Vanity (Al-Zukhruf)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Ha Mim 1 By the Clear Book 2 behold, We have made it an Arabic Koran; haply you will understand; 3 It (the Quran) exists in the original Book with Us which is certainly Most Exalted, full of wisdom and (beyond linguistic structures). 4 What! shall We then turn away the reminder from you altogether because you are an extravagant people? 5 How many a Prophet We sent among the ancients, 6 No Prophet came to them whom they did not mock. 7 Wherefore We destroyed peoples mightier than these in prowess; and there hath gone forth the example of the ancients. 8 Yet if you were to ask them: “Who created the heavens and the earth?” they will certainly say: “The All-Mighty, the All-Knowing has created them.” 9 He Who made the earth a resting-place for you, and made in it ways for you that you may go aright; 10 Who sent down water in due measure from the sky, then quickened a region that was dead -- So shall We bring you forth -- 11 And He Who created pairs of all things, and made for you of the ships and the cattle what you ride on, 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 surely unto our Lord we are turning.' 14 Yet they make some of His servants partners in His divinity. Man is clearly ungrateful! 15