38ṢādṢسُورَةُ ص

Ṣād [Ṣ]. By the Qur’an and its content of [divine] consciousness!

But, sadly, those who are in denial [of Allah] are in [a state of false] superiority and disruptiveness.

How many a generation have We destroyed before their era [because of their sense of superiority and disruptiveness]! And it did not do them any good [to call upon Us] when it was too late.

And they were bewildered [by the fact] that a warner [from Us] had come to them from their own midst; and [thus] the deniers [of Allah] said, “This [warner] is an enchanting liar!

“Is he trying to relegate the [many] gods into One God? Indeed, this is something bizarre!”

And their elites took leave [from their Islamic interlocutors] and said [to themselves], “Move on and persist with [worshiping] your gods: this [contention with those warners and prophets] is something meant to be!

“We have never heard such a thing [of One God] in any latter day zeitgeist; this [so-called divine message] is nothing but a fabrication!

“[You mean to tell us that] a book of [divine] consciousness was moved down [from heaven] upon him [the Prophet] to the exclusion of all of us [who are more qualified]?” Rather, they [the mushriks] are distrustful of My [divulged-through-revelation] consciousness. Rather, they have not experienced My infliction [that is due on such individuals].

Or do they have the resources [and treasures] of your Sustainer’s grace — [the grace of] the Invincible, the Generous Giver?

Or are they in possession of the assets of the heavens and earth and everything in between? [And if that is the case] let them move up [toward heaven] by [relevant] means!

[But in the final analysis] the combined forces of this far-fetched [allegation] and their alliances are doomed to failure.

Contradicting [truth and justice] before them [the people of Makkah] were the people of Nūḥ, and the [society of] ‘Ād, and the [superpower of] Pharaoh boasting its earth anchors [the pyramids],

And [the population of] Thamūd, and the community of Lūṭ, and the dwellers of the tropical forest [of Madyan]: those were the [historical lineup of God-denying] coalitions —

Not one, but all [of them] refuted the prophets [sent to them], and so Our punishment came due [upon them].

They could not anitcipate that [their eventual penalty] would come as but a single blast [front Us], which would not be paused [or postponed].

And [despite all these warnings] they [Makkah’s kāfirs] said [mockingly], “Our Sustainer! Speed up our fair share [of Your punishment] before the Day of tallying [our worldly efforts]!”

Have patience [O Muhammad] with what they are saying and be mindful of Our subject Dāwūd who had [a diversity of] power resources; indeed, he was one who always turned to Us:

[And as this was the case], We, indeed, made the mountains pliable for him as they extolled His name at nightfall and at sunrise,

And [likewise] We brought into aggregations the birds [to extol His name] — all of them referring to Him [who harmonized the relations among all these creatures].

And [thus] We consolidated his [Dāwūd’s] dominance and We imparted to him wisdom and a final say [on pertinent issues].

And has the information about the complainants come your way — [the story of] those who climbed over the sanctified niche [where Dāwūd prayed]?”

As they came upon Dāwūd, who was startled by them, they said, “Do not fear; [we are] two adversaries that transgressed against each other: so [we expect you to] adjudicate between us according to truth and justice, and do not deviate [from truth and justice] and guide us to a course of rectitude.

“Behold, [the fact is that] this is my brother: he has ninety-nine lambs and I have [only] one lamb, and yet he said, ‘Trust me with having it’; and he forcibly prevailed over me in the conversation [between us].”

Said [Dāwūd], “He certainly did you wrong by demanding that your lamb be added to his lambs! And, indeed, many who are interrelated [in dealing with each other are prone to] transgress against each other except for those who commit themselves [to Allah] and do what is right and righteous — but few [in numbers] are they!” [As a result] Dāwūd figured that We had put him to a test by trial, and so he asked his Sustainer for forgiveness and he fell into a position of genuflection and he [consciously] went back [to Us in repentance].1

And thus We forgave him for that [his suspicion of these two as criminals when they broke in on him in his niche]: and, verily, his is a very close immediacy to Us and a splendid return [to Us].

[And We said], “O Dāwūd! We have designated you as a successor to Us on earth and, therefore, judge among people with truth and justice and do not follow [an inclination toward] ego preferences that will lead you away from the path to Allah. Indeed, those who go astray and away from Allah’s path shall have severe infliction [in store for them] for having disregarded the Day of Judgement.”

And We have not created the heavens and the earth and whatever lies between them without meaning and purpose, as is the assumption of the deniers [of truth and justice]. Thus, woe to the deniers [of Allah] for the fire [of Hell that awaits them]!

Or do [you expect that] We equate those who commit themselves [to Our power and authority] with those who are corrupt throughout the world; or do [you think that] We liken those actively conscious [of Allah’s corrective power] with those who flagrantly confront Allah’s [corrective power]?

[All these facts are in] a blessed scripture that We made accessible to you [O Muhammad] so that they [who are out there in the world] may take into account [the meanings of] its āyāt and so that those with core insightfulness may gain consciousness [of Him].

And to Dāwūd We granted Sulāymān [as a son] — [and] how admirable a subject [of Ours] was he! Behold, he always [connected with and] referred [himself] to Us:

Call to mind when, toward the end of day, splendid and exilerating coursers were put on display for him,

[Even then], he would say, “I have come to love the love of all that is high-quality and beneficial as a matter of the [ingrown] consciousness of my Sustainer” — [and he would repeat this refrain] until they, [the coursers, raced away and] vanished from sight,

[Whereupon he would instruct], “Bring them back to me!” — and would [tenderly] stroke their legs and necks [and would admire their thrust and steadiness].

And [in the course of his life], We did put Sulaymān to a test [of nerves] by placing on his throne a [lifeless] body, and subsequently he [reverentially] reverted [to Us],

Saying, “O my Sustainer! Forgive me [my human vulnerabilities] and grant me command and control not worthy of anyone who comes after me [in the future]: verily, You — only You — are the Most Generous Giver.

And so We made subservient to him the wind, flowing in harmony with his imperative wherever he directed,

As well as the [normally] uncontrollable evil spirits [that We made to work for him] — some as builders and some as divers —

And [yet] others tethered with shackles.

[And We made it known to him], “This is Our contribution, for you to give out freely or to withhold, without [having to render] account!”

And he, verily, has a very close nearness to Us, and the most ideal of all [divine] homecomings!

And bear in mind Our subject Ayyūb as he called upon his Sustainer, “I surely have been affected [influenced] by Satan [who has afflicted me] with irritation and anguish” —

[Whereupon he was told], “Strike [the ground] with your foot, [and consequently you willl have] cool washing water and water to drink” [which resulted in a cure for Ayyūb’s physical ailment].

And We granted [back to] him his family [and folks, after a time of quarantine], and the equivalents of them [his folks] as an expression of blessings from Us and as a conscientious awareness for all who are endowed with perceptiveness.

[And finally, We advised him], “Now [that you are cured], clutch with your hand a small bundle of greens [greeneries and grass] and strike therewith and do not fail to fulfill your oath.” And so, indeed, We found him [Ayyūb] to be patient [through adversity] — what a wonderful subject [of Ours], who was surely keen on revisiting [Us by way of repentance].

And bear in mind Our subjects Ibrāhīm and Isḥāq and Ya‘qūb — persons of [practical] abilities and visions [of guidance].

We, no doubt, refined them with the untainted consciousness of the abode [of eternal life].

And, to Us, they are definitely among the designated best [of people].

And bear in mind Ismā‘īl and al-Yasa‘ and Dhū al-Kifl — for they, too, were among the best [of people].

This [mindfulness of Ibrāhīm and his progeny] represents [the core of a heightened] consciousness — for, of a certainty, those who are on guard [concerning Allah’s immediate power presence] will [eventually] have an exquisite homecoming [in the afterlife]:

Gardens of perpetuity with [all] gates flung open for them,

Wherein they will be found reclining [on heavenly loungers] and enjoying many a fruit and drink,

And with them will be [the sex appeal kindled by] instant and larger-than-life gazes — mates perfectly matched.

This is a promise to you [fulfilled] on the Day of Accountability:

Indeed, this is Our sustenance [for you] — no end to it.

All this [for the upright and honorable]: but, indisputably, those who are abusive of power [in world affairs] shall have the worst return:

[The fire of] hell they will endure — and what a dreadful resting-place!

[In] this [infliction, they will have] to endure [the two extremes of] boiling and freezing [liquids],

And another [form of torment] coupled with it [the infliction pertaining to the two extremes of boiling and freezing liquids] will come in a variety of configurations.

[Then here comes] this bunch [of criminals] charging [into the fire] with you [the tyrants]. No welcome to them; they [too] will suffer the [effects of] the burning fire!

[But] they [the criminals who had been misled by the tyrants] will say, “Rather, it was you [all along] — no welcome to you. You are the ones who arranged this for us [through your worldly system of kufr]: and how vile a decision it was!”

[And] they [the criminals] will continue, “O our Sustainer! Double the torment through fire for whoever arranged this [torment] for us!”

And they [the tyrants] will say, “What is it with us that we do not see [any of those] persons whom we considered [in our worldly life] to be evil,

“[And] whom we used to make fun of? Or is it that our vision is so unfocused [that we cannot identify] them?”

All of that is indeed a matter of truth and justice: the dwellers of the fire are bound to quarrel among themselves.

Say [O Muhammad], “I am but a warner; and there is no deity/authority except Allah, the One, the Absolutely Overpowering,

“The Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all therein, the Grand, the Ever-Forgiving!”

Say, “This is sober information:

“[But then] you turn away from it [and what it means].”

[I, Muhammad, am telling you], “I would have had no knowledge of the high [heavenly] assembly [of hosts] as they differed among themselves [regarding the genesis and responsibilities of humanity on earth],

“Had it not been for what was revealed to me [by Allah, you should realize] that I am nothing but a distinct warner.”

Be conscious of the fact that your Sustainer said to the malā’ikah, “Behold, I am, of a certainty, going to create a human being out of clay;

“So when I proportion him [into a well-adjusted being] and breathe into him of My rūḥ (life- force) then you [shall] pay respect to him.”

Accordingly, all the malā’ikah, all of them together, paid respect [to the God-created human],

Except for Iblīs: he was pompous, and [thus] one of those who rejects [Allah’s authority].

Said [Allah], “O Iblīs! What is it that prohibited you from paying respect to that which I have created with My [own] hands? Are you too proud [to pay respect] or do you consider yourself to be too elevated [to do so]?

Said [Iblīs], “I am better than he: You created me out of [the substance of the] fire whereas You created him [the human] out of mud.”

Said [Allah], “Thus, get out of it [the heavenly status] — for you are indeed expelled with condemnation,

“And, indeed, upon you is My curse until the Day of Judgement.”

Said [Iblīs], “My Sustainer! Grant me a reprieve until the Day when all shall be resurrected.”

Said [Allah], “Verily, you are one of those granted a reprieve,

“Until the Day of an appointed time [known only to Me].”

Said [Iblīs], “Then [I swear] by Your grand honor, I shall indeed mislead all of them [the humans],

“Except for those among them who are divinely dedicated [to You].”

Said [Allah], “By truth and justice, and this truth and justice I do declare,

“‘I will surely pack Hell with you and those of them who follow you — all together!’”

Say [O Muhammad], “I ask you [people of Makkah and the world] for no compensation [for my efforts] but [know that] I am not superficial [about my duties and divine assignment].

“This [Qur’an] is [if nothing else] a conscientizing medium for all God’s creatures [and peoples].

“And you will most certainly come to know [and acknowledge] its purport after a lapse of time.”