The Hijjr Valley (Al-Hijjr)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ Alif. Lam. Ra. These are verses of the Scripture and a plain Reading. 1 Perhaps those who disbelieve will wish that they had been Muslims. 2 Leave them alone; let them eat and enjoy themselves the while the hope [of vain delights] beguiles them: for in time they will come to know [the truth]. 3 And never have We destroyed any community [for its wrongdoing] unless a divine writ had [previously] been made known to it; 4 No nation can outstrip its term nor can they lag behind. 5 They say, "You to whom the Reminder [the Quran] has been sent down, you are surely possessed. 6 Why do you not bring down the angels upon us, if you are truthful?" 7 We do not send down the angels (in frivolity); and when We do send them down, We do so with Truth; then people are granted no 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 verily sent (messengers) before thee among the factions of the men of old. 10 and not a single Messenger came to them, but they mocked at him; 11 This is how We make the mocking* enter the hearts of the guilty. (* The acts of disbelief.) 12 They will not believe in it, though they have before them the example of former peoples, 13 Even if We opened out to them a gate from heaven, and they were to continue (all day) ascending therein, 14 They would say: Our sight is wrong - nay, but we are folk bewitched. 15