The Throngs (Al-Zumer)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
The revelation of this Book (the Quran) is from Allah, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. 1 We have indeed divinely revealed the Book to you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) with the truth, therefore worship Allah, as His sincere bondman. 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 Had God desired to take to Him a son, He would have chosen whatever He willed of that He has created. Glory be to Him! He is God, the One, the Omnipotent. 4 He has created the heavens and the earth for a genuine purpose. He covers the night with the day and the day with the night and has subdued the sun and the moon, each of which floats for an appointed time. God is certainly Majestic and All-Forgiving. 5 He created you from one soul. Then He made from it its mate, and He produced for you from the grazing livestock eight mates. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation, within three darknesses. That is Allah, your Lord; to Him belongs dominion. There is no deity except Him, so how are you averted? 6 If you are ungrateful, remember that God has no need of you. He is not pleased by ingratitude in His servants; if you are grateful, He is pleased [to see] it in you. No soul shall bear another's burden. You will return to your Lord in the end and He will declare to you what you have done: He knows well what is in the hearts of men. 7 ۞ When man is afflicted with adversity he turns to his Lord, and prays to Him. But when He bestows His favour on him, he forgets what he prayed for before, and sets up others as compeers of God to mislead (people) from His way. Say: "Take advantage of your denying for a while: You will be among the inmates of Hell." 8 Or [dost thou deem thyself equal to] one who devoutly worships [God] throughout the night, prostrating himself or standing [in prayer,] ever-mindful of the life to come, and hoping for his Sustainer's grace?" Say: "Can they who know and they who do not know be deemed equal?" [But] only they who are endowed with insight keep this in mind! 9