Sūra XXXIX.: Zumar, or the Crowds.

Section 3

22. Afaman sharaha Allahu sadrahu lil-islami fahuwa AAala noorin min rabbihi fawaylun lilqasiyati quloobuhum min thikri Allahi ola-ika fee dalalin mubeenin

22. Is one whose heart
God has opened to Islam,
So that he has received
Enlightenment from God,
(No better than one hard-hearted)?
Woe to those whose hearts
Are hardened against celebrating
The praises of God! They
Are manifestly wandering
(In error)!

23. Allahu nazzala ahsana alhadeethi kitaban mutashabihan mathaniya taqshaAAirru minhu juloodu allatheena yakhshawna rabbahum thumma taleenu julooduhum waquloobuhum ila thikri Allahi thalika huda Allahi yahdee bihi man yashao waman yudlili Allahu fama lahu min hadin

23. God has revealed
(From time to time)
The most beautiful Message
In the form of a Book,
Consistent with itself,
(Yet) repeating (its teaching
In various aspects):
The skins of those who
Fear their Lord tremble
Thereat; then their skins
And their hearts do soften
To the celebration of
God's praises. Such is
The guidance of God:
He guides therewith
Whom He pleases, but such
As God leaves to stray,
Can have none to guide.

24. Afaman yattaqee biwajhihi soo-a alAAathabi yawma alqiyamati waqeela lilththalimeena thooqoo ma kuntum taksiboona

24. Is, then, one who
Has to fear the brunt
Of the Penalty on the Day
Of Judgment (and receive it)
On his face, (like one
Guarded therefrom)? It will
Be said to the wrong-doers:
"Taste ye (the fruits
Of) what ye earned!

25. Kaththaba allatheena min qablihim faatahumu alAAathabu min haythu la yashAAuroona

25. Those before them (also)
Rejected (revelation), and so
The Punishment came to them
From directions they did not
Perceive.

26. Faathaqahumu Allahu alkhizya fee alhayati alddunya walaAAathabu al-akhirati akbaru law kanoo yaAAlamoona

26. So God gave them
A taste of humiliation
In the present life,
But greater is the Punishment
Of the Hereafter,
If they only knew!

27. Walaqad darabna lilnnasi fee hatha alqur-ani min kulli mathalin laAAallahum yatathakkaroona

27. We have put forth
For men, in this Qur-ān
Every kind of Parable,
In order that they
May receive admonition.

28. Qur-anan AAarabiyyan ghayra thee AAiwajin laAAallahum yattaqoona

28. (It is) a Qur-ān
In Arabic, without any
Crookedness (therein):
In order that they
May guard against Evil.

29. Daraba Allahu mathalan rajulan feehi shurakao mutashakisoona warajulan salaman lirajulin hal yastawiyani mathalan alhamdu lillahi bal aktharuhum la yaAAlamoona

29. God puts forth a Parable—
A man belonging to many
Partners at variance with each other,
And a man belonging entirely
To one master: are those two
Equal in comparison?
Praise be to God!
But most of them
Have no knowledge.

30. Innaka mayyitun wa-innahum mayyitoona

30. Truly thou wilt die
(One day), and truly they
(Too) will die (one day).

31. Thumma innakum yawma alqiyamati AAinda rabbikum takhtasimoona

31. In the End will ye
(All), on the Day
Of Judgment, settle your disputes
In the presence of your Lord.

Next: Section 4 (32-41)