The Column (Al-Suff)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth halloweth Allah. And He is the Mighty, the Wise. 1 O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do? 2 Very hateful is it to God, that you say what you do not. 3 Verily, God loves [only] those who fight in His cause in [solid] ranks, as though they were a building firm and compact. 4 Remember when Moses said to his people, "O my people, why do you cause me grief when you know that I am God's Messenger to you?" When they wavered, God let their hearts waver too. God does not guide transgressors. 5 And when Jesus son of Mary said: O Children of Israel! Lo! I am the messenger of Allah unto you, confirming that which was (revealed) before me in the Torah, and bringing good tidings of a messenger who cometh after me, whose name is the Praised One. Yet when he hath come unto them with clear proofs, they say: This is mere magic. 6 And who could be more wicked than one who invents [such] a lie about [a message from] God, seeing that he is [but] being called to self-surrender unto Him? But God does not bestow His guidance upon evil-doing folk. 7 They aim to extinguish God's light with their utterances: but God has willed to spread His light in all its fullness, however hateful this may be to all who deny the truth 8 it is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the true religion, so that He may cause it to prevail over all religions, however much the polytheists may dislike it. 9