Surah Hud English Translation & Transliteration

¹(1-2) Alif Lam Ra. This is a Book whose verses have been made firm and then explained in detail by Allah, who is aware of everything and judges rightly in every ruling, so that you serve none but Allah. As for me, I am only a warner and a bearer of good news sent by Him.

²(1-2) Alif Lam Ra. This is a Book whose verses have been made firm and then explained in detail by Allah, who is aware of everything and judges rightly in every ruling, so that you serve none but Allah. As for me, I am only a warner and a bearer of good news sent by Him.

³Ask your Lord to forgive your sins, then turn to Him in repentance, so that He may let you live well until an appointed time and give every person of virtue the reward he deserves. But if you turn away, I fear for you the punishment of that terrible day that will come upon you.

⁴Sooner or later, your return is to Allah. For Allah is the One who sets a measure for all things.

⁵Take note: they try to cover up and hide the evil intentions in their hearts, supposedly to flee and hide from Allah. Know well that even if they wrap up and hide what is in their hearts layer upon layer, Allah knows both what they conceal and what they disclose. For He knows the most intimate secrets of the hearts.

⁶There is no living creature moving on the earth whose provision does not rest with Allah. He knows where they settle, for a time and for good, in the course of their lives. For all of this is present in a clear book/law.

⁷It is He who created the heavens and the earth in six stages. He had begun life—the greatest sign of His sovereignty—with water, in order to test which of you would do the best deeds. And if you say to them, "You will certainly be raised again after death," the disbelievers who cover up that truth will say: "This is nothing but plain sorcery/deception."

⁸And if We postpone that punishment from them for a set period, they say: —What is holding it back? Know well that on the day that punishment comes, there will be no power to turn it away from them, and the very thing they made light of will close in on them from every side.

⁹If We let the human being taste mercy from Us and then take that blessing away from him, he at once falls into despair and becomes ungrateful.

¹⁰And if, after hardship and distress have touched him, We shower him with blessings, he says, "All evils have gone away from me; I am rid of them," and is seized by insolent boasting.

¹¹Only those who endure hardship and distress patiently and do good deeds do not grow spoiled like this. For them there is divine forgiveness and a magnificent reward.

¹²Because they said, "Should not a treasure have been sent down to him, or an angel have come with him?", your heart was distressed, and you almost abandoned part of what was revealed to you. Do not forget that you are only a warner; Allah alone is Trustee over all things.

¹³Or do they say: —He invented this Quran himself? Say: —If you are sincere in your claim, call on everyone you place between yourselves and Allah for help, and bring ten invented surahs yourselves!

¹⁴If they cannot answer this challenge of yours, know well that this Quran has been sent down with Allah's infinite knowledge, and let them know well that there is no god but Him; He alone exists. Now you have become Muslims, have you not?

¹⁵Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornment, We pay them in full here for what they did, and they are not wronged in any way here.

¹⁶But in the Hereafter they will have nothing but the Fire they deserve. For all that they did in the world has come to nothing. In fact, everything they used to do is worthless.

¹⁷(Can such a person) be equal to one who relies on certain knowledge from his Lord, which a witness from Him (the Gospel) follows, and which before it the Book We sent down to Moses as a guide and a mercy confirms? These are the ones who believe in the divine truths. Whoever of these groups disbelieves in this truth, his destination is the Fire. So never doubt this Quran! For it is the very truth from your Lord. But most people do not believe and become believers.

¹⁸Who does greater wrong than one who attributes his invented lies to Allah? When they are brought before their Lord for reckoning, the witnesses will say: "These are the ones who lied against their Lord." Know well that Allah's curse is upon these wrongdoers who slander Allah.

¹⁹—They turn people away from Allah's true religion and try to make it look crooked; they are disbelievers who do not take the Hereafter into account either.

²⁰They will not escape Allah's punishment in this world, and in the Hereafter they will have no protectors to come between them and Allah and help them. Their punishment will be multiplied many times over, for they could not bear to hear the truth and would not bring themselves to see the facts.

²¹These are the ones who have ruined themselves. And the saviors they invented have forsaken them and abandoned them.

²²Without any doubt, they are the ones who will suffer the greatest loss in the Hereafter.

²³But those who believe, do right deeds, and are devoted to their Lord with all their heart—these are the people of Paradise, and they will abide there.

²⁴The case of these two groups is like that of the blind and the seeing, the deaf and the hearing. Are the two equal as an example? Will you not reflect and take a lesson?

²⁵Indeed, We sent Noah to his people as a messenger. He said: —I am a clear warner sent to you.

²⁶Serve none but Allah. If you do otherwise, I fear that you will suffer the punishment of a painful day.

²⁷Thereupon the disbelieving chiefs of his people said: —As we see it, you are only an ordinary human being like us; moreover, we see that none follow you but the riffraff among us, and we do not think you have any superiority over us; on the contrary, we believe you are liars.

²⁸Noah said: —O my people, just think: what if I rely on clear evidence/revelation from my Lord, and He has granted me mercy/messengership from Himself, but you do not see it? Can we force you to believe when you do not want to?

²⁹O my people, I ask of you no wage for this message. My wage/reward will be given by Allah alone. Nor am I going to drive away those who believe. For they will surely meet their Lord one day. But I see that you are a people who act ignorantly.

³⁰—O my people, if I drive them away, who could defend me and help me against Allah? Do you never reflect?

³¹Moreover, I do not say to you, "Allah's treasures are with me." Nor do I know the unseen/what will happen in the future. Nor do I say to you, "I am an angel." Nor can I pass judgment on those you look down on and despise, saying, "Allah will certainly never grant them any good in the future." For Allah knows best the intentions and thoughts within them. If I said such things, I would be one of the wrongdoers who do injustice.

³²They said: —O Noah, you have argued with us at length and gone too far in arguing. If you are telling the truth, then bring at once the punishment you promise us.

³³Noah said: —Only let Allah will it; once He brings it down upon you, you will never escape it.

³⁴However hard I try to give you advice, if Allah has confirmed your insolence, my advice will be of no use to you. For He is your Lord, and in the end you will be returned to Allah.

³⁵Or do they say, "He invented it"? Say: —If I have invented it, the guilt is mine. And I am not responsible for the crimes you commit.

³⁶It was revealed to Noah: "None of your people will believe except those who have already believed, so do not grieve over what they do."

³⁷—Now begin building the ship under Our watchful eye and as We reveal to you, and never plead with Me for the wrongdoers who have harmed themselves! They will surely be drowned.

³⁸When Noah began building the ship, the chiefs of his people mocked him every time they passed by. And Noah would say: —Go on, mock us; when the time comes, we will mock you just as you mock us.

³⁹Then you will understand upon whom the punishment that disgraces in this world will fall, and whom the lasting punishment will engulf in the Hereafter.

⁴⁰At last, when Our command of punishment and destruction came, and water began gushing forth from everywhere, We said to Noah: —Bring into the ship a pair of every living creature, and your family, except those against whom the sentence of destruction has been passed, and those who believe. In any case, only a very few had believed with him.

⁴¹Noah said: —Board the ship; let its sailing and its anchoring be in the name of Allah. My Lord is surely most forgiving and most merciful.

⁴²The ship sailed on amid mountainous waves. And Noah called out to his son, who had kept apart: —My dear son, come aboard with us; do not be with the disbelievers!

⁴³His son said: —I will climb a mountain; it will protect me from drowning. Noah said: —Today none will be saved except the one on whom Allah has mercy. Just then a wave came between them, and he became one of the drowned.

⁴⁴After a while the command came: "O sky, hold back your rain; O earth, swallow up your water!" The waters receded, the judgment was carried out, and the ship came to rest on al-Judi, and it was said: —Away with the wrongdoing people!

⁴⁵Noah implored his Lord and said: —My Lord, my son too was of my family, and Your promise will surely be fulfilled. For You are the most just of judges.

⁴⁶Allah said: —He was not of your family; this request of yours is improper conduct. Do not ask of Me something whose real nature you do not know; I counsel you not to be one of the ignorant.

⁴⁷Noah said: —My Lord, I seek refuge in You from asking You for something whose true nature I do not know. If You do not forgive me and have mercy on me, I will be among the utter losers.

⁴⁸Then it was said: —O Noah, disembark from the ship and settle, you and the communities with you, with the good news of peace, happiness, and blessing from Us. And later We will let future peoples enjoy blessings for a time, but then a painful punishment from Us will touch (those who deserve it).

⁴⁹This story is part of the news of the unseen that We reveal to you. Before this, neither you nor your people knew it. So persevere patiently against hardships, as Noah did, for the happy ending belongs to those who fulfill their responsibility.

⁵⁰And to Ad We sent their kinsman Hud. He said: —O my people, serve Allah as He should be served, for you have no god other than Him. You are doing nothing but slandering Allah.

⁵¹O my people, I ask of you no wage for this duty. It is for the One who created me from nothing alone to determine my wage. Can you not grasp even this?

⁵²O my people, ask your Lord to forgive your sins, then turn to Him with good deeds and in repentance, so that He may shower abundant mercy upon you from the sky and add strength to your strength. Do not turn away from Him and become guilty.

⁵³They said: —O Hud, you have not brought us any clear proof/miracle. We are not going to abandon our gods just because you say so, and besides, we do not believe what you say at all.

⁵⁴(54-55) They said: —All we can say to you is, "One of our gods has struck you with some ill." Hud said: —Look, let Allah be my witness, and you too bear witness, that I am completely clear of those partners you ascribe divinity to and associate with Allah. So all of you together lay whatever trap you like against me, and then give me no respite.

⁵⁵(54-55) They said: —All we can say to you is, "One of our gods has struck you with some ill." Hud said: —Look, let Allah be my witness, and you too bear witness, that I am completely clear of those partners you ascribe divinity to and associate with Allah. So all of you together lay whatever trap you like against me, and then give me no respite.

⁵⁶For I have put my trust and reliance solely in Allah, who is my Lord/Owner and your Lord. For there is no living creature that is not under His governance. My Lord's way is surely the straight path itself.

⁵⁷If you turn away, know that I have conveyed to you the messages I was charged to deliver. My Lord, if He wills, will bring another people in your place, and you cannot harm Him in any way. My Lord certainly watches over and preserves all things, he said.

⁵⁸And when Our command of punishment came, We saved Hud and those who believed with him, by mercy and compassion from Us. Yes, We saved them from a dreadful punishment.

⁵⁹Such were the people of Ad: they knowingly refused to believe in their Lord's messages, defied Allah's messengers, and followed the orders of stubborn tyrants.

⁶⁰So they were cursed in this world, and they will be cursed on the Day of Resurrection too. Know well that the people of Ad, too, did not believe in their Lord's messages. Mark this: Ad, the people of Hud, were wiped off the stage of history. To Hell with Ad, the people of Hud!

⁶¹And to Thamud We sent their kinsman Salih. He said: —O my people, serve Allah alone. For you have no god to serve other than Him. It is He who brought you into being from the soil and granted you a good life and the means to develop the land. So ask Him for forgiveness. Then turn to Him in repentance, renewing your awareness. My Lord is surely very near (to whoever turns to Him) and answers (prayers).

⁶²They said: O Salih, before this you were someone among us who showed promise for the future. Now are you trying to stop us from serving what our forefathers worshipped? Hesitantly, they said: "We are truly in doubt about what you call us to." 2/170

⁶³Salih said: O my people, have you ever considered: what if I rely on evidence/revelation from my Lord, and He has given me mercy/messengership from Himself—in that case, if I disobey Allah, who could help me against the punishment that would come from Him? (If I followed you,) you would do nothing but add to my ruin.

⁶⁴—O my people, this camel of Allah is a clear proof for you. Leave her to graze on Allah's earth. Do her no harm, or a sudden punishment will seize you.

⁶⁵They slaughtered the camel mercilessly, whereupon Salih said: "Live on in your land for three more days, then; for the punishment I warned you of is a promise that cannot be proved false."

⁶⁶When Our command of punishment came, We saved Salih and those who believed with him by mercy from Us, and so We saved them from the disgrace of that day. Your Lord is surely limitless in power and supreme.

⁶⁷And a terrible cry seized those wrongdoers, and they were left lifeless in their homes, fallen on their knees.

⁶⁸It was as if they had never lived there. Know well that those who were ungrateful to their Lord were this people of Thamud. And know well that Thamud was wiped out of history.

⁶⁹Indeed, Our messengers came to Abraham with the good news of a wise son and said: "Peace!" Abraham replied: "Peace!" and before long he brought before them a roasted calf.

⁷⁰But when he saw that they did not reach out their hands to it, he grew suspicious of them and felt a fear within. They said: —Do not be afraid; we have in fact been sent to the people of Lot.

⁷¹Meanwhile his wife, who was standing by, laughed, and We gave her the good news of Isaac, and after Isaac, of Jacob.

⁷²—Then, in astonishment, she said: "Oh, woe is me! Am I to bear a child in my old age, when my husband too is very old? This is truly an astonishing thing!"

⁷³The angels said: —Do you wonder at Allah's decree? May Allah's mercy and blessings be upon you, O people of the house! Surely He is worthy of all praise and infinitely generous.

⁷⁴At last, when Abraham's fear had passed and he had received the angels' good news, he began to argue with Us on behalf of the people of Lot.

⁷⁵For Abraham was very gentle and tender-hearted toward people, and one who had devoted himself to Allah.

⁷⁶The angels said: —O Abraham, give this up. Your Lord's instruction to punish has surely come; a punishment that cannot be turned back has come upon them.

⁷⁷When Our messengers came to Lot, he was deeply troubled, feeling he could not protect them from his people, and his heart was distressed. And he said: "This is going to be a very hard day."

⁷⁸His people, already accustomed to committing these vile acts, came running to him. Lot said to them: —O my people, fear Allah, and do not disgrace me before my guests! Here are my (our) daughters; they are what is pure for you. Is there not a single right-minded man among you?

⁷⁹They said: —You know very well that we have no interest in your daughters. In fact, you know very well what we want.

⁸⁰Lot said: Oh, if only I had the strength to stand against you, or could take refuge in a strong fortress!

⁸¹The angels said: —O Lot, we are messengers of your Lord. They will never lay a hand on you. Set out with your family at some hour of the night, and let none of you look back—except your wife, for the calamity that will befall that insolent people will befall her too. Their appointment with punishment is this morning. And is not the morning very near?

⁸²(82-83) When Our command of punishment came, We turned that land upside down. We rained down upon them hard stones in volleys, marked by your Lord with their targets. And these stones are not far from destroying other wrongdoers too.

⁸³(82-83) When Our command of punishment came, We turned that land upside down. We rained down upon them hard stones in volleys, marked by your Lord with their targets. And these stones are not far from destroying other wrongdoers too.

⁸⁴And to Midian We sent their kinsman Shu'ayb. —O my people, he said, serve Allah alone, for you have no god other than Him. Never cheat in measure and weight. Though I see you now in abundance and prosperity, I still fear for you the punishment of a day that will engulf you on every side.

⁸⁵O my people, that is why you must give full measure and weight in justice. Do not pilfer people's goods, and do not spread corruption in the land by doing so.

⁸⁶If you are believers, the profit Allah leaves you is better for you. I am not your keeper.

⁸⁷They said: —O Shu'ayb, does your salat/worship command you that we should abandon what our forefathers served, or give up doing as we please with our wealth? And you such a sensible, level-headed man!

⁸⁸Shu'ayb said: —O my people, just think: what if I rely on certain proof/revelation from my Lord, and He has provided me with good provision/messengership from Himself? I do not wish to go against you in the very things I forbid you/to profit myself by doing them. I only wish to set things right as far as I can, and my success in this is only through Allah's help. For I have relied on Him alone, and to Him alone I turn.

⁸⁹—O my people, do not let your hostility toward me drive you to commit sins that will bring upon you calamities like those that befell the people of Noah, or the people of Hud, or the people of Salih. And the people of Lot are not at all far from you.

⁹⁰So come, ask your Lord for forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance! My Lord is surely most merciful and loves dearly those who turn back from wrong.

⁹¹They said: —O Shu'ayb, we do not understand much of what you say, and besides, we see how weak you are among us. Were it not for regard for your clan, we would have stoned you to death. In any case, you have no superiority over us.

⁹²Shu'ayb said: O my people, does regard for my clan weigh more with you than regard for Allah, that you take no account of Allah at all? My Lord will surely encompass all that you do.

⁹³O my people, do what befits you, and I will do (what befits me). When the time comes, you will learn upon whom the disgracing punishment will fall, and who is the liar. Wait and see; I too am waiting with you, he said.

⁹⁴At last, when Our command of punishment came, We saved Shu'ayb and those who believed with him by mercy from Us. As for those wrongdoers, a terrible sound seized them, and they were left lifeless in their homes, fallen on their knees.

⁹⁵It was as if they had never lived there. Yes! Midian was wiped off the stage of history, just as Thamud was. Yes, to Hell with the people of Midian, just as with the people of Thamud!

⁹⁶(96-97) Long ago We also sent Moses, with Our signs and with the support of a clear sign/miracle, to Pharaoh and his ruling elite. But they chose to follow Pharaoh's command, though Pharaoh's system of rule was by no means wise.

⁹⁷(96-97) Long ago We also sent Moses, with Our signs and with the support of a clear sign/miracle, to Pharaoh and his ruling elite. But they chose to follow Pharaoh's command, though Pharaoh's system of rule was by no means wise.

⁹⁸On the Day of Resurrection Pharaoh will go before his people and lead his followers down into the Fire. What a wretched place to be led to!

⁹⁹They were cursed here, and they will be cursed on the Day of Resurrection too. What a wretched portion is theirs!

¹⁰⁰These are some of the bitter stories of those destroyed lands that We relate to you. Of them, some still have (ruins) standing, and some, like a reaped harvest, are places where only the wind now blows/have been rooted out.

¹⁰¹We did not wrong them; rather, they wronged and harmed themselves. When your Lord's sentence of punishment came, the gods they placed between themselves and Allah and implored in prayer were of no use to them at all; they did nothing but add to their loss.

¹⁰²—This is how your Lord punishes when He punishes lands whose people are wrongdoers. His punishment is surely most painful and terrifying.

¹⁰³In this there are lessons for those who fear the punishment of the Hereafter. That is the day on which all humanity will be gathered, and the day on which everything will be attested by witnesses.

¹⁰⁴We postpone that day only until a term whose length is fixed.

¹⁰⁵When that day comes, no one will be able to speak except those whom Allah permits. On that day some people will be wretched and unhappy, and some fortunate and happy.

¹⁰⁶Those who are wretched will enter the Fire, and there they will groan in agony.

¹⁰⁷Unless your Lord wills otherwise, they will remain there as long as the heavens and the earth endure. Your Lord surely does whatever He wills.

¹⁰⁸As for those who are happy, they will be in Paradise. Unless your Lord wills otherwise, they will remain in Paradise as long as the heavens and the earth endure. They will attain a blessing that never ends.

¹⁰⁹So have no doubt about what these people worship, for they worship just as their fathers worshipped before. We will surely pay them their share in full, without any reduction.

¹¹⁰Indeed, We also gave Moses the Book, and they fell into disagreement about it too. Had it not been for a word/promise previously given by your Lord, judgment would have been passed between them, and they would have been finished. They are still in doubt about this too.

¹¹¹Have no doubt that your Lord will pay each of them in full for what they did. For Allah is aware of all that they do.

¹¹²So be upright, as you have been commanded—you and those who have turned to Allah with you. Never go to excess. He surely sees what you do.

¹¹³And never show the slightest inclination toward the wrongdoers who persist in error, or the Fire will touch you too. Since you have no protector and guardian other than Allah, you would then receive no help at all.

¹¹⁴Perform your prayer at the two sides of the day (noon and afternoon) and in the hours of the night close to the day (morning, evening, and night). Do not forget that good deeds remove evil deeds. This is a reminder for those who would take admonition.

¹¹⁵And be patient (in the face of hardship and difficulty)! For Allah never lets the reward of the steadfast who do good go to waste.

¹¹⁶If only there had been! Among the generations before you, there were sadly no people of reason and awareness who tried to prevent the decay and corruption on earth, except for a small minority whom We saved. As for the majority, sunk in wrongdoing, they were seduced by the allure of luxury and wealth, grew spoiled, and sank into sin.

¹¹⁷For your Lord would never destroy lands unjustly as long as their people behaved rightly.

¹¹⁸Had your Lord willed, He would have made all humankind a single ummah. And so people adopt different beliefs,

¹¹⁹except those who follow your Lord's revelation. Indeed, He created all people so that they might attain this mercy. And the word was fulfilled: "I will fill Hell to the brim with those beings, seen and unseen, endowed with will, who turn their backs on the revelation."

¹²⁰Every one of the accounts of the messengers that We relate to you is meant to make your heart firm. Through them there has come to you the truth/the Quran, and an admonition and reminder for the believers.

¹²¹And say to those who do not believe: —Do what befits you, and we will do what befits us.

¹²²And wait, then; we too are waiting.

¹²³All that is unknown in the heavens and on the earth is within Allah's knowledge. In the end every matter, however it turns, comes back to what Allah decrees. So serve Him alone, and rely and trust in Him alone. For your Lord is never indifferent to what they do.