The Clear Quran: A Thematic English Translation: English Only

by Anonymous

when you hear God’s revelations being denied or ridiculed, then do not sit in that company unless they engage in a different topic, or else you will be like them.

˹The hypocrites are˺ those who wait to see what happens to you. So if God grants you victory, they say ˹to you˺, “Were we not on your side?”

When they stand up for prayer, they do it half-heartedly only to be seen by people—hardly remembering God at all.

Why should God punish you if you are grateful and faithful? God is ever Appreciative, All-Knowing.

148. God does not like negative thoughts to be voiced—except by those who have been wronged.

But those of them well-grounded in knowledge, the faithful ˹who˺ believe in what has been revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺ and what was revealed before you—˹especially˺ those who establish prayer—and those who pay alms-tax and believe in God and the Last Day, to these ˹people˺ We will grant a great reward.

164. There are messengers whose stories We have told you already and others We have not.

170. O humanity! The Messenger has certainly come to you with the truth from your Lord, so believe for your own good.

171. O People of the Book! Do not go to extremes regarding your faith; say nothing about God except the truth.

174. O humanity! There has come to you conclusive evidence from your Lord. And We have sent down to you a brilliant light. 175. As for those who believe in God and hold fast to Him, He will admit them into His mercy and grace and guide them to Himself through the Straight Path.

3. Forbidden to you are carrion, blood, and swine; what is slaughtered in the name of any other than God; what is killed by strangling, beating, a fall, or by being gored to death; what is partly eaten by a predator unless you slaughter it; and what is sacrificed on altars.

Today I have perfected your faith for you, completed My favour upon you, and chosen Islam as your way.

Today all good, pure foods have been made lawful for you. Similarly, the food of the People of the Book237 is permissible for you and yours is permissible for them.

6. O believers! When you rise up for prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of ˹full˺ impurity,238 then take a full bath. But if you are ill, on a journey, or have relieved yourselves, or have been intimate with your wives and cannot find water, then purify yourselves with clean earth by wiping your faces and hands.239

O believers! Stand firm for God and bear true testimony. Do not let the hatred of a people lead you to injustice. Be just! That is closer to righteousness. And be mindful of God. Surely God is All-Aware of what you do.

13. But for breaking their covenant, We condemned them and hardened their hearts. They distorted the words of the Scripture and neglected a portion of what they had been commanded to uphold. You ˹O Prophet˺ will always find deceit on their part, except for a few. But pardon them and bear with them. Indeed, God loves the good-doers.

28. If you raise your hand to kill me, I will not raise mine to kill you, because I fear God—the Lord of all worlds.

whoever takes a life—unless as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land—it will be as if they killed all of humanity; and whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity.

35. O believers! Be mindful of God and seek what brings you closer to Him

Whoever God allows to be deluded, you can never be of any help to them against God. It is not God’s Will to purify their hearts.

Indeed, We revealed the Torah, containing guidance and light, by which the prophets, who submitted themselves to God, made judgments for Jews. So too did the rabbis and scholars judge according to God’s Book, with which they were entrusted and of which they were made keepers.

46. Then in the footsteps of the prophets, We sent Jesus, son of Mary, confirming the Torah revealed before him. And We gave him the Gospel containing guidance and light and confirming what was revealed in the Torah—a guide and a lesson to the God-fearing. 47. So

51. O believers! Take neither Jews nor Christians as guardians—they are guardians of each other.248 Whoever does so will be counted as one of them. Surely God does not guide the wrongdoing people. 52. You see those with sickness in their hearts racing for their guardianship, saying ˹in justification˺, “We fear a turn of fortune will strike us.” But perhaps God will bring about ˹your˺ victory or another favour by His command, and they will regret what they have hidden in their hearts.

55. Your only guardians are God, His Messenger, and fellow believers—who establish prayer and pay alms-tax with humility.

57. O believers! Do not seek the guardianship of those given the Scripture before you and the disbelievers who have made your faith a mockery and amusement. And be mindful of God if you are ˹truly˺ believers.

When you call to prayer, they mock it in amusement. This is because they are a people without understanding.

61. When they come to you ˹believers˺ they say, “We believe.” But they are committed to disbelief when they enter and when they leave. And God knows what they hide. 62. You see many of them racing towards sin, transgression, and consumption of forbidden gain. Evil indeed are their actions! 63. Why do their rabbis and scholars not forbid them from saying what is sinful and consuming what is unlawful? Evil indeed is their inaction!

˹Some among˺ the Jews said, “God is tight-fisted.”250 May their fists be tied and they be condemned for what they said. Rather, He is open-handed, giving freely as He pleases. That which has been revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺ from your Lord will only cause many of them to increase in wickedness and disbelief. We have stirred among them hostility and hatred until the Day of Judgment. Whenever they kindle the fire of war, God puts it out. And they strive to spread corruption in the land. And God does not like corruptors.

66. And had they observed the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to them from their Lord, they would have been overwhelmed with provisions from above and below. Some among them are upright, yet many do nothing but evil.

People of the Book! You have nothing to stand on unless you observe the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to you from your Lord.” And your Lord’s revelation to you ˹O Prophet˺ will only cause many of them to increase in wickedness and disbelief. So do not grieve for the people who disbelieve.

69. Indeed, the believers, Jews, Sabians251 and Christians—whoever ˹truly˺ believes in God and the Last Day and does good, there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.

Say, “O People of the Book! Do not go to extremes in your faith beyond the truth, nor follow the vain desires of those who went astray before ˹you˺. They misled many and strayed from the Right Way.”

82. You will surely find the most bitter towards the believers to be the Jews and polytheists and the most gracious to be those who call themselves Christian. That is because there are priests and monks among them and because they are not arrogant. 83. When

89. God will not call you to account for your thoughtless oaths, but He will hold you accountable for deliberate oaths.

90. O believers! Intoxicants, gambling, idols, and drawing lots for decisions254 are all evil of Satan’s handiwork. So shun them so you may be successful. 91. Satan’s plan is to stir up hostility and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling and to prevent you from remembering God and praying. Will you not then abstain? 92. Obey God and obey the Messenger and beware! But if you turn away, then know that Our Messenger’s duty is only to deliver ˹the message˺ clearly.

105. O believers! You are accountable only for yourselves.259 It will not harm you if someone chooses to deviate—as long as you are ˹rightly˺ guided.

116. And ˹on Judgment Day˺ God will say, “O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you ever ask the people to worship you and your mother as gods besides God?” He will answer, “Glory be to You! How could I ever say what I had no right to say? If I had said such a thing, You would have certainly known it. You know what is ˹hidden˺ within me, but I do not know what is within You. Indeed, You ˹alone˺ are the Knower of all unseen.

I never told them anything except what You ordered me to say: “Worship God—my Lord and your Lord!”

4. Whenever a sign comes to them from their Lord, they turn away from it. 5. They have indeed rejected the truth when it came to them,

6. Have they not seen how many ˹disbelieving˺ peoples We destroyed before them? We had made them more established in the land than you. We sent down abundant rain for them and made rivers flow at their feet. Then We destroyed them for their sins and replaced them with other peoples.

They turn others away from the Prophet and distance themselves as well. They ruin none but themselves, yet they fail to perceive it.

32. This worldly life is no more than play and amusement, but far better is the ˹eternal˺ Home of the Hereafter for those mindful ˹of God˺. Will you not then understand?

38. All living beings roaming the earth and winged birds soaring in the sky are communities like yourselves.269 We have left nothing out of the Record.270 Then to their Lord they will be gathered all together.

Imagine if you were overwhelmed by God’s torment or the Hour—would you call upon any other than God ˹for help˺? ˹Answer me˺ if your claims are true! 41. No! He is the only One you would call.

We have sent messengers only as deliverers of good news and as warners. Whoever believes and does good, there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve. 49. But those who deny Our signs

With Him are the keys of the unseen—no one knows them except Him.273 And He knows what is in the land and sea. Not even a leaf falls without His knowledge, nor a grain in the darkness of the earth or anything—green or dry—but is ˹written˺ in a perfect Record.

Sleep: The Twin Brother of Death 60. He is the One Who calls back your souls by night and knows what you do by day, then revives you daily to complete your appointed term.

When death comes to any of you, Our angels take their soul, never neglecting this duty. 62. Then they are ˹all˺ returned to God—their True Master. Judgment is His ˹alone˺. And He is the Swiftest Reckoner.

Every ˹destined˺ matter has a ˹set˺ time to transpire. And you will soon come to know.

Those mindful ˹of God˺ will not be accountable for those ˹who ridicule it˺ whatsoever—their duty is to advise, so perhaps the ridiculers will abstain.