Al-Hijr

Alif-Lãm-Ra. These are the verses of the Book; the clear Quran.

˹The day will come when˺ the disbelievers will certainly wish they had submitted ˹to Allah˺.

˹So˺ let them eat and enjoy themselves and be diverted by ˹false˺ hope, for they will soon know.

We have never destroyed a society without a destined term.

No people can advance their doom, nor can they delay it.

They say, “O you to whom the Reminder is revealed! You must be insane!

Why do you not bring us the angels, if what you say is true?”

We do not send the angels down except for a just cause, and then ˹the end of˺ the disbelievers will not be delayed.

It is certainly We Who have revealed the Reminder, and it is certainly We Who will preserve it.

Indeed, We sent messengers before you ˹O Prophet˺ among the groups of early peoples

but no messenger ever came to them without being mocked.

This is how We allow disbelief ˹to steep˺ into the hearts of the wicked.

They would not believe in this ˹Quran˺ despite the ˹many˺ examples of those ˹destroyed˺ before.

And even if We opened for them a gate to heaven, through which they continued to ascend

still they would say, “Our eyes have truly been dazzled! In fact, we must have been bewitched.”

Indeed, We have placed constellations in the sky, and adorned it for all to see.

And We protected it from every accursed devil

except the one eavesdropping, who is then pursued by a visible flare.

As for the earth, We spread it out and placed upon it firm mountains, and caused everything to grow there in perfect balance.

And We made in it means of sustenance for you and others, who you do not provide for.

There is not any means ˹of sustenance˺ whose reserves We do not hold, only bringing it forth in precise measure.

We send fertilizing winds, and bring down rain from the sky for you to drink. It is not you who hold its reserves.

Surely it is We Who give life and cause death. And We are the ˹Eternal˺ Successor.

We certainly know those who have gone before you and those who will come after ˹you˺.

Surely your Lord ˹alone˺ will gather them together ˹for judgment˺. He is truly All-Wise, All-Knowing.

Indeed, We created man from sounding clay moulded from black mud.

As for the jinn, We created them earlier from smokeless fire.

˹Remember, O  Prophet˺ when your Lord said to the angels, “I am going to create a human being from sounding clay moulded from black mud.

So when I have fashioned him and had a spirit of My Own ˹creation˺ breathed into him, fall down in prostration to him.”

So the angels prostrated all together—

but not Iblîs, who refused to prostrate with the others.

Allah asked, “O Iblîs! What is the matter with you that you did not join others in prostration?”

He replied, “It is not for me to prostrate to a human You created from sounding clay moulded from black mud.”

Allah commanded, “Then get out of Paradise, for you are truly cursed.

And surely upon you is condemnation until the Day of Judgment.”

Satan appealed, “My Lord! Then delay my end until the Day of their resurrection.”

Allah said, “You will be delayed

until the appointed Day.”

Satan responded, “My Lord! For allowing me to stray I will surely tempt them on earth and mislead them all together

except Your chosen servants among them.”

Allah said, “This is the Way, binding on Me:

you will certainly have no authority over My servants, except the deviant who follow you

and surely Hell is their destined place, all together.

It has seven gates, to each a group of them is designated.”

Indeed, the righteous will be amid Gardens and springs.

˹It will be said to them,˺ “Enter in peace and security.”

We will remove whatever bitterness they had in their hearts. In a friendly manner, they will be on thrones, facing one another.

No fatigue will touch them there, nor will they ever be asked to leave.

Inform My servants ˹O Prophet˺ that I am truly the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful

and that My torment is indeed the most painful.

And inform them ˹O Prophet˺ about Abraham’s guests

who entered upon him and greeted ˹him with˺, “Peace!” He ˹later˺ said, “Surely we are afraid of you.”

They reassured ˹him˺, “Do not be afraid! Surely we give you good news of a knowledgeable son.”

He wondered, “Do you give me good news despite my old age? What unlikely news!”

They responded, “We give you good news in all truth, so do not be one of those who despair.”

He exclaimed, “Who would despair of the mercy of their Lord except the misguided?”

He ˹then˺ added, “What is your mission, O  messenger-angels?”

They replied, “We have actually been sent to a wicked people.

As for the family of Lot, we will certainly deliver them all

except his wife. We have determined that she will be one of the doomed.”

So when the messengers came to the family of Lot

he said, “You are surely an unfamiliar people!”

They responded, “We have come to you with that ˹torment˺ which they have doubted.

We come to you with the truth, and we are certainly truthful.

So travel with your family in the dark of night, and follow ˹closely˺ behind them. Do not let any of you look back, and go where you are commanded.”

We revealed to him this decree: “Those ˹sinners˺ will be uprooted in the morning.”

And there came the men of the city, rejoicing.

Lot pleaded, “Indeed, these are my guests, so do not embarrass me.

Fear Allah and do not humiliate me.”

They responded, “Have we not forbidden you from protecting anyone?”

He said, “O my people! Here are my daughters ˹so marry them˺ if you wish to do so.”

By your life ˹O Prophet˺, they certainly wandered blindly, intoxicated ˹by lust˺.

So the ˹mighty˺ blast overtook them at sunrise.

And We turned the cities ˹of Sodom and Gomorrah˺ upside down and rained upon them stones of baked clay.

Surely in this are signs for those who contemplate.

Their ruins still lie along a known route.

Surely in this is a sign for those who believe.

And the residents of the Forest were truly wrongdoers

so We inflicted punishment upon them. The ruins of both nations still lie on a well-known road.

Indeed, the residents of the Stone Valley also denied the messengers.

We gave them Our signs, but they turned away from them.

They carved their homes in the mountains, feeling secure.

But the ˹mighty˺ blast overtook them in the morning

and all they achieved was of no help to them.

We have not created the heavens and the earth and everything in between except for a purpose. And the Hour is certain to come, so forgive graciously.

Surely your Lord is the Master Creator, All-Knowing.

We have certainly granted you the seven often-repeated verses and the great Quran.

Do not let your eyes crave the ˹fleeting˺ pleasures We have provided for some of the disbelievers, nor grieve for them. And be gracious to the believers.

And say, “I am truly sent with a clear warning”—

˹a warning˺ similar to what We sent to those who divided ˹the Scriptures˺

who ˹now˺ accept parts of the Quran, rejecting others.

So by your Lord! We will certainly question them all

about what they used to do.

So proclaim what you have been commanded, and turn away from the polytheists.

Surely We will be sufficient for you against the mockers

who set up ˹other˺ gods with Allah. They will soon come to know.

We certainly know that your heart is truly distressed by what they say.

So glorify the praises of your Lord and be one of those who ˹always˺ pray

and worship your Lord until the inevitable comes your way.