The Hijjr Valley (Al-Hijjr)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ Alif Lam Ra. These are the verses of the Book and (of) a Quran that makes (things) clear. 1 And it will come to pass that those who are [now] bent on denying this truth will wish that they had surrendered themselves to God [in their life time]. 2 (Muhammad), leave them alone to eat and enjoy themselves and let their desires deceive them; they will soon know (the Truth). 3 And We did not destroy any city but that for it was a known decree. 4 No people can hasten or delay the term already fixed for them. 5 And yet, they [who deny the truth] say: "O thou unto whom this reminder has [allegedly] been bestowed from on high: verily, thou art mad! 6 Why bringest thou not angels unto us, if thou art of the truthful? 7 But then We never send the angels down save with the purpose (of enforcing their doom), after which they will not be given more 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 sent Messengers to the ancient people who lived before you. 10 No Messenger went to them whom they did not mock. 11 Thus do We make it to enter into the hearts of the guilty; 12 they do not believe in it. This has been the wont of people of this kind from ancient times. 13 And if We open for them a gate in the heavens, to ascend it through the day – 14 They would certainly say: Only our eyes have been covered over, rather we are an enchanted people. 15