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 a clear Qur'an. 1 Perchance the unbelievers will wish that they had surrendered: 2 Let them eat and enjoy; and let their hopes deceive them, soon they shall know. 3 Whenever We destroyed a town, a definite term had previously been decreed for it. 4 No community precedeth the term thereof nor doth it fall behind. 5 And they said, “O you upon whom the Qur’an has been sent, you are indeed insane.” 6 Why do you not bring down the angels upon us, if you are truthful?" 7 We send not the angels down except for just cause: if they came (to the ungodly), behold! no respite would they have! 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 Indeed, We sent Messengers before thee, among the factions of the ancients, 10 But never came a messenger to them but they mocked him. 11 thus We cause this [habit of mocking] to enter into the hearts of the sinful. 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 Had We opened a door for them in the sky through which they could easily pass, 14 they would have said, "Our eyes are bewildered and we have been affected by magic." 15