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 It (the Quran) exists in the original Book with Us which is certainly Most Exalted, full of wisdom and (beyond linguistic structures). 4 Shall We then take away from you the admonition because ye are a people extravagant? 5 How many a Prophet did We send to the ancients, 6 And never came there a Prophet to them but they used to mock at him. 7 We destroyed the strongest among them in power. The stories of the ancient people have already been mentioned. 8 Yet, if you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will answer: 'The Almighty, the Knower created them' 9 It is He who has made the earth for you as a cradle and has made roads therein so that you will perhaps seek guidance. 10 Who sent down water in due measure from the sky, then quickened a region that was dead -- So shall We bring you forth -- 11 it is He who created all living things in pairs and gave you ships to sail in and beasts to ride upon 12 in order that you might gain mastery over them, and that, whenever you have mastered them, you might remember your Sustainer's blessings and say: "Limitless in His glory is He who has made [all] this subservient to our use - since [but for Him,] we would not have been able to attain to it. 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