English translation of holy Quran by QuranWeb

AL-NAHAL (16)

The Bee

1. God's command comes, so seek not to hasten it; Holy is He and Exalted above that they associate with Him!(1)
2. He sends down angels with the Spirit of His command on whomsoever of His servants He will: `Give you warning that there is no god but I, so fear Me'.(2)
3. He created the heavens and the earth with truth; Exalted is He above that they associate with Him!(3)
4. He created man of a sperm-drop, then lo, he is an open disputant!(4)
5. And the cattle __ He created them; in them is warmth and other benefits for you, and of them you eat;(5)
6. and in them is beauty for you, when you bring them home to rest and when you take them out to pasture;(6)
7. and they carry your loads to a land that you would never reach except with distress of souls; your Lord is surely Kind and Merciful.(7)
8. And horses, mules and asses, (He created) that you may ride on them, and as an adornment; and He creates what you know not.(8)
9. And it is God's to show the mean way, yet some turn away from it; and if He willed, He would have guided you all.(9)
10. It is He who sends down from heaven water, of which you have your drink, and of which are trees on which you pasture herds.(10)
11. With it He grows for you crops, olives, palms, grapes and all kinds of fruits. In that is surely a Sign for a people who ponder.(11)
12. And He has subjected for you the night and the day, and the sun and the moon; and the stars are also subjected by His command; in that are surely Signs for a people who understand.(12)
13. And the things He has scattered for you in the earth have different colours; in that is surely a Sign for a people who pay heed.(13)
14. And it is He who has subjected the sea, that you may eat out of it fresh flesh, and bring forth out of it ornaments that you wear; and thou seest the ships ploughing through it; and that you may seek of His bounty, and that you may be thankful.(14)
15. And He has cast firm mountains in the earth, lest it should shake with you, and rivers and paths, that you may find the way,(15)
16. and also way-marks; and by the stars they find the way.(16)
17. Is then He who creates as he who does not create? Will you not pay heed?(17)
18. And if you count God's blessings, you will not number them; God is surely Forgiving, Merciful.(18)
19. And God knows what you hide and what you make public.(19)
20. And those they call upon, apart from God, create nothing, and themselves are created;(20)
21. they are dead without life, and cannot know when they shall be raised.(21)
22. Your God is One God, but those who do not believe in the Hereafter, their hearts deny and they show arrogance.(22)
23. Without a doubt, God knows what they hide and what they make public; surely He does not love those who show arrogance.(23)
24. And when it is said to them, `what thing has your Lord sent down', they say, `fables of the ancients',(24)
25. that they may bear their loads complete on the Day of Resurrection, and also some of the loads of those whom they lead astray without knowldge. Behold, how evil a load they bear!(25)
26. Those that were before them contrived; then God came upon their building from the foundations, and the roof fell down upon them from above them; and the punishment came upon them whence they perceived not.(26)
27. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, He will humiliate them and say, `where are My associates for whom you made a breach?' Those who were given the knowledge will say, `today, humiliation and evil are on the unbelievers,(27)
28. those whom the angels take while doing wrong to themselves;' then they will offer submission: `we were not doing any evil' __ `No, God knows what you were doing.(28)
29. Now enter the gates of Hell to dwell therein forever; evil indeed is the resort of the arrogant.' (29)
30. And it is said to the godfearing, `what has your Lord sent down?' They say, `good'. For those who do good is good in this world; and the House of the Hereafter will be better; excellent indeed is the House of the godfearing __(30)
31. gardens of eternity they shall enter, rivers flowing underneath them, wherein they shall have what they will; so does God recompense the godfearing __(31)
32. those whom the angels take while they are pure, saying, `peace be on you; enter Paradise for what you have been doing.(32)
33. Do they only look for angels to come to them, or that thy Lord's command should come? So did those before them: and God wronged them not, but themselves they wronged.(33)
34. Then the evil of what they did afflicted them, and what they mocked at encompassed them.(34)
35. And Those who make associates (to God) say, `had God willed, we would not have served anything apart from Him, neither we nor our fathers, and we would not have made anything, apart from Him, sacred. So did those that were before them. But is there any obligation on the Messengers except to deliver the manifest Message.(35)
36. And We indeed raised a Messenger in every community, (saying) `Serve God and avoid the idol'; then some of them God guided and some of them were bound to go astray. Journey in the land and see how was the end of those who cried lies.(36)
37. If thou art eager for their guidance, yet God does not guide him whom He sends astray, and there are no helpers for them.(37)
38. And they swear by God their earnest oaths: `God will not raise him up who dies'. No, it is a promise binding upon Him, but most men know not.(38)
39. It is so, that He may make clear to them in what they differed, and the unbelievers may know that they were surely liars.(39)
40. Our word for a thing, when We desire it, is only this that We say to it, `Be', and it is.(40)
41. And those who emigrated for God's sake after they were wronged, We shall surely lodge them in this world in a good way; and the wage of the Hereafter shall be greater, if they but knew;(41)
42. those showed patience and put their trust in their Lord.(42)
43. And We did not send before thee any but men to whom We revealed (Our Message); ask the People of the Remembrance, if you do not know;(43)
44. (We sent them) with clear Signs and Psalms; and We have sent down to thee the Remembrance that thou mayest make clear to mankind what has been sent down to them, and that they may ponder.(44)
45. Do those who devise evil things feel secure that God will not make the earth to swallow them, or punishment will not come upon them from whence they do not perceive;(45)
46. or He will not seize them in their moving about, and they will not be able to frustrate Him;(46)
47. or He will not seize them slowly and gradually? But your Lord is surely Kind and Merciful.(47)
48. Have they not seen the things God has created, their shadows inclining to the right and to the left, prostrating themselves to God in all lowliness?(48)
49. And to God prostrate all the creatures which are in the heavens and which are in the earth, and also the angels, and they do not show arrogance.(49)
50. They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded.(50)
51. And God says, `do not take two gods; He is only One God; so have awe of Me only.'(51)
52. And to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth and to Him is Submission due forever. Will you then fear other than God?(52)
53. And whatever blessing you have, it is from God; then when harm touches you, it is unto Him that you groan.(53)
54. Then, when He removes the harm from you, lo, a party of yours assigns associates to their Lord,(54)
55. that they may show unthankfulness to what We have given them; so enjoy, but you will soon know.(55)
56. And they appoint a share of what We have provided them to what they do not know. By God, you shall be questioned about what you forge.(56)
57. And they assign daughters to God __ Holy be He __ and to themselves what they desire!(57)
58. And when any of them is given good news of a girl, his face gets darkened and he is choked.(58)
59. He hides himself from the people for the evil of the good news given to him. Shall he retain it in humiliation or bury it into the dust? Ah, how evil is that they judge!(59)
60. Those who do not believe in the Hereafter, theirs is the evil likeness, and God's is the most high likeness; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.(60)
61. And if God were to take men to task for their wrong-doing, He would not leave any creature therein, but He is deferring them to a stated term; and when their term comes they shall not put it back nor put it forward by a moment.(61)
62. And they assign to God what they hate, and their tongues utter the lie that theirs shall be the best reward. No doubt for them shall be the Fire, and they shall be hastened into it.(62)
63. By God, We sent Messengers to the communities before thee, but the Devil showed their deeds fair to them; so today he is their friend, and for them shall be a painful punishment.(63)
64. And We have not sent down on thee the Book except that thou mayest make clear to them the things they differ in, and as a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe.(64)
65. And God sends down from the heaven water with which He quickens the earth after it is deed. In that is surely a Sign for a people who listen.(65)
66. And for you in the cattle is a lesson. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies between the dung and the blood, pure milk, pleasant to the drinkers.(66)
67. And of the fruits of the palms and the grapes, you take therefrom intoxicant and good provision. In that is surely a Sign for a people who understand.(67)
68. And thy Lord revealed to the bee: `make houses in the mountains, in the trees and in what people build;(68)
69. then eat of all the fruits, and follow the set ways of thy Lord'. There comes forth out of their bellies a beverage of different hues having healing power for mankind. In that is surely a Sign for a people who ponder.(69)
70. And God has created you, then He takes you to Him; and some of you are turned to the abject age, so that they may not know anything in spite of knowledge; God is Knowing, Powerful.(70)
71. And God has made some of you to excel others in provision; then those who are made to excel, do not give over their provision to those whom their right hands own, so that they may become equal in it; will they then deny the blessing of God?(71)
72. And God has made for you wives out of yourselves, and has made, out of your wives, sons and grandsons for you, and has provided you with good things; will they then believe in falsehood and disbelieve in the blessing of God,(72)
73. and serve, apart from God, that which has no power to provide them anything from the heavens and the earth, nor can they ever do?(73)
74. So, do not strike similitudes for God; God knows, and you know not.(74)
75. God strikes a similitude: there is a slave possessed (by his master), who has no power on anything, and there is one whom We have provided from Ourselves with a good provision, and he expends of it secretly and openly. Are they equal? Praise be to God; but most of them know not.(75)
76. And God strikes a similitude: there are two men; one of them is dumb who has no power over anything and is a burden on his master; wherever he directs him, he brings no good. Is he equal to him who enjoins justice and is on a straight path?(76)
77. And to God belongs the unseen in the heavens and the earth. And the matter of the Hour is as a twinkling of the eye or nearer. God is powerful over everything.(77)
78. And God brings you forth from the wombs of your mothers, you not knowing anything, and makes for you ears, eyes and hearts, that you may give thanks.(78)
79. Have they not seen the birds held in the atmosphere? Naught holds them except God? In that are surely Signs for a people who believe.(79)
80. And God has made for you of your houses a place of rest, and has made for you, of the skins of the cattle, houses which you find light on the day you march and on the day you halt, and (he has made) of their wool and their fur and their hair, household stuff and other goods for a time.(80)
81. And God has made, for you, out of what He has created, shades; and he has made, for you, in mountains shelters; and He has made for you shirts that guard you against heat, and shirts that guard you during your violence Thus He perfects His blessing on you that you may submit to Him.(81)
82. But if they turn away, then thine is only to deliver the Manifest Message.(82)
83. They recognise God's blessing yet deny it, and most of them are unthankful.(83)
84. And the day We shall raise up a witness from every community, no leave shall be given to the unbelievers, nor shall they be allowed to make amends.(84)
85. And when the wrong--doers see the punishment, it shall not be lightened for them, nor shall they be given respite.(85)
86. And when the idolaters see their associate-gods, they shall say, `our Lord, these are our associate-gods, on whom we called, apart from Thee'; but they will throw back the saying on them, `you are surely liars.'(86)
87. And that day they will offer surrender to God, and what they had forged will forsake them.(87)
88. Those who disbelieve and bar from God's way, We shall increase on them punishment over punishment, for they were causing disorder.(88)
89. And the day We shall raise up from every community a witness over them from amongst them, We shall bring thee as a witness over these people. And We have sent down on thee the Book as an exposition of everything, and as a guidance, and a mercy and as a good news for those who surrender.(89)
90. God enjoins justice, good-doing, and giving to kinsmen, and He forbids indecency, disgusting things and rebellion; He admonishes you so that you may pay heed.(90)
91. And fulfil God's covenant, when you make a covenant, and do not break the oaths after their confirmation, when you have made God your surety; God knows the things you do.(91)
92. And be not like her who broke her thread, after it was firmly spun, into bits. You take your oaths as a deceit between you, lest a community may become more powerful than another community. God only tries you thereby; and He will surely make clear to you, on the Day of Resurrection, in what you differed.(92)
93. And had God willed, He would have made you one community; but He sends astray whom He will and guides whom He will, and you will surely be questioned about the things you were doing.(93)
94. And do not take your oaths as a deceit between you, lest a foot should slip after it is firmly planted, and you taste evil for that you barred from God's way, and lest you have a big punishment.(94)
95. And do not sell God's covenant for a small price; surely that which is with God is good for you, if you but knew.(95)
96. That which is with you shall exhaust, but that which is with God shall abide; and We will surely recompense those who are patient their wage, for the best of their deeds.(96)
97. Whoso does a righteous deed, be it male or female, and he is a Believer, We will surely give him a good life; and We will recompense them their wage, for the best of their deeds.(97)
98. Now, when thou readest the Qur'an, seek refuge in God from the outcast Devil.(98)
99. He has no authority over those who believe and trust in their Lord.(99)
100. His authority is only over those who befriend him and those who make him an associate to God.(100)
101. And when We exchange a verse in place of another verse, and God knows best what He sends down, they say, `thou art only a forger!' No, but most of them have no knowledge.(101)
102. Say, `the Holy Spirit has brought it down from thy Lord with truth, that it may confirm the Believers, and be a guidance and a good news to those who surrender.'(102)
103. And We do know that they say, `only a mortal teaches him', his language, to whom they refer, is foreign, while this is clear Arabic language.(103)
104. Surely those who do not believe in the Signs of God, God will not guide them, and for them shall be a painful punishment.(104)
105. They only forge falsehood who do not believe in the Signs of God, and they are the liars.(105)
106. Whoso disbelieves in God, after he believed--excepting him who has been compelled but his heart is contented with belief __ but whoso opens his breast with unbelief, upon them shall fall wrath from God, and for them shall be a big punishment.(106)
107. That is because they prefer the present life against the Hereafter, and because God does not guide the disbelieving people.(107)
108. Those are the ones on whose hearts, ears and eyes, God has set a seal, and those are the heedless.(108)
109. No doubt, it is they who shall be the losers in the Hereafter.(109)
110. Then, thy Lord __ to those who emigrated, after they were persecuted, then struggled and were patient __ surely thy Lord thereafter is Forgiving, Merciful.(110)
111. That day every soul shall come pleading for itself, and every soul shall be paid in full for what it did, and they shall not be wronged.(111)
112. And God strikes a similitude: a city that was secure and content, its provision coming to it easefully from every place; then it became unthankful to the blessings of God; so God let it taste overwhelming hunger and fear for the things that they were working.(112)
113. And indeed there came to them a Messenger from among them, but they gave lies to him; so the punishment seized them, for they were wrong-doers.(113)
114. Now, eat of the lawful and good things that God has provided you; and give thanks for God's blessings, if Him only you serve.(114)
115. He has forbidden you only the carrion, the blood, the flesh of swine, and that over which name of other than God is invoked; yet if any is constrained, when not revolting nor transgressing, then God is Forgiving, Merciful.(115)
116. And do not utter the falsehood as to what your tongues describe, `this is lawful and this is forbidden', so that you forge falsehood against God. Surely those who forge falsehood against God shall not prosper.(116)
117. A little enjoyment, and they shall have a painful punishment.(117)
118. And to the Jews, We forbade what We have related to thee before; and We did not wrong them, but themselves they wronged.(118)
119. Then thy Lord __ to those who did evil in ignorance, then repented after that, and put things right __ surely thy Lord, thereafter, is Forgiving, Merciful.(119)
120. Surely Abraham was a complete model, obedient to God, and all-devoted; and he was not of the idolators;(120)
121. he was thankful for His blessings; He chose him and guided him to a straight path.(121)
122. And We gave him good in this world, and he will surely be among the righteous in the Hereafter.(122)
123. Then We have revealed to thee, `follow the creed of Abraham, who was all-devoted; and he was not of the idolators.'(123)
124. The Sabbath was appointed only for those who differed in it; and thy Lord will surely judge between them on the Day of Resurrection in what they differed.(124)
125. Call thou to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and good admonition, and plead with them in a way that is most handsome. It is thy Lord who knows best those who have gone astray from His way, and He knows best the guided ones.(125)
126. And if you punish, then punish like you were punished; but if you are patient, it is good for the patient.(126)
127. And be patient, yet thy patience is only with the help of God; and do not grieve over them, nor be distressed for what they devise.(127)
128. God is with those who are godfearing, and those who are good-doers.(128)