogant, then the person himself is arrogant. Misguidance permeates the entire heart.

36. Pharaoh said, ‘Haman, build me a high tower so that perhaps I may gain means of access,

37. …access to the heavens, so that I can reach the heavens and look on Musa’s God. Truly I think he (Musa) is a liar in saying that he has a god other than me.’ Pharaoh said that out of a distortion of what had been said. That is how Pharaoh’s evil actions were made attractive to him and he was debarred (read as sudda and also sadda, meaning “he debarred others”) from the Path of guidance. Pharaoh’s scheming led to nothing but ruin and loss.

38. The man who believed said, ‘My people, follow me and I will guide you to the path of rectitude.

39. My people, the life of this world is only fleeting enjoyment – which will soon pass. It is the Next World which is the abode of permanence.

40. Whoever does an evil act will only be repaid with its equivalent. But whoever acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, such a person will enter (read as yadkhuluna and yudkhiluna) the Garden, provided for in it without any reckoning.

41. My people, how is it that I call you to salvation while you call me to the Fire?

42. You call me to reject Allah and to associate something with Him about which I have no knowledge, while I call you to the Almighty, Who has power over all things, the Endlessly Forgiving of those who repent.

43. There is no question that what you call me to worship has no foundation and cannot respond to prayer either in this world or the Next World, that our return is to Allah, and that the profligate (the unbelievers) will be Companions in the Fire.

44. You will remember what I am telling you when you see the Punishment. I consign my destiny completely to Allah. Truly Allah sees His slaves.’ He said that when they threatened him for opposing their religion.

45. So Allah safeguarded him from the evil things they plotted – when they plotted to kill him – and a most evil torment engulfed Pharaoh and Pharaoh’s people – in other words, drowning and then –

46. …the Fire, morning and night, to which they are exposed – and in which they are burned – and on the Day the Hour takes place – Resurrection Day when they hear the words: ‘Admit (read as adkhilu and adkhulu) Pharaoh’s people to the harshest punishment of Hell!’ This is a command to the angels.

47. Remember when they (the unbelievers) are squabbling with one another in the Fire, the weak will say to those deemed great, ‘We were your followers, so why do you not relieve us of a portion of the Fire?’

48. Those deemed great will say, ‘All of us are in it. Allah has clearly judged between His slaves.’ Then the believers will enter the Garden and the unbelievers will enter the Fire.

49. Those in the Fire will say to the custodians of Hell, ‘Call on your Lord to make the punishment less for us for just the length of one day.’

50. They (the custodians) will ask – in mockery: ‘Did your Messengers not bring you the Clear Signs (miracles)?’ They will answer, ‘Yes.’ But they rejected them. They will say, ‘Then you call! We will not intercede for the unbelievers.’ Allah says – But the calling of the unbelievers only goes astray. It is useless.

51. We will certainly help Our Messengers and those who believe both in the life of this world and on the Day the witnesses appear – these are angels who testify that the Messengers conveyed the Message and the unbelievers rejected it –

52. …the Day when the excuses of the wrongdoers will not help (read as yanfa‘u and tanfa‘ u) them – if they make excuses. The curse – meaning a great gulf between them and mercy – will be on them and they will have the most evil Home – the worst possible punishment in the Next World.

53. We gave Musa the guidance – in the form of the Torah and miracles – and bequeathed the Book (the Torah) to the tribe of Israel after him –

54. …as guidance and a reminder for people of intelligence.

55. So, Muhammad, remain steadfast. Allah’s promise to help His friends is true and it applies to you and those who follow you. Ask forgiveness for your wrong action and glorify your Lord with praise in the evening and the early morning. This refers to doing the prayer at these times.

56. Certainly those who argue about the Signs of Allah (the Qur’an) without any authority (evidence) having come to them have nothing in their breasts except for pride – taking the form of arrogance and desire to be above you – which they will never be able to vindicate. Therefore seek refuge with Allah from their evil; He is the All-Hearing of what they say, the All-Seeing of their states. Then the following ayat was revealed about people who deny the Resurrection.

57. The original creation of the heavens and earth is far greater than the later creation of mankind. But most of mankind do not know it – and so they are like the blind. Those who do know it are like the seeing.

58. The blind and the seeing are not the same. Nor are those who believe and do right actions the same as evildoers. What little heed you pay (read as tatadhakkaruna, and also yatadhakkaruna, meaning, “What little heed they pay”)!

59. The Hour is coming – there is no doubt about it. But most of mankind do not believe in it.

60. Your Lord says, ‘Call on Me and worship Me, and I will answer you. Those who are too proud to worship Me will enter (read as sayadkhuluna and sa-yadhkaluna) Hell abject.’

61. Allah is He who appointed the night for you so that you might rest in it, and the day for seeing. Allah pours out His favour on mankind but most people do not show thanks – and so they do not believe.

62. That is Allah, your Lord, the Creator of all things. There is no god but Him; so how have you been perverted and turned from faith when the proof has been established?

63. That is how those who deny Allah’s Signs (miracles) have been perverted.

64. It is Allah who made the earth a stable home for you and the sky a dome – like a ceiling – and formed you, giving you the best of forms, and provided you with good and wholesome things. That is Allah, your Lord. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of all the worlds!

65. He is the Living – there is no god but Him; so call on Him and worship Him, making your dın sincerely His – free of any shirk. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.

66. Say: ‘I have been forbidden to worship those you call upon besides Allah when the Clear Signs – evidence of His unity – came to me from my Lord and I have been commanded to submit to the Lord of all the worlds.’

67. It is He who created you from earth in the form of your father Adam, then from a drop of sperm, then from a clot of blood, then He brings you out as infants, then makes you continue so you may achieve full strength – which is the period from thirty to forty years old; then so you may become old men (read as shuyukhan and shiyukhan) – though some of you may die before that time – before reaching maturity or old age, and He does that so that even if you live for a limited period of time you may reach a predetermined age and so that perhaps you may use your intellect and grasp the evidence of Allah’s unity and therefore believe.

68. It is He who gives life and causes to die. When He decides on something – decides to bring it into existence – it happens immediately and He just says to it, ‘Be!’ and it is (read as yakunu and yakuna). It comes into existence after He wills it.

69. Do you not see those who argue about Allah’s Signs (the Qur’an)? How have they been turned around from faith to unbelief?

70. Those who deny the Book (the Qur’an) and that with which We sent Our Messengers – regarding tawhid and the Resurrection – will certainly come to know the outcome of their denial –

71. …when they have shackles and chains around their necks and are dragged along the ground – the fact that there are fetters on their feet as well is also implied here –

72. …into the boiling water and then are thrown into the Fire – and roasted in Jahannam!

73. Then they will be asked – in rebuke – ‘Where are those idols besides Allah you associated with Him?’

74. …and they will reply, ‘They have forsaken us – disappeared and left us, so we cannot see them – or rather we were not calling to anything at all before. ’They will deny their worship of the idols. Then the idols will be brought and Allah will say, “You and what you worship besides Allah are fuel for Hell.” (21:98) That is how Allah misguides the unbelievers who deny.

75. This will be said to them: ‘That punishment is because you exulted on the earth, without any right to do so – associating others with Allah and denying of the Resurrection – and strutted about with excessive joy in what you were doing.

76. Enter the gates of Hell, remaining in it timelessly, forever. How evil is the abode of the arrogant!’

77. So be steadfast, Allah’s promise of punishment is true. Whether We show you some of what We have promised them – in terms of punishment during your lifetime – or take you back to Us before We punish them, they will in any case be returned to Us and We will inflict the most severe punishment on them.

78. We sent Messengers before you. Some of them We have told you about and others We have not told you about. It is related that Allah sent eight thousand Prophets: four thousand from the tribe of Israel and four thousand from others. No Messenger among them can bring a Sign except with Allah’s permission – because they are slaves with a Master. But when Allah’s command – meaning the punishment which befalls the unbelievers – comes, the matter between the Messengers and those who denied them will be decided with truth and then and there the liars will be lost. Then the judgement will appear and the liars will be in loss.

79. It is Allah who has given you livestock – it is said that this refers only to camels here, but it is evident that the word includes cattle and sheep as well – some for you to ride and some to eat.

80. You gain various benefits from them – such as milk, their offspring, wool and fur – and on them you can obtain what your hearts desire by using them for transport; and on them – on land – and on ships you are transported on the sea.

81. He shows you His Signs of His unity, so which of Allah’s Signs do you deny? This is to rebuke people.

82. Have they not travelled in the land and seen the final fate of those before them? They were more numerous than them and greater in strength, and left more and deeper traces on earth – such as buildings and castles; but what they earned was of no use to them.

83. When their Messengers brought them the Clear Signs (miracles) they (the unbelievers) mockingly exulted in the knowledge they (the Messengers) had – and laughed at it in denial – and then were engulfed by the very things they mocked – meaning the punishment.

84. When they saw Our violent force (severe punishment) they said, ‘We believe in Allah alone and reject what we associated with Him.’

85. But when they saw Our violent force their belief was of no use to them. That is the pattern Allah has always followed with His slaves – in past communities, whose faith did not help them when the punishment arrived. Then and there the unbelievers were lost. Their loss will be clear to everyone. They were already lost in every moment before that.