6al-An‘āmThe Cattleسُورَةُ الأنعام

All praise and grace is due to Allah, who has created the heavens and the earth, and brought into being multifarious darkness as well as light: and yet, those who are bent on denying the truth [about Allah’s power and authority] regard other powers as their Sustainer’s equals!

He it is who has created you out of clay, and then has decreed a [lifetime] term [for you] — a term known [only] to Him. And yet you have mistrust [in these facts] —

Although He is Allah in the heavens and on earth, knowing all that you keep secret as well as all that you do openly, and knowing what you gain.

Yet whenever any of their Sustainer’s illustrations [of power and authority] comes to them, they [who are bent on denying His power presence] turn the other way:

And so they refute truth and justice now that it has come to them. In time, however, they will come to understand what it was they were accustomed to deride.

Do they not see how many a generation We have destroyed before their time — [people] whom We had given a [well-established] place on earth, the [type of well-established] life of which We never gave to you [the people in Arabia], and upon whom We showered atmospheric blessings abundant, and at whose feet We made running waters flow? And yet We destroyed them for their sins, and [after them We] gave rise to another generation in their stead.

But even if We had sent down to you [O Prophet] a written text on paper, and they had touched it with their own hands, those who are bent on denying Allah’s power and authority would indeed have said, “This is clearly nothing but an [obvious] mysterious deception!”

They are saying, too, “Why has not an angel [visibly] been sent down to him?” But had We sent down an angel, all would indeed have been decided, and they would have been allowed no further respite [for repentance].

And [even] if We had appointed an angel as Our message-bearer, We would certainly have made him [appear and perform as] a man — and thus We would only have confused them in the same way as they are now confusing themselves.

And, indeed, [even] before your time [O Prophet] have apostles been derided, but those who scoffed at them were [in the end] overwhelmed by the very thing they were inclined to deride.

Say, “Go all over the earth, and behold what happened in the end to those who disputed the truth!”

Say, “Unto whom belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth?” Say, “Unto Allah, who has willed upon Himself [the law of] grace and mercy.” He will assuredly gather you all together on the Day of Resurrection, [the coming of] which is beyond all doubt: yet those who have squandered their own selves, it is they who refuse to commit [to Him],

Although His is all that dwells in the night and the day, and He alone is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

Say, “Am I to take for my master anyone but Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, when it is He who gives nourishment and Himself needs none?” Say, “I am bidden to be foremost among those who surrender themselves [unto Allah], and not to be among those who ascribe divinity/authority to any beside Him.”

Say, “Behold, I would dread, were I [thus] to rebel against my Sustainer, the suffering [that would befall me] on that awesome Day [of Judgement].”

Upon him who shall be spared on that Day [of Accountability], He will indeed have bestowed His grace: and this will be a manifest triumph.

And if Allah should touch you with damage there is none who could remove it but He; and if He should touch you with restitution, it is He who has the power to will anything:

For He alone holds sway over His [inferior] subjects, and He alone is the Truly Wise, the All-Aware.

Say, “What could most weightily bear witness to the truth?” Say, “Allah is witness between me and you; and this Qur’an has been revealed to me so that on the strength thereof I might warn you and all whom it may reach.” Could you in truth bear witness that there are other deities/authorities side by side with Allah? Say, “I bear no [such] witness!” Say, “He is the One [and only] God; and, behold, far be it from me to ascribe divinity/authority, as you do, to any beside Him!”

Those upon whom We have vouchsafed [divine] revelation aforetime know him [Muhammad] as they know their own children; yet those [of them] who have squandered their own selves, it is they who refuse to commit [to Allah].

And who could be more wicked than he who attributes his own lying inventions to Allah or disagrees with His messages? Verily, He will never allow such violaters of justice to succeed.

For, one Day, We shall gather them all together, and then We shall say to those who ascribed divinity/authority to any [other beside Allah], “Where, now, are those beings whom you imagined to have a share in [Allah’s] divinity/authority?”

Whereupon, in their utter [self-induced] confusion, they will only [be able to] say, “By Allah, our Sustainer, we did not [mean to] ascribe divinity/authority to any beside Him!”

Behold how they have lied to themselves — and [how] their false [and artificial] imagery has forsaken them!

And there are among them [the mushriks] such as [seem to] listen to you [O Prophet], but over their hearts We have laid [opaque] layers that prevent them from grasping the truth, and into their ears, deafness. And were they to see every illustration [of Allah’s power and authority], they would still not consider it — so much so that when they come to you to contend with you, those who are bent on denying the truth [about Allah] say, “This is nothing but fables of ancient times!”

And they bar others therefrom, and keep their distance from it: but they destroy none but themselves, and perceive it not.

If you could but see [them] when they will be made to stand before the Fire and will say, “Oh, we wish we could be brought back [to life]: then we would not disagree with our Sustainer’s illustrations [of power and authority], but would be among the committed muslims!”

But no — [they will say this only because] the truth they used to conceal [from themselves] in the past will have become obvious to them [on that Day of Judgement]; and if they were brought back [to life], they would return to the very thing that was forbidden to them: for, behold, they are indeed liars!

And some [of the deniers] say, “There is nothing beyond our life in this world, for We shall not be raised from the dead.”

If you could but see [them] when they shall be made to stand before their Sustainer [and] He will say, “Is not this the truth [about justice]?” They will answer, “Yes, indeed, by our Sustainer!” [Whereupon] He will say, “Taste, then, the suffering that comes from your having refused to acknowledge the truth [about justice]!”

Lost indeed are those who considered the meeting with Allah [in the life to come] to be a lie — until the Last Hour suddenly comes upon them, [and] they cry, “Alas for us, that we slighted it!” — for they shall bear on their backs the burden of their sins: oh, how terrible the load with which they shall be burdened!

And nothing is the life of this world but a play and a passing delight; and the life in the hereafter is by far the better for all who are conscious of Allah [His power presence]. Will you not, then, use your reason?

We know very well that what such people say grieves you indeed: yet, behold, it is not you they are disproving, but Allah’s [power] presentations do these evildoers deny.

And, indeed, [even] before your time have apostles been contradicted, and they endured with patience all those charges of falsehood, and all the hurt done to them, until reinforcement came to them from Us: for there is no power that could alter [the outcome of] Allah’s pronouncements. And some of the histories of those apostles has already come within your awareness.

And if it distresses you that those who deny the truth [relevant to My power and authority] turn their backs on you — why, then, if you are able to go down deep into the earth or to ascend a ladder to heaven in order to bring them a [yet more convincing] demonstration [of My power], [do so]; but [remember that] had Allah so willed, He would indeed have gathered them upon [His] guidance. Do not, therefore, allow yourself to [be included among those who] ignore [Allah’s orderliness].

Only those who listen [with their hearts] can respond to a call [from Allah and His messenger]; and as for the dead [of heart], Allah [alone] can raise them from the dead, whereupon unto Him they shall return.

And they say, “Why has no miraculous sign been bestowed on him [Muhammad] from on high by his Sustainer?” Say, “Behold, Allah has the power to bestow any miracle from on high.” Yet most human beings are unaware of this —

Although there is no beast wandering on earth and no bird flying on its two wings that is not [Allah’s] species like yourselves: no single thing have We neglected in Our decree. And once again: unto their Sustainer shall they [all] be gathered.

And those who challenged Our messages [of power] are deaf and dumb, in darkness deep. Whomever Allah wills, He lets go astray; and whomever He wills, He places upon a straight course.

Say, “Can you see yourselves invoking any but Allah when Allah’s punishment befalls you [in this world], or when the Last Hour comes upon you? [Tell me this], if you are telling the truth!

“[The answer is] an emphatic no, but it is Him alone that you will invoke — whereupon He may, if He so wills, remove the [ill] that caused you to call unto Him; and you will have forgotten all that to which you [now] ascribe divinity/authority side by side with Him.”

And, indeed, We sent Our messages to people before your time [O Prophet], and visited them with misfortune and hardship so that they might humble themselves:

Yet when the misfortune decreed by Us befell them, they did not humble themselves, but rather their hearts grew hard, for Satan had made all their doings seem goodly [and appealing] to them.

Then, when they had forgotten all that they had been told [by Us] to take to heart, We threw open to them the gates of all [good and materialistic] things, until — even as they were rejoicing in what they had been granted — We suddenly took them to task, and lo! They were broken in spirit;

And [in the end], the last remnant of those folk who had been bent on evildoing was wiped out. For all praise is due to Allah, the Sustainer of all the worlds.

Say, “What do you think? If Allah should take away your hearing and your sight and seal your hearts — what deity/authority but Allah is there that could bring it all back to you?” Behold how many facets We give to Our messages — and yet they turn away in disdain!

Say, “Can you imagine what your condition will be if Allah’s punishment befalls you, either suddenly or in a [gradually] perceptible manner? [But then], will any but evildoing [and offensive] folk [ever] be destroyed?”

And We send [Our] message-bearers only as heralds of glad tidings and as warners; hence, all who commit [to Him] and live righteously, no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve;

Whereas those who disapprove of Our demonstrations of power, suffering will afflict them in result of all their degenerate doings.

Say [O Prophet], “I do not say to you [who object], ‘Allah’s treasures are with me’; nor [do I say], ‘I know the things that are beyond the reach of human perception’; nor do I say to you, ‘Behold, I am an angel’; I but follow what is revealed to me.” Say, “Can the blind and the seeing be deemed equal? Will you not, then, take thought?”

And warn hereby those who fear lest they be gathered unto their Sustainer with none to protect them from Him or to intercede with Him, so that they might become [fully] on guard [toward His immediate power presence].

Hence, do not force away [any of] those who at morning and evening invoke their Sustainer, seeking His countenance. You are in no way accountable for them — just as they are in no way accountable for you — and you have therefore no right to expel them [from your presence]: for then you would be among the [offensive] evildoers.

For it is in this way that We try some of them through others — to the end that they might ask, “Has Allah, then, bestowed His favor upon those others in preference to us?” Does not Allah know best as to who is grateful [to Him]?

And when those who are committed to Our āyāt come to you, say, “Peace be upon you, Your Sustainer has willed upon Himself [the law of] grace and mercy — so that if any of you does a bad deed out of ignorance, and thereafter repents and lives righteously, He shall be [found] much-forgiving, very merciful.”

And thus clearly do We spell out Our āyāt — and [We do it] so that the path of those who are criminals might be distinct [from that of the righteous].

Say [to the deniers of Allah’s power and authority], “Behold, I have been forbidden to conform to those [beings] whom you invoke instead of Allah.” Say, “I do not follow your errant views — or else I should have gone astray, and should not be among those who have found the right path.”

Say, “Behold, I take my stand on clear evidence from my Sustainer — and [so] it is about Him that you are lying! Not in my power is that which [in your ignorance] you so hastily demand: judgement [and ruling on this matter] rests with none but Allah. He shall outline the truth [about justice], since it is He who is the best judge [to rule between truth and falsehood].”

Say, “If that which you so hastily demand [as miracles] were in my power, everything would indeed have been decided between me and you [the mushriks]. But Allah knows best as to who is [offensively] doing wrong.”

For, with Him are the keys to the things that are beyond the reach of a created being’s perception: none knows them but He. And He knows all that is on land and in the sea; and not a leaf falls but He knows it; and neither is there a grain in the earth’s deep darkness, nor anything living or dead, but is recorded in [His] clear record.

And He it is who causes you to be inanimate at night, and knows what you work in daytime; and He reanimates you each day in order that a term set [by Him] be fulfilled. In the end, unto Him you must return: and then He will make you understand all that you were doing [in life].

And He alone holds sway over His subjects. And He sends forth heavenly forces to watch over you until, when death approaches any of you, Our angelic messengers cause his earthly life to come to an end: and they do not overlook [anyone].

And they are thereupon brought back before Allah, their true Lord Supreme. Oh verily, His alone is all judgement [and final word]. And He is the swiftest of all reckoners!

Say, “Who is it that saves you from the dark dangers of land and sea [when] you call unto Him humbly, and in the secrecy of your hearts, ‘If He will but save us from this [distress], we shall most certainly be among the grateful’?”

Say, “Allah [alone] can save you from this and from every distress — and still you ascribe divinity/authority to other powers beside Him!”

Say, “It is He alone who has the power to let loose upon you suffering from above or from beneath your feet, or to confound you with mutual discord and let you taste the [combat] severity of one another.” Behold how many facets We give to these power messages, so that they might understand the truth.

And yet, your people dispute all this, although it is the truth. Say [then], “I am not responsible for your conduct.

“Every tiding [from Allah] has a term set for its fulfillment: and in time you will come to know [the truth of the matter].”

And so whenever you encounter those who talk disrespectfully about Our messages [of phenomenal power and extraordinary authority] steer away from them until they thrash about concerning other matters; and if Satan should ever cause you to forget [yourself], remain not, after being conscious [of this matter] in the company of such offensive folk,

Those who guard [themselves against Allah’s punishment] are not at all accountable for what they [the disrespectful opponents] do. Theirs, however, is the duty to admonish [the ones who are lashing out], so that they might become conscious of Allah [and His power presence].

And leave them to themselves: those who, beguiled by the life of this world, have made play and passing delights their dīn; but remind [them] herewith that [in the life to come] every human being shall be bound to the detrimental results of whatever wrong he has done, and he shall have none to protect him from Allah, and none to intercede for him — even if he offers any conceivable ransom, it shall not be accepted from him. It is [people such as] these who shall be bound to the detrimental results of whatever wrong they have done; for them there is [in the life to come] a gulp of burning despair, and grievous suffering awaits them because of their persistent refusal to acknowledge the truth [about Allah’s power and authority].

Say, “Shall we invoke, instead of Allah, something that can neither benefit us nor harm us, and [thus] make an about-turn after Allah has guided us aright? — like one whom demons have enticed into faltering [here and there] throughout the land, the while his companions, trying to guide him, call out to him [from afar], ‘Come you to us!’” Say [O Muhammad], “Verily, Allah’s guidance is the only guidance: and so we have been bidden to surrender ourselves unto the Sustainer of all the worlds,

“And bring about [the tangibility of] ṣalāh and be on guard concerning Him [as He is the power that counts]: for it is He unto whom you all shall be gathered.”

And He it is who has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with truth and justice — and whenever He says, “Be,” His word comes true; and His will be the dominion on the Day when the trumpet [of resurrection] is blown. He knows all that is beyond the reach of a created being’s perception, as well as all that can be witnessed by a creature’s senses or mind: for He alone is the Truly Wise, the All-Aware.

And, bear in mind when Ibrāhīm spoke to his family elder Āzar, “Do you take up aṣnām [human figureheads substituting for Allah] as gods? Verily, I see that you and your people have obviously gone astray!”

And thus We gave Abraham [his first] insight into [Allah’s] mighty dominion over the heavens and the earth — and [this We did] to the end that he might become one of those who are personally convinced.

Then, when the night overshadowed him with its darkness, he observed a celestial object, [and] he exclaimed, “This is my Sustainer!” — but when it disappeared, he said, “I love not the things that disappear.”

Then, when he observed the Moon rising, he said, “This is my Sustainer!” — but when it disappeared, he said, “Indeed, if my Sustainer doesn’t guide me, I will most certainly become one of the people who go astray!”

Then, when he observed the Sun rising, he said, “This is my Sustainer! This one is the greatest [of all]!” — but when it [too] disappeared, he exclaimed, “O my people! Behold, far be it from me to ascribe divinity/ authority, as you do, to any beside Allah!

“Behold, unto Him who brought into being the heavens and the earth have I turned my face, having turned away [as an expression of independence] from all [powers and authorities] that are false; and I am not of those who ascribe divinity/authority to any beside Him.”

And his people argued with him. He said, “Do you argue with me about Allah, when it is He who has guided me? But I do not fear anything to which you ascribe divinity/authority side by side with Him, [for no evil can befall me] unless my Sustainer so wills. All things does my Sustainer embrace within His knowledge; will you not, then, keep this in mind?

“And why should I fear anything that you equate, side by side, with Him, seeing that you are not afraid of ascribing divinity/authority to other powers beside Allah without His ever having bestowed upon you from on high any warrant therefor? [Tell me], then, which of the two parties has a better right to feel secure — if you happen to know [the answer]?

“Those who have made a secure commitment [to Allah], and who have not blended their [divine] commitment with [satanic] wrongdoing — it is they who shall be secure, since it is they who have found the right path!”

And this was Our trump argument that We vouchsafed to Abraham against his people: [for] We do raise by degrees whom We will. Verily, your Sustainer is wise, all-knowing.

And We gifted him [Ibrāhīm] with Isaac and Jacob; and We guided each of them as We had guided Noah aforetime. And out of his offspring, [We bestowed prophethood upon] David, and Solomon, and Job, and Joseph, and Moses, and Aaron — for thus do We reward those who seek fulfillment;

And [upon] Zachariah, and John, and Jesus, and Elijah — every one of them was of the righteous;

And [upon] Ishmael, and Elisha, and Jonah, and Lot. And every one of them did We favor above other people;

And [We exalted likewise] some of their forefathers and their offspring and their brethren — We elected them [all], and guided them onto a straight way [that goes from this life to the afterlife].

Such is Allah’s guidance: He guides therewith whomever He wills of His subjects. And had they ascribed divinity/authority to any beside Him — in vain, indeed, would have been all [the good] they ever did;

[But] it was to them that We offered revelation, and sound judgement, and prophethood. And now, although these [people of Makkah] may deny it [revelation, sound judgement, and prophethood], We have entrusted it to people who do not deny it.

Those are the ones Allah has guided. Follow, then, their guidance, [and] say, “No reward do I ask of you for this [truth]: behold, it is but an admonition to all mankind!”

For, no true appreciation of Allah have they when they say, “Never has Allah revealed anything to a mortal being.” Say, “Who has bestowed from on high the divine writ that Moses brought to people as a light and a guidance, [and] that you treat as [mere] writing material, making a show of it the while you conceal [so] much — although you have been taught [by the divine writ] what neither you nor your forefathers had ever known?” Say, “Allah [has revealed that divine writ]!” — and then leave them to thrash about concerning this matter.

And this, too, is a divine writ [the Qur’an] that We have bestowed from on high — blessed, confirming the truth of whatever there still remains [of earlier revelations] — and [this] in order that you may warn the foremost of all cities and all who dwell around it. And those who have a firm expectation of the life to come do affirm this [warning]; and it is they who maintain their discourse [with Allah].

And who could be more offensive than he who attributes untruths to Allah, or says, “This has been revealed to me,” the while nothing has been revealed to him; or he who says, “I, too, can bestow from on high the like of what Allah has bestowed”? If you could but see [how it will be] when these offenders find themselves in the inundating anxieties of death, and the angels stretch forth their hands [and call], “Let go of yourselves [accept the inevitability of death]! Today you shall be requited with the suffering of humiliation for having attributed to Allah something that is not true, and for having persistently scorned His [miraculous] messages in your arrogance!”

[And Allah shall say], “And now, indeed, you have come unto Us in a lonely state [you are your singular self], as We created you in the first instance; and you have left behind all that We made available to you [in your lifetime]. And We do not see with you those intercessors of yours whom you had assumed to have a share in Allah’s divinity/authority with regard to yourselves [when in the life before, you were being tested on earth]! Indeed, all the bonds between you [and your earthly life] are now severed, and all your former fancies [about divinity and authority] have lost their way with you!”

Verily, Allah is the one who cleaves the grain and the fruit kernel apart; bringing forth what is to live out of what is to die, and He is the one who brings forth what is to die out of what is to live. This, then, is Allah: and yet, how is it that you get distracted?!

[He is] the One who causes the dawn to break; and He has made the night to be [an ambiance of] stillness, and the Sun and the Moon to run with mathematical exactitude: [all] this is laid down by the will of the Almighty, the All- Knowing.

And He it is who has set up for you the stars so that you might be guided by them in the midst of the deep darkness of land and sea: clearly, indeed, have We spelled out these messages [of Our power and authority] to people of [profound] knowledge!

And He it is who has brought you [all] into being out of one living entity, and [has appointed for each of you] a dwelling time limit [on earth] and a resting place [after death]: clearly, indeed, have We spelled out these messages to people who can grasp the [functional] truth!

And He it is who has caused waters to come down from the sky; and by this means have We brought forth all living growth, and out of this have We brought forth verdure. Out of this do We bring forth close-growing grain; and out of the spathe of the palm tree, dates in thick clusters; and gardens of vines, and the olive, and the pomegranate: [all] so alike, and yet so different! Behold their fruit when it comes to fruition and ripens! Verily, in all this there are messages of wonders indeed for people who will commit themselves [to Allah]!

And yet, some [multi-theists] have come to assign invisible beings a place side by side with Allah — although it is He who has created them [all]; and in their ignorance they have invented for Him sons and daughters! Limitless is He in His unique glory, and sublimely exalted above anything that they may devise by way of attribution:

The [unparalleled] Originator of the heavens and the earth! How could it be that He should have a child without there ever having been a mate for Him — since it is He who has created everything, and He alone knows everything?

Such is Allah, your Sustainer: there is no deity/ authority save Him, the Creator of everything: comply, then, with Him alone — for it is He who has everything in His trust.

No human vision can encompass Him, whereas He encompasses all human vision: for He alone is the Very Subtle, the All-Aware.

Means of insight have now come to you [O people!] from your Sustainer [through this divine Writ]. Whoever, therefore, chooses to see, does so for his own good; and whoever chooses to remain blind, does so to his own detriment. And [say to the blind of heart], “I am not your keeper.”

And thus do We give many facets to Our [phenomenal] messages. And to the end that they might say, “You have taken [all this] well to heart,” and that We might make it clear to people of [deep] knowledge.

Follow what has been revealed to you by your Sustainer — save whom there is no deity/ authority — and turn away from all who ascribe divinity/authority to any beside Him.

Yet if Allah had so willed, they would not have ascribed divinity/authority to any beside Him; hence, We have not made you their keeper, and neither are you responsible for their conduct.

But do not disparage those [beings] whom they invoke instead of Allah, lest they disparage Allah out of spite, and in ignorance: for, pleasing indeed have We made their own doings appear to every community. In time, [however], unto their Sustainer they must return: and then He will make them [truly] understand all that they were doing.

Now they swear by Allah with their most solemn oaths that if a miracle were shown to them, they would indeed commit to this [divine Writ]. Say, “Miracles are in the power of Allah alone.” And for all you know, even if one should be shown to them, they would not believe;

So long as We keep their hearts and their eyes turned [away from the truth], even as they did not commit to it in the first instance, and [so] We shall leave them in their overweening arrogance, blindly stumbling to and fro.1

And even if We were to send down angels to them, and if the dead were to speak to them, and [even if] We were to assemble before them, face to face, all the things [capable of proving the truth], they would still not commit themselves unless Allah so willed [otherwise]. But [of this] most of them are entirely uninformed.

And thus it is that against every prophet We have set up as enemies the evil forces from among humans as well as from among invisible beings that signal to one another glittering half-truths meant to delude the mind. But they could not do this unless your Sustainer had so willed: stand, therefore, aloof from them and from all their false imagery!

So that maybe the hearts of those who are not convinced of the life to come might incline toward Him, and that in Him they might find contentment, and that they might earn whatever they can earn [of merit].

[Say, O Prophet], “Am I, then to look to anyone but Allah to be a ruling judge [as to what is right and wrong], when it is He who has bestowed upon you from on high this divine Writ, clearly spelling out the truth?” And those to whom We have given revelation aforetime know that this one, too, has been bestowed from on high, step by step, by your Sustainer. Be not, then, among the skeptics —

For, truly and justly has your Sustainer’s promise been fulfilled. There is no power that could alter [the fulfillment of] His pronounced promises: and He alone is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

Now if you defer to to the majority of those [who live] on earth, they will but lead you astray from the path of Allah: they follow but [other people’s] conjectures, and they themselves do nothing but speculate.

Verily, your Sustainer knows best the ones who stray from His path, and He knows best the ones who are the [rightly] guided.

So, eat [animal flesh] over which Allah’s name has been invoked, if you are truly convinced of His āyāt.

And why should you not eat of that over which Allah’s name has been pronounced, seeing that He has so clearly spelled out to you what He has forbidden you [to eat] — unless you are compelled [to do so]? But behold, [it is precisely in such matters that] many people lead others astray by their own errant views, without [having any real] knowledge. Verily, your Sustainer is fully aware of those who transgress the bounds of what is right.

But abstain from sinning, be it open or secret — for, behold, those who earn sins shall be requited for all that they have grossed.

Hence, eat not of that over which Allah’s name has not been pronounced: for this would be degenerate conduct indeed. And, verily, the demons whisper to those who have made them their own [authorities] that they should involve you in argument [as to what is and what is not a sin]; and if you pay heed to them, lo! You will become [like] those who ascribe divinity/authority to other beings or forces beside Allah.

Is, then, he who was dead [for all practical purposes] and whom We thereupon gave life, and for whom We set up a light whereby he might see his way among the crowds — [is then he] like one [who is lost] in darkness deep, out of which he cannot emerge? [But] thus it is: goodly seem all their own doings to those who deny the truth [germane to Allah’s power and authority].

And it is in this way that We cause the domineering [elitist] ones in every land to become its [greatest] criminals, there to weave their schemes: yet it is only against themselves that they scheme — and they perceive it not.

And whenever a [divine and astounding] message comes to them, they say, “We shall not commit ourselves unless we are given the like of what Allah’s apostles were given!” [But] Allah knows best upon whom to bestow His [astonishing] message. Abasement in the sight of Allah will befall those who have become guilty of evildoing, and severe suffering for all the schemes they were predisposed to weave.

And whomsoever Allah wills to guide, his bosom He opens wide with willingness toward self-surrender [unto Him]; and whomsoever He wills to let go astray, his bosom He causes to be tight and constricted, as if he were climbing to the skies: it is thus that Allah inflicts horror upon those who will not commit themselves [to Him].

And undeviating is this, your Sustainer’s way. Clearly, indeed, have We spelled out these messages to people who [are willing to knowingly] take them to heart!

Theirs shall be an abode of peace with their Sustainer; and He shall be near to them in result of what they have been doing.

And on the Day when He shall gather them [all] together, [He will say], “O you who have lived in close communion as invisible beings! A great many [other] human beings have you ensnared!” And those of the humans who were close to them will say, “O our Sustainer! We did enjoy one another’s fellowship [in life]; but [now that] we have reached the end of our term — the term You have laid down for us — [we see the error of our ways]!” He will say, “The Fire shall be your abode therein to abide — unless Allah wills it otherwise.” Verily, your Sustainer is wise, all-knowing.

And in this manner do We cause offensive evildoers to seduce one another by means of their [evil] doings.

[And thus will Allah continue], “O you who have lived in close communion as invisible beings and [like-minded] humans! Have there not come to you apostles from among yourselves, who conveyed to you My messages [of power and authority] and warned you of the coming of this, your Day [of Judgement]?” They will answer, “We do bear witness against ourselves!” — for the life of this world had captivated them: and so they will bear witness against themselves that they had been denying the truth [pertaining to Allah’s power and authority].

And so it is that your Sustainer would never destroy a civic order for its wrongdoing so long as its people are still unaware [of the meaning of right and wrong]:

For all shall be graded according to their [conscious] deeds — and your Sustainer is not unaware of what they do.

And your Sustainer alone is self-sufficient, never-ending in His grace. If He so wills, He may put an end to you and thereafter cause whom He wills to succeed you — even as He has brought you into being out of other people’s genealogy.

Verily, that [reckoning] you are promised is bound to come, and you cannot elude it!

Say [O Prophet], “O my [skeptical] people! Do yet all that may be within your power, [while] I, behold, shall labor [in Allah’s way]: and in time you will come to know to whom the future belongs. Verily, never will offensive evildoers be successful.”

And out of whatever He has germinated of the fruits of the field and the cattle, they assign unto Allah a portion [of such produce], saying, “This belongs to Allah” — or so they [falsely] claim — “and this [other portion] is for those beings who, we are convinced, have a share in His divinity/authority.” But that which is assigned to the beings associated in their minds with God does not bring [them] closer to Allah, whereas that which is assigned to Allah brings [them but] closer to those beings to whom they ascribe a share in His divinity/ authority. Bad, indeed, is their judgement!

And, likewise, their belief in beings or powers that are supposed to have a share in God’s divinity/authority makes [even] the slaying of their children seem commendable to many of those who ascribe divinity/authority to any beside God, thus bringing them to ruin and confusing them in their faith. Yet, unless Allah had so willed, they would not be doing all this: stand, therefore, aloof from them and all their false imagery!

And they say, “Such and such cattle and fruits of the field are sacred; none may eat thereof save those whom we determine [to do so]” — so they [falsely] claim; and [they declare that] it is forbidden to burden the backs of certain kinds of cattle; and there are cattle over which they do not pronounce Allah’s name — falsely attributing [the origin of these customs] to Him. [But] He will requite them for all their false imagery.

And they say, “All that is in the wombs of such and such cattle is reserved for our males and forbidden to our women; but if it be stillborn, then both may have their share thereof.” [Allah] will requite them for all they [falsely] attribute [to Him]: behold, He is wise, all-knowing.

Lost, indeed, are those who, in their weak- minded ignorance, slay their children and declare as forbidden that which Allah has provided for them as sustenance, falsely ascribing [such prohibitions] to Allah: they have gone astray and have not found the right path.

For it is He who has brought into being gardens — the cultivated ones and those growing wild — and the date-palm, and fields bearing multiform produce, and the olive, and the pomegranate: [all] resembling one another and yet so different! Eat of their fruitlet when it comes to fruition, and give [to whoever deserves it] their due on harvest day. And do not waste [Allah’s bounties]: verily, He does not love the wasteful!

And of the cattle reared for work and for the sake of their flesh, eat whatever Allah has provided for you as sustenance, and follow not Satan’s footsteps: behold, he is your open foe!

[His followers would have it that, in certain cases, any of these] four kinds of cattle of either sex [is unlawful]: either of the two sexes of sheep and of goats. Ask [them], “Is it the two males that He has forbidden, or the two females, or that which the wombs of the two females may contain? Tell me what you know in this respect, if what you say is true.”

And [likewise they declare as unlawful] either of the two sexes of camels and of bovine cattle. Ask [them], “Is it the two males that He has forbidden, or the two females, or that which the wombs of the two females may contain? Is it, perchance, that you [yourselves] were witnesses when Allah enjoined [all] this upon you?” And who could be more wicked than he who, without any [real] knowledge, attributes his own lying inventions to Allah, and thus leads people astray? Behold, Allah does not grace [such] offensive evildoing folk with His guidance.

Say [O Prophet], “In all that has been revealed to me, I do not find anything forbidden to eat, if one wants to eat thereof, unless it be meat of a dead animal [one not slaughtered] or blood poured forth, or the meat of swine — for that, behold, is loathsome — or a sinful offering over which any name other than Allah’s has been invoked. But if one is driven by necessity — neither coveting it nor exceeding his immediate need — then [know that], behold, your Sustainer is much-forgiving, exceptionally merciful.

And [in preceding times] to those who followed the Jewish faith did We forbid all beasts that have claws; and We forbade to them the fat of both oxen and sheep, excepting that which is in their backs or entrails or that which is within the bone: thus did We requite them for their argumentative attitude — for, behold, We are true to Our word!”

And if they try to disprove you, say, “Limitless is your Sustainer in His grace; but His punishment shall not be averted from people who are delinquent.”

Those who are bent on ascribing divinity/ authority to any beside Allah will say, “Had Allah so willed, we would not have ascribed divinity/authority to any but Him, nor would our forefathers [have done so]; and neither would we have declared as forbidden anything [that He has allowed].” In the same manner did those who lived before them refute the truth — until they came to taste Our punishment! Say, “Have you any [certain] knowledge that you could proffer to us? You follow but [other people’s] conjectures, and you yourselves do nothing but surmise.”

Say, “[Know], then, that the final conclusive evidence [of all truth] rests with Allah alone; and had He so willed, He would have guided you all aright.”

Say, “Bring forward your witnesses who could testify that Allah has forbidden [all] this!” — and if they bear witness [falsely], do not bear witness with them; and do not follow the errant views of those who have challenged the validity of Our [miraculous power] messages, nor of those who are not confident of the life to come, and who regard other powers as their Sustainer’s equals!

Say, “Come, let me convey to you what your Sustainer has [really] forbidden to you: do not ascribe divinity/authority, in any way, to any beside Him; and [do not offend against but, rather] be of exceedingly good behavior to your parents; and do not kill your children for fear of poverty — [for] it is We who shall provide sustenance for you as well as for them; and do not commit any [outrageously] shameful deeds, be they open or secret; and do not take any human being’s life — [the life] that Allah has declared to be sacred — otherwise than in [the pursuit of] justice: this has He enjoined upon you so that you might use your reason;

“And do not touch the [financial] substance of an orphan — save to improve it — before he comes of age. And [in all your market transactions] give full measure and weight, with equity: [however], We do not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear; and when you voice an opinion, be just, even though it be [against] one near of kin. And [always] observe your bond with Allah: this has He enjoined upon you, so that you might keep it in mind.

“And [know] that this is the way leading straight unto Me: follow it, then, and follow not other ways, lest they cause you to deviate from His way. [All] this has He enjoined upon you, so that you might remain conscious and on guard [concerning His power presence and overpowering authority].”

Thereafter, We granted the divine writ to Moses in fulfillment [of Our favor] upon those who persevered in doing what is better, clearly spelling out everything, and [thus providing] guidance and grace, so that they might have faith in the [final] meeting with their Sustainer.

And this [Qur’an], too, is a divine writ that We have bestowed from on high, a blessed one: follow it, then, and be conscious and on guard [when it comes to Allah’s power] so that you might be graced with His mercy.

[It has been given to you] lest you say, “Only upon two groups of people, [both of them] before our time, has a divine writ been bestowed from on high — and we were indeed unaware of their teachings;

Or lest you say, “If a divine writ had been bestowed from on high upon us, we would surely have followed its guidance better than they did.” And so, a clear evidence of the truth has now come to you from your Sustainer, and guidance, and grace. Who, then, could be more offensive than he who contradicts Allah’s [phenomenal power] messages, and turns away from them in disdain? We shall requite those who turn away from Our messages [of power] in disdain with severe suffering for having thus turned away!

Do they, perchance, wait for the angels to come to them, or for your Sustainer [Himself] to come, or for some of your Sustainer’s [final] great things to appear? [But] on the Day when your Sustainer’s [final] great things do appear, believing will be of no avail to any human being who did not commit [to Allah] before, or who, while having done so, did no good works. Say, “Wait, [then, for the Last Day, O deniers of Allah’s power]; behold, we [the committed muslims] are waiting, too!”

Verily, as for those who have shattered the integrity of their dīn, thus becoming [rival] partisans, you have nothing to do with them. Behold, their case rests with Allah; and in time He will make them understand what they were doing.

Whoever shall come [before Allah] with a good deed will gain ten times the like thereof; but whoever shall come with an evil deed will be requited with no more than the like thereof; and none shall be wronged.

Say, “For sure my Sustainer has guided me to a direct track — a dīn of values, the worldview of Ibrāhīm who turned away from all that is false, and was not of those who ascribe divinity/ authority to any beside Him.”

Say, “In truth my reverent petition, my sacrifice relationship [with Allah], my life, and my death belong to Allah, the Sustainer of the worlds,

In whose divinity/authority none has a share: for thus have I been bidden — and I shall [always] be foremost among those who surrender themselves unto Him.”

Say, “Am I, then, to seek a sustainer other than Allah, when He is the Sustainer of all things?” And whatever wrong any human being commits rests upon himself alone; and no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another’s burden. And, in time, unto your Sustainer you all must return: and then He will make you [truly] understand all that on which you were inclined to differ.

For, He it is who has made you inherit the earth, and has raised some of you by degrees above others, so that He might test you by means of what He has imparted to you. Verily, your Sustainer is swift in retribution: yet, behold, He is indeed much-forgiving, properly merciful.