The Hijjr Valley (Al-Hijjr)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
۞ Alif-Lam-Ra; these are verses of the Book and the bright Qur’an. 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 Leave them to feast and revel, beguiled by hope; they will come to know soon. 3 And We have not destroyed a town but there was therefor a decree known. 4 No nation can outstrip its term, nor do they put it back. 5 And they say: O thou unto whom the admonition hath been sent down! verily thou art possessed. 6 Why do you not bring down the angels if what you say is true". 7 We do not send down the angels (in frivolity); and when We do send them down, We do so with Truth; then people are granted no 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 no messenger would come to them except that they ridiculed him. 11 This is how We make the mocking* enter the hearts of the guilty. (* The acts of disbelief.) 12 they believe not in it, though the wont of the ancients is already gone. 13 And [even] if We opened to them a gate from the heaven and they continued therein to ascend, 14 they would still say, "Our eyes have been dazzled. We are bewitched." 15