Surah 23 The Believers - Al-Mu'menoon, 118 verses (Makka)
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
- The believers must (eventually) win through,-
- Those who humble themselves in their prayers;
- Who avoid vain talk;
- Who are active in deeds of charity;
- Who abstain from sex,
- Except with those joined to them in the marriage
bond, or (the captives) whom their right hands
possess,- for (in their case) they are free from blame,
- But those whose desires exceed those limits are
transgressors;-
- Those who faithfully observe their trusts and their
covenants;
- And who (strictly) guard their prayers;-
- These will be the heirs,
- Who will inherit Paradise: they will dwell therein
(for ever).
- Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay);
- Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place
of rest, firmly fixed;
- Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed
blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then
we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones
with flesh; then we developed out of it another
creature. So blessed be God, the best to create!
- After that, at length ye will die
- Again, on the Day of Judgment, will ye be raised
up.
- And We have made, above you, seven tracts; and We
are never unmindful of (our) Creation.
- And We send down water from the sky according to
(due) measure, and We cause it to soak in the soil; and
We certainly are able to drain it off (with ease).
- With it We grow for you gardens of date-palms and
vines: in them have ye abundant fruits: and of them ye
eat (and have enjoyment),-
- Also a tree springing out of Mount Sinai, which
produces oil, and relish for those who use it for food.
- And in cattle (too) ye have an instructive example:
from within their bodies We produce (milk) for you to
drink; there are, in them, (besides), numerous (other)
benefits for you; and of their (meat) ye eat;
- An on them, as well as in slips, ye side.
- (Further, We sent a long line of prophets for your
instruction). We sent Noah to his people: He said, "O
my people! worship God! Ye have no other god but Him.
Will ye not fear (Him)?"
- The chiefs of the Unbelievers among his people
said: "He is no more than a man like yourselves: his
wish is to assert his superiority over you: if God had
wished (to send messengers), He could have sent down
angels; never did we hear such a thing (as he says),
among our ancestors of old."
- (And some said): "He is only a man possessed: wait
(and have patience) with him for a time."
- (Noah) said: "O my Lord! help me: for that they
accuse me of falsehood!"
- So We inspired him (with this message): "Construct
the Ark within Our sight and under Our guidance: then
when comes Our Command, and the fountains of the earth
gush forth, take thou on board pairs of every species,
male and female, and thy family- except those of them
against whom the Word has already gone forth: And
address Me not in favour of the wrong-doers; for they
shall be drowned (in the Flood).
- And when thou hast embarked on the Ark - thou and
those with thee,- say: "Praise be to God, Who has saved
us from the people who do wrong."
- And say: "O my Lord! enable me to disembark with
thy blessing: for Thou art the Best to enable (us) to
disembark."
- Verily in this there are Signs (for men to
understand); (thus) do We try (men).
- Then We raised after them another generation.
- And We sent to them an apostle from among
themselves, (saying), "Worship God! ye have no other
god but Him. Will ye not fear (Him)?"
- And the chiefs of his people, who disbelieved and
denied the Meeting in the Hereafter, and on whom We had
bestowed the good things of this life, said: "He is no
more than a man like yourselves: he eats of that of
which ye eat, and drinks of what ye drink.
- "If ye obey a man like yourselves, behold, it is
certain ye will be lost.
- "Does he promise that when ye die and become dust
and bones, ye shall be brought forth (again)?
- "Far, very far is that which ye are promised!
- "There is nothing but our life in this world! We
shall die and we live! But we shall never be raised up
again!
- "He is only a man who invents a lie against God,
but we are not the ones to believe in him!"
- (The prophet) said: "O my Lord! help me: for that
they accuse me of falsehood."
- (God) said: "In but a little while, they are sure
to be sorry!"
- Then the Blast overtook them with justice, and We
made them as rubbish of dead leaves (floating on the
stream of Time)! So away with the people who do wrong!
- Then We raised after them other generations.
- No people can hasten their term, nor can they delay
(it).
- Then sent We our apostles in succession: every time
there came to a people their apostle, they accused him
of falsehood: so We made them follow each other (in
punishment): We made them as a tale (that is told): So
away with a people that will not believe!
- Then We sent Moses and his brother Aaron, with Our
Signs and authority manifest,
- To Pharaoh and his Chiefs: But these behaved
insolently: they were an arrogant people.
- They said: "Shall we believe in two men like
ourselves? And their people are subject to us!"
- So they accused them of falsehood, and they became
of those who were destroyed.
- And We gave Moses the Book, in order that they
might receive guidance.
- And We made the son of Mary and his mother as a
Sign: We gave them both shelter on high ground,
affording rest and security and furnished with springs.
- O ye apostles! enjoy (all) things good and pure,
and work righteousness: for I am well-acquainted with
(all) that ye do.
- And verily this Brotherhood of yours is a single
Brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher:
therefore fear Me (and no other).
- But people have cut off their affair (of unity),
between them, into sects: each party rejoices in that
which is with itself.
- But leave them in their confused ignorance for a
time.
- Do they think that because We have granted them
abundance of wealth and sons,
- We would hasten them on in every good? Nay, they do
not understand.
- Verily those who live in awe for fear of their
Lord;
- Those who believe in the Signs of their Lord;
- Those who join not (in worship) partners with their
Lord;
- And those who dispense their charity with their
hearts full of fear, because they will return to their
Lord;-
- It is these who hasten in every good work, and
these who are foremost in them.
- On no soul do We place a burden greater than it can
bear: before Us is a record which clearly shows the
truth: they will never be wronged.
- But their hearts are in confused ignorance of this;
and there are, besides that, deeds of theirs, which
they will (continue) to do,-
- Until, when We seize in Punishment those of them
who received the good things of this world, behold,
they will groan in supplication!
- (It will be said): "Groan not in supplication this
day: for ye shall certainly not be helped by Us.
- "My Signs used to be rehearsed to you, but ye used
to turn back on your heels-
- "In arrogance: talking nonsense about the (Qur'an),
like one telling fables by night."
- Do they not ponder over the Word (of God), or has
anything (new) come to them that did not come to their
fathers of old?
- Or do they not recognise their Apostle, that they
deny him?
- Or do they say, "He is possessed"? Nay, he has
brought them the Truth, but most of them hate the
Truth.
- If the Truth had been in accord with their desires,
truly the heavens and the earth, and all beings therein
would have been in confusion and corruption! Nay, We
have sent them their admonition, but they turn away
from their admonition.
- Or is it that thou askest them for some recompense?
But the recompense of thy Lord is best: He is the Best
of those who give sustenance.
- But verily thou callest them to the Straight Way;
- And verily those who believe not in the Hereafter
are deviating from that Way.
- If We had mercy on them and removed the distress
which is on them, they would obstinately persist in
their transgression, wandering in distraction to and
fro.
- We inflicted Punishment on them, but they humbled
not themselves to their Lord, nor do they submissively
entreat (Him)!-
- Until We open on them a gate leading to a severe
Punishment: then Lo! they will be plunged in despair
therein!
- It is He Who has created for you (the faculties of)
hearing, sight, feeling and understanding: little
thanks it is ye give!
- And He has multiplied you through the earth, and to
Him shall ye be gathered back.
- It is He Who gives life and death, and to Him (is
due) the alternation of Night and Day: will ye not then
understand?
- On the contrary they say things similar to what the
ancients said.
- They say: "What! when we die and become dust and
bones, could we really be raised up again?
- "Such things have been promised to us and to our
fathers before! they are nothing but tales of the
ancients!"
- Say: "To whom belong the earth and all beings
therein? (say) if ye know!"
- They will say, "To God!" say: "Yet will ye not
receive admonition?"
- Say: "Who is the Lord of the seven heavens, and the
Lord of the Throne (of Glory) Supreme?"
- They will say, "(They belong) to God." Say: "Will
ye not then be filled with awe?"
- Say: "Who is it in whose hands is the governance of
all things,- who protects (all), but is not protected
(of any)? (say) if ye know."
- They will say, "(It belongs) to God." Say: "Then
how are ye deluded?"
- We have sent them the Truth: but they indeed
practise falsehood!
- No son did God beget, nor is there any god along
with Him: (if there were many gods), behold, each god
would have taken away what he had created, and some
would have lorded it over others! Glory to God! (He is
free) from the (sort of) things they attribute to Him!
- He knows what is hidden and what is open: too high
is He for the partners they attribute to Him!
- Say: "O my Lord! if Thou wilt show me (in my
lifetime) that which they are warned against,-
- "Then, O my Lord! put me not amongst the people who
do wrong!"
- And We are certainly able to show thee (in
fulfilment) that against which they are warned.
- Repel evil with that which is best: We are well
acquainted with the things they say.
- And say "O my Lord! I seek refuge with Thee from
the suggestions of the Evil Ones.
- "And I seek refuge with Thee O my Lord! lest they
should come near me."
- (In Falsehood will they be) Until, when death comes
to one of them, he says: "O my Lord! send me back (to
life),-
- "In order that I may work righteousness in the
things I neglected." - "By no means! It is but a word
he says."- Before them is a Partition till the Day
they are raised up.
- Then when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no
more relationships between them that Day, nor will one
ask after another!
- Then those whose balance (of good deeds) is heavy,-
they will attain salvation:
- But those whose balance is light, will be those who
have lost their souls, in Hell will they abide.
- The Fire will burn their faces, and they will
therein grin, with their lips displaced.
- "Were not My Signs rehearsed to you, and ye did but
treat them as falsehood?"
- They will say: "our Lord! Our misfortune
overwhelmed us, and we became a people astray!
- "Our Lord! bring us out of this: if ever we return
(to Evil), then shall we be wrong-doers indeed!"
- He will say: "Be ye driven into it (with ignominy)!
And speak ye not to Me!
- "A part of My servants there was, who used to pray
'our Lord! we believe; then do Thou forgive us, and
have mercy upon us: For Thou art the Best of those who
show mercy!"
- "But ye treated them with ridicule, so much so that
(ridicule of) them made you forget My Message while ye
were laughing at them!
- "I have rewarded them this Day for their patience
and constancy: they are indeed the ones that have
achieved Bliss..."
- He will say: "What number of years did ye stay on
earth?"
- They will say: "We stayed a day or part of a day:
but ask those who keep account."
- He will say: "Ye stayed not but a little,- if ye
had only known!
- "Did ye then think that We had created you in jest,
and that ye would not be brought back to Us (for
account)?"
- Therefore exalted be God, the King, the Reality:
there is no god but He, the Lord of the Throne of
Honour!
- If anyone invokes, besides God, Any other god, he
has no authority therefor; and his reckoning will be
only with his Lord! and verily the Unbelievers will
fail to win through!
- So say: "O my Lord! grant Thou forgiveness and
mercy for Thou art the Best of those who show mercy!"
Quran
Surah 22 The Pilgrimage
Surah 23 The Believers
Surah 24 Light