In the name of God, the Almighty,¹ the Merciful.

¹ alif lām rā¹ A Writ² We have sent down to thee,³ that thou bring forth mankind out of darkness⁴ into the light, by the leave of their Lord, to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy,

² Of God, to whom belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth; and woe to the false claimers of guidance¹ from a severe punishment!

³ Those who prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter, and turn away from¹ the path of God, and would make it crooked: those are in extreme error.

⁴ And We sent a messenger only in the tongue of his people, that he might make plain¹ to them; and God sends astray whom He wills, and guides whom He wills; and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.²

⁵ And We sent Moses with Our proofs:¹ “Bring thou thy people forth out of darkness² into the light, and remind thou them of the days of God.” In that³ are proofs⁴ for every one patient and grateful.

⁶ And when¹ Moses said to his people: “Remember the favour of God upon you when He delivered you from the house of Pharaoh:² they were afflicting you with an evil punishment, and slaughtering your sons and sparing your women; and in that was a great trial from your Lord.”

⁷ And when¹ your Lord proclaimed: “If you are grateful, I will increase you; but if you deny, My punishment is severe.”

⁸ And Moses said: “If you deny, you and whoso is in the earth all together, then is God free from need and praiseworthy.”

⁹ Has not the report reached you of those before you: — the people of Noah, and ʿĀd, and Thamūd, and those after them? None knows them save God. Their messengers came to them with clear signs, but they returned their hands to their mouths,¹ and said: “We deny that wherewith you have been sent, and we are in sceptical doubt about that to which you invite us.”

¹⁰ Their messengers said: “Can there be about God any doubt: the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth? He calls you, that He will forgive you of your transgressions,¹ and delay you to a stated term.” They said: “You are only mortals like us, who would turn us away from² what our fathers served. So bring us a clear authority.”

¹¹ Their messengers said to them: “We are only mortals, like you; but God gives grace to whom He wills of His servants. And it is not for us to bring you an authority save by the leave of God; and in God let the believers¹ place their trust.

¹² “And how could we not place our trust in God, when He has guided us in our ways? And we will be patient in that wherein you hinder¹ us; and in God let those who would place their trust aright² place their trust.”

¹³ And those who ignored warning¹ said to their messengers: “We will turn you out of our land unless² you return to our creed.” Then did their Lord reveal³ to them: “We will destroy the wrongdoers⁴

¹⁴ “And We will cause you to dwell in the land after them — that is for him who fears My station¹ and fears My warning.”²

¹⁵ And they¹ sought decision;² and every obstinate tyrant failed:

¹⁶ Beyond him¹ is Gehenna; and he is given to drink of purulent water.²

¹⁷ He will gulp it, but will scarcely swallow it; and death will come at him from every place, but he is not to die. And beyond him¹ is a stern punishment.

¹⁸ The likeness of those who deny their Lord: their works are as ashes the wind scatters on a day of tempest; they possess nothing of what they earned — that¹ is the extreme error.

¹⁹ Dost thou not see¹ that God created the heavens and the earth in truth?² If He wills, He will remove you and bring a new creation;

²⁰ And that is not difficult for God.¹

²¹ And they will emerge before God all together; and the weak will say to those who had waxed proud: “We were your followers; can you avail us something against the punishment of God?” They will say: “Had God guided us, we would have guided you; it is the same for us whether we be distressed or patient: we have no place of refuge.”

²² And the satan¹ will say when the matter is concluded: “God promised you the promise of truth;² and I promised you, but I betrayed³ you. And I had not over you any authority except to call you — and you responded to me;⁴ so blame not me, but blame yourselves. I cannot aid you, and you cannot aid me. I deny your ascribing to me a partnership⁵ before; the wrongdoers:⁶ for them is a painful punishment.”

²³ And those who heed warning¹ and do righteous deeds will be made to enter gardens beneath which rivers flow, they abiding eternally therein by the leave of their Lord. Their greeting therein will be: “Peace!”

²⁴ Hast thou not considered¹ how God struck a similitude? A good word² is like a good tree: its root firm, and its branches in the sky.

²⁵ It brings its fruit at all times,¹ by the leave of its Lord. And God strikes similitudes for mankind, that they might take heed.

²⁶ And the likeness of a bad word is like a bad tree: uprooted from¹ the earth, it has no fixed lodging.

²⁷ God strengthens those who heed warning¹ with a firm word² in³ the life of this world and in⁴ the Hereafter. And God sends astray the wrongdoers;⁵ and God does what He wills.

²⁸ Hast thou not considered¹ those who exchanged the favour of God for denial, and caused their people to alight in the abode of desolation —

²⁹ Gehenna — wherein they burn?¹ And evil is the fixed lodging.

³⁰ And they made equals to God, that they might lead astray from His path. Say thou: “Enjoy yourselves, for your journey’s end is the Fire.”

³² God is He who created the heavens and the earth, and sent down from the sky water wherewith He brought forth some fruits as a provision for you; and He made subject for you the ship¹ to run upon the sea by His command; and He made subject for you the rivers;

³³ And He made subject for you the sun and the moon, both constant;¹ and He made subject for you the night and the day.

³⁴ And He gives you of all that you ask of Him.¹ And if you should count the favour of God, you will not calculate it; man is a wrongdoer and an ingrate.

³⁵ (And when¹ Abraham said:² “My Lord: make Thou this land secure; and preserve Thou me and my sons from serving idols.³

³⁶ “My Lord: they have led astray many among mankind. But whoso follows me, he is of me; and whoso disobeys me: Thou art forgiving and merciful.

³⁷ “Our Lord: I have settled some of my progeny in an uncultivated valley by Thy inviolable house,¹ our Lord, that they uphold the duty;² so make Thou hearts among men incline towards them, and provide Thou them some fruits, that they might be grateful.

³⁸ “Our Lord: Thou knowest what we hide, and what we make known; and nothing is hidden from God in the earth or in the heaven.

³⁹ “Praise belongs to God who has given me in old age Ishmael and Isaac! My Lord is the hearer of supplication.

⁴⁰ “My Lord: make Thou me one upholding the duty,¹ and of my progeny, our Lord, and accept Thou my supplication.

⁴¹ “Our Lord: forgive Thou me, and my parents, and the believers,¹ the day the reckoning takes place.”)

⁴² And think thou¹ not that God is unmindful of what the wrongdoers² do; He only delays them to a day wherein the eyes will stare,³

⁴³ Straining forward, their heads uplifted; their gaze not returning to them, and their hearts void.

⁴⁴ And warn thou mankind of a day the punishment will come upon them, and those who did wrong will say: “Our Lord: delay Thou us for a short term: we will respond to Thy call and follow the messengers.” — “Did you not swear before that there would be no end for you?

⁴⁵ “And you dwelt in the dwellings of those who wronged their souls; and it was made clear to you how We did with them; and We struck similitudes for you.”

⁴⁶ And they have schemed their scheme, but their scheme is with God; and though their scheme be that the mountains should vanish,

⁴⁷ Think thou not that God will fail in His promise to His messengers;¹ God is exalted in might and vengeful.

⁴⁸ The day the earth will be changed to another earth, and the heavens, they¹ will emerge before God, the One, the Vanquishing.

⁴⁹ And thou wilt see the lawbreakers, that day, bound together in shackles,