Jonah (Younus)
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful
Alif Lam. Ra. THESE ARE MESSAGES of the divine writ, full of wisdom. 1 Does it seem strange to people that We should have revealed to a man from among themselves, directing him to warn the people (who lie engrossed in heedlessness); and to give good news to the believers that they shall enjoy true honour and an exalted status with their Lord? (Is this so strange that) the deniers of the truth should say: 'This man is indeed an evident sorcerer'? 2 Surely your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods, and He is firm in power, regulating the affair, there is no intercessor except after His permission; this is Allah, your Lord, therefore serve Him; will you not then mind? 3 Unto Him you all must return: this is, in truth, God's promise - for, behold, He creates [man] in the first instance, and then brings him forth anew to the end that He may reward with equity all who attain to faith and do righteous deeds; whereas for those who are bent on denying the truth there is in store a draught of burning despair and grievous suffering because of their persistent refusal to acknowledge the truth. 4 It is God who has made the sun radiant and the moon luminous and has appointed for the moon certain phases so that you may compute the number of years and other reckonings. God has created them for a genuine purpose. He explains the evidence (of His existence) to the people of knowledge. 5 for, verily, in the alternating of night and day, and in all that God has created in the heavens and on earth there are messages indeed for people who are conscious of Him! 6 Surely those who do not hope in Our meeting and are pleased with this world's life and are content with it, and those who are heedless of Our communications: 7 will all have the Fire as their dwelling for that which they had done. 8 Surely (as for) those who believe and do good, their Lord will guide them by their faith; there shall flow from beneath them rivers in gardens of bliss. 9 Their call therein will be, "Exalted are You, O Allah," and their greeting therein will be, "Peace." And the last of their call will be, "Praise to Allah, Lord of the worlds!" 10