Surah 39 - Al Zumar CROWDS 039.001-039.050

[Anne Terri]

Surah 39 - Al Zumar CROWDS 039.001-039.050

039.001 The revelation of this Book is from God, the Exalted in Power, full of Wisdom.

039.002 Verily it is We Who have revealed the Book to thee in Truth: so serve God, offering Him sincere devotion.

039.003 Is it not to God that sincere devotion is due? But those who take for protectors other than God (say): "We only serve them in order that they may bring us nearer to God." Truly God will judge between them in that wherein they differ. But God guides not such as are false and ungrateful.

039.004 Had God wished to take to Himself a son, He could have chosen whom He pleased out of those whom He doth create: but Glory be to Him! (He is above such things.) He is God, the One, the Irresistible.

039.005 He created the heavens and the earth in true (proportions): He makes the Night overlap the Day, and the Day overlap the Night: He has subjected the sun and the moon (to His law): Each one follows a course for a time appointed. Is not He the Exalted in Power - He Who forgives again and again?

039.006 He created you (all) from a single person: then created, of like nature, his mate; and he sent down for you eight head of cattle in pairs: He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness. such is God, your Lord and Cherisher: to Him belongs (all) dominion. There is no god but He: then how are ye turned away (from your true Centre)?

039.007 If ye reject (God), Truly God hath no need of you; but He liketh not ingratitude from His servants: if ye are grateful, He is pleased with you. No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another. In the end, to your Lord is your Return, when He will tell you the truth of all that ye did (in this life). for He knoweth well all that is in (men's) hearts.

039.008 When some trouble toucheth man, he crieth unto his Lord, turning to Him in repentance: but when He bestoweth a favour upon him as from Himself, (man) doth forget what he cried and prayed for before, and he doth set up rivals unto God, thus misleading others from God's Path. Say, "Enjoy thy blasphemy for a little while: verily thou art (one) of the Companions of the Fire!"

039.009 Is one who worships devoutly during the hour of the night prostrating himself or standing (in adoration), who takes heed of the Hereafter, and who places his hope in the Mercy of his Lord - (like one who does not)? Say: "Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition.

039.010 Say: "O ye my servants who believe! Fear your Lord, good is (the reward) for those who do good in this world. Spacious is God's earth! those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure!"

039.011 Say: "Verily, I am commanded to serve God with sincere devotion;

039.012 "And I am commanded to be the first of those who bow to God in Islam."

039.013 Say: "I would, if I disobeyed my Lord, indeed have fear of the Penalty of a Mighty Day."

039.014 Say: "It is God I serve, with my sincere (and exclusive) devotion:

039.015 "Serve ye what ye will besides him." Say: "Truly, those in loss are those who lose their own souls and their People on the Day of Judgment: Ah! that is indeed the (real and) evident Loss!

039.016 They shall have Layers of Fire above them, and Layers (of Fire) below them: with this doth God warn off his servants: "O My Servants! then fear ye Me!"

039.017 Those who eschew Evil,- and fall not into its worship,- and turn to God (in repentance),- for them is Good News: so announce the Good News to My Servants,-

039.018 Those who listen to the Word, and follow the best (meaning) in it: those are the ones whom God has guided, and those are the ones endued with understanding.

039.019 Is, then, one against whom the decree of Punishment is justly due (equal to one who eschews Evil)? Wouldst thou, then, deliver one (who is) in the Fire?

039.020 But it is for those who fear their Lord. That lofty mansions, one above another, have been built: beneath them flow rivers (of delight): (such is) the Promise of God: never doth God fail in (His) promise.

039.021 Seest thou not that God sends down rain from the sky, and leads it through springs in the earth? Then He causes to grow, therewith, produce of various colours: then it withers; thou wilt see it grow yellow; then He makes it dry up and crumble away. Truly, in this, is a Message of remembrance to men of understanding.

039.022 Is one whose heart God has opened to Islam, so that he has received Enlightenment from God, (no better than one hard-hearted)? Woe to those whose hearts are hardened against celebrating the praises of God! they are manifestly wandering (in error)!

039.023 God has revealed (from time to time) the most beautiful Message in the form of a Book, consistent with itself, (yet) repeating (its teaching in various aspects): the skins of those who fear their Lord tremble thereat; then their skins and their hearts do soften to the celebration of God's praises. Such is the guidance of God: He guides therewith whom He pleases, but such as God leaves to stray, can have none to guide.

039.024 Is, then, one who has to fear the brunt of the Penalty on the Day of Judgment (and receive it) on his face, (like one guarded therefrom)? It will be said to the wrong- doers: "Taste ye (the fruits of) what ye earned!"

039.025 Those before them (also) rejected (revelation), and so the Punishment came to them from directions they did not perceive.

039.026 So God gave them a taste of humiliation in the present life, but greater is the punishment of the Hereafter, if they only knew!

039.027 We have put forth for men, in this Qur'an every kind of Parable, in order that they may receive admonition.

039.028 (It is) a Qur'an in Arabic, without any crookedness (therein): in order that they may guard against Evil.

039.029 God puts forth a Parable a man belonging to many partners at variance with each other, and a man belonging entirely to one master: are those two equal in comparison? Praise be to God! but most of them have no knowledge.

039.030 Truly thou wilt die (one day), and truly they (too) will die (one day).

039.031 In the end will ye (all), on the Day of Judgment, settle your disputes in the presence of your Lord.

039.032 Who, then, doth more wrong than one who utters a lie concerning God, and rejects the Truth when it comes to him; is there not in Hell an abode for blasp hemers?

039.033 And he who brings the Truth and he who confirms (and supports) it - such are the men who do right.

039.034 They shall have all that they wish for, in the presence of their Lord: such is the reward of those who do good:

039.035 So that God will turn off from them (even) the worst in their deeds and give them their reward according to the best of what they have done.

039.036 Is not God enough for his Servant? But they try to frighten thee with other (gods) besides Him! for such as God leaves to stray, there can be no guide.

039.037 And such as God doth guide there can be none to lead astray. Is not God Exalted in Power, (Able to enforce His Will), Lord of Retribution?

039.038 If indeed thou ask them who it is that created the heavens and the earth, they would be sure to say, "God". Say: "See ye then? the things that ye invoke besides God,- can they, if God wills some Penalty for me, remove His Penalty?- Or if He wills some Grace for me, can they keep back his Grace?" Say: "Sufficient is God for me! In Him trust those who put their trust."

039.039 Say: "O my People! Do whatever ye can: I will do (my part): but soon will ye know-

039.040 "Who it is to whom comes a Penalty of ignominy, and on whom descends a Penalty that abides."

039.041 Verily We have revealed the Book to thee in Truth, for (instructing) mankind. He, then, that receives guidance benefits his own soul: but he that strays injures his own soul. Nor art thou set over them to dispose of their affairs.

039.042 It is God that takes the souls (of men) at death; and those that die not (He takes) during their sleep: those on whom He has passed the decree of death, He keeps back (from returning to life), but the rest He sends (to their bodies) for a term appointed verily in this are Signs for those who reflect.

039.043 What! Do they take for intercessors others besides God? Say: "Even if they have no power whatever and no intelligence?"

039.044 Say: "To God belongs exclusively (the right to grant) intercession: to Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: In the End, it is to Him that ye shall be brought back."

039.045 When God, the One and Only, is mentioned, the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter are filled with disgust and horror; but when (gods) other than He are mentioned, behold, they are filled with joy!

039.046 Say: "O God! Creator of the heavens and the earth! Knower of all that is hidden and open! it is Thou that wilt judge between Thy Servants in those matters about which they have differed."

039.047 Even if the wrong-doers had all that there is on earth, and as much more, (in vain) would they offer it for ransom from the pain of the Penalty on the Day of Judgment: but something will confront them from God, which they could never have counted upon!

039.048 For the evils of their Deeds will confront them, and they will be (completely) encircled by that which they used to mock at!

039.049 Now, when trouble touches man, he cries to Us: But when We bestow a favour upon him as from Ourselves, he says, "This has been given to me because of a certain knowledge (I have)!" Nay, but this is but a trial, but most of them understand not!

039.050 Thus did the (generations) before them say! But all that they did was of no profit to them.

039.051 Nay, the evil results of their Deeds overtook them. And the wrong-doers of this (generation)- the evil results of their Deeds will soon overtake them (too), and they will never be able to frustrate (Our Plan)!