Surah Ash-Shura English Translation & Transliteration

¹Ha Mim.

²Ayn Sin Qaf.

³Allah, who is perfect in all He does and whose every judgment is right, reveals to you the very truths He revealed to those before you.

⁴For whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth belongs to Him. He is exalted and great.

⁵The heavens almost split apart above them. And the angels glorify their Lord with praise and ask forgiveness for those on the earth. Know that Allah is matchless in forgiveness and an infinite source of mercy.

⁶As for those who place others between themselves and Allah as protectors, Allah keeps them under watch. For you are not their guardian.

⁷And so We have revealed to you an Arabic Quran, so that you may warn the people of Mecca and the cities around it, and warn them of the Day of Gathering, about which there is no doubt. On that day some people will be in Paradise, and some in the raging flames!

⁸Had Allah willed, He would have made them a single ummah that had embraced the belief in His oneness (tawhid). But He has left that choice to the human being; He admits whoever wishes into His mercy. As for the wrongdoers who persist in error, they have neither protector nor helper.

⁹Are they now placing protectors/authorities between themselves and Allah? Yet the true Protector is Allah. For it is He who brings the dead to life, and it is He who has power over all things.

¹⁰In every matter of religion over which you dispute and differ, the judgment will be given by Allah. This is Allah, my Lord. In Him alone I trust, and to Him alone I turn.

¹¹He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. Just as He created the animals in pairs, He has granted you spouses of your own kind so that you may multiply. Nothing can be like Him or His equal. For it is He who hears everything and sees everything.

¹²The sovereignty of the heavens and the earth belongs to Him. He expands provision for whoever deserves it and gives it in measure. For He knows all things.

¹³So that you may uphold Allah's religion of tawhid, Islam, and not split into factions in it, Allah has ordained for you as religion/law the same faith He enjoined on Noah. Likewise, We have revealed to you the religion We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. What weighs heavily on those who associate partners with Allah is this very belief in His oneness to which you call them. Yet Allah makes whoever wishes worthy of this religion, and guides to the right path whoever turns to Him.

¹⁴In the past they fell into dispute and split into factions only after knowledge of the truth had come to them, purely out of envy among themselves. Had it not been for a ruling from your Lord that punishments would be postponed until a set time, their affair would long since have been settled. And those who inherited the Book after them are in deep doubt and hesitation about this Quran too.

¹⁵So call tirelessly to this tawhid, and be upright as you have been commanded! Do not follow their desires and whims! And say: —I believe in all the Books Allah has sent down, and I have been commanded to be just among you. For Allah is our Lord/Owner and your Lord/Owner. We are responsible for what we do, and you are responsible for what you do. So there is no need for quarrel and strife between us. Allah will bring us all together in any case. For the return is to Him alone.

¹⁶Once Allah's call to tawhid has been accepted, all the arguments put forward by those who dispute about Allah are void in their Lord's sight. They will incur both Allah's wrath and a severe punishment.

¹⁷For Allah has sent down the Quran to set forth what is right and true, and has thus shown the standards of justice. And how could you know—perhaps the Hour, the end of this world, is very near.

¹⁸Those who do not believe that the Hour, the end of this world, will come want it to come quickly. But those who believe fear its terror, for they know that the Hour will surely come one day. Know well that those who talk recklessly about the Hour are in complete misguidance.

¹⁹Allah is most gracious to His servants. For He provides for whoever deserves it. For He is very strong and possessed of supreme power.

²⁰Whoever wishes to invest in the blessings of the abode of the Hereafter, We add to his investment. And whoever wishes to invest only in the blessings of this world, We give him a share of his investment too. But he will have no share in the blessings of the Hereafter.

²¹Or do they have certain authorities who have made them adopt, as religious rules, beliefs and practices that Allah has not approved in religion? Had it not been for your Lord's earlier ruling concerning the postponement of punishment for a set time, their affair would long since have been settled. Without any doubt, there is a painful punishment for the wrongdoers who lay down religious rules besides Allah.

²²You will see the wrongdoers who persist in error trembling with fear because of the sins they committed, now that what they feared has come upon them. But those who believe and do good and beautiful deeds will be in the gardens of Paradise. They will be given from their Lord all that they wish. That is the great bounty.

²³This is the good news Allah gives to His servants who believe and do good and beautiful deeds. Say: —I ask of you no wage for this duty of conveying the message; I ask only for love and understanding in drawing closer to Allah. Whoever does a good deed, We increase the good for him. Allah is truly abundant in forgiveness and repays the grateful many times over.

²⁴Or do they say of you: "A liar who attributes his own invented lies to Allah"? Had that been so, Allah would have sealed your heart. Do not forget that Allah wipes out falsehood and establishes the truth by His words. For He knows the most intimate secrets hidden in hearts.

²⁵He accepts the repentance of His servants, forgives their sins, knows what you do, and repays you accordingly.

²⁶He answers the prayers of those who believe and do good and beautiful deeds, and even gives them more out of His boundless grace/generosity. As for the disbelievers who cover up the truths, for them there is a most severe punishment.

²⁷Had Allah given His servants provision in great abundance, they would surely have behaved insolently and gone astray on the earth. But He gives provision as much as He wills, according to a measure beyond comprehension. For He is aware of every state of His servants and sees everything.

²⁸It is He who sends down rain and spreads His mercy after people have despaired because of drought. For it is He who protects and watches over, and He who is worthy of praise.

²⁹Among the proofs of His power is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the living creatures of every kind He has spread throughout them. He is able to gather them together whenever He wills.

³⁰Know well that every misfortune that befalls you is because of what you have done. Even so, Allah pardons much.

³¹You cannot outwit Allah on the earth and escape anywhere. Know that you would then have no protector or helper besides Allah.

³²Among the proofs of His power too are the ships, like mountains, that sail the seas.

³³If Allah wills, He stills the wind, and then the ships stand motionless on the water. In this too there are many lessons for everyone who perseveres patiently and gives the blessings their due in abundant gratitude.

³⁴Or, if Allah wills, He sinks these ships and destroys them because of what those on board have done; but very often He pardons.

³⁵Let those who argue and talk recklessly about Our verses know that there is no place for them to escape to.

³⁶These things you have been given are the provision of the fleeting life of this world. But the rewards that will be given by Allah to those who believe and rely and trust in their Lord are better and more lasting.

³⁷They are those who avoid the major sins and every kind of indecency, and who, when angered, master their anger and forgive.

³⁸They also respond to their Lord's call and perform their prayers as they should be performed, conduct all their affairs by consultation among themselves, and spend in Allah's way from what We have provided for them.

³⁹And when they are subjected to unjust aggression, they resist in solidarity with one another.

⁴⁰For the recompense of an evil is a penalty equal to it. But whoever pardons the evil and stands for peace, his reward rests with Allah. But Allah does not love aggressors.

⁴¹Those who defend themselves in solidarity against unjust aggression cannot be held responsible in any way.

⁴²Those who will be held responsible are those who wrong people and act insolently in the land with no regard for anyone's rights. For them there is a painful punishment.

⁴³And whoever is patient and forgives—that is truly admirable and fine conduct.

⁴⁴For anyone whose misguidance Allah has confirmed, there is no protector left to shield him after that. The day will come when you will see these misguided ones, as they see the punishment, crying out: "Is there no way out of here?"

⁴⁵And you will see those misguided ones, as they are brought before the Fire with heads bowed in humiliation, furtively glancing around with terrified eyes. And those who believe will say to them: —The losers are those who will bring loss upon themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Know well that these wrongdoers who persist in error will be in punishment.

⁴⁶Then they will have no protectors to help them besides Allah. For anyone whose misguidance Allah has confirmed, there is no way to salvation.

⁴⁷Respond to your Lord's call before that day comes from Allah which cannot be turned back. Otherwise on that day you will neither find a place to escape to nor be able to deny your sins.

⁴⁸If they turn away, know that We have not sent you as a watchman over them. Your duty is only to convey the message clearly. Whenever We bestow a favor on the human being from Us, he at once rejoices and grows exultant. And when hardship befalls him because of the wrongs he has done, he turns ungrateful.

⁴⁹The sovereignty of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah. He creates whatever He wills. He grants daughters to whomever He wills and sons to whomever He wills,

⁵⁰or He grants both daughters and sons to whomever He wills. And He makes barren whomever He wills. For He knows all things, has power over all things, and sets a measure for all things.

⁵¹Allah does not speak to any human being except by revelation, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger (an angel) to reveal by His leave whatever He wills. For He is the most exalted of all and does everything in its proper place.

⁵²And thus We have revealed to you a Ruh/Quran by Our command. Before this you did not know what the Book was, or what faith was. But We have made it a light by which We guide to the right path whoever among Our servants wishes. And there is no doubt that with this Quran you are guiding people to the straight path,

⁵³the path of Allah, to whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth. Know well that all matters, in the end, return to Allah.