AL ANBIYA’ (The Prophets)
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
1 Closer and closer to mankind comes their reckoning: yet they heed not and they turn away.
2 Never comes to them a renewed message from their Lord, but they listen to it as in jest,
3 Their hearts toying as with trifles. The wrongdoers conceal their private counsels, saying, Is this person more than a man like yourselves? Will you go to witchcraft with your eyes open?
4 Say: My Lord knows every word spoken in the heavens and on earth: he is the one that hears and knows all things.
5 No, they say, these are medleys of dreams! No, he forged it! No, he is just a poet! Let him then bring us a sign like the ones that were sent to the people of old!
6 Before them, not one of the peoples we destroyed believed: will these believe?
7 Before you, also, the messengers we sent were but men, to whom we granted inspiration: if you realize this not, ask of those who possess the message.
8 Nor did we give them bodies that ate no food, nor were they exempt from, death.
9 In the end we fulfilled to them our promise, and we saved them and those whom we pleased, but we destroyed those who transgressed beyond bounds.
10 We have revealed for you a book in which is a message for you: will you not then understand?
11 How many were the populations we utterly destroyed because of their places other peoples?
12 Yet, when they felt our punishment, behold they tried to flee from it.
13 Flee not, but return to the good things of this life which were given you, and to your homes, in order that you may be called to account.
14 They said: Ah! Woe to us! We were indeed wrongdoers!
15 And that cry of theirs ceased not, until we made them as a field that is mown, as ashes silent and quenched.
16 Not for sport did we create the heavens and the earth and all that is between!
17 If it had been our wish to take a pastime, we should surely have taken it from the things nearest to us, if we would do such a thing!
18 No, we hurl the truth against falsehood, and it knocks out its brain, and behold, falsehood perishes! Ah! Woe be to you for the things you ascribe to us.
19 To him belong everything in the heavens and on earth: even those who are in his presence are not too proud to serve him, nor are they weary:
20 They celebrate his praises night and day, nor do they ever flag or intermit.
21 Or have they taken gods from the earth who can raise the dead?
22 If there were, in the heavens and the earth, other gods besides Allah, there would have been confusion in both! But glory to Allah, the Lord of the throne: he is high above what they attribute to him!
23 He cannot be questioned for his acts, but they will be questioned for theirs.
24 Or have they taken for worship gods besides him? Say, bring your convincing proof: this is the message of those with me and the message of those before me. But most of them know not the truth, and so turn away.
25 Not a messenger did we send before you without this inspiration sent by us to him: that there is no god but me; therefore worship and serve me.
26 And they say: “Allah most gracious has sired offspring.” Glory to him! They are servants raised to honour.[1]
27 They speak not before he speaks, and they act by his command.
28 He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they can offer no intercession, except for the one who is accepted,[2] and they stand in awe and reverence of him.
29 If any of them should say, I am a god besides him, such a one we should reward with hell: thus do we reward those who do wrong.
30 Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together before we separated them? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?
31 And we have set on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with them, and we have made therein broad highways for them to pass through that they may receive guidance.
32 And we have made the heavens as a canopy well guarded: yet do they turn away from the signs of these things!
33 It is he who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon: they all swim along, each in its rounded course.
34 We granted not to any man before you permanent life: if then you should die, would they live permanently?
35 Every soul shall have a taste of death: and we test you by evil and by good by way of trial. To us must be return.
36 When the unbelievers see you, they treat you not except with ridicule. Is this the one who talks of your gods? And they blaspheme at the mention of the most gracious!
37 Man is a creature of haste: soon will I show you my signs; then you will not ask me to hasten them!
38 They say: when will this promise come to pass, if you are telling the truth?
39 If only the unbelievers knew when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor yet from their backs, and no help can reach them!
40 No, it may come to them all of a sudden and confound them: no power will they have then to avert it, nor will they get respite.
41 Mocked were messengers before you; but their scoffers were hemmed in by the thing that they mocked.
42 Say, “Who can keep you safe by night and by day from the most gracious?” Yet they turn away from the mention of their Lord.
43 Or have they gods that can guard them from us? They have no power to aid themselves, nor can they be defended from us.
44 No, we gave the good things of this life to these men and their fathers until the period grew long for them; do they not see that we gradually reduce the land from its outlying borders? Is it then they who will win?
45 Say, I do but warn you according to revelation: but the deaf will not hear the call when they are warned!
46 If but a breath of the wrath of your Lord do touch them, they will then say, Woe to us! We did wrong indeed!
47 We shall set up scales of justice for the day of judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least. And if there be the weight of a mustard seed, we will bring it: and enough are we to take account.
48 In the past we granted to Musa and Harun the Criterion,[3] and a light and a message for those who would do right,
49 For those who fear their Lord in their most secret thoughts, and who hold the hour in awe.
50 And this is a blessed message which we have sent down: will you then reject it?
51 We bestowed aforetime on Ibrahim his rectitude of conduct, and well were we acquainted with him.
52 Behold! He said to his father and his people, what are these images, to which you are devoted?
53 They said, we found our fathers worshipping them.
54 He said, Indeed you have been in manifest error you and your fathers.
55 They said, have you brought us the truth, or are you one of those who jest?
56 He said, no, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, he who created them: and I am a witness to this.
57 And by Allah, I have a plan for your idols after you go away and turn your backs.
58 So he broke them to pieces, all but the biggest of them, that they might turn to it.
59 They said, who has done this to our gods? He must indeed be some man of impiety!
60 They said, we heard a youth talk of them: he is called Ibrahim.
61 They said, Then bring him before the eyes of the people, that they may bear witness:
62 They said, are you the one that did this with our gods, O Ibrahim?
63 He said: no, this was done by their biggest one! Ask them, if they can speak intelligently!
64 So they turned to themselves and said, Surely you are the ones in the wrong!
65 Then were they confounded with shame: they said, you know full well that these idols do not speak!
66 Ibrahim said, do you then worship, besides Allah, things that can neither be of any good to you nor do you harm?
67 Enough of you, and the things that you worship besides Allah! Have you no sense?.
68 They said, burn him and protect your gods, if you do anything at all!
69 We said, O fire! Be cool, and a means of safety for Ibrahim!
70 Then they sought a stratagem against him: but we made them the ones that lost most!
71 But we delivered him and Lut to the land which we have blessed for the nations.
72 And we bestowed on him Ishaq and, as an additional gift, Yaqub, and we made righteous men of every one of them.
73 And we made them leaders, guiding by our command, and we sent them inspiration to do good deeds, to establish regular prayers, and to practise regular charity; and they constantly served us.
74 And to Lut, too, we gave judgment and knowledge, and we saved him from the town which practised abominations: truly they were a people given to evil, a rebellious people.
75 And we admitted him to our mercy: for he was one of the righteous.
76 Remember Nuh, when he cried to us aforetime: we listened to his prayer and delivered him and his family from great distress.
77 We helped him against people who rejected our signs: truly they were a people given to evil: so we drowned them in the flood all together.
78 And remember Dawud and Sulayman, when they gave judgment in the matter of the field into which the sheep of certain people had strayed by night: we did witness their judgment.
79 To Sulayman we inspired the understanding of the matter: to each of them we gave judgment and knowledge; it was our power that made the hills and the birds celebrate our praises with Dawud: it was we who did all these things.
80 It was we who taught him the making of coats of mail for your benefit, to guard you from each other’s violence: will you then be grateful?
81 The violent wind flowed for Sulayman to his order, to the land which we had blessed: for we do know all things.
82 And of demons, were some who dived for him, and did other work besides; and it was we who guarded them.
83 And remember Ayub, when he cried to his Lord, truly distress has seized me, but you are the most merciful of those that are merciful.
84 So we listened to him: we removed the distress that was on him, and we restored his people to him, and doubled their number, as a grace from commemoration, for all who serve us.
85 And remember Ismail, Idris, and Dhul-kifl, all men of constancy and patience;
86 We admitted them to our mercy: for they were of the righteous ones.
87 And remember Yunus[4], when he departed in wrath: he imagined that we had no power over him! But he cried through the depths of darkness, there is no god but you: glory to you: I was indeed wrong!
88 So we listened to him: and delivered him from distress: and thus do we deliver those who have faith.
89 And remember Zakariyya,[5] when he cried to hid Lord: O my Lord! Leave me not without offspring, though you are the best of inheritors.
90 So we listened to him: and we granted him Yahya: we cured his wife’s barrenness for him. These three were always quick in emulation in good works: they used to call on us with love and reverence, and humble themselves before us.
91 And remember her who guarded her chastity: we breathed into her of our spirit, and we made her and her son a sign for all peoples.[6]
92 Truly, this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood, and I am your Lord: therefore serve me.
93 But they divided into various sects one from another: yet will they all return to us.
94 Whoever works any act of righteousness and has faith, his endeavour will not be rejected: we shall record it in his favour.
95 But there is a ban on any population which we have destroyed: that they shall not return,
96 Until the people of Yajuj and Majuj are let loose, and they swiftly swarm from every hill.
97 Then will the true promise draw near: then behold, the eyes of the unbelievers will fixedly stare in horror: Ah! Woe to us! We were indeed heedless of this; no; we truly did wrong!
98 Truly you and the gods that you worship besides Allah are fuel for hell! To it will you come!
99 If these had been gods, they would not have got there but each one will abide therein.
100 There, sobbing will be their lot, nor will they hear anything else.
101 Those to whom kindness from us has gone before, will be removed far from it.
102 Not the slightest sound will they hear of hell: what their souls desired, in that will they dwell.
103 The great terror will bring them no grief: but the angels will meet them; this is your day that you were promised.
104 The day that we roll up the heavens like a scroll, even as we produced the first creation, so shall we produce a new one: a promise we have undertaken: truly shall we fulfil it.
105 We wrote in the Zabur after the reminder: My servants the righteous shall inherit the earth.[7]
106 Truly in this is a message for people who would worship Allah.
107 We sent you not, but as a mercy for all creatures.
108 Say: What has come to me by inspiration is that your God is one God: will you therefore submit to his will?
109 But if they turn back, say: I have proclaimed the message to you all alike and in truth; but I know not whether that which you are promised is near or far.
110 It is he who knows what is open in speech and what you hide.
111 I know not but that it may be a trial for you, and a grant of livelihood for a time.
112 Say: O my Lord! Judge in truth! Our Lord most gracious is the one whose assistance should be sought against the blasphemies you utter!
[1] The honourable title “Son of God” should not be understood to mean the physical offspring of Allah. Astaghfirullah! Rather, it signifies a special spiritual relationship with Allah of a “servant raised to honour.” It is no wonder then that in the Injil, the angel Jibrail announces to Maryam that her son “will be great, and will be called Ibn al-‘Ali” or Son of the Most High. (Luke 1:32). The study course “Allah’s Eternal Word” deals with this issue in more detail in Lesson Four.
[2] Al-Kitab identifies only one messenger as having the power of intercession–Prophet ‘Isa al-Masih. The Taurat says prophetically that ‘Isa “bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Shaya 53:12). The Injil plainly teaches that ‘Isa “is also able to save completely those who draw near to Allah through him, seeing he lives forever to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
[3] That is, the Taurat. It is here called “the Criterion” (Al-Furqan). The Taurat teaches what is right and wrong in the sight of Allah, which is why the Taurat is sometimes called “the Law”. It contains many laws and rules, the most famous of which are the “Ten Commandments,” found in Exodus 20. As Allah’s Law, the Taurat tells us when we do wrong. As the holy Injil says, “through the Taurat comes the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20). It is important to read the Taurat, in order to learn what Allah says is “sin,” so we can turn away from it.
[4] Literally, Zul Nun, “lord of the depths”.
[5] The story of prophet Zakariyya and the birth of his son, Yahya (pbut), is found in the Injil, Luke, chapter 1.
[6] The woman spoken of here is Maryam, who miraculously gave birth to the Prophet ‘Isa without a human father. 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. The book of the 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.”
[7] Quotation from the holy Zabur chapter 37, verse 29, which says, “the righteous shall inherit the land.” This is a confirmation that the Zabur in existence today is reliable, and that it is the same book quoted in the Quran.