The Throngs (Al-Zumer)
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful
THE BESTOWAL from on high of this divine writ issues from God, the Almighty, the Wise: 1 We have sent down the Book with the truth to you (Prophet Muhammad), therefore worship Allah, and make your religion sincerely His. 2 Pay heed! Worship is for Allah only; and those who have taken others as their supporters beside Him say; “We worship* them only so that they get us closer to Allah”; Allah will surely judge between them regarding the matter in which they dispute; indeed Allah does not guide one who is a big liar, extremely ungrateful. (*The pagans regarded their idols as smaller Gods and worshipped them. So did the Christians. This does not apply to Muslims who only respect their elders, and ask for their blessings.) 3 If Allah had wanted to take to Himself a son, He could have chosen anyone He wanted out of those whom He creates. Glory be to Him (that He should have a son). He is Allah: the One, the Overpowering. 4 He created the heavens and the earth for a true purpose; He causes the night to succeed the day and the day to succeed the night; He has subjected the sun and moon, so that they run their courses for an appointed time; He is truly the Mighty, the Forgiving. 5 He has created you from a single being, then made its mate of the same (kind), and He has made for you eight of the cattle in pairs. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers-- a creation after a creation-- in triple darkness; that is Allah your Lord, His is the kingdom; there is no god but He; whence are you then turned away? 6 If ye reject (Allah), Truly Allah hath no need of you; but He liketh not ingratitude from His servants: if ye are grateful, He is pleased with you. No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another. In the end, to your Lord is your Return, when He will tell you the truth of all that ye did (in this life). for He knoweth well all that is in (men's) hearts. 7 ۞ When any affliction befalls man, he cries out to his Lord, penitently turning to Him. But when his Lord bestows His favour upon him, he forgets the affliction regarding which he had cried out and sets up compeers to Allah that they may lead others astray from His Path. Say, (O Prophet): “Enjoy your unbelief for a while. Surely you will be among the inmates of the Fire.” 8 Or, is he who is obedient that prostrates himself and stands during parts of the night, being afraid of the Everlasting Life but hoping for the Mercy of the Lord (to be compared to the unbeliever)' Say: 'Are they equal, those who know and those who do not know' Only those with minds remember. 9