English translation of holy Quran by QuranWeb

AL-AHQAF (46)

The Sand-Dunes

1. Ha Mim (H.M.). (1)
2. The sending down of the Book is from God, the Mighty, the Wise.(2)
3. We have not created the heavens and the earth and what between them is but with the truth, and for a stated term; but the unbelievers are turning away from what they are warned of.(3)
4. Say, `have you considered those you call upon, apart from God? Show me what they have created of the earth, or have they any association in the heavens? Bring me a Book (sent) before this, or any trace of knowledge, if you are truthful?(4)
5. And who is further astray than he who calls, apart from God, upon him who shall not answer him till the Day of Resurrection, and they are unaware of their calling.(5)
6. And when mankind are mustered, they shall be enemies to them, and shall deny their service.(6)
7. And when Our clear signs are recited to them, the unbelievers say of the truth, when it has come to them, `this is a clear sorcery.'(7)
8. Or do they say, `he has forged it?' Say, `if I have forged it, you do not have any power to help me against God; He very well knows what you are pressing on; He suffices as a witness between me and you; and He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.'(8)
9. Say, `I am not an innovation among the Messengers, and I do not know what shall be done with me or with you; I only follow what is revealed to me, and I am not but a clear warner.'(9)
10. Say, `have you considered, if it be from God, and you disbelieve in it, and a witness from among the Children of Israel bears witness to its like and believes in it, and you show arrogance? Surely God does not guide a wrong-doing people.' (10)
11. And the unbelievers say of the Believers, `if it had been good, they would not have preceded us to it.' And since they are not guided by it, they will say, `this is an old lie.'(11)
12. And before it was the Book of Moses for a guide and a mercy; and this is a Book confirming, in Arabic language, that it may warn the wrong-doers, and be a good news for the good-doers.(12)
13. Those who say, `our Lord is God,' and then stand firm by it, there shall be no fear on them, nor shall they grieve.(13)
14. Those are the people of Paradise, dwelling therein forever, as a recompense for that they have been doing.(14)
15. And We have charged man to be good to his parents; his mother bears him with pain, and gives birth to him with pain; and his bearing and his weaning is for thirty moths; until, when he reaches his full strength, and reaches forty years, he says, `my Lord, dispose me that I may be thankful for Thy blessing with which Thou hast blessed me and my parents, and that I may do righteousness that pleases thee, and make for me my offspring righteous; I turn to thee and I am of those who have surrendered.'(15)
16. Those are they from whom We shall accept the best of what they did and pass over their evil deeds; they are among the people of Paradise; it is the promise of the truth, which they are given.(16)
17. But he who says to his parents, `fie upon you; do you threaten me that I shall be brought forth when many generations have passed away before me?' And they call upon God for help __ `woe to thee! believe; God's promise is surely true.' But he says, `these are only the fables of the ancients.'(17)
18. Those are the ones against whom the Word has proved true in the communities of the jinn and the men that have passed away before them; they were surely losers.(18)
19. And all shall have degrees according to what they did, and so that He may pay them in full for their deeds, and they are not wronged.(19)
20. And on the day the unbelievers are presented before the Fire: `you took your good things in your worldly life and drew benefit from them; and today you shall be recompensed with the humiliating punishment, because you showed arrogance in the earth without right, and because you transgressed.'(20)
21. And mention the brother of Ad; when he warned his people beside the sand-dunes __ and warners had passed away before him and after him __ (saying) `serve none but God; I fear for you punishment of a mighty day.'(21)
22. They said, `hast thou come to pervert us from our gods? So bring us what thou threatens us, if thou art of the truthful.'(22)
23. He said, `the knowledge is only with God, and I deliver to you the Message with which I have been sent, but I see you a people that show ignorance.'(23)
24. Then, when they saw it as a cloud advancing to their valleys, they said, `this is a cloud that shall give us rain.' __ `No, it is what you sought to hasten, a wind wherein is a painful punishment,(24)
25. that will destroy everything by the command of its Lord.' Then there remained nothing to be seen except their dwelling-places; thus do We recompense the sinful people.(25)
26. And We had established them in the way We have not established you, and We had assigned to them the ears, the eyes and the hearts, yet their ears, their eyes and their hearts did not avail them in the least, when they denied the signs of God, and that at which they mocked encompassed them.(26)
27. And We destroyed the cities about you, and We turned about the Signs that they may return.(27)
28. Then why did those whom they had taken as gods, apart from God, not help them to bring them near Him? No, they were lost to them; and that was their calumny and what they had been forging.(28)
29. And when We turned to thee a band of jinn giving ear to the Qur'an; and when they were in its presence, they said, `be silent'; and when it was finished, they went back to their people as warners.(29)
30. They said, `O our people, we have heard a Book, sent down after Moses, confirming what was before it, and guiding to the truth and to a straight path.(30)
31. O our people, answer God's Summoner and believe in Him; He will forgive you some of you sins, and protect you from a painful punishment.(31)
32. And whoso does not answer God's Summoner, he cannot frustrate (God) in the earth, and he has no protectors, apart from Him; they are clearly astray.'(32)
33. And have they not considered that God, who created the heavens and the earth, and is not wearied by their creation, is powerful enough to give life to the dead? Yes indeed; He is powerful over everything.(33)
34. And on the day when the unbelievers are presented before the Fire: `is not this the truth?' They shall say, `yes, by our Lord.' He shall say, `so taste the punishment, for you disbelieved'.(34)
35. So have thou patience, as the Messengers of resolute determi-nation showed patience, and do not seek to hasten it for them. On the day they see what they are promised, it shall be as if they had not stayed but an hour of the day. Message is delivered. Shall any be destroyed except the transgressing people?'(35)