The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

A Meccan sura that starts with a denunciation of polytheism, then deals with
the disbelievers’ arguments against the Prophet, the Qur
an, and the Day of
Judgement. It warns them of their fate, citing examples of earlier peoples. The
sura describes the power and grace of God, and ends with the qualities of true
believers (verses 
63–76).
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1Exalted
a
is He who has sent the Di
fferentiator
b
down to His
servant so that it may be a warning to all people. 
2It is He who has
control over the heavens and earth and has no o
ffspring––no one
shares control with Him –– and who created all things and made them
to an exact measure. 
3Yet the disbelievers take as their gods things
beneath Him that create nothing, and are themselves created, that
can neither harm nor help themselves, and have no control over
death, life, or resurrection.
4The disbelievers say, ‘This can only be a lie he has forged with
the help of others’ –– they themselves have done great wrong and told
lies ––
5and they say, ‘It is just ancient fables, which he has had
written down: they are dictated to him morning and evening.’ 
6Say,
‘It was sent down by Him who knows the secrets of the heavens and
earth. He is all forgiving, all merciful.’ 
7They also say, ‘What sort of
messenger is this? He eats food and walks about in the marketplaces!
Why has no angel been sent down to help him with his warnings?
8Why has he not been given treasure or a garden to supply his food?’
and the evildoers say, ‘The man you follow is simply under a spell.’
9See what they think you are like! They have gone astray and cannot
find the right way. 10Exalted is He who can, if He wishes, give you
better things than these: Gardens graced with 
flowing streams, and
palaces too. 
11It is actually the coming of the Hour that they reject:
a
This meaning of tabarak is supported by Razi and is more appropriate here than
‘blessed’.
b
Al-furqan, another name for the Qur
an. The word means ‘that which differentiates
right from wrong’.

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We have prepared a blazing 
fire for those who reject the Hour.
12When it sees them from a distance, they will hear it raging and
roaring, 
13and when they are hurled into a narrow part of it, chained
together, they will cry out for death. 
14‘Do not cry out this day for
one death, but for many.’
15Say, ‘Which is better, this or the lasting
Garden that those who are mindful of God have been promised as
their reward and journey’s end?’
16There they will find everything
they wish for, and there they will stay. [Prophet], this is a binding
promise from your Lord. 
17On the Day He gathers them all together
with those they worship beside Him, He will say, ‘Was it you [false
gods] who led these creatures of Mine astray, or did they stray from
the path by themselves?’
18They will say, ‘May You be exalted! We
ourselves would never take masters other than You! But You granted
them and their forefathers pleasures in this life, until they forgot
Your Reminder and were ruined.’
19[God will say], ‘Now your gods
have denounced what you say as lies: you cannot avoid the punish-
ment; you will not get any help.’ If any of you commits such evil, We
shall make him taste agonizing torment.
20No messenger have We sent before you [Muhammad] who did
not eat food and walk about in the marketplace. But We have made
some of you a means of testing others –
– will you stand fast? Your
Lord is always watching. 
21Those who do not fear to meet Us say,
‘Why are the angels not sent down to us?’ or ‘Why can we not see our
Lord?’ They are too proud of themselves and too insolent. 
22There
will be no good news for the guilty on the Day they see the angels.
The angels will say, ‘You cannot cross the forbidden barrier,’
a
23and
We shall turn to the deeds they have done and scatter them like dust.
24But the companions in the Garden will have a better home on that
Day, and a fairer place to rest. 
25On the Day when the sky and its
clouds are split apart and the angels sent down in streams, 
26on that
Day, true authority belongs to the Lord of Mercy. It will be a griev-
ous Day for the disbelievers. 
27On that Day the evildoer will bite his
own hand and say, ‘If only I had taken the same path as the Messen-
ger. 
28Woe is me! If only I had not taken so and so as a friend–– 29he
led me away from the Revelation after it reached me. Satan has
always betrayed mankind.’
30The Messenger has said, ‘Lord, my people treat this Quran