When My servants
Ask thee concerning Me,
I am indeed
Close (to them): I listen
To the prayer of every
Suppliant when he calleth on Me:
Let them also, with a will,
Listen to My call,
And believe in Me:
That they may walk
In the right way.
And their Lord hath accepted
Of them, and answered them:
"Never will I suffer to be lost
The work of any of you,
Be he male or female:
Ye are members, one of another:
Those who have left their homes,
Or been driven out therefrom,
Or suffered harm in My Cause,
Or fought or been slain,—
Verily, I will blot out
From them their iniquities,
And admit them into Gardens
With rivers flowing beneath;—
A reward from the Presence
Of God, and from His Presence
Is the best of rewards."
Verily those whom ye
Call upon besides God
Are servants like unto you:
Call upon them, and let them
Listen to your prayer,
If ye are (indeed) truthful!
O ye who believe!
Give your response to God
And His Apostle, when He
Calleth you to that which
Will give you life;
And know that God
Cometh in between a man
And his heart, and that
It is He to Whom
Ye shall (all) be gathered.
"If then they (your false gods)
Answer not your (call),
Know ye that this Revelation
Is sent down (replete) with the knowledge
Of God, and that there is
No god but He! Will ye
Even then submit (to Islam)?"
For Him (alone) is prayer
In Truth: any others that they
Call upon besides Him hear them
No more than if they were
To stretch forth their hands
For water to reach their mouths
But it reaches them not:
For the prayer of those
Without Faith is nothing
But (futile) wandering (in the mind).
For those who respond
To their Lord, are (all)
Good things. But those
Who respond not to Him,
Even if they had all
That is in the heavens
And on earth, and as much more,
(In vain) would they offer it
For ransom. For them
Will the reckoning be terrible:
Their abode will be Hell,——
What a bed of misery!
And Satan will say
When the matter is decided:
"It was God Who gave you
A promise of Truth: I too
Promised, but I failed
In my promise to you.
I had no authority over you
Except to call you, but ye
Listened to me: then
Reproach not me, but reproach
Your own souls. I cannot listen
To your cries, nor can ye
Listen to mine. I reject
Your former act in associating
Me with God.
For wrong-doers there must be
A grievous Penalty."
"It will be on a Day
When He will call you,
And ye will answer
(His call) with (words
Of) His praise, and ye
Will think that ye tarried
But a little while!
One Day He will say,
"Call on those whom ye
Thought to be My partners,"
And they will call on them,
But they will not listen
To them; and We shall
Make for them a place
Of common perdition
So We listened to him:
We removed the distress
That was on him,
And We restored his people
To him, and doubled
Their number,—as a Grace
From Ourselves, and a thing
For commemoration, for all
Who serve Us.
So We listened to him:
And We granted him
Yaḥyā: We cured his wife's
(Barrenness) for him. These (three)
Were ever quick in emulation
In good works: they used
To call on Us with love
And reverence, and humble themselves
Before Us.
But if they hearken not
To thee, know that they
Only follow their own lusts:
And who is more astray
Than one who follows his own
Lusts, devoid of guidance
From God? For God guides not
People given to wrong-doing.
It will be said (to them):
"Call upon your 'partners'
(For help)": they will call
Upon them, but they will not
Listen to them; and they
Will see the Penalty (before them);
(How they will wish)
'If only they had been
Open to guidance!'