The Throngs (Al-Zumer)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
THE BESTOWAL from on high of this divine writ issues from God, the Almighty, the Wise: 1 Surely We have revealed to you the Book with the truth, therefore serve Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience. 2 The religion of God is certainly pure. Concerning those whom they consider as their guardians besides God, they say, "We only worship them so that they may make our positions nearer to God." God will certainly issue His decree about their differences. God does not guide the liars and the disbelievers. 3 Had Allah willed to take a son (or offspring or children), He could have chosen whom He pleased out of those whom He created. But glory be to Him! (He is above such things). He is Allah, the One, the Irresistible. 4 He created the heavens and the earth in truth, wrapping the night about the day and wrapping the day about the night, He has subjected the sun and the moon each to run for a stated term. Is He not the Almighty, the Forgiving? 5 He has created you [all] out of one living entity, and out of it fashioned its mate; and he has bestowed upon you four kinds of cattle of either sex; [and] He creates you in your mothers' wombs, one act of creation after another, in threefold depths of darkness. Thus is God, your Sustainer: unto Him belongs all dominion: there is no deity save Him: how, then, can you lose sight of the truth? 6 If you disbelieve, know well that Allah has no need of you. Yet He does not like unbelief in His servants. But if you are thankful, your thankfulness will please Him. No one shall bear another's burden. You are destined to return to your Lord and He will tell you what you used to do. He is well aware even of what lies hidden in your breasts. 7 ۞ When the human being is afflicted with hardship, he starts to pray to his Lord and turns to Him in repentance. When God grants him a favor, he forgets the hardship about which he had prayed to God and starts to consider equal to God things that lead him astray from His path. (Muhammad), tell him, "You can only enjoy in your disbelief for a short time. You will certainly be a dweller of hell fire". 8 Or [dost thou deem thyself equal to] one who devoutly worships [God] throughout the night, prostrating himself or standing [in prayer,] ever-mindful of the life to come, and hoping for his Sustainer's grace?" Say: "Can they who know and they who do not know be deemed equal?" [But] only they who are endowed with insight keep this in mind! 9