Vanity (Al-Zukhruf)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Ha Mim. 1 CONSIDER this divine writ, clear in itself and clearly showing the truth: 2 Lo! We have appointed it a Lecture, in Arabic that haply ye may understand. 3 And verily, it is in the Mother of the Book, in Our Presence, high (in dignity), full of wisdom. 4 Shall We utterly ignore you because ye are a wanton folk? 5 And how many a Prophet have We sent amongst the men of old. 6 but whenever a prophet came to them, they mocked him, 7 and so, [in the end,] We destroyed them [even though they were] of greater might than these: and the [very] image of those people of old became a thing of the past. 8 Yet thus it is [with most people]: if thou ask them, "Who is it that has created the heavens and the earth?" - they will surely answer, "The Almighty, the All-Knowing has created them." 9 The One Who made the earth a bed for you, and made roads for you in it, so that you may be guided. 10 And (it is He), who sends down water from the sky in its measure thereby We revive the land that was dead, as such you shall be brought forth. 11 That has created pairs in all things, and has made for you ships and cattle on which ye ride, 12 In order that ye may sit firm and square on their backs, and when so seated, ye may celebrate the (kind) favour of your Lord, and say, "Glory to Him Who has subjected these to our (use), for we could never have accomplished this (by ourselves), 13 “And indeed we have to return to our Lord.” 14 Yet they assign to some of His slaves a share with Him (by pretending that He has children, and considering them as equals or co-partners in worship with Him). Verily, man is indeed a manifest ingrate! 15