QAF
In the Name of God,1 the Gracious, the Merciful 2
1 Qaf.3 By the glorious reading.
2 But they wonder that there has come to them a warner from among themselves. So the unbelievers say: This is a wonderful thing!
3 What! When we die and become dust, can we come back to life again?
4 We already know how much of them the earth takes away: with us is a record which keeps track.
5 But they deny the truth when it comes to them: so they are in a confused state.
6 Do they not look at the sky above them? How we have made it and adorned it, and there are no flaws in it?
7 We have spread the earth out, and set on it mountains standing firm, and produced in it every kind of beautiful growth.
8 To be observed and commemorated by every devotee turning to God.
9 And we send down from the sky rain charged with blessing, and we produce therewith gardens and grain for harvests;
10 And tall palm trees, with shoots of fruit stalks, piled one over another;
11 As sustenance for God’s servants; and we give life thereby to land that is dead: thus will be the resurrection.
12 Before them, this was denied by the people of Nuh, the companions of the Rass, the Thamud,
13 The Aad, Firaun, the brothers of Lut,
14 The companions of the wood, and the people of Tubba; each one rejected the messengers, and my warning was duly fulfilled.
15 Were we then weary with the first creation, that they should be in confused doubt about a new creation?
16 It was we who created man, and we know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him: for we are nearer to him than his jugular vein.
17 Behold, two are appointed to learn his doings, one sitting on the right and one on the left.
18 Not a word does he utter but there is a sentinel by him, ready to note it.
19 And the stupor of death will come in truth: This was the thing which you were trying to escape!
20 And the trumpet shall be blown on the day of which you were warned.
21 And there will come forth every soul: each will be driven on, with a witness.
22 You were heedless of this; now have we removed your veil, and sharp is your sight this day!
23 And his companion will say: Here is his record ready with me!
24 Throw, throw into hell every stubborn rebel!
25 Who forbade what was good, transgressed all bounds, cast doubts and suspicions;
26 Who set up another god beside God: throw him into a severe penalty,
27 His companion will say: Our Lord! I did not make him transgress, but he was far astray.
28 He will say: Dispute not with each other in my presence: I had already in advance sent you warning.
29 The word changes not before me, and I do not the least injustice to my servants.
30 One day we will ask hell, are you filled to the full? It will say, Are there any more?
31 And the garden will be brought near to the righteous, no more a thing distant.
32 This is what was promised for you, for every one who turned in sincere repentance, who was steadfast,
33 Who feared the most gracious unseen, and brought a heart turned in devotion:
34 Enter the garden in peace and security; this is a day of eternal life!
35 There will be for them in it all that they wish, and more besides in our presence.
36 But how many generations before them did we destroy, stronger in power than they? Then they wandered through the land: was there any place of escape?
37 Truly in this is a message for any that has a heart and understanding or who gives ear and earnestly pays attention.
38 “In six days we made the heavens and the earth and all between them,” 4
nor did any sense of weariness touch us.
39 Bear then, with patience, all that they say, and celebrate the praises of your Lord, before the rising of the sun and before its setting,
40 And during part of the night celebrate his praises, and after the postures of adoration.
41 And listen for the day when the caller will call out from a place quite near,
42 The day when they will hear a blast in truth: that will be the day of resurrection.
43 Truly it is we who give life and death; and to us is the final goal,
44 The day when the earth will be ripped apart from them: that will be a gathering together, quite easy for us.
45 We know best what they say; and you are not one to be a tyrant over them. So admonish with the Quran those who fear my warning!
- God, in Arabic allah, referring to the one true God, as opposed to an idol or “god.” It is the Arabic equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew), alaha (Syriac), and theos (Greek), all of which accurately translate into English as “God.” This translation choice is consistent with respected English Quran translations including those of A. Yusuf Ali (original edition), S.H. Nasr (Study Quran), T.B. Irving, and T. Itani (Clear Quran). ↩︎
- the Gracious, the Merciful, the highlighting of God’s grace and mercy predates the Quran, coming down from the many hundreds of references in the Taurat, Zabur, and Injil. A few samples follow:
Taurat, Exodus 34:6 — …YAHWEH, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth.
Zabur 145:8 — YAHWEH is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving kindness.
Taurat, Joel 2:13 — Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to YAHWEH your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.
Taurat, Yunus 4:2 — …I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and you relent of doing harm.”
Injil, 1 Timothy 1:2 — …Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and AL-MASIH ‘ISA our Lord.
Injil, Hebrews 4:16 — Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace for help in time of need. ↩︎ - 50:1 meaning unknown. ↩︎
- 50:38 Similar wording is found in the Taurat: “in six days YAHWEH* made the heavens and earth, the sea, and all that is in them” (Exodus 20:11). The six days of creation are described in detail in the Taurat, Genesis, chapter one.
*YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.” ↩︎