The Hijjr Valley (Al-Hijjr)
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful
۞ Alif-Lam-Ra. These are the verses of the Book, and a Qur'an luminous. 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 Let them eat and enjoy themselves and be diverted by [false] hope, for they are going to know. 3 And never did We destroy a township but there was a known decree for it. 4 No nation can outstrip its term, nor do they put it back. 5 They say: "O thou to whom the Message is being revealed! truly thou art mad (or possessed)! 6 “Why do you not bring angels to us, if you are truthful?” 7 We do not send down angels without reason, and if the angels descend they would not get any respite! 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 have sent forth before you Messengers among the factions of the ancients. 10 And never does a Noble Messenger come to them, but they mock at him. 11 This is how We make the mocking* enter the hearts of the guilty. (* The acts of disbelief.) 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 If We were even to open for them a way to the heavens, and they could continually climb up to it in broad daylight, 14 They will say all the same: "Our eyes were dazed (and clouded over). We were a people ensorcelled." 15