46 the windswept dunes

(In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful)

 

Ha, Meem.

The Qur'an was Revealed from God,

the Most Exalted, the Most Wise.

He created the heavens and the earth, and everything between them, in Truth,

and for a specified term.

But, those who DisBelieve in God turned away from Him,

although they were warned otherwise.

Say to the DisBelievers, O Muhammad, “Have you thought about the other

false gods you call upon besides God?

Show to me what they have created on the earth; or

did they have any partnership in what was created in the Heavens?

Produce for me any book or Scripture before this,

or some trace of knowledge that supports this, if you are truthful.”

And, no one is more astray from God’s Path than those who beseech to other

 deities than God, and that deity will never respond to their beckon,

and those who do this do not know this.

And, when mankind is gathered altogether on Judgment Day,

those who called upon other deities than God, will not be of the Believers,

and they will deny on that Day their worship of them.

And, when these verses are recited to them as Clear Proof of same,

the DisBelievers of the Truth, will say, “This is obviously sorcery.”

Or, do they say, “He has clearly made this all up”?

Say to them, “If I had made all this up I would not have God’s protection at all.

And, God is all knowing of that which you are involved in.”

And, He is sufficient enough as a Witness between me and you,

and He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.”

Say, O Muhammad, “I am neither the first Servant of God to come,

nor do I reveal something different than the other Servants.

Nor do I know what the final outcome will be for you or I.

I only Believe in that which was Revealed to me,

and I am nothing but a Clear Forewarner.”

Say to the DisBelievers, “Have you thought about if the Qur’an is from God,

then in what condition would be you be in for being arrogant in DisBelief?

Indeed, Allah will not Guide a DisBelieving people.”

And, the DisBelievers say of the Believers, “If it truly had been virtuous,

surely we would have been the first to it.”

And, when they are not guided by it, they say,

 “This is an antiquated fabrication.”

And, previously the Scripture of Moses was to lead others to Mercy.

And, this is a corroborating Book in the Arabic language

to warn those who have committed sin,

and as a good news to those who do Righteous good deeds.

Verily, those who have said, “Our Sovereign Lord is God,”

and remained on the Right Path – there will be no fear for them,

nor will they grieve.

They will be the Companions of the Gardens of Paradise,

to abide therein eternally, as a reward for all they did in life.

And, We command people to be good to their mother and father.

Their mothers carried them in her womb with hardship,

and then gave birth to them with some degree of suffering,

and the gestation and weaning period is thirty months.

And, the child grows in age until he reaches maturity, and at age forty or so,

 he says, “My Sovereign Lord, help me to be thankful

for the blessing you bestowed on me, and upon my parents,

and help me to work in a respectable manner, one morally pleasing to You,

 and make my children good and upright as well.”

Indeed, I ask for your forgiveness, and I am among the Believers.”

Those are the people who God will accept their Righteous good deeds,

overlooking their bad deeds,

and they will be among the Companions of the Gardens of Paradise.

That is the Covenant of Truth they have been promised.

But, the ones who scoff at their parents’ Belief in God, will say,

“So you are promising that I will be resurrected from the earth

when generations before me have already passed on and not returned?”

And, the parents will say, “Misery and suffering will befall you for

your DisBelief!  Believe in God!  Indeed, God’s promise is the Truth.”

But, the DisBelieving children will say,

“This is nothing but legends from the former civilizations.”

They are the ones on whom God’s Decree will take effect,

and they will be like the former civilizations of jinn and mankind.

And, indeed, they are among those who will suffer defeat in the End.

And, for each person, there are varying degrees of reward and punishment

for what they did in life, and this is so that God may fully reward them

for their Righteous good deeds, and they will not be mistreated.

And, on Judgment Day, those who DisBelieved in God, will be exposed

to the Fiery Blaze, saying, “You enjoyed and used up all your pleasures

 in your worldly life. Consequently, you will be given the punishment

of humiliation because you were arrogant in your DisBelief while on the earth,

without right to be, and you were perversely rebellious.”

And, remind them, O Muhammad, of the Messenger Hud,

when he warned his people in the region of the al-Ahqaf,

the windswept sand dunes.  And, Messengers had already come before him,

and after him, saying, “Do not worship anything but God alone.

Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of Judgment Day.”

They said, “Have you come to mislead us away from our deities?

Then, bring to us what you promise, if you are being truthful.”

He said, “Knowledge about the Day rests only with Allah.

And, I communicate to you that which I was sent; but, I see

that you are an ignorant people.”

And, when they saw a large cloud approaching their valley, they said,

“Oh, this is a raincloud bringing us rain.”

Instead, it was that which they were inpatient for, a dreadful storm with

an agonizing punishment within it, that destroyed everything by God’s command.

And, nothing was left of them, but their empty dwellings.

Thus, do we reward the defiant people.

And, We certainly judged them, but we have not yet judged you.

And, We gave to them hearing to Hear God’s Word, and vision to see

God’s works, and a heart to feel. 

But, their hearing, vision and hearts did not benefit them from the

punishment.  And, they were perpetually denying God’s signs;

and they were encompassed by that which they used to make fun of.

And, We have opened your hearts to Belief, and We have

expanded and diversified Our Verses so that perhaps they

may return from DisBelief.

So, why didn’t the deities they worshiped besides God avail them?

But, they left them to fend for themselves. 

And, that was the lies they believed in, and what they fabricated.

And, mention to them, O Muhammad, when We sent to you some jinn

to listen to the Qur’an.  And, when they did so they said, “Listen quietly.”

And, when it was completed, they returned to their people as warners.

They said, “O People, indeed, we have listened to the Qur’an,

Revealed after the Scriptures of Moses, corroborating God’s early Word,

that is a Guide to the Truth and the Right Path.

O People, follow the Messenger of God,

and Believe in Him.

And, God will forgive you your sins,

and protect you from the agonizing punishment.

However, he who does not follow God’s Messenger,

will not cause failure to God on earth.  

And, he will not have any helper or protector besides Allah.

They are making a grievous mistake by their DisBelief.”

Do they not realize that God created the Heavens and the earth,

and, He did not fail to create them as well, and

that He alone can bring the dead back to life?

Yes, verily, God is over all things the Most Competent.

And, on the Day when the DisBelievers are exposed to the Fiery Blaze,

it will be said to them, “Isn’t this real?”

And, they will reply, “Yes, by our Sovereign Lord God, it is.”

And, He will say, “Taste then of the punishment of what you used to deny.”

So wait, O Muhammad, as did the Messengers before you,

and do not be impatient for the punishment of the DisBelievers.

They will on that Day see that which they were promised,

and they will feel as though they had not been on the earth but for an hour.

This is fair and just warning. 

And, will any be destroyed except the perversely rebellious people?