Surah The wind-curved sandhills [Al-Ahqaf] in English

Ha'. Mim.

The revelation of this Book is from Allah, the Most Mighty, the Most Wise.

We have created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in Truth and for an appointed term. But those who disbelieve have turned away from what they were warned against.

Tell them, (O Prophet): “Did you consider those whom you call upon beside Allah? Show me, which part of the earth they created? Or do they have any share in creating the heavens? Bring to me any Scripture earlier than this one, or any vestige of knowledge (in support of your belief) if you are truthful.

Who is farther strayed from the Right Path than he who calls upon others than Allah that cannot answer his call till the Day of Resurrection, the while they are not even conscious that callers are calling upon them?

When all human beings will be gathered together those who had been called upon will become the enemies to their votaries and will disown their worship.

When Our Clear Messages are rehearsed to them, the unbelievers exclaim about the Truth when it came to them: “This is plain sorcery.”

Do they claim that the Messenger himself has fabricated it? (If so), tell them: “If I have fabricated it, then you have no power to protect me from Allah's chastisement. He knows well the idle talk in which you indulge. He suffices as a witness between me and you. He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

Tell them: “I am not the first of the Messengers; and I do not know what shall be done with me or with you. I follow only what is revealed to me, and I am nothing but a plain warner.”

Tell them, (O Prophet): “Did you consider (what would be your end) if this Qur'an were indeed from Allah and yet you rejected it? And this even though a witness from the Children of Israel has testified to the like of it. But he believed, while you waxed arrogant. Verily Allah does not guide such wrong-doers to the Right Way.

The unbelievers say to the believers: If there was any good in this Book, others would not have beaten us to its acceptance.” But since they have not been guided to it, they will certainly say: “This is an old fabrication.”

Yet before this the Book was revealed to Moses as a guide and a mercy. This Book, which confirms it, is in the Arabic tongue to warn the wrong-doers and to give good tidings to those who do good.

Surely those who said: “Our Lord is Allah” and then remained steadfast shall have nothing to fear nor to grieve.

They are the people of Paradise. They shall remain in it forever as a reward for their deeds.

We have enjoined man to be kind to his parents. In pain did his mother bear him and in pain did she give birth to him. The carrying of the child to his weaning is a period of thirty months. And when he is grown to full maturity and reaches the age of forty, he prays: “My Lord, dispose me that I may give thanks for the bounty that You have bestowed upon me and my parents, and dispose me that I may do righteous deeds that would please You, and also make my descendants righteous. I repent to You, and I am one of those who surrender themselves to You.”

Such are those from whom We accept their best deeds and whose evil deeds We overlook. They will be among the people of Paradise in consonance with the true promise made to them.

But he who says to his parents: “Fie on you! Do you threaten me that I shall be resurrected, although myriad generations have passed away before me (and not one of them was resurrected)?” The parents beseech Allah (and say to their child): “Woe to you, have faith. Surely Allah's promise is true.” But he says: “All this is nothing but fables of olden times.”

It is against such that Allah's sentence (of punishment) has become due. They will join the communities of humans and jinn that have preceded them. Verily all of them will court utter loss.

Of these all have ranks according to their deeds so that Allah may fully recompense them for their deeds. They shall not be wronged.

And on the Day when the unbelievers will be exposed to the Fire, they will be told: “You have exhausted your share of the bounties in the life of the world, and you took your fill of enjoyments. So, degrading chastisement shall be yours on this Day for you waxed arrogant in the earth without justification and acted iniquitously.”

Recount to them the story of (Hud), the brother of (the tribe of) 'Ad. Hud warned his people beside the sand-dunes -- and there have been other warners before him and since his time -- saying: “Serve none but Allah. Verily I fear that the chastisement of an awesome day shall come upon you.”

They said: “Have you come to us to turn us away from our gods? Then, bring upon us the scourge that you threaten us with. Do so if you are truthful.”

He replied: “Allah alone knows about this. I only convey to you the Message that I have been sent with. But I see that you are an ignorant people.”

When they saw the scourge advancing towards their valleys, they said: “This is a cloud that will bring much rain to us.” “By no means; it is what you had sought to hasten -- a wind-storm bearing a grievous chastisement

that will destroy everything by the command of its Lord.” Thereafter nothing was left to be seen except their dwellings. Thus do We requite the wrong-doers.

We had established them firmly in a manner We have not established you. We had given them ears and eyes and hearts. But nothing availed them -- neither their ears, nor their eyes, nor their hearts, for they denied the Signs of Allah. Then what they had mocked at encompassed them.

Surely We destroyed many a town around you. We sent Our Messages to them repeatedly and in diverse forms that they may eschew (their evil ways) and return (to Allah).

So why did those whom they had set up as gods apart from Allah, hoping that they would bring them nearer to Him, not come to their aid? Instead, they failed them. This was the end of the lie they had fabricated and the false beliefs they had invented.

And call to mind when We sent to you a party of the jinn that they may listen to the Qur'an. When they reached the place (where you were reciting the Qur'an), they said to one another: “Be silent (and listen).” And when the recitation ended, they went back to their people as warners.

They said: “Our people, We have heard a Scripture revealed after Moses, verifying the Scriptures revealed before it; it guides to the Truth and to the Straight Way.

Our people, respond to the call of him who calls you to Allah and believe in him. Allah will forgive your sins and will protect you from a grievous chastisement.”

And he who does not respond to the one who calls to Allah will not be able to frustrate Him on earth, nor will they have anyone to protect them from Allah. Such people are in manifest error.

Do they not see that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth -- and creating them did not wear Him out -- has the power to bring the dead back to life? Why not! He certainly has the power over everything.

On the Day when the unbelievers will be brought within sight of the Fire, they will be asked: “Is this not the Truth?” and they will answer “Yes, by Our Lord (this is the Truth).” Allah will say: “Then suffer the chastisement as a requital for your disbelieving.”