Surah Az-Zukhruf

 

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

 

Ḥâ-Mĩm. (Quran 43:1)

 

By the clear Book! (Quran 43:2)

 

Certainly, We have made it a Quran in Arabic so perhaps you will understand. (Quran 43:3)

 

And indeed, it is—in the Master Record with Us—highly esteemed, rich in wisdom. (Quran 43:4)

 

Should We then turn the ˹Quranic˺ Reminder away from you ˹simply˺ because you have been a transgressing people? (Quran 43:5)

 

˹Imagine˺ how many prophets We sent to those ˹destroyed˺ before! (Quran 43:6)

 

But no prophet ever came to them without being mocked. (Quran 43:7)

 

So We destroyed those who were far mightier than these ˹Meccans˺. The examples of ˹their˺ predecessors have ˹already˺ been related. (Quran 43:8)

 

If you ask them ˹O Prophet˺ who created the heavens and the earth, they will certainly say, “The Almighty, All-Knowing did.” (Quran 43:9)

 

˹He is the One˺ Who has laid out the earth for you, and set in it pathways for you so that you may find your way. (Quran 43:10)

 

And ˹He is the One˺ Who sends down rain from the sky in perfect measure, with which We give life to a lifeless land. And so will you be brought forth ˹from the grave˺. (Quran 43:11)

 

And ˹He is the One˺ Who created all ˹things in˺ pairs, and made for you ships and animals to ride (Quran 43:12)

 

so that you may sit firmly on their backs, and remember your Lord’s blessings once you are settled on them, saying, “Glory be to the One Who has subjected these for us, for we could have never done so ˹on our own˺. (Quran 43:13)

 

And surely to our Lord we will ˹all˺ return.” (Quran 43:14)

 

Still the pagans have made some of His creation out to be a part of Him. Indeed, humankind is clearly ungrateful. (Quran 43:15)

 

Has He taken ˹angels as His˺ daughters from what He created, and favoured you ˹O pagans˺ with sons? (Quran 43:16)

 

Whenever one of them is given the good news of what they attribute to the Most Compassionate, his face grows gloomy, as he suppresses his rage. (Quran 43:17)

 

˹Do they attribute to Him˺ those who are brought up in fineries and are not commanding in disputes? (Quran 43:18)

 

Still they have labelled the angels, who are servants of the Most Compassionate, as female. Did they witness their creation? Their statement will be recorded, and they will be questioned! (Quran 43:19)

 

And they argue, “Had the Most Compassionate willed, we would have never worshipped them.” They have no knowledge ˹in support˺ of this ˹claim˺. They do nothing but lie. (Quran 43:20)

 

Or have We given them a Book ˹for proof˺, before this ˹Quran˺, to which they are holding firm? (Quran 43:21)

 

In fact, they say, “We found our forefathers following a ˹particular˺ way, and we are following in their footsteps.” (Quran 43:22)

 

Similarly, whenever We sent a warner to a society before you ˹O Prophet˺, its ˹spoiled˺ elite would say, “We found our forefathers following a ˹particular˺ way, and we are walking in their footsteps.” (Quran 43:23)

 

Each ˹warner˺ asked, “Even if what I brought you is better guidance than what you found your forefathers practicing?” They replied, “We totally reject whatever you have been sent with.” (Quran 43:24)

 

So We inflicted punishment upon them. See then what was the fate of the deniers! (Quran 43:25)

 

˹Remember, O Prophet˺ when Abraham declared to his father and his people, “I am totally free of whatever ˹gods˺ you worship, (Quran 43:26)

 

except the One Who originated me, and He will surely guide me.” (Quran 43:27)

 

And he left this enduring declaration among his descendants, so they may ˹always˺ turn back ˹to Allah˺. (Quran 43:28)

 

In fact, I had allowed enjoyment for these ˹Meccans˺ and their forefathers, until the truth came to them along with a messenger making things clear. (Quran 43:29)

 

˹But˺ when the truth came to them, they said, “This is magic, and we totally reject it.” (Quran 43:30)

 

And they exclaimed, “If only this Quran was revealed to a great man from ˹one of˺ the two cities!” (Quran 43:31)

 

Is it they who distribute your Lord’s mercy? We ˹alone˺ have distributed their ˹very˺ livelihood among them in this worldly life and raised some of them in rank above others so that some may employ others in service. ˹But˺ your Lord’s mercy is far better than whatever ˹wealth˺ they amass. (Quran 43:32)

 

Were it not that people might ˹be tempted to˺ become one community ˹of disbelievers˺, We would have supplied the homes of ˹only˺ those who disbelieve in the Most Compassionate with silver roofs and ˹silver˺ stairways to ascend, (Quran 43:33)

 

as well as ˹silver˺ gates and thrones to recline on, (Quran 43:34)

 

and ornaments ˹of gold˺. Yet all this is no more than a ˹fleeting˺ enjoyment in this worldly life. ˹But˺ the Hereafter with your Lord is ˹only˺ for those mindful ˹of Him˺. (Quran 43:35)

 

And whoever turns a blind eye to the Reminder of the Most Compassionate, We place at the disposal of each a devilish one as their close associate, (Quran 43:36)

 

who will certainly hinder them from the ˹Right˺ Way while they think they are ˹rightly˺ guided. (Quran 43:37)

 

But when such a person comes to Us, one will say ˹to their associate˺, “I wish you were as distant from me as the east is from the west! What an evil associate ˹you were˺!” (Quran 43:38)

 

˹It will be said to both,˺ “Since you all did wrong, sharing in the punishment will be of no benefit to you this Day.” (Quran 43:39)

 

Can you make the deaf hear, or guide the blind or those clearly astray? (Quran 43:40)

 

Even if We take you away ˹from this world˺, We will surely inflict punishment upon them. (Quran 43:41)

 

Or if We show you what We threaten them with, We certainly have full power over them. (Quran 43:42)

 

So hold firmly to what has been revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺. You are truly on the Straight Path. (Quran 43:43)

 

Surely this ˹Quran˺ is a glory for you and your people. And you will ˹all˺ be questioned ˹about it˺. (Quran 43:44)

 

Ask ˹the followers of˺ the messengers that We already sent before you if We ˹ever˺ appointed ˹other˺ gods to be worshipped besides the Most Compassionate. (Quran 43:45)

 

Indeed, We sent Moses with Our signs to Pharaoh and his chiefs, and he said: “I am a messenger of the Lord of all worlds.” (Quran 43:46)

 

But as soon as he came to them with Our signs, they laughed at them, (Quran 43:47)

 

although every sign We showed them was greater than the one before. Ultimately, We seized them with torments so that they might return ˹to the Right Path˺. (Quran 43:48)

 

˹Then˺ they pleaded, “O ˹mighty˺ magician! Pray to your Lord on our behalf, by virtue of the covenant He made with you. We will certainly accept guidance.” (Quran 43:49)

 

But as soon as We removed the torments from them, they broke their promise. (Quran 43:50)

 

And Pharaoh called out to his people, boasting, “O my people! Am I not sovereign over Egypt as well as ˹all˺ these streams flowing at my feet? Can you not see? (Quran 43:51)

 

Am I not better than this nobody who can hardly express himself? (Quran 43:52)

 

Why then have no golden bracelets ˹of kingship˺ been granted to him or angels come with him as escorts!” (Quran 43:53)

 

And so he fooled his people, and they obeyed him. They were truly a rebellious people (Quran 43:54)

 

So when they enraged Us, We inflicted punishment upon them, drowning them all. (Quran 43:55)

 

And We made them an example and a lesson for those after them. (Quran 43:56)

 

When the son of Mary was cited as an example ˹in argument˺, your people ˹O Prophet˺ broke into ˹joyful˺ applause. (Quran 43:57)

 

They exclaimed, “Which is better: our gods or Jesus?” They cite him only to argue. In fact, they are a people prone to dispute. (Quran 43:58)

 

He was only a servant We showed favour to, and made as an example for the Children of Israel. (Quran 43:59)

 

Had We willed, We could have easily replaced you ˹all˺ with angels, succeeding one another on earth. (Quran 43:60)

 

And his ˹second˺ coming is truly a sign for the Hour. So have no doubt about it, and follow me. This is the Straight Path. (Quran 43:61)

 

And do not let Satan hinder you, ˹for˺ he is certainly your sworn enemy. (Quran 43:62)

 

When Jesus came with clear proofs, he declared, “I have come to you with wisdom, and to clarify to you some of what you differ about. So fear Allah, and obey me. (Quran 43:63)

 

Surely Allah ˹alone˺ is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him ˹alone˺. This is the Straight Path.” (Quran 43:64)

 

Yet their ˹various˺ groups have differed among themselves ˹about him˺, so woe to the wrongdoers when they face the torment of a painful Day! (Quran 43:65)

 

Are they waiting for the Hour to take them by surprise when they least expect ˹it˺? (Quran 43:66)

 

Close friends will be enemies to one another on that Day, except the righteous, (Quran 43:67)

 

˹who will be told,˺ “O My servants! There is no fear for you Today, nor will you grieve— (Quran 43:68)

 

˹those˺ who believed in Our signs and ˹fully˺ submitted ˹to Us˺. (Quran 43:69)

 

Enter Paradise, you and your spouses, rejoicing.” (Quran 43:70)

 

Golden trays and cups will be passed around to them. There will be whatever the souls desire and the eyes delight in. And you will be there forever. (Quran 43:71)

 

That is the Paradise which you will be awarded for what you used to do. (Quran 43:72)

 

There you will have abundant fruit to eat from. (Quran 43:73)

 

Indeed, the wicked will be in the torment of Hell forever. (Quran 43:74)

 

It will never be lightened for them, and there they will be overwhelmed with despair. (Quran 43:75)

 

We did not wrong them, but it was they who were the wrongdoers. (Quran 43:76)

 

They will cry, “O Mâlik! Let your Lord finish us off.” He will answer, “You are definitely here to stay.” (Quran 43:77)

 

We certainly brought the truth to you, but most of you were resentful of the truth. (Quran 43:78)

 

Or have they mastered some ˹evil˺ plan? Then We ˹too˺ are surely planning (Quran 43:79)

 

Or do they think that We do not hear their ˹evil˺ thoughts and secret talks? Yes ˹We do˺! And Our messenger-angels are in their presence, recording ˹it all˺. (Quran 43:80)

 

Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “If the Most Compassionate ˹really˺ had offspring, I would be the first worshipper.” (Quran 43:81)

 

Glorified is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of the Throne, far above what they claim. (Quran 43:82)

 

So let them indulge ˹in falsehood˺ and amuse ˹themselves˺ until they face their Day, which they have been warned of. (Quran 43:83)

 

It is He Who is ˹the only˺ God in the heavens and ˹the only˺ God on the earth. For He is the All-Wise, All-Knowing. (Quran 43:84)

 

And Blessed is the One to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and everything in between! With Him ˹alone˺ is the knowledge of the Hour. And to Him you will ˹all˺ be returned. (Quran 43:85)

 

˹But˺ those ˹objects of worship˺ they invoke besides Him have no power to intercede, except those who testify to the truth knowingly. (Quran 43:86)

 

If you ask them ˹O Prophet˺ who created them, they will certainly say, “Allah!” How can they then be deluded ˹from the truth˺? (Quran 43:87)

 

˹Allah is Aware of˺ the Prophet’s cry: “O my Lord! Indeed, these are a people who persist in disbelief.” (Quran 43:88)

 

So bear with them and respond with peace. They will soon come to know. (Quran 43:89)