The Hijjr Valley (Al-Hijjr)
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
۞ AlifLaamRa. Those are the verses of the Book, the Clear Koran. 1 Perhaps those who disbelieve 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 Whenever We destroyed a town, a definite term had previously been decreed for it. 4 No nation will precede its term, nor will they remain thereafter. 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 angels to us if you are of the truthful ones?" 7 [Yet] We never send down angels otherwise than in accordance with the [demands of] truth; and [were the angels to appear now,] lo! they [who reject this divine writ] would have no further respite! 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 We did send messengers before thee amongst the religious sects of old: 10 but there was never a messenger who came to them but they mocked him: 11 This is how We make the mocking* enter the hearts of the guilty. (* The acts of disbelief.) 12 So, they will not believe in it: The example of former people is there. 13 If We opened a gate in the heaven and they kept ascending through it, 14 They would surely say: intoxicated have been our sights; aye! we are a people enchanted. 15