Vanity (Al-Zukhruf)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
Ha Mim 1 By the clear Book, 2 Lo! We have appointed it a Lecture, in Arabic that haply ye may understand. 3 Truly, it is inscribed in the Original Book, in Our keeping; it is sublime and full of wisdom. 4 Shall We utterly ignore you because ye are a wanton folk? 5 We have sent many a prophet to earlier peoples 6 And there came not to them a prophet but they mocked at him. 7 and so, [in the end,] We destroyed them [even though they were] of greater might than these: and the [very] image of those people of old became a thing of the past. 8 And if you should ask them, "Who has created the heavens and the earth?" they would surely say, "They were created by the Exalted in Might, the Knowing." 9 Who has made for you the earth like a bed, and has made for you roads therein, in order that you may find your way, 10 and who sent down out of heaven water in measure; and We revived thereby a land that was dead; even so you shall be brought forth; 11 He Who created these pairs, all of them, and provided you ships and cattle on which you ride, 12 So that when you sit astride of them and think of the bounties of your Lord, you may say: "All glory to Him who subjugated these for us. We were incapable of doing so. 13 And verily unto our Lord we are to return. 14 AND YET, they attribute to Him offspring from among some of the beings created by Him! Verily, most obviously bereft of all gratitude is man! 15