46.

Sura Ahqaf (or Winding Sand tracs)

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

The Message is from God, the exalted in Power, full of Wisdom. We

created the heavens and the earth and every thing between them for just ends
and for a specific period. But those who reject Faith turn away from that
whereof they are warned. Tell them (O Muhammad):Have you thought on all
that you invoke besides God? Tell them to show you what they have created
on earth or any portion of the heavens (if they have anything to show). Say
them to bring a Scripture revelaed before this Scripture or any remnant of
knowledge you may have, if you are telling the truth. Who can be said further
astray than those who, instead of God, pray such as who hear not their prayer
until the Day of Judgement, and are unconscious of their call to them? On the
Day of Resurrection, when mankind are gathered together, their false gods will
ditch them and reject their worship altogether. When Our clear revelations are
recited to them, the disbelievers say this is nothing but mere magic or else he
(Muhammad SA) has invented or forged it. Say to them (O Muhammad): If I
forged a message from myself as one purporting to come from God, you
would not be able to see me enjoy any of the blessings from God which I
enjoy. But, what about those who talk so glibly and freely about things which
they know not? God knows all, and He is my witness! But even against your
false accusation, I pray for His Forgiveness and mercy to you, for He is Oft-
Forgiving, Most Merciful! All prophets have taught the Unity of God and our
duty to mankind. I bring no new-fangled doctrine, but eternal truths that have
been known to good men through the ages. It is to reclaim you for that I have
come. I do not know what will be your fate nor I know what will be done with
me. But this I know, that I am preaching truth and righteousness as inspired by
God. My duty is only to proclaim aloud and clearly the Message entrusted to
me by God. The rest I leave to God. Among Israel there are men who
understand the scriptures, and who find in the Qur-an and its Preacher a true
confirmation of the previous scriptures. They accept Islam as a fulfillment of
the revelation of Moses himself. And yet you hold back, though the Qur-an
has come in your own language in order to help you to understand. How
unjust and how shameful! In that case, with what face can you seek guidance
from God? The Unbelievers (who were puffed up with pride) say for the
Believers: If such men (humble and dispised by the Quraish leaders) could see
any good in Islam, we would have been the first to see it. The spiritually blind
have such a good conceit of themselves! As they reject it, and as the
Revelation is proved to have historic foundations, they can only call it “an old,
old falsehood”! Before this, was the Book of Moses. It was a guide and mercy
for the people. The Qur-an confirms it in Arabic language. To admonish the
unjust and glad tidings for the righteous. Verily those who say; “Our Lord is
God”, and remain firm on that path; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they
grieve. As a recompense for their good deeds, such persons shall dwell in the
Gardens for ever. We have commanded on man to be kind to his parents. In
uneasiness did his mother bear him and gave him birth in pain. The carring of
the child to the weaning period is 30 months. At 40 he reaches the age of full
strength. He says:O my Lord! Arouse me that I may give thanks for the favour
wherewith You have favoured me and my parents, and that I may do right
acceptable toYou. And be gracious to me in the matter of my issue. Truly I
have turned to You and bow to you in Islam. Such are the people whose good-
deeds are accepted and their (minor) ill-deeds are over-looked by their Lord.
These people shall dwell in the Garden of which a promise of truth is made to
them in this life. But he say to his parents: Fie upon you both! Do you threaten
me that I shall be brought forth again when generations before me have passed
away? The parents seek God’s help and rebuke the son: Woe to thee! Have
Faith! The promise of God is true. But the son says: This is nothing but tales
of the ancient! Such are the men against whom the verdict has already been
decreed. They are among the loosers. To all are assigned degrees according to
their deeds which they do and no injustice shall be done to anyone. And on the
Day when those who disbelieve are exposed to the fire (it will be said):You
spent wastefully your good things in the life of the world and saught comfort
therein. Now this day you are rewarded with the doom of ignominy because
you were disdainful in the land without a right, and because you used to
transgress.

Mention (Hud) one of ’Ad’s (tribe) own brothren among the winding
Sand-tracts. Warners came and went before him and after him. He told them to
worship none other than God only. If you do not change your evil ways, I fear
for you a severe Penalty on a mighty day. But the evil mongers said: Have you
come to turn us away from our own gods? If you are telling us the truth bring
on us the Penalty of which you are talking about. The Punishment came
suddenly when they least expected it. They were eager to have rain and saw a
cloud coming towards their own tracts, winding through the hills. They started
rejoicing the event. Their fields would be green, irrigational channels would
be full and their crops would be bumper. They were highly mistaken. It was a
furious hurricane carring destruction and death in its wake. A violent blast,
with dust and sand! Lives lost, fields covered with sand-hills! The destruction
was complete! Where were the men who boasted and defied their Lord! There
remained only the ruins of their houses to witness to the past! The ’Ad and
their successors the Thamud were more richly endowned with the faculties of
the arts, sciences and culture than ever were the Quraish before Islam. But
these faculties were of no use to them went on rejecting and mocking the
Signs of God. What they used to mock hemmed them in, and showed that
these had more power and effectness than anything else.

In the past, We have destroyed settlements around your territory. These

populations were shown the Signs in various ways that they may turn to their
Lord. Then why did those whom they had chosen as gods to approach God do
not help them? Certainly, they failed them utterly as all what they say is
falsehood and their invention. Behold, a company of Jinns (spirits) listened to
the reading of the Qur-an with great respect They were impressed by its
message and shared this happening with their ones. They told them that the
Message of Islam guides men to the Truth and to a Straight Path leading them
to God and His forgiveness. However, someone opt to disbelieve, he can not
frustrate His Plan and will find no other protector. Such are the people who
wander in manifest error. Do they not see God, Who created the heaven and
the earth, never wearied with their creation, is able to give life to the dead?
Yes, no doubt, He has power over all things. On the Day (of Judgement), the
Unbelievers will be placed before the Fire of Hell and will be told: Is this not
the Truth? They will say: Yes our Lord! They will then be told to taste it the
Penalty which you used to deny. Then have patience (O Muhammad) as the
stout of heart among the Messengers (of old) had patience, and seek not to
hasten on the doom for them. On the day when they see that which they are
promised (it will seem to them) as though they had tarried out an hour of
daylight. A clear message. Shall any be destroyed save evil-living folk?