39. The Groups (Az-Zumar)

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Revealed before the Hijrah. This chapter has 75 verses.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

1. The revelation of this Book is from Allah, the Exalted in Power, full of Wisdom.

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

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

4. Had Allah 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 Allah, the One, the Over powering.

5. 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?

6. 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 creates you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness. Such is Allah, your Lord and Cherisher: to Him belongs (all) dominion. There is no god but He: then how are ye turned away (from your true Lord)?

7. If ye reject (Allah), Truly Allah 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.

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

9. 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.

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

11. Say: "Verily, I am commanded to serve Allah with sincere devotion;

12. "And I am commanded to be the first of those who submit to Allah in Islám."

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

14. Say: "It is Allah I serve, with my sincere (and exclusive) devotion:

15. "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!

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

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

18. Those who listen to the Word, and follow the best of in it: those are the ones who Allah has guided, and those are the ones endued with understanding.

19. 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?

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

21. Seest thou not that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and leads it through springs in the earth? Then He causes to grow, therewith, produce of various colors: 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.

22. Is one whose heart Allah has opened to Islám, so that he has received Light from Allah, (no better than one hard-hearted)? Woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah! they are manifestly wandering (in error)!

23. Allah 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 remembrance of Allah. Such is the guidance of Allah. He guides therewith whom He pleases, but such as Allah leaves to stray, can have none to guide.

24. Is, then, one who has to ward off the brunt of the Chastisement 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!"

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

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

27. We have put forth for men, in this Qurán every kind of Parable, in order that they may receive admonition.

28. (It is) a Qurán in Arabic, without any crookedness (therein): in order that they may guard against Evil.

29. Allah 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 Allah. but most of them have no knowledge.

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

31. In the end will ye (all) dispute, on the Day of Judgment, in the presence of your Lord.

32. Who, then, doth more wrong than one who utters a lie concerning Allah, and rejects the Truth when it comes to him! Is there not in Hell an abode for the unbelievers?

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

34. They shall have all that they wish for, with their Lord: such is the reward of those who do good:

35. So that Allah will remit from them (even) the worst in their deeds and give them their reward according to the best of what they have done.

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

37. And such as Allah doth guide there can be none to lead astray. Is not Allah Exalted in Power, Lord of Retribution?

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

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

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

41. 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 a custodian over them.

42. It is Allah 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.

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

44. Say: "To Allah 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."

45. When Allah, alone, is mentioned, the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter are filled with disgust; but when (gods) other than He are mentioned, behold, they are filled with joy!

46. Say: "O Allah. 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."

47. 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 Chastisement on the Day of Judgment: but something will confront them from Allah, which they could never have counted upon!

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

49. Now, when trouble touches man, he cries to Us: but when We bestow a favor upon him as from Us, 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!

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