O Muhammad, tell them: "O my people! If you don't listen to me,do whatever you want and I'll do whatever I deem right; you willsoon find out who is to gain the reward of the hereafter; restassured that the wrongdoers will not get salvation."

They were convinced in their hearts about the truth of thosemiracles, yet they denied those signs in their wickedness andpride. So you see, what was the end of those transgressors.

Just think, who is rightly guided: he who walks with his facebent down, or he who walks properly on an even path?

Say: "It is He Who has brought you into being, gave you thefaculties of hearing, seeing, feeling and understanding: yet youare seldom thankful."

Say: "It is He Who has multiplied you in the earth, and beforeHim you shall all be assembled."

Give glad tidings to those who believe in this Book and do gooddeeds in accordance with its teachings for them there will beGardens beneath which rivers flow. Whenever they will be givenfruits to eat they will say: "This is similar to the one we usedto eat before on earth," for the fruits will resemble the fruitson the earth for their easy identification and enjoyment; and forthem there will be chaste virgin spouses, and they shall livetherein for ever.

You very well know the story of those of you who transgressed inthe matter of the Sabbath; We ordered them: "Be detested apes".

As for those who believe and do good deeds, they will be theresidents of Paradise and live there forever.

Those who believe and do good deeds, establish regular prayers,and give regular charity will have their reward with their Rabb.They will have nothing to fear or to regret.

As for those who have faith and do righteous deeds, We shall soonadmit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow to live thereinforever. This is the promise of Allah, true indeed, and who canbe truer in his words than Allah?

But the one who do righteous deeds, whether a male or a female -provided he or she is a believer - shall enter paradise and willnot be harmed a speck.

As for those who have faith and do righteous deeds, He will paythem their due compensation and give them more on His own fromHis grace, but He will inflict painful punishment on those whoare disdainful and arrogant, and they will find none (of those onwhom they rely) to protect or help them besides Allah.

The exception is for those people who are steadfast and do gooddeeds; they are the ones who will have forgiveness and a greatreward.

As for those who believe and do good deeds and humble themselvesbefore their Rabb, they will be residents of paradise to livetherein forever.

As for those who believe and do good deeds, for them there willbe prosperity and a beautiful place of final return."

Those who believe and do good deeds will be admitted to Paradise,beneath which rivers flow, to live therein forever with thepermission of their Rabb, and their greetings therein will be:"Peace!"

Whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, provided heis a believer, We shall surely grant him a new life, a life thatis good, and We will certainly reward such people according tothe noblest of their deeds in the hereafter.

Surely this Qur'an guides to the Way which is perfectly straightand gives the good news to the believers who do good that theyshall have a magnificent reward;

Your Rabb knows best what is in your hearts. If you do gooddeeds, certainly He is most forgiving to those who turn to Him inrepentance.

It is straightforward so that He may warn about the terrible punishment for the unbelievers from Him and give good news to the believers who do good deeds that they shall have a goodly reward,

which they will enjoy forever.

As for those who believe and do good deeds, rest assured that We do not waste the reward of him who does a good work.

They are the ones for whom there will be the Gardens of Eden, beneath which rivers flow; they will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, they will wear green garments of fine silk and rich brocade and they will recline on soft couches. What an excellent reward and what a beautiful residence!

However, those who believe and do good deeds, they will be entertained with the Gardens of Paradise

to live therein for ever and they will never desire to go anywhere else.

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."

However, those who repent, become believers and do good deeds,will be admitted to Paradise and will not be wronged in theleast.

They will be granted the Gardens of Eden which the Merciful haspromised to His servants, even though they have not seen them,and His promise shall be fulfilled.

There they will hear no nonsense, but only the words of peace;and they will be provided their sustenance day and night.

Such is the Paradise which We shall give as an inheritance tothose of Our Servants who lead a pious life.

Surely the Beneficent will bring about love for those who believeand do good deeds.

While he who will come to Him as a believer and has done gooddeeds shall have the highest ranks

- Gardens of Eden, beneath which rivers flow, live thereinforever; such is the reward of those who purify themselves fromevil.

but the one who is a believer and does good deeds shall fear notyranny or injustice.

Whoever shall do good deeds, provided he is a believer, hisendeavor will not be rejected: We are recording it all for him.

As for those who believe and do good deeds, Allah will admit themto gardens beneath which the rivers flow. Surely Allah does whatHe wants.

As for those who have faith and do good deeds, Allah willcertainly admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow. Theyshall be decked with pearls and bracelets of gold, and theirgarments will be of silk.

This is because during their life on earth, they were guided toaccept the pure words of Allah and they were shown the Way of theAll-Praiseworthy.

Those who accept the true faith and do good deeds shall beforgiven and provided honorable sustenance;

On that Day the Kingdom will be that of Allah's; He will judgebetween them; so those who have embraced the true faith and donegood deeds shall enter the gardens of delight;

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.

except the one who repents, becomes a true believer, and startsdoing good deeds, for then Allah will change his evil deeds intogood, and Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

He that repents and does good deeds, has truly turned to Allahwith good turning.

However, an exception is made for those (poets) who believe, dogood deeds, engage much in the remembrance of Allah and defendthemselves when wronged, showing no vindictiveness. The unjustoppressors will soon find out what vicissitudes their affairswill take.

However, the one who has repented in this life, and believed, anddone good deeds may hope to be among those who will achievesalvation.

As for those who believe and do good deeds, We shall cleanse themof their sins and We shall reward them according to the best oftheir deeds.

Those who have accepted the true faith and do good deeds shall beadmitted among the righteous.

Those who embrace true faith and do good deeds shall be lodged inthe mansions of paradise beneath which the rivers flow, to livetherein forever. What an excellent reward for the doers of gooddeeds;

the ones who have shown patience and put their trust in theirRabb.

Those who have embraced the faith and have done good deeds shallbe made happy in a garden of paradise.

Those who disbelieved will bear the burden of their disbelief,and those who have done good deeds will be made ready for theirhome in paradise,

so that He may, out of His mercy, reward those who have believedand done good deeds. Surely He does not like the disbelievers.

As for those who believe and do good deeds, there will be gardensof delight,

wherein they shall live forever. The promise of Allah is true: Heis the Almighty, the Wise.

As for those who believe and do good deeds, they shall be awardedthe gardens of paradise as a reward of their labors.

They will respond: "Glory be to You! Our tie is with You - as aprotector - not with them; but they used to worship the jinns andit was them in whom most of these people believed."

O Prophet say: "I would ask you one thing. For Allah's sake!Think individually or consult one another and ponder whether yourcompanion Muhammad is really mad? You yourself will come to theconclusion that he is nothing but a Warner to you to forewarn youof a sever punishment."

You will see that the wrongdoers will be fearing the badconsequences of their deeds which will surely befall them. Whilethose who believe and do good deeds shall dwell in the luxuriousgardens of paradise, and shall receive from their Rabb all thatthey wish for; that will surely be the magnificent blessing.

Such a blessing is the good news which Allah gives to Hisservants who believe and do good deeds. O Prophet, say to them:"I do not ask you any recompense except your love for being myclose relatives." He that does a good deed shall be repaid manytimes over. Surely Allah is oft-Forgiving, most Appreciative.

He answers the prayers of those who believe and do good deeds andgives them even more out of His bounty. As for the unbelievers,they shall have severe punishment.

He that does a righteous deed, does it for his own good; and hethat commits evil, does so at his own peril. In the end, you allwill be brought back to your Rabb.

Do the evil doers think that We shall hold them equal with thosewho believe and do good deeds, and that their lives and deathsshall be alike? Bad is their judgment!

As for those who believed and did righteous deeds, their Rabbwill admit them into His mercy. That will be a gloriousachievement.

As for those who believe and do good deeds and believe in what isrevealed to Muhammad - the truth from their Rabb - He will removefrom them their evils and improve their condition.

Surely Allah will admit those who believe and do good deeds togardens beneath which rivers flow. While those who areunbelievers, they are to enjoy only this life and eat as cattleeat; but in the hereafter, the fire shall be their abode.

Muhammad, the Rasool of Allah, and those with him are strongagainst the unbelievers and compassionate to each other amongthemselves. When you see them, you will find them making Rakuh(bowing down) and Sajud (prostrate in prayers), and craving forthe blessings from Allah and His good pleasure. They have mark ofSajud (prostration) on their foreheads, the traces of theirprostration. This is their similitude in the Taurat (Torah); andtheir similitude in the Injeel (Gospel): they are like the seedwhich puts forth its sprout, then strengthens it, then becomesthick and stands firmly on its stem, delighting the sowers of theseed, so that through them He may enrage the unbelievers. Yet tothose of them who will believe and do good deeds, Allah haspromised forgiveness and a great reward.

Therefore, proclaim to them a painful punishment,

except those who embrace the true faith and do good deeds; forthem there will be a never ending reward.

As for those who believe and do good deeds, they shall havegardens beneath which rivers flow; which will be the greatestsuccess.

then We abase him to the lowest of the low

except those who believe and do good deeds - for they shall havea never ending reward.

Surely those who believe and do good deeds, are the best of allcreatures.

Their reward with their Rabb shall be the gardens of Eden,beneath which the rivers flow, to dwell therein forever. Allahshall be well pleased with them and they shall be well pleasedwith Him. That is for him who fears his Rabb.

Surely mankind is in loss,

except those who believe and do good deeds; exhort one another tothe truth and exhort one another to patience.

O Rasools! Eat of pure things and do good deeds, certainly I haveknowledge of all your actions.

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.

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.

O believers! What is the matter with you that when you are askedto march forth in the way of Allah, you cling to the earth? Doyou prefer the life of this world to the life of the hereafter?If it is so, then you should know that the comforts of this lifeare little compared to the life of the hereafter.

Allah grants abundantly His provisions to whom He will andsparingly to whom He pleases. The unbelievers rejoice in the lifeof this world: but brief indeed is the comfort of this worldlylife as compared to the life of the hereafter.

The things which you have been given are but the provisions andadornments of this worldly life; and that which is with Allah isbetter and more lasting. Why don't you use your common sense?

The life of this world is but play and amusement. If you believeand follow the way of piety, He will grant you your rewards andwill not ask you to give up your possessions.

Keep yourself content with those who call on their Rabb morning and evening seeking His good pleasure; and let not your eyes turn away from them desiring the attraction of Worldly Life; nor obey the one whose heart We have permitted to neglect Our remembrance, who follows his own desires and goes to extremes in the conduct of his affairs.

O Prophet! Say to your wives: "If you desire the life of thisworld and its glitter, then come, I shall give you of these andlet you go in an honorable way."

then he who had rebelled

and preferred the life of this world

shall have his abode in hell.

But O men! You prefer the life of this world;

while the Hereafter is better and everlasting.

Whatever you are given is nothing but a provision for thetransitory life of this world, better and ever lasting is thereward which Allah has for those who believe, put their trust intheir Rabb,

Do not envy that Allah has given some of you more than theothers. Men will be rewarded according to their deeds and womenwill be rewarded according to theirs. Ask Allah for His grace.Surely Allah has perfect knowledge of everything.

O mankind! Have fear of your Rabb and fear that Day when nofather shall avail his son nor a son his father. Surely thepromise of Allah is true. Let not the life of this world deceiveyou, nor let the Deceiver (Shaitan) deceive you concerning Allah.

O mankind! Certainly the promise of Allah is true, therefore letnot the life of this world deceive you nor let the chief deceiver(Satan) deceive you about Allah.

You should know that the life of this world is only play andamusement, a show and boasting among yourselves, a quest forgreater riches and more children. Its similitude is that ofvegetation that flourish after rain: the growth of which delightsthe tillers, then it withers and you see it turn yellow, soon itbecomes dry and crumbles away. In the hereafter there will beeither severe punishment or forgiveness from Allah and His goodpleasure. The life of this world is nothing but an illusion.

No one dies without the permission of Allah. The term of everylife is fixed. He that desires the reward in this world shall begiven it here, and he that desires the reward in the hereaftershall be given it there. Soon We will reward the thankful.

Anyone who desires the reward of this world should know thatAllah possesses the rewards of both, this world and thehereafter. Allah hears all and sees all.

He who desires the harvest of the hereafter, shall be given amany fold increase in his harvest; and he who desires the harvestof this world, a share of it shall be given to him: but in thehereafter he shall have no share at all.

by such people whom neither business nor business profit candivert from the remembrance of Allah, nor from establishing Salahand nor from paying Zakah, for they fear the Day of Judgementwhen hearts will be overturned and eyes will be petrified,

who hope that Allah will reward them according to the best oftheir deeds and add for them even more out of His grace: forAllah gives without measure to whom He pleases.

for even now, when We have inflicted punishment on them, theyhave neither submitted to their Rabb nor humbled themselvestowards Him.

Until when We open upon them a gate of severe punishment, youwill see that they are plunged in utter despair.

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.

These people will never refrain from wrongdoing until when deathcomes to anyone of them, he will say: "O Rabb! Send me back,

so that I may do good deeds in the world that I have leftbehind." Never! This is just a statement which carries no value,it will be too late because there will be a barrier between themand the world they have just left till the Day they are raised tolife again.

Have you noticed the words of that person who rejects OurRevelations yet boasts: "I shall always be given wealth andchildren".

Has he gained knowledge of the Unseen or has he been awarded acontract by the Compassionate (Allah)?

By no means! We write down what he says and We will make hispunishment long and terrible.

We will inherit all that he boasts of, and he will come back toUs all alone leaving all these things behind.

for even now, when We have inflicted punishment on them, theyhave neither submitted to their Rabb nor humbled themselvestowards Him.

Until when We open upon them a gate of severe punishment, youwill see that they are plunged in utter despair.

The life of men when they get to the age of puberty is tempted bydesire for women when they get married children, when they getchildren the hoarding of treasures of gold and silver, splendidhorses, cattle, and plantations. These are the comforts for thetransitory life of this world; the everlasting best comfort,however, is with Allah.

Say : "Shall I tell you of better things than these, with whichthe righteous will be rewarded by their Rabb? There will begardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will live foreverwith spouses of perfect chastity and the good pleasure of Allah.Allah is watching His servants very closely."

They are the ones who love the life of this world more than thehereafter, who debar others from the Way of Allah and seek tomake it crooked: they have gone far astray into error.

- Nay, the fact is that you people love this fleeting life

do not favor others to expect a gain,

O Prophet, tell them: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers,your spouses, your relatives, the wealth that you have acquired,the business in which you fear a loss, and the homes which youlike are dearer to you than Allah, His Rasool, and making Jihad(struggle) in His Way, then wait until Allah brings about Hisdecision. Allah does not guide the transgressors.

O believers! What is the matter with you that when you are askedto march forth in the way of Allah, you cling to the earth? Doyou prefer the life of this world to the life of the hereafter?If it is so, then you should know that the comforts of this lifeare little compared to the life of the hereafter.

This is because such people love the life of this world more thanthe hereafter, and that Allah does not guide those who knowinglyreject faith.

Such are those whose hearts, ears and eyes are sealed by Allah;and they are the ones who are heedless.

There is no doubt that in the hereafter they will be the losers.

O Prophet, tell them: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers,your spouses, your relatives, the wealth that you have acquired,the business in which you fear a loss, and the homes which youlike are dearer to you than Allah, His Rasool, and making Jihad(struggle) in His Way, then wait until Allah brings about Hisdecision. Allah does not guide the transgressors.

We shall certainly make them taste the lighter torment in thislife before the greater punishment of the hereafter, so that theymay return to the Right Way.

They ask you about drinking and gambling. Tell them: "There isgreat sin in both, although they may have some benefit for men;but the sin is greater than the benefit." They ask you what theyshould spend; tell them: "Whatever you can." Thus Allah makes Hisrevelations clear to you, so that you may reflect upon

this world and the hereafter. They ask you about orphans. Tellthem: "It is best to deal with them justly; you may becomeco-partners with them, after all they are your brethren; Allahknows who means harm and also who means their welfare. If Allahhad wanted He could be hard on you in this matter, surely Allahis Mighty, Wise."

And let those who do not find means to marry keep themselveschaste until Allah enriches them out of His bounty. As for thoseof your slaves who wish to buy out their liberty, execute thedeed of liberty with them if you find them deserving, and givethem some of the wealth which Allah has given you. Do not forceyour slave-girls into prostitution for your own worldly gains, ifthey wish to preserve their chastity; and if anyone forces theminto it, then surely after such a compulsion Allah will beforgiving and merciful to them.

Among the people there is one whose speech fascinates you in thisworldly life; he may even call upon Allah to witness what is inhis heart, yet he is your staunch opponent.

We have decked the earth with all kinds of ornaments to test the people and to see which of them do the best deeds.

In the end We shall reduce all that is on it to a barren wasteland.

Therefore, neglect those who ignore Our warnings and seek onlythe life of this world.

But there are others who say: "Our Rabb! Give us the good life,both in this world and in the Hereafter and save us from thetorment of the fire."

Such people shall have their due share in both worlds accordingto what they have earned, Allah is swift in settling theaccounts.

He it is who drives away the orphan with harshness

with the exception of those who offer the Salah (prayer),

remain steadfast in their Salah (prayer),

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,

while hell shall be spread open to the straying

and they will be asked: "Now, where are those whom you worshipped

besides Allah? Can they help you or even help themselves?"

Then they will be toppled into it, both they and those who misledthem,

together with all the armies of Iblees.

Wherein they will argue with one another

saying: " By Allah, we were indeed in manifest error,

when we made you equals with the Rabb of the Worlds.

It was the criminals who led us astray.

Now we have no intercessors,

and no loving friends.

If we could but once return to our worldly life, we would be ofthe true believers."

Surely in this narration there is a great lesson, but most ofthese people do not learn a lesson to become believers.

One Day He will gather them all together and ask the angels: "Wasit you that these people used to worship?"

They will respond: "Glory be to You! Our tie is with You - as aprotector - not with them; but they used to worship the jinns andit was them in whom most of these people believed."

On that Day you will be helpless to profit or harm one another.To the wrongdoers We shall say: "Taste the punishment of the firewhich you persistently denied."

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

O Muhammad, tell them: "I am forbidden to worship those whom youcall upon besides Allah." Say: "I am not going to follow yourwishes: if I do, I would be lost and cease to be from the rightlyguided."

Say: "O people! Doubt my Deen (religion) if you will, but neverwill I worship those that you worship besides Allah. I worshipAllah, Who has the power to cause your death, and I am commandedto be one of the believers."

As for those who are blessed, they shall be in paradise. Theywill dwell therein as long as the heavens and the earth shalllast, unless your Rabb ordain otherwise; an award which shallnever be taken away.

They worship those deities other than Allah, who neither providethem anything for sustenance from the heavens or the earth, norhave any power to do so?

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.

They have taken other deities for worship besides Allah, so thatthey should be a source of strength to them.

By no means! Those very deities will renounce their worship andturn against them on the Day of Judgement.

Yet they worship besides Allah those deities for which He hasrevealed no sanction, nor they themselves have any knowledgeabout them; certainly the wrongdoers shall have no helper.

On that Day, He will gather all these people together along withthe deities whom they worshiped besides Allah, and ask: "Was ityou who misled these servants of Mine, or did they choose to goastray themselves?"

Those deities will answer: "Glory be to You! It was not befittingfor us that we could take any guardian besides You, but You letthem and their forefathers enjoy the comforts of worldly lifeuntil they forgot the Reminder, and thereby became worthlesspeople."

Thus your gods will deny all that you profess today. Then youshall neither be able to avert your punishment nor shall you getany help from anywhere; and every one among you who is guilty ofwrongdoing, We shall make him taste the mighty punishment.

Yet they have taken other gods besides Allah hoping to get theirhelp.

But they do not have the ability to help them yet theirworshippers stand like warriors ready to defend them.

As for those who refrain from worshipping Taghut (Satanic forces)and turn to Allah in repentance, there is good news. So OProphet, give good news to My servants

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.

If you ask them: "who created the heavens and the earth?" Theywill surely say: "Allah." Ask them: "Do you think then, that ifAllah intends to harm me, can they (your goddesses) - to whom youinvoke besides Allah - save me from His harm or if He wants tobestow on me His blessings, can they withhold His blessings?"Tell them: "Allah is all-sufficient for me. On Him do the reliantrely."

O Prophet, tell them: "I have been forbidden to invoke those whomyou invoke besides Allah. How can I do this when clearrevelations have come to me from my Rabb, and I have beencommanded to submit myself to the Rabb of the worlds."

Say: O unbelievers!

I worship not that you worship,

nor will you worship that which I worship.

I shall never worship those gods whom you worship,

nor it appears will you ever worship Allah, whom I worship.

to you be your religion, and to me mine.

They will respond: "Glory be to You! Our tie is with You - as aprotector - not with them; but they used to worship the jinns andit was them in whom most of these people believed."

On that Day you will be helpless to profit or harm one another.To the wrongdoers We shall say: "Taste the punishment of the firewhich you persistently denied."

Did I not enjoin you, O children of Adam, not to worship Shaitan,who is your open enemy,

and that you should worship Me which is the Right Way?

Yet, inspite of this, he (Shaitan) has led a great number of youastray. Had you no common sense?

This is the hell, of which you were repeatedly warned.

Now! Enter in it this Day because you persistently rejected thetruth."

Have you considered the case of such an individual who has madehis own desires as his god, and Allah having knowledge let him goastray, and sealed his hearing and heart and drew a veil over hissight? Who is there to guide him after Allah has withdrawn Hisguidance? Will you not learn a lesson?

Master of the Day of Judgment.

Also declare: "Surely my Salah, my devotion, my life, and mydeath are all for Allah the Rabb of the Worlds.

Your Rabb has decreed to you that: You shall worship none butHim, and you shall be kind to your parents; if one or both ofthem live to their old age in your lifetime, you shall not say tothem any word of contempt nor repel them and you shall addressthem in kind words.

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."

Verily this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood and I amyour only Rabb, therefore worship Me Alone.

But the people have divided their religion into sects betweenthem- to Us they shall all return.

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);

He is the Rabb of the heavens and the earth, and of all that liesin between, so worship Him, be steadfast in His worship. Do youknow any other being with the qualities like Him?"

The angels in fact say: "We each have our appointed place.

We range ourselves in ranks for His service

Can he who is obedient, pass the hours of night prostrating inworship or standing in adoration, fearing the hereafter and hopeto earn the Mercy of his Rabb, be compared to the man who doesnot? Are the knowledgeable and the ignorant equal? In fact, nonewill take heed except the people of understanding.

If they argue with you, say: "Allah knows best all that you do."

Allah will judge between you on the Day of Resurrectionconcerning the matters in which you differ.

Do you feel secure that He Who is in heaven, will not cause theearth to cave in beneath you and start shaking suddenly?

Or do you feel secure that He Who is in heaven will not sendagainst you a violent tornado, then you shall know how was Mywarning!

Those who have gone before them likewise disbelieved, then seehow terrible was the way I rejected them?

O believers! When you deal with each other in lending for a fixedperiod of time, put it in writing. Let a scribe write it downwith justice between the parties. The scribe, who is given thegift of literacy by Allah, should not refuse to write; he isunder obligation to write. Let him who incurs the liability(debtor) dictate, fearing Allah his Rabb and not diminishinganything from the settlement. If the borrower is mentally unsoundor weak or is unable to dictate himself, let the guardian of hisinterests dictate for him with justice. Let two witnesses fromamong you bear witness to all such documents, if two men cannotbe found, then one man and two women of your choice should bearwitness, so that if one of the women forgets anything the othermay remind her. The witnesses must not refuse when they arecalled upon to do so. You must not be averse to writing (yourcontract) for a future period, whether it is a small matter orbig. This action is more just for you in the sight of Allah,because it facilitates the establishment of evidence and is thebest way to remove all doubts; but if it is a common commercialtransaction concluded on the spot among yourselves, there is noblame on you if you do not put it in writing. You should havewitnesses when you make commercial transactions. Let no harm bedone to the scribe or witnesses; and if you do so, you shall beguilty of transgression. Fear Allah; it is Allah that teaches youand Allah has knowledge of everything.

Or do they have the knowledge of the unseen and they are writingit down?

So wait with patience for the Judgement of your Rabb and be notlike the man of the fish (reference is to the Prophet Jonah whowas swallowed by a whale), who cried when he was in distress.

O believers! If you fear Allah He will grant you a criterion (tojudge between right and wrong), do away with your sins andforgive you. Allah is the Lord of Mighty Grace.

Let there arise from among you a band of people who should inviteto righteousness, enjoin good and forbid evil; such are the oneswho shall be successful.

You are the best nation which has ever been raised for theguidance of mankind. You enjoin good, forbid evil, and believe inAllah. Had the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) believed,it would surely have been better for them; among them some arebelievers but most of them are transgressors.

The true believers, both men and women, are protectors of oneanother. They enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil; theyestablish Salah, pay Zakah, and obey Allah and His Rasool. It isthey on whom Allah will have His mercy; surely Allah is Mighty,Wise.

Those that turn to Allah in repentance, serve Him, praise Him,move about in the land for His sake, make Rakuh (bow down inprayer) and Sajud (prostrate themselves in prayer), enjoin whatis good and forbid what is evil, and observe the limits(permissions and prohibitions) set by Allah (they are the oneswho make such a bargain with Allah). O Prophet, proclaim the goodnews to such believers.

These are the people who, if We establish them in the land, willestablish Salah and pay Zakah, enjoin justice and forbid evil;the final decision of all affairs is in the hands of Allah.

Thus shall it be! He that retaliates equal to the infliction hereceived and then is wronged again, will most certainly be helpedby Allah; surely Allah is the One Who is All-Forbearing, MostForgiving.

However, an exception is made for those (poets) who believe, dogood deeds, engage much in the remembrance of Allah and defendthemselves when wronged, showing no vindictiveness. The unjustoppressors will soon find out what vicissitudes their affairswill take.

Whatever you are given is nothing but a provision for thetransitory life of this world, better and ever lasting is thereward which Allah has for those who believe, put their trust intheir Rabb,

avoid major sins and shameful deeds, forgive even when they areangry;

answer the call of their Rabb, establish Salah, conduct theiraffairs with mutual consultation, spend out of the sustenancewhich We have given them,

and when they are oppressed, help and defend themselves.

Do not be inclined to those who are unjust, lest you be seized bythe fire; and you will not have any protector besides Allah, noryou shall be helped.

On the Day when He will assemble them all together, ( Allah willaddress the Jinns): "O assembly of Jinns! You seduced mankind ingreat number." And their votaries from among mankind will say:"Our Rabb, we have both enjoyed each other's fellowship but alas!Now we have reached the end of our term which You had decreed forus." Then Allah will say: "Now hellfire is your dwelling-place;you will live therein forever unless Allah ordains otherwise."Surely your Rabb is Wise, Knowledgeable.

That is how, in the hereafter, We will make wrongdoers thecomrades of one another on account of what they earned duringtheir life on Earth with evil friendship.

At that time Allah will also ask: "O Assembly of Jinns andmankind! Did not there come to you the Rasools from amongst youwho proclaimed to you My revelations and warned you about themeeting of this Day?" They will reply: "Yes they did, We bearwitness against our own souls." Today this worldly life hasdeceived them but on that Day they will testify againstthemselves that they were indeed kuffar (unbelievers).

So the Blast overtook them in all justice and We swept them awaylike the rubbish of dead leaves - so gone is the nation ofwrongdoers.

Though righteous people will not be held responsible forwrongdoers' actions, yet it is their duty to admonish them;perhaps they may refrain from evil deeds.

Leave those people alone, who take their religion as mere playand amusement and are deceived by the life of this world.However, keep on admonishing them with this (The Qur'an), lesttheir souls be damned by their own sinful deeds. They will nothave any protector or intercessor to rescue them from Allah, andif they seek to offer every imaginable ransom, it shall not beaccepted from them. Such are those who are damned by their ownsinful deeds. They will get boiling water to drink and painfultorture for their rejection of the Truth.

It will be commanded: "Gather all the wrongdoers, their spousesand those whom they used to worship

besides Allah and show them the way to hell.

When they will all be gathered and angels will start pushing themtowards hell, Allah shall say: "Stop for a while, they have to bequestioned:

"What is the matter with you today that you do not help eachother?"

Nay! On that Day they shall all be submissive.

Some of them will step forward to question one another.

The followers will say to their leaders: "It was you who used tocome at us from the right hand (right hand is a symbol ofauthority) and forced us towards the wrong way."

They will reply: "Nay! But it was you who had no faith.

we had no power over you, the fact is that you were an inordinatepeople;

true is the verdict which Our Rabb has passed upon us, we shallindeed taste the punishment of our sins:

We misled you, for we ourselves were astray."

So on that Day they shall all be partners in the punishment.

Thus, shall We deal with the criminals;

for when they were told: "There is no god except Allah," theyused to puff themselves up with pride

and say: "What! Should we give up our gods for the sake of a madpoet?"

Whereas he had come with the truth and had confirmed the messageof prior Rasools.

Then it will be said: "You are surely going to taste the painfulpunishment:

and this reward is nothing except what you had done.

Why were there not among the generations before you, good personswho could forbid the people from making mischief in the land,except a few of those whom We delivered from among them? Thewrongdoers, however, pursued the worldly pleasure they wereprovided, and became confirmed criminals.

It is not possible that your Rabb would destroy the townsunjustly while their habitants were to mend their ways.

These are the stories of the nations which We relate to you; ofthem some have survived and some have ceased to exist.

We were not unjust to them, but they were unjust to themselves.The deities they invoked beside Allah did not avail them when thejudgement of your Rabb came to pass; they added nothing to theirlot but perdition.

Such is the scourge of your Rabb when He seizes a sinful town;indeed, His seizure is terrible and painful.

In fact, there is a sign in this for those who fear thepunishment of the hereafter; that is a Day in which mankind willbe gathered together and that will be a Day of Testimony.

So the mighty blast overtook them at sunrise.

Thus We turned the town upside down and rained down on thembrimstones of baked clay.

Surely there are major lessons in this for those who investigate,

Permission to fight back is hereby granted to the believersagainst whom war is waged and because they are oppressed (beforethis revelation, Muslims were not allowed to fight even for selfdefence); certainly Allah has power to grant them victory

- those who have been unjustly expelled from their homes onlybecause they said, "Our Lord is Allah." Had not Allah repelledsome people by the might of others, the monasteries, churches,synagogues, and mosques in which Allah's praise is dailycelebrated, would have been utterly demolished. Allah willcertainly help those who help His cause; most surely Allah isMighty, Powerful.

We have destroyed generations before your time when they adoptedunjust attitudes: their Rasools came to them with clear signs butthey would not believe! Thus, do We requite the criminals.

Then, We made you their successors in the land so that We mayobserve how you would conduct yourselves.

This testimony will be taken in order to prove, that your Rabbwould not destroy towns without just cause while their residentswere ignorant of the Reality.

Yet your Rabb is forgiving and merciful towards those who dosomething wrong through ignorance, but later repent and mendtheir ways.

As a matter of fact those who believe and do not taint theirfaith with wrongdoings will feel more secure and will be betterguided."

Pray: "O my Rabb! If You inflict that punishment with which theyare being threatened in my lifetime,

then O Rabb, do not include me amongst these unjust people."

to Fir'on (Pharaoh) and his chiefs; but they followed the commandof Fir'on, and the command of Fir'on was not right.

He will be in front of his people on the Day of Resurrection, andwill bring them down to Hell. How awful will be the place towhich they will be brought?

A curse followed them in this life, and a curse will follow themon the Day of Resurrection. What an evil reward for one toreceive.

When Our Judgement came to pass, We turned the cities upside downand rained down on them brimstones of baked clay, layer uponlayer,

specially marked by your Rabb. Such scourge is not far off fromthe wrongdoers!

- you will not have any authority over My devotees except thosemisguided ones who follow you.

They will be all destined for Hell,

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

Very bad is the example of those people who deny Our revelationsand wrong their own souls.

Are these unbelievers waiting for the angels to come down to taketheir lives or the commandment of your Rabb to come to pass fortheir doom? So did those who went before them. It was not Allahwho was unjust to them, but they were unjust to themselves.

At the end, the evil results of their deeds overtook them, andthe very scourge at which they mocked, hemmed them in.