43:1  Ha. Meem.

43:2  By the expressive timeless Book

43:3  Surely, WE have made it an Arabic recital, to enable you to understand.

43:4  And of certain it is from the timeless Source Book with US in OUR exclusive realm— categorically sublime, full of wisdom.

43:5  Should WE steer away the Reminder from you, bypassing you, given that you are a prodigal people?

43:6  And how many a prophet did WE send into the midst of the former peoples?

43:7  Whereas not had a prophet come to them, except they sought to belittle him.

43:8  And for that WE destroyed those of far greater prowess than them. And the example of the earlier peoples has already passed.

43:9  And when and if you ask them. “Who created the heavens and the earth,” they will readily say, “They were created by the Almighty, the ever knowing.”

43:10  HE it is WHO rendered the land to be a bed for you and placed pathways for you, so you may find your way.

43:11  And it is HE Who has consistently sent down water from the sky, in precise measure— then through it WE had revived a dead land. Thus, will you be brought forth [from the dead].

43:12  It is HE Who has created the complement of all, and HE has appointed for you of the vessels and the animals you mount.

43:13  That you may sit upon its seat and furthermore remember the blessing of your Rabb when you are mounted thereon, and say, “Limitless in glory is HE WHO made all this pliant to us, whereas it was not for us to harness ourselves to [any of] it.

43:14  And indeed unto our Rabb are we ever turning [in gratitude for all that is possible].”

43:15  Whereas they have attributed to HIM, a body-part of HIS dutiful beings! Verily, man is plain ingrate.

43:16  Or [as they have attributed] has HE taken daughters from that which HE creates, while HE has selectively bestowed you with sons?

43:17  And when one of them is given news about what he depicts for Al Raḥmān as an image, [i.e., news of a daughter] his face stays dark [with gloom], and he chokes up.

43:18  And is [god] one produced [and groomed] through the artistic embellishments [of the ages], and is he to be without clarifying say in the principal arguments [of the age]?

43:19  And they have made the angels— those who are votaries of Al Raḥmān, feminine. Did they witness their creation? Their testimony shall be recorded, and they will be questioned.

43:20  And they say, “If Al Raḥmān had willed, we would not have worshipped them.” There is not any knowledge about that for them to have. They do nothing but make superficial assertions.

43:21  Or did WE give them a book before this, to which they are holding firm?

43:22  Rather, they have said, “We found our forefathers on a religious legacy, and we, on their footprints, are aptly guided.”

43:23  And similar to that, WE sent not to a town any warner before you, except its notables said, “We had found our forefathers upon a religious legacy, and we are committed followers, on their footprints.”

43:24  Said [every warner], “Why! Even if I come to you with better guidance than what you found your forefathers on?” They said, “We truly are disbelievers in what has been sent with you [all].”

43:25  So, WE exacted retribution from them. See then how the end-fate of the truth-beliers was.

43:26  [And likewise remember] when Abraham said to his father and to his people, “I truly am forever liberated from what you worship.”

43:27  [None do I worship] except the ONE WHO brought me into being. So, it is HE who will show me the way.

43:28  And he made that an enduring refrain amongst his posterity, to enable them to return [to God].

43:29  Nay, I provided for these people here and their fathers, until the Truth and a plain messenger came to them.

43:30  And when the Truth did come to them, they said, “This is sorcery, and we indeed are disbelievers in it.”

43:31  And they said, “Why was this Quran not sent down upon a great man of the two cities?”

43:32  Are they who apportion the mercy of your Rabb? WE have apportioned their livelihood between them in the earthly life and WE have raised some above others in ranks, so some may take others in service. While the mercy of your Rabb is ever better than what they amass.

43:33  And were it not that humankind would become a single undifferentiated following, WE would have given [all] those who disbelieve in Al Raḥmān, roofs of silver for their houses and [silver] platforms upon which they would gain vantage.

43:34  And [silver] doors for their homes, and ornate [silver] couches on which they would recline.

43:35  And gilded. Verily, all that would be nothing but a temporal indulgence of earthly life, while the Hereafter with your Rabb is for the God-conscious.

43:36  And whoever turns blindly away from the remembrance of Al Raḥmān— WE appoint a devil for him. Thence he is a resident companion for him.

43:37  And they [the devils] do indeed hinder them from the right Path, while they [who remember not Al Raḥmān] construe that they are aptly guided.

43:38  [Such a one is deluded] until he comes to US: He said [to his companion], “Alas. If only there were between me and you the distance of two Easts.” So then, wretched is the resident companion.

43:39  And it is not going to benefit you that Day, having lived falsely, that you are joint partners in the punishment.

43:40  So then, are you to make the deaf listen, or guide the blind, and one in obvious error?

43:41  So, whether WE duly take you away— it is US, WE are the ONE to exact retribution from them.

43:42  Or [whether] WE do show you what WE have promised them— it is US, WE are the ONE with almighty power and control over them.

43:43  So, hold fast to what WE have revealed unto you. Surely, you are upon a timelessly straight Path.

43:44  And it categorically is the reminder for you and for your people, and you [all] shall be questioned.

43:45  And ask [O Prophet]: [Through] which ones of OUR Messengers WE sent before you, have WE appointed any deities to be worshipped, other than Al Raḥmān?

43:46  WE did send Moses with OUR signs unto Pharaoh and his influential ones. Dutifully, he said, “I am a messenger of the Rabb of all realms.

43:47  So then when he came to them with OUR verses, they immediately laughed at them.

43:48  And WE did not show them a sign, except it was greater than its sister [sign]. And WE seized them with the chastisement to enable them to return [to the right path].

43:49  And they said, “O you the wizard, call unto your Rabb on our behalf, on account of the covenant HE has made with you. Now we most certainly are well guided.”

43:50  But when WE lifted the punishment from them, that would be precisely when they would break [their word].

43:51  And Pharaoh issued a call to his people, saying, “O my people is not the kingdom of Egypt mine? These rivers here flow in subservience to me— do you not behold?

43:52  Or am I not better than this one here, he is insignificant and is hardly able to clearly express himself?

43:53  For, why have no armlets of gold been strewn upon him or why have angels not come with him as escorts?”

43:54  Thus, he sought to lighten the import on his people — and so [ignoring their own accountability] they followed him. Verily, they were an iniquitous people.

43:55  At length when they crossed OUR defined limit, WE exacted retribution from them— WE drowned them all.

43:56  And so, WE consigned them to the past— an exemplary lesson for the latter ones.

43:57  Whenever the son of Mary is offered as an example— your people taking cue from it, raise a clamor.

43:58  And they have said, “Are our gods better, or is he? They do not portray him as such to you except to bicker. Nay! They are a contentious people.

43:59  He [i.e., Jesus, son of Mary] is nothing but a devotee upon whom WE bestowed OUR blessings and made him an exemplar for the children of Israel.

43:60  And if WE had willed, WE could have made angels from amongst you to act as deputies on earth.

43:61  Verily, it is a knowable fact [left] for the Hour. So, do not be in doubt about it and follow ME. This is a straight path.

43:62  And do not let Satan hinder you [all]. Surely, he is a blatant foe unto you.

43:63  And when Jesus came with telling proofs, he said, “I have come to you with [God-given] wisdom to clarify for you, some [matters] in which you differ. So be conscious of Allah and obey me.

43:64  Allah! HE is my Rabb and your Rabb. So, worship HIM. This is a [timelessly] straight Path.”

43:65  Yet the constituent groups disagreed amongst themselves. And so, woe unto the ones who [worshipped] wrong, from the suffering of a painful day.

43:66  Do they expect anything except the Hour? Sudden will be its onset upon them, while they are unawares?

43:67  That day all the friends will be foes unto one another, except the God-conscious—

43:68  O MY devotees no fear is to be upon you this Day and neither are you to grieve.

43:69  [You are of] those who believed in OUR signs and were in willful submission.

43:70  Enter the Garden you all, and your spouses, bestowed with happiness.

43:71  Rounds will be made between them with trays and goblets of gold. And therein is whatever it is that the souls desire and the eyes savor. And you are abiders therein.

43:72  And that is the Garden, which you were bequeathed for what you were doing.

43:73  For you in it are delicious fruits, many and various, from it you eat.”

43:74  Surely, the flouters of divine guidance are abiders in the punishment of Jahannam —

43:75  Not to abate for them, and therein are they to despair.

43:76  WE did not wrong them. On the contrary, they were the wrongdoers.

43:77  And they call, “O you [our] holder, let your Rabb put an end to us.” He said, “You are to stay in place.”

43:78  WE did bring you the Truth, but most of you were averse to the Truth.

43:79  Or have they settled a matter? [They cannot]— for it is WE WHO settle.

43:80  Or do they construe that WE do not hear their hidden thoughts and their private counsels? Nay! OUR envoys are with them recording.

43:81  Say, “If there were a son for Al Raḥmān— I would be the first of the worshippers.”

43:82  Limitless in HIS glory is the Rabb of the heavens and the earth— Rabb of the [transcendent] Throne— far beyond what they depict.

43:83  So, leave them to be in their sophistry and play, until they meet their day— the one which they are promised.

43:84  HE is WHO is God in the Heaven, and God on earth and HE is the all-wise, the ever knowing.

43:85  And the Source of all blessings is HE; unto HIM belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is between the two. And with HIM is the knowledge of the Hour and unto HIM you are being returned.

43:86  They have no say— those others they call unto besides HIM for the intercession [they hope for]— except those who testify to the Truth and are knowing.

43:87  If you ask them who created them, they will readily say, “Allah.” So whence and how are they hoodwinked?

43:88  And [with HIM is the knowledge of] his saying [to himself]: “O my Rabb, surely, these here are a people who do not believe.”

43:89  So then, set aside from them and say, “Peace [Salaam].” For soon they will know.