Sūra XXXVIII. Ṣād (being one of the Abbreviated Letters)

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

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Sūra XXXVIII.

Ṣād (being one of the Abbreviated Letters).

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

1. Ṣād:

By the Qur-ān,
Full of Admonition:
(This is the Truth).

2. But the Unbelievers
(Are steeped) in Self-glory
And Separatism.

3. How many generations
Before them did We destroy?
In the end they cried
(For mercy)—when
There was no longer time
For being saved!

4. So they wonder
That a Warner has come

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To them from among themselves!
And the Unbelievers say,
"This is a sorcerer
Telling lies!

5. "Has he made the gods
(All) into one God?
Truly this is
A wonderful thing!"

6. And the leaders among them
Go away (impatiently), (saying),
"Walk ye away, and remain
Constant to your gods!
For this is truly
A thing designed (against you)!

7. "We never heard (the like)
Of this among the people
Of these latter days:
This is nothing but
A made-up tale!"

8. "What! Has the Message
Been sent to him—

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(Of all persons) among us?"…
But they are in doubt
Concerning My (own) Message!
Nay, they have not yet
Tasted My Punishment!

9. Or have they the Treasures
Of the Mercy of thy Lord,—
The Exalted in Power,
The Grantor of Bounties
Without measure?

10. Or have they the dominion
Of the heavens and the earth
And all between? If so,
Let them mount up
With the ropes and means
(To reach that end)!

11. But there—will be
Put to flight even a host
Of confederates.

12. Before them (were many
Who) rejected apostles,—
The People of Noah,
And ‘Ād, and Pharaoh
The Lord of Stakes,

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13. And Thamūd, and the People
Of Lūṭ, and the Companions
Of the Wood;—such were
The Confederates.

14. Not one (of them) but
Rejected the apostles,
But My Punishment
Came justly and inevitably
(On them).

SECTION 2.

15. These (to-day) only wait
For a single mighty Blast,
Which (when it comes)
Will brook no delay.

16. They say: "Our Lord!
Hasten to us our sentence
(Even) before the Day
Of Account!"

17. Have patience at what they
Say, and remember Our Servant
David, the man of strength:
For he ever turned (to God).

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18. It was We that made
The hills declare,
In unison with him,
Our Praises, at eventide
And at break of day,

19. And the birds gathered
(In assemblies): all with him
Did turn (to God).

20. We strengthened his kingdom,
And gave him wisdom
And sound judgment
In speech and decision.

21. Has the Story of
The Disputants reached thee?
Behold, they climbed over
The wall of the private chamber;

22. When they entered
The presence of David,
And he was terrified
Of them, they said:
"Fear not: we are two
Disputants, one of whom
Has wronged the other:
Decide now between us
With truth, and treat us not
With unjustice, but guide us
To the even Path.

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23. "This man is my brother:
He has nine and ninety
Ewes, and I have (but) one:
Yet he says, "Commit her
To my care," and is (moreover)
Harsh to me in speech."

24. (David) said: "He has
Undoubtedly wronged thee
In demanding thy (single) ewe
To be added to his (flock
Of) ewes: truly many
Are the Partners (in business)
Who wrong each other:
Not so do those who believe
And work deeds of righteousness,
And how few are they?"…
And David gathered that we
Had tried him: he asked
Forgiveness of his Lord,
Fell down, bowing
(In prostration), and turned
(To God in repentance).

25. So We forgave him
This (lapse): he enjoyed,
Indeed, a Near Approach to Us,
And a beautiful Place
Of (final) Return.

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26, O David! We did indeed
Make thee a vicegerent
On earth: so judge thou
Between men in truth (and justice):
Nor follow thou the lusts
(Of thy heart), for they will
Mislead thee from the Path
Of God: for those who
Wander astray from the Path
Of God, is a Penalty Grievous,
For that they forget
The Day of Account.

SECTION 3.

27. Not without purpose did We
Create heaven and earth
And all between! That
Were the thought of Unbelievers!
But woe to the Unbelievers
Because of the Fire (of Hell)!

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28. Shall We treat those
Who believe and work deeds
Of righteousness, the same
As those who do mischief
On earth? Shall We treat
Those who guard against evil,
The same as those who
Turn aside from the right?

29. (Here is) a Book which
We have sent down
Unto thee, full of blessings,
That they may meditate
On its Signs, and that
Men of understanding may
Receive admonition.

30. To David We gave
Solomon (for a son),—
How excellent in Our service!
Ever did he turn (to Us)!

31. Behold, there were brought
Before him, at eventide,
Coursers of the highest breeding,
And swift of foot;

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32. And he said, "Truly
Do I love the love
Of Good, with a view
To the glory of my Lord,"—
Until (the sun) was hidden
In the veil (of Night):

33. "Bring them back to me."
Then began he to pass
His hand over (their) legs
And their necks.

34. And We did try
Solomon: We placed
On his throne a body
(Without life): but he did turn
(To Us in true devotion):

35. He said, "O my Lord!
Forgive me, and grant me

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A Kingdom which,
(It may be), suits not
Another after me:
For Thou art the Grantor
Of Bounties (without measure).

36. Then We subjected the Wind
To his power, to flow
Gently to his order,
Whithersoever he willed,—

37. As also the evil ones,
(Including) every kind
Of builder and diver,—

38. As also others bound
Together in fetters.

39. "Such are Our Bounties:
Whether thou bestow them
(On others) or withhold them,
No account will be asked."

40. And he enjoyed, indeed,
A Near Approach to Us,
And a beautiful Place
Of (final) Return.

SECTION 4.

41. Commemorate Our Servant Job.

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Behold he cried to his Lord:
"The Evil One has afflicted
Me with distress and suffering!"

42. (The command was given:)
"Strike with thy foot:
Here is (water) wherein
To wash, coal and refreshing,
And (water) to drink."

43. And We gave him (back)
His people, and doubled
Their number,—as a Grace
From Ourselves, and a thing
For commemoration, for all
Who have Understanding.

44. "And take in thy hand
A little grass, and strike
Therewith: and break not
(Thy oath)." Truly We found
Him full of patience and constancy.
How excellent in Our service!
Ever did he turn (to Us)!

45. And commemorate Our Servants
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
Possessors of Power and Vision.

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46. Verily We did choose them
For a special (purpose)—
Proclaiming the Message
Of the Hereafter.

47. They were, in Our sight,
Truly, of the company
Of the Elect and the Good.

48. And commemorate Ismā‘īl,
Elisha, and Ẓul-Kifl:
Each of them was
Of the company of the Good.

49. This is a Message
(Of admonition): and verily,
For the Righteous,
Is a beautiful place
Of (final) Return,—

50. Gardens of Eternity,
Whose doors will (ever)
Be open to them;

51. Therein will they
Recline (at ease);
Therein can they
Call (at pleasure)
For fruit in abundance,
And (delicious) drink;

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52. And beside them will be
Chaste women restraining
Their glances, (companions)
Of equal age.

53. Such is the Promise
Made to you
For the Day of Account!

54. Truly such will be
Our Bounty (to you);
It will never fail;—

55. ''Yea, such! But
For the wrong-doers
Will be an evil place
Of (final) Return!—

56. Hell!—they will burn
Therein,—an evil bed
(Indeed, to lie on)!—

57. Yea, such!—Then
Shall they taste it,
A boiling fluid, and a fluid
Dark, murky, intensely cold!—

58. And other Penalties
Of a similar kind,
To match them!

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59. Here is a troop
Rushing headlong with you!
No welcome for them!
Truly, they shall burn
In the Fire!

60. (The followers shall cry
To the misleaders:)
"Nay, ye (too)! No welcome
For you! It is ye who
Have brought this upon us!
Now evil is (this) place
To stay in!"

61. They will say: "Our Lord!
Whoever brought this upon us,—
Add to him a double
Penalty in the Fire!"

62. And they will say:
"What has happened to us
That we see not men
Whom we used to number
Among the bad ones?

63. "Did we treat them
(As such) in ridicule,
Or have (our) eyes
Failed to perceive them?"

64. Truly that is just and fitting,—
The mutual recriminations
Of the People of the Fire!

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SECTION 5.

65. Say: "Truly am I
A Warner: no god
Is there but the One
God, Supreme and Irresistible,—

66. "The Lord of the heavens
And the earth, and all
Between,—Exalted in Might,
Able to enforce His Will,
Forgiving again and again."

67. Say: "That is a Message
Supreme (above all),—

68. "From which ye
Do turn away!

69. "No knowledge have I
Of the Chiefs on high,
When they discuss
(Matters) among themselves.

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70. "Only this has been revealed
To me: that I am
To give warning
Plainly and publicly."

71. Behold, thy Lord said
To the angels: "I am
About to create man
From clay:

72. "When I have fashioned him
(In due proportion) and breathed
Into him of My spirit,
Fall ye down in obeisance
Unto him."

73. So the angels prostrated themselves,
All of them together:

74. Not so Iblīs: he
Was haughty, and became
One of those who reject Faith.

75. (God) said: "O Iblīs!
What prevents thee from
Prostrating thyself to one
Whom I have created
With My hands?
Art thou haughty?

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Or art thou one
Of the high (and mighty) ones?"

76. (Iblīs) said: "I am better
Than he: Thou createdst
Me from fire, and him
Thou createdst from clay."

77. (God) said: "Then get thee
Out from here: for thou
Art rejected, accursed.

78. "And My Curse shall be
On thee till the Day
Of Judgment."

79. (Iblīs) said: "O my Lord!
Give me then respite
Till the Day
The (dead) are raised."

80. (God) said: "Respite then
Is granted thee—

81. "Till the Day
Of the Time Appointed."

82. (Iblīs) said: "Then,
By Thy Power, I will
Put them all in the wrong,—

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83. "Except Thy Servants
Amongst them, sincere
And purified (by Thy grace)."

84. (God) said: "Then
It is just and fitting—
And I say what is
Just and fitting—

85. "That I will certainly fill
Hell with thee
And those that follow thee,—
Every one."

86. Say: "No reward do I ask
Of you for this (Qur-ān),
Nor am I a pretender.

87. "This is no less than
A Message to (all)
The Worlds.

88. "And ye shall certainly
Know the truth of it (all)
After a while."

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