The Column (Al-Suff)
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful
ALL THAT IS in the heavens and all that is on earth extols God's limitless glory: for He alone is almighty, truly wise! 1 Believers! Why do you say one thing and do another. 2 Saying what you do not practice is odious to God. 3 Truly Allah loves those who fight in His Cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure. 4 Now when Moses spoke to his people, [it was this same truth that he had in mind:] "O my people! Why do you cause me grief, the while you know that I am an apostle of God sent unto you?" And so, when they swerved from the right way, God let their hearts swerve from the truth: for God does not bestow His guidance upon iniquitous folk. 5 And [this happened, too,] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said: "O children of Israel! Behold, I am an apostle of God unto you, [sent] to confirm the truth of whatever there still remains of the Torah, and to give [you] the glad tiding of an apostle who shall come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad." But when he [whose coming Jesus had foretold] came unto them with all evidence of the truth, they said: "This [alleged message of his] is [nothing but] spellbinding eloquence!" 6 And who is a greater wrong-doer than he who fabricateth against Allah a lie even as he is summoned unto Islam? And Allah guideth not a wrongdoing people. 7 They seek to extinguish Allah's light (by blowing) with their mouths, but Allah shall spread His light in all its fullness, howsoever the unbelievers may abhor this. 8 It is He who sent His Apostle with the guidance and the true way to raise it above all faiths, however the idolaters may dislike it. 9