Sūrah al-Furqān

Very exalted and benevolent is the being who has revealed this Furqān to His servant so that it can warn the people of the world. He for Whom is the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth; He has not made any children for Himself. No one shares His sovereignty. He has created everything and prescribed a due measure for it. But such are people that they have fashioned other deities besides Him who do not create anything; they themselves have been created and also do not have any authority to benefit or harm themselves. They neither have any authority over death nor life. And also do not have the authority to raise the dead.

[Its] disbelievers say: “This Qur’ān is mere falsehood fabricated by this person and some other people have helped him in this task.” By saying this they are guilty of a great injustice and lie. They say: “These are fables of the past which he has had written [from someone]. Thus, now they are recited to him morning and evening so that they can be written down in this Book.” Tell them: [Every word of this Book bears witness that] it has been revealed by the [Lord] Who knows the secrets of the heavens and the earth. [For such rebellious people as your selves, He could have sent down torment as well, but] in reality, He is very Forgiving, Ever-Merciful.

They say: “What kind of a messenger is he? He eats food [like us] and roams around in markets [to fulfil his needs]! Why was not an angel sent to him that he may have accompanied him to warn [those who do not believe] or some treasure was sent down to him or [if not more,] he had an orchard from where he could have eaten?” – these unjust people say: “You people are following a person who is under a magical spell.” See [O Prophet!] what kind of things they say about you. So, they are completely lost; now they are not being able to find any way.

Very benevolent and extremely exalted is the Being who can bless you if He wants with much better things than this – [not one] but many orchards below which streams flow and make palaces for you in them. No, this is not the case. In fact, they have denied the Day of Judgement and for those who deny the Day of Judgement, We have prepared Hell. When it will see them from a distance [it will get enraged at once and] they will hear its rage and roar and when they will be cast into some narrow place in it while being tied up, they will call for death at that time – Today, do not call for one death but call for many deaths. Ask them: Is this better or the eternal Paradise which has been promised to those who fear God. It will be a reward for their deeds and their abode. Whatever they wish there will be present for them. They shall live in it forever. This is a promise for which your Lord is responsible which He has to fulfil come what may.

They should pay heed to the day when He will gather them and those also which they worship besides God. Then, He will ask them: “Did you lead these servants of Mine astray or did they go astray themselves?” They will reply: “Exalted are you! What right did We have to make others guardians besides You. But it happened that you gave them and their forefathers a lot of provisions of life until they forgot your remembrance and ended up as people ruined”– Here, they have regarded you to be liars in what you would say. So, now you can neither save yourselves from punishment nor help yourselves. And whoever among you are guilty of oppression, We shall make them taste a big torment.

Whichever messengers We sent before you also, all ate food and roamed about in markets. [Believers!] We have made you a trial for one another; so, speak up: “Would you show patience on all these things?” [Rest assured! O Prophet] your Lord is observing all [that they are doing].

And those [among them] who do not fear coming before Us, say: “Why were angels not sent to us [in your place]? Or why did this not happen that We could have directly observed God?” They are very arrogant in their hearts and have increased a lot in their rebelliousness. The day they will see the angels, on that day, there shall be no good news for these wrongdoers. [After seeing them,] they will cry out: “Refuge! Refuge!” And We shall move towards whatever deeds they would have done and [take these deeds and] render them into scattered dust. On that Day, the dwellers of Paradise shall be in the best abode and in a very nice resting place.

The Day when the sky shall split apart from above a cloud. [It will appear] and group after group of angels shall be sent [from within it]. On that Day, true sovereignty shall only belong to the Most Merciful God. That Day shall be very harsh for the disbelievers. The Day when the oppressor shall longingly bite his hand and say: “Would that I had adopted the path [of truth] with the messenger. Alas! My misfortune! Would that I had not made so-and-so my friend! It was he who had led me astray and diverted me from God’s remembrance after it had come to me.” It will be said: “Satan is very unfaithful to human beings!” and the messenger will say: “Lord! The people of my nation had totally ignored this Qur’ān,” – [The way these people have become your staunch enemies O Prophet] in the same way We have made enemies from the wrongdoers for every prophet. [Rest assured;] your Lord is sufficient for help and guidance.

These disbelievers say: “Why was this Qur’ān not revealed to him in a single instalment?” Thus have We done this so that We can strengthen your heart through this and it is for this reason that We have gradually revealed it. Whatever objection these people will bring to you, We shall disclose its correct answer and best interpretation to you. [For them, there is only Hell now and] those who will be dragged on their faces towards Hell are the ones who have a very evil abode and they are the ones who have lost their way the most.

We had similarly given Moses the Book and with it had made his brother Aaron his helper. Then We directed both of them to go to people who had [ultimately] denied Our revelations [even after conclusive communication of the truth from both of them]. Then We too utterly devastated them. In a similar manner, when the people of Noah denied the messengers, We drowned them also and made them an exemplary sign for people. For such wrongdoers, We have prepared a painful torment [ahead as well]. The ‘Ād, the Thamūd, the Companions of al-Rass and many nations between them We destroyed as well in a similar way. We tried to make each of them understand by giving them examples [of previous nations] and [when they did not understand], We [ultimately] utterly ravaged each of them. These [people of the Quraysh] have also passed by the settlement on which stones were devastatingly hurled. Then, have they not been observing it? No, this is not the case. In fact, they do not expect to be raised up again.

[Thus, it is as a result of this that] whenever they see you, they only make fun of you [saying]: “So, it is this [person] who God has sent as [His] messenger? He would have turned us away from our deities if We had not strongly adhered to their [worship].” [They insist on this even though] the time is not far when they see the torment, they will come to know who has strayed very far from the path. Have you seen the person [O Prophet] who has made his desire his god? Then, can you take his responsibility? Do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are like mere animals; in fact, even more misguided.

[People! Which Being have you abandoned to end up diligently worshipping these idols?] Have you not seen your Lord how He spreads the shadow of the night? Had He wanted, He would have made it stay [in this manner]. Then [do you not see that] We have made the sun a guide over it? Then [from the sun] We gradually draw it to Our self.¹

It is He Who has made the night a covering for you and made in it sleep a means of comfort and made the day a time to be raised again.

And it is He Who before His [rains of] mercy sends winds as glad tidings. [People, do you not see that] We send down pure water from the sky to revive the dead land of the city and provide water to many animals among Our creatures and to human beings.

We have revealed this Qur’ān among them in various ways [O Prophet] so that they may receive reminders but most people do not live without being ungrateful. If We wanted, We could have sent a warner in each [of their] settlements [but We know that even then they would not have believed]. So, pay no heed to what these disbelievers say, and through this Qur’ān keep waging a great jihād with them.

And [tell them:] It is He Who has left two seas joined together. The water of one is sweet, quenching thirst and the other is alkaline, very bitter. And He has set up a barrier between the two and a very strong obstruction.

And it is He Who created a human being from water; then made for him kindred of blood and of marriage. In reality, your Lord is very powerful.

But such are they that leaving aside God, they are worshipping things which can neither benefit nor harm them and [not only this] these disbelievers have [gone beyond this to] become rivals of their Lord. We have made you [O Prophet] only as a bearer of glad tidings and deliverer of warnings. Tell them: I am not asking any reward from you in return except this that whoever wishes should adopt the way leading to his Lord. Trust that living Being who shall never die and glorify Him while being grateful to Him. [He will deal with them Himself.] He is sufficient to remain aware of the sins of His servants. [He] Who created the heavens and the earth and the things between them in six days; then He ascended the throne. He is the Most Merciful. So, ask [of His majesty] the one who knows Him. When they are asked to prostrate before the Most Merciful, they say: “What is the Most Merciful? Should we prostrate before him whom you direct us to?” And this thing further increases their hate.²

[People! From whom are you deviating? In reality,] very exalted and very benevolent is the being who made strong forts in the sky and made a shining lamp and a glittering moon in it and it is He Who made the night and day follow one another for those who want to be reminded or be grateful.

[It is He Who is the Most Merciful] and the servants of the Most Merciful are ones who walk humbly on earth and when those overcome with emotions try to argue with them, they step aside by saying salām to them. Who spend their nights while prostrating and standing before their Lord. Who pray: “Lord ward off from us the torment of Hell. In reality, its torment holds fast. Surely, it is a very evil abode for staying and living.”

And [are those] who when spend are neither extravagant nor stingy; their spending is in between it on moderation.

And [are those] who do not call any other deity besides God, do not wrongfully kill any soul held sacred by God and do not commit fornication – whosever does these sins, shall bear its consequences. On the Day of Judgement, his torment shall continue to increase and he shall forever abide in it disgraced. Except he who repented, professed faith and did good deeds, then it is such people whose bad deeds God shall transform into good ones. In reality, God is very Forgiving, Ever-Merciful. And he who repents and does good deeds should rest assured because he

returns only to God with full success.

And the servants of the Merciful are those who never participate in any evil and when they have to pass by a frivolous thing, they pass with dignity. And are such that when they are reminded through their Lord’s revelations, they do not fall blind and deaf. And who say: “Our Lord! Grant us the soothing of eyes from our wives and our children and [among these family members of ours] make us the leader of the pious.”³

It is these people who shall get lofty abodes in Paradise because of their perseverance and they shall be welcomed there with salutations and greetings. They shall live in them forever. What a nice place to live and stay.

Tell them [O Prophet]: Were it not for inviting you [to this status], what concern does my Lord have for you? So, you have denied, then [what you have been threatened of] is bound to happen soon such that it shall be difficult to escape from.