The Hijjr Valley (Al-Hijjr)
In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
۞ Alif. Lam. Ra'. These are the verses of the Book, and a Clear Qur'an. 1 It may be that those who disbelieve wish ardently that they were Muslims. 2 Leave them to eat and enjoy life and let false hopes amuse them. They will soon come to know. 3 And never have We destroyed any community [for its wrongdoing] unless a divine writ had [previously] been made known to it; 4 and no nation outstrips its term, nor do they put it back. 5 And yet, they [who deny the truth] say: "O thou unto whom this reminder has [allegedly] been bestowed from on high: verily, thou art mad! 6 Why dost thou not bring before us angels, if thou art a man of truth? 7 But We send down the angels only to bring justice and then they will not be reprieved. 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 AND, INDEED, [O Prophet,] even before thy time did We send [Our apostles] unto communities of old 10 and not a single Messenger came to them, but they mocked at him; 11 Even so We make a way for it (that is, the Admonition) in the hearts of the culprits (like a hot rod); 12 They do not believe in him, and the tradition of earlier nations has passed. 13 Even if We opened out to them a gate from heaven, and they were to continue (all day) ascending therein, 14 they would still have said: "Surely our eyes have been dazzled; rather, we have been enchanted." 15