The Hijjr Valley (Al-Hijjr)
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
۞ ALIF LAM RA. These are the verses of the Book and the perspicuous oration. 1 A time will surely come when those who are bent on denying the truth will wish that they had surrendered themselves to God, 2 Leave them thou to eat and to enjoy, and let vain hope divert them; presently they will know. 3 We never destroyed any town without pre-ordaining the fate of its people. 4 Neither can a people anticipate its term, nor delay it. 5 And they said, “O you upon whom the Qur’an has been sent, you are indeed insane.” 6 Why do you not bring down the angels upon us, if you are truthful?" 7 We do not send the angels but with truth, and then they would not be respited. 8 Indeed We have sent down the Qur’an, and indeed We Ourselves surely are its Guardians. (This is one of the miracles of the Qur’an – no one has been able to change even one letter of its text, despite every effort. It has remained in its original form since the 6th Century (A. D) and will remain so forever. Other Holy Books such as the Torah and the Bible have lost their originality.) 9 We had also sent apostles to people of earlier persuasions. 10 but there was never a messenger who came to them but they mocked him: 11 Thus do We insert denial into the hearts of the criminals. 12 They would not believe in it (the Quran), and already the example of (Allah's punishment of) the ancients (who disbelieved) has gone forth. 13 Even if We open a door in the heavens and they ascend through it in broad daylight, 14 They would only say: "Our eyes have been intoxicated: Nay, we have been bewitched by sorcery." 15