55. Ar-Rahman

The Most Merciful

The Merciful

Ar-Rahman, the Beneficent, the Instant Source of all Mercy and Kindness

Taught the Qur’ān,

who taught the Quran

He it is Who has made known and taught the Qur'an

Created man,

He created man

He has created the human being. (And taken care of his mental and physical needs)

[And] taught him eloquence.

and He taught him speech

He has distinguished him with the ability to clearly express his feelings and thoughts

The sun and the moon [move] by precise calculation,

The sun and the moon move according to a fixed reckoning

The sun and the moon run by a mathematical design. (Such are the changeless Laws given in this Book)

And the stars and trees prostrate.1

the stars and the trees bend in prostration

The stars and the trees all adore Him (and follow His Laws)

And the heaven He raised and imposed the balance

He raised the heavens and set up the measure

And the sky has He raised high and has kept perfect balance in the Universe

That you not transgress within the balance.

so that you should not transgress the measure

So that you, too, never violate balance in your lives

And establish weight in justice and do not make deficient the balance.

Always measure with justice and do not give short measure

Therefore, establish Balance in the society in absolute justice. And never belittle the Scale of Justice in the community and in all your transactions with your own 'Self' and with others

And the earth He laid [out] for the creatures.

He has laid out the earth for His creatures

And (know that) the earth He has spread out for all His creatures. ('Anam' = All living beings)

Therein is fruit and palm trees having sheaths [of dates]

On it are fruits and palm-trees with sheathed clusters [of dates]

Wherein are fruit and palms with clusters protected in sheaths

And grain having husks and scented plants.

and grains with their husk and fragrant plants

And grain, corn, leaves, stalks, colorful herbs, vegetables, spices, sweet-smelling plants and fragrant flowers. (The three Arabic terms used in this verse include all the meanings rendered)

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?1

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

He created man from clay like [that of] pottery.

He has created man, from dry ringing clay, like the potter"s

He created the human out of inorganic matter that sounded like an empty pot. (And it was empty of a trace of the finished form)

And He created the jinn from a smokeless flame of fire.

and He created the jinns from a flame of fire

And the Jinns (nomads) He has created from a confused flame of fire (with a confused fiery disposition)

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

[He is] Lord of the two sunrises and Lord of the two sunsets.1

He is the Lord of the two easts and the Lord of the two wests

Lord of the two Easts and the two Wests. (The East and the West of the summer, and the East and the West of the winter)

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

He released the two seas,1 meeting [one another];

He has set the two oceans in motion, converging together

He has let free the two seas. They meet

Between them is a barrier so neither of them transgresses.

Between them is a barrier, which they do not overrun

Yet, there is a Barrier between them that they cannot exceed. (The great bodies of salt water and fresh water)

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

From both of them emerge pearl and coral.

Pearls and corals come forth from both of them

From both of them come forth pearl and coral

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which, of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

And to Him belong the ships [with sails] elevated in the sea like mountains.

His are the lofty ships, that rear aloft on the sea like mountains

And His are the bannered ships sailing through the sea lofty like mountains. (All creativity and invention of human beings issues forth from His gifts of mind and body. So all man-made things belong to Him)

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

Everyone upon it [i.e., the earth] will perish,

All that is on the earth is doomed to perish

All things thereon (in the Universe) are ever changing. ('Fani' = Ever-changing = Mortal)

And there will remain the Face1 of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.

while your Lord's own Self will remain full of majesty and glory

But forever is Changeless the 'Self' of your Lord, the Lord of Majesty and Honor. ('Baqi' = Remaining = Eternal = Survivor = Remainder = Changeless. 'Wajh' = Face = Countenance = Self = Whole being = Personality)

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

Whoever is within the heavens and earth asks Him; every day He is in [i.e., bringing about] a matter.1

Everyone in the heavens and on the earth entreats Him. Every day He manifests Himself in a new state

All creatures in the heavens and the earth seek their needs from Him. And every day is He in a Marvelous Splendor

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

We will attend to you, O prominent beings.1

Soon We shall attend to you -- two big groups [of jinn and mankind]

Soon shall We lighten your burdens, O Burdened men and women

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

O company of jinn and mankind, if you are able to pass beyond the regions of the heavens and the earth, then pass. You will not pass except by authority [from Allāh].

O company of jinn and men! If you have the power to go beyond the realms of the heavens and the earth, pass beyond them: you cannot pass out but with [Our] authority

O Communities of the rural and the urban! If you can break through the 'fences' of the heavens and the earth, then break through. Never can you break through without an Authority. Can you bring an evidence

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

There will be sent upon you a flame of fire and smoke,1 and you will not defend yourselves.

Flames of fire and molten brass shall be sent against both of you, and you will not be able to defend yourselves

A blaze will be unleashed upon you - and thick smoke - and you will not be able to defend yourselves. (If you think that you can escape Divine Laws, you will never find your way in the thick smoke of conjecture)

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

And when the heaven is split open and becomes rose-colored like oil1 -

When the sky is rent asunder, and becomes red like red leather

And when the high elite will disperse and adapt to a stunning change

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -

which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

Then on that Day none will be asked about his sin among men or jinn.1

For, on that Day, neither man nor jinn will be questioned about his sins

In that Era neither the urban nor the rural will be asked why they trailed behind

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

The criminals will be known by their marks, and they will be seized by the forelocks and the feet.

The guilty shall be recognized by their marks so they shall be seized by their forelocks and their feet

The violators of human rights will be clearly identified, firmly seized and held accountable. ('Mujrim' = Guilty = One who steals the fruit of others' labor = Violator of human rights)

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

This is Hell, which the criminals deny.

This is the Hell which the guilty called a lie

This is Hell which the guilty deny

They will circulate between it and scalding water, heated [to the utmost degree].

They will go round between its flames and boiling water

They wander between it and their smoldering anguish

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

But for he who has feared the position of his Lord1 are two gardens -

There are two gardens for one who fears standing before his Lord

And for him who stands in fear of his Lord's Presence, are two Paradises - one here one there

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

Having [spreading] branches.

[There will be two gardens with] spreading branches

Abounding in two facets, art and science. ('Afnan' = Creative works, art and science)

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

In both of them are two springs, flowing.

In both of them, there are two springs flowing

Wherein flow two springs, creativity and aesthetics

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

In both of them are of every fruit, two kinds.

In both of them, there will be two kinds of every fruit

Wherein is two kinds of fruit, of their own labor and of the added Reward

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

[They are] reclining on beds whose linings are of silk brocade, and the fruit of the two gardens is hanging low.

They will recline upon carpets lined with rich brocade; and the fruits of both these gardens will be within easy reach

Reclining on luxurious carpets lined with rich brocade, the fruit of both Gardens at hand

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

In them are women limiting [their] glances,1 untouched2 before them by man or jinnī -

Therein are maidens of modest gaze, whom neither a man nor a jinn had ever touched before them

Therein women have a modest gaze, never touched by human vices or evil prompting

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

As if they were rubies and coral.1

[There will be] maidens as fair as corals and rubies

Like unto rubies and pearls

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

Is the reward for good [anything] but good?

The reward of goodness shall be nothing but goodness

Is the reward of goodness anything but goodness? (10:26), (

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

And below them both [in excellence] are two [other] gardens -

Besides those two there shall be two other gardens

And other than these two, shall be two more Gardens. (The human 'Self' and the new Universe will keep evolving)

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

Dark green [in color].

Both [gardens] of the darkest green

Both ever-fresh, lush green, pleasing

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

In both of them are two springs, spouting.

In both of them live springs gush forth

Therein are two springs gushing forth. (Personal delight and shared joy)

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

In both of them are fruit and palm trees and pomegranates.

In both of them there will be fruit trees and date-palms and pomegranates

Therein is fruit, and palms and pomegranate. (Fruit within the fruit of Reward)

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

In them are good and beautiful women -

Therein will be maidens chaste and beautiful

Therein are all things most excellent, symmetrical, beautiful. ('Khair' = Good thing = Excellent. 'Hisan' = Nicely balanced = Beautifully symmetrical = Symmetrically beautiful)

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

Fair ones reserved in pavilions -

[There the blessed will live with their] pure companions sheltered in pavilions

Modest, intelligent companions in blessed shades

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

Untouched before them by man or jinnī -

Whom neither a man or jinn had ever touched before them

Companions never touched by human vices or evil prompting. (5)

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

Reclining on green cushions and beautiful fine carpets.

[They will live in such a paradise] reclining upon green cushions and the finest carpets

Relaxing on ever-fresh meadows and splendid carpets

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Which of your Lord's wonders would you deny

Then, O Men and women! Which Authority of your Lord will you deny

Blessed is the name of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.

Blessed be your Lord's name, full of glory and majesty

Ever Blissful is the Name of your Lord, the Lord of Majesty and Honor