The Throngs (Al-Zumer)
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
The revelation of this Book (the Quran) is from Allah, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. 1 Verily it is We Who have revealed the Book to thee in Truth: so serve Allah, offering Him sincere devotion. 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 desire to take a son to Himself, He will surely choose those He pleases from what He has created. Glory be to Him: He is Allah, the One, the Subduer (of all). 4 He created the heavens and the earth with Truth, and He folds up the day over the night and folds up the night over the day. He has subjected the sun and the moon, each is running its course until an appointed time. Lo, He is the Most Mighty, the Most Forgiving. 5 It is He Who created you from a single being, and then from the same being created its spouse, and sent down for you eight pairs of animals; He creates you in your mothers’ wombs, from one sort to another, in a triple darkness; such is Allah, your Lord – for Him only is the kingship; there is no God except Him; so where are you being turned away? 6 If you disbelieve, Allah is Rich, independent of you. Yet He does not approve of disbelief to His worshipers, but if you believe He will approve it in you. No laden soul shall bear another's load. Then, to Allah you shall return and He will tell to you what you have done. He knows the innermost of your chests. 7 ۞ And when some hurt toucheth man, he crieth unto his Lord, turning unto Him (repentant). Then, when He granteth him a boon from Him he forgetteth that for which he cried unto Him before, and setteth up rivals to Allah that he may beguile (men) from his way. Say (O Muhammad, unto such an one): Take pleasure in thy disbelief a while. Lo! thou art of the owners of the Fire. 8 Or is he who is obedient in the watches of the night, bowing himself and standing, he being afraid of the world to come and hoping for the mercy of his Lord..? Say: 'Are they equal -- those who know and those who know not?' Only men possessed of minds remember. 9