Surah 11. Surah Hud
Bismillah ir Rahman ir Raheem
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
- Alif Lam Raa
This is the Book
Whose Signs are confirmed,
Then elaborated,
From He who is the Wise, the Knowing! - (Admonishing), worship (serve) none but Allah;
Lo! I am to you a Warner from Him,
And a Messenger of good tidings! - So, ask for forgiveness from your Rabb,
And turn towards Him!
He will bestow upon you
Gifts of excellence (from His presence)
For a period determined.
And He will grant His blessings
To all who deserve His blessings.
But if you turn away
Then, I do fear
A Divine punishment for you
On the Momentous Day. - To Allah shall you return;
And He has power over all things. - Behold! They do indeed fold up their chests (close up their hearts)
To hide (what is in) them from Him.
Nay! When they cover themselves with their garments,
He knows what they hide and what they show.
Indeed, He knows the very essence
Of their hearts! - And there is nothing that walks on earth,
That does not have the right of sustenance from Allah.
And He knows where it lives and where it thrives;
It is all written in a manifest Book. - And He it is
Who created the heavens and the earth
In six epochs (energy layers),
And the Seat of His authority was over stratified space,
So that He may test you
As to the excellence of your deeds.
And if you tell them:
“You shall indeed be raised up after you die”,
Those who reject the truth will indeed respond:
“This is nothing but obvious sorcery.” - And if We withhold their punishment
For a fixed period,
They say: “What is holding it back?”
Remember! The day it descends on them,
There shall be no escape from it,
And they shall be surrounded in every direction,
By what they used to mock. - Lo! If We give a taste of Our Mercy to a human,
And then withhold it from him,
He does indeed become ungrateful, despondent. - And if We bestow upon him Our bounties
After he experiences difficulties,
He does indeed say: “The trials are lifted from me.”
Lo! He is an arrogant egotist! - Except such as those as are patient,
And perform righteous deeds,
There is for them forgiveness,
And a recompense supreme. - So, will you abandon
Some of what has been revealed to you?
And your breast is constricted (you are saddened)
Because they say: “Why has not a treasure descended on him?
Or, why is there no angel with him?”
Indeed, you are not but a Warner,
And lo! Allah is the trustee over all affairs! - Do they say: “He has made it up!”
Say: “Then, bring ten Surahs like it,
Assembled together,
And invite whoever you wish besides Allah,
If you are truthful.” - And if they cannot answer you,
Then recognize that it (the Quran)
Has indeed been revealed
From the knowledge of Allah,
And that there is none worthy of worship but He.
So, will you not be among those who surrender (to Allah)? - For those who ask for the life of this world,
And its riches—
We shall reward their efforts with success,
And they shall not in the least be deprived thereof. - It is they—
They are the ones for whom
There is nothing but Fire in the hereafter.
And what they build in this life will be a waste,
And their deeds (will be) completely worthless. - So, are they (the equal of those)
Who follow the manifest proof provided by their Rabb,
And are taught by a witness from Him,
As did aforetime the Book of Moses,
(In which was) guidance and mercy?
It is such as they who have certainty of faith in it.
But those among the factions that reject it
Will have the Fire as their destination.
So, you should have no doubts about it—
This is indeed the Truth from your Rabb.
But most among humankind
Do not believe. - And who is a greater transgressor
Than one who ascribes a lie to Allah?
It is they who will be presented before their Rabb,
And the witnesses will say:
“It is they—they are the ones who ascribed
Lies to their Rabb.”
Remember! The condemnation of Allah
Is (decreed) upon the transgressors! - Those who prevent (people) from the path of Allah,
And search for deceptions therein,
And deny the hereafter. - They shall not frustrate (the decree of Allah) on earth,
And there is no Protector for them but Allah,
Their punishment is two fold:
No capability do they have to hear (words of wisdom),
And they cannot see (reason). - It is they—
They are the ones
Who have constricted
Their own souls,
And their conjectures
Have abandoned them. - Let there be no doubt
That they will incur
A great loss
In the hereafter. - Lo! Those who have certainty of faith,
And perform righteous deeds,
And approach their Rabb with humility,
They are the people of paradise,
They will dwell therein forever. - As an example:
There are two parties,
One is blind and deaf,
(The other) sees and hears;
Are the two in this example the same?
Will you not reflect? - And behold!
We sent Noah to his people.
(He proclaimed): “I am indeed
A manifest Warner for you!” - “So, worship (and serve)
None but Allah.
Indeed, I fear for you
The punishment
Of a dreadful Day.” - Then, the disbelieving leaders
Among his people said:
“We see that you are but a man like us,
So we do not see why we should follow you,
Except the downtrodden among us,
(Who follow you) without much reflection.
And we do not see
Any special merit in you.
On the other hand,
We consider you among the liars.” - He said: “O my people!
You see that I rely on
Manifest evidence from my Rabb,
And He has bestowed on me
From His own Grace—
That which is not visible to you—
Should I then force you to believe in it,
When you detest it?” - “And, O my people!
I do not ask any riches for it.
My recompense is but from Allah.
And I shall not turn away those who have believed.
(Because) they too shall meet their Rabb.
On the other hand, I see that you are a people in ignorance.” - “And, O my people!
Who will protect me from Allah
If I turn them away?
Will you not reason?” - “And I do not tell you
That I possess treasures from Allah.
And I do not know what is beyond perception.
And I do not say I am an angel.
And I do not say to those
Whom you consider lowly
That Allah will not reward them with goodness.
Allah is aware of what is in their souls,
(If I did that) I should indeed be
Among the transgressors.” - They said: “O Noah!
You have argued with us,
And you have argued with persistence,
Then, bring upon us what you promise
If you are truthful.” - He said: “It will indeed descend on you from Allah
If He so wills it,
And you cannot frustrate (His plan).” - “Of no benefit will be my admonition
Even if I wish to admonish you,
If it is Allah’s will to lead you astray;
He is your Rabb,
And to Him shall be your return.” - Do they say: “He made it up!”
Say: “If I made it up,
Then I am guilty of it,
But I am absolved of
What you are guilty of. “ - And the Revelation was sent down to Noah:
“None from your people will believe
Except those who have already believed.
Therefore, do not be grieved
Over what they do.” - And build the Ark under Our watchful eye,
And as (We) inspire you,
And do not speak to Us
About the transgressors.
Indeed, they shall be drowned.” - And while he was building the Ark,
The leaders of his people laughed at it,
Whenever they passed by.
He said: “If you laugh at us,
Then indeed we will laugh at you
As you are laughing at us.” - “And you will soon know,
On whom will fall a disgraceful punishment,
And on whom will descend a lasting doom.” - At last, there came to pass Our command,
And the energy (of the waters) gushed up (with fury).
We commanded: “Take on board a pair of each kind,
And your family—
Except those on whom the Decree has gone forth—
And whoever has believed.”
But those that believed with him were but a few. - And he said: “Get aboard in the Name of Allah!
(With the Name of Allah) are its course and its mooring.
Indeed, my Rabb
Is Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful! - And she (the Ark) floated with them,
Upon waves as high as mountains,
And Noah cried forth to his son
Who was standing by:
“O my son! Get aboard with us,
And do not stay behind
With the disbelievers.” - He (Noah’s son) said: “I will take refuge
On a mountain top.
It will protect me
From the (rising) waters.”
He (Noah) said: “This day
None is secure from the command of Allah,
Except one upon whom is His Mercy.”
And there came between them
A (mighty) wave,
And he was among those
Who were drowned. - And it was commanded:
“O earth! Swallow up your waters!
And O heavens! Hold back!”
And the waters dried up
And the command came to pass,
And she anchored on (Mount) Judi,
And it was said:
“Perish a people who transgress!” - And Noah cried out to his Rabb.
And he said: O my Rabb!
My son is from my family.
And indeed Your promise is true.
And You are the most just of the judges.” - He said: “O Noah! He was indeed
Not of your family!
Verily, he was not of righteous conduct.
Therefore, do not ask
About that of which you have no knowledge.
I do indeed admonish you
Lest you be among the uninformed.” - He said: “O my Rabb!
I seek refuge in You
That I may not ask
What I have no knowledge of.
And if You do not forgive me,
And have mercy upon me,
I will be among those who are lost.” - It was said: “O Noah!
Disembark with peace from Us,
And blessings be upon you,
And upon the (spiritual) communities who are with you.
But to some communities (who have lost their spirituality)
We will soon endow (plentiful) provisions (in this world).
But (in the hereafter), there shall be upon them
A painful punishment from Us.” - “This is information
From what is beyond perception
That We have sent to you through revelation.
Neither you nor your people
Were aware of it before this.
Therefore, be patient!
Indeed, the ultimate triumph is with those
Who are righteous.” - And to (the people of) A’ad
(We sent) their brother Hud.
He said: “O my people!
Worship (and serve) Allah,
Besides Whom you have no other god;
You engage in nothing but conjecture.” - “O my people! I do not ask
Any reward for it from you.
My reward is but from He
Who has created me in the first place (created my primal essence);
Will you not understand?” - “And, O my people!
Ask forgiveness from your Rabb,
And turn towards Him;
He will send down for you
Plentiful rain from the heavens,
And He will increase your (spiritual) power
Over your (current spiritual) power;
So, do not turn away from Him
As wrongdoers.” - They said: “O Hud!
You have not brought us any proof.
And we will not abandon our gods,
Just because you ask us to;
And we are not among those
Who believe in you.” - “We do not but say that
One of our evil deities has possessed you!”
He said: “I do bear witness before Allah,
And you bear witness
That I absolve myself from
What you associate (with Allah).” - “Except for this,
You can all together plot against me,
And give me no respite.” - “Indeed, I place my trust in Allah,
Who is my Rabb and your Rabb,
There is nothing that moves
Except that He holds it by the forelock;
Indeed! My Rabb (guides me) on the Right Path.” - “But if you turn away,
Then (know that) I have certainly communicated to you
What was revealed to me,
And my Rabb will establish
A people other than you,
And you will not be able
To do anything about it;
Indeed! My Rabb is the Guardian
Of all affairs.” - And when Our command came to pass,
We saved Hud and the believers with him
With Our Mercy,
And We saved them from a grievous disaster!” - And these were the people of A’ad.
They flaunted the Signs of their Rabb,
And disobeyed their Messenger,
And followed the command
Of every recalcitrant tyrant. - So, damnation followed them in this world,
And on the Judgment Day.
Lo! The people of A’ad
Did indeed deny their Rabb;
Lo! A’ad, the people of Hud
Were extirpated (wiped out)! - And to the people of Thamud,
We sent his brother Saleh.
He said: “Worship (and serve) Allah,
Other than Him you have no god.
He conceived of your life from the earth,
And constituted you therein.
Seek His forgiveness, therefore,
And turn towards Him.
Indeed my Rabb is the Responder,
Always so near!” - They said: “O Saleh!
You were indeed a source of hope for us before this.
Are you forbidding us
To worship (and serve)
What our forefathers
Worshipped (and served)?
Indeed, we distrust
What you are inviting us to—
A deep distrust (indeed)” - He said: “O my people!
If I am on clear proof from my Rabb,
And He has bestowed on me His Mercy,
Then, if I disobey Him,
Who will protect me from Allah?
Therefore, you do nothing
But increase my concerns.” - “And, O my people!
This she-camel is a Sign for you from Allah;
So, let it graze on Allah’s earth,
And do not approach it with bad intentions;
Otherwise, a calamity will seize you.” - But they crippled her.
Then he said: “Enjoy yourselves in your homes
For three days,
This promise (of Allah) shall not be contradicted.” - When Our command came to pass,
We saved Saleh
And those who were with him
With Our Mercy,
And from the dishonor of that day.
Indeed, your Rabb is He,
(Who is) the Strong, the Mighty. - And the transgressors were seized
By a mighty blast,
And the morning found them,
Lying prostrate on their faces, - As if they had not lived there at all.
Remember! The people of Thamud
Did indeed reject their Rabb,
Remember! The people of Thamud
Were extirpated (wiped out). - And indeed,
There came Our messengers to Abraham,
With glad tidings,
They said: “Peace (be upon you)!”
He responded: “Peace (be upon you)!”
Then he did not delay in
Preparing a roasted lamb. - But when he saw
Their hands did not reach for it (the lamb),
He was suspicious about them,
And he was fearful of them.
They said: “Fear us not!
We have been sent for the people of Lot.” - And his wife, standing there, laughed;
So We gave her the glad tidings of Isaac,
And after Isaac, of Jacob. - She said: “Ah me!
How can I have a child
When I am an old woman
And my husband is an old man?
This is indeed a strange matter.” - They said: “Are you astonished
At the command of Allah?
The Mercy of Allah
And His blessings
Are upon you and your household;
He is indeed the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.” - When Abraham had overcome his fear,
And was overjoyed,
He implored Us about the people of Lot. - Indeed Abraham was
Forbearing, soft of heart, inclined towards the truth. - (Said the Angels:) “O Abraham! Desist from this (pleading)!
Indeed, the command of Allah
Has already gone forth;
And they will assuredly face a calamity
That is irrevocable.” - And when Our messengers came to Lot,
He was concerned for them,
And felt constricted (he was fearful),
And he said: “This is a day of a great trial!” - And his people came rushing towards him,
As they were used to performing lewd acts.
He said: “Here are my daughters,
They are pure for you;
So, fear Allah,
And do not dishonor me
(By molesting) my guests.
Is there not among you
(at least) one upright man?” - They said: “You know very well
We have no rights (mutual obligations) upon your daughters;
And you know what it is that we want.” - He said: “If only I had strength over you,
Or if I could take the support of a strong party!” - They said: “O Lot! We are
Messengers from your Rabb,
They will never reach you;
So leave with your household by night.
And let no one look back.
As for your wife,
The calamity that befalls them
Shall indeed befall her.
Indeed, their destiny shall unfold before dawn.
Is not the morning near?” - When Our command came to pass,
We made the high and mighty, meek and low,
And showered upon them rocks, of hardened clay,
Wave upon wave, - Targeted from your Rabb.
And this (fate) is never far from the transgressors. - And towards Madyan,
(We sent) their brother Shu’aib,
He said: “Worship (and serve) Allah
Other than Whom you have no other god.
And do not diminish measure or weight.
Indeed, I see you are prosperous,
But I am indeed afraid of a calamity for you,
Of a day
That will overwhelm you.” - “And O my people!
Establish measure and balance with justice,
And decrease not (while measuring) their merchandise from people,
And do not walk through the land
Creating division and rancor. - “What is apportioned to you from Allah is good for you—
If you have certainty of faith.
And I am not upon you
A watchman. - They said: “O Shu’aib!
Is it your prayer (faith) that commands you
That we should abandon
What our forefathers worshipped?
Or that we should not do with our wealth
As we please?
Indeed, you are a forbearing, upright person,
(and should therefore not make unreasonable demands)” - He said: “O my people!
Do you see that
I follow clear evidence from my Rabb,
And He bestows on me a beautiful sustenance?
And I am not inclined
To violate what I forbid for you.
I do not wish but to reform
As much as I can.
And there is no guidance except from Allah;
In Him I place my trust,
And to Him I turn.” - “And, O my people!
Let not your disagreement with me
Lead you towards
What was visited on the people of Noah,
Or the people of Hud,
Or the people of Saleh.
And the people of Lot
Were not so long ago before you.” - “And seek forgiveness from your Rabb,
And, turn towards Him.
Indeed, My Rabb is
The Merciful, the Loving.” - They said: “O Shu’aib!
We do not understand
Much of what you tell them;
And indeed! We see that
You are a weak one among us;
If it were not for your family,
We would have stoned you,
And you have no power against us.” - He said: “O my people!
Does my family have greater power
For you than Allah?
And have you placed Him
Far away, behind your backs?
Verily, My Rabb surrounds (has full knowledge of)
What you do! - “And O my people!
You do what you do,
I will continue my work.
Soon you will know
On whom will descend
A disgraceful punishment,
And who is a liar.
So you wait!
I will wait with you.” - And when Our Decree came to pass,
We delivered Shu’aib
And those who had believed with him
As a Mercy from Us.
And upon the transgressors,
Came a mighty blast,
And by the morning
In their dwellings they lay prostrate, - As if they had never lived there.
Remember! Madyan was extirpated (wiped out),
Just as Thamud was extirpated. - And, Lo!
We sent Moses with Our Signs
And a manifest authority, - To the Pharaoh and his leaders.
But they followed the command of the Pharaoh,
And the command of the Pharaoh was not upright. - He shall be at the head of his people
On the Judgment Day,
And he shall lead them into the Fire,
An evil place shall be the abyss into which they descend! - And a curse shall follow them
In this (world),
And on the Judgment Day.
Awful is the reward
That they are rewarded with. - These are narrations of settlements (civilizations),
That we relate to you,
Some are still intact,
And some have disappeared. - And We oppressed them not,
But it was they who oppressed their own souls.
Of not the least benefit
Were the deities
That they used to call on
Besides Allah,
When the command of your Rabb
Came to pass,
They did nothing but
Augment their destruction. - Lo! Such is the grip of your Rabb!
When He grabs settlements (civilizations)
That oppress.
Indeed, His grip is painful, intense! - Assuredly, in these are Signs
For those who fear the punishment
Of the Judgment Day.
That shall be the Day of gathering!
Therein shall be all humankind,
And that shall be the Day
For those who are witnessed (who are presented)! - Lo! We do not delay it
Except for a period fixed! - That Day
None shall speak
Except with His permission.
And of them
Some shall be wretched,
And some blissful. - For those who are wretched,
There shall be the Fire,
(And) for them,
Therein shall be wailing and flailing. - They shall dwell therein
As long as there exist the heavens and the earth—
Except as your Rabb wills—
Lo! Your Rabb is the Enforcer
Of whatever He wills! - Lo! Those who are blissful,
For them is the Garden,
They will dwell therein
As long as there exist the heavens and the earth—
Except as your Rabb wills—
An endless gift! - So, do not have any doubts,
About what they worship (and serve),
They worship not but what their forefathers
Used to worship beforetime.
Lo! We shall fulfill their destiny
Undiminished. - Behold! We granted the Book to Moses!
Then, there were schisms about it.
And were it not for a Word
From your Rabb aforetime,
The disputes between them would have been settled;
Lo! They are indeed
In a deceitful doubt about it! - And indeed,
Everyone shall receive
Full recompense for their deeds
From their Rabb.
Indeed, He is aware of their deeds. - So, stay firm
On what you are commanded;
(You) and whoever has repented with you
And is not rebellious.
Lo! He is witness to your deeds! - And do not incline
Towards the oppressors,
Or else the Fire will touch you;
And there will be no protector for you
Except Allah,
And, you shall not be helped. - And establish prayer,
At both ends of the day,
And a portion of the night.
Indeed, the good overcomes the evil;
That is an admonishment
For those who heed the admonishment. - And be patient!
Assuredly, Allah does not overlook
The recompense
For those who do good. - So, why were there not
Among the communities before you
People who did good?
Very few of them stopped
Mischief on earth.
Those were the ones We saved.
Left behind were those who oppressed
With what was given to them (in this life),
And were condemned. - And your Rabb is not disposed
To destroy settlements (civilizations) unjustly
While the people in them
Are working towards justice. - And if your Rabb had so willed it,
He would have made humankind a single spiritual community,
But (it is decreed that) they shall always remain in disagreement. - Except those on whom is the Mercy of your Rabb,
Lo! He created them for it (so that He can show them His mercy).
But (as for the others) the Word of your Rabb shall be fulfilled:
“I shall fill Hell with humankind and jinns all together!” - And We narrate to you
All the narrations of the Messengers,
So that We strengthen (the core) of your heart.
Lo! There has come to you in them,
The Truth,
And admonition,
And a remembrance,
For those who have certainty of faith. - And say to those who do not believe:
“You do what you are doing,
We do what we do. - And you wait!
We shall indeed be among those
Who wait! - And to Allah is what is beyond perception
In the heavens and the earth,
And to Him return the decisions— all of them,
So worship (and serve) Him!
And place your trust in Him!
Lo! Your Rabb is not unaware
Of what you do.