6. Surah Al-An'am, English Translation

He is the One Who created you from clay,¹ then appointed a term ˹for your death˺ and another known only to Him ˹for your resurrection˺—yet you continue to doubt!

He is the Only True God in the heavens and the earth. He knows whatever you conceal and whatever you reveal, and knows whatever you do.

Whenever a sign comes to them from their Lord, they turn away from it.

They have indeed rejected the truth when it came to them, so they will soon face the consequences of their ridicule.

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.

Had We sent down to you ˹O Prophet˺ a revelation in writing and they were to touch it with their own hands, the disbelievers would still have said, “This is nothing but pure magic!”

They say, “Why has no ˹visible˺ angel come with him?” Had We sent down an angel, the matter would have certainly been settled ˹at once˺,¹ and they would have never been given more time ˹to repent˺.

And if We had sent an angel, We would have certainly made it ˹assume the form of˺ a man—leaving them more confused than they already are.

˹Other˺ messengers had already been ridiculed before you ˹O Prophet˺, but those who mocked them were overtaken by what they used to ridicule.

Say, “Travel throughout the land and see the fate of the deniers.”

Ask ˹them, O  Prophet˺, “To whom belongs everything in the heavens and the earth?” Say, “To Allah!” He has taken upon Himself to be Merciful. He will certainly gather ˹all of˺ you together for the Day of Judgment—about which there is no doubt. But those who have ruined themselves will never believe.

To Him belongs whatever exists in the day and night. And He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Will I take any guardian other than Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, Who provides for all and is not in need of provision?” Say, “I have been commanded to be the first to submit and not be one of the polytheists.”

Say, “I truly fear—if I were to disobey my Lord—the torment of a tremendous Day.”

Whoever is spared the torment of that Day will have certainly been shown Allah’s mercy. And that is the absolute triumph.

If Allah touches you with harm, none can undo it except Him. And if He touches you with a blessing, He is Most Capable of everything.

He reigns supreme over His creation. And He is the All-Wise, All-Aware.

Ask ˹them, O  Prophet˺, “Who is the best witness?” Say, “Allah is! He is a Witness between me and you. And this Quran has been revealed to me so that, with it, I may warn you and whoever it reaches. Do you ˹pagans˺ testify that there are other gods besides Allah?” ˹Then˺ say, “I will never testify ˹to this˺!” ˹And˺ say, “There is only One God. And I totally reject whatever ˹idols˺ you associate with Him.”

Those to whom We gave the Scripture recognize him ˹to be a true prophet˺ as they recognize their own children. Those who have ruined themselves will never believe.

Who does more wrong than those who fabricate lies against Allah or deny His signs? Indeed, the wrongdoers will never succeed.

˹Consider˺ the Day We will gather them all together then ask those who associated others ˹with Allah in worship˺, “Where are those gods you used to claim?”

Their only argument will be: “By Allah, our Lord! We were never polytheists.”

See how they will lie about themselves and how those ˹gods˺ they fabricated will fail them!

There are some of them who ˹pretend to˺ listen to your recitation ˹of the Quran˺, but We have cast veils over their hearts—leaving them unable to comprehend it—and deafness in their ears. Even if they were to see every sign, they still would not believe in them. The disbelievers would ˹even˺ come to argue with you, saying, “This ˹Quran˺ is nothing but ancient fables!”

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

If only you could see when they will be detained before the Fire! They will cry, “Oh! If only we could be sent back, we would never deny the signs of our Lord and we would ˹surely˺ be of the believers.”

But no! ˹They only say this˺ because the truth they used to hide will become all too clear to them. Even if they were to be sent back, they would certainly revert to what they were forbidden. Indeed they are liars!

They insisted, “There is nothing beyond this worldly life and we will never be resurrected.”

But if only you could see when they will be detained before their Lord! He will ask ˹them˺, “Is this ˹Hereafter˺ not the truth?” They will cry, “Absolutely, by our Lord!” He will say, “Then taste the punishment for your disbelief.”

Losers indeed are those who deny the meeting with Allah until the Hour takes them by surprise, then they will cry, “Woe to us for having ignored this!” They will bear ˹the burden of˺ their sins on their backs. Evil indeed is their burden!

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

We certainly know that what they say grieves you ˹O Prophet˺. It is not your honesty they question—it is Allah’s signs that the wrongdoers deny.

Indeed, messengers before you were rejected but patiently endured rejection and persecution until Our help came to them. And Allah’s promise ˹to help˺ is never broken. And you have already received some of the narratives of these messengers.

If you find their denial unbearable, then build—if you can—a tunnel through the earth or stairs to the sky to bring them a ˹more compelling˺ sign. Had Allah so willed, He could have guided them all. So do not be one of those ignorant ˹of this fact˺.

Only the attentive will respond ˹to your call˺. As for the dead, Allah will raise them up, then to Him they will ˹all˺ be returned.

They ask, “Why has no ˹other˺ sign been sent down to him from his Lord?” Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Allah certainly has the power to send down a sign”—though most of them do not know.

All living beings roaming the earth and winged birds soaring in the sky are communities like yourselves.¹ We have left nothing out of the Record.² Then to their Lord they will be gathered all together.