AL TAGHABUN (The Mutual Loss and Gain)
In the Name of God,1 the Gracious, the Merciful 2
1 Whatever is in the heavens and on earth, does declare the praises and glory of God: to him belongs dominion, and to him belongs praise: and he has power over all things.
2 It is he who has created you; and of you are some that are unbelievers, and some that are believers: and God sees well all that you do.
3 He has created the heavens and the earth in just proportions, and has given you shape, and made your shapes beautiful: and to him is the final goal.
4 He knows what is in the heavens and on earth: and he knows what you conceal and what you reveal: yes, God knows well the hearts of men.
5 Has not the story reached you, of those who rejected faith aforetime? So they tasted the evil result of their conduct; and they had a grievous penalty.
6 That was because there came to them messengers with clear signs, but they said: “Shall mere human beings direct us?” So they rejected and turned away. But God can do without. God is free of all needs, worthy of all praise.
7 The unbelievers think that they will not be raised up for judgment. Say: Yes, by my Lord, you shall surely be raised up: then shall you be told all that you did. And that is easy for God.
8 Believe, therefore, in God and his Messenger, and in the light which we have sent down. And God is well acquainted with all that you do.
9 The day that he assembles you for a day of assembly, that will be a day of mutual loss and gain. And those who believe in God and work righteousness, he will remove from them their ills, and he will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell in them forever: that will be the supreme achievement.
10 But those who reject faith and treat our signs as falsehoods, they will be companions of the fire, to dwell in it forever: and evil is that goal.
11 No kind of calamity can occur, except by the leave of God: and if anyone believes in God, he guides his heart: for God knows all things.
12 So obey God, and obey his Messenger: but if you turn back, the duty of our Messenger is but to preach clearly and openly.
13 There is no god but God. Therefore, let the believers put their trust in God.
14 O you who believe! Truly, among your wives and your children are enemies to yourselves: so beware of them! But if you forgive and overlook, and cover up their faults, truly God is oft-forgiving, most merciful.
15 Your riches and your children may be but a trial: but in the presence of God, is the highest reward.
16 So fear God as much as you can; listen and obey; and spend in charity for the benefit of your own souls. And those saved from the covetousness of their own souls, they are the ones that achieve prosperity.
17 If you loan to God a beautiful loan, he will double it to your credit, and he will grant you forgiveness: for God is most ready to appreciate service, most forbearing,
18 Knower of what is hidden and what is open, exalted in might, full of wisdom.
- 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. ↩︎