As-Saffat

By those [angels] ranged in rows,

who rebuke reproachfully

and recite God’s word,

truly your God is One,

Lord of the heavens and earth and everything between them, Lord of every sunrise.

We have adorned the lowest heaven with stars,

and made them a safeguard against every rebellious devil:

they cannot eavesdrop on the Higher Assembly––pelted from every side,

driven away, they will have perpetual torment––

if any [of them] stealthily snatches away a fragment, he will be pursued by a piercing flame.

So [Prophet], ask the disbelievers: is it harder to create them than other beings We have created? We created them from sticky clay.

You marvel as they scoff,

take no heed when they are warned,

and resort to ridicule when they see a sign,

saying, ‘This is no more than blatant sorcery.’

‘What! After we have died and become dust and bones, shall we really be raised up again,

along with our forefathers?’

Say, ‘Yes indeed, and you will be humiliated.’

Just one blast and––lo and behold!––they will look

and say, ‘Woe to us! This is the Day of Judgement.’

[It will be said], ‘This is the Day of Decision, which you used to deny.

[Angels], gather together those who did wrong, and others like them, as well as whatever they worshipped

beside God, lead them all to the path of Hell,

and halt them for questioning:

“Why do you not support each other now?” ’––

no indeed! They will be in complete submission on that Day––

and they will turn on one another accusingly.

They will say, ‘You came to us from a position of power.’

They will say, ‘No! It was you who would not believe-

we had no power over you- and you were already exceeding all limits.

Our Lord’s sentence on us is just and we must all taste the punishment.

We led you astray as we ourselves were astray.’

On that Day they will all share the torment:

this is how We deal with the guilty.

Whenever it was said to them, ‘There is no deity but God,’ they became arrogant,

and said, ‘Are we to forsake our gods for a mad poet?’

‘No: he brought the truth and confirmed the earlier messengers;

you will taste the painful torment,

and be repaid only according to your deeds.’

Not so God’s true servants.

They will have familiar provisions––

fruits- and will be honoured

in gardens of delight;

seated on couches, facing one another.

A drink will be passed round among them from a flowing spring:

white, delicious to those who taste it,

causing no headiness or intoxication.

With them will be spouses- modest of gaze and beautiful of eye-

like protected eggs.

They will turn to one another with questions:

one will say, ‘I had a close companion on earth

who used to ask me, “Do you really believe that

after we die and become dust and bone, we shall be brought for judgement?”’

Then he will say, ‘Shall we look for him?’

He will look down and see him in the midst of the Fire,

and say to him, ‘By God, you almost brought me to ruin!

Had it not been for the grace of my Lord, I too would have been taken to Hell.’

Then he will say [to his blessed companions], ‘Are we never to die again after our earlier death?

Shall we never suffer?

This truly is the supreme triumph!’

Everyone should strive to attain this.

Is this the better welcome, or the tree of Zaqqum,

which we have made a test for the evildoers?

This tree grows in the heart of the blazing Fire,

and its fruits are like devils’ heads.

They will fill their bellies eating from it;

then drink scalding water on top of it;

then return to the blazing Fire.

They found their forefathers astray,

and rushed to follow in their footsteps- before the disbelievers [of Mecca],

most men in the past went astray,

even though We sent messengers to warn them.

See how those who were warned met their end!

Not so the true servants of God.

Noah cried to Us, and how excellent was Our response!

We saved him and his people from great distress,

We let his offspring remain on the earth,

We let him be praised by later generations:

‘Peace be upon Noah among all the nations!’

This is how We reward those who do good:

he was truly one of Our faithful servants.

We drowned the rest.

Abraham was of the same faith:

he came to his Lord with a devoted heart.

He said to his father and his people, ‘What are you worshipping?

How can you choose false gods instead of the true God?

So what is your opinion about the Lord of all the Worlds?’

then he looked up to the stars.

He said, ‘I am sick,’

so [his people] turned away from him and left.

He turned to their gods and said, ‘Do you not eat?

Why do you not speak?’

then he turned and struck them with his right arm.

His people hurried towards him,

but he said, ‘How can you worship things you carve with your own hands,

when it is God who has created you and all your handiwork?’

They said, ‘Build a pyre and throw him into the blazing fire.’

They wanted to harm him, but We humiliated them.

He said, ‘I will go to my Lord: He is sure to guide me.

Lord, grant me a righteous son,’

so We gave him the good news that he would have a patient son.

When the boy was old enough to work with his father, Abraham said, ‘My son, I have seen myself sacrificing you in a dream. What do you think?’ He said, ‘Father, do as you are commanded and, God willing, you will find me steadfast.’

When they had both submitted to God, and he had laid his son down on the side of his face,

We called out to him, ‘Abraham,

you have fulfilled the dream.’ This is how We reward those who do good-

it was a test to prove [their true characters]-

We ransomed his son with a momentous sacrifice,

and We let him be praised by succeeding generations:

‘Peace be upon Abraham!’

This is how We reward those who do good:

truly he was one of Our faithful servants.

We gave Abraham the good news of Isaac- a prophet and a righteous man-

and blessed him and Isaac too: some of their offspring were good, but some clearly wronged themselves.

We also bestowed Our favour on Moses and Aaron:

We saved them and their people from great distress;

We helped them, so they were the ones to succeed;

We gave them the Scripture that makes things clear;

We guided them to the right path;

We let them be praised by succeeding generations:

‘Peace be upon Moses and Aaron!’

This is how We reward those who do good:

truly they were among Our faithful servants.

Elijah too was one of the messengers.

He said to his people, ‘Have you no fear of God?

How can you invoke Baal and forsake the Most Gracious Creator,

God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers?’

but they rejected him. They will be brought to punishment as a consequence;

not so the true servants of God.

We let him be praised by succeeding generations:

‘Peace be to Elijah!’

This is how We reward those who do good:

truly he was one of Our faithful servants.

Lot was also one of the messengers.

We saved him and all his family-

except for an old woman who stayed behind-

and We destroyed the rest.

You [people] pass by their ruins morning

and night: will you not take heed?

Jonah too was one of the messengers.

He fled to the overloaded ship.

They cast lots, he suffered defeat,

and a great fish swallowed him, for he had committed blameworthy acts.

If he had not been one of those who glorified God,

he would have stayed in its belly until the Day when all are raised up,

but We cast him out, sick, on to a barren shore,

and made a gourd tree grow above him.

We sent him to a hundred thousand people or more.

They believed, so We let them live out their lives.

Now [Muhammad], ask the disbelievers: is it true that your Lord has daughters, while they choose sons for themselves?

Did We create the angels as females while they were watching?

No indeed! It is one of their lies when they say,

‘God has begotten.’ How they lie!

Did He truly choose daughters in preference to sons?

What is the matter with you? How do you form your judgements?

Do you not reflect?

Do you perhaps have clear authority?

Bring your scriptures, if you are telling the truth.

They claim that He has kinship with the jinn, yet the jinn themselves know that they will be brought before Him.

God is far above what they attribute to Him-

the true servants of God do not do such things-

and neither you nor what you worship

can lure away from God any

except those who will burn in Hell.

[The angels say], ‘Every single one of us has his appointed place:

we are ranged in ranks.

We glorify God.’

[The disbelievers] used to say,

‘If only we had a scripture like previous people,

we would be true servants of God,’

yet now they reject [the Quran]. They will soon realize.

Our word has already been given to Our servants the messengers:

it is they who will be helped,

and the ones who support Our cause will be the winners.

So [Prophet] turn away from the disbelievers for a while.

Watch them: they will soon see.

Do they really wish to hasten Our punishment?

When it descends on their courtyards, how ter-rible that morning will be for those who were warned!

[Prophet], turn away from the disbelievers for a while.

Watch them: they will soon see.

Your Lord, the Lord of Glory, is far above what they attribute to Him.

Peace be upon the messengers

and praise be to God the Lord of all the Worlds.