The Hijjr Valley (Al-Hijjr)
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
۞ Alif. Lam. Ra'. These are the verses of the Book, and a Clear Qur'an. 1 A time will surely come when those who are bent on denying the truth will wish that they had surrendered themselves to God, 2 (Muhammad), leave them alone to eat and enjoy themselves and let their desires deceive them; they will soon know (the Truth). 3 And We destroyed no township but there was a known decree for it. 4 No nation can outstrip its term, nor do they put it back. 5 And they say: O thou unto whom the Reminder is revealed, lo! thou art indeed a madman! 6 Why do you not bring down the angels if what you say is true". 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 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 And assuredly We have sent apostles before thee among the sects of the ancients. 10 But no Messenger came to them except he was mocked. 11 Thus do We make it traverse the hearts of the guilty: 12 they do not believe in it. This has been the wont of people of this kind from ancient times. 13 and even if We opened to them a door from heaven, and they began ascending through it, 14 They would only say: "Our eyes have been intoxicated: Nay, we have been bewitched by sorcery." 15