Surah The Poets [Ash-Shuara] in English

Ta. Sin Mim.

These are the verses of a Book luminous.

Belike thou shalt kill thyself with grief because they become not believers.

If We list, We can send down unto them a sign from the heaven so that their necks would became to it submissive.

And there cometh not unto them any fresh admonition from the Compassionate but they are wont to be there from backsliders.

So they have surely belied; wherefore anon there shall come unto them the truth of that whereat they were wont to mock.

Observe they not the earth, how much We make to grow therein of every fruitful kind?

Verily therein is a sign; yet most of them are not believers.

And verily thy Lord! He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

And recall what time thy Lord called unto Musa, saying: go thou unto the wrong-doing people.

The people of Fir'awn; fear they Me not?

He said: my Lord! verily I fear they shall belie me.

And my breast straiteneth, and my tongue moveth not quickly: so send for Harun.

And they have a crime against me, so I fear that they shall slay me.

He said: by no means. so go ye twain with Our signs; verily We shall be with you listening.

So go ye twain unto Fir'awn and say: verily we are the apostles of the Lord of the Worlds,

Send with us the Children of Isra'il?

Fir'awn said: brought we not thee up amongst us as a child? And thou tarriedst amongst us for many years of thy life?

And thou didst that thy deed which thou didst; and thou art of the ingrates.

He said: I did it then when I was mistaken.

Then I fled from you when I feared you, and my Lord bestowed on me wisdom and made me one of the sent ones.

And that favour wherewith thou didst oblige me was that thou hadst enslaved the Children of Isra'il?

Fir'awn said. and what is the Lord of the worlds?

He said: Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is in-between, if ye seek to be convinced.

Fir'awn said unto those around him: hear ye not?

He said: your Lord and the Lord of your ancient fathers.

Fir'awn said: verily your apostle who hath been sent unto you is mad.

He said: Lord of the east and the west and whatsoever is in-between, if ye understand.

Fir'awn said: if thou wilt take a god other than me, I shall surely place thee among the prisoners.

He said: even though I bring unto thee something manifest?

Fir'awn said: forth with it then, if thou art of the truth- tellers.

Then he cast down his staff, and lo! it was a serpent manifest.

And he drew forth his hand, and lo! it was white unto the beholders.

Fir'awn said unto the chiefs around him: verily this is a magician knowing.

He would drive you out of your land through his magic; what then is it ye command?

They said: put off him and his brother, and send unto the cities callers.

Thot they may bring to thee every magician knowing.

So the magicians were assembled at a set time on a day made known.

And it was said unto the people: are ye going to assemble.

Belike we may follow the magicians if they are the winners?

Then when the magicians came, they said unto Fir'awn: will there surely be a big hire for us if we are the winners?

He said: yea; and ye shall verily then be of those brought nigh.

Musa said unto them: cast whatsoever ye have to cast.

Then they cast their cords and their staves, and said: by the might of Fir'awn, verily we! we shall be the winners.

Then Musa cast down his staff, and lo! it swallowed up that which they had devised.

Then the magicians flung themselves prostrate.

They said: we believe in the Lord of the worlds.

The Lord of Musa and Harun.

Fir'awn said: ye believed in him ere I gave you leave. Verily he is your chief who hath taught you magic, so ye shall surely come to know. Surely I shall cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides and surely I shall crucify you all.

They said: no harm! verily unto our Lord we are to return.

Verily we long that our Lord shall forgive us our faults because we have been the first of the believers

And We revealed unto Musa saying: go by night with My bondmen verily ye shall be pursued.

Then Fir'awn sent unto the cities callers:

Verily these are but a band small.

And verily they have enraged US.

And verily we are host well-provided.

Then We drave them forth from gardens and springs.

And treasures and a station noble.

Even so. And We caused the Children of Isra'il to inherit them.

Then they pursued them at sunrise.

And when the two parties saw each other, the companions of Musa said: verily we are overtaken.

Musa said: by no means; verily with me is my Lord; He shall guide me.

Then We revealed unto Musa, saying: smite thou the sea with thy staff. So it became separated, and each part was like unto a cliff mighty.

And We brought near thither the others.

And We delivered Musa and those with him together.

Then We drowned the others.

Verily herein is a sign; but most of them are not believers.

And verily thy Lord! He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

And recite unto them the story of Ibrahim.

When he said unto his father and his people: what worship ye?

They said: we worship idols, and we are unto them ever devoted

He said: hearken they unto you when ye cry?

Or, benefit they you or hurt they you?

They said: nay; but we found our fathers doing in this wise.

He said: have ye observed that which ye worship

Ye and your fathers of old?

Verily they are an enemy unto me, save the Lord of the worlds.

Who hath created me, and He guideth me.

He Who feedeth me and giveth me to drink.

And when I sicken, then He healeth me.

And He Who shall cause me to die, and then shall quicken me.

And He Who, long, shall forgive me my faults, on the Day of Requital.

My Lord! bestow on me wisdom and join me with the righteous.

And appoint for me an honourable mention among the posterity

And make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of Delight.

And forgive my father; verily he is of the erring.

And humiliate me not on the Day whereon people shall be raised.

The Day whereon will profit neither substance nor sons.

Unless it be he, who shall bring unto Allah a whole heart,

And the Garden shall be brought nigh to the God, fearing.

And the Fierce Fire shall be made apparent unto the seduced ones.

And it shall be said unto them where is that which ye were wont to worship?

Beside Allah? Can they succour you or succour themselves?

Then they shall be hurled therein, they and the seduced ones.

And the hosts of Iblis together.

And they, While contending therein, shall say:

By Allah, we have indeed been in an error manifest.

When we equalled you with the Lord of the worlds.

And none led us astray except the Culprits.

So none we have as intercessors.

Nor any loving friend.

Were there for us a return, we would be of the believers.

Verily herein is a sign, but most of them are not believers.

And verily thy Lord! He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

And Nuh's people belied the sent ones.

When their brother Nuh said Unto them: fear ye not?

Verily I am unto you an apostle trusted.

So fear Allah and obey me.

And I ask of you no hire therefor; my hire is but with the Lord of the worlds.

So fear Allah and obey me.

They said: shall We believe in thee when the meanest follow thee?

He said: I have no knowledge of that which they have been Working.

Their reckoning is upon my Lord, if ye but knew.

And I am not to drive away the believers.

I am naught but a warner manifest.

They said: if thou desistest not, thou shalt surely be of those stoned.

He said: my Lord! verily my people have belied me.

So decide Thou between me and them with a decision, and deliver me and those who are with me of the believers.

Wherefore We delivered him and those with him in the laden ark.

Then We drowned the rest thereafter.

Verily herein is a sign, yet most of them are not believers.

And thy Lord! He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

The'Aad belied the sent ones.

When their brother Hud said Unto them: fear ye not?

Verily I am unto you an apostle trusted.

So fear Allah and obey me.

And I ask of you no hire therefor: my hire is but with the Lord of the worlds.

Build ye on every eminence a landmark in vanity?

And take ye for yourselves castles that haply ye may abide.

And when ye seize, ye seize like unto tyrants.

So fear Allah, and obey me.

And fear Him Who hath aided you with that which ye know.

He hath aided you With Cattle and sons.

And gardens and springs.

Verily I fear for you the torment of a Mighty Day.

They said: it is equal unto us whether thou admonishest or art not of the admonishers.

This in but a custom of the ancients.

And we are not going to be tormented.

And they belied him; so We destroyed them. Verily herein is a sign, yet most of them are not believers.

And verily thy Lord? He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

The Thamud belied the sent ones

When their brother Salih said unto them: fear ye not?

Verily I am unto you an apostle trusted.

So fear Allah, and obey me.

And I ask of you no hire therefor; MY hire is but with the Lord of the worlds.

Shall ye be left secure in that which is here before us.

In gardens and springs.

And corn-fields and palm-trees whereof the spathes are fine?

And hew ye out houses in the mountains skilfully! g

So fear Allah, and obey me.

And obey not the command of the extravagant.

Who work corruption in the land and rectify not.

They said: thou art but one of the bewitched;

Thou art but a human being like unto us. So bring thou a sign if thou art of the truth-tellers.

He said: yonder is a she-camel; to her a drink, and to you a drink, each on a day known.

And touch her not with ill, lest there take hold of you the torment of a Mighty Day.

Then they hamstrung her; and then they became regretful.

So the torment took hold of them: verily herein is a sign, but most of them are not believers.

And verily thy Lord! He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

The people of Lut belied the sent ones.

When their brother Lut said unto them: fear ye not?

Verily I am unto you an apostle trusted.

So fear Allah, and obey me.

And I ask of you no hire there for; my hire is but with the Lord of the worlds.

Go ye in, of all creatures, unto the males?

And leave ye your spouses your Lord hath created for you? Aye! ye are a people trespassing.

They said: if thou desistest not, O Lut! thou shalt surely be of those driven forth.

He said: verily I am of those who abhor your work.

My Lord! deliver me and my household from that which they work.

So We delivered him and his household all.

Save an old woman among the lingerers.

Thereafter We annihilated the rest.

And We rained on them a rain. So ill was the rain on those warned?

Verily herein is a sign, yet most of them are not believers.

And verily thy Lord! He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

The dwellers of the wood belied the sent ones.

What time Shu'aib, said unto them: fear ye not?

Verily I am unto you an apostle trusted.

So fear Allah, and obey me.

And ask of you no hire therefor; and my hire is but with the Lord of the worlds.

Give full measure, and be not of those who cause others to lose.

And weigh with a balance straight.

And defraud not people of their things, and commit not corruption on the earth.

So fear Him Who created you and the former generations.

They said: thou art but of the bewitched;

And thou art but a human being like unto us, and we deem thee to be of the liars.

So cause thou a fragment of the heaven to fall upon us, if thou art of the truth-tellers.

He. said: My Lord is the Best Knower of that which ye work.

Thenn they belied him; wherefore there laid hold of -them the torment of day of shadow. Verily it was the torment of a Mighty Day.

Verily herein is a sign; but most of them are not believers.

And verily thy Lord! He is the Mighty, the Merciful.

And verily it is a revelation of the Lord of the worlds.

The Trusted spirit hath brought it down.

Upon thy heart, that thou mayest be of the warners,

In plain Arabic speech.

And verily it is in the Scriptures of the ancients.

Is it not a sign unto them that the learned among the Children of Isra'il know it?

And had We revealed it unto any of the ncn-Arabs,

And he had-read it unto them, even then they would not have been believers therein.

In this wise have We made way for it into the hearts of the culprits.

They will not believe therein until they behold the torment afflictive.

It shall come unto them on a sudden, and they shall not perceive.

Then they will say: are we to be respited?

Seek haste then they with our torment?

Beholdest thou? - if We let them enjoy for years.

And then there cometh unto them that which they had been promised.

What shall that which they enjoyed avail them?

And We destroyed not a city but it had its warners.

By way of admonition, and We have never been oppressors.

And the satans have not brought it down.

It behoveth them not, nor they can.

Verily far from hearing are they removed.

So call not thou unto anot her god along with Allah, lest thou be of the doomed.

And warn thou thy clan, the nearest ones.

And lower thou thy Wlng Unto those who follow thee as believers.

And if they disobey thee, say thou: verily I am quit of that which ye work.

And rely thou upon the Mighty, the Merciful.

Who seeth thee when thou standest up

And thy movements among those who fall prostrate.

Verily He! He is the Hearer, the Knower.

Shall declare unto you upon whom the satans descend!

They descend upon every calumniator, sinner.

Who give ear, and most of them are liars.

As for the poets -it is the seduced who follow them.

Observest thou not, that they Wander about every vale.

And that they say that which they do not?