The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

7. THE HEIGHTS
A Meccan sura named after the heights of the barrier which will divide the
righteous from the damned on the Day of Judgement (verse 46). The sura
begins by addressing the Prophet, reassuring him about his revelations, and
closes emphasizing the fact that he merely repeats what is revealed to him. It
warns the disbelievers of their fate via numerous stories of disobedient communities
of the past, in the hope that they may take heed and repent before it is
too late. Both subjects also serve to give encouragement to the Prophet and the
believers.
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1 Alif Lam Mim Sad
2 This Book has been sent down to you [Prophet]––let there be no
anxiety in your heart because of it a ––so that you may use it to give
warning and to remind the believers: 3 ‘Follow what has been sent
down to you from your Lord; do not follow other masters beside
Him. How seldom you take heed!’
4 How many towns We have destroyed! Our punishment came to
them by night or while they slept in the afternoon: 5 their only cry
when Our punishment came to them was, ‘How wrong we were!’
6 We shall certainly question those to whom messengers were sent––
and We shall question the messengers themselves––7 and, with full
knowledge, for We were never far from them, We shall tell them
what they did. 8 On that Day the weighing of deeds will be true and
just: those whose good deeds are heavy on the scales will be the ones
to prosper, 9 and those whose good deeds are light will be the ones
who have lost their souls through their wrongful rejection of Our
messages.
10 We established you [people] on the earth and provided you with a
means of livelihood there––small thanks you give! 11 We created you,
We gave you shape, and then We said to the angels, ‘Bow down before
Adam,’ and they did. But not Iblis: he was not one of those who bowed
a See 6: 33–6; 20: 2.