Sūrah al-Aḥqāf

This is Sūrah Ḥā Mīm. The revelation of this Book is from the God Who is Powerful, very Wise.

We have created the heavens and the earth and whatever lies between them with a purpose and for a prescribed time and these disbelievers are evading the truth from which they have been warned.

[On what support are they evading?] Tell them: Have you ever reflected that those who you call besides God, just show me what they have created in the earth or do they have some share in the heavens [that they be made deities]? Present before me a book before this or any tradition based on knowledge if you are truthful. Who can be led farther astray than those who invoke others besides God which are not going to answer them until the Day of Judgement? They are not even aware of these people’s supplications and on the day when people shall be gathered, they shall be enemies of those who had called them and shall disown their worship.

When Our clear revelations are recited out to them, these disbelievers say about the truth when it has come to them: “It is plain magic.” Do they say: “This person has fabricated it himself?” Tell them: If I have fabricated it, you will not be able to save me in any way from God’s grasp. He is fully aware of what you are engaged in. He is sufficient as witness for you and me and [if you have this respite, then this is only because] He is very Forgiving, Ever-Merciful.

Tell them: I am not a new messenger; [before this also, only human beings have been sent as messengers.] And I do not know what will happen to me and to you; I only follow what is revealed to me and I am only an open warner.

Ask them: Have you ever thought what will happen at that time if this Qur’ān is from God and you rejected it and a witness from the Israelites has also borne evidence to the revelation of such a Book?” So, he believed and you persisted with your arrogance. Surely, God does not guide such unjust people.¹

These disbelievers say about the believers: “Had this Qur’ān been a good thing, these people [of lowly status] would not have outdone us to it.” And moreover when these people did not obtain guidance from this Qur’ān, they will now say: “This is an old falsehood.”

Before this, the Book of Moses is present, a guide and mercy. And this Book is in confirmation of its prophecies in the Arabic language so that it may warn those who have been unjust to their souls and be a glad tiding to those who are thorough.

Surely, those who have said: “God is our Lord;” then [in spite of all opposition] adhered to it, neither will there be any fear for them nor will they ever be grieved. It is these who are the dwellers of Paradise; they shall remain in it forever as reward for the deeds they would do.

[If you want to understand how people become thorough and become unjust to their souls, then listen:] We have enjoined a human being to show kindness to his parents. With great difficulty, his mother carried him in her womb, and with great difficulty delivered him and his carrying and weaning took place in [almost] three months. Finally [after passing through all these stages] when a human being fully matures and becomes forty years old, he prays: “God give me the urge to express gratitude for your favour which you did to me and to my parents and do those righteous deeds which please you. And also create kindness for me in my children. I turn to you and indeed I am from among the obedient.” It is these people whose good deeds We shall accept from them and whose vices We shall overlook so that they be among the dwellers of Paradise. This is a true promise which has continued to be made with them.

On the other hand, he who said to his parents: “Disgrace be to you! Do you threaten me that I shall be [given life again and] taken out of the grave, whereas so many nations have passed before me and none of them came out?” The parents plead to God: “Woe be to you! Profess faith; surely, true is God’s promise.” But he says: “Nothing! These are tales of past people.” It is these people on whom the word of God has been fulfilled that they are included in the groups of jinnkind and humankind before them. Indeed, they were destined to be in loss.

For each of both these groups there shall be [good or bad] ranks [in the Hereafter] according to their deeds so that God’s promise is fulfilled and so that He gives them their deeds in full. [This is what He will do] and no injustice shall come to them. [People!] Remember the day when these disbelievers will be made to stand before the Fire and it will be said to them: “You have taken your share of good things in your life of the world and you benefitted from them there; so, today you will receive a humiliating torment in return because you would show arrogance in the land without any justification and because you would continue to be disobedient [to God].”

Remind them of ‘Ād, brother of Hūd [O Prophet] when he warned his nation in Aḥqāf and warners had passed [in the areas] in front of it and behind it. He warned: “Do not worship anyone but God; I fear the torment of a horrific day for you.” They replied: “Have you come to us to turn us away from our deities by telling lies? So, if you are truthful, bring that scourge with which you are threatening us.” He said: “[When will it come?] Only God has its knowledge. I am only delivering to you the message with which I have been sent. But I can see that you people are afflicted with absolute ignorance.”

Then when they saw the torment [with which they had been threatened] that a cloud is speedily advancing towards their valleys, they said: “This is a cloud which will drench us.” No! In fact, this is the same thing which you had sought to hasten: a furious wind which contains a woeful scourge. It will rout everything at the behest of its Lord. Then they became such that nothing could be seen there except their houses. Thus do We punish the wrongdoers.

We had given them power in things in which We did not give you power [O Quraysh of Makkah] and We blessed them with ears, eyes and hearts but because they would deny God’s revelations neither were their ears of any avail to them nor their eyes and nor their hearts and they were surrounded by the very thing which they used to make fun of. [Then, not only this,] We had destroyed settlements around you and [before this] We had presented Our revelations to them in a variety of styles [the way We are presenting them to you] so that they pay heed. Then [think that] why did not those beings help them which they had made deities besides God to procure His nearness? In fact, they have been lost upon them. All this was a lie and a false allegation which they would indulge in.

And narrate to them that incident also when We directed a group of jinn towards you so that they hear the Qur’ān. So, when they reached that place [where you were reading the Qur’ān] they said to one another: “Be silent [and listen].” Then when its reading was completed, they returned to their nation to warn them. They said: “People of Our Nation! We have heard a Book which has been revealed after Moses confirming the prophecies [about it] that are present before it. It leads towards the truth and guides to a straight path. People of Our Nation! Accept the invitation of the one who is calling towards God and profess faith in him; He will forgive your sins [that can be forgiven according to His law] and give you refuge from a woeful scourge.”²

And he who does not accept the message of the one who invites towards God should bear in mind that he shall not be able to [run away to some place] in the earth escaping God’s grasp nor shall he have any supporters except God [on the Day of Judgement]. Such are the people who are in open error. Have they not reflected that God Who has created the heavens and the earth and He was not the slightest tired in creating them, is also capable of resurrecting the dead? Why not! Certainly, He has power over everything.

[People!] Keep in mind that Day when these disbelievers shall be brought before Hell. They will be asked: “Is this not a reality?” They will say: “Yes, why not. By Our Lord [it is definitely a reality].” It will be said: “So taste the flavour of punishment because of the denial you had been committing.”

So, [O Prophet] remain steadfast the way resolute prophets remained steadfast and do not ask to hasten [the scourge] for them. The day they will see the thing which they are being threatened with, they will feel as if they did not [remain in the world] more than a part of the day. Your responsibility is to communicate. Now only those people will be destroyed who are defiant.

The Phase of Tazkiyah and Taṭhīr