The Hijjr Valley (Al-Hijjr)
In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
۞ Alif. Lam. Ra. These are verses of the Scripture and a plain Reading. 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 leave them to eat, and to take their joy, and to be bemused by hope; certainly they will soon know! 3 And never did We destroy a town but it had a term made known. 4 No people can hasten or delay the term already fixed for them. 5 And they say: O thou unto whom the admonition hath been sent down! verily thou art possessed. 6 Why do you not bring down the angels, if what you say is true' 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 Verily We: It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Quran) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption). 9 And We had certainly sent [messengers] before you, [O Muhammad], among the sects of the former peoples. 10 And not an apostle came unto them but at him they were wont to mock. 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 And even if We opened unto them a gate of heaven and they kept mounting through it, 14 they would still have said: "Surely our eyes have been dazzled; rather, we have been enchanted." 15