Surah Ali 'Imran English Translation & Transliteration

¹Alif, Lam, Mim.

²Allah is the One besides whom there is no god! He is the source and sustainer of life. He watches over and oversees all existence.

³It is He who has sent down to you this true Book, the Quran, confirming what came before it. He also sent down the Torah and the Gospel.

⁴Before that, He had sent down, as guidance for people, the Furqan, which distinguishes truth from falsehood. For the disbelievers who cover up Allah's verses there is a severe punishment. Allah is absolutely mighty, exalted, and makes a person taste the pain of what he has done.

⁵Allah—nothing on earth or in the heavens is hidden from Him.

⁶It is He who shapes you in your mothers' wombs as He wills. There is no god but Allah. He is absolutely mighty and decides rightly in every judgment He gives.

⁷It is He who has sent down to you this Book, the Quran. Part of it consists of muhkam/judgment-bearing verses—these are the essence of the Book—and the rest are mutashabih/resembling verses. Those in whose hearts is deviation pursue what is mutashabih in it, in order to stir up discord and to interpret it. Yet its interpretation/the connection between the verses is known to Allah. And those of high rank in knowledge say, "We believe in it; all of it is from our Lord." None grasp this except those of deep understanding.

⁸"Our Lord, do not let our hearts slip after You have guided us to the right path. Grant us mercy from Yourself; surely You are the One who gives abundantly."

⁹"Our Lord, surely it is You who will gather all people on that day about which there is no doubt. Allah does not go back on His promise."

¹⁰Surely neither the wealth nor the children of the disbelievers who cover up the truth will benefit them in the slightest against Allah. These are the ones who are the fuel of the Fire.

¹¹Their case is just like the course of Pharaoh's dynasty and those before them. They clung to lies against Our verses, so Allah punished them for their sins. Allah's punishment is very severe.

¹²Say to those disbelievers, "Soon you will be defeated, and you will be gathered and driven into Hell. What an evil place to settle!"

¹³There was a lesson for you in the two groups that met face to face. One of them was fighting in Allah's way, and the other was disbelieving. With their own eyes they saw the others as twice their number. Allah strengthens with His help whoever deserves it. In this there is truly a lesson for those who have insight.

¹⁴Attachment, with excessive love and passion, to women, children, heaped-up hoards of gold and silver, well-bred horses, livestock, and crops has been made to seem attractive to people. Yet all these are the passing pleasures of the life of this world. The finest shelter is the one with Allah.

¹⁵Say: "Shall I tell you of something better than this? For those who guard themselves against defying Allah there are gardens beneath which rivers flow, in which they will abide, where there are pure spouses and Allah's good pleasure. Allah truly sees His servants."

¹⁶They are those who say, "Our Lord, we have believed with certainty. Forgive us our sins and protect us from the punishment of the Fire."

¹⁷They are those who are patient in hardship, who are true in their faith, who submit wholeheartedly, who spend in Allah's way, and who ask for forgiveness in the hours before dawn.

¹⁸Allah bears witness that there is no god but Him. The angels and those of knowledge who uphold justice also bear witness that there is no god but Him. He is absolutely mighty and exalted, and decides rightly in every judgment.

¹⁹The only religion valid in Allah's sight is Islam. Those who were given the Book fell into disagreement, after the knowledge of the Quran had come to them, purely out of envy among themselves. Whoever becomes a disbeliever by not believing in Allah's verses, let him know well that Allah is very swift in reckoning.

²⁰If they argue with you, say: "I, together with those who follow me, have submitted my whole being to Allah." And say to those who were given the Book and to the unlettered, "Have you too submitted?" If they have submitted, they have found the right path. But if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the message. Allah sees His servants in any case.

²¹Those who become disbelievers by refusing to believe in Allah's verses, who kill the prophets unjustly, and who kill those among people who command justice—give them the news of a painful punishment.

²²These are the ones whose deeds done in the world are wasted in the Hereafter. Nor will they have any helper.

²³Have you not seen those who were given a share of the Book? They are called to Allah's Book, the Quran, so that it may judge between them, and then a group of them turn their backs and go away.

²⁴This is because they say, "The Fire will never touch us except for numbered days." The lies they have kept inventing have drawn them into self-deception in their religion.

²⁵How will it be with them when We gather them together on that day whose coming is not in doubt, when everyone will be paid what they have earned, without any injustice being done?

²⁶Say: "O Allah, true Owner of sovereignty, You give dominion to whoever works for it and deserves it, and You take dominion away from whoever does wrong. You exalt and honor whoever deserves it, and You abase and humiliate whoever does wrong. All good is in Your hand; surely You set a measure for everything and have power over all things."

²⁷"You make the night pass into the day (You lengthen the day), and You make the day pass into the night (You lengthen the night). You bring forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living. And to whoever makes the necessary effort You give provision without measure."

²⁸Let the believers not take disbelievers as protectors and allies instead of believers. Whoever does so has no connection left with Allah—unless it is a tactic you devise to protect yourselves from them. Allah warns you to be careful toward Him. To Allah is the final destination.

²⁹"Whether you conceal what is in your hearts or reveal it, Allah knows it. He knows everything in the heavens and on the earth. Allah sets a measure for everything and has power over all things."

³⁰On that day when everyone will find present before them all the good they have done and all the evil, a person will wish that there were a great distance between himself and the evil he committed. Allah warns you to be respectful and careful toward Him. And Allah is most compassionate toward His servants.

³¹Say: "If you love Allah, follow me, so that Allah may love you and forgive your sins. Allah is forgiving and merciful."

³²Say: "Obey Allah and His Messenger who conveys Allah's verses!" If they turn away, surely Allah does not love the disbelievers.

³³Allah chose Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of Imran from among the peoples.

³⁴As generations descended from one another. Allah truly hears and truly knows.

³⁵Recall when Imran's wife said, "My Lord, I have dedicated to You what is in my womb, as one set free; accept it from me. Surely You truly hear and truly know."

³⁶When she gave birth to her, she said, "My Lord, I have given birth to a girl." Allah certainly knows best what she gave birth to, and that a boy is not like a girl. "I have named her Mary. I commit her and her descendants to Your protection from the outcast Satan," she said.

³⁷Her Lord accepted her with great pleasure and raised her like a rare flower. Zechariah took charge of her care. Whenever Zechariah entered her place of worship, he would find a different kind of food with her. When he asked, "Where did this come to you from?" Mary would answer, "This is from Allah." Indeed, Allah grants provision without measure to whoever deserves it.

³⁸There and then Zechariah implored his Lord: "My Lord, grant me pure offspring from Yourself! Surely You are the Hearer of prayer."

³⁹While he was performing the prayer in the sanctuary (mihrab), the angels called out to him: "Allah gives you good news of John (Yahya), who will confirm a word from Allah—a leader, master of his self, and a prophet from among the righteous!"

⁴⁰He said, "My Lord, how will I have a son when old age has seized me and my wife is barren?" Allah said, "Thus is Allah; He does what He wills!"

⁴¹He said, "My Lord, give me a proof." Allah said, "Your proof is that for three days you will not be able to speak with people except through gestures. Remember your Lord much and glorify Him morning and evening."

⁴²And recall when the angels said: "O Mary, Allah has chosen you. He has purified you, and He has chosen you and made you superior to the women of all peoples."

⁴³"O Mary, submit wholeheartedly to your Lord, prostrate, and bow down with those who bow down!"

⁴⁴This is from the news of the unseen that We reveal to you. You were not with them when they cast their pens into the water (to draw lots) to decide which of them would take charge of Mary, nor were you with them when they argued about it.

⁴⁵The angels said: "O Mary! Allah gives you good news of a word from Himself; he will be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary. He will be honored in this world and in the Hereafter, distinguished, and among those near to Allah."

⁴⁶"He will speak to people in the cradle and as a grown man, and he will be one of the righteous."

⁴⁷Mary said, "My Lord, how can I have a child when no human hand has touched me?" The angel said, "It is so; Allah creates whatever He wills. When He wills a thing to be, He says to it 'Be,' and its becoming begins."

⁴⁸He will teach him the Book, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel.

⁴⁹And He will send him as a messenger to the Children of Israel: "I have come to you with a sign/miracle from your Lord. I make for you out of clay something like a bird, and I breathe into it, and by Allah's permission it at once becomes a flying bird. I heal those born blind and the lepers, and by Allah's permission I bring the dead to life. I tell you what you eat and what you store in your houses. In this there is a proof for you, if you are people who have believed."

⁵⁰"I have come with a sign from your Lord, confirming the Torah that came before me and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you. Be accountable to Allah and obey me!"

⁵¹"Surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord/Master. Serve Him. This is the straight path."

⁵²When Jesus sensed disbelief in them, he said, "Who will be my helpers in Allah's way?" The disciples answered, "We are the helpers of Allah('s religion). We have believed in Allah; bear witness that we are Muslims!"

⁵³"Our Lord, we have believed in what You have sent down, and we have followed the Messenger. So record us among those who bear witness."

⁵⁴They set a trap, and Allah brought their traps down upon their own heads. For Allah is the best of those who foil traps.

⁵⁵Allah said, "O Jesus, I will cause you to die, and so raise you to My presence. I will purify you of those who do not believe. I will hold those who follow you above those who do not believe until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me you will return, and I will judge between you in the matters about which you differ."

⁵⁶"As for those disbelievers who cover up the truth, I will punish them severely in this world and in the Hereafter. Nor will they have any helpers."

⁵⁷But as for those who believe and do good and righteous deeds, Allah will give them their rewards in full. Allah does not love the wrongdoers who persist in error.

⁵⁸These are among the verses We convey to you from the Quran, whose judgments are right.

⁵⁹In Allah's sight, the case of Jesus is like the case of Adam. He created him from soil, then said to him, "Be!" and he at once entered the process of becoming.

⁶⁰The truth is the Quran from your Lord. So never be among those who doubt!

⁶¹If anyone argues with you about this after the knowledge of revelation has come to you, say: "Come, let us gather, calling our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves. Then let us pray earnestly and ask that Allah's curse be upon the liars."

⁶²This is the true story of the matter of Jesus. There is no god at all but Allah. Allah is absolutely mighty, right in every judgment.

⁶³But if they still turn away, surely Allah truly knows the corrupters.

⁶⁴Say: "O People of the Book, come, let us agree on a common word between us and you: (let us pledge) that we will serve none but Allah, that we will associate nothing with Him, and that we will not take one another as lords by placing them between ourselves and Allah." If they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims who have submitted to Allah with our whole being."

⁶⁵O People of the Book, why do you argue about Abraham, when the Torah and the Gospel were revealed only after him? Do you not use your reason?

⁶⁶This is how you are: granted, you argued about what you had some knowledge of; but why do you argue about something of which you have no knowledge? Allah knows, and you do not know!

⁶⁷Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian. Rather, he was a hanif Muslim. For he was not one of the polytheists who ascribe divinity to anyone other than Allah.

⁶⁸Surely those closest to Abraham are those who followed him, and this prophet, and those who believe in him. For Allah is the guardian of the believers.

⁶⁹A group of the People of the Book want to lead you astray, but they lead only themselves astray and do not even realize it.

⁷⁰O People of the Book, why do you openly refuse to believe in Allah's verses, while you yourselves are witnesses?

⁷¹O People of the Book, why do you mix truth with falsehood and knowingly conceal the truth?

⁷²A group of the People of the Book say, "Believe in the Quran revealed to the believers at the beginning of the day, and deny it at its end, so that perhaps they too will turn back."

⁷³"And do not believe anyone except those who follow your religion." Say: "The right path is only the path Allah shows." "Is it lest the like of what was given to you be given to someone else too, or lest they bring proof against you before your Lord?" Say: "Grace and goodness are in Allah's hand; He gives them to whoever deserves it. For Allah's mercy is abundant, and He knows all things."

⁷⁴He reserves His mercy for whoever deserves it. For Allah is the possessor of great grace/favor.

⁷⁵Among the People of the Book is one who, if you entrust him with a qintar of gold, will return it to you as it is; and among them is one who, if you entrust him with a single dinar, will not return it to you unless you keep standing over him. That is because they say, "We have no responsibility toward the unlettered." They knowingly tell lies about Allah.

⁷⁶Yes indeed, whoever fulfills his covenant and honors the trust—surely Allah loves the God-conscious (muttaqin) who honor the trust.

⁷⁷As for those who exchange the covenant they made with Allah and their oaths for a trivial worldly benefit, they will have no share in the Hereafter. On the Day of Resurrection Allah will not speak to them, will not look upon them, and will not clear them of guilt. For them is a painful punishment.

⁷⁸Among them is a group who twist their tongues so that you will think it is from the Book, though it is not from the Book. They pretend to be reading from Allah's Book, and they say, "It is from Allah," though it is not from Allah. They knowingly tell lies about Allah.

⁷⁹It is not conceivable for any human being to whom Allah has given the Book, wisdom, and prophethood to then say to people, "Serve me alongside Allah." Rather, he says: "Be servants of the Lord, since you read and study the Book."

⁸⁰Nor does he command you to take the angels and the prophets as lords who lay down rules in religion. Would he command you to become disbelievers after you have become Muslims?

⁸¹Allah had taken this covenant/pledge from the prophets: after saying, "When, after I have given you the Book and wisdom, a messenger comes to you confirming the message you have conveyed, you will surely believe in him and help him, will you not?" He said, "Have you decided, and do you accept this heavy burden I place upon you?" When they said, "Yes, we accept," Allah said, "Then bear witness to this, and I too am a witness with you."

⁸²After this, whoever goes back on the pledge given—they are the very transgressors who have strayed from the path.

⁸³While all rational beings in the heavens and on the earth have submitted to Him, willingly or unwillingly, and everyone will be returned to Him for the reckoning, are they seeking a system of life other than Allah's religion?

⁸⁴Say: "We believe in Allah, in what has been revealed to us, in what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and his descendants, and in what was given to Moses, Jesus, and the other prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction among them by preferring any one of them over another. For we are those who have submitted to Allah and become Muslims."

⁸⁵Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him. And in the Hereafter he will surely be among the losers.

⁸⁶How would Allah guide to the right path the disbelievers who refuse to believe the truth after having believed and having witnessed that the messenger is true, when clear proofs had come to them? For Allah does not let the wrongdoers who persist in error attain their aims.

⁸⁷Their penalty is that they incur the curse of Allah, the angels, and all people.

⁸⁸They will abide under that curse. The punishment will never be lightened for them, nor will they be looked upon.

⁸⁹Except those who, after these errors, turn back in repentance and set their condition right. Allah is matchless in forgiveness and possesses infinite mercy.

⁹⁰Those who become disbelievers after their faith and increase in their disbelief—if they do not turn back in repentance, they are the very ones who have gone astray in error.

⁹¹Yes, as for those who die as disbelievers, having covered up the truth—even if any one of them were to offer gold enough to fill the earth as ransom, it would never be accepted. For them is a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers.

⁹²You will not attain goodness and true piety until you spend from what you love. Whatever you spend, Allah surely knows it.

⁹³Before the Torah was revealed, all food was lawful to the Children of Israel, except what Israel had made unlawful for himself. Say: "If you are truthful in your claim, bring the Torah and read it!"

⁹⁴After this, whoever fabricates baseless rulings and attributes them to Allah—they are the very wrongdoers.

⁹⁵Say: "Allah has spoken the truth. So follow the belief system of Abraham, turning away from every kind of falsehood! He was not one of the polytheists who attribute Allah's qualities to others."

⁹⁶The first house of worship built on earth for humanity is surely the blessed one in Mecca (the Kaaba), a guide for all peoples.

⁹⁷Signs pointing to this stand there; for example, the station of Abraham is still there. Whoever enters it is safe. Pilgrimage to the House/the Kaaba is a right Allah has over people, for those who can find the means. Whoever is ungrateful and avoids it—Allah has no need of the worship of any of the peoples.

⁹⁸Say: "O People of the Book, why do you not believe in Allah's verses, while Allah keeps witnessing what you do?"

⁹⁹Say: "O People of the Book, why, though you yourselves witness the truth of this revelation, do you try to turn those who believe in it away from Allah's path by making it appear crooked? Allah is never indifferent to what you do."

¹⁰⁰O you who believe, if you follow a group of those who were given the Book, they will turn you back to disbelief after your faith.

¹⁰¹How can you not believe in the verses, when Allah's verses are recited to you and, moreover, His messenger/the Quran is among you? Whoever holds fast to Allah, surely He directs him to His right path.

¹⁰²O you who believe, guard yourselves against defying Allah as truly as one should, and never allow yourselves to die except as Muslims.

¹⁰³And hold fast all together to Allah's rope, the Quran, and do not split into divisions! Remember Allah's blessing upon you! You were once enemies to one another. He reconciled your hearts. Thanks to this blessing of His, the Quran, you became brothers. You were on the brink of a pit of fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His verses clear to you, so that you may find the right path.

¹⁰⁴Let there arise from among you a community that calls to what is good and beautiful and prevents what is evil and ugly. It is they who will attain salvation.

¹⁰⁵Do not be like those who fell into disagreement and split into divisions after clear proofs had come to them. For them is a terrible punishment.

¹⁰⁶On that day when some faces will brighten and some faces will darken, it will be said to those whose faces darken: "Did you become disbelievers after your faith? Then taste the punishment for your disbelief."

¹⁰⁷As for those whose faces brighten, they are in Allah's mercy, and they will abide there.

¹⁰⁸These are Allah's verses, which We recite to you for a true purpose. Allah does no wrong or injustice to any of the peoples.

¹⁰⁹Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth belongs to Allah. All affairs and all that comes to be are in the end returned to Allah.

¹¹⁰You are the best community/society brought forth for people. You recommend what is good and beautiful and prevent what is evil and ugly. You believe and trust in Allah. If the People of the Book had also believed and trusted, it would surely have been better for them. Among them are believers, but most of them are transgressors who have strayed from the path.

¹¹¹They will never be able to harm you except with hurtful words. If they fight you, they will turn their backs and flee. Then no help will reach them.

¹¹²Wherever they may be, they are condemned to be degraded and to live in humiliation, as long as they do not hold to their commitments toward Allah and toward people. For in the past they incurred Allah's wrath. They were condemned to bondage, exile, and wretchedness. This was because they did not believe in Allah's verses and unjustly killed their prophets. All this was because they rebelled and transgressed the limits.

¹¹³They are not all alike. Among the People of the Book there is also a community who rise in the depths of the night, recite Allah's verses, and worship by falling down in prostration.

¹¹⁴They believe in Allah and the Last Day. They command what is good, forbid what is evil, and hasten to good deeds. They are people of virtue.

¹¹⁵The deeds they do in the way of good will never go unrewarded. For Allah knows very well those who are conscientious in good deeds.

¹¹⁶As for the disbelievers who cover up the truths, neither their wealth nor their children will be of any benefit to them in Allah's presence. They will end up in the Fire, and they will abide there.

¹¹⁷What they spend in the name of good in this worldly life is like a scorching cold wind that strikes the crop of a people who have wronged themselves and destroys it. Allah did not wrong them or do them injustice; rather, they were wronging themselves and doing themselves injustice.

¹¹⁸O you who believe, do not take as friends and confidants those who do not share your religion. For they will do you every harm they can. They wish for you to fall into hardship. Their hatred and anger overflow from their mouths. And the hatred and loathing they conceal within is even greater. We have made the verses clear to you, if you use your reason.

¹¹⁹You are such people that you love them though they do not love you, and you believe in all the revelations. When they meet you, they say, "We believe"; but when they are alone, they bite their fingers out of hatred and loathing for you. Say: "Perish in your rage! Surely Allah truly knows the feelings hidden deep within the breasts."

¹²⁰If some good and blessing comes to you, it grieves them deeply; but if something bad befalls you, they are overjoyed. If you are patient and act responsibly, their plans and plots will do you no harm at all. Allah fully encompasses what they do.

¹²¹Recall when you left your home in the morning to station the believers in their battle positions. Allah was hearing and knowing all that took place.

¹²²Two groups among you had panicked and come to the brink of breaking apart. Yet Allah was their ally and helper; the believers should have trusted in Allah alone.

¹²³And Allah helped you at Badr when you were weaker. So be accountable to Allah, so that you will have shown your gratitude to Him.

¹²⁴Recall when you were saying to the believers in the Battle of Badr: "Is it not enough for you that your Lord helps you with three thousand angels sent down?"

¹²⁵Indeed, if you are patient, stand firm, and act responsibly, then even if the enemy attacks you suddenly, your Lord will help you with five thousand marked angels.

¹²⁶Allah gave you this help only as good news of victory, and so that your hearts would find peace and calm through it. For true victory and help come from Allah, the Possessor of supreme power, perfect in His work.

¹²⁷He gave this help in order to eliminate some of the disbelievers, or to rout them so that they would withdraw as losers.

¹²⁸You do not have the authority to pass judgment on their fate! Allah will either pardon them or punish them. For they have chosen to be wrongdoers.

¹²⁹Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth all belongs to Allah! He forgives whoever deserves it and punishes whoever deserves it. Allah is matchless in forgiveness and possesses infinite mercy.

¹³⁰O you who believe, do not get involved in interest/unjust gain and consume it, multiplying it over and over. Observe this prohibition of Allah, so that you may attain salvation.

¹³¹Thus protect yourselves from the Fire prepared for the disbelievers.

¹³²Obey Allah and His Messenger who conveys Allah's messages, so that you may receive mercy.

¹³³Hasten to forgiveness from your Lord, and to a Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who act responsibly.

¹³⁴They are those who spend their wealth in Allah's way in times of plenty and of hardship, who restrain their anger, and who pardon people's faults. Allah loves such good people.

¹³⁵And they are those who, when they commit a shameful deed or wrong themselves, immediately remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins—and who else but Allah can forgive sins?—and who do not knowingly persist in committing sin.

¹³⁶Their reward is forgiveness from their Lord and abiding in gardens beneath which rivers flow. How excellent is the reward of those who work and strive this way!

¹³⁷Many ways of life have come and gone before you. So travel through the land and see what was the end of those who clung to lies!

¹³⁸This Quran is a declaration that expresses the truth for people, and for those who act responsibly it is a guide to the right path and an admonition.

¹³⁹Do not grieve, and do not lose heart and weaken; you are superior, if you truly believe.

¹⁴⁰If you suffered pain (at Uhud), they too suffered pain (at Badr). We keep rotating victories and defeats among people, so that Allah may make known those who believe and raise up from among you witnesses and models. For Allah does not love those who betray their cause.

¹⁴¹This is so that Allah may purify the believers and utterly ruin the disbelievers.

¹⁴²Or do you think that you will enter Paradise before Allah makes known those among you who strive (jihad) in His way and those who are patient?

¹⁴³You used to long for death before you came face to face with it. Now that you have seen it, you just stand there looking on.

¹⁴⁴Muhammad is only a messenger. Messengers have come and gone before him. If he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels? Whoever turns back on his heels cannot harm Allah in any way. Allah will surely reward, when the time comes, those who give His blessings their due.

¹⁴⁵No one dies without a term that has become law by Allah's permission! Whoever desires the reward of this world, We give him of it. And whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter, We give him of it. We will surely reward those who are grateful and give the blessings their due.

¹⁴⁶How many prophets there have been, alongside whom people devoted to the Lord fought! They did not lose heart because of the misfortunes that befell them in Allah's way, nor did they weaken, show helplessness, or yield. Allah loves those who stand firm and are patient in their cause.

¹⁴⁷Their only words were: "Our Lord, forgive our sins and our conduct that overstepped the limits, make our feet firm, and help us against the disbelieving people!"

¹⁴⁸Thereupon Allah gave them the best of both the blessings of this world and the blessings of the Hereafter. Allah loves such people who do good.

¹⁴⁹O you who believe! If you follow the disbelievers who cover up the truths that come from Allah, they will turn you back on your heels, and then you will become permanent losers.

¹⁵⁰No, your true Protector (Mawla) is Allah alone. He is the best of helpers.

¹⁵¹We will cast fear into the hearts of the disbelievers because they have associated with Allah that for which He has sent down no evidence or proof. Their destination is the Fire; how wretched is the shelter of the wrongdoers who commit shirk!

¹⁵²Indeed, Allah kept His promise of victory to you. For you were uprooting them by His permission, and He had fully shown you the victory you longed for, when you weakened, disputed about His command, and disobeyed. Some of you were running after the spoils, while others were fighting out of desire for the Hereafter. Then, so that it would be a lesson for you, He made you suffer the rout before them; yet Allah has also pardoned your offense of disobedience. For Allah is very generous toward the believers in help and forgiveness.

¹⁵³Then you were fleeing toward the hills in panic, without even looking back, and though the messenger was calling you from behind, you could not turn to look at anyone. Allah made you experience such sorrow and grief that you could neither rejoice in what you had gained nor grieve over what you had lost. Allah is aware of all that you do.

¹⁵⁴Then, after that deep sorrow, He gave you a sense of security and granted to some of you a calm that enveloped them like sleep. Another group, preoccupied with their own lives, indulged in untrue thoughts about Allah, thoughts like those of the Age of Ignorance, and were saying, "Do we have any say in this decision to fight?" Say to them: "All authority and decision belong to Allah alone." They were hiding within themselves their true feelings, which they did not reveal to you, and were saying: "Had we had any say in the decision to fight, we would not have died here in vain today." Say: "Even if you had been in your homes, those for whom death had been decreed would have gone out to the places where they were to fall. All that took place was an occasion for Allah to test the faith in your hearts and to cleanse your hearts of doubts. For Allah truly knows what lies deep within hearts."

¹⁵⁵Those among you who fled on the day the two forces met—Satan made them slip purely because of their own mistakes. Yet Allah forgave them. For Allah is very forgiving and does not hasten to punish.

¹⁵⁶O you who believe! Do not be like the disbelievers who say of their relatives who set out on a campaign or took part in battle, "Had they stayed with us, they would neither have died nor been killed." Allah has turned this into a deep ache and a burning longing in their hearts. It is Allah who gives life and Allah who takes it. Allah sees all that you do.

¹⁵⁷If you are killed or die in Allah's way, forgiveness and mercy from Allah are better than the worldly goods they amass.

¹⁵⁸Whether you die or are killed, in the end you will be gathered before Allah.

¹⁵⁹It was thanks to the compassion and mercy Allah granted you that you were gentle with them. Had you been harsh and hurtful, they would surely have scattered from around you. So pardon them and ask Allah's forgiveness for them. And consult them in matters of governance, and when you have decided, put your trust in Allah alone. Allah loves those who trust in Him.

¹⁶⁰If Allah helps you, no one can overcome you. If He deprives you of His help, who then will help you after Him? So let the believers trust and rely on Allah alone.

¹⁶¹It is not conceivable for a prophet to be dishonest with the spoils of war. Moreover, whoever is dishonest will come on the Day of Resurrection with what he dishonestly took. Then everyone will receive in full the recompense of what they have done, and they will not be wronged.

¹⁶²Can one who has earned Allah's good pleasure be the same as one who has incurred Allah's wrath? The latter's place is Hell. What an evil final stop it is!

¹⁶³Their ranks are certainly different in Allah's sight. Allah sees all that they do.

¹⁶⁴Allah has done the believers a great favor by sending them a messenger from among themselves, who recites Allah's verses to them, purifies them of the filth of shirk and disbelief, and teaches them the Book and wisdom—though before this they were in clear misguidance.

¹⁶⁵Though you had made your enemies taste twice the pain (at Badr), when you tasted the pain of defeat (at Uhud), do you say, "Where did this come upon us from?" Say: "This defeat is because of what you yourselves did. For Allah sets a measure for everything."

¹⁶⁶The defeat that befell you on the day the two armies clashed came about by Allah's permission, so that the believers might be made known.

¹⁶⁷And so that the two-faced hypocrites might be made known—those who, when told, "Come, fight in Allah's way, or take your place on the line of defense," said, "Had we known how to fight, we would certainly have joined you." That day they were closer to disbelief than to faith. They say with their mouths what is not in their hearts, but Allah knows very well what they conceal.

¹⁶⁸Those who did not join the battle and sat at home said of their brothers who joined it, "Had they listened to us, they would not have been killed now." Say: "Then, if you are truthful in what you say, ward off death from yourselves when it comes to you."

¹⁶⁹And do not think of those killed in Allah's way as dead; rather, they are alive with their Lord and are being provided for.

¹⁷⁰They are rejoicing in the reward Allah has given them out of His grace, and they wish to give good news to their brothers who have not yet joined them from behind: that there will be no fear for them and that they will not grieve in any way.

¹⁷¹And they wish to give good news of Allah's blessing and grace, and that Allah does not let the reward of the believers go to waste.

¹⁷²They are the ones who responded to the call of Allah and His Messenger who conveys Allah's messages, after the great pain and wounds that had befallen them. For those of them who do good and act responsibly there is a great reward.

¹⁷³And they are the ones who, when some people said to them, "Know that your enemies have gathered an army to attack you, so fear them!"—this increased their faith, and they said: "Allah is sufficient for us, and how excellent a Trustee He is."

¹⁷⁴Those believers returned to their homes by Allah's protection and blessing without suffering any harm, and they earned Allah's good pleasure. Allah is the possessor of magnificent generosity.

¹⁷⁵This is Satan, who tries to frighten you through his followers. So do not fear them; fear Me alone, if you truly believe and trust.

¹⁷⁶Do not let those who race one another in disbelief grieve you. They cannot harm Allah in the least. In the Hereafter they will be left without a share of Allah's blessings. And for them there is a terrible punishment.

¹⁷⁷Those who have chosen disbelief in exchange for faith cannot harm Allah in the least. For them is a painful punishment.

¹⁷⁸Let not the disbelievers who cover up the truths think that the respite We give them, so that they may turn back from their wrong, is good for them. If they use this respite We give them to increase their sins, then in the Hereafter there is a humiliating punishment for them.

¹⁷⁹Allah is not going to leave the believers in the state of uncertainty you are in. Through testing, He will distinguish the good from the bad. Nor is Allah going to inform you of the unseen. But Allah chooses whom He wills from among His messengers to inform them of the unseen. So believe in Allah and His messengers who convey Allah's messages. If you believe, become believers, and act responsibly, there is a tremendous reward for you.

¹⁸⁰Let not those who are stingy with what Allah has given them of His grace think that this is good for them; on the contrary, it is bad for them. On the Day of Resurrection the things they were stingy with will be wound around their necks. The inheritance of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah. Allah is aware of what you do.

¹⁸¹Allah has heard the words of those who said, "Allah is poor and we are rich." We will record both these words of theirs and their unjust killing of the prophets, and We will say to them, "Taste the punishment of the scorching Hell!"

¹⁸²This is the recompense for what your own hands have done, for Allah is never unjust to His servants.

¹⁸³To those who say, "Allah has taken a covenant/promise from us that we should not believe in any messenger unless he brings us a sacrifice offered by burning," say: "Many messengers came to you before me with clear proofs and with the very thing you speak of. If you are truthful, why then did you kill them?"

¹⁸⁴If they accuse you of lying, know that many messengers before you who brought clear proofs, pages laden with wisdom, and illuminating revelation were also accused of lying.

¹⁸⁵Every soul will taste death. And on the Day of Resurrection you will be paid only the recompense of what you have done. Whoever is kept away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has truly succeeded. The life of this world is nothing but deceptive provision.

¹⁸⁶You will surely be tested in your wealth and your lives, and you will hear many hurtful words both from those who were sent revelation before you and from the polytheists who attribute Allah's qualities to others. But if you are patient and act responsibly, this is among the matters that require resolve and determination.

¹⁸⁷Allah had taken a covenant/pledge from those who were given the Book: "You will surely make the Book clear to people and never conceal it." But they turned a deaf ear to this covenant and traded it for trivial worldly gains. What an evil trade this is!

¹⁸⁸Never think that those who rejoice in the evil they have done and like to be praised for qualities they do not have will escape the punishment. For them is a painful punishment.

¹⁸⁹The sovereignty of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah. Allah has power over all things.

¹⁹⁰Surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are many lessons to be drawn for those of deep understanding.

¹⁹¹They are those who remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and who, reflecting deeply on the creation of the heavens and the earth, pray: "Our Lord, You did not create any of this meaninglessly and without purpose. You are the most exalted of all. Protect us from the punishment of the Fire!"

¹⁹²"Our Lord, surely whomever You cast into the Fire, You bring to ruin, and the wrongdoers who persist in error have no helpers."

¹⁹³"Our Lord, we heard a caller calling to faith, saying, 'Believe in your Lord,' and we believed at once. Our Lord, forgive us our sins, cover our misdeeds, and let us die among the righteous!"

¹⁹⁴"Our Lord, give us what You have promised us through the messengers, and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection, for You never go back on Your promise."

¹⁹⁵Allah answered their prayer thus: "I will not let the work of any worker among you go to waste, whether male or female. Those who were persecuted in My way, who were driven from their homes, who emigrated, who fought, and who were killed—I will certainly disregard their faults and pardon them, and admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, as a reward from Allah... For the finest of rewards is with Allah."

¹⁹⁶Do not let the disbelievers' traveling from land to land in comfort deceive you.

¹⁹⁷It is a short-lived provision and a temporary benefit; in the end their destination is Hell. What an evil abode it is!

¹⁹⁸But for those who guard themselves against defying their Lord, there are gardens beneath which rivers flow, in which they will abide, as hospitality from Allah. For what is with Allah is best for the virtuous.

¹⁹⁹Surely among the People of the Book are those who truly believe in Allah, in what has been revealed to you, and in what was revealed to them, who hold Allah in heartfelt reverence, and who do not sell Allah's verses for a small worldly price—they have their reward with their Lord. Allah is very swift in reckoning.

²⁰⁰O you who believe, persevere and be patient against hardships in Allah's way, stand in solidarity with one another in this perseverance, and close ranks against the enemy. Fulfill your responsibility toward Allah, so that you may attain salvation.