The Hijjr Valley (Al-Hijjr)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
۞ ALIF LAM RA. These are the verses of the Book and the perspicuous oration. 1 Again and again will those who disbelieve, wish that they had bowed (to Allah's will) in Islam. 2 (Muhammad), leave them alone to eat and enjoy themselves and let their desires deceive them; they will soon know (the Truth). 3 And never did We destroy a township but there was a known decree for it. 4 no people can forestall their doom, nor can they delay it. 5 And they said, “O you upon whom the Qur’an has been sent, you are indeed insane.” 6 Why dost thou not bring the angels unto us, if thou speakest truly?' 7 We send not down the angels save with the Fact, and in that case (the disbelievers) would not be tolerated. 8 Indeed We have sent down the Qur’an, and indeed We Ourselves surely are its Guardians. (This is one of the miracles of the Qur’an – no one has been able to change even one letter of its text, despite every effort. It has remained in its original form since the 6th Century (A. D) and will remain so forever. Other Holy Books such as the Torah and the Bible have lost their originality.) 9 We have sent forth before you Messengers among the factions of the ancients. 10 No Messenger went to them whom they did not mock. 11 Thus do We make it traverse the hearts of the guilty: 12 who do not believe in it, although the way which those [evildoers] of olden times had to go has long been within their ken. 13 and even if We opened to them a door from heaven, and they began ascending through it, 14 they would still say, "Our eyes have been dazzled. We are bewitched." 15