Behold, God does not disdain to propound a parable of a gnat, or of something [even] less than that.* Now, as for those who have attained to faith, they know that it is the truth from their Sustainer - whereas those who are bent on denying the truth say, "What could God mean by this parable?" In this way does He cause many a one to go astray, just as He guides many a one aright: but none does He cause thereby to go astray save the iniquitous,

He it is who has bestowed upon thee from on high this divine writ, containing messages that are clear in and by themselves - and these are the essence of the divine writ - as well as others that are allegorical.* Now those whose hearts are given to swerving from the truth go after that part of the divine writ* which has been expressed in allegory, seeking out [what is bound to create] confusion,* and seeking [to arrive at] its final meaning [in an arbitrary manner]; but none save God knows its final meaning.* Hence, those who are deeply rooted in knowledge say: "We believe in it; the whole [of the divine writ] is from our Sustainer - albeit none takes this to heart save those who are endowed with insight.

"And as for those who are bent on denying the truth, I shall cause them to suffer a suffering severe in this world and in the life to come, and they shall have none to succour them;

whereas unto those who attain to faith and do good works He will grant their reward in full: for God does not love evildoers."

on the Day [of Judgment] when some faces will shine [with happiness] and some faces will be dark [with grief]. And as for those with faces darkened, [they shall be told:] "Did you deny the truth after having attained to faith? Taste, then, this suffering for having denied the truth!"

But as for those with faces shining, they shall be within God's grace, therein to abide.

whereupon unto those who attained to faith and did good deeds He will grant their just rewards, and give them yet more out of His bounty; whereas those who felt too proud and gloried in their arrogance He will chastise with grievous suffering: and they shall find none to protect them from God, and none to bring them succour.

And as for those who have attained to faith in God and hold fast unto Him - He will enfold them within* His grace and bounty, and guide them unto Himself by a straight way.

YET WHENEVER a surah [of this divine writ] is bestowed from on high, some of the deniers of the truth are prone to ask,* "Which of you has this [message] strengthened in his faith?" Now as for those who have attained to faith, it does strengthen them in their faith, and they rejoice in the glad tiding [which God has given them].*

But as for those in whose hearts is disease, each new message but adds another [element of] disbelief to the disbelief which they already harbour,* and they die while [still] refusing to acknowledge the truth.

Now as for those who [by their deeds] will have brought wretchedness upon them-selves, [they shall live] in the fire, where they will have [nothing but] moans and sobs [to relieve their pain],

But as for those who [by virtue of their past deeds] will have been blest with happiness, [they shall live] in paradise, therein to abide as long as the heavens and the earth endure -unless thy Sustainer wills it otherwise* -as a gift unceasing.

"[And now,] O my companions in imprisonment, [I shall tell you the meaning of your dreams:] as for one of you two, he will [again] give his lord [the King] wine to drink; but as for the other, he will be crucified, and birds will eat off his head. [But whatever be your future,] the matter on which you have asked me to enlighten you has been decided [by God]."

[Whenever] He sends down water from the sky, and [once-dry] river-beds are running high* according to their measure, the stream carries scum on its surface;* and, likewise, from that [metal] which they smelt in the fire in order to make ornaments or utensils, [there rises] scum. In this way does God set forth the parable of truth and falsehood: for, as far as the scum is concerned, it passes away as [does all] dross; but that which is of benefit to man abides on earth. In this way does God set forth the parables

"As for that boat, it belonged to some needy people who toiled upon the sea -and I desired to damage it* because (I knew that] behind them was a king who is wont to seize every boat by brute force.

"And as for that young man, his parents were [true] believers - whereas we had every reason to fear* that he would bring bitter grief upon them by [his] overweening wickedness and denial of all truth:

"And as for that wall, it belonged to two orphan boys [living] in the town, and beneath it was [buried] a treasure belonging to them [by right].* Now their father had been a righteous man, and so thy Sustainer willed it that when they come of age they should bring forth their treasure by thy Sustainer's grace. "And I did not do (any of] this of my own accord:* this is the real meaning of all [those events] that thou wert unable to bear with patience."

He answered: "As for him who does wrong [unto others* ] - him shall we, in time, cause to suffer; and thereupon he shall be referred to his Sustainer, and He will cause him to suffer with unnameable suffering.*

But as for him who believes and does righteous deeds - he will have the ultimate good [of the life to come] as his reward; and [as for us,] we shall make binding on him [only] that which is easy to fulfill."*

But as against this - anyone who repents* and attains to faith and does righteous deeds may well [hope to] find himself among those who achieve a happy state [in the life to come].

as for those who attained to faith and did righteous deeds, they shall be made happy in a garden of delight;

but as for those who refused to acknowledge the truth and gave the lie to Our messages - and (thus) to the announce­ment* of a life to come - they will be given over to suffering.

As for those who attain to faith and do right­eous deeds - gardens of rest await them, as a wel­come [from God], in result of what they did;

but as for those who are lost in iniquity - their goal is the fire: as oft as they will try to come out of it, they will be thrown back into it; and they will be told, “Taste [now] this suffering through fire which you were wont to call a lie!"

Now as for [the tribe of] Ad, they walked arrogantly on earth, [offending] against all right, and saying, “Who could have a power greater than ours?" Why - were they, then, not aware that God, who created them, had a power greater than theirs? But they went on rejecting Our messages;

And as for [the tribe of] Thamud, We offered them guidance, but they chose blindness in pre­ference to guidance: and so the thunderbolt of shame­ful suffering fell upon them as an outcome of all [the evil] that they had wrought;

Now as for those who have attained to faith and done righteous deeds, their Sustainer will admit them to His grace: that will be [their] manifest triumph!

But as for those who were bent on denying the truth, [they will be told:] “Were not My messages conveyed to you? And withal, you gloried in your arrogance, and so you became people lost in sin:

[ALL OF YOU are destined to die.] Now if one happens to be of those who are drawn close unto God,*

And if one happens to be of those who have attained to righteousness,*

But if one happens to be of those who are wont to call the truth a lie, and [thus] go astray,

Now as for the Thamud - they were destroyed by a violent upheaval [of the earth];*

and as for the 'Ad - they were destroyed by a storm wind furiously raging,

Now as for him whose record shall be placed in his right hand,* he will exclaim: "Come you all!" Read this my record!

But as for him whose record shall be placed in his left hand,* he will exclaim: "Oh, would that I had never been shown this my record,

but as for those who abandon themselves to wrongdoing - they are indeed but fuel for [the fires of] hell!'"*

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

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

Now as for him who believes himself to be self-sufficient*

but as for him who came unto thee full of eagerness

And as for him whose record shall be placed in his right hand,*

But as for him whose record shall be given to him behind his back;*

BUT AS FOR man,* whenever his Sustainer tries him by His generosity and by letting him enjoy a life of ease, he says, "My Sustainer has been [justly] generous towards me";*

whereas, whenever He tries him by straitening his means of livelihood, he says, "My Sustainer has disgraced me!"*

Thus, as for him who gives [to others] and is conscious of God,

But as for him who is niggardly, and thinks that he is self-sufficient,*

Therefore, the orphan shalt thou never wrong,

and him that seeks [thy] help shalt thou never chide,*

and of thy Sustainer's blessings shalt thou [ever] speak.*

And then, he whose weight [of good deeds] is heavy in the balance

whereas he whose weight is light in the balance