SURAH
23: AL MU'MINUN (The Believers).
In the name of Allah, the Gracious,
the Merciful
1
The believers must win through,
2
Those who humble themselves in their prayers;
3
Who avoid vain talk;
4
Who are active in deeds of charity;
5
Who abstain from sex,
6
Except with those joined to them by marriage, or those whom their right hands
possess, for they are free from blame,
7
But those whose desires exceed those limits are transgressors;
8
Those who faithfully observe their trusts and their covenants;
9
And who guard their prayers;
10
These will be the heirs,
11
Who will inherit paradise: they will dwell therein.
12
Man we did create from a bit of mud;
13
Then we placed him as sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed;
14
Then we made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood. Then of that clot we
made a lump. Then we made out of that lump, bones and clothed the bones with
flesh. Then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the
best to create!
15
After that, at length you will die.
16
Again, on the day of judgment, will you be raised up.
17
And we have made, above you, seven tracts; and we are never unmindful of our
creation.
18
And we send down water from the sky according to due measure, and we cause it
to soak in the soil; and we certainly are able to drain it off.
19
With it we grow for you gardens of date palms and vines: in them you have
abundant fruits: and of them you eat,
20
Also a tree springing out of Mount Sinai, which produces oil, and relish for
those who use it for food.
21
And in cattle you have an instructive example: from within their bodies we
produce milk for you to drink; there are in them numerous benefits for you; and
of them you eat;
22
And on them, as well as in ships, you ride.
23
We sent Nuh to his people: he said: O my
people! Worship Allah! You have no other god but him. Will you not fear him?
24
The chiefs of the unbelievers among his people said: "He is no more than a
man like yourselves: his wish is to assert his superiority over you: if Allah
had wished, he could have sent down angels: never did we hear such a thing
among our ancestors of old.
25
"He is only a man possessed: wait with him for a time.
26
Nuh said: "O my Lord! Help me: for that
they accuse me of falsehood!"
27
So we inspired him, "Construct the Ark within our sight and under our
guidance: then when comes our command, and the fountains of the earth gush
forth, take on board pairs of every species, male and female, and your family,
except those of them against whom the word has already gone forth; and address
me not in favour of the wrongdoers: for they shall be drowned in the flood.
28
And when you have embarked on the Ark -- you and those with you -- say:
"Praise be to Allah, who has saved us from the people who do wrong."
29
And say: "O my Lord! Enable me to disembark with your blessing: for you
are the best to enable us to disembark."
30
Truly in this there are signs; thus do we try men.
31
Then we raised after them another generation.
32
And we sent to them a messenger from among themselves, saying, "Worship
Allah! You have no other god but him. Will you not fear him?"
33
And the chiefs of his people, who disbelieved and denied the meeting in the
hereafter, and on whom we had bestowed the good things of this life, said: He
is no more than a man like yourselves: he eats of that of which you eat, and
drinks of what you drink.
34
If you obey a man like yourselves, behold, it is certain you will be lost.
35
Does he promise that when you die and become dust and bones, you shall be
brought forth again?
36
Far, very far is that which you are promised!
37
There is nothing but our life in this world! We shall die and we live! But we
shall never be raised up again!
38
He is only a man who invents a lie against Allah, but we are not the ones to
believe in him!
39
The prophet said: O my Lord! Help me: for that they accuse me of falsehood.
40
Allah said: In but a little while, they are sure to be sorry!
41
Then the blast overtook them with justice, and we made them as rubbish of dead
leaves! So away with the people who do wrong!
42
Then we raised after them other generations.
43
No people can hasten their term, nor can they delay it.
44
Then we sent our messengers in succession. Every time there came to a people
their messenger, they accused him of falsehood, so we made them follow each
other in punishment. We made them as a tale that is told, so away with a people
that will not believe!
45
Then we sent Musa and his brother Harun, with our signs and authority manifest,
46
To Firaun and his chiefs: but these behaved insolently: they were an arrogant
people.
47
They said: Shall we believe in two men like ourselves? And their people are
subject to us!
48
So they accused them of falsehood, and they became of those who were destroyed.
49
And we gave Musa Al-Kitab,[1]
in order that they might receive guidance.
50
And we made Ibn Maryam and his mother as a sign[2].
We gave them both shelter on high ground, affording rest and security and
furnished with springs.
51
O you messengers! Enjoy all things good and pure, and work righteousness: for
I am
well-acquainted with all that you do.
52
And truly this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood, and I am your Lord: therefore fear
me.
53
But people have separated themselves into sects: each party rejoices in that
which is with itself.
54
But leave them in their confused ignorance for a time.
55
Do they think that because we have granted them abundance of wealth and sons,
56
We would hasten them on in every good? No, they do not understand.
57
Truly those who live in awe for fear of their Lord;
58
Those who believe in the signs of their Lord;
59
Those who join not partners with their Lord;
60
And those who dispense their charity with their hearts full of fear, because
they will return to their Lord;
61
It is these who hasten in every good work, and these who are foremost in them.
62
On no soul do we place a burden greater than it can bear: before us is a record
which clearly shows the truth: they will never be wronged.
63
But their hearts are in confused ignorance of this; and there are, besides
that, deeds of theirs, which they will continue to do,
64
Until, when we seize in punishment those of them who received the good things
of this world, behold, they will groan in supplication!
65
Groan not in supplication this day: for you shall certainly not be helped by
us.
66
My signs used to be rehearsed to you, but you used to turn back on your heels
67
In arrogance: talking nonsense about it, like one telling fables by night.
68
Do they not ponder over the word, or has anything come to them that did not
come to their fathers of old?
69
Or do they not recognize their messenger, that they deny him?
70
Or do they say he is possessed? No, he has brought them the truth, but most of
them hate the truth.
71
If the truth had been in accord with their desires, truly the heavens and the
earth, and all beings therein would have been in confusion and corruption! No,
we have sent them their admonition, but they turn away from their admonition.
72
Or is it that you ask them for some reward? But the reward of your Lord is
best: he is the best of those who give sustenance.
73
But truly you call them to the straight way;
74
And truly those who believe not in the hereafter, are deviating from that way.
75
If we had mercy on them and removed the distress which is on them, they would
obstinately persist in their transgression, wandering in distraction to and
fro.
76
We inflicted punishment on them, but they humbled not themselves to their Lord,
nor do they submissively entreat him!
77
Until we open on them a gate leading to a severe punishment. Then they will be
plunged in despair therein!
78
It is he who has created for you hearing, sight, feeling and understanding:
little thanks it is you give!
79
And he has multiplied you through the earth, and to him shall you be gathered
back.
80
It is he who gives life and death, and to him is due the alternation of night
and day: will you not then understand?
81
On the contrary they say things similar to what the ancients said.
82
They say: What! When we die and become dust and bones, could we really be
raised up again?
83
Such things have been promised to us and to our fathers before! They are
nothing but tales of the ancients!
84
Say: To whom belong the earth and all beings therein? Say if you know!
85
They will say: To Allah! Say: Yet will you not receive admonition?
86
Say: Who is the Lord of the seven heavens, and the Lord of the supreme throne?
87
They will say, Allah. Say: Will you not then be filled with awe?
88
Say: Who is it in whose hands is the governance of all things, who protects,
but is not protected? Say, if you know.
89
They will say, Allah. Say: Then how are you deluded?
90
We have sent them the truth: but they indeed practise falsehood!
91
No son did Allah sire, nor is there any god along with him: Behold, each god
would have taken away what he had created, and some would have lorded it over
others! Glory to Allah! He is free from the things they attribute to him!
92
He knows what is hidden and what is open: too high is he for the partners they
attribute to him!
93
Say: O my Lord! If you will show me that which they are warned against,
94
Then, O my Lord, put me not among the people who do wrong!
95
And we are certainly able to show you that against which they are warned.
96
Repel evil with good.[3]
We are well acquainted with the things they say.
97
And say O my Lord! I
seek refuge with you from the suggestions of the demons.
98
And I seek
refuge with you O my Lord! Lest they should come near me.
99
When death comes to one of them, he says: O my Lord! Send me back to life,
100
In order that I
may work righteousness in the things I neglected. By no means! It is but a
word he says. Before them is a partition until the day they are raised up.
101
Then when the trumpet is blown, there will be no more relationships between
them that day, nor will one ask after another!
102
Then those whose balance is heavy, they will attain salvation:
103
But those whose balance is light, will be those who have lost their souls; in
hell will they abide.
104
The fire will burn their faces, and they will therein grin, with their lips
displaced.
105
Were not my signs rehearsed to you, and you did but treat them as falsehoods?
106
They will say: Our Lord! Our misfortune overwhelmed us, and we became a people
astray!
107
Our Lord! Bring us out of this: if ever we return to evil, then shall we be
wrongdoers indeed!
108
He will say: Be driven into it, and speak not to me!
109
A part of my servants there was, who used to pray, Our Lord! We believe; then
do you forgive us, and have mercy upon us: for you are the best of those who
show mercy!
110
But you treated them with ridicule, so much so that ridicule of them made you
forget my message while you were laughing at them!
111
I have
rewarded them this day for their patience and constancy: they are indeed the
ones that have achieved bliss.
112
He will say: What number of years did you stay on earth?
113
They will say: We stayed a day or part of a day: but ask those who keep
account.
114
He will say: You stayed not but a little, if you had only known!
115
Did you then think that we had created you in jest, and that you would not be
brought back to us for account?
116
Therefore exalted be Allah, the king, the reality: there is no god but he, the
Lord of the throne of honour!
117
If anyone invokes, besides Allah, any other god, he has no authority for that;
and his reckoning will be only with his Lord! And truly the unbelievers will
fail to win through!
118
So say: O my Lord! Grant forgiveness and mercy! For you are the best of those
who show mercy!
[1] That is, the holy Taurat, specifically the first five sections contained on this site (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy).
[2] This word confirms the truth of what was previously revealed in the Taurat and the Injil about the birth of 'Isa Ibn Maryam. The holy Taurat predicted over 700 years before his birth, that 'Isa would be born to a virgin as a special sign. Prophet Shaya (pbuh) in chapter 7, verse 14 declares, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Over 700 years later, the holy Injil quotes that ancient prophecy and teaches that it was fulfilled in the birth of 'Isa Ibn Maryam. Matthew1, verses 21-23 says: She shall bring forth a son. You shall call his name 'Isa, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins. Now all this has happened, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son. They shall call his name Immanuel;" which is, being interpreted, "Allah with us."
[3] The same sentiment was expressed centuries before in the holy Injil, Romans 12:21, "overcome evil with good."