Al-Ankaboot

Alif-Lãm-Mĩm.

Do people think once they say, “We believe,” that they will be left without being put to the test?

We certainly tested those before them. And ˹in this way˺ Allah will clearly distinguish between those who are truthful and those who are liars.

Or do the evildoers ˹simply˺ think that they will escape Us? How wrong is their judgment!

Whoever hopes for the meeting with Allah, ˹let them know that˺ Allah’s appointed time is sure to come. He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

And whoever strives ˹in Allah’s cause˺, only does so for their own good. Surely Allah is not in need of ˹any of˺ His creation.

As for those who believe and do good, We will certainly absolve them of their sins, and reward them according to the best of what they used to do.

We have commanded people to honour their parents. But if they urge you to associate with Me what you have no knowledge of, then do not obey them. To Me you will ˹all˺ return, and then I will inform you of what you used to do.

Those who believe and do good will surely be admitted by Us into ˹the company of˺ the righteous.

There are some who say, “We believe in Allah,” but when they suffer in the cause of Allah, they mistake ˹this˺ persecution at the hands of people for the punishment of Allah. But when victory comes from your Lord, they surely say ˹to the believers˺, “We have always been with you.” Does Allah not know best what is in the hearts of all beings?

Allah will certainly distinguish between those who have ˹sure˺ faith and the hypocrites.

The disbelievers say to the believers, “˹Just˺ follow our way, and we will bear ˹the burden of˺ your sins.” But they would never ˹want to˺ bear any of the believers’ sins. They are simply lying.

Yet they will certainly ˹be made to˺ carry their own burdens, as well as other burdens along with their own. And they will surely be questioned on Judgment Day about what they used to fabricate.

Indeed, We sent Noah to his people, and he remained among them for a thousand years, less fifty. Then the Flood overtook them, while they persisted in wrongdoing.

But We delivered him and those in the Ark, making it a sign for all people.

And ˹remember˺ when Abraham said to his people, “Worship Allah, and fear Him. This is better for you, if only you knew.

You worship besides Allah nothing but idols, simply creating lies ˹about them˺. Those you worship besides Allah certainly cannot give you any provision. So seek provision from Allah ˹alone˺, worship Him, and be grateful to Him. To Him you will ˹all˺ be returned.

If you ˹Meccans˺ persist in denial, so did ˹many˺ communities before you. The Messenger’s duty is only to deliver ˹the message˺ clearly.”

Have they not seen how Allah originates the creation then resurrects it? That is certainly easy for Allah.

Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Travel throughout the land and see how He originated the creation, then Allah will bring it into being one more time. Surely Allah is Most Capable of everything.

He punishes whoever He wills, and shows mercy to whoever He wills. And you will ˹all˺ be returned to Him.

And you cannot escape Him on earth or in heaven. Nor have you any protector or helper besides Allah.”

As for those who disbelieve in Allah’s signs and the meeting with Him, it is they who will have no hope in His mercy. And it is they who will suffer a painful punishment.

But the only response of Abraham’s people was to say: “Kill him or burn him!” But Allah saved him from the fire. Surely in this are signs for people who believe.

He said ˹to his people˺, “You have taken idols ˹for worship˺ instead of Allah, only to keep ˹the bond of˺ harmony among yourselves in this worldly life. But on the Day of Judgment you will disown and curse one another. Your home will be the Fire, and you will have no helper!”

So Lot believed in him. And Abraham said, “I am emigrating ˹in obedience˺ to my Lord. He ˹alone˺ is indeed the Almighty, All-Wise.”

We blessed him with Isaac and ˹later˺ Jacob, and reserved prophethood and revelation for his descendants. We gave him his reward in this life, and in the Hereafter he will certainly be among the righteous.

And ˹remember˺ when Lot rebuked ˹the men of˺ his people: “You certainly commit a shameful deed that no man has ever done before you.

Do you really lust after ˹other˺ men, abuse the travellers, and practice immorality ˹openly˺ in your gatherings?” His people’s only response was to say ˹mockingly˺: “Bring Allah’s punishment upon us, if what you say is true.”

Lot prayed, “My Lord! Help me against the people of corruption.”

When Our messenger-angels came to Abraham with the good news ˹of the birth of Isaac˺, they said, “We are going to destroy the people of this city ˹of Sodom˺, for its people have persisted in wrongdoing.”

He said, “But Lot is there!” They responded, “We know best who is there. We will certainly save him and his family—except his wife, who is one of the doomed.”

And when Our messenger-angels came to Lot, he was distressed and worried by their arrival. They reassured ˹him˺, “Do not fear, nor grieve. We will surely deliver you and your family—except your wife, who is one of the doomed.

We are certainly bringing down a punishment from heaven upon the people of this city for their rebelliousness.”

And We did leave ˹some of˺ its ruins as a clear lesson for people of understanding.

And to the people of Midian ˹We sent˺ their brother Shu’aib. He said, “O my people! Worship Allah, and hope for ˹the reward of˺ the Last Day. And do not go about spreading corruption in the land.”

But they rejected him, so an ˹overwhelming˺ earthquake struck them and they fell lifeless in their homes.

And the people of ’Ȃd and Thamûd ˹met a similar fate˺, which must be clear to you ˹Meccans˺ from their ruins. Satan made their ˹evil˺ deeds appealing to them, hindering them from the ˹Right˺ Way, although they were capable of reasoning.

˹We˺ also ˹destroyed˺ Korah, Pharaoh, and Hamân. Indeed, Moses had come to them with clear proofs, but they behaved arrogantly in the land. Yet they could not escape ˹Us˺.

So We seized each ˹people˺ for their sin: against some of them We sent a storm of stones, some were overtaken by a ˹mighty˺ blast, some We caused the earth to swallow, and some We drowned. Allah would not have wronged them, but it was they who wronged themselves.

The parable of those who take protectors other than Allah is that of a spider spinning a shelter. And the flimsiest of all shelters is certainly that of a spider, if only they knew.

Allah surely knows that whatever ˹gods˺ they invoke besides Him are ˹simply˺ nothing. For He is the Almighty, All-Wise.

These are the parables We set forth for humanity, but none will understand them except the people of knowledge.

Allah created the heavens and the earth for a purpose. Surely in this is a sign for the people of faith.

Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, ˹genuine˺ prayer should deter ˹one˺ from indecency and wickedness. The remembrance of Allah is ˹an˺ even greater ˹deterrent˺. And Allah ˹fully˺ knows what you ˹all˺ do.

Do not argue with the People of the Book unless gracefully, except with those of them who act wrongfully. And say, “We believe in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to you. Our God and your God is ˹only˺ One. And to Him we ˹fully˺ submit.”

Similarly ˹to earlier messengers˺, We have revealed to you a Book ˹O Prophet˺. ˹The faithful of˺ those to whom We gave the Scriptures believe in it, as do some of these ˹pagan Arabs˺. And none denies Our revelations except the ˹stubborn˺ disbelievers.

You ˹O Prophet˺ could not read any writing ˹even˺ before this ˹revelation˺, nor could you write at all. Otherwise, the people of falsehood would have been suspicious.

But this ˹Quran˺ is ˹a set of˺ clear revelations ˹preserved˺ in the hearts of those gifted with knowledge. And none denies Our revelations except the ˹stubborn˺ wrongdoers.

They say, “If only ˹some˺ signs had been sent down to him from his Lord!” Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Signs are only with Allah. And I am only sent with a clear warning.”

Is it not enough for them that We have sent down to you the Book, ˹which is˺ recited to them. Surely in this ˹Quran˺ is a mercy and reminder for people who believe.

Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Sufficient is Allah as a Witness between me and you. He ˹fully˺ knows whatever is in the heavens and the earth. And those who believe in falsehood and disbelieve in Allah, it is they who are the ˹true˺ losers.”

They challenge you ˹O Prophet˺ to hasten the punishment. Had it not been for a time already set, the punishment would have certainly come to them ˹at once˺. But it will definitely take them by surprise when they least expect it.

They urge you to hasten the punishment. And Hell will certainly encompass the disbelievers

on the Day the punishment will overwhelm them from above them and from below their feet. And it will be said, “Reap what you sowed.”

O My believing servants! My earth is truly spacious, so worship Me ˹alone˺.

Every soul will taste death, then to Us you will ˹all˺ be returned.

˹As for˺ those who believe and do good, We will certainly house them in ˹elevated˺ mansions in Paradise, under which rivers flow, to stay there forever. How excellent is the reward for those who work ˹righteousness!˺—

those who patiently endure, and put their trust in their Lord!

How many are the creatures that cannot secure their provisions! ˹It is˺ Allah ˹Who˺ provides for them and you ˹as well˺. He is indeed the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

If you ask them ˹O Prophet˺ who created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon ˹for your benefit˺, they will certainly say, “Allah!” How can they then be deluded ˹from the truth˺?

Allah gives abundant or limited provisions to whoever He wills of His servants. Surely Allah has ˹full˺ knowledge of everything.

And if you ask them who sends down rain from the sky, giving life to the earth after its death, they will surely say, “Allah!” Say, “Praise be to Allah!” In fact, most of them do not understand.

This worldly life is no more than play and amusement. But the Hereafter is indeed the real life, if only they knew.

If they happen to be aboard a ship ˹caught in a storm˺, they cry out to Allah ˹alone˺ in sincere devotion. But as soon as He delivers them ˹safely˺ to shore, they associate ˹others with Him once again˺.

So let them be ungrateful for all We have given them, and ˹let them˺ enjoy themselves ˹for now˺! For they will soon know.

Have they not seen how We have made ˹Mecca˺ a safe haven, whereas people ˹all˺ around them are snatched away? How can they then believe in falsehood and deny Allah’s favours?

And who does more wrong than those who fabricate lies against Allah or reject the truth after it has reached them? Is Hell not a ˹fitting˺ home for the disbelievers?

As for those who struggle in Our cause, We will surely guide them along Our Way. And Allah is certainly with the good-doers.