The Message of Islam | Verses from the Qur'an

Qur'an 56:57 - 56:87

WE who have created you, [O men:] why, then, do you not accept the truth?

Have you ever considered that [seed] which you emit?

Is it you who create it - or are We the source of its creation?

We have [indeed] decreed that death shall be [ever-present] among you: but there is nothing to prevent Us

from changing the nature of your existence and bringing you into being [anew] in a manner [as yet] unknown to you.

And [since] you are indeed aware of the [miracle of your] coming into being in the first instance - why, then, do you not bethink yourselves [of Us]?

Have you ever considered the seed which you cast upon the soil?

Is it you who cause it to grow - or are We the cause of its growth?

[For,] were it Our will, We could indeed turn it into chaff, and you would be left to wonder [and to lament],

“Verily, we are ruined!

Nay, but we have been deprived [of our livelihood]!”

Have you ever considered the water which you drink?

Is it you who cause it to come down from the clouds - or are We the cause of its coming down?

[It comes down sweet - but] were it Our will, We could make it burningly salty and bitter: why, then, do you not give thanks [unto Us]?

Have you ever considered the fire which you kindle?

Is it you who have brought into being the tree that serves as its fuel - or are We the cause of its coming into being?

It is We who have made it a means to remind [you of Us], and a comfort for all who are lost and hungry in the wilderness [of their lives].

Extol, then, the limitless glory of thy Sustainer’s mighty name!

NAY, I call to witness the coming-down in parts [of this Qur’an]

and, behold, this is indeed a most solemn affirmation, if you but knew it!

Behold, it is a truly noble discourse,

[conveyed unto man] in a well-guarded divine writ

which none but the pure [of heart] can touch:

a revelation from the Sustainer of all the worlds!

Would you, now, look down with disdain on a tiding like this,

and make it your daily bread [as it were] to call the truth a lie?

Why, then, when [the last breath] comes up to the throat [of a dying man],

the while you are [helplessly] looking on -

and while We are closer to him than you, although you see [Us] not -:

why, then, if [you think that] you are not truly dependent [on Us],

can you not cause that [ebbing life] to return - if what you claim is true?

Qur'an 51:47 - 51:49

AND IT IS We who have built the universe with [Our creative] power; and, verily, it is We who are steadily expanding it.

And the earth have We spread out wide - and how well have We ordered it!

And in everything have We created opposites, so that you might bear in mind [that God alone is One].

Qur'an 75:1 - 75:15, 75:20 - 75:40

NAY! I call to witness the Day of Resurrection!

But nay! I call to witness the accusing voice of man's own conscience!

Does man think that We cannot [resurrect him and] bring his bones together again?

Yea indeed, We are able to make whole his very finger-tips!

None the less man chooses to deny what lies ahead of him,

asking [derisively], "When is that Resurrection Day to be?"

But [on that Day,] when the eyesight is by fear confounded,

and the moon is darkened,

and the sun and the moon are brought together

on that Day will man exclaim "Whither to flee?"

But nay: no refuge [for thee, O man]!

With thy Sustainer, on that Day, the journey's end will be!

Man will be apprised, on that Day, of what he has done and what he has left undone:

nay, but man shall against himself be an eye-witness,

even though he may veil himself in excuses.

...

NAY, but [most of] you love this fleeting life,

and give no thought to the life to come [and to Judgment Day]!

Some faces will on that Day be bright with happiness,

looking up to their Sustainer;

and some faces will on that Day be overcast with despair,

knowing that a crushing calamity is about to befall them.

NAY, but when [the last breath] comes up to the throat [of a dying man],

and people ask, "Is there any wizard [that could save him]?"

the while he [himself] knows that this is the parting,

and is enwrapped in the pangs of death

at that time towards thy Sustainer does he feel impelled to turn!

[Useless, though, will be his repentance: for [as long as he was alive] he did not accept the truth, nor did he pray [for enlightenment],

but, on the contrary, he gave the lie to the truth and turned away [from it],

and then went arrogantly back to what he had come from.

[And yet, O man, thine end comes hourly] nearer unto thee, and nearer –

and ever nearer unto thee, and nearer!

DOES MAN, then, think that he is to be left to himself to go about at will?

Was he not once a [mere] drop of sperm that had been spilt,

and thereafter became a germ-cell - whereupon He created and formed [it] in accordance with what [it] was meant to be,

and fashioned out of it the two sexes, the male and the female?

Is not He, then; able to bring the dead back to life?

Qur'an 78:1 - 78:40

ABOUT WHAT do they [most often] ask one another?

About the awesome tiding [of resurrection],

on which they [so utterly] disagree.

Nay, but in time they will come to understand [it]!

And once again: Nay, but in time they will come to understand!

HAVE WE NOT made the earth a resting-place [for you],

and the mountains [its] pegs?

And We have created you in pairs;

and We have made your sleep [a symbol of] death

and made the night [its] cloak

and made the day [a symbol of] life.

And We have built above you seven firmaments,

and have placed [therein the sun,] a lamp full of blazing splendour.

And from the wind-driven clouds We send down waters pouring in abundance,

so that We might bring forth thereby grain, and herbs,

and gardens dense with follage.

VERILY, the Day of Distinction [between the true and the false] has indeed its appointed time:

the Day when the trumpet [of resurrection] is sounded and you all come forward in multitudes;

and when the skies are opened and become [as wide-flung] gates;

and when the mountains are made to vanish as if they had been a mirage.

[On that Day,] verily, hell will lie in wait [for those who deny the truth] –

a goal for all who are wont to transgress the bounds of what is right!

In it shall they remain for a long time.

Neither coolness shall they taste therein nor any [thirst-quenching] drink –

only burning despair and ice-cold darkness:

a meet requital [for their sins]!

Behold, they were not expecting to be called to account,

having given the lie to Our messages one and all:

but We have placed on record every single thing [of what they did].

[And so We shall say:] "Taste, then, [the fruit of your evil doings,] for now We shall bestow on you nothing but more and more suffering!"

[But,] verily for the God-conscious there is supreme fulfilment in store:

luxuriant gardens and vinyards,

and splendid companions well matched,

and a cup [of happiness] overflowing.

No empty talk will they hear in that [paradise], nor any lie.

[All this will be] a reward from thy Sustainer, a gift in accordance with [His Own] reckoning

[a reward from] the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, the Most Gracious! [And] none shall have it in their power to raise their voices unto Him

on the Day when all [human] souls and all the angels will stand up in ranks: none will speak but he to whom the Most Gracious will have given leave; and [everyone] will say [only] what is right.

That will be the Day of Ultimate Truth: whoever wills, then, let him take the path that leads towards his Sustainer!

Verily, We have warned you of suffering near at hand - [suffering] on the Day when man shall [clearly] see what his hands have sent ahead, and when he who has denied the truth shall say, "Oh, would that I were mere dust... !"

Qur'an 76:1 - 76:31

HAS THERE [not] been an endless span of time before man [appeared - a time] when he was not yet a thing to be thought of ?

Verily, it is We who have created man out of a drop of sperm intermingled, so that We might try him [in his later life]: and therefore We made him a being endowed with hearing and sight.

Verily, We have shown him the way: [and it rests with him to prove himself] either grateful or ungrateful.

[Now,] behold, for those who deny the truth We have readied chains and shackles, and a blazing flame

[whereas,] behold, the truly virtuous shall drink from a cup flavoured with the calyx of sweet-smelling flowers:

a source [of bliss] whereof God's servants shall drink, seeing it flow in a flow abundant.

[The truly virtuous are] they [who] fulfil their vows, and stand in awe of a Day the woe of which is bound to spread far and wide,

and who give food - however great be their own want of it - unto the needy, and the orphan, and the captive,

[saying, in their hearts,] "We feed you for the sake of God alone: we desire no recompense from you, nor thanks:

behold, we stand in awe of our Sustainer's judgment on a distressful, fateful Day!"

And so, God will preserve them from the woes of that Day, and will bestow on them brightness and joy,

and will reward them for all their patience in adversity with a garden [of bliss] and with [garments of] silk.

In that [garden] they will on couches recline, and will know therein neither [burning] sun nor cold severe,

since its [blissful] shades will come down low over them, and low will hang down its clusters of fruit, most easy to reach.

And they will be waited upon with vessels of silver and goblets that will [seem to] be crystal –

crystal-like, [but] of silver - the measure whereof they alone will determine.

And in that [paradise] they will be given to drink of a cup flavoured with ginger,

[derived from] a source [to be found] therein, whose name is "Seek Thy Way".

And immortal youths will wait upon them: when thou seest them, thou wouldst deem them to be scattered pearls;

and when thou seest [anything that is] there thou wilt see [only] bliss and a realm transcendent

Upon those [blest] will be garments of green silk and brocade; and they will be adorned with bracelets of silver. And their Sustainer will them to drink of a drink most pure.

[And they will be told:] "Verily, all this is your reward since Your endeavour [in life] has met [God's] goodly acceptance!"

VERILY, [O believer,] it is We who have bestowed from on high this Qur’an upon thee, step by step - truly a bestowal from on high!

Await, then, in all patience thy Sustainer's judgment, and pay no heed to any of them, who is a wilful sinner or an ingrate;

and bear in mind thy Sustainer's name at morn and evening

and during some of the night, and prostrate thyself before Him, and extol His limitless glory throughout the long night.

Behold, they [who are unmindful of God] love this fleeting life, and leave behind them [all thought of] a grief-laden Day.

[They will not admit to themselves that] it We who have created them and strengthened their make - and [that] if it be Our will We can replace them entirely with others of their kind.

VERILY, all this is an admonition: whoever, then, so wills, may unto his Sustainer find a way.

But you cannot will it unless God wills [to show you that way]: for, behold, God is indeed all-seeing, wise.

He admits unto His grace everyone who wills [to be admitted]; but as for the evildoers - for them has He readied grievous suffering [in the life to come].

Qur'an 79:1 - 79:46

CONSIDER those [stars] that rise only to set,

and move [in their orbits] with steady motion,

and float [through space] with floating serene,

and yet overtake [one another] with swift overtaking:

and thus they fulfil the [Creator's] behest!

[HENCE, think of] the Day when a violent convulsion will convulse [the world],

to be followed by further [convulsions]!

On that Day will [men's] hearts be throbbing,

[and] their eyes downcast. . .

[And yet,] some say, "What! Are we indeed to be restored to our former state –

even though we may have become [a heap of] crumbling bones?"

[And] they add, "That, then, would be a return with loss!"

[But,] then, that [Last Hour] will be [upon them of a sudden, as if it were] but a single accusing cry -

and then, lo, they will be fully awakened [to the truth]!

HAS THE STORY of Moses ever come within thy ken.

Lo! His Sustainer called out to him in the twice-hallowed valley:

"Go unto Pharaoh - for, verily, he has transgressed all bounds of what is right -

and say[unto him], 'Art thou desirous of attaining to purity?

[If so,] then I shall guide thee towards [a cognition of] thy Sustainer, so that [henceforth] thou wilt stand in awe [of Him].’"

And thereupon he [went to Pharaoh and] made him aware of the great wonder [of God's grace].

But [Pharaoh] gave him the lie and rebelliously rejected [all guidance],

and brusquely turned his back [on Moses];

and then he gathered [his great ones], and called [unto his people],

and said, "I am your Lord All-Highest!"

And thereupon God took him to task, [and made him] a warning example in the life to come as well as in this world.

In this, behold, there is a lesson indeed for all who stand in awe [of God].

[O MEN!] Are you more difficult to create than the heaven which He has built?

High has He reared its vault and formed it in accordance with what it was meant to be;

and He has made dark its night and brought forth its light of day.

And after that, the earth: wide has He spread its expanse,

and has caused its waters to come out of it, and its pastures,

and has made the mountains firm:

[all this] as a means of livelihood for you and your animals.

AND SO, when the great overwhelming event [of, resurrection] comes to pass –

on that Day man will [clearly] remember all that he has ever wrought;

and the blazing fire [of hell] will be lad open before all who [are destined to] see it.

For, unto him who shall have transgressed the bounds of what is right,

and preferred the life of this world [to the good of his soul],

that blazing fire will truly be the goal!

But unto him who shall have stood in fear of his Sustainer's Presence, and held back his inner self from base desires,

paradise will truly be the goal!

THEY WILL ASK thee [O Prophet] about the Last Hour: "When will it come to pass?"

[But] how couldst thou tell anything about it,

[seeing that] with thy Sustainer alone rests the beginning and the end [of all knowledge] thereof?

Thou art but [sent] to warn those who stand in awe of it.

On the Day when they behold it, [it will seem to them] as if they had tarried [in this world] no longer than one evening or [one night, ending with] its morn!

Qur'an 81:1 - 81:29

WHEN THE SUN is shrouded in darkness,

and when the stars lose their light,

and when the mountains are made to vanish,

and when she-camels big with young, about to give birth, are left untended,

and when all beasts are gathered together,

and when the seas boil over,

and when all human beings are coupled [with their deeds],

and when the girl-child that was buried alive is made to ask

for what crime she had been slain,

and when the scrolls [of men's deeds] are unfolded,

and when heaven is laid bare,

and when the blazing fire [of hell] is kindled bright,

and when paradise is brought into view:

[on that Day] every human being will come to know what he has prepared [for himself].

BUT NAY! I call to witness the revolving stars,

the planets that run their course and set,

and the night as it darkly falls,

and the morn as it softly breathes:

behold, this [divine writ] is indeed the [inspired] word of a noble apostle,

with strength endowed, secure with Him who in almightiness is enthroned

[the word] of one to be heeded, and worthy of trust!

For, this fellow-man of yours is not a madman:

he truly beheld [the angel - beheld] him on the clear horizon;

and he is not one to begrudge others the knowledge [of whatever has been revealed to him] out of that which is beyond the reach of human Perception.

Nor is this [message] the word of any satanic force accursed.

Whither, then, will you go?

This [message] is no less than a reminder to all mankind –

to everyone of you who wills to walk a straight way.

But you cannot will it unless God, the Sustainer of all the worlds, wills [to show you that way].

Qur'an 82:1 - 82:19

WHEN THE SKY is cleft asunder,

and when the stars are scattered,

and when the seas burst beyond their bounds,

and when the graves are overturned –

every human being will [at last] comprehend, what he has sent ahead and what he has held back [in this world].

O MAN! What is it that lures thee away from thy bountiful Sustainer,

who has created thee, and formed thee in accordance with what thou art meant' to be, and shaped thy nature in just proportions,

having put thee together in whatever form He willed [thee to have]?

Nay, [O men,] but you [are lured away from God whenever you are tempted to] give the lie to [God’s] Judgment!

And yet, verily, there are ever-watchful forces over you,

noble, recording,

aware of whatever you do!

Behold, [in the life to come] the truly virtuous: will indeed be in bliss,

whereas, behold, the wicked will indeed be in a blazing fire –

[a fire] which they shall enter on Judgment Day,

and which they shall not [be able to] evade.

And what could make thee conceive what that Judgment Day will be?

And once again: What could make thee conceive what that Judgment Day will be?

[It will be] a Day when no human being shall be of the least avail to another human being: for on that Day [it will become manifest that] all sovereignty is God's alone.

Qur'an 2:255

GOD - there is no deity save Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsistent Fount of All Being. Neither slumber overtakes Him, nor sleep. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Who is there that could intercede with Him, unless it be by His leave? He knows all that lies open before men and all that is hidden from them, whereas they cannot attain to aught of His knowledge save that which He wills [them to attain]. His eternal power overspreads the heavens and the earth, and their upholding wearies Him not. And he alone is truly exalted, tremendous.

Qur'an 2:62

VERILY, those who have attained to faith [in this divine writ], as well as those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Christians, and the Sabians -all who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds-shall have their reward with their Sustainer; and no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve.

Qur'an 2:115 - 2:117

And God's is the east and the west: and wherever you turn, there is God's countenance. Behold, God is infinite, all-knowing.

And yet some people assert, "God has taken unto Himself a son!" Limitless is He in His glory! Nay, but His is all that is in the heavens and on earth; all things devoutly obey His will.

The Originator is He of the heavens and the earth: and when He wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, "Be" -and it is.

Qur'an 112:1 - 112:4

SAY: "He is the One God:

"God the Eternal, the Uncaused Cause of All Being.

"He begets not, and neither is He begotten;

"and there is nothing that could be compared with Him.

Qur'an 48:29

MUHAMMAD is God’s Apostle; and those who are [truly] with him are firm and unyielding towards all deniers of the truth, [yet] full of mercy towards one another. Thou canst see them bowing down, prostrating themselves [in prayer], seeking favour with God and [His] goodly acceptance: their marks are on their faces, traced by prostration. This is their parable in the Torah as well as their parable in the Gospel: [they are] like a seed that brings forth its shoot, and then He strengthens it, so that it grows stout, and [in the end] stands firm upon its stem, delighting the sowers. [Thus will God cause the believers to grow in strength,] so that through them He might confound the deniers of the truth. [But] unto such of them as may [yet] attain to faith and do righteous deeds, God has promised forgiveness and a reward supreme.

Qur'an 7:157 - 7:158

those who shall follow the [last] Apostle, the unlettered Prophet whom they shall find described in the Torah that is with them, and [later on] in the Gospel: [the Prophet] who will enjoin upon them the doing of what is right and forbid them the doing of what is wrong, and make lawful to them the good things of life and forbid them the bad things, and lift from them their burdens and the shackles that were upon them [aforetime]. Those, therefore, who shall believe in him, and honour him, and succour him, and follow the light that has been bestowed from on high through him-it is they that shall attain to a happy state."

Say [O Muhammad]: "O mankind! Verily, I am an apostle of God to all of you, [sent by Him] unto whom the dominion over the heavens and the earth belongs! There is no deity save Him; He [alone] grants life and deals death!" Believe, then, in God and His Apostle-the unlettered Prophet who believes in God and His words-and follow him, so that you might find guidance!

Qur'an 33:45 - 33:48

[And as for thee,] O Prophet - behold, We have sent thee as a witness [to the truth], and as a herald of glad tidings and a warner,

and as one who summons [all men] to God by His leave, and as a light-giving beacon.

And [so,] convey to the believers the glad tiding that a great bounty from God awaits them;

and defer not to [the likes and dislikes of] the deniers of the truth and the hypocrites, and disregard their hurtful talk, and place thy trust in God: for none is as worthy of trust as God.

Qur'an 3:144

AND MUHAMMAD is only an apostle; all the [other] apostles have passed away before him: if, then, he dies or is slain, will you turn about on your heels? But he that turns about on his heels can in no wise harm God - whereas God will requite all who are grateful [to Him].

Qur'an 2:285

THE APOSTLE, and the believers with him, believe in what has been bestowed upon him from on high by his Sustainer: they all believe in God, and His angels, and His revelations, and His apostles, making no distinction between any of His apostles; and they say: We have heard, and we pay heed. Grant us Thy forgiveness, O our Sustainer, for with Thee is all journeys' end!

Qur'an 26:69 - 26:89

And convey unto them the story of Abraham –

[how it was] when he asked his father and his people, “What is it that you worship?”

They answered: We worship idols, and we remain ever devoted to them.”

Said he: “Do [you really think that] they hear you when you invoke them,

or benefit you or do you harm?”

They exclaimed: But we found our forefathers doing the same!”

Said [Abraham]: “Have you, then, ever considered what it is that you have been worshipping

you and those ancient forebears of yours?

“Now [as for me, I know that,] verily, these [false deities] are my enemies, [and that none is my helper] save the Sustainer of all the worlds,

who has created me and is the One who guides me,

and is the One who gives me to eat and to drink,

and when I fall ill, is the One who restores me to health,

and who will cause me to die and then will bring me back to life –

and who, [hope, will forgive me my faults on Judgment Day!

“O my Sustainer! Endow me with the ability to judge [between right and wrong], and make me one with the righteous,

and grant me the power to convey the truth unto those who will come after me,

and place me among those who shall inherit the garden of bliss!

“And forgive my father - for, verily, he is among those who have gone astray –

and do not put me to shame on the Day when all shall be raised from the dead:

the Day on which neither wealth will be of any use, nor children,

[and when] only he [will be happy] who comes before God with a heart free of evil!”

Qur'an 6:74 - 6:81

AND, LO, [thus] spoke Abraham unto his father Azar: "Takest thou idols for gods? Verily, I see that thou and thy people have obviously gone astray!"

And thus We gave Abraham [his first] insight into [God's] mighty dominion over the heavens and the earth - and [this] to the end that he might become one of those who are inwardly sure.

Then, when the night overshadowed him with its darkness, he beheld a star;., [and] he exclaimed, "This is my Sustainer!" -but when it went down, he said, "I love not the things that go down."

Then, when he beheld the moon rising, he said, "This is my Sustainer!"-but when it went down, he said, "Indeed, if my Sustainer guide me not. I will most certainly become one of the people who go astray!"

Then, when he beheld the sun rising, he said, "This is my Sustainer! This one is the greatest [of all]!" - but when it [too] went down, he exclaimed: "O my people! Behold, far be it from me to ascribe divinity, as you do, to aught beside God!

Behold, unto Him who brought into being the heavens and the earth have I turned my face, having turned away from all that is false; and I am not of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him."

And his people argued with him. He said: "Do you argue with me about God, when it is He who has guided me? But I do not fear anything to which you ascribe divinity side by side with Him, [for no evil can befall me] unless my Sustainer so wills. All things does my Sustainer embrace within His knowledge; will you not, then, keep this in mind?

And why should I fear anything that you worship side by side with Him, seeing that you are not afraid of ascribing divinity to other powers beside God without His ever having bestowed upon you from on high any warrant therefor? [Tell me,] then, which of the two parties has a better right to feel secure -if you happen to know [the answer]?

Qur'an 19:41 - 19:49

AND CALL to mind, through this divine writ, Abraham. Behold, he was a man of truth, [already] a prophet

when he spoke [thus] unto his father: "O my father! Why dost thou worship something that neither hears nor sees and can be of no avail whatever to thee?

"O my father! Behold, there has indeed come to me [a ray] of knowledge such as has never yet come unto thee: follow me, then; I shall guide thee onto a perfect way.

"O my father! Do not worship Satan-for, verily, Satan is a rebel against the Most Gracious!

O my father! I dread lest a chastisement from the Most Gracious befall thee, and then thou wilt become [aware of having been] close unto Satan!"

He answered: "Dost thou dislike my gods, O Abraham? Indeed, if thou desist not, I shall most certainly cause thee to be stoned to death! Now begone from me for good!"

[Abraham] replied: "Peace be upon thee! I shall ask my Sustainer to forgive thee: for, behold, He has always been kind unto me.

But I shall withdraw from you all and from whatever you invoke instead of God, and shall invoke my Sustainer [alone]: it may well be that my prayer [for thee] will not remain unanswered by my Sustainer."

And after he had withdrawn from them and from all that they were worshipping instead of God, We bestowed upon him Isaac and Jacob, and made each of them a prophet;

Qur'an 21:51 - 21:70

AND, INDEED, long before [the time of Moses] We vouchsafed unto Abraham his consciousness of what is right; and We were aware of [what moved] him

when he said unto his father and his people, “What are these images to which you are so intensely devoted?”

They answered: ‘‘We found our forefathers worshipping them.”

Said he: “Indeed, you and your forefathers have obviously gone astray!”

They asked: “Hast thou come unto us [with this claim] in all earnest - or art thou one of those jesters?’’

He answered: “Nay, but your [true] Sustainer is the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth - He who has brought them into being: and I am one of those who bear witness to this [truth]!”

And [he added to himself.] “By God, I shall most certainly bring about the downfall of your idols as soon as you have turned your backs and gone away!”

And then he broke those [idols] to pieces, [all] save the biggest of them, so that they might [be able to] turn to it.

[When they saw what had happened,] they said: “Who has done this to our gods? Verily, one of the worst wrongdoers is he!’’

Said some [of them]: “We heard a youth speak of these [gods with scorn]: he is called Abraham.’’

[The others] said: “Then bring him before the peoples eyes, so that they might bear witness [against him]!”

[And when he came.] they asked: “Hast thou done this to our gods, O Abraham?”

He answered: “Nay, it was this one, the biggest of them, that did it: but ask them [yourselves] - provided they can speak!”

And so they turned upon one another, saying, “Behold, it is you who are doing wrong.”

But then they relapsed into their former way of thinking and said: “Thou knowest very well that these [idols] cannot speak!”

Said [Abraham]: “Do you then worship, instead of God, something that cannot benefit you in any way, nor harm you?

Fie upon you and upon all that you worship instead of God! Will you not, then, use your reason?”

They exclaimed: “Burn him, and [thereby] succour your gods, if you are going to do [anything]!”

[But] We said: O fire! Be thou cool, and [a source of] inner peace for Abraham!”

and whereas they sought to do evil unto him, We caused them to suffer the greatest loss:

Qur'an 37:99 - 37:113

And [Abraham] said: “Verily, I shall [leave this land and] go wherever my Sustainer will guide me!”

[And he prayed:] “O my Sustainer! Bestow upon me the gift of [a son who shall be] one of the righteous!” –

whereupon We gave him the glad tiding of a boy-child gentle [like himself]?

And [one day,] when [the child] had become old enough to share in his [father’s] endeavours, the latter said: “O my dear son! I have seen in a dream that I should sacrifice thee: consider, then, what would be thy view!” [Ishmael] answered: “O my father! Do as thou art bidden: thou wilt find me, if God so wills, among those who are patient in adversity!”

But as soon as the two had surrendered themselves to [what they thought to be] the will of God, and [Abraham] had laid him down on his face,

We called out to him: “O Abraham,

thou hast already fulfilled [the purpose of] that dream- vision!” Thus, verily, do We reward the doers of good:

for, behold, all this was indeed a trial, clear in itself.

And We ransomed him with a tremendous sacrifice,

and left him thus to be remembered among later generations:

“Peace be upon Abraham!”

Thus do We reward the doers of good –

for he was truly one of our believing servants.

And [in time] We gave him the glad tiding of Isaac, [who, too, would be] a prophet, one of the righteous;

and We blessed him and Isaac: but among the offspring of these two there were [destined] to be both doers of good and such as would glaringly sin against themselves.

Qur'an 2:124 - 2:132

And [remember this:] when his Sustainer tried Abraham by [His] commandments and the latter fulfilled them, He said: "Behold, I shall make thee a leader of men. "Abraham asked: "And [wilt Thou make leaders] of my offspring as well? "[God] answered: "My covenant does not embrace the evildoers."

AND LO! We made the Temple a goal to which people might repair again and again, and a sanctuary: take then, the place whereon Abraham once stood as your place of prayer." And thus did We command Abraham and Ishmael: "Purify My Temple for those who will walk around it, and those who will abide near it in meditation, and those who will bow down and prostrate themselves [in prayer]."

And, lo, Abraham prayed: "O my Sustainer! Make this a land secure, and grant its people fruitful sustenance - such of them as believe in God and the Last Day." [God] answered: "And whoever shall deny the truth, him will I let enjoy himself for a short while -but in the end I shall drive him to suffering through fire: and how vile a journey's end!"

And when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the Temple , [they prayed:] "O our Sustainer! Accept Thou this from us: for, verily, Thou alone art all-hearing, all-knowing!

"O our Sustainer! Make us surrender ourselves unto Thee, and make out of our offspring a community that shall surrender itself unto Thee, and show us our ways of worship, and accept our repentance: for, verily, Thou alone art the Acceptor of Repentance, the Dispenser of Grace!

"O our Sustainer! Raise up from the midst of our off spring an apostle from among themselves, who shall convey unto them Thy messages, and impart unto them revelation as well as wisdom, and cause them to grow in purity: for, verily, Thou alone art almighty, truly wise!"

And who, unless he be weak of mind, would want to abandon Abraham's creed, seeing that We have indeed raised him high in this world, and that, verily, in the life to come he shall be among the righteous?

When his Sustainer said to him, "Surrender thyself unto Me!" - he answered, "I have surrendered myself unto [Thee,] the Sustainer of all the worlds."

And this very thing did Abraham bequeath unto his children, and [so did] Jacob: "O my children! Behold, God has granted you the purest faith; so do not allow death to overtake you ere you have surrendered yourselves unto Him."

Qur'an 14:35 - 14:41

AND [remember the time] when Abraham spoke [thus]: "O my Sustainer! Make this land secure, and preserve me and my children from ever worshipping idols

for, verily, O my Sustainer, these [false objects of worship] have led many people astray! "Hence, [only] he who follows me [in this my faith]~ is truly of me; and as for him who disobeys me - Thou art, verily, much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!

"O our Sustainer! Behold, I have settled some of my offspring in a valley in which there is no arable land, close to Thy sanctified Temple, so that, O our Sustainer, they might devote themselves to prayer: cause Thou, therefore, people's hearts to incline towards them and grant them fruitful sustenance, so that they might have cause to be grateful.

"O our Sustainer! Thou truly knowest all that we may hide [in our hearts] as well as all that we bring into the open:' for nothing whatever, be it on earth or in heaven, remains hidden from God.

"All praise is due to God, who has bestowed upon me, in my old age, Ishmael and Isaac! Behold, my Sustainer hears indeed all prayer:

[hence,] O my Sustainer, cause me and [some] of my offspring to remain constant in prayer! "And, O our Sustainer, accept this my prayer:

Grant Thy forgiveness unto me, and my parents, and all the believers, on the Day on which the [last] reckoning will come to pass!"

Qur'an 2:258

ART THOU NOT aware of that [king] who argued with Abraham about his Sustainer, (simply] because God had granted him kingship? Lo! Abraham said: "My Sustainer is He who grants life and deals death." [The king] replied: "I [too] grant life and deal death!" Said Abraham: "Verily, God causes the sun to rise in the east; cause it, then, to rise in the west!" Thereupon he who was bent on denying the truth remained dumbfounded: for God does not guide people who [deliberately] do wrong.

Qur'an 3:65 - 3:68

O FOLLOWERS of earlier revelation! Why do you argue about Abraham, seeing that the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed till [long] after him? Will you not, then, use your reason?

Lo! You are the ones who would argue about that which is known to you; but why do you argue about something which is unknown to you? Yet God knows [it], whereas you do not know:

Abraham was neither a "Jew" nor a "Christian", but was one who turned away from all that is false, having surrendered himself unto God; and he was not of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him.

Qur'an 2:30 - 2:38

AND LO! Thy Sustainer said unto the angels: "Behold, I am about to establish upon earth one who shall inherit it." They said: "Wilt Thou place on it such as will spread corruption thereon and shed blood -whereas it is we who extol Thy limitless glory, and praise Thee, and hallow Thy name?" [God] answered: "Verily, I know that which you do not know."

And He imparted unto Adam the names of all things; then He brought them within the ken of the angels and said: "Declare unto Me the names of these [things], if what you say is true."

They replied: "Limitless art Thou in Thy glory! No knowledge have we save that which Thou hast imparted unto us. Verily, Thou alone art all-knowing, truly wise."

Said He: "O Adam, convey unto them the names of these [things]." And as soon as [Adam] had conveyed unto them their names, [God] said: "Did I not say unto you, `Verily, I alone know the hidden reality of the heavens and the earth, and know all that you bring into the open and all. that you would conceal'?"

And when We told the angels, "Prostrate yourselves before Adam!" -they all prostrated themselves, save Iblis, who refused and gloried in his arrogance: and thus he became one of those who deny the truth.

And We said: "O Adam, dwell thou and thy wife in this garden, and eat freely thereof, both of you, whatever you may wish; but do not approach this one tree, lest you become wrongdoers."

But Satan caused them both to stumble therein, and thus brought about the loss of their erstwhile state. And so We said: "Down with you, [and be henceforth] enemies unto one another; and on earth you shall have your abode and your livelihood for a while !"

Thereupon Adam received words [of guidance] from his Sustainer, and He accepted his repentance: for, verily, He alone is the-Acceptor of Repentance, the Dispenser of Grace.

[For although] We did say, "Down with you all from this [state]," there shall, none the less, most certainly come unto you guidance from Me: and those who follow My guidance need have no fear, and neither shall they grieve;

Qur'an 3:42 - 3:49

AND LO! The angels said: "O Mary! Behold, God has elected thee and made thee pure, and raised thee above all the women of the world.

O Mary! Remain thou truly devout unto thy Sustainer, and prostrate thyself in worship, and bow down with those who bow down [before Him]."

This account of something that was beyond the reach of thy perception We [now] reveal unto thee: for thou wert not with them when they drew lots as to which of them should be Mary's guardian, and thou wert not with them when they contended [about it] with one another.

Lo! The angels said: "O Mary! Behold, God sends thee the glad tiding, through a word from Him, [of a son] who shall become known as the Christ Jesus, son of Mary, of great honour in this world and in the life to come, and [shall be] of those who are drawn near unto God.

And he shall speak unto men in his cradle, and as a grown man, and shall be of the righteous."

Said she: "O my Sustainer! How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?" [The angel] answered: "Thus it is: God creates what He wills when He wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, 'Be' - and it is.

And he will impart unto thy son revelation, and wisdom, and the Torah, and the Gospel,

and [will make him] an apostle unto the children of Israel .” "I HAVE COME unto you with a message from your Sustainer. I shall create for you out of clay, as it were, the shape of [your] destiny, and then breathe into it, so that it might become [your] destiny by God's leave; and I shall heal the blind and the leper, and bring the dead back to life by God's leave; and I shall let you know what you may eat and what you should store up in your houses. Behold, in all this there is indeed a message for you, if you are [truly] believers.

Qur'an 3:59

Verily, in the sight of God, the nature of Jesus is as the nature of Adam, whom He created out of dust and then said unto him, "Be" - and he is.

Qur'an 5:46

And We caused Jesus, the son of Mary, to follow in the footsteps of those [earlier prophets], confirming the truth of whatever there still remained of the Torah; and We vouchsafed unto him the Gospel, wherein there was guidance and light, confirming the truth of whatever there still remained of the Torah, and as a guidance and admonition unto the God-conscious.

Qur'an 5:75

The Christ, son of Mary, was but an apostle: all [other] apostles had passed away before him; and his mother was one who never deviated from the truth; and they both ate food [like other mortals]. Behold how clear We make these messages unto them: and then behold how perverted are their minds!

Qur'an 5:110 - 5:116

Lo! God will say: "O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember the blessings which I bestowed upon thee and thy mother-how I strengthened thee with holy inspiration, so that thou couldst speak unto men in thy cradle, and as a grown man; and how I imparted unto thee revelation and wisdom, including the Torah and the Gospel; and how by My leave thou didst create out of clay, as it were, the shape of [thy followers'] destiny, and then didst breathe into it, so that it might become, by My leave, [their] destiny ; and how thou didst heal the blind and the leper by My leave, and how thou didst raise the dead by My leave; and how I prevented the children of Israel from harming thee when thou camest unto them with all evidence of the truth, and [when] those of them who were bent on denying the truth were saying, `This is clearly nothing but deception!"'

AND [remember the time] when I inspired the white-garbed ones: Believe in Me and in My Apostle!" They answered: "We believe; and bear Thou witness that we have surrendered ourselves [unto Thee]."

[And,] lo, the white-garbed ones said: "O Jesus, son of Mary! Could thy Sustainer send down unto us a repast from heaven?" [Jesus] answered: "Be conscious of God, if you are [truly] believers!"

Said they: "We desire to partake thereof, so that our hearts might be set fully at rest, and that we might know that thou hast spoken the truth to us, and that we might be of those who bear witness thereto!"

Said Jesus, the son of Mary: "O God, our Sustainer! Send down upon us a repast from heaven: it shall be an ever-recurring feast for us - for the first and the last of us -and a sign from Thee. And provide us our sustenance, for Thou art the best of providers!"

God answered: "Verily, I [always] do send it down unto you: and so, if any of you should henceforth deny [this] truth, on him, behold, will I inflict suffering the like of which I have never [yet] inflicted upon anyone in the world!"

AND LO! God said: O Jesus, son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, `Worship me and my mother as deities beside God'?" [Jesus] answered: "Limitless art Thou in Thy glory! It would not have been possible for me to say what I had no right to [say]! Had I said this, Thou wouldst indeed have known it! Thou knowest all that is within myself, whereas I know not what is in Thy Self. Verily, it is Thou alone who fully knowest all the things that are beyond the reach of a created being's perception.

Qur'an 12:7 - 12:18

Indeed, in [the story of] Joseph and his brothers there are messages for all who search [after truth].

NOW [Joseph's brothers] spoke [thus to one another:] "Truly, Joseph and his brother [Benjamin] are dearer to our father than we, even though we are so many. Behold, our father is surely suffering from an aberration!"

[Said one of them:] "Slay Joseph, or else drive him away to some [faraway] land, so that your father's regard may be for you alone: and after this is done, you will be [free to repent and to live once again as] righteous people!"

Another of them said: "Do not slay Joseph, but -rather - if you must do something - cast him into the dark depths of this well, [whence] some caravan may pick him up."

[On this they agreed; and thereupon] they spoke [thus to their father]: "O our father! Wherefore wilt thou not trust us with Joseph, seeing that we are indeed his well-wishers?

Let him go out with us tomorrow, that he may enjoy himself and play: and, verily, we shall guard him well!"

[Jacob] answered: "Behold, it grieves me indeed [to think] that you might take him with you, for I dread lest the wolf devour him at a moment when you are heedless of him!"

Said they: "Surely, if the wolf were to devour him notwithstanding that we are so many-then, behold, we ought ourselves to perish!"

And so, when they went away with him, they decided to cast him into the dark depths of the well. And We revealed [this] unto him: "Thou wilt yet remind them of this their deed at a time when they shall not perceive [who thou art] !"

And at nightfall they came to their father, weeping,

[and] said: "O our father! Behold, we went off racing with one another, and left Joseph behind with our things; and thereupon the wolf devoured him! But [we know that] thou wouldst not believe us even though we speak the truth"

and they produced his tunic with false blood upon it. [But Jacob] exclaimed: "Nay, but it is your [own] minds that have made [so terrible] a happening seem a matter of little account to you! But [as for myself,] patience in adversity is most goodly [in the sight of God]; and it is to God [alone] that I pray to give me strength to bear the misfortune which you have described to me."

Qur'an 12:46 - 12:49

[And he went to see Joseph in the prison and said to him:] "Joseph, O thou truthful one! Enlighten us about [the meaning of a dream in which] seven fat cows were being devoured by seven emaciated ones, and seven green ears [of wheat appeared] next to [seven] others that were withered - so that I may return [with thy explanation] unto the people [of the court, and] that they may come to know [what manner of man thou art]!"

[Joseph] replied: "You shall sow for seven years as usual; but let all [the grain] that you harvest remain [untouched] in its ear, excepting only a little, whereof you may eat:

for, after that [period of seven good years] there will come seven hard [years] which will devour all that you shall have laid up for them, excepting only a little of that which you shall have kept in store.

And after that there will come a year in which the people will be delivered from all distress, and in which they will press [oil and wine as before]."

Qur'an 12:54 - 12:56

And the King said: "Bring him unto me, so that I may attach him to my own person." And when he had spoken with him, [the King] said: "Behold, [from] this day thou shalt be of high standing with us, invested with all trust!"

[Joseph] replied: "Place in my charge the store-houses of the land; behold, I shall be a good and knowing keeper.

And thus We established Joseph securely in the land [of Egypt]: he had full mastery over it, [doing] whatever he willed. [Thus do] We cause Our grace to alight upon whomever We will; and We do not fail to requite the doers of good.

Qur'an 7:103 - 7:128

AND AFTER those [early people] We sent Moses with Our messages unto Pharaoh and his great ones, and they wilfully rejected them: and behold what happened in the end to those spreaders of corruption!

And Moses said: "O Pharaoh! Verily, I am an apostle from the Sustainer of all the worlds,

so constituted that I cannot say anything about God but the truth. I have now come unto you with a clear evidence from your Sustainer: let, then, the children of Israel go with me!"

Said [Pharaoh]: "If thou hast come with a sign, produce it-if thou art a man of truth!"

Thereupon [Moses] threw down his staff, and lo! it was a serpent, plainly visible;

and he drew forth his hand, and lo! it appeared [shining] white to the beholders.

The great ones among Pharaoh's people said: "Verily, this is indeed a sorcerer of great knowledge,

who wants to drive you out of your land! " [Said Pharaoh:] "What, then, do you advise?"

They answered: "Let him and his brother wait awhile, and send unto all cities heralds

who shall bring before thee every sorcerer of great knowledge."

And the sorcerers came unto Pharaoh [and] said: "Verily, we ought to have a great reward if it is we who prevail."

Answered [Pharaoh]: "Yes; and, verily, you shall be among those who are near unto me."

They said: "O Moses! Either thou shalt throw [thy staff first], or we shall [be the first to] throw."

He answered: "You throw [first]." And when they threw down [their staffs], they cast a spell upon the people's eyes, and struck them with awe, and produced mighty sorcery.

And [then] We inspired Moses, "Throw down thy staff!" -and lo! it swallowed up all their deceptions:

whereupon the truth was established, and vain was proved all that they had been doing.

And thus were they vanquished there and then, and became utterly humiliated.

And down fell the sorcerers, prostrating themselves

[and] exclaiming: "We have come to believe in the Sustainer of all the worlds,

the Sustainer of Moses and Aaron!"

Said Pharaoh: "Have you come to believe in him ere I have given you permission? Behold, this is indeed a plot which you have cunningly devised in this [my] city in order to drive out its people hence! But in time you shall come to know, [my revenge]:

most certainly shall I cut off your hands and your feet in great numbers, because of [your] perverseness, and then I shall most certainly crucify you, in great numbers, all together! "

They answered: "Verily, unto our Sustainer do we turn-

for thou takest vengeance on us only because we have come to believe in our Sustainer's messages as soon as they came to us. O our Sustainer! Shower us with patience in adversity, and make us die as men who have surrendered themselves unto Thee!"

And the great ones among Pharaoh's people said: "Wilt thou allow Moses and his people to spread corruption on earth, and to [cause thy people to] forsake thee and thy gods?" [Pharaoh] replied: "We shall slay their sons in great numbers and shall spare [only] their women: for, verily, we hold sway over them!"

[And] Moses said unto his people: "Turn unto God for aid, and have patience in adversity. Verily, all the earth belongs to God: He gives it as a heritage - to such as He wills of His servants; and the future belongs to the God-conscious!"

Qur'an 7:130 - 7:136

And most certainly did We overwhelm Pharaoh's people with drought and scarcity of fruits, so that they might take it to heart.

But whenever good fortune alighted upon them, they would say, "This is [but] our due"; and whenever affliction befell them, they would blame their evil fortune on Moses and those who followed him. Oh, verily, their [evil] fortune had been decreed by God-but most of them knew it not.

And they said [unto Moses]: "Whatever sign thou mayest produce before us in order to cast a spell upon us thereby, we shall not believe thee!"

Thereupon We let loose upon them floods, and [plagues of] locusts, and lice, and frogs, and [water turning into] blood -distinct signs [all]: but they gloried in their arrogance, for they were people lost in sin.

And whenever a plague struck them, they would cry: "O Moses, pray for us to thy Sustainer on the strength of the covenant [of prophethood] which He has made with thee! If thou remove this plague from us, we will truly believe in thee. and will let the children of Israel go with thee!"

But whenever We removed the plague from them, giving them time to make good their promise, lo, they would break their word.

And so We inflicted Our retribution on them, and caused them to drown in the sea, because they had given the lie to Our messages and had been heedless of them;

Qur'an 43:46 - 43:56

THUS, INDEED, have We sent Moses with Our messages unto Pharaoh and his great ones; and he said: “Behold, I am an apostle of the Sustainer of all the worlds!”

But as soon as he came before them with Our [miraculous] signs, lo! they derided them,

although each sign that We showed them was weightier than the preceding one: and [each time] We took them to task through suffering, so that they might return [to Us].

And [every time] they exclaimed: “O thou sorcerer! Pray for us to thy Sustainer on the strength of the covenant [of prophethood] which He has made with thee: for, verily, we shall now follow the right way!”

But whenever We removed the suffering from them, lo! they would break their word.

And Pharaoh issued a call to his people, saying: “O my people! Does not the dominion over Egypt belong to me, since all these running waters flow at my feet? Can you not, then, see [that I am your lord supreme]?

Am I not better than this contemptible man who can hardly make his meaning clear?

“And then - why have no golden armlets been bestowed on him? or why have no angels come together with him?”

Thus he incited his people to levity, and they obeyed him: for, behold, they were people depraved!

But when they continued to challenge Us, We inflicted Our retribution on them, and drowned them all:

and so We made them a thing of the past, and an example to those who would come after them.

Qur'an 26:52 - 26:66

AND [there came a time when] We inspired Moses thus: “Go forth with My servants by night: for, behold, you will he pursued!”

And Pharaoh sent heralds unto all cities,

[bidding them to call out his troops and to proclaim:] “Behold, these [children of Israel] are but a contemptible band;

but they are indeed filled with hatred of us

seeing that we are, verily, a nation united, fully prepared against danger –

and so we have [rightly] driven them out of [their] gardens and springs,

and [deprived them of their erstwhile] station of honour!”

Thus it was: but [in the course of time] We were to bestow all these [things] as a heritage on the children of Israel.

And so [the Egyptians] caught up with them at sunrise;

and as soon as the two hosts came in sight of one another, the followers of Moses exclaimed: “Behold, we shall certainly be overtaken [and defeated]!”

He replied: Nay indeed! My Sustainer is with me, [and] He will guide me!”

Thereupon We inspired Moses thus: Strike the sea with thy staff!”- whereupon it parted, and each part appeared like a mountain vast.

And We caused the pursuers to draw near unto that place:

and We saved Moses and all who were with him,

and then We caused the others to drown.

Qur'an 10:71 - 10:73

AND CONVEY unto them the story of Noah-when he said unto his people: "O my people! If my presence [among you] and my announcement of God's messages are repugnant to you -well, in God have I placed my trust. Decide, then, upon what you are going to do [against me], and [call to your aid] those beings to whom you ascribe a share in God's divinity; and once you have chosen your course of action, let no hesitation deflect you from it; and then carry out against me [whatever you may have decided], and give me no respite!

But if you turn away [from the message which I bear, remember that] I have asked no reward whatever of you: my reward rests with none but God, for I have been bidden to be among those who have surrendered themselves unto Him."

And yet they gave him the lie! And so We saved him and all who stood by him, in the ark, and made them inherit [the earth], the while We caused those who gave the lie to Our messages to drown: behold, then, what happened in the end to those people who had been warned [in vain]!

Qur'an 11:36 - 11:48

AND THIS was revealed unto Noah: "Never will any of thy people believe except those who have already attained to faith. Be not, then, distressed by anything that they may do,

but build, under Our eyes and according to Our inspiration, the ark [that shall .save thee and those who follow thee]; and do not appeal to Me in behalf of those who are bent on evildoing for, behold, they are destined to be drowned!"

And [so Noah] set himself to building the ark; and every time the great ones of his people passed by him, they scoffed at him. [Thereupon] he said: "If you are scoffing at us-behold, we are scoffing at you [and your ignorance], just as you are scoffing at us.

But in time you will come to know who it is that [in this world] shall be visited by suffering which will cover him with ignominy, and upon whom long lasting suffering shall alight [in the life to come]!" -

[And so it went on] till, when Our judgment came to pass, and waters gushed forth in torrents over the face of the earth, We said [unto Noah]: "Place on board of this [ark] one pair of each [kind of animal] of either sex, as well as thy family -except those on whom [Our] sentence has already been passed -and all [others] who have attained to faith!"-for, only a few [of Noah's people] shared his faith.

So he said [unto his followers]: "Embark in this [ship]! In the name of God be its run and its riding at anchor! Behold, my. Sustainer is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!"

And it moved on with them into waves that were like mountains. At that [moment] Noah cried out to a son of his, who had kept himself aloof [from the others]: "O my dear son! Embark with us, and remain not with those who deny the truth!"

[But the son] answered: "I shall betake myself to a mountain that will protect me from the waters." Said [Noah]: "Today there is no protection [for anyone] from God's judgment, save [for] those who have earned [His] mercy!" And a wave rose up between them, and [the son] was among those who were drowned.

And the word was spoken: "O earth, swallow up thy waters! And, O sky, cease [thy rain]!" And the waters sank into the earth, and the will [of God] was done, and the ark came to rest on Mount Judl And the word was spoken: "Away with these evildoing folk!"

And Noah called out to his Sustainer, and said: "O my Sustainer! Verily, my son was of my family; and, verily, Thy promise always comes true, and Thou art the most just of all judges!"

[God] answered: "O Noah, behold, he was not of thy family, for, verily, he was unrighteous in his conduct. And thou shalt not ask of Me anything whereof thou canst not have any knowledge: thus, behold, do I admonish thee lest thou become one of those who are unaware [of what is right]."

Said [Noah]: "O my Sustainer! Verily, I seek refuge with Thee from [ever again] asking of Thee anything whereof I cannot have any knowledge! For unless Thou grant me forgiveness and bestow Thy mercy upon me, I shall be among the lost!"

[Thereupon] the word was spoken: "O Noah! Disembark in peace from Us, and with [Our] blessings upon thee as well as upon the people [who are with thee, and the righteous ones that will spring from thee and] from those who are with thee. But [as for the unrighteous] folk [that will spring from you] - We shall allow them to enjoy life [for a little while], and then there will befall them grievous suffering from Us."

Qur'an 7:59 - 7:64

INDEED, We sent forth Noah unto his people, and he said: "O my people! Worship God alone: you have no deity other than Him. Verily, I fear lest suffering befall you on an awesome Day!"

The great ones among his people replied: "Verily, we see that thou art obviously lost in error!"

Said [Noah]: "O my people! There is no error in me, but I am an apostle from the Sustainer of all the worlds.

I am delivering unto you my Sustainer's messages and giving you good advice: for I know [through revelation] from God what you do not know.

Why, do you deem it strange that a tiding from your Sustainer should have come unto you through a man from among yourselves, so that he might warn you, and that you might become conscious of God, and that you might be graced with His mercy?"

And yet they gave him the lie! And so We saved him and those who stood by him, in the ark, the while We caused those who had given the lie to Our messages to drown: verily, they were blind folk!

Qur'an 23:23 - 23:30

AND, INDEED, We sent forth Noah unto his people and he said: “O my people! Worship God alone]: you have no deity other than Him. Will you not, then, become conscious of Him?”

But the great ones among his people, who refused to acknowledge the truth, replied: “This [man] is nothing but a mortal like yourselves who wants to make himself superior to you! For, if God had willed [to convey a message unto us], He would surely have sent down angels; [moreover,] we have never heard [anything like] this from our forebears of old!

He is nothing but a madman: so bear with him for a while.”

Said [Noah]: “O my Sustainer! Succour me against their accusation of lying!”

Thereupon We inspired him thus: “Build, under Our eyes and according to Our inspiration, the ark [that shall save thee and those who follow thee]. And when Our judgment comes to pass, and waters gush forth in torrents over the face of the earth, place on board of this [ark] one pair of each [kind of animal] of either sex, as well as thy family - excepting those on whom sentence has already been passed; and do not appeal to Me [any more] in behalf of those who are bent on evildoing - for, behold, they are destined to be drowned!

“And as soon as thou and those who are with thee are settled in the ark, say: ‘All praise is due to God, who has saved us from those evildoing folk!’

“And say: ‘O my Sustainer! Cause me to reach a destination blessed [by Thee] for Thou art the best to show man how to reach his [true] destination!’ ”

In this [story], behold, there are messages indeed [for those who think]: for, verily, We always put [man] to a test.

Qur'an 71:1 - 71:28

BEHOLD. We sent Noah unto his people. [saying:] "Warn thy people ere grievous suffering befall them!

[And Noah] said: "O my people! I am but a plain warner to you, [sent to tell you]

that you should worship God [alone] and be conscious of Him. "Now do pay heed unto me,

so that He may forgive you some of your sins, and grant you respite until a term known [to Him alone]: but, behold, when the term appointed by God does come, it can never be put back - if you but knew it!"

[And after a time, Noah] said: "O my Sustainer! Verily, I have been calling unto my people night and day

but my call has only caused them to flee farther and farther away [from Thee].

And behold, whenever I called unto them with a view to Thy granting them forgiveness, they put their fingers into their ears, and wrapped themselves up in their garments [of sin]; and grew obstinate, and became [yet more] arrogant in their false pride.

"And behold I called unto them openly;

and, behold I preached to them in public; and I spoke to them secretly, in private;

and I said: "'Ask your Sustainer to forgive you your sins - for, verily, He is all-forgiving!

He will shower upon you heavenly blessings abundant,

and will aid you with worldly goods and children, and will bestow upon you gardens, and bestow upon you running waters.

"'What is amiss with you that you cannot look forward to God's majesty,

seeing that He has created [every one of] you in successive stages?

"'Do you not see how God has created seven heavens in full harmony with one another,

and has set up within them the moon as a light [reflected] and set up the sun as a [radiant] lamp?

"'And God has caused you to grow out of the earth in [gradual] growth; and thereafter He will return you to it [in death]:

and [then] He will bring you forth [from It] in resurrection.

"'And God has made the earth a wide expanse for you,

so that you might walk thereon on spacious paths.’"

[And] Noah continued: "O my Sustainer! Behold, they have opposed me [throughout], for they follow people whose wealth and children lead them increasingly into ruin,

and who have devised a most awesome blasphemy [against Thee],

inasmuch as they said [to their followers], 'Do not ever abandon your gods: abandon neither Wadd nor Suwa', and neither Yaghuth nor Ya’uq nor Nasr!'

"And so they have led many a one astray: hence, ordain Thou that these evildoers stray but farther and farther away [from all that they may desire]!"

And so, because of their sins, they were drowned [in the great flood], and were doomed to suffer the fire [of the hereafter]; and they found none who could succour them against God.

And Noah prayed: "O my Sustainer! Leave not on earth any of those who deny the truth:

for, behold, If Thou dost leave them, they will [always try to] lead astray those who worship Thee, and will give birth to nothing but wickedness and stubborn ingratitude.

"O my Sustainer! Grant Thy forgiveness unto me and unto my parents, and unto everyone who enters my house as a believer, and unto all believing men and believing women [of later times]; and grant Thou that the doers of evil shall increasingly meet with destruction!"'

Core Beliefs

Prophets