15al-ḤijrDifficult Terrainسُورَةُ الحجر

Alif-Lām-Ra’ [A-L-R]. These [and such letters constitute the “raw material” and] are the āyāt [verses] of scripture and of a manifest Qur’an.

And it will come to pass that those who are [now] in denial [of Allah’s power and authority] will wish that they had surrendered themselves to Allah [in their lifetime].

Leave them alone; let them eat and enjoy themselves the while the hope [of vain delights] amuses them: for in time they will come to know [the truth of the matter].

And never have We destroyed any community [or society for its wrongdoing] unless a divine writ had [previously] been made known to it;

[But remember that] no community [or society] can ever speed up [the end of] its term — and neither can they delay [it].

And yet, they [who deny Allah His worldly authority and power] say, “O You to whom this conscious reminder has [allegedly] been bestowed from on high: definitely, you are crazy!

Why do you not bring in front of us angels, if you are a man of truth?”

[Yet] We never bring down angels otherwise than in accordance with the [demands of] truth and justice; and [were the angels to appear now], lo! They [who reject this divine Writ] would have no further respite!

Behold, it is We Ourselves who have bestowed from on high, step by step, this conscientious reminder: and, behold, it is We who shall truly guard it [from all alteration and corruption].

And, indeed, [O Prophet], even before your time did We send [Our apostles] to monolithic communities of antiquity —

And no apostle would come to them [on a mission from Us] except that they would deride him.

It is in that manner that We conduct it [this Qur’an] to pervade the hearts of criminals.

[That is because they] are not committed to it when, indeed, the [learning of] social laws of antiquity has escaped them.

If We were to open up for them a heavenly road to ascend,

They would say our eyes are transfixed; rather we have become a people in a trance.

And, indeed, We have set up in the heavens great constellations, and made them alluring to viewers;

And We have secured them from every accursed demon —

So that anyone who seeks to listen to [the unknowable] by stealth is pursued by a manifest meteor.

And the earth: We have spread it out wide, and placed on it anchoring mountains, and caused [life] of every kind to grow on it in an [eco-] balanced manner,

And provided thereon means of livelihood for you [O people] as well as for all [living beings] whose sustenance does not depend on you.

For, no single thing exists that does not have its potential with Us; and nothing do We bestow from on high unless it be in accordance with a measure well-defined.

And We drive the winds to pollinate [plants], and We send down water from the skies and let you drink thereof: and it is not you who hold it in [atmospheric] reservoirs —

For, behold, it is We — We alone — who cause to live and cause to die, and it is We alone who shall remain the owners [after all else will have passed away]!

And well do We know those who preceded you in time and well do we know those who will follow you in time:

And, behold, it is your Sustainer who will gather them all together: truly, He is all-wise, all-knowing.

And, indeed, We created the social being out of hissing clay, out of torpid mud —

Whereas the invisible beings We had created, [long] before that, out of the fire of scorching winds.

And bear in mind: Your Sustainer said to the angels, “Behold, I am about to create a mortal being out of hissing clay, out of torpid mud;

“And when I have proportionately formed him and breathed into him of My soulfulness, fall down before him in prostration!”

Thereupon the angels prostrated themselves, all of them together,

Except Iblīs: he refused to be among those who prostrated themselves.

Said He, “O Iblīs! What is your reason for not being among those who have prostrated themselves?”

[Iblīs] replied, “It is not for me to prostrate myself before mortal man whom You have created out of hissing clay, out of torpid mud!”

Said He, “Go forth, then, from this [angelic status]: for, behold, you are [henceforth] accursed,

“And denunciation shall be your due until the Day of Judgement!”

Said [Ibīs], “Then, O my Sustainer, grant me a respite until the Day when all shall be raised from the dead!”

Answered He, “Verily, so be it: you shall be among those who are granted respite

“Until the Day the time whereof is known [to Me alone].”

[Whereupon Iblīs] said, “O my Sustainer! Since You have thwarted me, I shall indeed make [all that is evil] on earth seem pleasing to them, and shall most certainly beguile them into grievous error —

“[All of them] except such of them as are truly Your subjects!”

Said He, “This is, with Me, a straight way:

“Indeed, you shall have no power over My subjects — unless it be such as are [already] lost in grievous error and follow you [of their own will]:

“And for all such, behold, Hell is the promised destiny,

“With seven gates leading into it, each gate receiving its allotted share [of evildoers].”

Verily, those who are conscious and on guard [concerning Allah’s worldly power presence shall find themselves in the hereafter] amidst gardens and springs,

[Having been received with the greeting], “Enter here in peace, safe and secure!”

And [by then] We shall have removed whatever unworthy thoughts or feelings may have been [lingering] in their breasts, [and they shall rest] as brethren, facing one another [in esteem] upon couches of happiness.

No weariness shall ever bear upon them in this [state of bliss], and never shall they be ousted from it.

Tell My subjects that I — I alone — am the Truly Forgiving, the Most Gracious;

And [also tell them] My affliction is, indeed, a severe affliction.

And tell them [the public] about Ibrāhīm’s guests —

[How], when they presented themselves before him and bade him peace, he answered, “Actually, we are afraid of you!”

Said they, “Fear not! Behold, we bring you the good news of [the birth of] a son who will be endowed with deep knowledge.”

Said he, “Do you give me this good news despite the fact that old age has overtaken me? Of what [strange thing], then, are you giving me delightful information?”

They answered, “We have given you the good news of something that is bound to come true: so be not of those who abandon hope!”

[Ibrāhīm] exclaimed, “And who — other than those who have entirely lost their way — could ever abandon the hope of his Sustainer’s grace?”

He added, “And what [else] may you have in view, O you [heavenly] messengers?”

They answered, “We are sent to people lost in sin [who are to be destroyed],

“Barring Lūṭ’s household, all of whom behold, we shall save —

“Except his wife, [of whom Allah says], ‘We have ordained [that], behold, she should be among those who stay behind [and suffer the consequences]!’”

And when the messengers [of Allah] came to the house of Lūṭ,

He said, “Behold, you are people unknown [here]!”

They answered, “Rather we have come to you with [the announcement of] something that they [who are given to evil] have always been inclined to call in question,

“And we are bringing you the certainty [of its fulfillment]: for, behold, we are speaking the truth indeed.

“Go, then, with your household while it is yet night, with yourself following them close behind; and let none of you look back, but proceed whither you are bidden.”

And [through Our messengers] We revealed to him this decree, “The last remnant of those [sinners] shall be wiped out in the morning.”

And the people of the city came [to Lūṭ], rejoicing at the good news.

Exclaimed [Lūṭ], “Behold, these are my guests: so put me not to shame [by desiring them as your sexual mates],

“But be on guard concerning Allah [His authority and power] and disgrace me not!”

They answered, “Have we not forbidden you [to offer protection] to any kind of people?”

[Lūṭ] said, “[Take instead] these daughters [in society] of mine, if you must do [whatever you intend to do]!”

[But the angels spoke thus], “As sure as [you are of] your life, [O Lūṭ, they will not listen to you]: behold, in their delirium [of lust] they are but blindly stumbling to and fro!”

And thereupon the blast [of Our punishment] overtook them at the time of sunrise,

And We turned those [sinful towns] upside down, and rained down upon them pathogenic masses of consolidated mineral matter.

Verily, in all this there are messages [of Our power and authority] indeed for those who can read the signs [of Our power presence]:

For, behold, those [towns] stood by a road that still exists.

Verily, herein lies a [power] demonstration indeed for all who are committed [to Allah].

And the dwellers of the wooded dales [the tropical forest of Madyan, too], were inveterate evildoers,

And so We inflicted Our retribution upon them. And, behold, both those [sinful communities and societies of Lūṭ’s people and Shu‘ayb’s people] lived by a leading transport route, [to this day] plain to see.

And, [likewise] indeed, the people of al-Ḥijr contradicted [and contravened Our] message-bearers:

For We did offer them Our messages, but they obstinately turned their backs upon them —

Notwithstanding that they had been accustomed [to enjoy Our blessings and] to carve out dwellings from the mountains, [wherein they could live] in security —

And so the boom [of Our punishment] overtook them as they went about during the morning,

And of no avail to them was all [the power and wealth] they had acquired.

And [remember]: We have not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them without [a well-grounded] truth [and a purpose for justice]; but, behold, the Hour [when this will become clear to all] is indeed yet to come. Hence, forgive [others’ failings] with fair forbearance:

Verily, your Sustainer is the All-Knowing pronounced Creator [of all things]!

And, indeed, We have bestowed upon you seven of the oft-repeated [and complimentary āyāt], and [have, thus, laid open before you] this sublime Qur’an:

[So] turn not your eyes [longingly] toward the worldly benefits that We have granted to some of those [who reject Allah’s truth and justice]. And neither grieve over those [who refuse to listen to you], but spread the wings of your tenderness over the committed muslims,

And say, “Truthfully, I am indeed the plain warner [promised by Allah]!”

[For, you are the bearer of a divine writ] such as We have bestowed from on high upon those who [afterward] broke it up into [desolate] parts,

[And] who [now] declare this Qur’an to be a dismembered book [of falsehoods].

But, by [an oath from] your Sustainer! [On the Day of Judgement] We shall indeed call them to account, one and all,

For whatever they have done!

Hence, proclaim openly all that you have been told [to say], and leave alone all those who ascribe divinity/authority to anyone/anything besides Allah:

Truly, We shall suffice you against all who [now] deride [this message — all]

Who assert that there are, side by side with Allah, other divine powers as well: for in time they will come to know [the truth].

And well do We know that your bosom is tense by the [blasphemous] things they say:

But extol your Sustainer’s limitless glory and praise Him, and be of those who prostrate themselves [before Him] in adoration [and respect],

And conform to your Sustainer until certainty [the certainty of death] comes to you.