It guides to righteousness, so we have believed in it; and we will never associate anyone with our Lord.

And Exalted is the Majesty of our Lord—He has taken neither a wife nor a son.

But the fools among us used to say outrageous things about God.

We thought that humans and jinn would never utter a lie about God.

Some of the humans used to seek refuge with some of the jinn, but they increased them in arrogance.

They thought, as you thought, that God would never resurrect anyone.

We tried to reach heaven, but found it filled with stern guards and shooting stars.

We used to sit there on seats to listen, but anyone listening now will find a shooting star in ambush.

We do not know whether evil is intended for those on earth, or their Lord intends for them rectitude.

Some of us are righteous, and some of us are otherwise: we follow divergent paths.

We know that we cannot frustrate God on earth, and we cannot escape Him by fleeing.

And when we heard the guidance, we believed in it. Whoever believes in his Lord fears no loss nor injustice.

Among us are the Muslims (submissive ones), and among us are the deviators. As for those who submit—these have sought the right path.

But as for the deviators, they will be fuel for Hell.’”

If they were to keep firmly to the path, We would give them plenty of rain.

To test them with it. Whoever turns away from the remembrance of his Lord, He will direct him to an escalating punishment.

The places of worship are for God alone, so do not call on anyone else with God.

When God’s servant stood up calling on Him, they almost swarmed him.

Say, “I pray only to my Lord, and I never associate anyone else with Him.”

Say, “It is not in my power to harm you, nor to bring you to right conduct.”

Say, “No one can protect me from God, and I will find no refuge except in Him.

But only preaching from God and His messages. Whoever disobeys God and His Messenger—for him is the Fire of Hell, abiding therein forever.”

Until, when they see what they were promised, they will know who is weaker in helpers, and fewer in numbers.

Say, “I do not know whether what you are promised is near, or whether my Lord will postpone it for a while.”

The Knower of the Invisible; He does not disclose His Invisible to anyone.

Except to a messenger of His choice. He then appoints guards before him and behind him.

That He may know that they have conveyed the messages of their Lord. He encompasses in His knowledge everything, and He keeps count of everything.

Stand all night ˹in prayer˺ except a little—

˹pray˺ half the night, or a little less,

or a little more—and recite the Quran ˹properly˺ in a

measured way.

˹For˺ We will soon send upon you a weighty revelation.

Indeed, worship in the night is more impactful and suitable for recitation.

For during the day you are over-occupied ˹with worldly duties˺.

Always˺ remember the Name of your Lord, and devote yourself to Him wholeheartedly.

˹He is the˺ Lord of the east and the west. There is no god

˹worthy of worship˺ except Him, so take Him ˹alone˺ as a Trustee of Affairs.

Be patient ˹O Prophet˺ with what they say, and depart from them courteously.

And leave to Me the deniers—the people of luxury—and bear with them for a little while.

˹For˺ We certainly have shackles, a ˹raging˺ Fire,

choking food, and a painful punishment ˹in store for them˺

on the Day the earth and mountains will shake ˹violently˺,

and mountains will be ˹reduced to˺ dunes of shifting sand.

Indeed, We have sent to you a messenger as a witness over you, just as We sent a messenger to Pharaoh.

But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger, so We seized him with a stern grip.

If you ˹pagans˺ persist in disbelief, then how will you guard yourselves against ˹the horrors of˺ a Day which will turn children’s hair grey?

It will ˹even˺ cause the sky to split apart. His promise ˹of judgment˺ must be fulfilled.

Surely this is a reminder. So let whoever wills take the ˹Right˺ Way to their Lord.

Surely your Lord knows that you ˹O Prophet˺ stand ˹in prayer˺ for nearly two-thirds of the night, or ˹sometimes˺ half of it, or a third, as do some of those with you. Allah ˹alone˺ keeps a ˹precise˺ measure of the day and night. He knows that you ˹believers˺ are unable to endure this, and has turned to you in mercy. So recite ˹in prayer˺ whatever you can from the Quran. He knows that some of you will be sick, some will be travelling throughout the land seeking Allah’s bounty, and some fighting in the cause of Allah. So recite whatever you can from it. And ˹continue to˺ perform ˹regular˺ prayers, pay alms-tax, and lend to Allah a good loan. Whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will find it with Allah far better and more rewarding. And seek Allah’s forgiveness. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

`Amr bin Maimun:

During the

pre-lslamic period of ignorance I saw a she-monkey surrounded by a number of

monkeys. They were all stoning it, because it had committed illegal sexual

intercourse. I too, stoned it along with them.

1. A poem from a convert that may be relevant to Christians.
2. The original Jewish expulsion - the Banu Qaynuqa.
3. The violent story of Muhayyisa and Huwayyisa... a moral minefield if there ever was one.

2. Arise and warn all.

3. Revere your Lord alone.

4. Purify your garments.

5. Continue to shun idols.

6. Do not do a favour expecting more in return.

7. And persevere for the sake of your Lord.

8. For when the Trumpet will be sounded,

9. that will truly be a difficult Day—

10. far from easy for the disbelievers.

11. And leave to me O Prophet the one I created all by Myself,

12. and granted him abundant wealth,

13. and children always by his side,

14. and made life very easy for him.

15. Yet he is hungry for more.

16. But no! For he has been truly stubborn with Our revelations.

17. I will make his fate unbearable,

18. for he contemplated and determined a degrading label for the Quran.

19. May he be condemned! How evil was what he determined!

20. May he be condemned even more! How evil was what he determined!

21. Then he re-contemplated in frustration,

22. then frowned and scowled,

23. then turned his back on the truth and acted arrogantly,

24. saying, “This Quran is nothing but magic from the ancients.

25. This is no more than the word of a man.”

26. Soon I will burn him in Hell!

27. And what will make you realize what Hell is?

28. It does not let anyone live or die,

29. scorching the skin.

30. It is overseen by nineteen keepers.

31. We have appointed only stern angels as wardens of the Fire. And We have made their number only as a test for the disbelievers, so that the People of the Book will be certain, and the believers will increase in faith, and neither the People of the Book nor the believers will have any doubts, and so that those hypocrites with sickness in their hearts and the disbelievers will argue, “What does Allah mean by such a number?” In this way Allah leaves whoever He wills to stray and guides whoever He wills. And none knows the forces of your Lord except He. And this description of Hell is only a reminder to humanity.

32. But no! By the moon,

33. and the night as it retreats,

34. and the day as it breaks!

35. Surely Hell is one of the mightiest catastrophes—

36. a warning to humankind,

37. to whichever of you chooses to take the lead or lag behind.

38. Every soul will be detained for what it has done,

39. except the people of the right,

40. who will be in Gardens, asking one another

41. about the wicked who will then be asked:

42. “What has landed you in Hell?”

43. They will reply, “We were not of those who prayed,

44. nor did we feed the poor.

45. We used to indulge in falsehood along with others,

46. and deny the Day of Judgment,

47. until the inevitable came to us.

48. So the pleas of intercessors will be of no benefit to them.

49. Now, what is the matter with them that they are turning away from the reminder,

50. as if they were spooked zebras

51. fleeing from a lion?

52. In fact, each one of them wishes to be given a personal letter from Allah for all to read.

53. But no! In fact, they do not fear the Hereafter.

54. Enough! Surely this Quran is a reminder.

55. So let whoever wills be mindful of it.

56. But they cannot do so unless Allah wills. He alone is worthy to be feared and entitled to forgive.

sweat used to smell, and they were advised to take a bath.

And I do swear by the self-reproaching soul!

Do people think We cannot reassemble their bones?

Yes ˹indeed˺! We are ˹most˺ capable of restoring ˹even˺

their very fingertips.

Still people want to deny what is yet to come,

asking ˹mockingly˺, “When is this Day of Judgment?”

But when the sight is stunned,

and the moon is dimmed,

and the sun and the moon are brought together,

on that Day one will cry, “Where is the escape?”

But no! There will be no refuge.

On that Day all will end up before your Lord.

All will then be informed of what they have sent forth and

left behind.

In fact, people will testify against their own souls,

despite the excuses they come up with.

Do not rush your tongue trying to memorize ˹a revelation of˺

the Quran.

It is certainly upon Us to ˹make you˺ memorize and recite

it.

So once We have recited a revelation ˹through Gabriel˺,

follow its recitation ˹closely˺.

Then it is surely upon Us to make it clear ˹to you˺.

But no! In fact, you love this fleeting world,

and neglect the Hereafter.

On that Day ˹some˺ faces will be bright,

looking at their Lord.

And ˹other˺ faces will be gloomy,

anticipating something devastating to befall them.

But no! ˹Beware of the day˺ when the soul reaches the collar

bone ˹as it leaves˺,

and it will be said, “Is there any healer ˹who can save this

life˺?”

And the dying person realizes it is ˹their˺ time to depart,

and ˹then˺ their feet are tied together ˹in a shroud˺.

On that day they will be driven to your Lord ˹alone˺.

This denier neither believed nor prayed,

but persisted in denial and turned away,

then went to their own people, walking boastfully.

Woe to you, and more woe!

Again, woe to you, and even more woe!

Do people think they will be left without purpose?

Were they not ˹once˺ a sperm-drop emitted?

Then they became a clinging clot,1 then He developed and

perfected their form,

producing from it both sexes, male and female.

Is such ˹a Creator˺ unable to bring the dead back to life?

yet worth mentioning?

2. ˹For˺ indeed, We ˹alone˺ created humans from a drop of

mixed fluids, ˹in order˺ to test them, so We made them hear and see.

3. We already showed them the Way, whether they ˹choose to˺

be grateful or ungrateful.

4. Indeed, We have prepared for the disbelievers chains,

shackles, and a blazing Fire.

5. Indeed, the virtuous will have a drink ˹of pure

wine˺—flavoured with camphor—

6. ˹from˺ a spring where Allah’s servants will drink,

flowing at their will.

7. They ˹are those who˺ fulfil ˹their˺ vows and fear a Day

of sweeping horror,

8. and give food—despite their desire for it—to the poor,

the orphan, and the captive,

9. ˹saying to themselves,˺ “We feed you only for the sake of

Allah, seeking neither reward nor thanks from you.

10. We fear from our Lord a horribly distressful Day.”

11. So Allah will deliver them from the horror of that Day,

and grant them radiance and joy,

12. and reward them for their perseverance with a Garden ˹in

Paradise˺ and ˹garments of˺ silk.

13. There they will be reclining on ˹canopied˺ couches,

never seeing scorching heat or bitter cold.

14. The Garden’s shade will be right above them, and its

fruit will be made very easy to reach.

15. They will be waited on with silver vessels and cups of

crystal—

16. crystalline silver, filled precisely as desired.

17. And they will be given a drink ˹of pure wine˺ flavoured

with ginger

18. from a spring there, called Salsabîl.

19. They will be waited on by eternal youths. If you saw

them, you would think they were scattered pearls.

20. And if you looked around, you would see ˹indescribable˺

bliss and a vast kingdom.

21. The virtuous will be ˹dressed˺ in garments of fine green

silk and rich brocade, and adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord

will give them a purifying drink.

22. ˹And they will be told,˺ “All this is surely a reward

for you. Your striving has been appreciated.”

23. Indeed, it is We Who have revealed the Quran to you ˹O

Prophet˺ in stages.

24. So be patient with your Lord’s decree, and do not yield

to any evildoer or ˹staunch˺ disbeliever from among them.

25. ˹Always˺ remember the Name of your Lord morning and

evening,

26. and prostrate before Him during part of the night, and

glorify Him long at night.

27. Surely those ˹pagans˺ love this fleeting world,

˹totally˺ neglecting a weighty Day ahead of them.

28. It is We Who created them and perfected their ˹physical˺

form. But if We will, We can easily replace them with others.

29. Surely this is a reminder. So let whoever wills take the

˹Right˺ Way to their Lord.

30. But you cannot will ˹to do so˺ unless Allah wills.

Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

31. He admits whoever He wills into His mercy. As for the

wrongdoers, He has prepared for them a painful punishment.

and those blowing violently,

and those scattering rainclouds widely!

And by those angels fully distinguishing truth from falsehood,

and those delivering revelation,

ending excuses and giving warnings.

Surely, what you are promised will come to pass.

So when the stars are put out,

and the sky is torn apart,

and the mountains are blown away,

and the messengers’ time to testify comes up—

for which Day has all this been set?

For the Day of Final Decision!

And what will make you realize what the Day of Decision is?

Woe on that Day to the deniers!

Did We not destroy earlier disbelievers?

And We will make the later disbelievers follow them.

This is how We deal with the wicked.

Woe on that Day to the deniers!

Did We not create you from a humble fluid,

placing it in a secure place

until an appointed time?

We perfectly ordained its development. How excellent are We in doing so!

Woe on that Day to the deniers!

Have We not made the earth a lodging

for the living and the dead,

and placed upon it towering, firm mountains, and given you fresh water to drink?

Woe on that Day to the deniers!

The disbelievers will be told, “Proceed into that Fire which you used to deny!

Proceed into the shade of smoke which rises in three columns,

providing neither coolness nor shelter from the flames.

Indeed, it hurls sparks as big as huge castles,

and as dark as black camels.”

Woe on that Day to the deniers!

On that Day they will not be in a position to speak,

nor will they be permitted to offer excuses.

Woe on that Day to the deniers!

They will be told by Allah, “This is the Day of Final Decision: We have gathered you along with earlier disbelievers for punishment.

So if you have a scheme to save yourselves, then use it against Me.”

Woe on that Day to the deniers!

Indeed, the righteous will be amid cool shade and springs

and any fruit they desire.

They will be told, “Eat and drink happily for what you used to do.”

Surely this is how We reward the good-doers.

But woe on that Day to the deniers!

“Eat and enjoy yourselves for a little while, for you are truly wicked.”

Woe on that Day to the deniers!

When it is said to them, “Bow down before Allah,” they do not bow.

Woe on that Day to the deniers!

So what message after this Quran would they believe in?

About the momentous news,

over which they disagree.

But no! They will come to know.

Again, no! They will come to know.

Have We not smoothed out the earth ˹like a bed˺,

and ˹made˺ the mountains as ˹its˺ pegs,

and created you in pairs,

and made your sleep for rest,

and made the night as a cover,

and made the day for livelihood,

and built above you seven mighty ˹heavens˺,

and placed ˹in them˺ a shining lamp,

and sent down from rainclouds pouring water,

producing by it grain and ˹various˺ plants,

and dense orchards?

Indeed, the Day of ˹Final˺ Decision is an appointed time—

˹it is˺ the Day the Trumpet will be blown, and you will ˹all˺ come forth in crowds.

The sky will be ˹split˺ open, becoming ˹many˺ gates,

and the mountains will be blown away, becoming ˹like˺ a mirage.

Indeed, Hell is lying in ambush

as a home for the transgressors,

where they will remain for ˹endless˺ ages.

There they will not taste any coolness or drink,

except boiling water and ˹oozing˺ pus—

a fitting reward.

For they never expected any reckoning,

and totally rejected Our signs.

And We have everything recorded precisely.

˹So the deniers will be told,˺ “Taste ˹the punishment˺, for all you will get from Us is more torment.”

Indeed, the righteous will have salvation—

Gardens, vineyards,

and full-bosomed maidens of equal age,

and full cups ˹of pure wine˺,

never to hear any idle talk or lying therein—

a ˹fitting˺ reward as a generous gift from your Lord,

the Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between, the Most Compassionate. No one will dare speak to Him

on the Day the ˹holy˺ spirit1 and the angels will stand in ranks. None will talk, except those granted permission by the Most Compassionate and whose words are true.

That Day is the ˹ultimate˺ truth. So let whoever wills take the path leading back to their Lord.

Indeed, We have warned you of an imminent punishment—the Day every person will see ˹the consequences of˺ what their hands have done, and the disbelievers will cry, “I wish I were dust.”

The second one said: 0 Allah, I had a female cousin whom I loved more than the men love the women. I wanted to have sexual intercourse with her; she refused but on the condition of getting one hundred dinirs. It was with very great difficulty that I could collect one hundred dinirs and then paid them to her and when I was going to have a sexual intercourse with her, that she said: Servant of Allah, fear Allah and do not break the seal (of chastity) but by lawful means. I got up. 0 Allah, if Thou art aware that I did this in order to seek Thine pleasure, rid us from this trouble. The situation was somewhat eased for them.

The third one said: Allah, I employed a workman for a measure of rice. After he had finished his work I gave him his dues (in the form of) a measure of rice, but he did not accept them. I used these rice as seeds, and that gave a bumper crop and I became rich enough to have cows and flocks (in my possession). He came to me and said: Fear Allah, and commit no crueltv upon me in regard to my dues. I said to him: Takeaway this flock of cows and sheep. He said: Fear Allah and do not make a fun of me. I said: I am not making a fun of you. You take the cows and the flocks. So he took them. 0 Allah, if Thou art aware that I did it for Thine pleasure, case the situation for us. And Allah relieved them from the rest of the trouble.

and those pulling out good souls gently,

and those gliding through heavens swiftly,

and those taking the lead vigorously,

and those conducting affairs obediently!

Consider the Day when the quaking Blast will come to pass,

followed by a second Blast.

The deniers’ hearts on that Day will be trembling in horror,

with their eyes downcast.

But now they ask mockingly, “Will we really be restored to our former state,

even after we have been reduced to decayed bones?”

Adding, “Then such a return would be a total loss for us!”

But indeed, it will take only one mighty Blast,

and at once they will be above ground.

Has the story of Moses reached you O Prophet?

His Lord called him in the sacred valley of Ṭuwa,

commanding, “Go to Pharaoh, for he has truly transgressed all bounds.

And say, Would you be willing to purify yourself,

and let me guide you to your Lord so that you will be in awe of Him?’”

Then Moses showed him the great sign,

but he denied and disobeyed Allah,

then turned his back, striving against the truth.

Then he summoned his people and called out,

saying, “I am your lord, the most high!”

So Allah overtook him, making him an example in this life and the next.

Surely in this is a lesson for whoever stands in awe of Allah.

Which is harder to create: you or the sky? He built it,

raising it high and forming it flawlessly.

He dimmed its night, and brought forth its daylight.

As for the earth, He spread it out as well,

bringing forth its water and pastures

and setting the mountains firmly upon it—

all as a means of sustenance for you and your animals.

But, when the Supreme Disaster comes to pass—

the Day every person will remember all their striving,

and the Hellfire will be displayed for all to see—

then as for those who transgressed

and preferred the fleeting life of this world,

the Hellfire will certainly be their home.

And as for those who were in awe of standing before their Lord and restrained themselves from evil desires,

Paradise will certainly be their home.

They ask you O Prophet regarding the Hour, “When will it be?”

But it is not for you to tell its time.

That knowledge rests with your Lord alone.

Your duty is only to warn whoever is in awe of it.

On the Day they see it, it will be as if they had stayed in the world no more than one evening or its morning.

simply because the blind man came to him interrupting

You never know O Prophet, perhaps he may be purified,

or he may be mindful, benefitting from the reminder.

As for the one who was indifferent,

you gave him your undivided attention,

even though you are not to blame if he would not be purified.

But as for the one who came to you, eager to learn,

being in awe of Allah,

you were inattentive to him.

But no! This revelation is truly a reminder.

So let whoever wills be mindful of it.

It is written on pages held in honour—

highly esteemed, purified—

by the hands of angel-scribes,

honourable and virtuous.

Condemned are disbelieving humans! How ungrateful they are to Allah!

From what substance did He create them?

He created them from a sperm-drop, and ordained their development.

Then He makes the way easy for them,

then causes them to die and be buried.

Then when He wills, He will resurrect them.

But no! They have failed to comply with what He ordered.

Let people then consider their food:

how We pour down rain in abundance

and meticulously split the earth open for sprouts,

causing grain to grow in it,

as well as grapes and greens,

and olives and palm trees,

and dense orchards,

and fruit and fodder—

all as a means of sustenance for you and your animals.

Then, when the Deafening Blast comes to pass—

on that Day every person will flee from their own siblings,

and even their mother and father,

and even their spouse and children.

For then everyone will have enough concern of their own.

On that Day some faces will be bright,

laughing and rejoicing,

while other faces will be dusty,

cast in gloom—

those are the disbelievers, the wicked sinners.

And when the stars fall,

And when the hills are moved,

And when the camels big with young are abandoned,

And when the wild beasts are herded together,

And when the seas rise,

And when souls are reunited,

And when the girl-child that was buried alive is asked

For what sin she was slain,

And when the pages are laid open,

And when the sky is torn away,

And when hell is lighted,

And when the Garden is brought nigh,

(Then) every soul will know what it hath made ready.

Oh, but I call to witness the planets,

The stars which rise and set,

And the close of night,

And the breath of morning

That this is in truth the word of an honoured messenger,

Mighty, established in the presence of the Lord of the Throne,

(One) to be obeyed, and trustworthy;

And your comrade is not mad.

Surely he beheld Him on the clear horizon.

And he is not avid of the Unseen.

Nor is this the utterance of a devil worthy to be stoned.

Whither then go ye ?

This is naught else than a reminder unto creation,

Unto whomsoever of you willeth to walk straight.

And ye will not, unless (it be) that Allah willeth, the Lord of Creation.

and when the stars fall away,

and when the seas burst forth,

and when the graves spill out,

then each soul will know what it has sent forth or left behind.

O humanity! What has emboldened you against your Lord, the Most Generous,

Who created you, fashioned you, and perfected your design,

moulding you in whatever form He willed?

But no! In fact, you deny the ˹final˺ Judgment,

while you are certainly observed by vigilant,

honourable angels, recording ˹everything.

They know whatever you do.

Indeed, the virtuous will be in bliss,

and the wicked will be in Hell,

burning in it on Judgment Day,

and they will have no escape from it.

What will make you realize what Judgment Day is?

Again, what will make you realize what Judgment Day is?

˹It is˺ the Day no soul will be of ˹any˺ benefit to another whatsoever, for all authority on that Day belongs to Allah entirely.

Those who when they take the measure from mankind demand it full,

But if they measure unto them or weight for them, they cause them loss.

Do such (men) not consider that they will be raised again

Unto an Awful Day,

The day when (all) mankind stand before the Lord of the Worlds?

Nay, but the record of the vile is in Sijjin

Ah! what will convey unto thee what Sijjin is!

A written record.

Woe unto the repudiators on that day!

Those who deny the Day of Judgment

Which none denieth save each criminal transgressor,

Who, when thou readest unto him Our revelations, saith: (Mere) fables of the men of old.

Nay, but that which they have earned is rust upon their hearts.

Nay, but surely on that day they will be covered from (the mercy of) their Lord.

Then lo! they verily will burn in hell,

And it will be said (unto them): This is that which ye used to deny.

Nay, but the record of the righteous is in 'Illiyin

Ah, what will convey unto thee what 'Illiyin is!

A written record,

Attested by those who are brought near (unto their Lord).

Lo! the righteous verily are in delight,

On couches, gazing,

Thou wilt know in their faces the radiance of delight.

They are given to drink of a pure wine, sealed,

Whose seal is musk - for this let (all) those strive who strive for bliss –

And mixed with water of Tasnim,

A spring whence those brought near (to Allah) drink.

Lo! the guilty used to laugh at those who believed,

And wink one to another when they passed them;

And when they returned to their own folk, they returned jesting;

And when they saw them they said: Lo! these have gone astray.

Yet they were not sent as guardians over them.

This day it is those who believe who have the laugh of disbelievers,

On high couches, gazing.

Are not the disbelievers paid for what they used to do?

And attentive to her Lord in fear,

And when the earth is spread out

And hath cast out all that was in her, and is empty

And attentive to her Lord in fear!

Thou, verily, O man, art working toward thy Lord a work which thou wilt meet (in His presence).

Then whoso is given his account in his right hand

He truly will receive an easy reckoning

And will return unto his folk in joy.

But whoso is given his account behind his back,

He surely will invoke destruction

And be thrown to scorching fire.

He verily lived joyous with his folk,

He verily deemed that he would never return (unto Allah).

Nay, but lo! his Lord is ever looking on him!

Oh, I swear by the afterglow of sunset,

And by the night and all that it enshroudeth,

And by the moon when she is at the full,

That ye shall journey on from plane to plane.

What aileth them, then, that they believe not

And, when the Qur'an is recited unto them, worship not (Allah)?

Nay, but those who disbelieve will deny;

And Allah knoweth best what they are hiding.

So give them tidings of a painful doom,

Save those who believe and do good works, for theirs is a reward unfailing.

and the promised Day of Judgment

and the witness and what is witnessed!

Condemned are the makers of the ditch—

the fire pit, filled with fuel—

when they sat around it,

watching what they had ˹ordered to be˺ done to the believers,

who they resented for no reason other than belief in Allah—the Almighty, the Praiseworthy—

the One to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and earth. And Allah is a Witness over all things.

Those who persecute the believing men and women and then do not repent will certainly suffer the punishment of Hell and the torment of burning.

Surely those who believe and do good will have Gardens under which rivers flow. That is the greatest triumph.

Indeed, the crushing grip of your Lord is severe.

For He is certainly the One Who originates and resurrects all.

And He is the All-Forgiving, All-Loving—

Lord of the Throne, the All-Glorious,

Doer of whatever He wills.

Has the story of the destroyed forces reached you O Prophet—

the forces of˺ Pharaoh and Thamud?

Yet the disbelievers still persist in denial.

But Allah encompasses them from all sides.

In fact, this is a glorious Quran,

recorded in a Preserved Tablet.

It was narrated from Qatadah that:

He heard Anas say: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'None of you has believed until I am dearer to him than his son, his father and all the people.'"

Lo! they plot a plot (against thee, O Muhammad)

And I plot a plot (against them).

So give a respite to the disbelievers. Deal thou gently with them for a while.

On that Day ˹some˺ faces will be downcast,

˹totally˺ overburdened, exhausted,

burning in a scorching Fire,

left to drink from a scalding spring.

They will have no food except a foul, thorny shrub,

neither nourishing nor satisfying hunger.

On that Day ˹other˺ faces will be glowing with bliss,

˹fully˺ pleased with their striving,

in an elevated Garden,

where no idle talk will be heard.

In it will be a running spring,

along with thrones raised high,

and cups set at hand,

and ˹fine˺ cushions lined up,

and ˹splendid˺ carpets spread out.

Do they not ever reflect on camels—how they were ˹masterfully˺ created;1

and the sky—how it was raised ˹high˺;

and the mountains—how they were firmly set up;

and the earth—how it was levelled out?

So, ˹continue to˺ remind ˹all, O Prophet˺, for your duty is only to remind.

You are not ˹there˺ to compel them ˹to believe˺.

But whoever turns away, persisting in disbelief,

then Allah will inflict upon them the major punishment.1

Surely to Us is their return,

then surely with Us is their reckoning.

This land where you are free to dwell

And by the parents and their children

We have created man into a life of pain and distress and toil and trial

Yet he thinks nothing can overpower him

He boasts: I have wasted great wealth

Does he think no one sees him?

Did we not give him two eyes

And a tongue? And two lips?

And guided him to the parting of two paths.

But he has not taken the uphill and challenging path

And how will you understand the value of the uphill and challenging path?

It is the freeing of a slave

Or giving food in a time of hunger

To a family member

Or to any person in need

Then, being among those believers who heed the warning -- and advise others toward patience and toward compassion

These are the people of the right hand

But for those who disbelieve… they will be the people of the left hand

With a seal of fire closing in on them.

By the sun and his brightness,

And the moon when she followeth him,

And the day when it revealeth him,

And the night when it enshroudeth him,

And the heaven and Him Who built it,

And the earth and Him Who spread it,

And a soul and Him Who perfected it

And inspired it (with conscience of) what is wrong for it and (what is) right for it.

He is indeed successful who causeth it to grow,

And he is indeed a failure who stunteth it.

(The tribe of) Thamud denied (the truth) in their rebellious pride,

When the basest of them broke forth

And the messenger of Allah said: It is the she-camel of Allah, so let her drink!

But they denied him, and they hamstrung her, so Allah doomed them for their sin and razed (their dwellings).

He dreadeth not the sequel (of events).

and the day when it shines!

By (the mystery of) the creation of male and female;-

Surely the ends you strive for are diverse.

As for the one who is charitable, mindful ˹of Allah˺,

and ˹firmly˺ believes in the finest reward,

We will indeed make smooth for him the path to Bliss.

But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient,

And gives the lie to the best,-

We will indeed make smooth for him the path to Misery;

Nor will his wealth profit him when he falls headlong (into the Pit).

It is certainly upon Us ˹alone˺ to show ˹the way to˺ guidance.

And surely to Us ˹alone˺ belong this life and the next.

Therefore do I warn you of a Fire blazing fiercely;

in which none will burn except the most wretched—

Who give the lie to Truth and turn their backs.

But those most devoted to Allah shall be removed far from it,-

Those who spend their wealth for increase in self-purification,

And have in their minds no favour from anyone for which a reward is expected in return,

but seeking the pleasure of their Lord, the Most High.

And soon will they attain (complete) satisfaction.

By the morning sunlight,

and the night when it falls still!

Your Lord ˹O Prophet˺ has not abandoned you, nor has He become hateful ˹of you˺.

And the next life is certainly far better for you than this one.

And ˹surely˺ your Lord will give so much to you that you will be pleased.

Did He not find you as an orphan then sheltered you?

Did He not find you unguided then guided you?

And did He not find you needy then satisfied your needs?

So do not oppress the orphan,

nor repulse the beggar.

And proclaim the blessings of your Lord.

relieved you of the burden

which weighed so heavily on your back,

and elevated your renown for you?1

So, surely with hardship comes ease.

Surely with ˹that˺ hardship comes ˹more˺ ease.1

So once you have fulfilled ˹your duty˺, strive ˹in devotion˺,

turning to your Lord ˹alone˺ with hope.

By Mount Sinai,

And by this land made safe;

Surely We created man of the best stature

Then we reduced him to the lowest of the low,

Save those who believe and do good works, and theirs is a reward unfailing.

So who henceforth will give the lie to thee about the judgment?

Is not Allah the most conclusive of all judges?

created humans from a clinging clot.

Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous,

Who taught by the pen—

taught humanity what they knew not.

Most certainly, one exceeds all bounds

once they think they are self-sufficient.

˹But˺ surely to your Lord is the return ˹of all˺.

Have you seen the man who prevents

a servant ˹of Ours˺ from praying?1

What if this ˹servant˺ is ˹rightly˺ guided,

or encourages righteousness?

What if that ˹man˺ persists in denial and turns away?

Does he not know that Allah sees ˹all˺?

But no! If he does not desist, We will certainly drag him by the forelock—

a lying, sinful forelock.

So let him call his associates.

We will call the wardens of Hell.

Again, no! Never obey him ˹O Prophet˺! Rather, ˹continue to˺ prostrate and draw near ˹to Allah˺.

And what will explain to thee what the night of power is?

The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.

Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah's permission, on every errand:

Peace!... This until the rise of morn!

"No one who commits Zina (an immoral sexual act) is a believer at the moment when he is committing Zina; no one who steals is a believer at the moment when he is stealing; no one who drinks wine is a believer at the moment when he is drinking it; and no robber is a believer at the moment when he is robbing and the people are looking on.

A messenger from Allah, reading purified pages

Containing correct scriptures.

Nor were the People of the Scripture divided until after the clear proof came unto them.

And they are ordered naught else than to serve Allah, keeping religion pure for Him, as men by nature upright, and to establish worship and to pay the poor-due. That is true religion.

Lo! those who disbelieve, among the People of the Scripture and the idolaters, will abide in fire of hell. They are the worst of created beings.

(And) lo! those who believe and do good works are the best of created beings.

Their reward is with their Lord: Gardens of Eden underneath which rivers flow, wherein they dwell for ever. Allah hath pleasure in them and they have pleasure in Him. This is (in store) for him who feareth his Lord.

A person lit a fire and when the atmosphere was aglow, moths and insects began to fall into the fire, but I am there to hold them back, but they are plunging into it despite my efforts, and he further added: That is your example and mine. I am there to hold you back from fire and to save you from it, but you are plunging into it despite my efforts.

Muhammad Wrestles Mecca’s Strongest Man… and Moves a Tree

Gabriel Goes on a Killing Spree

IYAS… a young sage with Old Fools

The Idol in the Cesspool

Al Tufayl came to the Kaaba.

Muhammad converts 20 Christians

And Earth yieldeth up her burdens,

And man saith: What aileth her?

That day she will relate her chronicles,

Because thy Lord inspireth her.

That day mankind will issue forth in scattered groups to be shown their deeds.

And whoso doeth good an atom's weight will see it then,

And whoso doeth ill an atom's weight will see it then.

The Muslims draw first blood

An attempted bribe… and the ultimate in cynical politics

An Islamic lesson in how miracles work

striking sparks of fire ˹with their hoofs˺,

launching raids at dawn,

stirring up ˹clouds of˺ dust,

and penetrating into the heart of enemy lines!

Surely humankind is ungrateful to their Lord—

and they certainly attest to this—

and they are truly extreme in their love of ˹worldly˺ gains.

Do they not know that when the contents of the graves will be spilled out,

and the secrets of the hearts will be laid bare—

surely their Lord is All-Aware of them on that Day.

What is the Calamity?

Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Calamity is!

A day wherein mankind will be as thickly-scattered moths

And the mountains will become as carded wool.

Then, as for him whose scales are heavy (with good works),

He will live a pleasant life.

But as for him whose scales are light,

A bereft and Hungry One will be his mother,

Ah, what will convey unto thee what she is! –

Raging Fire.

Until ye come to the graves.

Nay, but ye will come to know!

Nay, but ye will come to know!

Nay, would that ye knew (now) with a sure knowledge!

For ye will behold hell-fire.

Aye, ye will behold it with sure vision.

Then, on that day, ye will be asked concerning pleasure.

By the declining day,

Lo! man is in a state of loss,

Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance.

Who hath gathered wealth (of this world) and arranged it.

He thinketh that his wealth will render him immortal.

Nay, but verily he will be flung to the Consuming One.

Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Consuming One is!

(It is) the fire of Allah, kindled,

Which leapeth up over the hearts (of men).

Lo! it is closed in on them

In outstretched columns.

Did He not bring their stratagem to naught,

And send against them swarms of flying creatures,

Which pelted them with stones of baked clay,

And made them like green crops devoured (by cattle)?

For their taming (We cause) the caravans to set forth in winter and summer.

So let them worship the Lord of this House,

Who hath fed them against hunger and hath made them safe from fear.

"Part of the perfection of one's Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him."

That is he who repelleth the orphan,

And urgeth not the feeding of the needy.

Ah, woe unto worshippers

Who are heedless of their prayer;

Who would be seen (at worship)

Yet refuse small kindnesses!

On the authority of Abu Najeeh al-’Irbaad ibn Saariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) gave us a sermon by which our hearts were filled with fear and tears came to our eyes. So we said, “O Messenger of Allah! It is as though this is a farewell sermon, so counsel us.” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “I counsel you to have taqwa (fear) of Allah, and to listen and obey [your leader], even if a slave were to become your ameer. Verily he among you who lives long will see great controversy, so you must keep to my Sunnah and to the Sunnah of the Khulafa ar-Rashideen (the rightly guided caliphs), those who guide to the right way. Cling to it stubbornly [literally: with your molar teeth]. Beware of newly invented matters [in the religion], for verily every bidah (innovation) is misguidance.”

So pray unto thy Lord, and sacrifice.

Lo! it is thy insulter (and not thou) who is without posterity.

The translations of this in English are wildly different, so I’ll give two more translations in addition to the Pickthall translation heard above:

Yusuf Ali

To thee have We granted the Fount (of Abundance).

Therefore to thy Lord turn in Prayer and Sacrifice.

For he who hateth thee, he will be cut off (from Future Hope).

And now for something completely different – here’s the Sahih International version:

Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muḥammad], al-Kawthar.

So pray to your Lord and offer sacrifice [to Him alone].

Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off. - From all good in this world and the Hereafter.

This episode is about Adam in the beginning, how the devil was created from a rogue jinn, and what it all means for Islamic verses Christian theology.

It is narrated on the authority of Tamim ad-Dari that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

"The Religion is sincerity." We said, "To whom?" He said "To Allah, to His Book, To His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their masses."

• The first Islamic martyr.
• The freeing of Bilal.
• A big loss for Abu Jahl.
• The addition of Hamza and Umar.

I worship not that which ye worship;

Nor worship ye that which I worship.

And I shall not worship that which ye worship.

Nor will ye worship that which I worship.

Unto you your religion, and unto me my religion.

Muhammad went public the backlash was not immediate from most Meccans – he received plenty of mockery, but no outright violence. That would soon change.

And thou seest mankind entering the religion of Allah in troops,

Then hymn the praises of thy Lord, and seek forgiveness of Him. Lo! He is ever ready to show mercy.

Read: In the name of thy Lord Who createth,

Createthman from a clot.

Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous,

Who teacheth by the pen,

Teachethman that which he knew not.

There is little on Muhammad’s first 40 years, not dissimilar to the pre-ministry days of Jesus. And what is there, it really is impossible to tell legend from fact from hagiography.

Regardless of what you want to call it, there are a few good stories about Muhammad before his ministry. Here are my top 5:

The textbook explanation for the difference between Sunni and Shia is almost always the succession of Muhammad after his death and whom each side supported. It’s correct, but it’s really just a starting point. I start this episode talking about the commemoration of Husayn’s martyrdom at Karbala – because that’s really the birth of the divide – when Shia became an actual thing.

The implications of this – this Muslim version of the golden rule -- are far-reaching. It means that when Muhammad talks about being a believer, it’s way beyond smashing idols and proclaiming there is only one God. This is surface belief, performative belief. To truly believe you must internalize the message and live it. When a Muslim proclaims that there is no God but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God – it also means a pledge of altruism.

1.      The first is the isnad, or chain of reporters. It’s critical that the chain custody, so to speak, go back to a companion of the prophet. Like the canonization of the Gospels, this became necessary as people began to make things up to support a political or theological position. All hadith are now classified as sahih, hasan, or da’if. In English that’s sound, good and weak.

2.      

The second part is the story itself, which is usually not too long.

Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,

The King of mankind,

The god of mankind,

From the evil of the sneaking whisperer,

Who whispereth in the hearts of mankind,

Of the jinn and of mankind.

The archetype of the Christian Bible is the novel. It has a beginning, an end, characters, protagonists, antagonists and all the hallmarks of classic literature. The closest Christian equivalent would be the Psalms. But the Psalms were the poetry of a man – the Quran, for Muslims, is the poetry of God.

1.      

The Message. It’s a 1976 film centered on the life of Muhammad and his message, thus the title. It's available to rent on Amazon…

2.      

Islam: Empire of Faith. This is a PBS documentary. Last I checked it was on YouTube, so you don’t need to pay for it.

3.      

The Messiah (2007). This should not be confused with the short-lived Netflix series. The Messiah is a movie out of Iran that tells the story of Jesus from an Islamic perspective. Type – The Messiah 2007 full movie – into YouTube and it should be easy to find. Look for a movie that’s about an hour 22. It’s obviously not in English, but there are subtitles.

1. Before the first revelation – before 610.

2. The Mecca period – 610-622.

3. The Medina period – 622-632

4. Rightly guided caliphs – 632-661

5. Umayyad (spell) Caliphate – 661-750

6. Abbasid (spell) Caliphate 750-1258

7. Mongol Era 1258-1503

8. The Gunpowder Empires – Ottomans, Safavids and Mughals 1503 until about 1800

9. Decline and colonization – 1800s to 1918

10. The modern century – 1918 to present

Brief introduction of the author, the purpose of this podcast and what to expect.