in [the light of His] revelations blest with dignity,
ART THOU NOT aware that before God prostrate themselves all [things and beings] that are in the heavens and all that are on earth* the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and the beasts? And many human beings [submit to God consciously],* whereas many [others, having defied Him,] will inevitably have to suffer [in the life to come];* and he whom God shall scorn [on Resurrection Day] will have none who could bestow honour on him: for, verily, God does what He wills.
but forever will abide thy Sustainer's Self,* full of majesty and glory.
HALLOWED be thy Sustainer's name, full of majesty and glory!
O men! Behold, We have created you all out of a male and a female,* and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another.* Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him. Behold, God is all-knowing, all-aware.
Read - for thy Sustainer is the Most Bountiful One
[And] he added: "Tell me, is this [foolish being] the one whom Thou hast exalted above me? Indeed, if Thou wilt but allow me a respite till the Day of Resurrection, I shall most certainly cause his descendants-all but a few-to obey me blindly !*
NOW, INDEED, We have conferred dignity on the children of Adam,* and borne them over land and sea, and provided for them sustenance out of the good things of life, and favoured them far above most of Our creation:
And the man from Egypt who bought him* said to his wife: "Make his stay [with us] honourable; he may well be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son. And thus We gave unto Joseph a firm place on earth; and [We did this] so that We might impart unto him some understanding of the inner meaning of happenings.* For, God always prevails in whatever be His purpose: but most people know it not.
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";*
But nay, nay, [O men, consider all that you do and fail to do:] you are not generous towards the orphan,
And [yet,] some say, The Most Gracious has taken unto Himself a son"! Limitless is He in His glory!* Nay, [those whom they regard as God's offspring" are but His] honoured servants:*
how my Sustainer has forgiven me [the sins of my past], and has placed me among the honoured ones!"
as the fruits [of their life on earth]; and honoured shall they be
AND HAS the story of Abraham's honoured guests ever come within thy ken?*
These it is who in the gardens [of paradise] shall be honoured!
If you avoid the great sins, which you have been enjoined to shun, We shall efface your [minor] bad deeds, and shall cause you to enter an abode of glory.*
it is they, they who are truly believers! Theirs shall be great dignity in their Sustainer's sight, and forgiveness of sins, and a most excellent sustenance.*
And they who have attained to faith, and who have forsaken the domain of evil and are striving hard in God's cause, as well as those who shelter and succour [them]-it is they, they who are truly believers! Forgiveness of sins awaits them, and a most excellent sustenance.*
Thereupon, when she heard of their malicious talk, she sent for them, and prepared for them a sumptuous repast,* and handed each of them a knife and said [to Joseph]: "Come out and show thyself to them!" And when the women saw him, they were greatly amazed at his beauty,* and [so flustered were they that] they cut their hands [with their knives], exclaiming, "God save us! This is no mortal man! This is nought but a noble angel!"
for thy Sustainer has ordained that you shall worship none but Him. And do good unto [thy] parents.* Should one of them, or both, attain to old age in thy care, never say "Ugh"* to them or scold them, but [always] speak unto them with reverent speech,
And [know that] those who attain to faith and do righteous deeds shall be granted forgiveness of sins and a most excellent sustenance;*
[KNOW,] then, [that] God is sublimely exalted, the Ultimate Sovereign, the Ultimate Truth:* there is no deity save Him, the Sustainer, in bountiful almightiness enthroned!*
[In the nature of things,] corrupt women are for corrupt men, and corrupt men, for corrupt women - just as good women are for good men, and good men, for good women. [Since God is aware that] these are innocent of all that evil tongues may impute to them,* forgiveness of sins shall be theirs, and a most excellent sustenance!*
And [know that true servants of God are only] those who never bear witness to what is false,* and [who], whenever they pass by [people engaged in] frivolity, pass on with dignity;
Have they, then, never considered the earth - how much of every noble kind [of life] We have caused to grow thereon?
and [deprived them of their erstwhile] station of honour!"*
[When the Queen had read Solomon's letter,] she said: O you nobles! A truly distinguished letter has been conveyed unto me.
Answered he who was illumined by revelation:* [Nay,] as for me - I shall bring it to thee ere the twinkling of thy eye ceases!"* And when he saw it truly before him, he exclaimed:* This is [an outcome] of my Sustainer's bounty, to test me as to whether I am grateful or ungrateful!* However, he who is grateful [to God] is but grateful for his own good; and he who is ungrateful [should know that], verily, my Sustainer is self-sufficient, most generous in giving!"
He [it is who] has created the skies without any supports that you could see,* and has placed firm mountains upon the earth, lest it sway with you,* and has caused all manner of living creatures to multiply thereon. And We* send down water from the skies, and thus We cause every noble kind [of life] to grow on earth.*
But if any of you devoutly obeys God and His Apostle and does good deeds, on her shall We bestow her reward twice-over: for We shall have readied for her a most excellent sustenance [in the life to come].*
On the Day when they meet Him, they will be welcomed with the greeting, Peace"; and He will have readied for them a most excellent reward.
to the end that He may reward those who believe and do righteous deeds: [for] it is they whom forgiveness of sins awaits, and a most excellent sustenance*
Thou canst [truly] warn only him who is willing to take the reminder to heart,* and who stands in awe of the Most Gracious although He is beyond the reach of human perception: unto such, then, give the glad tiding of [God's] forgiveness and of a most excellent reward!
AND, INDEED, [long] before their time did We try Pharaoh's people [in the same way]: for there came unto them a noble apostle, [who said:]
and fields of grain, and noble dwellings,
Taste it - thou who [on earth] hast considered thyself so mighty, so noble!*
[shadows] neither cooling nor soothing.
Behold, it is a truly noble discourse,
WHO IS IT that will offer up unto God a goodly loan, which He will amply repay* For, such [as do so] shall have a noble reward
Verily, as for the men and women who accept the truth as true* and who [thus] offer up unto God a goodly loan, they will be amply repaid,* and shall have a noble reward [in the life to come].
Behold, this [Qur'an] is indeed the [inspired] word of a noble apostle,
behold, this [divine writ] is indeed the [inspired] word of a noble apostle,*
O MAN! What is it that lures thee away from thy bountiful Sustainer,*
