Vanity (Al-Zukhruf)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Ha-Meem. (Alphabets of the Arabic language – Allah, and to whomever He reveals, know their precise meanings.) 1 I call to witness the lucent Book, 2 That We made it a distinctly lucid Qur'an that you may understand. 3 And verily, it is in the Mother of the Book, in Our Presence, high (in dignity), full of wisdom. 4 What! shall We then turn away the reminder from you altogether because you are an extravagant people? 5 How many a Prophet did We send to the ancients, 6 And never came there a prophet to them but they mocked him. 7 Then We destroyed men stronger (in power) than these, and the example of the ancients has passed away (before them). 8 And if you ask them, “Who has created the heavens and the earth?”, they will surely say, “They are created by the Most Honourable, the All Knowing.” 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 He Who sends down water from the cloud according to a measure, then We raise to life thereby a dead country, even thus shall you be brought forth; 11 He Who created these pairs, all of them, and provided you ships and cattle on which you ride, 12 so that you may sit firmly on their backs. Then once you have mounted them, remember your Lord's favour and say, "Glory be to Him who has subjected these creatures to us; we would never on our own have subdued them. 13 And verily unto our Lord we are to return. 14 Yet they make some of His servants partners in His divinity. Man is clearly ungrateful! 15