بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful
الٓر ۚ كِتَٰبٌ أُحْكِمَتْ ءَايَٰتُهُۥ ثُمَّ فُصِّلَتْ مِن لَّدُنْ حَكِيمٍ خَبِيرٍ
Alif, Lam Ra. [This is] a Book, whose signs have been made definitive and then elaborated, from One [who is] all-wise, all-aware,
أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّنِى لَكُم مِّنْهُ نَذِيرٌۭ وَبَشِيرٌۭ
declaring: ‘Worship no one but Allah. I am indeed a warner to you from Him and a bearer of good news.
وَأَنِ ٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ يُمَتِّعْكُم مَّتَٰعًا حَسَنًا إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍۢ مُّسَمًّۭى وَيُؤْتِ كُلَّ ذِى فَضْلٍۢ فَضْلَهُۥ ۖ وَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍۢ كَبِيرٍ
Plead with your Lord for forgiveness, then turn to Him penitently. He will provide you with a good provision for a specified term and grant His grace to every meritorious person. But if you turn your backs [on Him], indeed I fear for you the punishment of a terrible day.
إِلَى ٱللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ ۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌ
To Allah will be your return, and He has power over all things.’
أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ يَثْنُونَ صُدُورَهُمْ لِيَسْتَخْفُوا۟ مِنْهُ ۚ أَلَا حِينَ يَسْتَغْشُونَ ثِيَابَهُمْ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيمٌۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ
Look! They fold up their breasts to hide [their secret feelings] from Him. Look! When they draw their cloaks over their heads, He knows whatever they keep secret and whatever they disclose. Indeed, He knows best whatever is in the breasts.
۞ وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍۢ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا ۚ كُلٌّۭ فِى كِتَٰبٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ
There is no animal on the earth, but that its sustenance lies with Allah, and He knows its [enduring] abode and its temporary place of lodging. Everything is in a manifest Book.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍۢ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْمَآءِ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًۭا ۗ وَلَئِن قُلْتَ إِنَّكُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلْمَوْتِ لَيَقُولَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ
It is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days—and His Throne was [then] upon the waters—that He may test you [to see] which of you is best in conduct. Yet if you say, ‘You will indeed be raised up after death,’ the faithless will surely say, ‘This is nothing but plain magic.’
وَلَئِنْ أَخَّرْنَا عَنْهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابَ إِلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٍۢ مَّعْدُودَةٍۢ لَّيَقُولُنَّ مَا يَحْبِسُهُۥٓ ۗ أَلَا يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمْ لَيْسَ مَصْرُوفًا عَنْهُمْ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ
And if We defer their punishment until a certain time, they will surely say, ‘What holds it back?’ Look! On the day it overtakes them it shall not be turned away from them, and they will be besieged by what they used to deride.
وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةًۭ ثُمَّ نَزَعْنَٰهَا مِنْهُ إِنَّهُۥ لَيَـُٔوسٌۭ كَفُورٌۭ
If We let man taste a mercy from Us, and then withdraw it from him, he becomes despondent, ungrateful.
وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَٰهُ نَعْمَآءَ بَعْدَ ضَرَّآءَ مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ ذَهَبَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتُ عَنِّىٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَفَرِحٌۭ فَخُورٌ
And if We let him have a taste of Our blessings after adversities have befallen him, he will surely say, ‘All ills have left me.’ Indeed, he becomes a vain braggart,
إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌۭ وَأَجْرٌۭ كَبِيرٌۭ
excepting those who are patient and do righteous deeds. For such there will be forgiveness and a great reward.
فَلَعَلَّكَ تَارِكٌۢ بَعْضَ مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَيْكَ وَضَآئِقٌۢ بِهِۦ صَدْرُكَ أَن يَقُولُوا۟ لَوْلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ كَنزٌ أَوْ جَآءَ مَعَهُۥ مَلَكٌ ۚ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ نَذِيرٌۭ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ وَكِيلٌ
[Look out] lest you should disregard aught of what has been revealed to you, and be upset because they say, ‘Why has not a treasure been sent down to him, or [why does] not an angel accompany him?’ You are only a warner, and Allah watches over all things.
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ ٱفْتَرَىٰهُ ۖ قُلْ فَأْتُوا۟ بِعَشْرِ سُوَرٍۢ مِّثْلِهِۦ مُفْتَرَيَٰتٍۢ وَٱدْعُوا۟ مَنِ ٱسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰدِقِينَ
Do they say, ‘He has fabricated it?’ Say, ‘Then bring ten surahs like it, fabricated, and invoke whomever you can, besides Allah, should you be truthful.’
فَإِلَّمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لَكُمْ فَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ بِعِلْمِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَن لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
But if they do not respond to you, know that it has been sent down by Allah’s knowledge, and that there is no god except Him. Will you, then, submit [to Allah]?
مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا نُوَفِّ إِلَيْهِمْ أَعْمَٰلَهُمْ فِيهَا وَهُمْ فِيهَا لَا يُبْخَسُونَ
As for those who desire the life of this world and its glitter, We will recompense them fully for their works therein, and they shall not be underpaid in it.
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ إِلَّا ٱلنَّارُ ۖ وَحَبِطَ مَا صَنَعُوا۟ فِيهَا وَبَٰطِلٌۭ مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
They are the ones for whom there shall be nothing in the Hereafter but Fire: what they had accomplished in the world has failed, and their works have come to naught.
أَفَمَن كَانَ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ وَيَتْلُوهُ شَاهِدٌۭ مِّنْهُ وَمِن قَبْلِهِۦ كِتَٰبُ مُوسَىٰٓ إِمَامًۭا وَرَحْمَةً ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِۦ ۚ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلْأَحْزَابِ فَٱلنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُۥ ۚ فَلَا تَكُ فِى مِرْيَةٍۢ مِّنْهُ ۚ إِنَّهُ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Is he who stands on a manifest proof from his Lord, and whom a witness of his own [family] follows? And before him there was the Book of Moses, a guide and mercy. It is they who have faith in it, and whoever defies him from among the factions, the Fire is their tryst. So do not be in doubt about it; it is the truth from your Lord, but most people do not have faith.
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ وَيَقُولُ ٱلْأَشْهَٰدُ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ ۚ أَلَا لَعْنَةُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَى ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
Who is a greater wrongdoer than him who fabricates a lie against Allah? Such shall be presented before their Lord, and the witnesses will say, ‘It is these who lied against their Lord.’ Behold! The curse of Allah is upon the wrongdoers
ٱلَّذِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًۭا وَهُم بِٱلْءَاخِرَةِ هُمْ كَٰفِرُونَ
—those who bar [others] from the way of Allah, and seek to make it crooked, and disbelieve in the Hereafter.
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ لَمْ يَكُونُوا۟ مُعْجِزِينَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا كَانَ لَهُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَآءَ ۘ يُضَٰعَفُ لَهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۚ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ يُبْصِرُونَ
They cannot frustrate [Allah] on the earth, nor do they have besides Allah any guardian. For them the punishment shall be doubled, for they could neither listen, nor did they use to see.
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
They are the ones who have ruined their souls, and what they used to fabricate has forsaken them.
لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّهُمْ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ هُمُ ٱلْأَخْسَرُونَ
Undoubtedly, they are the ones who will be the biggest losers in the Hereafter.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَأَخْبَتُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ
Indeed those who have faith and do righteous deeds and are humble before their Lord—they shall be the inhabitants of paradise, and they shall remain in it [forever].
۞ مَثَلُ ٱلْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْأَصَمِّ وَٱلْبَصِيرِ وَٱلسَّمِيعِ ۚ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلًا ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ
The parable of the two parties is that of one who is blind and deaf and one who sees and hears. Are they equal in comparison? Will you not then take admonition?
English translation: Ali Quli Qarai
The sūra opens by describing itself: "a Book whose verses were perfected (uḥkimat), then detailed (fuṣṣilat), from One Wise, Aware." al-Ṭabarsī records the classical spread of views — perfected so that nothing in it is abrogated as earlier scriptures were, then detailed by the lawful and unlawful (Ibn ʿAbbās); perfected by command and prohibition, then detailed by promise and threat (al-Ḥasan); perfected as a whole, then parcelled out verse by verse (Mujāhid); perfected in an eloquence that became miraculous (Abū Muslim). al-Ṭūsī reports the same three-fold range and, with al-Jubbāʾī, draws from it that God's speech is "originated" (muḥdath). al-Mīzān lifts the verse to the sūra's thesis: iḥkām binds the Book's many meanings into one simple reality — pure tawḥīd — into which, by composition, all its creed, ethics and law unfold, and to which, by analysis, they all return; on this reading Hūd is not a mere detailing of Yūnus but the demonstration that the whole religion reduces to God's Oneness.
That single reality is then voiced as one call (vv. 2–3): "worship none but God… seek your Lord's forgiveness, then turn to Him." al-Mīzān stresses that "worship none" is a real prohibition (confirmed by the conjoined "and seek forgiveness"), and that tawḥīd is the root whose fruit is repentance and righteous works, rewarded with "a goodly enjoyment to a stated term" — which he reads as the good life of this world for a free, cooperative society, the opposite of the "straitened life" of Ṭā-Hā 124. al-Ṭabarsī and al-Ṭūsī split "every possessor of merit his merit" between a reward proportioned to one's deed and a bounty repaid in kind; the Enlightening Commentary frames the whole as repentance earning pardon and God's bounties. al-Qummī and al-Burhān add the report of Abū al-Jārūd from al-Bāqir glossing "every possessor of merit" as ʿAlī, and the "great Day" as "the Smoke and the Cry."
The disbelievers' response (v. 5) is to "fold their breasts to hide" from the recitation. al-Ṭabarsī and al-Ṭūsī give both the occasion (al-Akhnas b. Sharīq; and, via Jābir, the polytheists lowering their heads and covering themselves as they passed the Prophet) and the lexical root of thany (bending); al-Mīzān reads it as hiding from the Book lest the proof bind them; al-Qummī and al-Burhān carry the further taʾwīl that they concealed their hatred of ʿAlī. Verses 6–7 turn to God's all-embracing knowledge and providence — every creeping thing's provision upon God — which al-Mīzān treats as an apposition explaining the breadth of His knowledge, and which al-Burhān illustrates with the bedouin of many dependents whom the Prophet consoled. On "His Throne was upon the water," al-Burhān preserves the weighty narrations of al-Ṣādiq and al-Riḍā refusing any literal "carrying" of God (He entrusted His knowledge and religion to the water), while al-Mīzān reads the Throne as the manifestation of His dominion over the stuff of life; and on "best in deed," both cite Sufyān b. ʿUyayna from al-Ṣādiq: "not most in deed, but most correct — the fear of God and sincere intention."
For the deferred punishment the mockers ask, "What holds it back?" (v. 8). The plain sense, as al-Ṭabarsī, al-Ṭūsī and al-Mīzān note, is a finite, numbered term of respite (umma = a span of time, Yūsuf 45); al-Qummī, al-Burhān and (reported in al-Ṭabarsī) the Imāmī chains add the taʾwīl of "the numbered community" as the Qāʾim's three hundred and odd companions, the number of Badr. Verses 9–11 expose man's nature — despairing when a blessing is withdrawn, boastful when it returns — excepting only "those who are patient and do righteous deeds," whom al-Qummī glosses: patient in hardship, working good in ease.
The Prophet is then bidden neither to leave any part of the revelation nor to let their demands straiten his breast (vv. 12–14); the challenge follows — "bring ten chapters like it, forged." al-Mīzān argues at length that the inimitability challenged here is general (since help is sought even from non-Arabs and idols), not eloquence alone. al-Qummī and al-Burhān read the contested revelation as the guardianship of ʿAlī, citing the Qudayd narration and the ten verses of Hūd. Those who want only this world are paid in full here but have "nothing in the Hereafter but the Fire" (vv. 15–16) — al-Ṭūsī using this against the Muʿtazilī doctrine of iḥbāṭ, al-Burhān softening it with the ʿArafāt narration. Finally (vv. 17–24) the believer "upon a clear proof from his Lord, with a witness from Him, and the Book of Moses before as a guide and mercy" is set against the forger who bars from God's way. al-Mīzān, al-Ṭabarsī, al-Ṭūsī and al-Burhān all report the witness as ʿAlī — an identification, al-Mīzān notes, carried by more Sunnī than Shīʿī chains (al-Thaʿlabī, Ibn al-Maghāzilī) and holding "by application." The two parties are likened to the blind-and-deaf against the seeing-and-hearing; and the saved are those who "humble themselves" (ikhbāt), which al-Burhān's Kulayb narration equates with true submission (taslīm).