21al-Anbiyā’The Prophetsسُورَةُ الأنبياء

Peoples’ [final] accountability is approaching [with no delay]; in the meantime they are absentminded [about it] and digressing [from its inevitability].

Whatever recurring awareness [scripture and prophet] comes to them from their Sustainer, they but listen to it indifferently [for they are engrossed] in entertainment,

As their hearts are unfocused. And clandestine activities are [always] classified — that is the way justice violaters operate [for they say], “This man [Muhammad] is an earthly mortal just like you. Will you partake of [his] trickery while [you have the ability to] see [through his illusion]?”

He [the Prophet] answered, “My Sustainer knows whatever is said in the heavens and on earth; and He is the Hear-All, See-All.”

[To that], they readily retorted, “[Muhammad’s message] amounts to daydreams [and fantasy],” [and more than that they said], “He contrived it [the Qur’an],” [and even], “To be more precise he is a poet. [Otherwise, if he is what he claims to be] let him produce for us a miracle as was the modus operandi of those [prophets] of old.”

In times past there has not been a civil society [whose people] affirmed and committed themselves [to Us] when We assented and produced [at their request] the demonstrations of Our power and authority. Are [these Arabian mushriks the exception; are] they going to commit themselves [if We agree to their demands for āyāt]?

We did not send before you [O Muhammad] any [messengers to societies] except [that they were mortal] men to whom We sent [Our revelation]. Ask, then, the folks of [godly] consciousness, if you lack knowledge [thereof].

And neither did We render them [the messengers] as human physiologies that do not consume food, nor were they ever [meant to be] everlasting [on earth].

Then We fulfilled Our promise [to these messengers], rescuing them along with whomever [else] We willed [from Our infliction upon the mushriks], and We devastated the profligates.

[O people]! We surely bestowed upon you a scripture within which is your [acquired] consciousness; will you not, then, be reasonable?

For, how many times [in the past] have We pummeled a civil society because it was a violator of justice [en masse] and then composed after it another developing nation [in its stead]?

And then [even after all these warnings] when they sense Our punishing might they [still try to] run away from it.

[There is no point in running because you cannot escape the inevitable, so] do not run away. [Rather] go back to that which you were indulging in and [to] your residences so that you may face accountability.

They said, “Woe to us! We were, indeed, violators of justice.”

That continued to be their plea until We rendered them into motionless perishables.

And We did not create the heaven and the earth and everything in between them for the fun of it:

[For] had We wanted to enjoy merriment, We would have done it in Our integrated Glory; We are, certainly, able and capable.

Rather, We propel truth and justice against falsehood and injustice and it shatters the latter — and it [falsehood and injustice] perishes. But woe unto you because of your [deceitful] descriptions [of God],

[For] everyone who is on earth or in the heavens belongs to Him; and those who are in His presence are not arrogant [conceited] when it comes to complying with Him and are not worn down [by conforming to Him]:

They exalt Allah’s distinctiveness — night and day — without slackening.

Or did they assign themselves gods made out of earth’s material [that are] capable of bringing the dead back to life!?

Had there been in both [heaven and earth] numerous gods besides Allah they [heaven and earth] would have disintegrated. Thus, uniquely exalted is Allah — the Sustainer of the [divine] seat of power — beyond what they [the mushriks] are attributing [to Him].

He cannot be questioned or held accountable for what He does but they will be.

[And despite this] do they still ascribe [to themselves] deities besides Him? Say [O Prophet], “Bring forth your substantiation. This [Qur’an] constitutes an awareness about those who are with me [Muhammad] and those who were before me.” Rather, most of them do not know truth and justice [in life and in practice]; therefore [you see them] distracted [diverted from it].

And We have not sent any messenger before you [O Muhammad] except that We revealed to him that there is no deity/authority except Me; thus, comply with Me.

And [yet] they say, “The Mercy-Giver has a begotten son!” Exclusively exalted is He; rather they [the purported son(s)] are honorable subjects [of Allah]:

Their words do not overrule Him and they do what He commands them to do.

He knows what lies open in front of them and what is behind them [hidden from them], and thus they have no power to mediate [with Him] except for he who is approved [by Him] to do so; and they are in humble awe of Him.

And whoever of them says, “I, indeed, am a god to the exclusion of Him” — him We will pay back with jahannum: and this is how We pay back the violators of justice.

Have not the deniers [of Allah’s power and authority] seen that the heavens and earth were one solid mass that We then ripped [and divided]? And that We made out of water everything that lives? Will they not, then, commit themselves and acknowledge [Our power and authority]?

And [are they not aware that] We placed on earth anchors [mountains] lest it move back and forth while they are on it; and [that] We made [comprised] on it passageways for travel and transportation so that they may find their way [toward their objectives];

And [that] We rendered the sky to be a well-maintained ceiling? And yet, they [still] digress from these illustrations [of Our power and authority],

[Oblivious to the fact that] it is He who created the night and the day and the Sun and the Moon, all of them whirling through space.

And [remind the mushriks that] We have not assigned to any mortal being before you everlasting life: [but do they envisage that even] if you were to die, they would live forever?

Every living being shall experience death — and We test you by what is appealing and what is repulsive: for, all of you are returning to Us.

And when the deniers [of Allah’s power and authority] see you, they ridicule you [saying to one another], “Is this the one who [disapprovingly] chatters about your deities?” — and yet, it is they themselves who, when it comes to awareness of the Mercy-Giver, are the deniers.

Social beings were created from a disposition to impulsiveness; [in time] I will show you my power illustrations: so be not in a hurry.

And they will [surely] ask, “When is this due day [of divine retribution] if what you say is the truth?

If only the kāfirs knew [the details] of a coming time when they are incapable of repelling the fire from their faces, nor from their backs, nor will they find anyone to help them!

It [the Final Hour] will come as a surprise and they will be taken aback; [when that happens] neither will they be able to rescind it nor will they postpone it.

And, indeed, there have been messengers before you [O Muhammad] who were mocked and those who ridiculed them [the messengers] were besieged by their own mocking words.

Say [O Muhammad], “Who is it that will guard you during the night and the day from the Mercy-Giver?” Still, they avert being conscious of their Sustainer.

Or do they have deities that have the capability of protecting them from Us? They [the deities] cannot [even] help their own selves, and [thus] they [who comply with those deities] cannot be rescued from the anguish [and suffering We inflict].

But no! We tolerated their [the mushriks’] indulgence in worldly fun [when they were oblivious to the broader horizons of life], as well as that of their forefathers, until they grew old. Can they not see that We move toward the earth decreasing it from its extremities? [That being the case] are they the ones who wind up as winners?

Say [O Muhammad], “But I warn you by the revelation [disclosed to me].” However the deaf [of heart] cannot pay heed to a cautionary advisory even as they are being warned.

And yet, even if a whiff of your Sustainer’s infliction [emotionally] touches them they will emphatically say, “Woe unto us! Indeed we were violators of justice.”

And We shall raise the scales of social justice on the Day of Resurrection as no being shall be dealt with unjustly: hence even if it [the being’s worldly effort] was as light as a mustard-seed [of good or evil] We shall summon it. Suffice it to say that no one is as accurate as We are [in weighing the deeds of responsible beings].

And, undeniably, We have conferred upon Mūsā and Hārūn the scripture that differentiates between good and bad [right and wrong] and that is a light and cognizance for those who guard [against the consequences of Allah’s “power for justice”] —

Who stand in awe of their Sustainer, even though He is beyond the reach of human physical senses, and shiver at the thought of the Final Hour.

And [like those earlier revelations] this [Qur’an], too, is a blessed [Scripture of] consciousness bestowed upon you: can you [mushriks produce any basis to] dispute it?

And, indeed long before [the time of Mūsā] We accorded Ibrāhīm in due time his [development and] maturity; and thus We were very familiar with [what motivated] him

When he [Ibrāhīm] said to his father [or respected uncle] and people, “What are these statues that you devote your time to?”

They answered, “We found our ancestors deifying them.”

Replied [Ibrāhīm], “Then, most certainly, you — you and your ancestors — were in evident waywardness.”

They inquired, “Have you come to us with the truth? Or are you just being frivolous?”

He replied, “Of course not! [Rather] your Sustainer is the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth who ruptured them [apart from one another] and I testify to that fact.”

And [he said to himself], “By Allah, I shall in fact do my best to break down your idols after you take leave [from this area].”

So he [Ibrāhīm] eventually broke them [the statues] into pieces except their high-ranking one; he anticipated that they would come back to him [seeking some answers].

[When they saw what had happened], they exclaimed, “Who did this [smashing] of our deities? Certainly, whoever it is, is a wrongdoer.”

Said [some among them], “We heard about a young man who was debating about them, [he goes] by the name Ibrāhīm.”

Said [the others] “Go and get him and let the people witness [what is going to happen].”

[And when he came], they all asked, “Are you the one who did this [smashing] of our deities, O Ibrāhīm?”

He [Ibrāhīm] answered, “Rather, this one, the highest ranking of them [the idols] did it: but ask them [yourselves] — if only they can utter words.”

They then rethought themselves, saying in dispute of their own selves and in confrontation with one another, “Most surely, you are in the wrong.”

They then made an about face and said [after having brushed with the truth that idols cannot think or speak], “You know that these [idols] cannot utter a word.”

[And so, finally], said [Ibrāhīm], “Oh! Do you revere [and worship] besides Allah what cannot benefit you in any way, nor harm you?

“I am appalled at you and at what you adore and worship [that are] inferior to Allah: can you not reason [for yourselves]?”

They said, “Burn him [alive] and [thus] come to the aid of your deities — as there is nothing else left to do [in support of the deities]!”

We said, “O fire! Be cool and calm to Ibrāhīm.”

And though they determined to scheme against him [Ibrāhīm], it is they whom We caused to become the losers.

And We rescued him [Ibrāhīm] and Lūṭ, and then vouchsafed them to the land that We blessed for all populations.

And We gifted him with Isḥāq and Ya‘qūb as an additional blessing; and both of them We made of the righteous [ones who do good],

And We made them leaders who guide to Our affair and We revealed to them how to do what is [right and] prosperous, as well as how to establish the ṣalāh and to coordinate [the distribution of] the zakāh: and they did comply with Us.

And [as regards] Lūṭ, We gifted him with wisdom and knowledge and We rescued him from the civil society that functioned with and carried out abominable [and toxic] acts — they were, most certainly, a people of immorality and degenerate [sexual] behavior —

And We ushered him into Our grace: for indeed, he was from those who are righteous.

And [then there is] Nūḥ, who called out [to Us] in times past [long before Ibrāhīm and Lūṭ] and We responded to him and then rescued him and his folks from an alarming calamity [disaster];

And We helped him out of a community that contravened Us: indeed, they were a community of malevolence — and consequently, We drowned all of them.

And [We notify you of] Dāwūd and Sulaymān as the two were to judge concerning a pasture wherein other people’s sheep had strayed at night — and We were witnesses to their verdict.

And [though] we made Sulaymān understand the case [more profoundly], We granted to both judicious judgement and knowledge. And We deployed the mountains alongside Dāwūd to extol [Us], and likewise the birds; and We were practically engaged [in these matters].

And We taught him how to manufacture armor [and arms] for you [people] so that it can shield you during your own violent clashes: so are you grateful?

And to Sulaymān [We subjected] the stormy wind, so that it blew at his behest toward the land that We had blessed: for We have always been well-acquainted with [the way] things [work].

And among the horrible evil forces normally out of man’s control, there were some that dived [into the seas], as a service to him, and they were tasked with other responsibilities besides that: but [ultimately] it is We who are in control of them.

And [in this Book is the story of] Ayyūb as he called upon his Sustainer, “I have been afflicted with impairment [so relieve my affliction] as You are the Most Merciful of those who express mercy,”

Whereupon We responded to him and alleviated whatever hurt had harmed him and We gave him a sprawling family as an expression of Our mercy and grace and as a conscientious reminder for all who adhere to Us.

And [in here are the narratives of] Ismā‘īl and Idrīs and Dhū al-Kifl: all were patient [during challenging times].

And [therefore] We gave them access to Our grace: they are, indeed, from among the righteous [and virtuous].

And [then came] Dhū al-Nūn [Yūnus] who took off in a state of rage [against the iniquities of his own people], not realizing We will take him to task; subsequently [after realizing what he had done] he called out from within layers of darkness [out of despair], “There is no deity/authority except You. Exalted are You. Indeed, I have done wrong [to myself].”

So We responded to him and rescued him from the gloom [and hopelessness he was in]: and it is in such a manner that We rescue those committed [to Our power and authority].

And [here is an account of] Zakarīyā as he called upon his Sustainer, “My Sustainer! Do not leave me unaccompanied [without an heir] — for You [nonetheless] are the best of heirs.”

So We responded to him and gifted him with Yaḥyā for We had [already] enhanced his wife [her ability to bear children]: verily, they [Yaḥyā, Zakarīyā, and his wife] would all vie with one another to do what is right [in Allah’s Book], and would call upon us [either] when yearning [for Us] or in fear [of Us]; and they were in an emotional bond with Us.

And [herein also is an account of] she [Maryam] who maintained her chastity, whereupon We breathed into her of Our rūḥ (life-force), and [then] rendered her, along with her son [Jesus], a demonstration of Our power and authority for all [generations of] people.

Indeed, this is your ummah [when it is] one ummah — and as I am your Sustainer, you should conform to Me.

But then they [the erstwhile followers] caused ruptures and rifts in their [ummah] affair [oblivious to the fact that they] all shall come back to Us.

So, as for whoever does what is right and righteous when committed to Us there shall be no refutation of his efforts — for We are keeping a record of him [and his deeds].

Likewise, imperial societies that We destroyed [because they defied Us] are prohibited from returning [to worldly life and making up for their past sins and crimes].

[And this will be the sequence of events] until the time comes when Ya‘jūj and Ma‘jūj are released and they will quickly come forth from every direction,

And [the time when] the promise of truth and justice has approached, as the visions of the kāfirs are watching in horror [and saying], “Woe to us! We, surely, were oblivious to [all] this [final accountability]; we were justice violators.”

[Then they will be told], “Indeed, you and what you conformed to that was inferior to Allah shall become the fuel of jahannum: that is what you will all approach.

“If these [idols] were [truly] deities/divinities they [the kāfirs] would not have approached it [jahannum]; [but as it is] all are there [to stay] for eternity.”

They will moan and groan therein, unable to listen [to anything else] there.

[But], verily, those who are foretold of excellence [in rewards] from Us shall be distanced from it [jahannum]:

No rustling sound of it will they hear for they shall be dwelling in eternity with whatever their [virtuous] selves may desire.

The shock [and panic] of that Day shall not grieve them since the malā’ikah will receive them [saying], “This is your day [of success — the Day] that you have been promised!”

On that day We shall fold in the cosmos like scrolls are rolled; [and] as We initiated the first creation, We shall re-initiate it — this We promise, for We are surely capable of doing [Our will].

And, certainly, after having brought awareness to mankind, We have written in the books of divine wisdom that the earth shall be inherited by My righteous subjects:

In this, indeed, there is an eloquent message for people who comply [with Our will].

And We have not sent you [O Muhammad] except as a mercy to all populated worlds.

Say [O Muhammad], “It has been revealed to me that your deity/authority is One deity/ authority: will you then self-surrender unto Him?”

For if they turn away, say, “I have warned you [by what has come to me from heaven] so that now what you know is what I know; and I do not know [the exact time of] when [the fulfillment of] Allah’s promise will come due: will it be after a short time or after a long time?

“Indeed, He knows what is spoken out loud and He knows what you conceal.

“[To speak the truth] I do not know whether [the delay of Allah’s judgement] is but a trial for you and a respite for a while.”

Say, “My Sustainer! Judge with truth and justice!” and [say], “Our Sustainer is the Mercy-Giver who is ever beseeched for help against all your [errant] portrayals [and images] of Him.”