# The Holy Qur'an (Maulana Muhammad Ali)/15. The Rock
#### 15. The Rock (Al-Hihr)

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
$^1$ I, Allah, am the Seer. These are the verses of the Book and (of) a Qur'an that makes manifest.
$^2$ Often will those who disbelieve wish that they were Muslims.
$^3$ Leave them to eat and enjoy themselves, and let (false) hope beguile them, for they will soon know.
$^4$ And never did We destroy a town but it had a decree made known.
$^5$ No people can hasten on their doom, nor can they postpone (it).
$^6$ And they say: O thou to whom the Reminder is revealed, thou art indeed mad.
$^7$ Why bringest thou not the angels to us, if thou art of the truthful?
$^8$ We send not angels but with truth, and then they would not be respited.
$^9$ Surely We have revealed the Reminder, and surely We are its Guardian.
$^{10}$ And certainly We sent (messengers) before thee among the sects of yore.
ii And there never came a messenger to them but they mocked him.$^{12}$ Thus do We make it enter the hearts of the guilty --
$^{13}$ They believe not in it; and the example of the ancients has gone before.
$^{14}$ And even if We open to them a gate of heaven, and they keep on ascending into it,
$^{15}$ They would say: Only our eyes have been covered over, rather we are an enchanted people.
$^{16}$ And certainly We have made strongholds in the heaven, and We have made it fair-seeming to the beholders,
$^{17}$ And We guard it against every accursed devil,
$^{18}$ But he who steals a hearing; so there follows him a visible flame.
$^{19}$ And the earth -- We have spread it out and made in it firm mountains and caused to grow in it of every suitable thing
$^{20}$ And We have made in it means of subsistence for you and for him for whom you provide not.
$^{21}$ And there is not a thing but with Us are the treasures of it, and We send it not down but in a known measure.
$^{22}$ And We send the winds fertilizing, then send down water from the clouds, so We give it to you to drink; nor is it you who store it up.
$^{23}$ And surely it is We, Who give life and cause death, and We are the Inheritors.
$^{24}$ And certainly We know those among you who go forward and We certainly know those who lag behind.
$^{25}$ And surely thy Lord will gather them together. He indeed is Wise,
$^{26}$ And surely We created man of sounding clay, of black mud fashioned into shape.
$^{27}$ And the jinn, We created before of intensely hot fire.
$^{28}$ And when thy Lord said to the angels I am going to create a mortal of sound clay, of black mud fashioned into shape.
$^{29}$ So when I have made him complete and breathed into him of My spirit, fall down making obeisance to him.
$^{30}$ So the angels made obeisance, all of them together --
$^{31}$ But Iblis (did it not). He refused to be with those who made obeisance.
$^{32}$ He said: O Iblis, what is the reason that thou art not with those who make obeisance?
$^{33}$ He said: I am not going to make obeisance to a mortal, whom Thou liast created of sounding clay, of black mud fashioned into shape.
$^{34}$ He said: Then go forth, for surely thou art driven away,
$^{35}$ And surely on thee is a curse till the day of Judgment.
$^{36}$ He said: My Lord, respite me till the time when they are raised.
$^{37}$ He said: Surely thou art of the respited ones,
$^{38}$ Till the period of the time made known.
$^{39}$ He said: My Lord, as Thou hast judged me erring, I shall certainly make (evil) fair-seeming to them on earth, and I shall cause them all to deviate,
$^{40}$ Except Thy servants from among them, the purified ones.
$^{41}$ He said: This is a right way with Me.
$^{42}$ As regards My servants, thou hast no authority over them except such of the deviators as follow thee.
$^{43}$ And surely hell is the promised place for them all --
$^{44}$ It has seven gates. For each gate is an appointed portion of them.
$^{45}$ Surely those who keep their duty are in Gardens and fountains.
$^{46}$ Enter them in peace, secure.
$^{47}$ And We shall root out whatever of rancour is in their breasts -- as brethren, on raised couches, face to face.
$^{48}$ Toil afflicts them not therein, nor will they be ejected therefrom.
$^{49}$ Inform My servants that I am the Forgiving, the Merciful,
$^{50}$ And that My chastisement -- that is the painful chastisement.
$^{51}$ And inform them of the guests of Abraham.
$^{52}$ When they entered upon him, they said, Peace He said: We are afraid of you.
$^{53}$ They said: Be not afraid, we give thee good news of a boy, possessing knowledge.
$^{54}$ He said: Do you give me good news when old age has come upon me? Of what then do you give me good news?
$^{55}$ They said: We give thee good news with truth, so be not thou of the despairing ones.
$^{56}$ He said: And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord but the erring ones?
$^{57}$ He said: What is your business, then, O messengers?
$^{58}$ They said: We have been sent to a guilty people,
$^{59}$ Except Lot's followers. We shall deliver them all,
$^{60}$ Except his wife: We ordained that she shall surely be of those who remain behind.
$^{61}$ So when the messengers came to Lot's followers,
$^{62}$ He said: Surely you are an unknown people.
$^{63}$ They said: Nay, we have come to thee with that about which they disputed.
$^{64}$ And we have come to thee with the truth, and we are surely truthful.
$^{65}$ So travel with thy followers for a part of the night and thyself follow their rear; and let not any one of you turn round, and go whither you are commanded.
$^{66}$ And We made known to him this decree, that the roots of these should be cut off in the morning.
$^{67}$ And the people of the town came rejoicing.
$^{68}$ He said: These are my guests, so disgrace me not,
$^{69}$ And keep your duty to Allah and shame me not.
$^{70}$ They said: Did we not forbid thee from (entertaining) people?
$^{71}$ He said: These are my daughters, if you will do (aught).
$^{72}$ By thy life they blindly wandered on in their frenzy.
$^{73}$ So the cry overtook them at sunrise
$^{74}$ Thus We turned it upside down, and rained upon them hard stones.
$^{75}$ Surely in this are signs for those who take a lesson.
$^{76}$ And it is on a road that still abides.
$^{77}$ Verily therein is a sign for the believers.
$^{78}$ And the dwellers of the thicker were indeed iniquitous:
$^{79}$ So We inflicted retribution on them. And they are both on an open high road.
$^{80}$ And the dwellers of the Rock indeed rejected the messengers;
$^{81}$ And We gave them Our messages, but they turned away from them;
$^{82}$ And they hewed houses in the mountains, in security.
$^{83}$ So the cry overtook them in the morning;
$^{84}$ And what they earned availed them not.
$^{85}$ And We created not the heavens and the earth and what is between them but with truth. And the Hour is surely coming, so turn away with kindly forgiveness.
$^{86}$ Surely thy Lord -- He is the Creator, the Knower.
$^{87}$ And certainly We have given thee seven oft-repeated (verses) and the grand Qur'an.
$^{88}$ Strain not thine eyes at what We have given certain classes of them to enjoy, and grieve not for them, and make thyself gentle to the believers.
$^{89}$ And say: I am indeed the plain warner.
$^{90}$ Like as We sent down on them who took oaths,
$^{91}$ Those who divided the Qur'an into parts.
$^{92}$ So, by thy Lord! We shall question them all.
$^{93}$ As to what they did.
$^{94}$ Therefore declare openly what thou art commanded, and turn away from the polytheists.
$^{95}$ Surely We are sufficient for thee against the scoffers --
$^{96}$ Those who set up another god with Allah; so they will come to know.
$^{97}$ And We know indeed that thy breast straitens at what they say;
$^{98}$ So celebrate the praise of thy Lord, and be of those who make obeisance.
$^{99}$ And serve thy Lord, until there comes to thee that which is certain.