The Throngs (Al-Zumer)
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
This Book is a revelation from God, the Majestic and All-Wise. 1 Verily it is We Who have revealed the Book to thee in Truth: so serve Allah, offering Him sincere devotion. 2 it is to God alone that sincere obedience is due. And those who take other guardians besides Him say, "We serve them only that they may bring us nearer to God." Surely, God will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. God does not guide anyone who is bent on lying and is a disbelieving liar. 3 Had God willed to take unto Himself a son, He could have chosen anyone that He wanted out of whatever He has created - [but] limitless is He in His glory! He is the One God, the One who holds absolute sway over all that exists! 4 He it is who has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with [an inner] truth. He causes the night to flow into the day, and causes the day to flow into the night; and He has made the sun and the moon subservient [to His laws,] each running its course for a term set [by Him]. Is not He the Almighty, the All-Forgiving? 5 He created you from a single soul, then produced its spouse from it, and He has provided for you eight heads of cattle in pairs. He creates you stage by stage in your mothers' wombs in a threefold darkness. Such is God, your Lord. Sovereignty is His. There is no god but Him. So what has made you turn away? 6 If ye disbelieve, then verily Allah is independent of you. And He approveth not of infidelity in His bondmen. And if ye return thanks He approveth of that in you. No burdened soul shall bear another's burthen. Thereafter unto your Lord is your return; and He shall declare unto you that which ye have been working. Verily He is the Knower of that which is in the breasts. 7 ۞ And when some hardship strikes man, he prays to his Lord, inclined only towards Him – then when Allah grants him a favour from Himself, he forgets why he had prayed to Him earlier, and sets up equals to Allah in order to mislead from Allah’s way; proclaim, “Revel in your disbelief for some days; you are indeed of the people of the fire.” 8 Is he who is devout, in the watches of the night prostrating himself and standing, bewaring of the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord to be dealt with like a wicked infidel? Say thou: shall they who know and those who know not be held equal? It is only men of understanding who receive admonition. 9