Chapter 36

In the name of God, the Almighty, the Most Merciful

1. Y. S.

2. And the Quran of wisdom.

3. You are one of the messengers.

4. On a straight path.

5. The revelation of the Most Honourable, Most Merciful.

6. To warn a people whose fathers were not warned, therefore, they are unaware.

7. The retribution has been deserved by most of them, for they do not believe.

8. We will place shackles around their necks, up to their chins. Consequently, they are locked in their disbelief.

9. And We have placed a barrier in front of them, and a barrier behind them, and thus, We shielded them; for they cannot see.

10. It is the same whether you warn them or not, they do not believe.

11. You can only warn those who follow the reminder, and reverence the Almighty while unseen. Give them good news of forgiveness and a generous recompense.

12. We will revive the dead, and We will record everything they have done and left behind. And everything We have counted in a clear record.

13. Cite for them the example of the people of the town, when the messengers came to it.

14. When We sent two to them, but they disbelieved in them. We then supported them by sending a third. They said: "We are messengers to you"

15. They replied: "You are no more than human beings like us. The Almighty did not send down anything. You are liars"

16. They said: "Our Lord knows that we have been sent to you"

17. "And we are only required to give a clear delivery"

18. They replied: "We have welcomed you better than you deserve. If you do not cease, we will stone you, and you will receive a painful retribution from us!"

19. They said: "Your welcome is with you, now that you have been reminded. Indeed, you are transgressing people"

20. And a man came running from the far end of the city, saying: "O my people, follow the messengers"

21. "Follow those who do not ask you for any wage, and are guided"

22. "Why should I not serve the One who initiated me, and to Him is your ultimate return?"

23. "Shall I take gods besides Him? If the Almighty willed any harm for me, their intercession cannot help me in the least, nor can they rescue me"

24. "In that case, I would be totally astray"

25. "I have believed in your Lord, so listen to me!"

26. It was said to him: "Enter Paradise" He said "Oh, I wish my people knew"

27. "For what my Lord has forgiven me, and honoured me"

28. And We did not send down upon his people, after him, soldiers from the sky; there was no need to send them down.

29. For all it took was one scream, whereupon they were stilled.

30. So sorrowful are the servants. For every time a messenger went to them, they always ridiculed him.

31. Did they not see how many generations we destroyed before them, and how they will never return?

32. And how every one of them will be summoned before Us.

33. And a sign for them is the dead land, We revive it and produce from it seeds from which they eat.

34. And We grow in it gardens of date palms, and grapes, and We cause springs to gush out therein.

35. So that they may eat from its fruits, and what they manufacture with their own hands. Would they be thankful?

36. Glory be to the One who created all pairs from what the earth sprouts out and from themselves, and from what they do not know.

37. And a sign for them is the night, We remove the daylight from it, whereupon they become in darkness.

38. And the sun runs to a specific location, according to the design of the Noble, the Knowledgeable.

39. And the moon We have designed it to appear in stages, until it becomes like an old curved sheath.

40. The sun is never to reach the moon, nor will the night precede the day; each of them is swimming in its own orbit.

41. And a sign for them is that we carried their ancestors on the charged ship.

42. And We created for them its likeness, to ride in.

43. And if We wished, We could drown them, so that their screaming would not be heard, nor could they be saved.

44. Instead, We grant a mercy from Us, and let them enjoy for awhile.

45. And when they are told: "Learn from your present and your past, that you may attain mercy"

46. And no matter what kind of sign comes to them from their Lord, they consistently disregard it.

47. And when they are told: "Spend from God's provisions to you" Those who reject say to those who believe: "Shall we feed those whom God could feed, if He so willed? You are clearly misguided"

48. And they say: "When will this promise come to pass, if you are truthful?"

49. If they wait, it shall be one scream that overwhelms them, while they dispute.

50. They will not even have time to make a will, nor will they be able to return to their people.

51. And the horn will be blown, whereupon they will rise from the grave and go to their Lord.

52. They will say: "Woe to us. Who has resurrected us from our resting place? This is what the Almighty had promised. The messengers were right!"

53. It only took one scream, whereupon they are summoned before us.

54. On that day, no soul will be wronged in the least. You will be recompensed precisely for whatever you did.

55. The dwellers of Paradise will be, on that day, happily busy.

56. Both them and their spouses, they will be in beautiful shade, leaning on high furnishings.

57. They will have fruits therein; they will have anything they ask.

58. Greetings of peace from a Merciful Lord.

59. As for you, O criminals, you will be set aside.

60. Did I not covenant with you, O Children of Adam, that you shall not serve the devil for he is your most ardent enemy?

61. And that you shall serve Me? This is a straight path.

62. He has misled mountain loads of you. Did you not possess any understanding?

63. This is Hell that you have been promised!

64. Today you will burn in it, as a consequence of your rejection.

65. Today, We shall seal their mouths. Their hands will speak to Us, and their feet will bear witness to everything they had done.

66. And if We wished, We can blind their eyes and, consequently, when they seek the path, they will not see.

67. And if We wished, We can freeze them in their place; thus, they can neither move forward, nor go back.

68. And whomever We permit to live for a long time, we revert him to weakness. Do they not understand?

69. We did not teach him poetry, nor does he need it. This is a reminder and a profound Quran.

70. To warn those who are alive, and so that the retribution will be deserved by the rejecters.

71. Have they not seen that We created for them with Our own hands livestock which they own?

72. And We subdued them for them. Some they ride, and some they eat.

73. And they have in them other benefits, as well as drinks. Would they not be appreciative?

74. And they set up beside God other gods, perhaps they can help them!

75. They cannot help them. They end up serving them as devoted soldiers.

76. Therefore, do not be saddened by what they say. We are fully aware of everything they conceal and everything they declare.

77. Does the human being not see that We created him from a tiny drop, then he turns into an ardent enemy?

78. And he strikes an example for Us, while forgetting his own creation! He says: "Who can resurrect the bones after they disintegrate?"

79. Say: "The One who initiated them in the first place will resurrect them. He is fully aware of every creation"

80. He is the One who creates for you, from the green trees, fuel which you burn for light.

81. Is not the One who created the heavens and the earth able to recreate the same? Yes indeed; He is the Creator, the Knowledgeable.

82. His command, when He wants anything, is to say to it: "Be" and it is!

83. Therefore, glory be to the One in whose hand is the sovereignty over all things, and to Him you will be returned.