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 perspicuous oration. 1 The disbelievers will ardently wish that if only they had been Muslims! (At the time of death / in their graves / on the Day of Resurrection.) 2 Leave them to feast and revel, beguiled by hope; they will come to know soon. 3 Never a city have We destroyed, but it had a known decree, 4 [but remember that] no community can ever forestall [the end of] its term - and neither can they delay [it]. 5 And yet, they [who deny the truth] say: "O thou unto whom this reminder has [allegedly] been bestowed from on high: verily, thou art mad! 6 Why do you not bring down angels upon us if you are indeed truthful?" 7 But then We never send the angels down save with the purpose (of enforcing their doom), after which they will not be given more respite. 8 Lo! We, even We, reveal the Reminder, and lo! We verily are its Guardian. 9 AND, INDEED, [O Prophet,] even before thy time did We send [Our apostles] unto communities of old 10 But never once an apostle came to them at whom they did not scoff. 11 Thus do We make it traverse the hearts of the guilty: 12 They will not believe in it, while there has already occurred the precedent of the former peoples. 13 And even if We open to them a gateway of heaven, so that they ascend into it all the while, 14 They would certainly say: Only our eyes have been covered over, rather we are an enchanted people. 15