Sūra XXXVI. Yā-Sīn (being Abbreviated Letters).

The Holy Quran, tr. by Yusuf Ali, [1934], at sacred-texts.com

p. 1169

Sūra XXXVI.

Yā-Sīn (being Abbreviated Letters).

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.

1. Yā Sīn.

2. By the Qur-ān
Full of Wisdom,—

3. Thou art indeed
One of the apostles,

4. On a Straight Way.

5. It is a Revelation
Sent down by (Him),
The Exalted in Might,
Most Merciful,

6. In order that thou mayest
Admonish a people,
Whose fathers had received
No admonition, and who
Therefore remain heedless
(Of the Signs of God).

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7. The Word is proved true
Against the greater part of them:
For they do not believe.

8. We have put yokes
Round their necks
Right up to their chins,
So that their heads are
Forced up (and they cannot see).

9. And We have put
A bar in front of them
And a bar behind them,
And further, We have
Covered them up; so that
They cannot see.

10. The same is it to them
Whether thou admonish them
Or thou do not admonish
Them: they will not believe.

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11. Thou canst but admonish
Such a one as follows
The Message and fears
The (Lord) Most Gracious, unseen:
Give such a one, therefore,
Good tidings, of Forgiveness
And a reward most generous.

12. Verily We shall give life
To the dead, and We record
That which they send before
And that which they leave
Behind, and of all things
Have We taken account

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In a clear Book
(Of evidence).

SECTION 2.

13. Set forth to them,
By way of a parable,
The (story of) the Companions
Of the City. Behold,
There came apostles to it.

14. When We (first) sent
To them two apostles,
They rejected them:
But We strengthened them
With a third: they said,
"Truly, we have been sent
On a mission to you."

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15. The (people) said: "Ye are
Only men like ourselves
And (God) Most Gracious
Sends no sort of revelation:
Ye do nothing but lie."

16. They said: "Our Lord doth
Know that we have been sent
On a mission to you:

17. "And our duty is only
To proclaim the clear Message.

18. The (people) said: "For us,
We augur an evil omen

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From you: if ye desist not,
We will certainly stone you.
And a grievous punishment
Indeed will be inflicted
On you by us."

19. They said: "Your evil omens
Are with yourselves:
(Deem ye this an evil omen).
If ye are admonished?
Nay, but ye are a people
Transgressing all bounds!

20. Then there came running,
From the farthest part
Of the City, a man,
Saying, "O my People!
Obey the apostles:

21. "Obey those who ask
No reward of you
(For themselves), and who have
Themselves received Guidance

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22, "It would not be reasonable
In me if I did not
Serve Him Who created me,
And to Whom ye shall
(All) be brought back.

23. "Shall I take (other) gods
Besides Him? If (God)
Most Gracious should
Intend some adversity for me,
Of no use whatever
Will be their intercession
For me, nor can they
Deliver me.

24."I would indeed,
If I were to do so,
Be in manifest Error.

25. "For me, I have faith
In the Lord of you (all):
Listen, then, to me!"

26. It was said: "Enter thou
The Garden." He said:
"Ah me! Would that
My People knew (what I know)!—

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27. "For that my Lord
Has granted me Forgiveness
And has enrolled me
Among those held in honour!"

28. And We sent not down
Against his People, after him,
Any hosts from heaven,
Nor was it needful
For Us so to do.

29. It was no more than
A single mighty Blast,
And behold! they were (like ashes)
Quenched and silent.

30. Ah! alas for (My) servants!
There comes not an apostle
To them but they mock him!

31. See they not how many
Generations before them
We destroyed? Not to them
Will they return:

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32. But each one of them
All—will be brought
Before Us (for judgment).

SECTION 3.

33. A Sign for them
Is the earth that is dead:
We do give it life,
And produce grain therefrom,
Of which ye do eat.

34. And We produce therein
Orchards with date-palms
And vines, and We cause
Springs to gush forth therein:

35. That they may enjoy
The fruits of this (artistry):
It was not their hands
That made this:
Will they not then give thanks?

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36. Glory to God, Who created
In pairs all things that
The earth produces, as well as
Their own (human) kind
And (other) things of which
They have no knowledge.

37. And a Sign for them
Is the Night: We withdraw
Therefrom the Day, and behold
They are plunged in darkness;

38. And the Sun
Runs his course
For a period determined
For him: that is
The decree of (Him),
The Exalted in Might,
The All-Knowing.

39. And the Moon,
We have measured for her
Mansions (to traverse)
Till she returns
Like the old (and withered)
Lower part of a date-stalk.

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40. It is not permitted
To the Sun to catch up
The Moon, nor can
The Night outstrip the Day:
Each (just) swims along (its own) orbit
(According to Law).

41. And a Sign for them
Is that We bore
Their race (through the Flood)
In the loaded Ark;

42. And We have created
For them similar (vessels)
On which they ride.

43. If it were Our Will,
We could drown them:
Then would there be
No helper (to hear
Their cry), nor could
They be delivered,

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44. Except by way of Mercy
From Us, and by way
Of (worldly) convenience
(To serve them) for a time.

45. When they are told,
"Fear ye that which is
Before you and that which
Will be after you, in order
That ye may receive Mercy,"
(They turn back).

46. Not a Sign comes to them
From among the Signs
Of their Lord, but they
Turn away therefrom.

47. And when they are told,
"Spend ye of (the bounties)
With which God
Has provided you," the Unbelievers
Say to those who believe:
"Shall we then feed those
Whom, if God had so willed,
He would have fed, (Himself)?—

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Ye are in nothing
But manifest error."

48. Further, they say, "When
Will this promise (come to pass),
If what ye say is true?"

49. They will not (have
To) wait for aught
But a single Blast:
It will seize them while
They are yet disputing
Among themselves!

50. No (chance) will they then
Have, by will, to dispose
(Of their affairs), nor
To return to their own people!

SECTION 4.

51. The trumpet shall be
Sounded, when behold!
From the sepulchres (men)
Will rush forth
To their Lord!

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52. They will say: "Ah!
Woe unto us! Who
Hath raised us up
From our beds of repose?"
(A voice will say:)
"This is what (God)
Most Gracious had promised.
And true was the word
Of the apostles!"

53. It will be no more
Than a single Blast,
When to! they will all
Be brought up before Us!

54. Then, on that Day,
Not a soul will be
Wronged in the least,
And ye shall but
Be repaid the meeds
Of your past Deeds.

55. Verily the Companions
Of the Garden shall
That Day have joy
In all that they do:

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56. They and their associates
Will be in groves
Of (cool) shade, reclining
On Thrones (of dignity);

57. (Every) fruit (enjoyment)
Will be there for them;
They shall have whatever
They call for;

58. "Peace!"—a Word
(Of salutation) from a Lord
Most Merciful!

59. "And O ye in sin!
Get ye apart this Day!

60. "Did I not enjoin
On you, O ye children

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Of Adam, that ye
Should not worship Satan;
For that he was to you
An enemy avowed?—

61. "And that ye should
Worship Me, (for that) this
Was the Straight Way?

62. "But he did lead astray
A great multitude of you.
Did ye not, then, understand?

63. "This is the Hell
Of which ye were
(Repeatedly) warned!

64. "Embrace ye the (Fire)
This Day, for that ye
(Persistently) rejected (Truth)."

65. That Day shall We set
A seal on their mouths.
But their hands will speak
To Us, and their feet
Bear witness, to all
That they did.

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66. If it had been Our Will,
We could surely have
Blotted out their eyes;
Then should they have
Run about groping for the Path,
But how could they have seen?

67. And if it had been
Our Will, We could
Have transformed them
(To remain) in their places;
Then should they have been
Unable to move about,
Nor could they have returned
(After error).

SECTION 5.

68. If We grant long life
To any, We cause him
To be reversed in nature:
Will they not then understand?

69. We have not instructed
The (Prophet) in Poetry,
Nor is it meet for him:
This is no less than

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A Message and a Qur-ān
Making things clear:

70. That it may give admonition
To any (who are) alive,
And that the charge
May be proved against those
Who reject (Truth).

71. See they not that it is
We Who have created
For them—among the things
Which our hands have fashioned—
Cattle, which are under
Their dominion?—

72. And that We have
Subjected them to their (use)?
Of them some do carry them
And some they eat:

73. And they have (other) profits
From them (besides), and they
Get (milk) to drink.
Will they not then
Be grateful?

74. Yet they take (for worship)
Gods other than God,

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(Hoping) that they might
Be helped!

75. They have not the power
To help them: but they
Will be brought up
(Before Our Judgment-seat)
As a troop (to be condemned).

76. Let not their speech, then,
Grieve thee. Verily We know
What they hide as well as
What they disclose.

77. Doth not man see
That it is We Who
Created him from sperm?
Yet behold! he (stands forth)
As an open adversary!

78. And he makes comparisons
For Us, and forgets his own
(Origin and) Creation:
He says, "Who can give
Life to (dry) bones
And decomposed ones (at that)?"

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79. Say, "He will give them
Life Who created them
For the first time!
For He is well-versed
In every kind of creation!

80. "The same Who produces
For you fire out of
The green tree, when behold!
Ye kindle therewith
(Your own fires)!

81. "Is not He Who created
The heavens and the earth
Able to create the like
Thereof?"—Yea, indeed!
For he is the Creator Supreme,
Of skill and knowledge (infinite)!

82. Verily, when He intends
A thing, His Command is,
"Be", and it is!

83. So glory to Him
In Whose hands is
The dominion of all things:
And to Him will
Be all brought back.

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