The Column (Al-Suff)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth glorifies Allah. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. 1 O you who believe, why do you profess what you do not practise? 2 It is most hateful in the sight of God if you say something and do not practice it. 3 Lo! Allah loveth them who battle for His cause in ranks, as if they were a solid structure. 4 When Moses said to his people: "O my people, why do you afflict me though you know that I have been sent to you by God?" But when they turned aside God made their hearts turn farther away; for God does not show the transgressors the way. 5 And [this happened, too,] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said: "O children of Israel! Behold, I am an apostle of God unto you, [sent] to confirm the truth of whatever there still remains of the Torah, and to give [you] the glad tiding of an apostle who shall come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad." But when he [whose coming Jesus had foretold] came unto them with all evidence of the truth, they said: "This [alleged message of his] is [nothing but] spellbinding eloquence!" 6 Who could be more wicked than one who invents lies about God when called to submit to Him? God does not guide the wrongdoers: 7 They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it. 8 It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the true religion to stand supreme over all religions, even though the pagans may dislike it. 9