Hood (Hood)
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful
Alif. Lam. Ra. A DIVINE WRIT [is this,] with messages that have been made clear in and by themselves, and have been distinctly spelled out as well - [bestowed upon you] out of the grace of One who is wise, all-aware, 1 (It teacheth) that ye should worship none but Allah. (Say): "Verily I am (sent) unto you from Him to warn and to bring glad tidings: 2 and: 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord, then repent to Him, and He will give you fair enjoyment unto a term stated, and He will give of His bounty to every man of grace. But if you should turn your backs I fear for you the chastisement of a mighty day; 3 To Allah is your return, and He is Able to do all things." 4 Oh, verily, they [who are bent on denying the truth of this divine writ] are enshrouding their hearts in order to hide from Him. Oh, verily, [even] when they cover themselves with their garments [in order not to see or hear,] He knows all that they keep secret as well as all that they bring into the open - for, behold, He has full knowledge of what is in the hearts [of men]. 5 ۞ No creature is there crawling on the earth, but its provision rests on God; He knows its lodging-place and its repository. All is in a Manifest Book. 6 And He it is who has created the heavens and the earth in six aeons; and [ever since He has willed to create life,] the throne of His almightiness has rested upon water. [God reminds you of your dependence on Him] in order to test you [and thus to make manifest] which of you is best in conduct. For thus it is: if thou sayest [unto men,] "Behold, you shall be raised again after death!" - they who are bent on denying the truth are sure to answer, "This is clearly nothing but an enchanting delusion" 7 And if We hold back from them the punishment for a limited time, they will surely say, "What detains it?" Unquestionably, on the Day it comes to them, it will not be averted from them, and they will be enveloped by what they used to ridicule. 8