37.Those drawn up in Ranks

1. By those [angels] ranged in rows
2. who rebuke reproachfully
3. and recite God’s word
4. truly your God is One
5. Lord of the heavens and earth and everything between them, Lord of every sunrise
6. We have adorned the lowest heaven with stars
7. and made them a safeguard against every rebellious devil
8. they cannot eavesdrop on the Higher Assembly––pelted from every side
9. driven away, they will have perpetual torment––
10. if any [of them] stealthily snatches away a fragment, he will be pursued by a piercing flame
11. So [Prophet], ask the disbelievers: is it harder to create them than other beings We have created? We created them from sticky clay
12. You marvel as they scoff
13. take no heed when they are warned
14. and resort to ridicule when they see a sign
15. saying, ‘This is no more than blatant sorcery.’
16. ‘What! After we have died and become dust and bones, shall we really be raised up again
17. along with our forefathers?’
18. Say, ‘Yes indeed, and you will be humiliated.’
19. Just one blast and––lo and behold!––they will look
20. and say, ‘Woe to us! This is the Day of Judgement.’
21. [It will be said], ‘This is the Day of Decision, which you used to deny
22. [Angels], gather together those who did wrong, and others like them, as well as whatever they worshipped
23. beside God, lead them all to the path of Hell
24. and halt them for questioning
25. “Why do you not support each other now?” ’––
26. no indeed! They will be in complete submission on that Day––
27. and they will turn on one another accusingly
28. They will say, ‘You came to us from a position of power.’
29. They will say, ‘No! It was you who would not believe
30. we had no power over you- and you were already exceeding all limits
31. Our Lord’s sentence on us is just and we must all taste the punishment
32. We led you astray as we ourselves were astray.’
33. On that Day they will all share the torment
34. this is how We deal with the guilty
35. Whenever it was said to them, ‘There is no deity but God,’ they became arrogant
36. and said, ‘Are we to forsake our gods for a mad poet?’
37. ‘No: he brought the truth and confirmed the earlier messengers
38. you will taste the painful torment
39. and be repaid only according to your deeds.’
40. Not so God’s true servants
41. They will have familiar provisions––
42. fruits- and will be honoured
43. in gardens of delight
44. seated on couches, facing one another
45. A drink will be passed round among them from a flowing spring
46. white, delicious to those who taste it
47. causing no headiness or intoxication
48. With them will be spouses- modest of gaze and beautiful of eye
49. like protected eggs
50. They will turn to one another with questions
51. one will say, ‘I had a close companion on earth
52. who used to ask me, “Do you really believe that
53. after we die and become dust and bone, we shall be brought for judgement?”’
54. Then he will say, ‘Shall we look for him?’
55. He will look down and see him in the midst of the Fire
56. and say to him, ‘By God, you almost brought me to ruin
57. Had it not been for the grace of my Lord, I too would have been taken to Hell.’
58. Then he will say [to his blessed companions], ‘Are we never to die again after our earlier death
59. Shall we never suffer
60. This truly is the supreme triumph!’
61. Everyone should strive to attain this
62. Is this the better welcome, or the tree of Zaqqum
63. which we have made a test for the evildoers
64. This tree grows in the heart of the blazing Fire
65. and its fruits are like devils’ heads
66. They will fill their bellies eating from it
67. then drink scalding water on top of it
68. then return to the blazing Fire
69. They found their forefathers astray
70. and rushed to follow in their footsteps- before the disbelievers [of Mecca]
71. most men in the past went astray
72. even though We sent messengers to warn them
73. See how those who were warned met their end
74. Not so the true servants of God
75. Noah cried to Us, and how excellent was Our response
76. We saved him and his people from great distress
77. We let his offspring remain on the earth
78. We let him be praised by later generations
79. ‘Peace be upon Noah among all the nations!’
80. This is how We reward those who do good
81. he was truly one of Our faithful servants
82. We drowned the rest
83. Abraham was of the same faith
84. he came to his Lord with a devoted heart
85. He said to his father and his people, ‘What are you worshipping
86. How can you choose false gods instead of the true God
87. So what is your opinion about the Lord of all the Worlds?’
88. then he looked up to the stars
89. He said, ‘I am sick,’
90. so [his people] turned away from him and left
91. He turned to their gods and said
92. ‘Do you not eat? Why do you not speak?’
93. then he turned and struck them with his right arm
94. His people hurried towards him
95. but he said, ‘How can you worship things you carve with your own hands
96. when it is God who has created you and all your handiwork?’
97. They said, ‘Build a pyre and throw him into the blazing fire.’
98. They wanted to harm him, but We humiliated them
99. He said, ‘I will go to my Lord: He is sure to guide me
100. Lord, grant me a righteous son,’
101. so We gave him the good news that he would have a patient son
102. When the boy was old enough to work with his father, Abraham said, ‘My son, I have seen myself sacrificing you in a dream. What do you think?’ He said, ‘Father, do as you are commanded and, God willing, you will find me steadfast.’
103. When they had both submitted to God, and he had laid his son down on the side of his face
104. We called out to him, ‘Abraham
105. you have fulfilled the dream.’ This is how We reward those who do good
106. it was a test to prove [their true characters]
107. We ransomed his son with a momentous sacrifice
108. and We let him be praised by succeeding generations
109. ‘Peace be upon Abraham!’
110. This is how We reward those who do good
111. truly he was one of Our faithful servants
112. We gave Abraham the good news of Isaac- a prophet and a righteous man
113. and blessed him and Isaac too: some of their offspring were good, but some clearly wronged themselves
114. We also bestowed Our favour on Moses and Aaron
115. We saved them and their people from great distress
116. We helped them, so they were the ones to succeed
117. We gave them the Scripture that makes things clear
118. We guided them to the right path
119. We let them be praised by succeeding generations
120. ‘Peace be upon Moses and Aaron!’
121. This is how We reward those who do good
122. truly they were among Our faithful servants
123. Elijah too was one of the messengers
124. He said to his people, ‘Have you no fear of God
125. How can you invoke Baal and forsake the Most Gracious Creator
126. God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers?’
127. but they rejected him. They will be brought to punishment as a consequence
128. not so the true servants of God
129. We let him be praised by succeeding generations
130. ‘Peace be to Elijah!’
131. This is how We reward those who do good
132. truly he was one of Our faithful servants
133. Lot was also one of the messengers
134. We saved him and all his family
135. except for an old woman who stayed behind
136. and We destroyed the rest
137. You [people] pass by their ruins morning
138. and night: will you not take heed
139. Jonah too was one of the messengers
140. He fled to the overloaded ship
141. They cast lots, he suffered defeat
142. and a great fish swallowed him, for he had committed blameworthy acts
143. If he had not been one of those who glorified God
144. he would have stayed in its belly until the Day when all are raised up
145. but We cast him out, sick, on to a barren shore
146. and made a gourd tree grow above him
147. We sent him to a hundred thousand people or more
148. They believed, so We let them live out their lives
149. Now [Muhammad], ask the disbelievers: is it true that your Lord has daughters, while they choose sons for themselves
150. Did We create the angels as females while they were watching
151. No indeed! It is one of their lies when they say
152. ‘God has begotten.’ How they lie
153. Did He truly choose daughters in preference to sons
154. What is the matter with you? How do you form your judgements
155. Do you not reflect
156. Do you perhaps have clear authority
157. Bring your scriptures, if you are telling the truth
158. They claim that He has kinship with the jinn, yet the jinn themselves know that they will be brought before Him
159. God is far above what they attribute to Him
160. the true servants of God do not do such things
161. and neither you nor what you worship
162. can lure away from God any
163. except those who will burn in Hell
164. [The angels say], ‘Every single one of us has his appointed place
165. we are ranged in ranks
166. We glorify God.’
167. [The disbelievers] used to say
168. ‘If only we had a scripture like previous people
169. we would be true servants of God,’
170. yet now they reject [the Quran]. They will soon realize
171. Our word has already been given to Our servants the messengers
172. it is they who will be helped
173. and the ones who support Our cause will be the winners
174. So [Prophet] turn away from the disbelievers for a while
175. Watch them: they will soon see
176. Do they really wish to hasten Our punishment
177. When it descends on their courtyards, how ter-rible that morning will be for those who were warned
178. [Prophet], turn away from the disbelievers for a while
179. Watch them: they will soon see
180. Your Lord, the Lord of Glory, is far above what they attribute to Him
181. Peace be upon the messengers
182. and praise be to God the Lord of all the Worlds