When you, O Muhammad, are with them, leading their Salah (prayerin the state of war), let one party of them stand up to pray withyou, armed with their weapons. After they finish theirprostrations, let them withdraw to the rear and let the otherparty who have not yet prayed come forward to pray with you; andlet them also be on their guard, armed with their weapons. Theunbelievers wish to see you neglect your arms and your baggage,so that they could suddenly attack to overpower you all in onestroke. However, there is no blame on you if you lay aside yourarms because of heavy rain or because you are sick, but youshould still be on your guard. Allah has prepared a humiliatingpunishment for the unbelievers.

The Messiah (Jesus) never disdained to be the worshipper of Allahnor do the angels who are nearest to Allah. Whosoever disdainsHis worship and is arrogant will be brought before Him alltogether.

And your Rabb says: "Call on Me, I will answer your prayers.Surely those who are too arrogant to worship Me shall soon enterhell in humiliation."

O believers! Intoxicants and gambling (games of chance),dedication to stones (paying tribute to idols) and division byarrows (lottery) are the filthy works of Shaitan. Get away fromthem, so that you may prosper.

They ask you for a legal decision relating to inheritance in thecase of a childless person. Say: Allah gives you His decisionabout those who leave no descendants or ascendants as heirs. If aman dies childless and leaves behind a sister, she shall inheritone-half of his estate. If a woman dies childless, her brotherwill inherit all of her estate. If the childless person leavesbehind two sisters, they both shall inherit two-third of hisestate; but if he leaves more than two brothers and sisters, theshare of each male shall be equal to that of two females. ThusAllah makes His commandments clear to you lest you go astray.Allah has perfect knowledge of everything.

To those who avoid the major sins and shameful deeds and areguilty of only small offence, surely for them your Rabb will haveabundant forgiveness. He knew you well when He created you fromearth and when you were just embryos in your mother's wombs,therefore, do not claim piety for yourselves. He knows best whois really Godfearing pious.

The Rasool has believed in the Guidance which has been revealedto him from his Rabb and so do the Believers. They all believe inAllah, His angels, His books and His Rasools. They say we do notdiscriminate against anyone of His Rasools. And they say: "Wehear and we obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, O Rabb; to You weshall all return."

Rush towards the forgiveness from your Rabb to a Paradise as vastas the Heavens and the earth which is prepared for the righteouspeople;

they are those who spend generously in the way of Allah, whetherthey are in prosperity or in adversity, who control their angerand forgive other people for Allah loves such charitable people,

who, if they commit an indecency or wrong their own souls,earnestly remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins; forno one can forgive sins except Allah, and those who do notknowingly persist in something wrong which they have done.

Such people will be rewarded with forgiveness from their Rabbplus gardens beneath which the rivers flow, to live thereinforever. How excellent is the reward for such laborers!

seek Allah's forgiveness, surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

If anyone does evil or wrongs his own soul and then seeks Allah'sforgiveness, he will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful.

You should seek forgiveness of your Rabb and turn to Him inrepentance; He will grant you good provisions till an appointedterm, and bestow His grace on everyone who has merit! But if youturn away (pay no heed), I fear for you the punishment of a GreatDay.

Nothing can prevent men from believing and seeking the forgiveness of their Rabb now that Guidance has come to them, unless they are waiting for the fate of former peoples to overtake them or the scourge to be brought to them face to face.

O Prophet say: "I am but a man like yourselves. It is revealed tome that your God is One God, therefore take the Right Way towardsHim and implore His forgiveness. Woe to the mushrikin (those whoassociate other gods with Allah);

Whatever affliction befalls you is the result of what your ownhands have done even though for many of your misdeeds He grantsforgiveness.

You cannot frustrate anything in earth and there is no protectoror helper for you besides Allah.

Among His signs are the ships which look like mountains upon theocean.

If He wants, He can cause the wind to become still and leave themmotionless on their backs - surely in this example there aresigns for every such person who patiently endures and isgrateful.

- Or He may cause them to drown in consequence of even a few oftheir misdeeds, though He forgives many of their misdeeds.

Surely your Rabb knows that you stand in prayers nearly two-thirds of the night, and sometimes one-half or one-third of it,so do others among your companions. Allah has the measures of thenight and the day. He knows that you will not be able to keep itup, so He has turned to you in Mercy, therefore, read from theQur'an as much as you easily can. He knows that there may be somesick people among you, and some others who travel through theland to seek Allah's bounty; and yet some others fighting for thecause of Allah. Therefore, read as much of the Qur'an as youeasily can. Establish the Salah (five time daily prayers) and paythe Zakah (poor due), and give to Allah a goodly loan. Whatevergood you will send forth for yourselves, you will find it withAllah, which will be much better and greater in reward. SeekAllah's forgiveness, surely Allah is Oft-Forgiving, MostMerciful.

It is not proper for the Prophet and those who believe that theyshould beg forgiveness for the mushrikin, even though they betheir relatives, after it has been explained to them that theyare the inmates of hellfire.

Ibrahim (Abraham) prayed for his father's forgiveness only tofulfill a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear tohim that he was an enemy of Allah he disassociated himself fromhim. The fact is that Ibrahim was tenderhearted, forbearing.

O Prophet! When the believing women come to you to take the oathof allegiance , take their pledge: that they will not commitshirk with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will notcommit adultery, that they will not kill their children, thatthey will not give any cause for scandal which they may inventbetween either their hands or legs (a woman accusing anotherwoman of having an illicit relationship with a man and spreadssuch stories - or - a woman carrying an illegitimate child andmakes her husband believe that it is his), and that they will notdisobey you in any just matter, then accept their allegiance andpray to Allah for the forgiveness. Surely Allah is Oft-Forgiving,most Merciful.

Rush towards the forgiveness from your Rabb to a Paradise as vastas the Heavens and the earth which is prepared for the righteouspeople;

they are those who spend generously in the way of Allah, whetherthey are in prosperity or in adversity, who control their angerand forgive other people for Allah loves such charitable people,

who, if they commit an indecency or wrong their own souls,earnestly remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins; forno one can forgive sins except Allah, and those who do notknowingly persist in something wrong which they have done.

Such people will be rewarded with forgiveness from their Rabbplus gardens beneath which the rivers flow, to live thereinforever. How excellent is the reward for such laborers!

O believers! Fear Allah and always say the right thing;

He will bless your works and forgive your sins - for he thatobeys Allah and His Rasool, has indeed achieved the highestachievement.

Allah says: "O My servants who have transgressed against theirsouls, do not despair of Allah's mercy, for Allah forgives allsins. It is He Who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

So be patient, the promise of Allah is true. Implore forgivenessfor your sins and celebrate the praises of your Rabb evening andmorning.

It is He Who accepts repentance from His servants and pardonstheir sins, and He knows whatever you do.

Therefore, you should know that there is no god but Allah;implore Him to forgive your sins and to forgive the believing menand believing women; for Allah knows your activities and yourresting places.

Their example is that of a man who kindled a fire; when itilluminated all around him Allah took away the light (theireyesight) and left them in utter darkness: they could seenothing.

Guard your Salah (obligatory regular prayers) especially themiddle Salah and stand up with true devotion to Allah.

Therefore be patient with what they say. Glorify your Rabb withHis praise before sunrise and before sunset, glorify Him duringthe hours of the night as well as at the ends of the day, so thatyou may find satisfaction.

O believers! When you are asked to make room in your meetings,make room, Allah will make room for you in the Hereafter. And ifyou are told to rise up, then rise up: Allah will raise to higherranks those of you who have faith and knowledge. Allah is awareof all your actions.

Yet there you are, killing your own people, expelling a groupamongst you from their homes, backing each other with sin andaggression; and if they come to you as captives, you trade themfor ransoms whereas their expulsion was unlawful for you to beginwith. Do you believe in a part of your Holy Book and reject therest? So what other punishment do such people among you, whobehave like this, deserve, than disgrace in this world and to bedriven to grievous punishment on the Day of Judgment? Allah isnot unaware of what you do.

Such are the people who trade the life of this world at theexpense of the Hereafter; so neither their punishment shall belightened nor shall they be helped.

Yet they make the Jinns (Genies: creature which has been createdout of fire) as the partners with Allah, whereas He is theirCreator; and also ascribe to Him sons and daughters withouthaving any knowledge. Glory to Him! He is highly exalted farabove what they ascribe.

He is the creator of the heavens and the earth. How could He havea son when He has no consort? He has created everything and isaware of everything.

They ascribe daughters to Allah - Glory be to Him! - But forthemselves, they would like to have what they desire (sons).

Whenever the news of a female child is announced to any one ofthem, his face darkens and he chokes with inward gloom.

He hides himself from his people because of the bad news he hasheard, asking himself whether he should retain her with disgraceor bury her in the dust. Beware! Evil is the judgement they makeabout Allah.

They attribute to Allah what they themselves hate. Their tonguesmouth the lie that they will have a good reward. Let there be nodoubt: the only thing they will have is hell, and they will besent ahead of the others.

What! Has your Rabb preferred to give you sons and adopted angelsas daughters for Himself? Certainly you are uttering a monstrousstatement.

Just ask the unbelievers: Does it make any sense that their Rabbshould have daughters while they choose to have sons?

Or is it that We created the angels as females and they werepresent at their creation?

Surely they invent a lie when they say:

"Allah has children. They are utter liars."

Would He choose daughters rather than sons?

What is the matter with you? How do you judge?

Will you not take heed?

Or do you have any proof of what you are saying?

Show us your scriptures if you are truthful!

Would Allah choose daughters (pagan Arabs believed that angelswere the daughters of Allah) for Himself out of what He Himselfcreates and gives you sons?

Yet when a new born-girl - the gender that they ascribe to theCompassionate - is announced to one of them, his face darkens andhe is filled with grief.

Do they ascribe to Allah, the female gender who is brought upamong trinkets and is unable to make herself clear indisputation?

Is He to have daughters and you sons?

Have you ever seen Lat and Uzza

and another, the last third Manat (names of Arabian idols,claimed by the pagans of Makkah to be the daughters of Allah)?

Are you to have sons, and He the daughters?

This indeed is an unfair division!

These (Lat, Uzza and Manat) are nothing but names which you andyour forefathers have invented, for Allah has vested no authorityin them. The unbelievers follow nothing but mere conjecture andthe whims of their own souls, even though right guidance hasalready come to them from their Rabb.

Indeed those have committed Kufr (rejected faith) who said, "Godis the Messiah, son of Maryam." O Muhammad, ask them, "Who hasthe power to prevent Allah if He chose to destroy the Messiah theson of Maryam, his mother and all that is in the earth? Allah hasthe sovereignty over the heavens and the earth and all that isbetween them. He creates what He pleases and has power overeverything".

Certainly they have disbelieved who say: "Allah is Christ the sonof Maryam (Mary)." While Christ himself said: "O children ofIsrael! Worship Allah, my Rabb and your Rabb." Whoever commitsshirk (joins partners with Allah), Allah will deny him theparadise, and the hellfire will be his home. There will be nohelper for the wrongdoers.

Christ, the son of Maryam, was no more than a Rasool; manyRasools had already passed away before him. His mother was atruthful woman; they both ate earthly food like other humanbeings. See how the Revelations are made clear to them to knowreality; yet see how they ignore the truth!

Yet they make the Jinns (Genies: creature which has been createdout of fire) as the partners with Allah, whereas He is theirCreator; and also ascribe to Him sons and daughters withouthaving any knowledge. Glory to Him! He is highly exalted farabove what they ascribe.

Jews and Christians say: "Be Jews or Christians, you shall thenbe rightly guided." O Muhammad, say: "By no means! We follow thefaith of Ibrahim, the upright one; and he was not one of themushrikin."

There are some who worship other deities besides Allah(mushrikin), they love them as they should love Allah, whereasthe believers are strong in love for Allah. If those who areunjust could visualize (the Day of Judgement) when they will seethe chastisement, they would come to know for sure that allpowers belong to Allah and that Allah is stern in retribution.

On that Day those leaders who were being followed, when facedwith their punishment, will renounce those who followed them andthe bonds which united them will break asunder.

The followers will say: "If it could be possible for us to liveagain, we would renounce them as they have renounced us today."Thus Allah will show them the fruits of their deeds. They willsigh with regret, and shall not be able to come out of the Hellfire.

There are some among them who twist their tongues pretending aquote from their Holy Book; so that you may think that what theyread is a part of the Book, whereas, in fact it is not a part ofthe Book. They also assert, "It is from Allah" whereas, in factit is not from Allah. Thus they deliberately ascribe a lie toAllah.

It is not possible for a man whom Allah has given the Book, theWisdom and the Prophethood, that he would say to the people:"Worship me instead of Allah." On the contrary he would say: "Bedevoted worshippers of your Rabb in accordance with the Holy Bookyou have been teaching and reading."

He would never ask you to take angels and prophets as your lords.Would he ask you to become kafir (unbelievers) after you havebecome Muslims (believers)?

Soon We shall cast terror into the hearts of the unbelievers forthey commit shirk with Allah, for whom He has revealed noauthority. The hellfire shall be their home; and evil is the homeof the wrongdoers.

If you fear a breach of marriage between a man and his wife,appoint one arbiter from his family and another from hers; ifthey wish to reconcile, Allah will create a way of reconciliationbetween them. Allah is the Knowledgeable, Aware.

Surely Allah does not forgive shirk (associating any partner withHim); and may forgive sins other than that if He so pleases. Thisis because one who commits shirk with Allah, does indeed invent agreat sinful lie.

Surely Allah will never forgive the one who commits the sin ofshirk and may forgive anyone else if He so pleases. One whocommits shirk has indeed gone far away from the Right Way.

O people of the Book! Indeed Our Rasool has now come to youmaking clear to you the teaching of the Right Way, after a longbreak in the series of the Rasools, so that you may not be ableto say, "No one has come to give us good news or to warn us." Nowsomeone has come to give you good news and warn you so listen tohim. Allah has power over everything.

Ponder upon the incident when Musa said to his people: "O mypeople! Remember the favors which Allah has bestowed upon you. Hehas raised Prophets from among you, made you kings and gave youthat which had not been given to anyone in the worlds."

Christ, the son of Maryam, was no more than a Rasool; manyRasools had already passed away before him. His mother was atruthful woman; they both ate earthly food like other humanbeings. See how the Revelations are made clear to them to knowreality; yet see how they ignore the truth!

Ask them: "Would you worship besides Allah someone who canneither harm nor benefit you? While Allah is He who hears all andknows all."

Tell them: "O people of the Book! Do not transgress the bounds oftruth in your religion, and do not yield to the fancies of thosepeople who went astray before you, They misled many others andhave themselves strayed away from The Right Way.

Those who disbelieved from among the Children of Israel werecursed by the tongue of Dawood (David) and Isa (Jesus) the son ofMaryam (Mary): because they disobeyed and committed excesses.

Allah will say: "This is the day on which the truthful willprofit from their truth; they shall have gardens beneath whichrivers flow to live therein forever. Allah is well-pleased withthem and they are pleased with Him. This is the mightyachievement."

To Allah belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth andall that is therein, and He has power over everything.

Say: "Should I take as my protector anyone other than Allah, whois the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Who feeds all and isfed by none?" Say: "Nay! I am commanded to be the first of thosewho submit to Allah in Islam and not of those who commit shirk."

Ask them: " Whose testimony is the most reliable? " When they sayAllah, then tell them: "Let Allah be Witness between me and you(that I am the Rasool of Allah) and this Qur'an has been revealedto me by Him so that I may warn you thereby and all those whom itmay reach. Can you really testify that there are other godsbesides Allah?" Tell them: "As far as I am concerned I will nevertestify to this!" Say: "Indeed He is the One and the Only God andI am absolutely disgusted with the shirk you commit.

On the Day of Judgement when We shall gather them all together,We shall ask the mushrikin: "Where are those deities whom youascribed to be My partners?"

They will have no argument but to say: "By Allah, our Rabb, wewere not at all mushrik."

See how they will lie against their own souls, and how thedeities of their own inventions will leave them in the lurch.

Ask them to think carefully and answer: "When you face a disasteror the last Hour approaches you, do you call for help anyoneother than Allah? Answer me if you are truthful!"

No, on Him Alone you will call, and forget those whom you haveset up as His partners; then if He pleases, He relieves you fromthe affliction about which you have prayed to Him.

Ask them: "Just think, if Allah takes away your hearing and yoursight and seals up your hearts, is there any deity other thanAllah who could restore them to you?" See how We present Ourrevelations over and over again and yet they turn away.

Ask them: "Who delivers you from calamities in the darkness ofthe land and of the sea, when you call upon Him in open humilityand silent terror: If You deliver us from this affliction, weshall become truly grateful."

Say: "Allah delivers you from these and all other calamities, yetyou commit shirk (worship false gods)!"

Say: "He has the power to send calamities on you from above andfrom below or to split you into discordant factions to make youtaste the violence of one another. See how We present Ourrevelations over and over again so that they may understand thereality.

He who is delivered from the torment of that Day, has indeedreceived Allah's Mercy; and this is a clear cut achievement.

Yet they make the Jinns (Genies: creature which has been createdout of fire) as the partners with Allah, whereas He is theirCreator; and also ascribe to Him sons and daughters withouthaving any knowledge. Glory to Him! He is highly exalted farabove what they ascribe.

He is the creator of the heavens and the earth. How could He havea son when He has no consort? He has created everything and isaware of everything.

They set aside a share of their produce and of their cattle forAllah, saying: "This is for Allah" - so they pretend - "and thisfor our shoraka' (their assigned partners of Allah)." Theirshoraka's share does not reach Allah, but the share of Allah iswholly given to shoraka'. What an evil decision they make!

Their shoraka' have induced many mushrikin to kill their ownchildren in order to ruin them and confuse them in theirreligion. If Allah wanted, they would not have done so.Therefore, leave them alone with their false inventions.

In response to this the mushrikin will promptly say: "If Allahwanted, neither we nor our forefathers would have been mushrikin,or we could have made anything unlawful." That is how theirancestors rejected the truth in the past until they tasted of Ourpunishment. If they say so, then ask them: "Do you have anyevidence that you can put before us? The fact of the matter is,you believe in nothing but conjecture and follow nothing butfalsehood."

O Muhammad, say: "Come, I will recite what your Rabb hasforbidden to you: not to commit shirk with Him, to be kind toyour parents, not to kill your children making the excuse ofinability to support them - We provide sustenance for you and forthem - not to commit shameful deeds whether open or secret, notto kill any soul forbidden by Allah except for the requirementsof justice. These are the things which He enjoined you so thatyou may learn wisdom.

O Muhammad, tell them: "As for me, surely my Rabb has guided meto the Right Way, the ever true Deen, the faith of Ibrahim(Abraham) the upright and he was not of the mushrikin."

He has no peer; thus am I commanded and I am the first of theMuslims."

Say: "Should I seek another Rabb besides Allah when He is theRabb of everything?" Every soul will reap the fruits of its owndeeds; no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another.Ultimately you will return to your Rabb, and He will resolve foryou your disputes.

Say: "My Rabb has forbidden all indecencies whether open orsecret, sin and rebellion against justice, committing shirk withAllah for which He has granted no sanction, and saying thingsabout Allah of which you have no knowledge.

or lest you should say: "Our forefathers started the practice ofshirk and we just followed, being their descendants. Will youthen destroy us on account of following the sin committed bythose wrongdoers?"

But when He gives them a healthy child they both began toassociate partners with Him in what He has given them; but Allahis exalted far above the shirk they commit of associating otherdeities with Him as His partners.

Do they associate with Him those deities who can create nothingbut are themselves created,

they have neither the ability to help them, nor can they helpthemselves?

If you invite them to guidance they will not follow you. It willbe all the same for you whether you call them or hold your peace.

In fact those whom you call besides Allah are bondmen, likeyourselves. Well call them, and let them answer you, if what yousay is true!

Have they feet to walk with? Have they hands to hold with? Havethey eyes to see with? Have they ears to hear with? O Muhammad,say: "Call on your shoraka' (partners you have set up besidesAllah) and collectively plot against me and give me no respite!

On the contrary, those whom you call besides Him have neither theability to help you, nor can they help themselves.

They worship other deities besides Allah, who can neither harmthem nor benefit them, and they say: "These are our intercessorswith Allah." O Muhammad, say to them: "Are you informing Allah ofwhat He knows to exist neither in the heavens nor on the earth?Glory to Him! He is far above from having the partners theyascribe to Him!"

On the Day when We shall gather them all together, We shall sayto those who committed shirk (associated other deities with Us):"Stay where you are, you and those whom you set as partners withUs." We will separate them from one another, then the shoraka'(partners they had set up with Us) will say: "It was not us thatyou worshipped!

Allah is an all-sufficient witness between you and us, (even ifyou worshipped us) we were quite unaware of your worship."

Ask them: "Can any of your shoraka' (the deities you worshipbesides Allah) create anything and then repeat its process?" Ifthey do not answer, then tell them: "Well, Allah creates and thenrepeats the process. Then how is that you are so misled?"

Again ask them: "Is there any of your shoraka' who can guide youto the truth?" If they do not answer, then tell them: "Well,Allah can guides you to the truth. Then who is more worthy to befollowed: He that can guide to the truth, or he that cannot andis himself in need of guidance? What is the matter with you? Whatkind of judgement do you make?"

The fact is that most of them follow nothing but mere conjectureand conjecture is in no way a substitute for the truth. SurelyAllah is well aware of all that they do.

Be aware! Indeed whatever is in the Heavens and in the Earthbelongs to Allah. Those who invoke other deities besides Allahfollow nothing but conjectures and preach nothing but falsehood.

They (Jews and Christians) say: "Allah has begotten a son!" Glorybe to Him! He is self-sufficient! His is all that is in theHeavens and in the Earth! Have you any proof for what you say?Would you ascribe to Allah something about which you have noknowledge?

O Prophet, tell them: "Those who ascribe false things to Allahwill never prosper."

Well, they may have a little enjoyment in this world, buteventually they have to return to Us and then We will make themtaste the severest punishment for their unbelief.

I am further commanded: " Dedicate yourself to the Deen(religion) in all uprightness and be not of the mushrikin (whoassociate other gods with Allah).

You shall not pray to others than Allah who can neither benefitnor harm you, for if you do, you shall certainly become one ofthe wrongdoers.

As a result most of them who believe in Allah also commit shirk.

Do they feel secure that Allah's scourge will not fall on them,or that the Hour of Doom will not come upon them suddenly whilethey do not suspect it?

Tell them plainly: "This is my way. I invite you to Allah withsure knowledge which I and my followers possess. Glory be toAllah, and I am not one of the mushrikin."

Ask them: "Who is the Rabb of the heavens and the earth?" If theyhesitate to respond, say: "Allah." Then ask them: "When this isthe fact, why do you take other deities, besides Him, who do notcontrol any benefit or harm even to themselves, as yourprotectors?" Say: "Are the blind and the seeing equal? Or can thedarkness and light be equal?" If that is not so, then, have theirshoraka' (other deities they worship) created any thing like Hiscreation which has made the matter of creation doubtful for them?Say: "Allah Alone is the Creator of everything and He is the One,the Irresistible."

What! Are they so audacious that they ascribe partners to Allah,Who watches minutely over each and every soul and knows all thatit does? O Prophet ask them: If Allah Himself has set them up asHis partners then tell me their names! Do you mean to inform Himof something new that He Himself does not know on this earth, ordo you merely utter empty words?" Nay! Indeed their foul devicesseem fair to the unbelievers, for they have been debarred fromthe Right Way; and there is none to guide those whom Allah haslet go astray.

They shall be punished in the life of this world, still moregrievous is the punishment of the hereafter, and there is none toprotect them from Allah.

O Prophet, some of those to whom We have given the Book rejoiceat what is revealed to you, while there are some factions whodeny a part of it. Tell them: "I am commanded to worship Allahand to associate none with Him. To Him I invite you and to Him Ishall return."

Surely We Ourself will suffice you against the scoffers;

those who place other deities alongside Allah, will soon come toknow their folly.

Allah's commandment has come, so do not seek to hurry it on.Glory be to Him and Exalted be He above the shirk (associatingother gods with Allah) that they practice!

He sends down His angels with inspiration of His Command to whomHe pleases of His servants, saying: "Warn the people that thereis no one else worthy of worship except Me, therefore fear Me."

He has created the heavens and the earth to manifest the Truth;Exalted be He above the shirk that they practice.

He created man from a drop of semen, yet he is an open contender.

He created cattle, which provide you clothing, food, and otherbenefits.

How pleasant they look to you when you bring them home in theevening and drive them to pasture in the morning.

They carry your heavy loads to far-off towns that you could nototherwise reach without painful toil; indeed your Rabb is Kindand Merciful.

He has also created horses, mules, and donkeys for you to rideand put on show, and He has created other things which are beyondyour knowledge.

It is up to Allah to show the Right Way, when there exist somecrooked ways. If Allah wanted He could have guided you all.

It is He Who sends down water from the sky, which providesdrinking water for you and brings forth fodder to pasture yourcattle.

With it He grows for you crops, olives, date-palms, grapes, andevery kind of fruit: surely there is a great sign in this forthose who think.

He has subjected to your service the night and the day, the sunand the moon: and likewise the stars also serve you by Hiscommand: surely there are signs in this for people who use theircommon sense.

In the Earth He has created things of different colors: surelythere is a sign in this for those who want to learn a lesson.

It is He Who has subjected the sea to your service, that you mayeat fresh meat therefrom and that you may bring out of itornaments to wear; and you see that ships plough their coursethrough it. He has done all this so that you may seek His bountyand so that you may pay thanks to Him.

He has set mountains on the earth - lest it should move away withyou. He also made rivers and roads so that you may find your way;

and likewise made landmarks and the stars for your guidance.

Is then, He, Who has created all this, like one who cannotcreate? Why don't you understand?

These miracles are given to you, in order to show you some of OurGreat Signs.

and remove the impediment from my speech

so that people may understand what I say

and grant me a minister from my family;

Fir'on asked: "What do you say about the condition of previousgenerations?"

Musa replied: "That knowledge is with my Rabb, duly recorded in aBook. He neither makes a mistake nor does He forget."

He is the One Who has made the earth a cradle for you, traced theroads on it for you to walk on; and sends down water from the skywith which We produce pairs of various kinds of vegetation

- eat from these yourselves and pasture your cattle. Surely thereare Signs in it for those who use their brains.

We have created you from the earth, into it We shall return youand from it We shall bring you back to life once again.

We showed Fir'on all kinds of Our Signs, but he denied them andgave no heed.

Hearing this, they debated their case among themselves,whispering to one another.

So Musa returned to his people in a state of anger and sorrow. Hesaid: "O my people! Did your Rabb not make a gracious promise toyou? Did my absence seem too long to you? Or was it to incur thewrath of your Rabb that you broke your promise with me?"

They replied: "We broke the promise through no fault of ours. Wewere made to carry the burden of the peoples ornaments and throwthem into the fire, thus Samiri suggested, who threw in something

Those who reject it, shall bear a heavy burden on the Day ofResurrection.

saying: "Get down from here all of you (Adam, Eve and Iblees);you will remain enemies to one another, whenever there comes toyou guidance from Me and whosoever will follow My guidance willneither go astray nor get into trouble;

Do not associate another deity with Allah, lest you sit back,condemned, forsaken.

This is but a part of the wisdom which your Rabb has revealed toyou. Do not associate other deities as object of worship, lestyou should be cast into hell, blameworthy rejected.

What! Has your Rabb preferred to give you sons and adopted angelsas daughters for Himself? Certainly you are uttering a monstrousstatement.

Tell them: If there were other gods besides Him as the mushrikinsay, they would have certainly tried to find a way to dethronethe Master of the Throne.

Glory be to Him! He is far above the things that they say aboutHim.

Say: "Pray if you will to those whom you assert besides Him; theyhave neither the power to relieve you from any distress nor tochange it."

Those to whom they pray, themselves seek the means of access totheir Rabb - trying as to who can be more near - they hope forHis Mercy and fear His punishment, for the punishment of yourRabb is terrible indeed.

and say: "Praise be to Allah, the One Who has begotten no son andWho has no partner in His Kingdom; nor He is helpless to need aprotector, and glorify His greatness in the best possible way."

O Prophet, say: "Allah knows best how long they stayed; He is the One Who knows the secrets of the heavens and the earth; sharp is His sight and keen His hearing! They have no protector besides Him and He does not let anyone share in His command.

O Prophet! Give them this parable. Once there were two men. To one of them We had given two gardens of grapevines surrounded with palm-trees and put between them land for cultivation.

Both of those gardens yielded abundant produce and did not fail to yield its best. We had even caused a river to flow between the two gardens.

He had abundant produce, he said to his companion while conversing with him: "I am richer than you and my clan is mightier than yours."

When, having thus wronged his soul, he entered his garden and said: "I do not think that this garden will ever perish!

Nor do I believe that the Hour of Judgment will ever come. Even if I am returned to my Rabb, I will surely find even a better place than this."

His companion replied while still conversing with him: "Do you disbelieve in Him Who created you from dust, from a drop of semen, and fashioned you into a perfect man?

As for myself, Allah is the One Who is my Rabb and I do not associate anyone with Him.

When you entered your garden why did you not say: `It is as Allah pleased, no one has power except Allah!' Though you see me poorer than yourself in wealth and children,

yet my Rabb may give me a garden better than yours, and may send down thunderbolts from sky upon your garden, turning it into a barren wasteland.

Or its' water may dry out and you may never be able to find it."

It so happened that all his fruit produce was destroyed and the vines tumbled down upon their trellises, so he wrung his hands with grief for all that he had spent on it. He cried: "I wish I had not associated anyone with my Rabb!"

He was so helpless that he could neither find anyone to help him beside Allah, nor could he himself avert that catastrophe

it was then that he realized that the real protection comes only from Allah. His is the best reward and His is the best requital.

I did not call them to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor their own creation, nor do I take those who lead mankind astray as My supporters.

On the Day of Judgement Allah will say to them: "Call on those whom you thought to be My partners." They will call them but will receive no answer; and We shall cause animosity between them.

O Muhammad, tell them: "I am but a human being like you; the revelation is sent to me to declare that your God is One God; therefore, whoever hopes to meet his Rabb, let him do good deeds and join no other deity in the worship of his Rabb."

Nay! We give falsehood a violent blow with the Truth to knock itout and behold! Falsehood vanishes away. Woe be to you, for allthe false gods you have invented.

Have the earthly deities, that they have taken for worship, thepower to raise the dead?

If there were other gods in the heavens or in the earth besidesAllah, both the heavens and earth would have been in a state ofdisorder. Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the Throne, absolutelyfree is He from the falsehood that they attribute to Him.

He is accountable to none about what He does, but they areaccountable to Him.

Even then, have they taken other deities for worship besides Him?Ask them: "Show us your proof: here is this reminder (Al-Qur'an)for the people of my time and it also contains the reminder ofthose before me." But most of them have no knowledge of Reality,and that is why they have turned away.

The fact is that to every Rasool whom We sent before you, Werevealed the same Message: "there is no god but Me, so worship MeAlone."

Remember! We identified the site of the Sacred House to Ibrahim(Abraham), saying, "Worship none besides Me, sanctify My Housefor those worshippers who make Tawaf (walking counterclockwisearound it as a part of the Hajj rituals), and stand in prayer,bow, and prostrate themselves,

Never has Allah begotten a son, nor is there any god besides Him.Had it been so, each god would govern his own creation, and eachwould have tried to overpower the others. Exalted be Allah, abovethe sort of things they attribute to Him!

He knows what is hidden and what is open: far above is He fromthe shirk of these people.

Therefore, exalted be Allah, the Real King; there is no god butHim, the Lord of the Honorable Throne.

Whoever invokes another god besides Allah - about whose divinityhe has no proof -he will have to give an account to his Rabb.Surely such unbelievers will never attain salvation.

Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good deedsthat He will most surely make them vicegerent in the earth as Hemade their ancestors before them, and that He will establish forthem their religion, the one which He has chosen for them, andthat He will change their present state of fear into peace andsecurity. Let them worship Me Alone and not to commit shirk withMe; and if anyone rejects faith after this, it is they who arethe transgressors.

He is the One to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and theearth, has begotten no son and has no partner in His kingdom; Hehas created everything and ordained them in due proportions.

Yet the unbelievers have taken besides Him other gods which cancreate nothing but are themselves created, which can neither harmnor help even themselves, and which have no power over life ordeath, or raising the dead to life.

Is not He (Allah), Who has created the heavens and the earth,sends down rain from the sky and with it brings forth thebeautiful gardens not better than the false gods that theyworship? It is not in your ability to cause the growth of treesfor those gardens. Is there another god besides Allah who coulddo that? No doubt they are a people who have swerved from justicein ascribing equals to Him.

Just think who has made the earth a place for your residence,caused in it the rivers to flow, set mountains upon it and placeda barrier between the two seas? Is there another god besidesAllah? Nay, most of them have no knowledge.

Just think who answers the oppressed person when he cries out toHim and relieves his affliction, and makes you, O mankind,inheritors of the earth? Is there another god besides Allah? Howlittle do you reflect!

Just think who guides you in darkness on the land and the sea,and who sends the winds as heralds of good news of His mercy? Isthere another god besides Allah? Exalted be Allah above what theyassociate with Him!

Just think who originates creation and then repeats itsproduction, and who gives you sustenance from the heavens and theearth? Is there another god besides Allah? Say: "Show us yourproof if you are telling the truth!"

Let them not forget that Day when We shall call them and ask:"Where are those whom you deemed to be My associates?"

Those who are proven guilty as charged will say: "Our Rabb! Theseare the ones whom we led astray; we led them astray as we wereastray ourselves. However, we plead our innocence before You; itwas not us that they worshipped."

Then they will be told: "Appeal to your shoraka' (associategods)," so they will appeal them but will get no answer. Theywill see the punishment and wish that they had accepted guidance.

Your Rabb creates whatever He wills and chooses for His work whomHe pleases. It is not for them (mushrikin) to choose and assignthe powers of Allah to whom they want. Glory be to Allah! He isfar above the shirk that these people commit.

They should be mindful of that Day when He will call them andask: "Where are those deities whom you deemed My associates?"

And We shall bring forth a witness from every nation and ask:"Bring your proof about other deities besides Me." Then theyshall come to know that in reality there is only One God, Allah,and gods of their own inventions have left them in the lurch."

Let no one turn you away from the revelations of Allah now thatthey have been revealed to you. Invite people to your Rabb and benot of the mushrikin (who join other deities with Allah).

Invoke no other god besides Allah. There is no god but Him.Everything is perishable except Him. To him belongs the judgementand to him will you all be returned.

If they embark on a ship, and the ship gets into trouble, theycall upon Allah, being sincerely obedient to Him; but when Hebrings them safely to land, they start committing shirk (givingcredit for their safe arrival to others);

so that they may become ungrateful for the blessing that We havebestowed on them and enjoy the life of this world! They will sooncome to know the result of this behavior.

On the Day when the Hour of Judgement will be established, thecriminals shall be in despair.

None of their shoraka' (gods which they had set up besidesAllah), will be there to intercede for them and they themselveswill disown their shoraka'.

We give you an example from your own lives. Do you let yourslaves be equal partners in the wealth which We have given you?Do you fear them as you fear each other? Thus do We spell out Ourrevelations for those who use their common sense.

Turn in repentance to Him, fear Him, establish Salah (regularfive times daily prayers) and do not be of the mushrikin

When an affliction befalls the people, they turn in prayer totheir Rabb in repentance. But when He let them taste a blessingfrom Him, lo! Some of them start committing shirk,

showing no gratitude for What We have given them. Enjoyyourselves; soon you will find out your folly.

Have We sent down to them an authority, that speaks of the shirkwhich they are committing?

It is Allah Who has created you, then provides you your dailybread, then He causes you to die, and then He will bring you backto life. Is there any of your shoraka' (associates you have setup besides Allah) who can do any of these things? Glory be toHim, and exalted be He above the shirk these people commit.

The fact is that We offered the Trust ( "freedom of choice" andto voluntarily use this option according to the will of Allah) tothe heavens, to the earth and to the mountains, but they refusedto undertake it and were afraid, but man undertook it. He wasindeed unjust and foolish.

Put your trust in Allah: for Allah is your all-sufficientprotector.

Say: "Show me those whom you have made associate gods with Him.Nay! By no means can you do it. Allah Alone is the Almighty, theWise".

Those despised weaklings will say to the arrogant: "No! It wasyou who plotted day and night, bidding us to disbelieve in Allahand to set up equals with Him," - They will feel ashamed oncethey see the punishment, and We shall put yokes on the necks ofthose disbelievers; can there be any other reward except for whatthey did?

O Prophet, say: "Have you ever considered your associate gods towhom you call upon besides Allah? Show me anything that they havecreated in the earth! Or what is their share in the creation ofthe heavens? Or have We given them a Book from which they derivea provision of shirk? Nay, in fact the wrongdoers promise eachother nothing but delusions.

It is Allah Who keeps the heavens and the earth from slipping outof their places. Should they ever slip, none can hold them backbesides Him; certainly He is Most Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.

They assert blood-relationship between Him and the jinns; and thejinns know quite well that they will be called to account.

Glory be to Allah! He is free from what they ascribe to Him

Glory be to your Rabb, the Lord of Honor, He is free from whatthey ascribe to Him!

Beware! Sincere true obedience is due to Allah Alone! As forthose who take other guardians (worship the saints) besides Himand justify their conduct, saying: "We worship them only thatthey may bring us nearer to Allah." Surely Allah will judgebetween them concerning all that in which they differ. Allah doesnot guide him who is a liar and a disbeliever.

If Allah had intended to take a son, He could have chosen anyoneHe pleased out of His creation: Glory be to Him! (He is abovesuch things.) He is Allah, the One, the Irresistible.

When some trouble befalls man, he cries to his Rabb and turns toHim in repentance; but no sooner does He bestow on him His favorthan he forgets what he has prayed for and sets up rivals toAllah, thus misleading others from His Way. Tell such people:"Enjoy your unbelief for a little while; certainly you will be ofthe inmates of hellfire."

Is Allah not all-sufficient for His servants? Yet they try tofrighten you with others besides Him! For such whom Allahconfounds, there can be no guide.

Tell them plainly because it has already been revealed to you asit was revealed to those before you that if you commit shirk, allyour deeds will become fruitless and you will surely be among thelosers."

Therefore, worship Allah and be among His thankful servants.

They have not recognized the worth of Allah as his worth shouldbe recognized. On the Day of Resurrection the whole earth shallbe in His grasp and all the heavens shall be rolled up in Hisright hand. Glory be to Him! Exalted be He above what theyassociate with Him.

They will say: "Our Rabb! Twice have You made us die and twicehave You given us life. We now confess our sins. Is there any wayout?"

They shall be answered: "You are facing this fate because whenyou were asked to believe in Allah, the One and Only, youdisbelieved; but when you were asked to commit shirk (associateother partners with Him), you believed. Today judgement restswith Allah, the Supreme, the Great."

and Allah will judge with all fairness. As for those whom theunbelievers invoke besides Him, will not be in a position tojudge at all. Surely it is Allah Alone Who Hears all and Seesall.

when, with yokes and chains around their necks, they shall bedragged

through scalding fluid and burned in the fire of hell.

Then they shall be asked: "Where are those gods whom you invokedin worship

besides Allah?" They will answer: "They have forsaken us, now wehave come to know that those to whom we used to invoke, were infact nothing." Thus Allah confounds the disbelievers.

It will be said: "You have met this fate because during your lifeon earth, you took delight in things other than the truth and youled a wanton life.

Now enter the gates of hell to live therein forever. What an evilabode will be for the arrogant!"

Have they never travelled through the earth and seen what was theend of those who have gone before them? They were more in numberand superior in strength than these and they have left behindgreat traces of their power in the land; yet all that they didwas of no avail to them.

When their Rasools came to them with clear revelations, theyproudly boasted about their own knowledge; but the veryforewarned scourge at which they mocked, hemmed them in.

When they saw Our scourge, they cried out: "We believe in Allah,the One and Only, and we reject all those gods whom we used toassociate with Him."

But after seeing Our scourge, their professing the faith (Islam)was of no use to them; such was the practice of Allah in dealingwith His servants in the past, and thus the disbelievers werelost.

O Prophet say: "I am but a man like yourselves. It is revealed tome that your God is One God, therefore take the Right Way towardsHim and implore His forgiveness. Woe to the mushrikin (those whoassociate other gods with Allah);

those who do not pay Zakah and they deny the hereafter.

Ask them: "Do you really deny the One Who created the earth intwo periods and do you set up rivals in worship with Him while Heis the Rabb of the worlds.

He Alone has the knowledge of the Hour of Doom. No fruit comesout of its sheath, nor does a female conceive, nor she givesbirth but with His knowledge. On the Day of Judgement when Allahwill ask the unbelievers: "Where are those partners that youassociated with Me?" They will answer: "We confess that none ofus can vouch for them."

Those deities whom they used to invoke will vanish from them andthey shall realize that there is no escape.

He has ordained for you the same Deen (way of life - Islam) whichHe enjoined on Nuh - and which We have revealed to you O Muhammad- and which We enjoined on Ibrahim and Musa (Moses) and Isa(Jesus): "Establish the Deen of Al-Islam and make no division(sects) in it." Intolerable for the mushrikin is that to whichyou O Muhammad call them. Allah chooses for His service whom Hewills, and guides to His Way only those who turn to Him inrepentance.

Have they made shoraka' (partners with Allah) who, in thepractice of their faith, have made lawful to them what Allah hasnot allowed? Had a decision of making the decision on the Day ofJudgement not been issued already, the matter would havecertainly been decided between them; surely the wrongdoers willhave a painful punishment.

Yet inspite of recognizing all this, they have made some of Hisservants to be a part of Him! Surely mankind is clearlyungrateful.

And that He may punish the hypocritical men and the hypocriticalwomen and the mushrik men and the mushrik women, who entertainedan evil thought about Allah. A turn of evil shall befall them,for Allah's wrath is upon them. He has laid His curse on them andprepared for them the fire of hell, which is a very evil abode.

who set up other gods besides Allah. Throw him into severepunishment."

His companion will say: "Our Rabb! I did not mislead him. Hehimself had gone far astray."

Allah will say: "Do not dispute with each other in My presence. Igave you warning beforehand.

My words cannot be changed, nor am I unjust to My servants."

Do they have a god other than Allah? Exalted is Allah, far abovethose deities they associate with Him.

Allah is He, besides Whom there is no god, the King, the Holy,the Giver of peace, the Granter of security, the Guardian, theAlmighty, the Irresistible, the Supreme: Glory be to Allah! He isfar above the shirk they commit (by associating other gods withHim).

O Prophet! When the believing women come to you to take the oathof allegiance , take their pledge: that they will not commitshirk with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will notcommit adultery, that they will not kill their children, thatthey will not give any cause for scandal which they may inventbetween either their hands or legs (a woman accusing anotherwoman of having an illicit relationship with a man and spreadssuch stories - or - a woman carrying an illegitimate child andmakes her husband believe that it is his), and that they will notdisobey you in any just matter, then accept their allegiance andpray to Allah for the forgiveness. Surely Allah is Oft-Forgiving,most Merciful.

which guides to the Right Way. We have believed in it andhenceforth shall worship none besides Our Rabb.

Mosques are built for Allah's worship; therefore, invoke notanyone along with Allah.

Yet, when Allah's servant Muhammad stood up to invoke Him, they(unbelievers) were ready to attack him."

O Prophet, say: "I pray only to my Rabb and worship none besidesHim."

He begets not, nor is He begotten;

Once the matter has been decided, Shaitan will say: "In fact, thepromises which Allah made to you were all true; I too made somepromises to you but failed to keep any of them. However, I had nopower over you. I just invited you, and you accepted myinvitation. Now! Do not blame me, but blame yourselves. I cannothelp you, nor you can help me. I reject what you did before; thatyou associated me with Allah. Certainly such wrongdoers will havepainful punishment."

O People of the Book! Do not transgress the limits of yourreligion. Speak nothing but the Truth about Allah. The Messiah,Isa (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary) was no more than a Rasool ofAllah and His Word "Be" which He bestowed on Maryam and a Spiritfrom Him which took the shape of a child in her womb. So believein Allah and His Rasools and do not say: "Trinity"." Stop sayingthat, it is better for you. Allah is only One Deity. He is farabove from the need of having a son! To Him belongs all that isin the heavens and in the Earth. Allah Alone is sufficient forprotection.

Surely our Rabb's Majesty is exalted: He has neither taken a wifenor a son.

Some who are foolish among us have been uttering atrocious liesabout Allah,

and we had presumed that no man or jinn could tell a lieconcerning Allah.

For eight heads of cattle, male and female, there aresuperstitions. Take a pair of sheep and a pair of goats, forexample, and ask them, "Of these, has He forbidden you the males,females or their fetuses? Answer me based on knowledge, notsuperstition, if what you say is true."

Likewise ask them about a pair of camels and a pair of cows, "Ofthese, has He forbidden you the males, females or their fetuses?"If they answer, then ask them: "Were you present when Allah gaveyou these commandments?" If not then Who can be more unjust thanthe one who forges a lie against Allah, so that he may misleadmankind without having any knowledge? Surely Allah does not guidethe unjust people.

twisting things around in order to lead others astray from thePath of Allah - for such persons there is disgrace in this life,and on the Day of Judgment we shall make them taste thepunishment of burning fire,

saying: "This is what you prepared and sent forth with your ownhands." Rest assured that Allah is not unjust to His worshippers.

Surely your Rabb is Allah Who created the heavens and the earthin six Yome (time periods) and is firmly established on thethrone of authority. He makes the night cover the day and the dayfollow the night automatically. He created the sun, the moon andthe stars; and made them subservient to His will. Take note: Hisis the creation, and His is the command. Blessed is Allah, theRabb of the worlds!

The fact is that your Rabb is the same Allah Who created theheavens and the earth in six Yome (time periods) and is firmlyestablished on the Throne of authority, and is directing theaffairs of the universe. None can intercede for you, except theone who receives His permission. This is Allah your Rabb, soworship Him: will you not receive admonition?

He is the One Who created the heavens and the earth in sixperiods - at the time when His Throne was rested on the water -so that He may test to find out which of you is the best indeeds. Now if you tell them:" You shall indeed be raised up afterdeath," the unbelievers would certainly say: "This is nothing butsheer magic!"

The One Who created the heavens and the earth and all that isbetween them in six days, and is firmly established on the Throneof authority; the Compassionate (Allah): as to His Glory, ask theone who knows.

It is Allah Who has created the heavens, the earth and all thatis between them in six periods, then firmly established Himselfon the Throne of Authority. You have no guardian or intercessorbesides Him. Will you not then take heed?

We created the heavens and the earth and all that lies betweenthem in six periods, and no fatigue touched Us.

It is He Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods,then firmly established Himself on the throne of authority. Heknows all that enters the earth and all that emerges from it, allthat comes down from Heaven and all that ascends to it; and He iswith you wherever you are. Allah is aware of all your actions.

Surely your Rabb is Allah Who created the heavens and the earthin six Yome (time periods) and is firmly established on thethrone of authority. He makes the night cover the day and the dayfollow the night automatically. He created the sun, the moon andthe stars; and made them subservient to His will. Take note: Hisis the creation, and His is the command. Blessed is Allah, theRabb of the worlds!

Allah is the One Who raised the heavens without any pillars thatyou can see, then firmly established Himself on the throne ofauthority and subjected the sun and the moon to His law - eachone pursuing its course for an appointed time. He regulates allaffairs. He has spelled out His revelations so that you maybelieve in meeting your Rabb.

He is the One Who has created the night and the day and the sunand the moon: all (the celestial bodies) move swiftly in an orbitof their own.

Have not the unbelievers ever considered that the skies and theearth were once one mass, then We split them asunder? And We havecreated every living thing from water. Will they still notbelieve?

We have indeed decked the worldly heaven with beautiful stars

So, from this creation, He formed the seven heavens in twoperiods and to each heaven He ordained its laws. He adorned thelowest heaven with brilliant lamps and made it secure. Such isthe design of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing."

We have decorated the heaven of this world with lamps and We madethem as missiles for pelting the shaitans and thus prepared forthem the scourge of flames.

The One Who created the seven heavens, one above another, youwill not see any flaw in the creation of the Compassionate. Lookonce again, do you see any flaw?

He is the One Who has created the night and the day and the sunand the moon: all (the celestial bodies) move swiftly in an orbitof their own.

then each soul shall know what it has bought with it.

Those who believed (embraced Islam), migrated and made Jihad(exerted their utmost struggle) with their wealth and theirpersons in the cause of Allah; as well as those who gave themasylum and help, are indeed the protecting friends of oneanother. As to those who believed (embraced Islam) but did notemigrate (to Dar-ul-Islam, the Islamic State), you are under noobligation to protect them until they emigrate; yet it is yourobligation to help them in the matters of faith if they ask foryour help, except against a people with whom you have a treaty.Allah is observant of all your actions.

Those who believed (embraced Islam), migrated and made Jihad(exerted their utmost struggle) in the cause of Allah, and thosewho gave them asylum and help - they are the true believers. Theyshall have forgiveness and honorable provisions.

As for the first pioneers who accepted Islam from the Muhajir(immigrants) and Ansar (supporters in Madinah) and those whofollow them in good deeds, Allah is well pleased with them andthey are pleased with Him. He has prepared for them gardensbeneath which rivers flow, wherein they shall live forever: thatis the mighty achievement.

Whomever Allah wills to guide, He opens his chest to Islam andwhomever He intends to confound, He makes his chest narrow andsqueezes so tight that, at the very idea of Islam, he feel as ifhis soul is going to climb up towards the sky. That is how Allahplaces a blight on those who do not believe,

Section 1 He (the Prophet) frowned and turned away

when there came to him the blind man (Ibn Umme Maktum, who cameto the Prophet and interrupted his conversation with the chiefsof Makkah).

How could you tell? He might have sought to purify himself

or become reminded and might have benefited from Our reminder.

As for him who is indifferent,

to whom you were attending;

you will not be held responsible if he would not purify himself.

Yet to him who came to you with zeal on his own

and with fear of Allah in his heart,

you gave no heed.

It should not be so! Indeed, this is but an admonition;

let him who wants, accept it.

When the Qur'an is recited, listen to it with complete silence sothat you may be shown mercy.