The Qur'an · Pickthall Translation

21. Al-Anbiya

Pickthall translation · 112 verses

Surah Al-Anbiya (21) of the Holy Qur'an, in the respected public domain Pickthall translation. It opens: “Their reckoning draweth nigh for mankind, while they turn away in heedlessness” — the complete text of all 112 verses is below, free to read online, no account needed.

1Their reckoning draweth nigh for mankind, while they turn away in heedlessness

2Never cometh there unto them a new reminder from their Lord but they listen to it while they play

3With hearts preoccupied. And they confer in secret. The wrong-doers say: Is this other than a mortal like you? Will ye then succumb to magic when ye see (it)

4He saith: My Lord knoweth what is spoken in the heaven and the earth. He is the Hearer, the Knower

5Nay, say they, (these are but) muddled dreams; nay, he hath but invented it; nay, he is but a poet. Let him bring us a portent even as those of old (who were Allah's messengers) were sent (with portents)

6Not a township believed of those which We destroyed before them (though We sent them portents): would they then believe

7And We sent not (as Our messengers) before thee other than men, whom We inspired. Ask the followers of the Reminder if ye know not

8We gave them not bodies that would not eat food, nor were they immortals

9Then we fulfilled the promise unto them. So we delivered them and whom We would, and We destroyed the prodigals

10Now We have revealed unto you a Scripture wherein is your Reminder. Have ye then no sense

11How many a community that dealt unjustly have We shattered, and raised up after them another folk

12And, when they felt Our might, behold them fleeing from it

13(But it was said unto them): Flee not, but return to that (existence) which emasculated you and to your dwellings, that ye may be questioned

14They cried: Alas for us! we were wrong-doers

15And this their crying ceased not till We made them as reaped corn, extinct

16We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them in play

17If We had wished to find a pastime, We could have found it in Our presence - if We ever did

18Nay, but We hurl the true against the false, and it doth break its head and lo! it vanisheth. And yours will be woe for that which ye ascribe (unto Him)

19Unto Him belongeth whosoever is in the heavens and the earth. And those who dwell in His presence are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they weary

20They glorify (Him) night and day; they flag not

21Or have they chosen gods from the earth who raise the dead

22If there were therein gods beside Allah, then verily both (the heavens and the earth) had been disordered. Glorified be Allah, the Lord of the Throne, from all that they ascribe (unto Him)

23He will not be questioned as to that which He doeth, but they will be questioned

24Or have they chosen other gods beside Him? say: Bring your proof (of their godhead). This is the Reminder of those with me and those before me, but most of them know not the Truth and so they are averse

25And We sent no messenger before thee but We inspired him, (saying): There is no Allah save Me (Allah), so worship Me

26And they say: The Beneficent hath taken unto Himself a son. Be He Glorified! Nay, but (those whom they call sons) are honoured slaves

27They speak not until He hath spoken, and they act by His command

28He knoweth what is before them and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede except for him whom He accepteth, and they quake for awe of Him

29And one of them who should say: Lo! I am a god beside Him, that one We should repay with hell. Thus We Repay wrong-doers

30Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were of one piece, then We parted them, and we made every living thing of water? Will they not then believe

31And We have placed in the earth firm hills lest it quake with them, and We have placed therein ravines as roads that haply they may find their way

32And we have made the sky a roof withheld (from them). Yet they turn away from its portents

33And He it is Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. They float, each in an orbit

34We appointed immortality for no mortal before thee. What! if thou diest, can they be immortal

35Every soul must taste of death, and We try you with evil and with good, for ordeal. And unto Us ye will be returned

36And when those who disbelieve behold thee, they but choose thee out for mockery, (saying): Is this he who maketh mention of your gods? And they would deny all mention of the Beneficent

37Man is made of haste. I shall show you My portents, but ask Me not to hasten

38And they say: When will this promise (be fulfilled), if ye are truthful

39If those who disbelieved but knew the time when they will not be able to drive off the fire from their faces and from their backs, and they will not be helped

40Nay, but it will come upon them unawares so that it will stupefy them, and they will be unable to repel it, neither will they be reprieved

41Messengers before thee, indeed, were mocked, but that whereat they mocked surrounded those who scoffed at them

42Say: Who guardeth you in the night or in the day from the Beneficent? Nay, but they turn away from mention of their Lord

43Or have they gods who can shield them from Us? They cannot help themselves nor can they be defended from Us

44Nay, but We gave these and their fathers ease until life grew long for them. See they not how we aim to the land, reducing it of its outlying parts? Can they then be the victors

45Say (O Muhammad, unto mankind): I warn you only by the Inspiration. But the deaf hear not the call when they are warned

46And if a breath of thy Lord's punishment were to touch them, they assuredly would say: Alas for us! Lo! we were wrong-doers

47And We set a just balance for the Day of Resurrection so that no soul is wronged in aught. Though it be of the weight of a grain of mustard seed, We bring it. And We suffice for reckoners

48And We verily gave Moses and Aaron the Criterion (of right and wrong) and a light and a Reminder for those who keep from evil

49Those who fear their Lord in secret and who dread the Hour (of doom)

50This is a blessed Reminder that we have revealed: Will ye then reject it

51And We verily gave Abraham of old his proper course, and We were Aware of him

52When he said unto his father and his folk: What are these images unto which ye pay devotion

53They said: We found our fathers worshippers of them

54He said: Verily ye and your fathers were in plain error

55They said: Bringest thou unto us the truth, or art thou some jester

56He said: Nay, but your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Who created them; and I am of those who testify unto that

57And, by Allah, I shall circumvent your idols after ye have gone away and turned your backs

58Then he reduced them to fragments, all save the chief of them, that haply they might have recourse to it

59They said: Who hath done this to our gods? Surely it must be some evil-doer

60They said: We heard a youth make mention of them, who is called Abraham

61They said: Then bring him (hither) before the people's eyes that they may testify

62They said: Is it thou who hast done this to our gods, O Abraham

63He said: But this, their chief hath done it. So question them, if they can speak

64Then gathered they apart and said: Lo! ye yourselves are the wrong-doers

65And they were utterly confounded, and they said: Well thou knowest that these speak not

66He said: Worship ye then instead of Allah that which cannot profit you at all, nor harm you

67Fie on you and all that ye worship instead of Allah! Have ye then no sense

68They cried: Burn him and stand by your gods, if ye will be doing

69We said: O fire, be coolness and peace for Abraham

70And they wished to set a snare for him, but We made them the greater losers

71And We rescued him and Lot (and brought them) to the land which We have blessed for (all) peoples

72And We bestowed upon him Isaac, and Jacob as a grandson. Each of them We made righteous

73And We made them chiefs who guide by Our command, and We inspired in them the doing of good deeds and the right establishment of worship and the giving of alms, and they were worshippers of Us (alone)

74And unto Lot we gave judgment and knowledge, and We delivered him from the community that did abominations. Lo! they were folk of evil, lewd

75And We brought him in unto Our mercy. Lo! he was of the righteous

76And Noah, when he cried of old, We heard his prayer and saved him and his household from the great affliction

77And delivered him from the people who denied Our revelations. Lo! they were folk of evil, therefor did We drown them all

78And David and Solomon, when they gave judgment concerning the field, when people's sheep had strayed and browsed therein by night; and We were witnesses to their judgment

79And We made Solomon to understand (the case); and unto each of them We gave judgment and knowledge. And we subdued the hills and the birds to hymn (His) praise along with David. We were the doers (thereof)

80And We taught him the art of making garments (of mail) to protect you in your daring. Are ye then thankful

81And unto Solomon (We subdued) the wind in its raging. It set by his command toward the land which We had blessed. And of everything We are Aware

82And of the evil ones (subdued We unto him) some who dived (for pearls) for him and did other work, and We were warders unto them

83And Job, when he cried unto his Lord, (saying): Lo! adversity afflicteth me, and Thou art Most Merciful of all who show mercy

84Then We heard his prayer and removed that adversity from which he suffered, and We gave him his household (that he had lost) and the like thereof along with them, a mercy from Our store, and a remembrance for the worshippers

85And (mention) Ishmael, and Idris, and Dhu'l-Kifl. All were of the steadfast

86And We brought them in unto Our mercy. Lo! they are among the righteous

87And (mention) Dhu'n-Nun, when he went off in anger and deemed that We had no power over him, but he cried out in the darkness, saying: There is no Allah save Thee. Be Thou Glorified! Lo! I have been a wrong-doer

88Then we heard his prayer and saved him from the anguish. Thus we save believers

89And Zachariah, when he cried unto his Lord: My Lord! Leave me not childless, though Thou art the Best of inheritors

90Then We heard his prayer, and bestowed upon him John, and adjusted his wife (to bear a child) for him. Lo! they used to vie one with the other in good deeds, and they cried unto Us in longing and in fear, and were submissive unto Us

91And she who was chaste, therefor We breathed into her (something) of Our Spirit and made her and her son a token for (all) peoples

92Lo! this, your religion, is one religion, and I am your Lord, so worship Me

93And they have broken their religion (into fragments) among them, (yet) all are returning unto Us

94Then whoso doeth some good works and is a believer, there will be no rejection of his effort. Lo! We record (it) for him

95And there is a ban upon any community which We have destroyed: that they shall not return

96Until, when Gog and Magog are let loose, and they hasten out of every mound

97And the True Promise draweth nigh; then behold them, staring wide (in terror), the eyes of those who disbelieve! (They say): Alas for us! We (lived) in forgetfulness of this. Ah, but we were wrong-doers

98Lo! ye (idolaters) and that which ye worship beside Allah are fuel of hell. Thereunto ye will come

99If these had been gods they would not have come thither, but all will abide therein

100Therein wailing is their portion, and therein they hear not

101Lo! those unto whom kindness hath gone forth before from Us, they will be far removed from thence

102They will not hear the slightest sound thereof, while they abide in that which their souls desire

103The Supreme Horror will not grieve them, and the angels will welcome them, (saying): This is your Day which ye were promised

104The Day when We shall roll up the heavens as a recorder rolleth up a written scroll. As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it. (It is) a promise (binding) upon Us. Lo! We are to perform it

105And verily we have written in the Scripture, after the Reminder: My righteous slaves will inherit the earth

106Lo! there is a plain statement for folk who are devout

107We sent thee not save as a mercy for the peoples

108Say: It is only inspired in me that your Allah is One Allah. Will ye then surrender (unto Him)

109But if they are averse, then say: I have warned you all alike, although I know not whether nigh or far is that which ye are promised

110Lo! He knoweth that which is said openly, and that which ye conceal

111And I know not but that this may be a trial for you, and enjoyment for a while

112He saith: My Lord! Judge Thou with truth. Our Lord is the Beneficent, Whose help is to be implored against that which ye ascribe (unto Him)

112 verses · Pickthall translation (public domain)

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