The Column (Al-Suff)
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorifieth Allah, and He is the Mighty, the Wise. 1 Believers, why do you preach what you do not practice? 2 It is most hateful in the sight of Allah that ye say that which ye do not. 3 Indeed Allah likes those who fight in His cause, positioned in rows, as if they were an edifice fortified. 4 When Moses said to his people: "O my people, why do you afflict me though you know that I have been sent to you by God?" But when they turned aside God made their hearts turn farther away; for God does not show the transgressors the way. 5 And [this happened, too,] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said: "O children of Israel! Behold, I am an apostle of God unto you, [sent] to confirm the truth of whatever there still remains of the Torah, and to give [you] the glad tiding of an apostle who shall come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad." But when he [whose coming Jesus had foretold] came unto them with all evidence of the truth, they said: "This [alleged message of his] is [nothing but] spellbinding eloquence!" 6 And who does greater evil than he who forges against God falsehood, when he is being called unto surrender? And God guides never the people of the evildoers. 7 They want to extinguish the light of God by uttering blasphemies. But God wills to perfect His light, however the unbelievers may dislike it. 8 It is He Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, that he may proclaim it over all religion, even though the Pagans may detest (it). 9