71 On the Day when We summon each community, along with its leader, [a] those who are given their record in their right hand will read it [with pleasure]. [b] But no one will be wronged in the least: 72 those who were blind in this life will be blind in the Hereafter, and even further off the path. 73 [Prophet], the disbelievers tried to tempt you away from what We revealed to you, so that you would invent some other revelation and attribute it to Us and then they would have taken you as a friend. 74 If We had not made you stand firm, you would almost have inclined a little towards them. 75 In that case, We would have made you taste a double punishment in this life, and a double punishment after death and then you would have found no one to help you against Us. 76 They planned to scare you off the land, but they would not have lasted for more than a little while after you. 77 Such was Our way with the messengers We sent before you, and you will find no change in Our ways.
78 So perform the regular prayers in the period from the time the sun is past its zenith till the darkness of the night, and [recite] the Quran at dawn– dawn recitation is always witnessed [c] –– 79 and during the night wake up and pray, as an extra offering of your own, so that your Lord may raise you to a [highly] praised status. 80 Say, ‘My Lord, make me go in truthfully, and come out truthfully, and grant me supporting authority from You.’ 81 And say, ‘The truth has come, and falsehood has passed away: falsehood is bound to pass away.’
82 We send down the Quran as healing and mercy to those who believe; as for those who disbelieve, it only increases their loss. 83 When We favor man he turns arrogantly to one side, but when harm touches him, he falls into despair. 84 Say, ‘Everyone does things their own way, but your Lord is fully aware of who follows the best-guided path.’
A Man with a Message
85 [Prophet], they ask you about the Spirit. Say, ‘The Spirit is part of my Lord’s domain. You have only been given a little knowledge.’ 86 If We pleased, We could take away what We have revealed to you– then you would find no one to plead for you against Us– 87 if it were not for your Lord’s mercy: His favor to you has been truly great. 88 Say, ‘Even if all mankind and jinn came together to produce something like this Quran, they could not produce anything like it, however much they helped each other.’ 89 In this Quran, We have set out all kinds of examples for people, yet most of them persist in disbelieving. 90 They say, ‘We will not believe for you [Muhammad] until you make a spring gush out of the ground for us; 91 or until you have a garden of date palms and vines, and make rivers pour through them; 92 or make the sky fall on us in pieces, as you claimed will happen; or bring God and the angels before us face to face; 93 or have a house made of gold; or ascend into the sky– even then, we will not believe in your ascension until you send a real book down for us to read.’ Say, ‘Glory be to my Lord! Am I anything but a mortal, a messenger?’ 94 The only thing that kept these people from believing, when guidance came to them, was that they said, ‘How could God have sent a human being as a messenger?’ 95 Say, ‘If there were angels walking about on earth, feeling at home, We would have sent them an angel from Heaven as a messenger.’ 96 Say, ‘God is witness enough between me and you. He knows and observes His servants well.’
Resurrection
97 [Prophet], anyone God guides is truly guided, and you will find no protector other than Him for anyone He leaves astray. On the Day of Resurrection We shall gather them, lying on their faces, blind, dumb, and deaf. Hell will be their Home. Whenever the Fire goes down, We shall make it blaze more fiercely for them. 98 This is what they will get for rejecting Our signs and saying, ‘What? When we are turned to bones and dust, how can we be raised in a new act of creation?’ 99 Do they not see that God, who created the heavens and earth, can create the likes of them [anew]? He has ordained a time for them– there is no doubt about that– but the evildoers refuse everything except disbelief. 100 Say, ‘If you possessed the very stores of my Lord’s bounty, you would hold them back in your fear of spending: man is ever grudging.’
Truth in the Form of the Quran
101 In the past, We gave Moses nine clear signs– ask the Children of Israel. When Moses came to [the Egyptians], Pharaoh said to him, ‘Moses, I think you are bewitched.’ 102 He said, ‘You know very well that only the Lord of the heavens and earth could have sent these signs as clear proof. I think that you, Pharaoh, are doomed.’ 103 So he wanted to wipe them off the [face of the] earth, but We drowned him and those with him. 104 After his death, We told the Children of Israel, ‘Live in the land, and when the promise of the Hereafter is fulfilled, We shall bring you to the assembly of all people.’
105 We sent down the Quran with the truth, and with the truth it has come down– [Prophet], We sent you only to give good news and warning– 106 it is a recitation that We have revealed in parts, so that you can recite it to people at intervals; We have sent it down little by little. 107 Say, ‘Whether you believe it or not, those who were given knowledge earlier fall down on their faces when it is recited to them, 108 and say, “Glory to our Lord! Our Lord’s promise has been fulfilled.” 109 They fall down on their faces, weeping, and [the Quran] increases their humility.’ 110 Say [to them], ‘Call on God, or on the Lord of Mercy– whatever names you call Him, the best names belong to Him.’ [Prophet], do not be too loud in your prayer, or too quiet, but seek a middle way 111 and say, ‘Praise belongs to God, who has no child nor partner in His rule. He is not so weak as to need a protector. Proclaim His limitless greatness!’
Footnotes
a. See 16: 89.
b. Cf. 69: 19–24.
c. By the angels. See Bukhari, Sahih, ‘Mawaqit’, 16.
The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)
The Qur'an / a new translation by M. A. S. Abdel Haleem, copyright © 2004 Oxford World's Classics (Oxford University Press). Used by permission. All rights reserved.