The English Reference Qur’an

In the name of Allah, the most gracious and merciful. KHYAS.

*** A reminder of your^MS Lord’s mercy to his servant Zakariyya

when he called on his Lord in secret.

He said, “My Lord, my bones are weak and my head is gray, and I have not been disappointed in my prayer to you^MS, my Lord.

I am afraid of heirs after me, and my wife is barren, so give me a protector from yourself^MS

who will inherit from me and from the family of Yaqub. My Lord, make him pleasing.

Zakariyya, we give you^MS good news of a boy whose name is Yahya. We have not made him a namesake previously.

Say^MS, “Lord, how can I have a boy when my wife is barren, and I am old and decrepit?”

He said, “This is your^MS Lord's saying: It is easy for me, since I have created you^MS beforehand when you^MS were nothing.

He said, “My Lord, give me a sign.” He said, “Your^MS sign is that you^MS will not speak to people for three straight nights.

So he went out to his people from the holy of holies and he gestured to them: Glorify [him] morning and evening.

Yahya, take the book with power. As a boy, we gave him judgment,

tenderness, and purity from us. He was godly

and obedient to his parents. He was not proud or disobedient.

Peace be upon him the day he was born, the day he will die, and the day he will be resurrected alive.

Remember Mariam in the book, when she withdrew from her family to an Eastern place.

She placed a veil away from them; then we sent her our Spirit, who appeared to her as a complete man.

She said, “I take refuge from you^MS in the most gracious if you^MS fear Allah.”

He said, “I am truly a messenger of your^FS Lord to give you^FS a sinless boy.”

She said, “How can I have a boy when no man has ever touched me, and I have never been a prostitute?”

He said, “This is your^FS Lord's saying: It is easy for me, so we will make him a sign for people, and a mercy from us. This was a predestined matter.”

16A3 So she became pregnant with him and went with him to a far place.

Her birth pangs came upon her by a palm tree trunk. She said, “I wish I had died before this and had been totally forgotten.”

He called to her from beneath her, “Do not grieve^FS. Your^FS Lord has made a stream underneath you^FS.

Shake^FS the palm tree trunk toward you^FS, and ripe dates will fall on you^FS as a harvest.

So eat^FS, drink^FS and be comforted^FS. If you^FS see anyone, say^FS: I have vowed to the most gracious to fast, and will not speak to anyone today.”

Then she brought him to her people, carrying him. They said, “Mariam, you^FS have done something unprecedented.

Sister of Harun, your father was not a bad man, nor was your^FS mother a prostitute.”

So she pointed to him. They said: “How can we talk to a little boy in a cradle?”

He said, “I am Allah’s servant. He has given me the book and made me a prophet.

He made me blessed wherever I am, and commanded me to pray and pay the poor-tax as long as I remain alive,

and to honor my mother. He did not make me arrogant and naughty.

Peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I will die, and the day I will be resurrected alive!”

*** This is Isa the son of Mariam, the saying of truth, about whom they are doubting.

Allah would not take a son. May He be glorified! If he determines a matter, He only says to it: "Be,” and it is.

Truly Allah is my Lord and your^MP Lord, therefore worship him; this is a straight path.

And the various parties differed among themselves. Woe to those who disbelieve that they will see a great day.

Make^MS them hear of and see the day they will come to us. But the wicked today are clearly astray.

Warn^MS them of a day of sorrow, since the matter has been predestined, they are unaware of it, and they do not believe.

We will inherit the earth and those in it, and they will return to us.

*** Remember Ibrahim in the book. He was a righteous prophet.

He told his father, “Father, why do you^MS worship what does not hear or see or benefit you^MS?

Father, knowledge came to me that did not come to you^MS, so follow me and I will guide you^MS on a straight path.

Father, do not worship^MS Satan. Satan was disobedient to the most gracious.

Father, I fear that torment will overtake you^MS from the most gracious, and you^MS will be Satan’s helper.”

He said, “Do you^MS dislike my gods, Ibrahim? If you^MS do not stop, I will certainly stone you^MS. Leave^MS me for a long time.”

He said, “Peace be upon you^MS. I will ask my Lord to forgive you^MS. He has received me warmly.

I will isolate myself from you^MP and the gods you^MP pray to instead of Allah, and will pray to my Lord. I hope that I will not be disappointed in praying to my Lord.”

So when he had isolated himself from them and what they worship instead of Allah, we gave him Ishaq and Yaqub, and we made them^D prophets,

and gave them some of our mercy and a high tongue of honesty.

Remember Musa in the book. He was a sincere messenger and prophet.

We called him from the right side of the mountain and brought him close and intimate

and gave him his brother Harun as a prophet out of our mercy.

Remember Ismail in the book. He kept his promise and was a messenger and prophet.

He commanded his family to perform prayers and pay the poor-tax, and he was pleasing to his Lord.

Remember Idris in the book. He was a righteous prophet

and we raised him to a high place.

These are the prophets whom Allah blessed, from the seed of Adam, from those we carried with Nuh, from the seed of Ibrahim and Israel, and from those we guided and chose. If the signs of the most gracious are read to them, they fall down, bowing down and weeping.

16A4 Successors followed after them who made the prayers vanish and followed lust. They will meet destruction,

except for those who repent, believe, and do righteous deeds; they will enter the heavenly garden, and will not be wronged at all.

[Those are] the heavenly gardens of Eden in the unseen world which the most gracious has promised to his servants. His promise will be fulfilled.

They will not hear vain words there, only “Peace.” They’ll have their provision there morning and evening.

This is the heavenly garden which our godly servants will inherit.

We will not descend except by command of your^MS Lord. He owns what is in front of us, behind us, and in between. Your^MS Lord is not forgetful.

Worship the Lord of the heavens, the earth, and what is between them. Endure in worshiping him. Do you^MS know a namesake for him?

Man says: “If I die, will I be brought forth alive?”

Does man not remember that we created him beforehand, when he was nothing?

[I swear] by your^MS Lord, we will certainly gather them and the devils, and bring them kneeling around hell.

Then we will take away the most rebellious against the most gracious from each sect.

Then we know best who among them most deserves to be roasted in it.

Every one of you^MP shall enter it. This is a predestined certainty for your^MS Lord.

Then we will rescue the godly and leave the wicked kneeling in it.”

If our signs are read to them as miracles, the disbelievers will say to the believers, “Which of the two parties has a nicer place to live and better companions?”

How many wealthier and better-looking generations have we destroyed before them!

Say^MS, “May the most gracious extend the time of him who goes astray, so that when they see what they have been promised, whether torment or the hour, they will know who is in an more evil place with a weaker host.

Allah will increase the guidance of those who are guided. Lasting^FP righteous deeds have better rewards and a better return.

Have you^MS seen him who disbelieves in our signs and says, “I will be given money and a son.”?

Is he familiar with the invisible, or has he made a covenant with the most gracious?

No! We will write down what he says, and extend his torment for him,

and we will inherit what he says from him, and he will come to us alone.

They chose gods beside Allah for power.

No! They will disbelieve in worshipping them and they will be against them.

Have you^MS not seen that we have sent devils to the disbelievers to incite them?

Do not be^MS in haste over them. We will surely count out for them

on the day when we gather the godfearing to the most gracious in a group

and we will herd the wrongdoers to hell.

They  have no intercession except for those who make a covenant with the most gracious.

They said, “The most gracious has chosen a boy.”

You^MP have brought something grievous.

The heavens almost split and the earth is almost broken, and the mountains fall down in utter ruin over it:

They ascribe a boy to the most gracious!

The most gracious does not need a boy.

Everything in the heavens and the earth worships the most gracious.

He has counted them and numbered them exactly.

Each of them will come alone to him on the day of resurrection.

The most gracious will give love to the believers who do righteous deeds.

We have made it easy in your^MS tongue so you^MS can give good news about it to the godly and warn contentious people.

How many generations we destroyed before them! Do you^MS perceive any of them or hear even a whisper from them?