Surah Saffat
Contents
By those who stand together, side by side, [37:1]
and so are forbidding defenders, [37:2]
and who recited revelation, [37:3]
your God is actually One, [37:4]
Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between, and Lord of all points of the sunrise. [37:5]
We have adorned the sky of the world with the ornament of the stars, [37:6]
and to guard against every rebellious devil, [37:7]
so they cannot eavesdrop on the supreme council, but will be ousted from every side, [37:8]
repelled and consigned to lasting torment; [37:9]
except one grabbing a snatch— then a piercing fire pursues him. [37:10]
Now ask them if they believe their constitution is more solid than anything We have created, for We made them of cohesive clay. [37:11]
But you marvel, while they jeer. [37:12]
And when they are warned, they pay no mind. [37:13]
And when they have seen a sign, they make a mockery of it, [37:14]
saying it is obvious enchantment, that’s all: [37:15]
“What? When we’re dead and have become dust and bones, are we really to be resurrected? [37:16]
“And our ancestors from ancient times?” [37:17]
Say, “Yes; and you will be contemptible.” [37:18]
Then it will be but a single cry, and lo—they will see: [37:19]
and they will say, “Oh, woe is us! This is judgment day!” [37:20]
This is the day of decision, which you used to deny. [37:21]
Let them be gathered— those who did wrong, and their mates, and those they used to worship [37:22]
instead of God; and let them be led to the path to the blaze: [37:23]
then stop them, for they are to be questioned: [37:24]
“What is the matter with you, that you don’t assist one another?” [37:25]
But that day they will surrender, [37:26]
and turn to one another, questioning each other, [37:27]
saying, “It was you who came to us claiming right.” [37:28]
They will reply, “No, you were not believers, [37:29]
“and we had no authority over you. No, you are an unruly people.” [37:30]
“And now the testimony of our Lord has proven true against us—indeed, we are certainly suffering! [37:31]
“For we misguided you, as we ourselves were misguided.” [37:32]
So on that day they will share the agony, [37:33]
for that is what We will do with sinners, [37:34]
for they were insolent when told there is no deity but God, [37:35]
saying, “Would we really abandon our deities for a poet who’s possessed?” [37:36]
But he has brought truth, and confirmed the veracity of the emissaries. [37:37]
You will surely suffer the painful punishment, [37:38]
but you will not be repaid but for what you have done, [37:39]
except the sincere servants of God; [37:40]
for them there is a determined provision, [37:41]
fruits; and they will be honored [37:42]
in gardens of felicity, [37:43]
on divans facing each other, [37:44]
while a cup from a fountain is passed around to them, [37:45]
pure water, a delight to those who drink, [37:46]
with no intoxication in it, so they don’t become inebriated from it. [37:47]
And with them there will be demure women with large eyes, [37:48]
delicate, chaste; [37:49]
then they will approach one another, asking after one another. [37:50]
A speaker among them will say, “I had a companion [37:51]
“who said, ‘Are you really one of those who believe?’ [37:52]
“‘When we have died and become dust and bones, are we really to be requited?”’ [37:53]
“Will you look?” [37:54]
Then when he looks, he will see him in the middle of the blaze: [37:55]
he’ll say, “By God, you nearly brought me to destruction! [37:56]
“If not for the grace of my Lord, I would surely have been one of those to be summoned. [37:57]
“Are we then not to die [37:58]
“except our first death, and we are not to be punished?” [37:59]
This is indeed the great success; [37:60]
so let workers work for the likes of this— [37:61]
is that a better place to stay than the infernal tree of hell? [37:62]
We made that as a trial for the unjust; [37:63]
for it is a tree that emerges from the source of hellfire: [37:64]
its fruit stalk is like devils’ heads. [37:65]
They will eat of it, filling their guts with it. [37:66]
Then, on top of that, they’ll have a concoction with boiling water. [37:67]
Then they’ll be returned to the blaze: [37:68]
for they found their fathers astray, [37:69]
and they hasten to follow their footsteps; [37:70]
and most of the ancients before them had also gone astray— [37:71]
and We’d sent them warners too— [37:72]
so observe the end of those who had been warned, [37:73]
except the sincere devotees of God. [37:74]
Noah called out to Us, surely the perfect respondent, [37:75]
and We rescued him and his family from the great distress, [37:76]
and made his descendants the survivors: [37:77]
and among later generations We left for him [37:78]
“Peace upon Noah among all peoples,” [37:79]
for that is how We reward those who do good; [37:80]
for he was one of Our faithful devotees; [37:81]
then We drowned the rest. [37:82]
But Abraham was certainly a follower of his: [37:83]
he went to his Lord with a sound heart; [37:84]
he said to his father and his people, “What is it you worship— [37:85]
“is it falsehood, deities other than God, that you have in mind? [37:86]
“Then what is your idea of the Lord of the universe?” [37:87]
Then he took a look at the stars [37:88]
and said, “I am sick,” [37:89]
and they turned their backs on him. [37:90]
Then he turned on their deities and said, “Don’t you eat? [37:91]
“What is the matter with you, that you don’t speak?” [37:92]
Then he turned on them, striking with the right hand, [37:93]
and [his people] rushed at him. [37:94]
He said, “Do you worship what you carve, [37:95]
“when God made you and what you manufacture?” [37:96]
They said, “Build a structure for it, and throw him into a fire.” [37:97]
Thus they conceived a plot against him, but We made them the lowliest. [37:98]
He said, “As for me, I am going to my Lord, who will guide me. [37:99]
“My Lord, grant me sound progeny.” [37:100]
So We announced joyful news to him, of a good-natured son. [37:101]
Then when he had come of age to work together, he said, “My son, I see in a dream that I sacrifice you. Now let’s see what you think.” He said, “Father, do what you are commanded; you will find me, God willing, bearing it calmly.” [37:102]
Then when both had acquiesced and he lay him down, on his forehead, [37:103]
We called to him, “Abraham! [37:104]
“You have already authenticated the vision For that is how We recompense those who do right; [37:105]
for this was certainly an evident trial, [37:106]
as We redeemed him through a tremendous sacrifice, [37:107]
and We left for him in future generations [37:108]
“Peace upon Abraham!” [37:109]
That is how We recompense those who do right; [37:110]
for he was one of Our faithful servants. [37:111]
We also gave him good news of Isaac, a prophet, a man of integrity. [37:112]
And We blessed him, and Isaac too; but while some of their descendants are good, some are clearly oppressing their own souls. [37:113]
We also blessed Moses and Aaron, [37:114]
and We rescued them and their people from tremendous trouble, [37:115]
and We helped them so they would be the victors, [37:116]
and We gave them the clear scripture, [37:117]
and We guided them to the straight path, [37:118]
and We left for them in future generations [37:119]
“Peace upon Moses and Aaron!” [37:120]
For that is how We recompense those who do good; [37:121]
for those two were among Our faithful servants. [37:122]
And Elias was an emissary too: [37:123]
He said to his people, “Won’t you be conscientious? [37:124]
“Do you pray to Baal, while neglecting the best of creators, [37:125]
“God, your Lord, and Lord of your ancestors of yore?” [37:126]
But they rejected him; and so they will be summoned, [37:127]
except the sincere servants of God. [37:128]
And We left for him in future generations, [37:129]
“Peace on Elias and kind!” [37:130]
For that is how We recompense those who do right; [37:131]
for he was one of Our faithful servants. [37:132]
Lot was an emissary too: [37:133]
We saved him and his people, all [37:134]
except an old woman among those who stayed behind; [37:135]
and We destroyed the rest. [37:136]
You pass by where they were, daily [37:137]
and nightly—so won’t you understand? [37:138]
Jonah was one of the emissaries too. [37:139]
When he fled to the loaded ship, [37:140]
he cast lots, and was condemned. [37:141]
Then the whale swallowed him, and he was blameworthy. [37:142]
If not for the fact that he was one who glorified God, [37:143]
he would have remained inside its guts until the day they are resurrected. [37:144]
But We threw him onto a wasteland, ailing; [37:145]
and We caused a gourd vine to grow over him, [37:146]
and We sent him as a messenger to a hundred thousand or more, [37:147]
and they believed, so We let them live for a while. [37:148]
Now ask them their opinion: does your Lord have daughters, while they have sons? [37:149]
Or have We created the angels female, with them as witnesses? [37:150]
Isn’t it from their own falsehood that they say [37:151]
God has begotten children? They are certainly liars! [37:152]
God has chosen daughters over sons? [37:153]
What is the matter with you? How do you judge? [37:154]
Won’t you reflect? [37:155]
Or have you authoritative evidence? [37:156]
Then produce your scripture, if you are telling the truth. [37:157]
They also impute a kinship between God and the sprites, though the sprites themselves do know they are surely subject to the summons. [37:158]
Glory to God, transcendent beyond whatever they assert [37:159]
—excepting the sincere devotees of God; [37:160]
for you and what you worship [37:161]
cannot seduce away from God [37:162]
any but those who actively leap into hellfire. [37:163]
“And there is none among us but has a determined place, [37:164]
“and we are those who stand together, ranged in ranks, [37:165]
“and we are those who are always glorifying God.” [37:166]
Even though there have been those who do say, [37:167]
“If only we had instruction from the ancients, [37:168]
“we would certainly have been sincere devotees of God,” [37:169]
they reject it; and they will find out— [37:170]
Our word has already gone out to Our servants sent as emissaries before, [37:171]
assuring them they were assisted, [37:172]
and that Our forces would be triumphant. [37:173]
So avoid them for a while, [37:174]
and observe them; for they will see. [37:175]
Is it Our punishment they seek to hasten? [37:176]
When it descends into their arena, then miserable the morning for those who were warned. [37:177]
So avoid them for a while, [37:178]
and watch, for they will see. [37:179]
Glory to your Lord, Lord of Power, transcending whatever they describe. [37:180]
And peace upon the emissaries. [37:181]
And praise to God, Lord of the universe. [37:182]