37:1  By the angels, who rank themselves in order

37:2  and by those who drive forward and dispel the clouds

37:3  and by those who read the Koran for an admonition

37:4  verily your God is one

37:5  The Lord of heaven and earth, and of whatever is between them, and the Lord of the east

37:6  We have adorned the lower heaven with the ornament of the stars

37:7  And We have placed therein a guard, against every rebellious devil

37:8  that they may not listen to the discourse of the exalted princes, -- for they are darted at from every side

37:9  to repel them, and a lasting torment is prepared for them; -

37:10  except him who catcheth a word by stealth, and is pursued by a shining flame

37:11  Ask the Meccans therefore, whether they be stronger by nature, or the angels whom We have created? We have surely created them of stiff clay

37:12  Thou wondrest at God's power and their obstinacy; but they mock at the arguments urged to convince them

37:13  When they are warned, they do not take warning

37:14  and when they see any sign, they scoff thereat

37:15  and say, this is no other than manifest sorcery

37:16  After we shall be dead, and become dust and bones, shall we really be raised to life

37:17  and our fore-fathers also

37:18  Answer, yea: And ye shall then be despicable

37:19  There shall be but one blast of the trumpet, and they shall see themselves raised

37:20  And they shall say, alas for us! This is the day of judgment

37:21  this is the day of distinction between the righteous and the wicked, which ye rejected as a falsehood

37:22  Gather together those who have acted unjustly, and their comrades, and the idols which they worshippe

37:23  besides God, and direct them in the way to hell

37:24  And set them before God's tribunal; for they shall be called to account

37:25  What aileth you that ye defend not one another

37:26  But on this day they shall submit themselves to the judgment of God

37:27  And they shall draw nigh unto one another, and shall dispute among themselves

37:28  And the seduced shall say unto those who seduced them, verily ye came unto us with presages of prosperity

37:29  and the seducers shall answer, nay, rather ye were not true believers

37:30  For we had no power over you to compel you; but ye were people who voluntarily transgressed

37:31  Wherefore the sentence of our Lord hath been justly pronounced against us, and we shall surely taste his vengeance

37:32  We seduced you; but we also erred ourselves

37:33  They shall both thereof be made partakers of the same punishment on that day

37:34  Thus will We deal with the wicked

37:35  Because when it is said unto them, there is no god besides the true God, they swell with arrogance

37:36  and say, shall we abandon our gods for a distracted poet

37:37  Nay; he cometh with the truth, and beareth witness to the former apostles

37:38  Ye shall surely taste the painful torment of hell

37:39  and ye shall not be rewarded, but according to your works

37:40  But as for the sincere servants of God

37:41  they shall have a certain provision in paradise

37:42  namely, delicious fruits: And they shall be honoured

37:43  They shall be placed in gardens of pleasure

37:44  leaning on couches, opposite to one another

37:45  A cup shall be carried round unto them, filled from a limpid fountain

37:46  for the delight of those who drink

37:47  It shall not oppress the understanding, neither shall they be inebriated therewith

37:48  And near them shall lie the virgins of paradise, refraining their looks from beholding any besides their spouses, having large black eyes

37:49  and resembling the eggs of an ostrich covered with feathers from the dust

37:50  And they shall turn the one unto the other, and shall ask one another questions

37:51  And one of them shall say, verily I had an intimate friend while I lived in the world

37:52  who said unto me, art thou one of those who assertest the truth of the resurrection

37:53  After we shall be dead, and reduced to dust and bones, shall we surely be judged

37:54  Then he shall say to his companions, will ye look down

37:55  And he shall look down, and shall see him in the midst of hell

37:56  And he shall say unto him, by God, it wanted little but thou hadst drawn me into ruin

37:57  and had it not been for the grace of my Lord, I had surely been one of those who have been delivered up to eternal torment

37:58  Shall we die any othe

37:59  than our first death; or do we suffer any punishment

37:60  Verily this is great felicity

37:61  For the obtaining a felicity like this let the labourers labour

37:62  Is this a better entertainment, or the tree of Al Zakkum

37:63  Verily We have designed the same for an occasion of dispute unto the unjust

37:64  It is a tree which issueth from the bottom of hell

37:65  The fruit thereof resembleth the heads of devils

37:66  and the damned shall eat of the same, and shall fill their bellies therewith

37:67  and there shall be given them thereon a mixture of filthy and boiling water to drink

37:68  Afterwards shall they return into hell

37:69  They found their fathers going astray

37:70  and they trod hastily in their footsteps

37:71  For the greater part of the ancients erred before them

37:72  And We sent warners unto them heretofore

37:73  And see how miserable was the end of those who were warned

37:74  except the sincere servants of God

37:75  Noah called on Us in former days, and We heard him graciously

37:76  And We delivered him and his family out of the great distress

37:77  and We caused his off-spring to be those who survived to people the earth

37:78  And We left the following salutation to be bestowed on him by the latest posterity

37:79  namely, peace be on Noah among all creatures

37:80  Thus do We reward the righteous

37:81  for he was one of our servants the true believers

37:82  Afterwards We drowned the others

37:83  Abraham also was of his religion

37:84  When he came unto his Lord with a perfect heart

37:85  When he said unto his father and his people, what do ye worship

37:86  Do ye choose false gods preferably to the true God

37:87  What therefore is your opinion of the Lord of all creatures

37:88  And he looked and observed the stars

37:89  and said, verily I shall be sick, and shall not assist at your sacrifices

37:90  And they turned their backs and departed from him

37:91  And Abraham went privately to their gods, and said scoffingly unto them, do ye not eat of the meat which is set before you

37:92  What aileth you that ye speak not

37:93  And he turned upon them, and struck them with his right hand, and demolished them

37:94  And the people came hastily unto him

37:95  And he said, do ye worship the images which ye carve

37:96  Whereas God hath created you, and also that which ye make

37:97  They said, build a pile for him, and cast him into the glowing fire

37:98  And they devised a plot against him; but We made them the inferior, and delivered him

37:99  And Abraham said, verily I am going unto my Lord, who will direct me

37:100  O Lord, grant me a righteous issue

37:101  Wherefore We acquainted him that he should have a son, who should be a meek youth

37:102  And when he had attained to years of discretion, and could join in acts of religion with him; Abraham said unto him, O my son, verily I saw in a dream that I should offer thee in sacrifice: Consider therefore what thou art of opinion I should do. He answered, O my father, do what thou art commanded: Thou shalt find me, if God please, a patient person

37:103  And when they had submitted themselves to the divine will, and Abraham had laid his son prostrate on his face

37:104  We cried unto him, O Abraham

37:105  now hast thou verified the vision. Thus do We reward the righteous

37:106  Verily this was a manifest trial

37:107  And We ransomed him with a noble victim

37:108  And We left the following salutation to be bestowed on him by the latest posterity

37:109  namely, peace be on Abraham

37:110  Thus do We reward the righteous

37:111  For he was one of our faithful servants

37:112  And We rejoiced him with the promise of Isaac, a righteous prophet

37:113  and We blessed him and Isaac: And of their off-spring were some righteous doers, and others who manifestly injured their own souls

37:114  We were also gracious unto Moses and Aaron, heretofore

37:115  And We delivered them and their people from a great distress

37:116  And We assisted them against the Egyptians, and they became the conquerors

37:117  And We gave them the perspicuous book of the law

37:118  and We directed them into the right way

37:119  And We left the following salutation to be bestowed on them by the latest posterity

37:120  namely, peace be on Moses and Aaron

37:121  Thus do We reward the righteous

37:122  for they were two of our faithful servants

37:123  And Elias was also one of those who were sent by Us

37:124  When he said unto his people, do ye not fear God

37:125  Do ye invoke Baal, and forsake the most excellent creator

37:126  God is your Lord, and the Lord of your forefathers

37:127  But they accused him of imposture: Wherefore they shall be delivered up to eternal punishment

37:128  except the sincere servants of God

37:129  And We left the following salutation to be bestowed on him by the latest posterity

37:130  namely, peace be on Ilyasin

37:131  Thus do We reward the righteous

37:132  For he was one of our faithful servants

37:133  And Lot was also one of those who were sent by Us

37:134  When We delivered him and his whole family

37:135  except an old woman, his wife, who perished among those that remained behind

37:136  Afterwards We destroyed the others

37:137  And ye, O people of Mecca, pass by the places where they once dwelt, as ye journey in the morning

37:138  and by night: Will ye not therefore understand

37:139  Jonas was also one of those who were sent by Us

37:140  When he fled into the loaded ship

37:141  and those who were on board cast lots among themselves, and he was condemned

37:142  And the fish swallowed him; for he was worthy of reprehension

37:143  And if he had not been one of those who praised God

37:144  verily he had remained in the belly thereof until the day of resurrection

37:145  And We cast him on the naked shore, and he was sick

37:146  And We caused a plant of a gourd to grow up over him

37:147  and We sent him to an hundred thousand persons, or they were a greater number

37:148  and they believed: Wherefore We granted them to enjoy this life, for a season

37:149  Inquire of the Meccans whether thy Lord hath daughters, and they sons

37:150  Have We created the angels of the female sex? And were they witnesses thereof

37:151  Do they not say of their own false invention

37:152  God hath begotten issue? And are they not really liars

37:153  Hath he chosen daughters preferably to sons

37:154  Ye have no reason to judge thus

37:155  Will ye not therefore be admonished

37:156  Or have ye a manifest proof of what ye say

37:157  Produce now your book of revelations, if ye speak truth

37:158  And they make Him to be of kin unto the genii; whereas the genii know that they who affirm such things, shall be delivered up to eternal punishment

37:159  -- far be that from God, which they affirm of him! -

37:160  Except the sincere servants of God

37:161  Moreover ye and that which ye worshi

37:162  shall not seduce any concerning God

37:163  except him who is destined to be burned in hell

37:164  There is none of us, but hath an appointed place

37:165  We range ourselves in order, attending the commands of God

37:166  and we celebrate the divine praise

37:167  The infidels said

37:168  if we had been favoured with a book of divine revelations, of those which were delivered to the ancients

37:169  we had surely been sincere servants of God

37:170  Yet now the Koran is revealed, they believe not therein; but hereafter shall they know the consequence of their unbelief

37:171  Our word hath formerly been given unto our servants the apostles

37:172  that they should certainly be assisted against the infidels

37:173  and that our armies should surely be the conquerors

37:174  Turn aside therefore from them, for a season

37:175  And see the calamities which shall afflict them; for they shall see thy future success and prosperity

37:176  Do they therefore seek to hasten our vengeance

37:177  Verily when it shall descend into their courts, an evil morning shall it be unto those who were warned in vain

37:178  Turn aside from them therefore for a season

37:179  and see: Hereafter shall they see thy success and their punishment

37:180  Praise be unto thy Lord, the Lord who is far exalted above what they affirm of Him

37:181  And peace be on his apostles

37:182  And praise be unto God, the Lord of all creatures