Hood (Hood)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
Alif. Lam. Ra. This is a Divine Command whose contents have been made firm and set forth in detail from One Who is All-Wise, All-Aware 1 (Proclaiming) that you should worship none but God. Verily I bring to you from Him a message of warning and rejoicing, 2 and: 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord, then repent to Him, and He will give you fair enjoyment unto a term stated, and He will give of His bounty to every man of grace. But if you should turn your backs I fear for you the chastisement of a mighty day; 3 To God you will all return. God has power over all things." 4 See how they cover themselves up to hide [their thoughts] from Him. But when they cover themselves up with their garments, He knows what they hide and what they reveal. He knows their innermost thoughts. 5 ۞ No creature is there crawling on the earth, but its provision rests on God; He knows its lodging-place and its repository. All is in a Manifest Book. 6 Enthroned above the waters, it was He who created the heavens and the earth in six Days [periods], in order to test which of you is best in conduct. If you say, "You will [all] be raised up after death," those who deny the truth will say, "This is just sheer sorcery!" 7 And thus it is: if We defer their suffering until a time-limit set [by Us,] they are sure to say: "What is preventing it [from coming now]?" Oh, verily, on the Day when it befalls them there will be nothing to avert it from them; and they shall be overwhelmed by the very thing which they were wont to deride. 8