Surah The Poets [Ash-Shuara] in English

Ta Sin Mim.

These are the verses of the Book that makes things clear.

It may be that you will destroy yourself with grief because they will not believe.

But if We had so willed, We could have sent down to them a sign from the heavens so that their heads would be bowed down before it in utter humility.

Whenever there comes to them any fresh warning from the Merciful, they always turn their backs on it:

they have indeed rejected the message. But the truth of what they laughed to scorn will dawn upon them before long.

Do they not see the earth, and what beneficial kinds of things We have caused to grow in it?

Surely in this there is a sign, yet most of them would not believe:

truly, your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful.

When your Lord called out to Moses, saying, \"Go to the wrongdoing people,

the people of Pharaoh, will they not fear God?

Moses replied, \"My Lord, I fear they will reject me,

and \"my breast is straitened and my tongue is not fluent; so send Aaron as well;

besides, they accuse me of a crime, and I fear that they may put me to death.\"

God said, \"Indeed not; go both of you with Our signs, We shall be with you, listening [to your call].

Go to Pharaoh, both of you, and say, 'We are messengers from the Lord of the Worlds:

let the Children of Israel go with us!'\"

Pharaoh said to Moses, \"Did we not bring you up among us as a child? And you spent several years of your life with us.

Yet you committed the deed you did, surely you are one of the ingrates.\"

Moses replied, \"I did that when I was one of the misguided,

and I fled from you because I feared you. Then my Lord granted me wisdom and made me one of the messengers.

And this is the favour with which you taunt me -- that you have enslaved the Children of Israel?\"

Pharaoh said, \"What is this: Lord of the Universe?\"

Moses said, \"Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, if only you would be convinced.\"

Pharaoh said to those around him, \"Did you hear?\"

Moses went on, \"He is your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.\"

Pharaoh said, \"This messenger who has been sent to you is surely possessed!\"

Moses said, \"He is the Lord of the East and the West, and all that lies between them, if only you could understand.\"

Pharaoh said, \"If you take any deity other than myself, I will throw you into prison,\"

and Moses asked, \"Even if I show you a clear sign?\"

Pharaoh said, \"Show it then, if you are telling the truth!\"

So Moses threw down his staff and suddenly it appeared as a serpent, plainly visible.

And he drew out his hand, and it appeared [shining] white to the beholders.

Pharaoh said to the chiefs around him, \"Surely this man is a skilful sorcerer.

Who wants to drive you out of your land by his sorcery. Now what do you advise?\"

They said, \"Let him and his brother wait a while, and send heralds into the cities,

who shall bring to you every skilful sorcerer.\"

So the sorcerers were gathered on the appointed day

and the people were told, \"Will you also gather together,

so that we may follow the magicians, if they be the winners.\"

When the magicians came, they asked Pharaoh, \"Shall we have a reward, if we are the winners?\"

He replied, \"Certainly, in that case you will join my inner circle.\"

Moses said to the magicians, \"Throw down whatever you are going to throw.\"

So they cast down their ropes and staffs, and said, \"By Pharaoh's honour, we shall surely win.\"

Then Moses threw down his staff, and it swallowed up all that they had conjured into being.

The magicians fell down prostrate,

saying, \"We believe in the Lord of the Worlds,

the Lord of Moses and Aaron.\"

Pharaoh said, \"Have you come to believe in him, before I have given you permission? He is surely your master who has taught you magic. But you shall see. I will cut off your hands and feet on alternate sides and crucify you all.\"

They said, \"There is no harm. To our Lord we shall return.

We hope our Lord will forgive us, as we are the first of the believers.\"

Then We revealed Our will to Moses, saying, \"Set forth with My servants, in the night, for you will surely be pursued.\"

And Pharaoh sent forth heralds to all the cities.

\"These,\" they said, \"are only a small band,

and they have enraged us,

we are a large and watchful force.\"

So We made them leave their gardens and springs,

their treasures and their noble dwellings --

and We made the Children of Israel inheritors of these bounties.

Pharaoh and his people pursued them at sunrise,

and when the two groups saw each other, Moses' companions said, \"We are sure to be overtaken.\"

Moses replied, \"No, My Lord is with me, and He will guide me.\"

Then We bade Moses strike the sea with his staff. And it parted, and each part was like a huge mountain.

In the meantime We made the others approach that place.

We delivered Moses and all those who were with him,

then We drowned the others.

Surely in that there is a sign; yet most of them do not believe:

truly, your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful.

Tell them the story of Abraham,

when he asked his father and his people, \"What is that which you worship?\"

They said, \"We worship idols and will continue to cling to them.\"

He asked, \"Do they hear you when you call to them?

Do they help or harm you?\"

They replied, \"But we found our fathers doing the same.\"

Abraham said, \"Have you really thought about what you have been worshipping,

you and your forefathers --

they are all my enemies, not so the Lord of the Universe,

who created me. It is He who guides me;

He who gives me food and drink;

He who cures me when I am ill;

He who will cause me to die and bring me back to life;

and He who will, I hope, forgive me my faults on the Day of the Judgement.

My Lord, bestow wisdom upon me; unite me with the righteous;

give me a good name among later generations;

and make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of Bliss;

and forgive my father; for he is one of the misguided;

and do not disgrace me on the Day when all people are resurrected,

the Day when wealth and sons will be of no avail,

and when he alone will be saved who comes to God with a sound heart.\"

When Paradise shall be brought near to the God-fearing

and Hell shall be revealed to the misguided,

they will be asked, \"Where are those whom you worshipped

besides God? Can they help you or even help themselves?\"

Then they will be thrown headlong into Hell, both they and the misguided ones,

and Satan's legions, all together.

They will dispute between themselves therein, and will say,

\"We were clearly misguided

when we made you equal with the Lord of the Universe.

It was the evildoers who led us astray,

and we have no intercessors now,

and no sincere friend.

If we could only return to the world and be among the believers.\"

There is certainly a sign in that, but most of them would not believe:

surely, your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful.

The people of Noah also rejected the messengers.

When their brother Noah said to them, \"Will you have no fear of God?

I am a trustworthy messenger for you:

fear God, and obey me.

I ask of you no recompense for it, for my only reward is with the Lord of the Universe,

so fear God and obey me.\"

They replied, \"Are we to believe in you when your followers are but the lowest of the low?\"

He said, \"What knowledge do I have of their doings?

My Lord alone can bring them to account, if only you could understand,

I am not going to drive away any believers.

I am only a plain warner.\"

They said, \"Noah, if you do not desist, you will be stoned.\"

Noah said, \"My Lord, my people have rejected me,

therefore, judge decisively between me and them; and save me and the believers who are with me.\"

So We saved him, and those who were with him in the laden ark,

and drowned the rest.

There is certainly a sign in that; but most of them do not believe:

surely your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful.

The people of 'Ad, too, rejected the messengers.

Their brother Hud said to them, \"Will you not fear God?

I am a trustworthy messenger for you:

fear God, then, and obey me.

I ask no recompense of you; my reward is only with the Lord of the Universe.

Do you build monuments on every high place in vanity,

and erect castles hoping that you will live forever.

When you lay hands upon anyone, you do so as tyrants.

So fear God, and obey me;

fear Him who has aided you with all that you know --

He has bestowed on you cattle, and sons,

and gardens, and springs --

indeed, I fear for you the torment of an awful day.\"

They replied, \"It makes no difference to us whether you preach or do not preach,

this is nothing but a habit of the ancients:

and we shall not be punished.\"

So they rejected him; and We destroyed them. There is certainly a sign in that; but most of them would not believe.

Surely your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful.

The tribe of Thamud also rejected the messengers.

When their brother Salih said to them, \"Will you not fear God?

Truly, I am a trustworthy messenger for you,

so fear God and obey me.

For this I demand no recompense from you; my reward is only with the Lord of the Universe.

Do you think that you will be left secure [forever] --

in the midst of gardens and fountains,

and cornfields, and palm-trees laden with fruit --

hewing out houses in the mountains and taking pride in your skill?

So fear God and obey me:

do not obey the bidding of those who are given to excesses,

those who spread corruption in the land instead of putting things right.\"

They replied, \"Surely you are bewitched.

You are only a human being like ourselves. Show us a sign, if you are telling the truth.\"

He said, \"Here is a she-camel. She shall have her turn of drinking, as you have yours, each on an appointed day,

so do her no harm, or the punishment of an awful day will befall you.\"

Yet they hamstrung her, and then they became regretful:

so the punishment came down upon them. Surely in that there is a sign, but most of them would not believe.

Your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful.

Then the people of Lot rejected the messengers.

When their brother Lot said to them, \"Will you not fear God?

I am a trustworthy messenger to you:

so fear God and obey me.

I ask of you no recompense for this; my reward is only with the Lord of the Universe.

Do you, of all people, approach males,

and leave your wives whom your Lord has created for you? You are a people who transgress all bounds.\"

They said, \"If you do not desist, Lot, you will surely be banished.\"

He said, \"I am one of those who abhors your ways.

My Lord, save me and my family from their evil doings.\"

We saved him and all of his family,

except for an old woman who stayed behind,

then We totally destroyed the rest,

and We poured a rain [of destruction] down upon them -- and how evil was the rain which fell on those who were forewarned.

Surely in this there is a sign: but most of them would not believe:

your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful.

The dwellers of the forest also rejected the messengers.

Shu'ayb said to them, \"Will you not fear God?

I am a trustworthy messenger to you:

so fear God, and obey me.

I ask of you no recompense for this; my reward is only with the Lord of the Universe.

Give full measure, and cause no loss to others.

Weigh with correct scales:

do not defraud people of what is rightfully theirs; and do not spread corruption in the land.

Fear Him who created you and those who have gone before you.\"

They replied, \"You are bewitched.

You are only a human being like ourselves. Indeed we think you are a liar.

So cause a fragment of the sky to fall on us, if you are truthful.\"

He said, \"My Lord has full knowledge of all your actions.\"

They rejected him, and then had to suffer the punishment of a day of overshadowing gloom. That was indeed the punishment of an awful day.

Surely, in this is indeed a sign; but most of them would not believe:

your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful.

This surely is a revelation from the Lord of the Universe:

the Faithful Spirit has brought it down

into your heart, so that you may be a warner,

in clear Arabic speech.

Surely, it is foretold in the ancient scriptures.

Is it not evidence enough for them that the learned among the Children of Israel have recognized this [as true]?

Had We revealed it to any one of the non-Arabs,

and he had recited it to them, they would not have believed in it.

We have thus caused denial of truth to enter into the hearts of the sinners:

they will not believe in it until they see the grievous punishment.

It will come upon them suddenly when they are not expecting it.

Then they will exclaim, \"Could we have some respite?\"

Do they want to hasten Our punishment?

Think! If We let them enjoy life for some years,

and then the promised punishment fell upon them,

of what avail would their past enjoyment be to them?

Never have We destroyed a town without sending down messengers to warn it,

as a reminder from Us: We are never unjust.

It was not the devils who brought down the Quran:

neither are they worthy of it, nor are they capable of it,

indeed they are debarred from overhearing it.

So do not call on any deity besides God, lest you incur His punishment.

Warn your nearest kinsmen,

and extend kindness and affection to those of the believers who follow you.

If they disobey you, say, \"I bear no responsibility for what you do.\"

Put your trust in the Mighty One, the Merciful,

who sees you when you stand up [for prayer],

and sees your movements among those who prostrate themselves:

He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing.

Shall I tell you upon whom the devils descend?

They descend on every lying sinner,

who lends an ear to them, and most of them are liars.

And as for the poets -- it is the misled who follow them.

Do you not see how they wander aimlessly in every valley,

preaching what they do not practice.