Surah 26. Ash-Shuara

1.

Ta-Sin-Mim.

2.

These are the verses of the clear Book.

3.

Perhaps you 'O Prophet' will grieve yourself to death over their disbelief.

4.

If We willed, We could send down upon them a 'compelling' sign from the heavens, leaving their necks bent in 'utter' submission to it.

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Whatever new reminder comes to them from the Most Compassionate, they always turn away from it.

6.

They have certainly denied 'the truth', so they will soon face the consequences of their ridicule.

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Have they failed to look at the earth, 'to see' how many types of fine plants We have caused to grow in it?

8.

Surely in this is a sign. Yet most of them would not believe.

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And your Lord is certainly the Almighty, Most Merciful.

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'Remember' when your Lord called out to Moses, 'Go to the wrongdoing people-

11.

the people of Pharaoh. Will they not fear 'Allah'?'

12.

He replied, 'My Lord! I fear that they will reject me.

13.

And 'so' my heart will be broken and my tongue will be tied. So send Aaron along 'as a messenger'.

14.

Also, they have a charge against me,¹ so I fear they may kill me.'

 For killing an Egyptian by mistake before prophethood. See 28:15-17.

15.

Allah responded, 'Certainly not! So go, both of you, with Our signs. We will be with you, listening.

16.

Go to Pharaoh and say, 'We are messengers from the Lord of all worlds,

17.

'commanded to say:' 'Let the Children of Israel go with us.'''

18.

Pharaoh protested, 'Did we not raise you among us as a child, and you stayed several years of your life in our care?

19.

Then you did what you did,¹ being 'utterly' ungrateful!'

 See previous footnote.

20.

Moses replied, 'I did it then, lacking guidance.

21.

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

22.

How can that be a 'favour,' of which you remind me, when 'it was only because' you 'have' enslaved the Children of Israel?'

23.

Pharaoh asked, 'And what is 'the Lord of all worlds'?'

24.

Moses replied, ''He is' the Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between, if only you had sure faith.'

25.

Pharaoh said to those around him, 'Did you hear 'what he said'?'

26.

Moses added, ''He is' your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.'

27.

Pharaoh said 'mockingly', 'Your messenger, who has been sent to you, must be insane.'

28.

Moses responded: ''He is' the Lord of the east and west, and everything in between, if only you had any sense.'

29.

Pharaoh threatened, 'If you take any other god besides me, I will certainly have you imprisoned.'

30.

Moses responded, 'Even if I bring you a clear proof?'

31.

Pharaoh demanded, 'Bring it then, if what you say is true.'

32.

So he threw down his staff and- behold!- it became a real snake.

33.

Then he drew his hand 'out of his collar' and it was 'shining' white for all to see.

34.

Pharaoh said to the chiefs around him, 'He is indeed a skilled magician,

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who seeks to drive you from your land by his magic. So what do you propose?'

36.

They replied, 'Let him and his brother wait and dispatch mobilizers to all cities

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to bring you every skilled magician.'

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So the magicians were assembled at the set time on the appointed day.

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And the people were asked, 'Will you join the gathering,

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so that we may follow the magicians if they prevail?'

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When the magicians came, they asked Pharaoh, 'Shall we have a 'suitable' reward if we prevail?'

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He replied, 'Yes, and you will then certainly be among those closest to me.'

43.

Moses said to them, 'Cast whatever you wish to cast.'

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So they cast down their ropes and staffs, saying, 'By Pharaoh's might, it is we who will surely prevail.'

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Then Moses threw down his staff, and- behold!- it devoured the objects of their illusion!

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So the magicians fell down, prostrating.

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They declared, 'We 'now' believe in the Lord of all worlds-

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the Lord of Moses and Aaron.'

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Pharaoh threatened, 'How dare you believe in him before I give you permission? He must be your master who taught you magic, but soon you will see. I will certainly cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, then crucify you all.'

50.

They responded, ''That would be' no harm! Surely to our Lord we will 'all' return.

51.

We really hope that our Lord will forgive our sins, as we are the first to believe.'

52.

And We inspired Moses, 'saying,' 'Leave with My servants at night, for you will surely be pursued.'

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Then Pharaoh sent mobilizers to all cities,

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'and said,' 'These 'outcasts' are just a handful of people,

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who have really enraged us,

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but we are all on the alert.'

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So We lured the tyrants¹ out of 'their' gardens, springs,

 Pharaoh and his soldiers.

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treasures, and splendid residences.

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So it was. And We awarded it 'all' to the Children of Israel.

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And so they pursued them at sunrise.

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When the two groups came face to face, the companions of Moses cried out, 'We are overtaken for sure.'

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Moses reassured 'them', 'Absolutely not! My Lord is certainly with me- He will guide me.'

63.

So We inspired Moses: 'Strike the sea with your staff,' and the sea was split, each part was like a huge mountain.

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We drew the pursuers to that place,

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and delivered Moses and those with him all together.

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Then We drowned the others.

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Surely in this is a sign. Yet most of them would not believe.

68.

And your Lord is certainly the Almighty, Most Merciful.

69.

Relate to them 'O Prophet' the story of Abraham,

70.

when he questioned his father and his people, 'What is that you worship 'besides Allah'?'

71.

They replied, 'We worship idols, to which we are fully devoted.'

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Abraham asked, 'Can they hear you when you call upon them?

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Or can they benefit or harm you?'

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They replied, 'No! But we found our forefathers doing the same.'

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Abraham responded, 'Have you 'really' considered what you have been worshipping-

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you and your ancestors?

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They are 'all' enemies to me, except the Lord of all worlds.

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'He is' the One Who created me, and He 'alone' guides me.

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'He is' the One Who provides me with food and drink.

80.

And He 'alone' heals me when I am sick.

81.

And He 'is the One Who' will cause me to die, and then bring me back to life.

82.

And He is 'the One' Who, I hope, will forgive my flaws¹ on Judgment Day.'

 It is reported in an authentic narration collected by At-Tirmiⱬi that Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) said that Abraham (ﷺ) did not tell the full truth only on three different occasions: when he justified his absence from the pagan festival by saying ‘I am really sick’ (see 37:89), and when he destroyed the idols and blamed it on the biggest one (see 21:63), and when he said that Sarah was his sister to save her from a tyrant ruler.

83.

'My Lord! Grant me wisdom, and join me with the righteous.

84.

Bless me with honourable mention among later generations.¹

 On a daily basis, Muslims invoke Allah’s blessings upon Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) and his family and Prophet Abraham (ﷺ) and his family, in both obligatory and optional prayers.

85.

Make me one of those awarded the Garden of Bliss.

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Forgive my father, for he is certainly one of the misguided.

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And do not disgrace me on the Day all will be resurrected-

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the Day when neither wealth nor children will be of any benefit.

89.

Only those who come before Allah with a pure heart 'will be saved'.'¹

 A pure and sound heart is that of the believer, compared to that of the disbeliever and the hypocrite.

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'On that Day' Paradise will be brought near to the God-fearing,

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and the Hellfire will be displayed to the deviant.

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And it will be said to them, 'Where are those you used to worship

93.

besides Allah? Can they help you or even help themselves?'

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Then the idols will be hurled headlong into Hell, along with the deviant

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and the soldiers of Iblîs,¹ all together.

 Iblîs was the name of Satan before his fall from grace. See footnote for 2:34.

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There the deviant will cry while disputing with their idols,

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'By Allah! We were clearly mistaken,

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when we made you equal to the Lord of all worlds.

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And none led us astray other than the wicked.

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Now we have none to intercede for us,

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nor a close friend.

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If only we could have a second chance, then we would be believers.'

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Surely in this is a sign. Yet most of them would not believe.

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And your Lord is certainly the Almighty, Most Merciful.

105.

The people of Noah rejected the messengers¹

 lit., messengers, because denying Noah (ﷺ) was equal to denying all of Allah’s messengers.

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when their brother Noah said to them, 'Will you not fear 'Allah'?

107.

I am truly a trustworthy messenger to you.

108.

So fear Allah, and obey me.

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I do not ask you for any reward for this 'message'. My reward is only from the Lord of all worlds.

110.

So fear Allah, and obey me.'

111.

They argued, 'How can we believe in you, when you are followed 'only' by the lowest of the low?'¹

 The pagans were accusing the impoverished believers of following Noah (ﷺ) only for personal gain, not out of sincere faith.

112.

He responded, 'And what knowledge do I have of what they do?

113.

Their judgment is with my Lord, if you had any sense!

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I am not going to expel the believers.

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I am only sent with a clear warning.'

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They threatened, 'If you do not desist, O Noah, you will surely be stoned 'to death'.'

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Noah prayed, 'My Lord! My people have truly rejected me.

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So judge between me and them decisively, and save me and the believers with me.'

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So We saved him and those with him in the fully loaded Ark.

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Then afterwards We drowned the rest.

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Surely in this is a sign. Yet most of them would not believe.

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And your Lord is certainly the Almighty, Most Merciful.

123.

The people of 'Âd rejected the messengers

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when their brother Hûd said to them, 'Will you not fear 'Allah'?

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I am truly a trustworthy messenger to you.

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So fear Allah, and obey me.

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I do not ask you for any reward for this 'message'. My reward is only from the Lord of all worlds.

128.

'Why' do you build a landmark on every high place in vanity,

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and construct castles, as if you are going to live forever,

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and act so viciously when you attack 'others'?

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So fear Allah, and obey me.

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Fear the One Who has provided you with 'the good' things you know:

133.

He provided you with cattle, and children,

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and gardens, and springs.

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I truly fear for you the torment of a tremendous day.'

136.

They responded, 'It is all the same to us whether you warn 'us' or not.

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This is simply the tradition of our predecessors.

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And we will never be punished.'

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So they rejected him, and 'so' We destroyed them. Surely in this is a sign. Yet most of them would not believe.

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And your Lord is certainly the Almighty, Most Merciful.

141.

The people of Thamûd rejected the messengers

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when their brother Salih said to them, 'Will you not fear 'Allah'?

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I am truly a trustworthy messenger to you.

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So fear Allah, and obey me.

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I do not ask you for any reward for this 'message'. My reward is only from the Lord of all worlds.

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Do you think you will be 'forever' left secure in what you have here:

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amid gardens and springs,

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and 'various' crops, and palm trees 'loaded' with tender fruit;

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to carve homes in the mountains with great skill?

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So fear Allah, and obey me.

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And do not follow the command of the transgressors,

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who spread corruption throughout the land, never setting things right.'

153.

They replied, 'You are simply bewitched!

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You are only a human being like us, so bring forth a sign if what you say is true.'

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Salih said, 'Here is a camel. She will have her turn to drink as you have yours, each on an appointed day.

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And do not ever touch her with harm, or you will be overtaken by the torment of a tremendous day.'

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But they killed her, becoming regretful.

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So the punishment overtook them. Surely in this is a sign. Yet most of them would not believe.

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And your Lord is certainly the Almighty, Most Merciful.

160.

The people of Lot rejected the messengers

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when their brother Lot said to them, 'Will you not fear 'Allah'?

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I am truly a trustworthy messenger to you.

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So fear Allah, and obey me.

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I do not ask you for any reward for this 'message'. My reward is only from the Lord of all worlds.

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Why do you 'men' lust after fellow men,¹

 lit., men of the world.

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leaving the wives that your Lord has created for you? In fact, you are a transgressing people.'

167.

They threatened, 'If you do not desist, O Lot, you will surely be expelled.'

168.

Lot responded, 'I am truly one of those who despise your 'shameful' practice.

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My Lord! Save me and my family from 'the consequences of' what they do.'

170.

So We saved him and all of his family,

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except an old woman,¹ who was one of the doomed.

 Lot’s wife, who betrayed her husband.

172.

Then We utterly destroyed the rest,

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pouring upon them a rain 'of brimstone'. How evil was the rain of those who had been warned!

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Surely in this is a sign. Yet most of them would not believe.

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And your Lord is certainly the Almighty, Most Merciful.

176.

The residents of the Forest rejected the messengers

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when Shu'aib said to them,¹ 'Will you not fear 'Allah'?

 Unlike other prophets in this sûrah who are identified as the brothers of fellow tribesmen, Shu’aib is not identified as the brother of the people of the Aykah (which is the name of the forest where they used to worship a particular tree) because they are identified by faith, rather than a tribal connection.

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I am truly a trustworthy messenger to you.

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So fear Allah, and obey me.

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I do not ask you for any reward for this 'message'. My reward is only from the Lord of all worlds.

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Give full measure, and cause no loss 'to others'.

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Weigh with an even balance,

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and do not defraud people of their property. Nor go about spreading corruption in the land.

184.

And fear the One Who created you and 'all' earlier peoples.'

185.

They replied, 'You are simply bewitched!

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Also, you are only a human being like us, and we think you are indeed a liar.

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So cause 'deadly' pieces of the sky to fall upon us, if what you say is true.'

188.

Shu'aib responded, 'My Lord knows best whatever you do.'

189.

So they rejected him, and 'so' were overtaken by the torment of the day of the 'deadly' cloud.¹ That was really a torment of a tremendous day.

 They were targeted by scorching heat, so they did not know where to go. Finally, a soothing cloud appeared in the sky, so they rushed to it for shade, then the cloud rained torment upon them, as they had requested.

190.

Surely in this is a sign. Yet most of them would not believe.

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And your Lord is certainly the Almighty, Most Merciful.

192.

This is certainly a revelation from the Lord of all worlds,

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which the trustworthy spirit 'Gabriel' brought down

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into your heart 'O Prophet'- so that you may be one of the warners-

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in a clear Arabic tongue.

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And it has indeed been 'foretold' in the Scriptures of those before.

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Was it not sufficient proof for the deniers that it has been recognized by the knowledgeable among the Children of Israel?¹

 i.e., ’Abdullâh ibn Salâm, a Jewish authority, who accepted Islam during the time of the Prophet (ﷺ).

198.

Had We revealed it to a non-Arab,

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who would then recite it to the deniers 'in fluent Arabic', still they would not have believed in it!

200.

This is how We allow denial 'to steep' into the hearts of the wicked.

201.

They will not believe in it until they see the painful punishment,

202.

which will take them by surprise when they least expect 'it'.

203.

Then they will cry, 'Can we be allowed more time?'

204.

Do they 'really' seek to hasten Our torment?

205.

Imagine 'O Prophet' if We allowed them enjoyment for years,

206.

then there came to them what they had been threatened with:

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would that enjoyment be of any benefit to them 'at all'?

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We have never destroyed a society without warners

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to remind 'them', for We would never wrong 'anyone'.

210.

It was not the devils who brought this 'Quran' down:

211.

it is not for them 'to do so', nor can they,

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for they are strictly barred from 'even' overhearing 'it'.¹

  The devils can no longer eavesdrop on heaven. See 72:8-10.

213.

So do not ever call upon any other god besides Allah, or you will be one of the punished.

214.

And warn 'all, starting with' your closest relatives,

215.

and be gracious to the believers who follow you.

216.

But if they disobey you, say, 'I am certainly free of what you do.'

217.

Put your trust in the Almighty, Most Merciful,

218.

Who sees you when you rise 'for prayer at night',

219.

as well as your movements 'in prayer' along with 'fellow' worshippers.

220.

He 'alone' is indeed the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

221.

Shall I inform you of whom the devils 'actually' descend upon?

222.

They descend upon every sinful liar,

223.

who gives an 'attentive' ear 'to half-truths', mostly passing on sheer lies.¹

 This refers to fortune-tellers who listen to Satanic whispers, adding more lies as they pass on the information to people.

224.

As for poets, they are followed 'merely' by deviants.

225.

Do you not see how they rant in every field,¹

 lit., roam aimlessly in every valley.

226.

only saying what they never do?

227.

Except those who believe, do good, remember Allah often, and 'poetically' avenge 'the believers' after being wrongfully slandered. The wrongdoers will come to know what 'evil' end they will meet.