The Throngs (Al-Zumer)
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
THE REVELATION OF this Book is from God, the mighty and all-wise. 1 Lo! We have revealed the Scripture unto thee (Muhammad) with truth; so worship Allah, making religion pure for Him (only). 2 Pay heed! Worship is for Allah only; and those who have taken others as their supporters beside Him say; “We worship* them only so that they get us closer to Allah”; Allah will surely judge between them regarding the matter in which they dispute; indeed Allah does not guide one who is a big liar, extremely ungrateful. (*The pagans regarded their idols as smaller Gods and worshipped them. So did the Christians. This does not apply to Muslims who only respect their elders, and ask for their blessings.) 3 Were Allah to create a son* for Himself, He would have chosen any one from His creation! Purity is to Him! He is Allah, the One, the All Dominant. (*Which is impossible.) 4 He created the heavens and the earth in true (proportions): He makes the Night overlap the Day, and the Day overlap the Night: He has subjected the sun and the moon (to His law): Each one follows a course for a time appointed. Is not He the Exalted in Power - He Who forgives again and again? 5 He created you from a single cell, then from it created its mate; arid provided eight varieties of cattle for you. He formed you in the mother's womb, formation after formation in three (veils of) darkness. He is God your Lord. His is the kingdom. There is no god other than He. How then can you turn away? 6 If you disbelieve, know well that Allah has no need of you. Yet He does not like unbelief in His servants. But if you are thankful, your thankfulness will please Him. No one shall bear another's burden. You are destined to return to your Lord and He will tell you what you used to do. He is well aware even of what lies hidden in your breasts. 7 ۞ And when some hurt touches man, he cries to his Lord (Allah Alone), turning to Him in repentance, but when He bestows a favour upon him from Himself, he forgets that for which he cried for before, and he sets up rivals to Allah, in order to mislead others from His Path. Say: "Take pleasure in your disbelief for a while: surely, you are (one) of the dwellers of the Fire!" 8 Or is he who is obedient in the watches of the night, bowing himself and standing, he being afraid of the world to come and hoping for the mercy of his Lord..? Say: 'Are they equal -- those who know and those who know not?' Only men possessed of minds remember. 9