The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
Signs of the Day of Judgement.
b
Lit. Whoever brings, i.e. to the Judgement.
c
The
first ‘of you’: cf. verse 14 and many others.
d
See note a to 
2: 30.
Livestock
93
6: 165

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7. THE HEIGHTS
A Meccan sura named after the heights of the barrier which will divide the
righteous from the damned on the Day of Judgement (verse 
46). The sura
begins by addressing the Prophet, reassuring him about his revelations, and
closes emphasizing the fact that he merely repeats what is revealed to him. It
warns the disbelievers of their fate via numerous stories of disobedient com-
munities of the past, in the hope that they may take heed and repent before it is
too late. Both subjects also serve to give encouragement to the Prophet and the
believers.
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1Alif Lam Mim Sad
2This Book has been sent down to you [Prophet]––let there be no
anxiety in your heart because of it
a
–– so that you may use it to give
warning and to remind the believers: 
3‘Follow what has been sent
down to you from your Lord; do not follow other masters beside
Him. How seldom you take heed!’
4How many towns We have destroyed! Our punishment came to
them by night or while they slept in the afternoon: 
5their only cry
when Our punishment came to them was, ‘How wrong we were!’
6We shall certainly question those to whom messengers were sent––
and We shall question the messengers themselves ––
7and, with full
knowledge, for We were never far from them, We shall tell them
what they did. 
8On that Day the weighing of deeds will be true and
just: those whose good deeds are heavy on the scales will be the ones
to prosper, 
9and those whose good deeds are light will be the ones
who have lost their souls through their wrongful rejection of Our
messages.
10We established you [people] on the earth and provided you with a
means of livelihood there –– small thanks you give! 
11We created you,
We gave you shape, and then We said to the angels, ‘Bow down before
Adam,’ and they did. But not Iblis: he was not one of those who bowed
a
See
6: 33–6; 20: 2.

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down. 
12God said, ‘What prevented you from bowing down as I com-
manded you?’ and he said, ‘I am better than him: You created me from
fire and him from clay.’ 13God said, ‘Get down from here! This
a
is no
place for your arrogance. Get out! You are contemptible!’
14but Iblis
said, ‘Give me respite until the Day people are raised from the dead,’
15and God replied, ‘You have respite.’ 16And then Iblis said, ‘Because
You have put me in the wrong, I will lie in wait for them all on Your
straight path: 
17I will come at them–– from their front and their back,
from their right and their left–
– and You will 
find that most of them are
ungrateful.’
18God said, ‘Get out! You are disgraced and banished! I
swear I shall 
fill Hell with you and all who follow you! 19But you and
your wife, Adam, live in the Garden. Both of you eat whatever you
like, but do not go near this tree or you will become wrongdoers.’
20Satan whispered to them so as to expose their nakedness,
b
which
had been hidden from them: he said, ‘Your Lord only forbade you
this tree to prevent you becoming angels or immortals,’
21and he
swore to them, ‘I am giving you sincere advice’–
–
22he lured them
with lies. Their nakedness became exposed to them when they had
eaten from the tree: they began to put together leaves from the Gar-
den to cover themselves. Their Lord called to them, ‘Did I not forbid
you to approach that tree? Did I not warn you that Satan was your
sworn enemy?’
23They replied, ‘Our Lord, we have wronged our
souls: if You do not forgive us and have mercy, we shall be lost.’
24He
said, ‘All of you get out! You are each other’s enemies.
c
On earth you
will have a place to stay and livelihood –
– for a time.’
25He said, ‘There
you will live; there you will die; from there you will be brought out.’
26Children of Adam, We have given you garments to cover
your nakedness and as adornment for you; the garment of God-
consciousness is the best of all garments –
– this is one of God’s signs,
so that people may take heed. 
27Children of Adam, do not let Satan
seduce you, as he did your parents, causing them to leave the Gar-
den, stripping them of their garments
d
to expose their nakedness to
them: he and his forces can see you from where you cannot see
them: We have made evil ones allies to those who do not believe.