Muslim World Report

Chapter 43: Decorations az-Zukhruf

Table of Contents

In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful

Ha, Meem

By the Book that makes things clear

We made it an Arabic Quran, so that you may understand

And it is with Us, in the Source Book, sublime and wise

Shall We hold back the Reminder from you, since you are a transgressing people?

How many a prophet did We send to the ancients?

No messenger came to them, but they ridiculed him

We destroyed people more powerful than they, and so the example of the ancients has passed away

And if you asked them, “Who created the heavens and the earth?” They would say, “The Mighty, the Knower created them.”

He who made the earth a habitat for you, and traced pathways for you on it, that you may be guided

He who sends down water from the sky in due proportion; and so We revive thereby a dead land

Thus you will be brought out

He Who created all the pairs; and provided you with ships, and animals on which you ride

That you may mount their backs, and remember the favor of your Lord as you sit firmly upon them, and say, “Glory be to Him Who placed these at our service; surely we could not have done it by ourselves

And surely, to our Lord we will return.”

Yet they turn one of His servants into a part of Him

Man is clearly ungrateful

Or has He chosen for Himself daughters from what He creates, and favored you with sons?

Yet when one of them is given news of what he attributes to the Most Gracious, his face darkens, and he suppresses grief

“Someone brought up to be beautiful, and unable to help in a fight?”

And they appoint the angels, who are servants to the Most Gracious, as females

Have they witnessed their creation?

Their claim will be recorded, and they will be questioned

And they say, “Had the Most Gracious willed, we would not have worshiped them.”

But they have no knowledge of that; they are merely guessing

Or have We given them a book prior to this one, to which they adhere?

But they say, “We found our parents on a course, and we are guided in their footsteps.”

Likewise, We sent no warner before you to any town, but the wealthy among them said, “We found our parents on a course, and we are following in their footsteps.”

He would say, “Even if I bring you better guidance than what you found your parents following?”

They would say, “We reject what you are sent with.”

So We wreaked vengeance upon them

Behold, then, what was the fate of those who deny

When Abraham said to his father and his people, “I am innocent of what you worship

Except for He who created me, for He will guide me.”

And he made it an enduring word in his progeny, so that they may return

I gave these and their forefathers some enjoyment, until the truth and a manifest messenger came to them

But when the truth came to them, they said, “This is sorcery, and we refuse to believe in it.”

They also said, “If only this Quran was sent down to a man of importance from the two cities.”

Is it they who allocate the mercy of your Lord?

It is We who have allocated their livelihood in this life, and We elevated some of them in rank above others, that some of them would take others in service

But your Lord’s mercy is better than what they amass

Were it not that humanity would become a single community, We would have provided those who disbelieve in the Most Gracious with roofs of silver to their houses, and stairways by which they ascend

And doors to their houses, and furnishings on which they recline

And decorations

Yet all that is nothing but the stuff of this life

Yet the Hereafter, with your Lord, is for the righteous

Whoever shuns the remembrance of the Most Gracious, We assign for him a devil, to be his companion

They hinder them from the path, though they think they are guided

Until, when He comes to Us, he will say, “If only there were between me and you the distance of the two Easts.”

What an evil companion!

It will not benefit you on that Day, since you did wrong

You are partners in the suffering

Can you make the deaf hear, or guide the blind, and him who is in evident error?

Even if We take you away, We will wreak vengeance upon them

Or show you what We have promised them; for We have absolute power over them

So adhere to what is revealed to you

You are upon a straight path

It is a message for you, and for your people; and you will be questioned

Ask those of Our messengers We sent before you: “Did We appoint gods besides the Most Gracious to be worshiped?”

We sent Moses with Our revelations to Pharaoh and his dignitaries

He said, “I am the Messenger of the Lord of the Worlds.”

But when he showed them Our signs, they started laughing at them

Each sign We showed them was more marvelous than its counterpart

And We afflicted them with the plagues, so that they may repent

They said, “O sorcerer, pray to your Lord for us, according to His pledge to you, and then we will be guided.”

But when We lifted the torment from them, they immediately broke their promise

Pharaoh proclaimed among his people, saying, “O my people, do I not own the Kingdom of Egypt, and these rivers flow beneath me?

Do you not see?

Am I not better than this miserable wretch, who can barely express himself?

Why are bracelets of gold not dropped on him, or they angels came with him in procession?”

Thus he fooled his people, and they obeyed him

They were wicked people

And when they provoked Our wrath, We took retribution from them, and We drowned them all

Thus We made them a precedent and an example for the others

And when the son of Mary was cited as an example, your people opposed

They said, “Are our gods better, or he?”

They cited him only for argument

In fact, they are a quarrelsome people

He was just a servant whom We blessed, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel

Had We willed, We would have made of you angels to be successors on earth

He is a portent of the Hour, so have no doubt about it, and follow Me

This is a straight way

And let not Satan divert you

He is an open enemy to you

When Jesus came with the clarifications, he said, “I have come to you with wisdom, and to clarify for you some of what you differ about

So fear God, and obey me

God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him-this is a straight path.”

But the factions differed among themselves

So woe to the wrongdoers from the suffering of a painful Day

Are they only waiting for the Hour to come upon them suddenly, while they are unaware?

On that Day, friends will be enemies of one another, except for the righteous

O My servants, you have nothing to fear on that Day, nor will you grieve

Those who believed in Our revelations, and were submissive

Enter the Garden, you and your spouses, Joyfully

They will be served around with trays of gold, and cups

Therein is whatever the souls desire and delights the eyes

Therein you will stay forever

Such is the Garden you are made to inherit, because of what you used to do

Therein you will have abundant fruit, from which you eat

As for the sinners, they will be in the torment of Hell forever

It will never be eased for them

In it, they will be devastated

We did them no injustice, but it was they who were the unjust

And they will cry, “O Malek, let your Lord finish us off.”

He will say, “You are staying.”

We have given you the truth, but most of you hate the truth

Have they contrived some scheme?

We too are contriving

Or do they think that We cannot hear their secrets and their conspiracies?

Yes indeed, Our messengers are by them, writing down

Say, “If the Most Gracious had a son, I would be the first to worship.”

Glorified be the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of the Throne, beyond what they describe

So leave them to blunder and play, until they encounter their Day which they are promised

It is He who is God in heaven, and God on earth

He is the Wise, the Knower

And blessed is He Who has sovereignty over the heavens and the earth and what is between them

He alone has knowledge of the Hour, and to Him you will be returned

Those they invoke besides Him are incapable of intercession; only those who testify to the truth and have knowledge

And if you asked them, “Who created them?”, they would say, “God.”

Why then do they deviate?

As for his statement: “My Lord, these are a people who do not believe.”

Pardon them, and say, “Peace.”

They will come to know

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