26. Ash-Shu'ara

Ṭā, Seen, Meem.1

Ta Sin Mim

S.M. Toor-e-Sina and Moses - Recall Mount Sinai where Moses was given the Statute Book

These are the verses of the clear Book.

These are the verses of the Book that makes things clear

Now these are verses of the Final Statute Book, clear in itself and clearly showing the Truth

Perhaps, [O Muḥammad], you would kill yourself with grief that they will not be believers.

It may be that you will destroy yourself with grief because they will not believe

(O Prophet) Will you, (in your compassion), torment yourself to death because they refuse to believe in it

If We willed, We could send down to them from the sky a sign for which their necks would remain humbled.1

But if We had so willed, We could have sent down to them a sign from the heavens so that their heads would be bowed down before it in utter humility

Had We so Willed, We could have sent down to them a Sign from the sky, to which they would have bent their necks in humility. (But, that is not Our Design. We expect them to use their reason)

And no mention [i.e., revelation] comes to them anew from the Most Merciful except that they turn away from it.

Whenever there comes to them any fresh warning from the Merciful, they always turn their backs on it

And so whenever a Reminder comes to them from the Beneficent, they turn away from it

For they have already denied, but there will come to them the news of that which they used to ridicule.

they have indeed rejected the message. But the truth of what they laughed to scorn will dawn upon them before long

Thus indeed have they rejected this Message. But in time they will come to understand what it was that they ridiculed

Did they not look at the earth - how much We have produced therein from every noble kind?

Do they not see the earth, and what beneficial kinds of things We have caused to grow in it

Do they not see the earth how much of every fruitful kind We cause to grow therein

Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.

Surely in this there is a sign, yet most of them would not believe

This is indeed a Sign, yet most of them are not believers (in the Almightiness of their Lord)

And indeed, your Lord - He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.

truly, your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful

But, verily, your Lord is Almighty, Merciful. (Whether they believe or not He provides them with means of sustenance)

And [mention] when your Lord called Moses, [saying], "Go to the wrongdoing people -

When your Lord called out to Moses, saying, "Go to the wrongdoing people

And recall when your Lord called Moses, "Go to the nation of the oppressors

The people of Pharaoh. Will they not fear Allāh?"

the people of Pharaoh, will they not fear God

To the people of Pharaoh so that they may walk aright

He said, "My Lord, indeed I fear that they will deny me

Moses replied, "My Lord, I fear they will reject me

Moses said, "My Lord! I am afraid they will accuse me of lying

And that my breast will tighten and my tongue will not be fluent, so send for Aaron.

and "my breast is straitened and my tongue is not fluent; so send Aaron as well

I shall be embarrassed and I might not speak confidently, so send for Aaron to help me

And they have upon me a [claim due to] sin, so I fear that they will kill me."

besides, they accuse me of a crime, and I fear that they may put me to death

And they stick a charge against me, so I fear they will kill me

[Allāh] said, "No. Go both of you with Our signs; indeed, We are with you, listening.

God said, "Indeed not; go both of you with Our signs, We shall be with you, listening [to your call]

Allah said, "Nay! Both of you go with Our Messages. We are with you

Go to Pharaoh and say, 'We are the messengers1 of the Lord of the worlds,

Go to Pharaoh, both of you, and say, 'We are messengers from the Lord of the Worlds

Go together to Pharaoh and say, "We are Messengers from the Lord of the Worlds

[Commanded to say], "Send with us the Children of Israel."'"

let the Children of Israel go with us

And, "Let the Children of Israel go with us

[Pharaoh] said, "Did we not raise you among us as a child, and you remained among us for years of your life?

Pharaoh said to Moses, "Did we not bring you up among us as a child? And you spent several years of your life with us

Pharaoh said to Moses, "Did we not rear you as a child among us? And you lived with us many years of your life

And [then] you did your deed which you did,1 and you were of the ungrateful."

Yet you committed the deed you did, surely you are one of the ingrates

And you did what you did, killing a man from our nation. You are of the ungrateful

[Moses] said, "I did it, then, while I was of those astray [i.e., ignorant].

Moses replied, "I did that when I was one of the misguided

Moses said, "Indeed I did it but I am lost how it happened!" (I only struck him once with a fist and he died)

So I fled from you when I feared you. Then my Lord granted me judgement [i.e., wisdom and prophet hood] and appointed me [as one] of the messengers.

and I fled from you because I feared you. Then my Lord granted me wisdom and made me one of the messengers

Then I fled from you in fear. Now Allah has given me a Command and appointed me one of His Messengers

And is this a favor of which you remind me - that you have enslaved the Children of Israel?"

And this is the favour with which you taunt me -- that you have enslaved the Children of Israel

And this, the past favor you so tauntingly remind me! Yes, you raised me in your palaces. But it was so since you enslaved the Children of Israel

Said Pharaoh, "And what is the Lord of the worlds?"

Pharaoh said, "What is this: Lord of the Universe

Pharaoh said, "What is the Lord of the Worlds

[Moses] said, "The Lord of the heavens and earth and that between them, if you should be convinced."

Moses said, "Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, if only you would be convinced

Moses said, "Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them; if you allow yourselves to be convinced."

[Pharaoh] said to those around him, "Do you not hear?"

Pharaoh said to those around him, "Did you hear

Pharaoh said to the people around him, "Don't you hear what he says

[Moses] said, "Your Lord and the Lord of your first forefathers."

Moses went on, "He is your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers

Moses said, "Yes, He is your Lord and the Lord of your ancestors

[Pharaoh] said,1 "Indeed, your 'messenger' who has been sent to you is mad."

Pharaoh said, "This messenger who has been sent to you is surely possessed

Pharaoh said, "Your Messenger that has been sent to you is a crazy man

[Moses] said, "Lord of the east and the west and that between them, if you were to reason."

Moses said, "He is the Lord of the East and the West, and all that lies between them, if only you could understand

Moses said, "He is the Lord of the East and the West and everything in between. You would know if you use reason

[Pharaoh] said, "If you take a god other than me, I will surely place you among those imprisoned."

Pharaoh said, "If you take any deity other than myself, I will throw you into prison

Pharaoh said, "If you choose a god other than me, I will put you in prison

[Moses] said, "Even if I brought you something [i.e., proof] manifest?"

and Moses asked, "Even if I show you a clear sign

Moses responded, "Even if I bring to you all evidence of the Truth

[Pharaoh] said, "Then bring it, if you should be of the truthful."

Pharaoh said, "Show it then, if you are telling the truth

He said, "Bring your signs if you are truthful

So [Moses] threw his staff, and suddenly it was a serpent manifest.1

So Moses threw down his staff and suddenly it appeared as a serpent, plainly visible

Moses presented the Absolute Truth, vibrant with life. (7:107-108), (20:17-2)

And he drew out his hand; thereupon it was white for the observers.

And he drew out his hand, and it appeared [shining] white to the beholders

He presented his powerful logic that shone bright

[Pharaoh] said to the eminent ones around him, "Indeed, this is a learned magician.

Pharaoh said to the chiefs around him, "Surely this man is a skilful sorcerer

Pharaoh said to his chiefs, "He is a magical debater

He wants to drive you out of your land by his magic, so what do you advise?"

Who wants to drive you out of your land by his sorcery. Now what do you advise

He intends to make you ineffective in your own land by causing a popular rebellion. What do you advise

They said, "Postpone [the matter of] him and his brother and send among the cities gatherers

They said, "Let him and his brother wait a while, and send heralds into the cities

They said, "Put him and his brother on hold and send couriers into cities

Who will bring you every learned, skilled magician."

who shall bring to you every skilful sorcerer

That they bring all expert religious debaters to you." ('Sahir' = spellbinding speaker)

So the magicians were assembled for the appointment of a well-known day.1

So the sorcerers were gathered on the appointed day

The debaters got together at the appointed day and time

And it was said to the people, "Will you congregate.

and the people were told, "Will you also gather together

People were given an open invitation to assemble there, "Are you all gathering

That we might follow the magicians if they are the predominant?"

so that we may follow the magicians, if they be the winners

Pharaoh continued, "So that when the debaters win, we carry them in a procession

And when the magicians arrived, they said to Pharaoh, "Is there indeed for us a reward if we are the predominant?"

When the magicians came, they asked Pharaoh, "Shall we have a reward, if we are the winners

When they came, they said to Pharaoh, "Will there be a reward for us if we are the winners

He said, "Yes, and indeed, you will then be of those near [to me]."

He replied, "Certainly, in that case you will join my inner circle

He said, "Yes, and you will have high ranks in my court

Moses said to them, "Throw whatever you will throw."

Moses said to the magicians, "Throw down whatever you are going to throw

Moses said, "Begin however you wish to begin

So they threw their ropes and their staffs and said, "By the might of Pharaoh, indeed it is we who are predominant."

So they cast down their ropes and staffs, and said, "By Pharaoh's honour, we shall surely win

They put forward their logic and swore, "By Pharaoh's majesty! We will be the victors

Then Moses threw his staff, and at once it devoured what they falsified.

Then Moses threw down his staff, and it swallowed up all that they had conjured into being

Moses responded with the mighty Truth, and right away it swallowed their false logic

So the magicians fell down in prostration [to Allāh].

The magicians fell down prostrate

The debaters fell prostrate in awe

They said, "We have believed in the Lord of the worlds,

saying, "We believe in the Lord of the Worlds

Saying, "We believe in the Lord of the Worlds

The Lord of Moses and Aaron."

the Lord of Moses and Aaron

The Lord of Moses and Aaron

[Pharaoh] said, "You believed him [i.e., Moses] before I gave you permission. Indeed, he is your leader who has taught you magic, but you are going to know. I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will surely crucify you all."

Pharaoh said, "Have you come to believe in him, before I have given you permission? He is surely your master who has taught you magic. But you shall see. I will cut off your hands and feet on alternate sides and crucify you all

Pharaoh said, "You believe in him before I grant my permission? He is surely your chief who has taught you spellbinding eloquence. You shall find out soon. I will cut off your hands and feet alternately and verily I will crucify you everyone

They said, "No harm. Indeed, to our Lord we will return.

They said, "There is no harm. To our Lord we shall return

They said, "We have nothing to lose, we will turn to our Lord and return to Him anyway

Indeed, we aspire that our Lord will forgive us our sins because we were the first of the believers."

We hope our Lord will forgive us, as we are the first of the believers

We hope that our Lord will forgive our faults, since we are the foremost of the believers

And We inspired to Moses, "Travel by night with My servants; indeed, you will be pursued."

Then We revealed Our will to Moses, saying, "Set forth with My servants, in the night, for you will surely be pursued

We revealed to Moses, "Take away My servants by night, for, behold, you will be pursued

Then Pharaoh sent among the cities gatherers1

And Pharaoh sent forth heralds to all the cities

In the meantime, Pharaoh sent couriers to the cities

[And said], "Indeed, those are but a small band,

These," they said, "are only a small band

This is a low contemptible gang

And indeed, they are enraging us,

and they have enraged us

And indeed they are offenders against us

And indeed, we are a cautious society..."

we are a large and watchful force

And, we are indeed a ready army

So We removed them from gardens and springs

So We made them leave their gardens and springs

Thus We drove them (Pharaoh and his chiefs) out of the gardens and springs

And treasures and honorable station1 -

their treasures and their noble dwellings

And treasures, lofty positions and beautiful estate. (Destined to be drowned in hateful pursuit of Moses and his followers)

Thus. And We caused to inherit it the Children of Israel.

and We made the Children of Israel inheritors of these bounties

Thus were those things taken away from them and We caused the Children of Israel to inherit such blessings. (Instead of returning to Egypt they would rule the land including Sinai, Jordan, Palestine, Northern Arabian Peninsula until their zenith during the times of David and Solomon about 940 B.C. (7:136), (7:137)

So they pursued them at sunrise.

Pharaoh and his people pursued them at sunrise

And they (Pharaoh's armies) overtook them at sunrise

And when the two companies saw one another, the companions of Moses said, "Indeed, we are to be overtaken!"

and when the two groups saw each other, Moses' companions said, "We are sure to be overtaken

When both parties saw each other, the companions of Moses said, "Behold, We are indeed caught

[Moses] said, "No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me."

Moses replied, "No, My Lord is with me, and He will guide me

He answered, "Nay indeed! My Lord is with me and He will guide me

Then We inspired to Moses, "Strike with your staff the sea," and it parted, and each portion was like a great towering mountain.

Then We bade Moses strike the sea with his staff. And it parted, and each part was like a huge mountain

Then We revealed to Moses, "Strike the sea with your staff. (Seek for them a dry path with confidence. Cross over the dried up Sea of Reeds (20:77), (44:24)). The morning found the two parties apart like two hills with a basin in between

And We advanced thereto the others [i.e., the pursuers].

In the meantime We made the others approach that place

And We caused the pursuers to draw near to that place

And We saved Moses and those with him, all together.

We delivered Moses and all those who were with him

And We saved Moses and those with him, every one of them

Then We drowned the others.

then We drowned the others

(And as the high tide came), We drowned the others

Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.

Surely in that there is a sign; yet most of them do not believe

Herein is indeed a lesson. Yet, most people are not believers in the Law of Requital

And indeed, your Lord - He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.

truly, your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful

And verily, your Lord! He is indeed Almighty, Merciful

And recite to them the news of Abraham,

Tell them the story of Abraham

And convey to them of the history of Abraham

When he said to his father and his people, "What do you worship?"

when he asked his father and his people, "What is that which you worship

When he said to his father and his people, "What is it that you worship

They said, "We worship idols and remain to them devoted."

They said, "We worship idols and will continue to cling to them

They said, "We worship idols and we are very devoted to them

He said, "Do they hear you when you supplicate?

He asked, "Do they hear you when you call to them

He said, "Do they hear when you call them

Or do they benefit you, or do they harm?"

Do they help or harm you

Or do they benefit or harm you

They said, "But we found our fathers doing thus."

They replied, "But we found our fathers doing the same

They said, "Nay, but we found our forefathers doing this

He said, "Then do you see what you have been worshipping,

Abraham said, "Have you really thought about what you have been worshipping

He said, "Have you, then ever considered what it is that you have been worshiping

You and your ancient forefathers?

you and your forefathers

You and your forefathers

Indeed, they are enemies to me, except the Lord of the worlds,1

they are all my enemies, not so the Lord of the Universe

Now verily, they (all kinds of idols) are enemies to me, for I am devoted only to the Lord of the Worlds

Who created me, and He [it is who] guides me.

who created me. It is He who guides me

The One who created me, and He guides me

And it is He who feeds me and gives me drink.

He who gives me food and drink

And is the One Who provides food and drink to me (and to you)

And when I am ill, it is He who cures me

He who cures me when I am ill

And when I get sick, then He is the One who restores me to health

And who will cause me to die and then bring me to life

He who will cause me to die and bring me back to life

And Who will cause me to die and then bring me back to life

And who I aspire that He will forgive me my sin on the Day of Recompense."

and He who will, I hope, forgive me my faults on the Day of the Judgement

And Who I ardently hope, will absolve my imperfections on the Day of Judgment

[And he said], "My Lord, grant me authority and join me with the righteous.

My Lord, bestow wisdom upon me; unite me with the righteous

My Lord! Grant me wisdom and good judgment, and count me among those who have perfected their "Self

And grant me a mention [i.e., reputation] of honor among later generations.

give me a good name among later generations

And grant me the ability to convey the Truth even to those who will come after me

And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of Pleasure.

and make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of Bliss

And include me among those who will inherit the Garden of Bliss

And forgive my father. Indeed, he has been of those astray.

and forgive my father; for he is one of the misguided

And forgive my father (by letting him become worthy of it). For, verily he is of those who go astray. (9:114), (14:41), (

And do not disgrace me on the Day they are [all] resurrected -

and do not disgrace me on the Day when all people are resurrected

And put me not to embarrassment the Day when people are raised

The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children

the Day when wealth and sons will be of no avail

The Day when wealth and children will not avail anyone

But only one who comes to Allāh with a sound heart."

and when he alone will be saved who comes to God with a sound heart

And when only he will prosper that brings to Allah a noble heart

And Paradise will be brought near [that Day] to the righteous.

When Paradise shall be brought near to the God-fearing

And the Garden will be brought close for those who walk aright

And Hellfire will be brought forth for the deviators,

and Hell shall be revealed to the misguided

Whereas the blazing Fire will appear plainly before those who had lost themselves in error

And it will be said to them, "Where are those you used to worship

they will be asked, "Where are those whom you worshipped

And it will be said, "Where is all that you used to worship and obey

Other than Allāh? Can they help you or help themselves?"

besides God? Can they help you or even help themselves

Instead of Allah? Can they help you or help themselves

So they will be overturned into it [i.e., Hellfire], they and the deviators

Then they will be thrown headlong into Hell, both they and the misguided ones

Then they will be hurled into Hell, the leaders and their straying followers

And the soldiers of Iblees, all together.

and Satan's legions, all together

And the party of Iblis, all together

They will say while they dispute therein,

They will dispute between themselves therein, and will say

And right away, blaming one another, they will exclaim

"By Allāh, we were indeed in manifest error

We were clearly misguided

By God, we were in manifest error

When we equated you with the Lord of the worlds.

when we made you equal with the Lord of the Universe

When we ranked you with the Lord of the Worlds

And no one misguided us except the criminals.

It was the evildoers who led us astray

It is these guilty leaders who misled us

So now we have no intercessors

and we have no intercessors now

Now we have no intercessors

And not a devoted friend.

and no sincere friend

Nor a close friend

Then if we only had a return [to the world] and could be of the believers..."1

If we could only return to the world and be among the believers

Oh, if only we could have another chance that we could be among the believers." (23:99)

Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.

There is certainly a sign in that, but most of them would not believe

In all this, behold, there is lesson but, most of them still are not believers (in the Law of Requital)

And indeed, your Lord - He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.

surely, your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful

And verily, your Lord! He is Almighty, Merciful. (He gives you sustenance for body and mind)

The people of Noah denied the messengers1

The people of Noah also rejected the messengers

The people of Noah too denied the Messengers

When their brother Noah said to them, "Will you not fear Allāh?

When their brother Noah said to them, "Will you have no fear of God

When their brother Noah said to them, "Will you not walk aright

Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.

I am a trustworthy messenger for you

Behold, I am a Messenger to you, worthy of your trust

So fear Allāh and obey me.

fear God, and obey me

Be mindful of Allah and pay heed to me

And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.

I ask of you no recompense for it, for my only reward is with the Lord of the Universe

And no reward, whatever, do I ask for it. My reward rests with none but the Lord of the Worlds

So fear Allāh and obey me."

so fear God and obey me

So be mindful of Allah and pay heed to me

They said, "Should we believe you while you are followed by the lowest [class of people]?"

They replied, "Are we to believe in you when your followers are but the lowest of the low

They answered, "Shall we put our faith in you even though the low class people are following you

He said, "And what is my knowledge of what they used to do?

He said, "What knowledge do I have of their doings

Said he, "I do not care what their professions are and what they have been doing before

Their account is only upon my Lord, if you [could] perceive.

My Lord alone can bring them to account, if only you could understand

Their accountability is up to my Lord. If only you understood (that the most honored in the Sight of Allah is the one who is best in conduct)

And I am not one to drive away the believers.

I am not going to drive away any believers

Hence, I shall not drive away the believers

I am only a clear warner."

I am only a plain warner

I am only a plain Warner

They said, "If you do not desist, O Noah, you will surely be of those who are stoned."

They said, "Noah, if you do not desist, you will be stoned

They said, "O Noah! If you do not refrain, you will surely be stoned to death

He said, "My Lord, indeed my people have denied me.

Noah said, "My Lord, my people have rejected me

Thereupon he prayed, "My Lord! Behold, my people are accusing me of lying

Then judge between me and them with decisive judgement and save me and those with me of the believers."

therefore, judge decisively between me and them; and save me and the believers who are with me

Hence, judge between me and them openly, and save me and my company of believers

So We saved him and those with him in the laden ship.

So We saved him, and those who were with him in the laden ark

And We saved him and those who accompanied him in the laden Ark

Then We drowned thereafter the remaining ones.

and drowned the rest

Then afterward We drowned the others

Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.

There is certainly a sign in that; but most of them do not believe

In this, behold, there is a sign, even though most of them are not believers (in the Law of Requital)

And indeed, your Lord - He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.

surely your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful

But, verily, your Lord is Almighty, Merciful (His Rule is the Rule of Law, and not that of dictatorial whims)

ʿAad denied the messengers

The people of 'Ad, too, rejected the messengers

Aad also rejected the Messengers

When their brother Hūd said to them, "Will you not fear Allāh?

Their brother Hud said to them, "Will you not fear God

When their brother Hud said to them, "Will you not walk aright

Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.

I am a trustworthy messenger for you

I am a Messenger to you, worthy of your trust

So fear Allāh and obey me.

fear God, then, and obey me

Be mindful of Allah and pay heed to me

And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.

I ask no recompense of you; my reward is only with the Lord of the Universe

And no reward, whatever, do I ask for it. My reward rests with none but the Lord of the Worlds

Do you construct on every elevation a sign,1 amusing yourselves,

Do you build monuments on every high place in vanity

You build on every height monuments of vanity

And take for yourselves constructions [i.e., palaces and fortresses] that you might abide eternally?

and erect castles hoping that you will live forever

And make for yourselves mighty castles; will you thus become immortal

And when you strike, you strike as tyrants.

When you lay hands upon anyone, you do so as tyrants

And you seize people cruelly, without any restraint. (Oppressing people into slavery to build these gorgeous buildings for you)

So fear Allāh and obey me.

So fear God, and obey me

Be mindful of Allah and heed me

And fear He who provided you with that which you know,

fear Him who has aided you with all that you know

Be mindful of Him Who helped you with good things you know and the know-how and skills

Provided you with grazing livestock and children

He has bestowed on you cattle, and sons

He Who has helped you with, livestock and human resources

And gardens and springs.

and gardens, and springs

And gardens, and water springs

Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a terrible day."

indeed, I fear for you the torment of an awful day

Verily, I fear for you the requital of an awesome day

They said, "It is all the same to us whether you advise or are not of the advisors.

They replied, "It makes no difference to us whether you preach or do not preach

But they answered, "It is the same for us whether you counsel us or not

This is not but the custom of the former peoples,

this is nothing but a habit of the ancients

This has been our life-style for generations

And we are not to be punished."

and we shall not be punished

And we shall never be doomed

And they denied him, so We destroyed them. Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.

So they rejected him; and We destroyed them. There is certainly a sign in that; but most of them would not believe

So, they rejected him and We destroyed them. Therein, behold, is a sign, even though most people are not believers (in the Law of Requital)

And indeed, your Lord - He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.

Surely your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful

But, verily, your Lord is Almighty, Merciful. (His Mighty Rule is the Rule of Law)

Thamūd denied the messengers

The tribe of Thamud also rejected the messengers

Thamud also denied the Messengers

When their brother Ṣāliḥ said to them, "Will you not fear Allāh?

When their brother Salih said to them, "Will you not fear God

When their brother Saleh said to them, "Will you not walk aright

Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.

Truly, I am a trustworthy messenger for you

Behold, I am a Messenger to you, worthy of your trust

So fear Allāh and obey me.

so fear God and obey me

Be mindful of Allah and heed me

And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.

For this I demand no recompense from you; my reward is only with the Lord of the Universe

I ask you no reward, whatever, for it. My reward rests with none but the Lord of the Worlds

Will you be left in what is here, secure [from death],

Do you think that you will be left secure [forever]

Do you suppose that you could continue in security as it is (with your unjust system) forever

Within gardens and springs

in the midst of gardens and fountains

In gardens and water springs

And fields of crops and palm trees with softened fruit?

and cornfields, and palm-trees laden with fruit

And fields, and these palm trees and delicious fruits

And you carve out of the mountains, homes, with skill.

hewing out houses in the mountains and taking pride in your skill

And that you will always skillfully carve out of the mountains luxurious mansions

So fear Allāh and obey me.

So fear God and obey me

Be mindful of Allah and heed me

And do not obey the order of the transgressors,

do not obey the bidding of those who are given to excesses

And obey not the command of those who trespass the bounds of justice and equity

Who cause corruption in the land and do not amend."

those who spread corruption in the land instead of putting things right

Those who spread corruption in the land, and reform not

They said, "You are only of those affected by magic.

They replied, "Surely you are bewitched

But they replied, "You are but one of the bewitched

You are but a man like ourselves, so bring a sign, if you should be of the truthful."

You are only a human being like ourselves. Show us a sign, if you are telling the truth

You are just a mortal like us. So bring us a miracle if you are a man of truth

He said, "This is a she-camel.1 For her is a [time of] drink, and for you is a [time of] drink, [each] on a known day.

He said, "Here is a she-camel. She shall have her turn of drinking, as you have yours, each on an appointed day

He said, "Behold, this she-camel. (She represents the weak and poor). She being (ownerless) has the right to drink at the well, just as you have the right to water (your flock) at the time of watering

And do not touch her with harm, lest you be seized by the punishment of a terrible day."

so do her no harm, or the punishment of an awful day will befall you

Do not harm her, or the retribution will seize you on an awesome day

But they hamstrung her and so became regretful.

Yet they hamstrung her, and then they became regretful

But they killed her and made way for their own humiliation. (The usual rendering here of FAASBAHOO NADIMEEN that they regretted, repented or became penitent seems to be incorrect, since in that case the Most Gracious might have forgiven them)

And the punishment seized them. Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.

so the punishment came down upon them. Surely in that there is a sign, but most of them would not believe

So, the Retribution seized them. Herein is indeed a sign, yet most people are not believers (in the Law of Requital)

And indeed, your Lord - He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.

Your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful

And, verily, your Lord! He is indeed the Mighty, the Merciful. (He is Merciful that His Rule is the Rule of Law)

The people of Lot denied the messengers

Then the people of Lot rejected the messengers

And the people of Lot also denied Messengers

When their brother Lot said to them, "Will you not fear Allāh?

When their brother Lot said to them, "Will you not fear God

When their brother Lot said to them, "Will you not walk aright

Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.

I am a trustworthy messenger to you

Behold, I am a Messenger to you, worthy of your trust

So fear Allāh and obey me.

so fear God and obey me

Be mindful of Allah and heed me

And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.

I ask of you no recompense for this; my reward is only with the Lord of the Universe

And no reward whatever do I ask you for it. My reward rests with none but with the Lord of the Worlds

Do you approach males among the worlds1

Do you, of all people, approach males

Of all the creatures in the Worlds, you approach males

And leave what your Lord has created for you as mates? But you are a people transgressing."

and leave your wives whom your Lord has created for you? You are a people who transgress all bounds

And leave those whom your Lord has created for you to be your mates. You are people who cross all bounds of decency

They said, "If you do not desist, O Lot, you will surely be of those evicted."

They said, "If you do not desist, Lot, you will surely be banished

They said, "O Lot! If you desist not, you will be driven out of the town

He said, "Indeed, I am, toward your deed, of those who detest [it].

He said, "I am one of those who abhors your ways

He said, "Behold, I am of those who deplore your actions

My Lord, save me and my family from [the consequence of] what they do."

My Lord, save me and my family from their evil doings

O My Lord! Save me, my family and my followers from the consequences of what they do

So We saved him and his family, all,

We saved him and all of his family

So, We saved him and his followers, all of them

Except an old woman1 among those who remained behind.

except for an old woman who stayed behind

All but the old woman (the wife of Lot) who chose to stay behind

Then We destroyed the others.

then We totally destroyed the rest

And then We utterly destroyed the others

And We rained upon them a rain [of stones], and evil was the rain of those who were warned.

and We poured a rain [of destruction] down upon them -- and how evil was the rain which fell on those who were forewarned

And We rained on them a rain, the dreadful rain (from the volcano) on those who all had been warned

Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.

Surely in this there is a sign: but most of them would not believe

Herein indeed is a sign, but most of them were not believers in the Law of Requital

And indeed, your Lord - He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.

your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful

Your Lord is Almighty, Merciful. (His Mighty Rule is the Rule of Law)

The companions of the thicket [i.e., the people of Madyan] denied the messengers

The dwellers of the forest also rejected the messengers

And the dwellers in the wood dales (of Midyan) denied the Messengers. (The Nation of Midyan lived between Madinah and Damascus since around 2000 B.C. They were the descendants of Prophet Abraham's son MIDYAN from his third wife QATOORA. Prophet Shoaib was raised among them around 1300 B.C)

When Shuʿayb said to them, "Will you not fear Allāh?

Shu'ayb said to them, "Will you not fear God

When their brother Shoaib said to them, "Will you not walk aright

Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.

I am a trustworthy messenger to you

Behold, I am a Messenger to you, worthy of your trust

So fear Allāh and obey me.

so fear God, and obey me

Be mindful of Allah and heed me

And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.

I ask of you no recompense for this; my reward is only with the Lord of the Universe

I ask you no reward whatever for it. My reward is with none but with the Lord of the Worlds

Give full measure and do not be of those who cause loss.

Give full measure, and cause no loss to others

Always give full measure, and do not cause loss to people

And weigh with an even [i.e., honest] balance.

Weigh with correct scales

And in all your dealings, weigh with a just balance

And do not deprive people of their due and do not commit abuse on earth, spreading corruption.

do not defraud people of what is rightfully theirs; and do not spread corruption in the land

And do not deprive people of what is rightfully theirs. And desist from creating corruption and disorder in the land

And fear He who created you and the former creation."1

Fear Him who created you and those who have gone before you

Be mindful of Him Who created you and the generations before

They said, "You are only of those affected by magic.

They replied, "You are bewitched

They said, "You are but of the bewitched

You are but a man like ourselves, and indeed, we think you are among the liars.

You are only a human being like ourselves. Indeed we think you are a liar

For, you are nothing but a mortal like us. And, behold, We think that you are one of the liars

So cause to fall upon us fragments of the sky, if you should be of the truthful."

So cause a fragment of the sky to fall on us, if you are truthful

If you are truthful, let fragments of the sky fall upon us

He said, "My Lord is most knowing of what you do."

He said, "My Lord has full knowledge of all your actions

He replied, "My Lord is best Aware of your actions

And they denied him, so the punishment of the day of the black cloud seized them. Indeed, it was the punishment of a terrible day.

They rejected him, and then had to suffer the punishment of a day of overshadowing gloom. That was indeed the punishment of an awful day

But they persisted in denial. Then the Day of overshadowing gloom seized them. It was the suffering of an awesome day. (Historically, a dark extensive cloud rained upon them heavily and incessantly. It is sometimes referred to as the Day of the Canopy)

Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers.

Surely, in this is indeed a sign; but most of them would not believe

Herein, behold, is a sign, and most of them were not believers (in the Law of Requital)

And indeed, your Lord - He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.

your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful

Behold, your Lord! He is Almighty, Merciful. (His Rule is the Rule of Law)

And indeed, it [i.e., the Qur’ān] is the revelation of the Lord of the worlds.

This surely is a revelation from the Lord of the Universe

Now, behold, this Qur'an is the Revelation from the Lord of the Worlds

The Trustworthy Spirit [i.e., Gabriel] has brought it down

the Faithful Spirit has brought it down

The trustworthy Divine Energy (angel Gabriel) has brought it down.

Upon your heart, [O Muḥammad] - that you may be of the warners -

into your heart, so that you may be a warner

Upon your heart (O Prophet), so that you may be of the Warners

In a clear Arabic language.

in clear Arabic speech

(In a language that is clear and easy to understand.) In the plain Arabic tongue. (Universality of the Message 7:158, 25:1. Ishmael, Hud, Saleh, Shoaib, all of them preached in the Arabian Peninsula. And since Aramaic and Hebrew are ancient Arabic dialects, all the Hebrew Prophets, in this sense, conveyed the Divine Message in the Arabic tongue)

And indeed, it is [mentioned] in the scriptures of former peoples.

Surely, it is foretold in the ancient scriptures

And verily, it (the Qur'an) has been announced in the previous Scriptures

And has it not been a sign to them that it is recognized by the scholars of the Children of Israel?

Is it not evidence enough for them that the learned among the Children of Israel have recognized this [as true]

Is it not an evidence enough for them that learned men among the Children of Israel have recognized it

And even if We had revealed it to one among the foreigners1

Had We revealed it to any one of the non-Arabs

But if We had revealed this to any of the non-Arabs

And he had recited it to them [perfectly],1 they would [still] not have been believers in it.

and he had recited it to them, they would not have believed in it

And had he read it to them, they would have had reason to disbelieve it

Thus have We inserted it [i.e., disbelief] into the hearts of the criminals.

We have thus caused denial of truth to enter into the hearts of the sinners

But to the guilty people, it just passes through their hearts (as a foreign tongue even though they might be Arabs)

They will not believe in it until they see the painful punishment.

they will not believe in it until they see the grievous punishment

They will not believe in it until they suffer the dire consequences

And it will come to them suddenly while they perceive [it] not.

It will come upon them suddenly when they are not expecting it

The Requital will come upon them suddenly, when they least expect it

And they will say, "May we be reprieved?"

Then they will exclaim, "Could we have some respite

Then they will say, "Could we have a respite

So for Our punishment are they impatient?

Do they want to hasten Our punishment

Do they wish that Our Requital come to them quickly

Then have you considered if We gave them enjoyment for years

Think! If We let them enjoy life for some years

As you see, Our Law of Respite allows them to enjoy Our bounties for years

And then there came to them that which they were promised?

and then the promised punishment fell upon them

And then comes that which they were promised

They would not be availed by the enjoyment with which they were provided.

of what avail would their past enjoyment be to them

Then, of what avail will be their past enjoyments

And We did not destroy any city except that it had warners

Never have We destroyed a town without sending down messengers to warn it

(It is Our Law that) We never annihilated a township but it had its Warners

As a reminder; and never have We been unjust.

as a reminder from Us: We are never unjust

Reminder! Therefore, this (Qur'an) is. We are never unjust

And the devils have not brought it [i.e., the revelation] down.1

It was not the devils who brought down the Quran

Gabriel has come down with it (26:193).) It is not something that the mischievous diviners and clairvoyants bring

It is not allowable for them, nor would they be able.

neither are they worthy of it, nor are they capable of it

It is beyond their stature, nor is it in their power

Indeed they, from [its] hearing, are removed.1

indeed they are debarred from overhearing it

(Soothsayers, diviners, fortunetellers etc., unless they reform), They are banished from hearing and understanding the Revelation. (15:17-18),

So do not invoke1 with Allāh another deity and [thus] be among the punished.

So do not call on any deity besides God, lest you incur His punishment

Hence, (O Human) Call not any other deity with Allah, or you will be of the doomed

And warn, [O Muḥammad], your closest kindred.

Warn your nearest kinsmen

And warn first those who are close to you

And lower your wing [i.e., show kindness] to those who follow you of the believers.

and extend kindness and affection to those of the believers who follow you

(O Prophet) Lower your wing in kindness to those who believe and follow you

And if they disobey you, then say, "Indeed, I am disassociated from what you are doing."

If they disobey you, say, "I bear no responsibility for what you do

To them who deny you, say, "I am free of responsibility from what you do

And rely upon the Exalted in Might, the Merciful,

Put your trust in the Mighty One, the Merciful

Put your trust in the Almighty, the Merciful

Who sees you when you arise1

who sees you when you stand up [for prayer]

Who sees you whenever you take a stand

And your movement among those who prostrate.1

and sees your movements among those who prostrate themselves

And move among those who adore

Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.

He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing

Verily, He, only He is the Hearer, the Knower

Shall I inform you upon whom the devils descend?

Shall I tell you upon whom the devils descend

Shall I inform you on whom the devils descend

They descend upon every sinful liar.

They descend on every lying sinner

They descend on every lying, self-deceiver

They pass on what is heard,1 and most of them are liars.

who lends an ear to them, and most of them are liars

They listen for lies and rumors, and most of them make up lies

And the poets - [only] the deviators follow them;

And as for the poets -- it is the misled who follow them

As for poets, the strayers follow them. (Poets claim that they speak out of intuition or inspiration. Their followers succumb to emotional deceit)

Do you not see that in every valley they roam1

Do you not see how they wander aimlessly in every valley

Haven't you seen how they stray in every valley of thought, like a camel with false thirst

And that they say what they do not do? -

preaching what they do not practice

And how they say what they practice not

Except those [poets] who believe and do righteous deeds and remember Allāh often and defend [the Muslims]1 after they were wronged. And those who have wronged are going to know to what [kind of] return they will be returned.

Not so the true believers who do good works and remember God with fervour and defend themselves only after they are wronged. The wrongdoers will soon know how evil a turn their affairs will take

Except those poets who believe in the Revelation. They (do what they say and) help create balance in the society. They engage much in the remembrance of Allah. They help create a social order in which oppression is requited and thus prevented. They stand up for human rights. The wrongdoers will soon find out how their plans would be reversed on themselves