Vanity (Al-Zukhruf)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
HA MIM. 1 By the clear Book, 2 Lo! We have appointed it a Lecture, in Arabic that haply ye may understand. 3 and behold, it is in the Essence of the Book, with Us; sublime indeed, wise. 4 Shall We then take away the Message from you and repel (you), for that ye are a people transgressing beyond bounds? 5 Many a prophet had We sent to the earlier communities, 6 And there came not to them a prophet but they mocked at him. 7 And We destroyed greater than them in [striking] power, and the example of the former peoples has preceded. 8 If thou wert to question them, 'Who created the heavens and the earth?' They would be sure to reply, 'they were created by (Him), the Exalted in Power, Full of Knowledge';- 9 He who appointed the earth to be a cradle for you, and appointed ways for you therein, that haply you may be guided; 10 And Who sent down water from the sky with a proper measure, so We revived a dead city with it; this is how you will be taken out. 11 And, (it is He) who has created all the pairs and appointed for you ships and the cattle on which you ride, 12 So that when you sit astride of them and think of the bounties of your Lord, you may say: "All glory to Him who subjugated these for us. We were incapable of doing so. 13 And indeed we, to our Lord, will [surely] return." 14 AND YET, they attribute to Him offspring from among some of the beings created by Him! Verily, most obviously bereft of all gratitude is man! 15