The Throngs (Al-Zumer)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
The revelation of this Book is from Allah, the Mighty, the Wise. 1 We have revealed to you the Scripture with exactitude; so worship God with devotion all exclusive for Him. 2 Pay heed! Worship is for Allah only; and those who have taken others as their supporters beside Him say; “We worship* them only so that they get us closer to Allah”; Allah will surely judge between them regarding the matter in which they dispute; indeed Allah does not guide one who is a big liar, extremely ungrateful. (*The pagans regarded their idols as smaller Gods and worshipped them. So did the Christians. This does not apply to Muslims who only respect their elders, and ask for their blessings.) 3 If Allah desire to take a son to Himself, He will surely choose those He pleases from what He has created. Glory be to Him: He is Allah, the One, the Subduer (of all). 4 He created the heavens and earth in truth. He wraps the night over the day and wraps the day over the night and has subjected the sun and the moon, each running [its course] for a specified term. Unquestionably, He is the Exalted in Might, the Perpetual Forgiver. 5 He created you from a single soul, then from it He created its spouse. And He sent down to you eight pairs of the cattle. He creates you in your mothers' womb, creation after creation, in three (stages of) darkness. Such then is Allah, your Lord. For Him is the Kingdom. There is no god except Him. How, then, can you turn away? 6 If you disbelieve, know well that Allah has no need of you. Yet He does not like unbelief in His servants. But if you are thankful, your thankfulness will please Him. No one shall bear another's burden. You are destined to return to your Lord and He will tell you what you used to do. He is well aware even of what lies hidden in your breasts. 7 ۞ And when some hurt toucheth man, he calleth upon his Lord, turning unto Him in penitence; then when He bestoweth upon him a favour from Himself, he forgetteth that for which he called on Him afore, and setteth up peers unto Allah that He may lead astray others from His way. Say thou: enjoy thou life in thy infidelity for a while, verily thou art of the fellows of the Fire. 8 Is he who prays devoutly to God in the hours of the night, prostrating himself and standing in prayer, who is ever mindful of the life to come and hopes for the mercy of his Lord [like one who does not]? Say, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Truly, only those endowed with understanding will take heed. 9