الٓرۚ تِلۡكَ ءَايَٰتُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَقُرۡءَانٖ مُّبِينٖ
Alif, LŒm, RŒ.[1] These are the verses of the Book and a clear QurÕŒn [i.e., recitation].
1- See footnote to 2:1.
رُّبَمَا يَوَدُّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوۡ كَانُواْ مُسۡلِمِينَ
Perhaps those who disbelieve will wish[1] that they had been Muslims.
1- On the Day of Judgement or at the time of death.
ذَرۡهُمۡ يَأۡكُلُواْ وَيَتَمَتَّعُواْ وَيُلۡهِهِمُ ٱلۡأَمَلُۖ فَسَوۡفَ يَعۡلَمُونَ
Let them eat and enjoy themselves and be diverted by [false] hope, for they are going to know.
وَمَآ أَهۡلَكۡنَا مِن قَرۡيَةٍ إِلَّا وَلَهَا كِتَابٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ
And We did not destroy any city but that for it was a known decree.
مَّا تَسۡبِقُ مِنۡ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسۡتَـٔۡخِرُونَ
No nation will precede its term, nor will they remain thereafter.
وَقَالُواْ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِي نُزِّلَ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلذِّكۡرُ إِنَّكَ لَمَجۡنُونٞ
And they say, "O you upon whom the message has been sent down, indeed you are mad.[1]
1- Literally, "possessed by jinn."
لَّوۡمَا تَأۡتِينَا بِٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ
Why do you not bring us the angels, if you should be among the truthful?"
مَا نُنَزِّلُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ إِلَّا بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَمَا كَانُوٓاْ إِذٗا مُّنظَرِينَ
We do not send down the angels except with truth;[1] and they [i.e., the disbelievers] would not then be reprieved.
1- i.e., with a message or, as the conclusion of the verse suggests, to carry out a promised punishment.
إِنَّا نَحۡنُ نَزَّلۡنَا ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَحَٰفِظُونَ
Indeed, it is We who sent down the message [i.e., the QurÕŒn], and indeed, We will be its guardian.
وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِكَ فِي شِيَعِ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ
And We had certainly sent [messengers] before you, [O Muúammad], among the sects of the former peoples.
وَمَا يَأۡتِيهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا كَانُواْ بِهِۦ يَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ
And no messenger would come to them except that they ridiculed him.
كَذَٰلِكَ نَسۡلُكُهُۥ فِي قُلُوبِ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ
Thus do We insert it [i.e., denial] into the hearts of the criminals.
لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِهِۦ وَقَدۡ خَلَتۡ سُنَّةُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ
They will not believe in it, while there has already occurred the precedent of the former peoples.
وَلَوۡ فَتَحۡنَا عَلَيۡهِم بَابٗا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَظَلُّواْ فِيهِ يَعۡرُجُونَ
And [even] if We opened to them a gate from the heaven and they continued therein to ascend,
لَقَالُوٓاْ إِنَّمَا سُكِّرَتۡ أَبۡصَٰرُنَا بَلۡ نَحۡنُ قَوۡمٞ مَّسۡحُورُونَ
They would say, "Our eyes have only been dazzled. Rather, we are a people affected by magic."
وَلَقَدۡ جَعَلۡنَا فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِ بُرُوجٗا وَزَيَّنَّـٰهَا لِلنَّـٰظِرِينَ
And We have placed within the heaven great stars and have beautified it for the observers.
وَحَفِظۡنَٰهَا مِن كُلِّ شَيۡطَٰنٖ رَّجِيمٍ
And We have protected it from every devil expelled [from the mercy of AllŒh]
إِلَّا مَنِ ٱسۡتَرَقَ ٱلسَّمۡعَ فَأَتۡبَعَهُۥ شِهَابٞ مُّبِينٞ
Except one who steals a hearing and is pursued by a clear burning flame.
وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ مَدَدۡنَٰهَا وَأَلۡقَيۡنَا فِيهَا رَوَٰسِيَ وَأَنۢبَتۡنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ مَّوۡزُونٖ
And the earth – We have spread it and cast therein firmly set mountains and caused to grow therein [something] of every well-balanced thing.
وَجَعَلۡنَا لَكُمۡ فِيهَا مَعَٰيِشَ وَمَن لَّسۡتُمۡ لَهُۥ بِرَٰزِقِينَ
And We have made for you therein means of living and [for] those for whom you are not providers.[1]
1- AllŒh has put at your service other men and animals for which He provides. An additional meaning is that AllŒh provides means for your living and for all other creatures as well.
وَإِن مِّن شَيۡءٍ إِلَّا عِندَنَا خَزَآئِنُهُۥ وَمَا نُنَزِّلُهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِقَدَرٖ مَّعۡلُومٖ
And there is not a thing but that with Us are its depositories, and We do not send it down except according to a known [i.e., specified] measure.
وَأَرۡسَلۡنَا ٱلرِّيَٰحَ لَوَٰقِحَ فَأَنزَلۡنَا مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ فَأَسۡقَيۡنَٰكُمُوهُ وَمَآ أَنتُمۡ لَهُۥ بِخَٰزِنِينَ
And We have sent the fertilizing winds[1] and sent down water from the sky and given you drink from it. And you are not its retainers.
1- Causing precipitation in rainclouds or carrying pollen. Another meaning is "pregnant winds," i.e., those carrying rainclouds.
وَإِنَّا لَنَحۡنُ نُحۡيِۦ وَنُمِيتُ وَنَحۡنُ ٱلۡوَٰرِثُونَ
And indeed, it is We who give life and cause death, and We are the Inheritor.[1]
1- AllŒh (subúŒnahu wa taÔŒlŒ) remains after all creation has passed away.
وَلَقَدۡ عَلِمۡنَا ٱلۡمُسۡتَقۡدِمِينَ مِنكُمۡ وَلَقَدۡ عَلِمۡنَا ٱلۡمُسۡتَـٔۡخِرِينَ
And We have already known the preceding [generations] among you, and We have already known the later [ones to come].
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ يَحۡشُرُهُمۡۚ إِنَّهُۥ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٞ
And indeed, your Lord will gather them; indeed, He is Wise and Knowing.
وَلَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مِن صَلۡصَٰلٖ مِّنۡ حَمَإٖ مَّسۡنُونٖ
And We did certainly create man out of clay from an altered black mud.
وَٱلۡجَآنَّ خَلَقۡنَٰهُ مِن قَبۡلُ مِن نَّارِ ٱلسَّمُومِ
And the jinn We created before from scorching fire.
وَإِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّي خَٰلِقُۢ بَشَرٗا مِّن صَلۡصَٰلٖ مِّنۡ حَمَإٖ مَّسۡنُونٖ
And [mention, O Muúammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "I will create a human being out of clay from an altered black mud.
فَإِذَا سَوَّيۡتُهُۥ وَنَفَخۡتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي فَقَعُواْ لَهُۥ سَٰجِدِينَ
And when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My [created] soul,[1] then fall down to him in prostration."
1- The element of life and soul which AllŒh created for that body, not His own spirit or part of Himself (as some mistakenly believe).
فَسَجَدَ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ كُلُّهُمۡ أَجۡمَعُونَ
So the angels prostrated – all of them entirely,