SURAH AL-'ANKABUT

Alif, Lām, Meem.¹¹²⁴

Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried?

But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allāh will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars.

Or do those who do evil deeds think they can outrun [i.e., escape] Us? Evil is what they judge.

Whoever should hope for the meeting with Allāh - indeed, the term [decreed by] Allāh is coming. And He is the Hearing, the Knowing.

And whoever strives only strives for [the benefit of] himself. Indeed, Allāh is Free from need of the worlds.

And those who believe and do righteous deeds - We will surely remove from them their misdeeds and will surely reward them according to the best of what they used to do.

And We have enjoined upon man goodness to parents. But if they endeavor to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge,¹¹²⁵ do not obey them. To Me is your return, and I will inform you about what you used to do.

And those who believe and do righteous deeds - We will surely admit them among the righteous [into Paradise].

And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allāh," but when one [of them] is harmed for [the cause of] Allāh, he considers the trial [i.e., harm] of the people as [if it were] the punishment of Allāh. But if victory comes from your Lord, they say, "Indeed, We were with you." Is not Allāh most knowing of what is within the breasts of the worlds [i.e., all creatures]?

And Allāh will surely make evident those who believe, and He will surely make evident the hypocrites.

And those who disbelieve say to those who believe, "Follow our way, and we will carry your sins."¹¹²⁶ But they will not carry anything of their sins. Indeed, they are liars.

But they will surely carry their [own] burdens and [other] burdens along with their burdens,¹¹²⁷ and they will surely be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about what they used to invent.

And We certainly sent Noah to his people, and he remained among them a thousand years minus fifty years, and the flood seized them while they were wrongdoers.

But We saved him and the companions of the ship, and We made it¹¹²⁸ a sign for the worlds.

And [We sent] Abraham, when he said to his people, "Worship Allāh and fear Him. That is best for you, if you should know.

You only worship, besides Allāh, idols, and you produce a falsehood. Indeed, those you worship besides Allāh do not possess for you [the power of] provision. So seek from Allāh provision and worship Him and be grateful to Him. To Him you will be returned."

And if you [people] deny [the message] - already nations before you have denied. And there is not upon the Messenger except [the duty of] clear notification.¹¹²⁹

Have they not considered how Allāh begins creation and then repeats it? Indeed that, for Allāh, is easy.

Say, [O Muḥammad], "Travel through the land and observe how He began creation. Then Allāh will produce the final creation [i.e., development]. Indeed Allāh, over all things, is competent."

He punishes whom He wills and has mercy upon whom He wills, and to Him you will be returned.

And you will not cause failure [to Allāh] upon the earth or in the heaven. And you have not other than Allāh any protector or any helper.

And the ones who disbelieve in the signs of Allāh and the meeting with Him - those have despaired of My mercy, and they will have a painful punishment.

And the answer of his [i.e., Abraham's] people was not but that they said, "Kill him or burn him," but Allāh saved him from the fire. Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.

And [Abraham] said, "You have only taken, other than Allāh, idols as [a bond of] affection among you in worldly life. Then on the Day of Resurrection you will deny one another and curse one another, and your refuge will be the Fire, and you will not have any helpers."

And Lot believed him. [Abraham] said, "Indeed, I will emigrate to [the service of] my Lord. Indeed, He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise."

And We gave to him Isaac and Jacob and placed in his descendants prophethood and scripture. And We gave him his reward in this world, and indeed, he is in the Hereafter among the righteous.

And [mention] Lot, when he said to his people, "Indeed, you commit such immorality as no one has preceded you with from among the worlds.

Indeed, you approach men and obstruct the road¹¹³⁰ and commit in your meetings [every] evil." And the answer of his people was not but that they said, "Bring us the punishment of Allāh, if you should be of the truthful."

He said, "My Lord, support me against the corrupting people."

And when Our messengers [i.e., angels] came to Abraham with the good tidings,¹¹³¹ they said, "Indeed, we will destroy the people of that [i.e., Lot's] city. Indeed, its people have been wrongdoers."

[Abraham] said, "Indeed, within it is Lot." They said, "We are more knowing of who is within it. We will surely save him and his family, except his wife. She is to be of those who remain behind."

And when Our messengers [i.e., angels] came to Lot, he was distressed for them and felt for them great discomfort.¹¹³² They said, "Fear not, nor grieve. Indeed, we will save you and your family, except your wife; she is to be of those who remain behind.

Indeed, we will bring down on the people of this city punishment from the sky because they have been defiantly disobedient."

And We have certainly left of it a sign as clear evidence for a people who use reason.

And to Madyan [We sent] their brother Shuʿayb, and he said, "O my people, worship Allāh and expect the Last Day and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption."

But they denied him, so the earthquake seized them, and they became within their home [corpses] fallen prone.

And [We destroyed] ʿAad and Thamūd, and it has become clear to you from their [ruined] dwellings. And Satan had made pleasing to them their deeds and averted them from the path, and they were endowed with perception.

And [We destroyed] Qārūn and Pharaoh and Hāmān. And Moses had already come to them with clear evidences, and they were arrogant in the land, but they were not outrunners [of Our punishment].

So each We seized for his sin; and among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the blast [from the sky], and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. And Allāh would not have wronged them, but it was they who were wronging themselves.

The example of those who take allies other than Allāh is like that of the spider who takes [i.e., constructs] a home. And indeed, the weakest of homes is the home of the spider, if they only knew.

Indeed, Allāh knows whatever thing they call upon¹¹³³ other than Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

And these examples We present to the people, but none will understand them except those of knowledge.

Allāh created the heavens and the earth in truth. Indeed in that is a sign for the believers.

Recite, [O Muḥammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allāh is greater. And Allāh knows that which you do.

And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them, and say, "We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you. And our God and your God is one; and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him."

And thus We have sent down to you the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān]. And those to whom We [previously] gave the Scripture believe in it. And among these [people of Makkah] are those who believe in it. And none reject Our verses except the disbelievers.

And you did not recite before it any scripture, nor did you inscribe one with your right hand. Then [i.e., otherwise] the falsifiers would have had [cause for] doubt.

Rather, it [i.e., the Qur’ān] is distinct verses [preserved] within the breasts of those who have been given knowledge. And none reject Our verses except the wrongdoers.

But they say, "Why are not signs sent down to him from his Lord?" Say, "The signs are only with Allāh, and I am only a clear warner."