The Hijjr Valley (Al-Hijjr)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ Alif. Lam. Ra. These are the verses of the Book and the glorious Quran. 1 How strongly the unbelievers will wish that they had been Muslims. 2 Leave them thou to eat and to enjoy, and let vain hope divert them; presently they will know. 3 And We have not destroyed a town but there was therefor a decree known. 4 Every nation can only live for the time appointed for it. 5 And they say: O you to whom the Reminder has been revealed! you are most surely insane: 6 If you are a man of truth, why can't you bring the angels to us?" 7 We send not down the angels, save with truth; 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 And We had certainly sent [messengers] before you, [O Muhammad], among the sects of the former peoples. 10 And never came a Messenger to them but they did mock him. 11 Even so do we let it creep into the hearts of the sinners - 12 They would not believe in it (the Quran), and already the example of (Allah's punishment of) the ancients (who disbelieved) has gone forth. 13 Though We opened to them a gate in heaven, and still they mounted through it, 14 They would say: Our sight is wrong - nay, but we are folk bewitched. 15