The Beauty of Noble Qur’an

Here is a selection of Qur’anic verses in English. The Qur’an was revealed in Arabic, and it is best appreciated in Arabic. There are many translations into English, which give us an understanding of the Qur’an’s message.

The name given to us in the Qur’an for God is Allah, pronounced (Al-Lah). It is God’s name and is a unique word. It has no plural or gender. Thus, Allah is the word you will read for God in these verses. 

THE OPENING CHAPTER

A PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE

1.   In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

2.   [All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds—

3.   The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

4.   Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.

5.   It is You we worship and You we ask for help.

6.   Guide us to the straight path—

7.   The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.

THE ANSWER TO THE ABOVE PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE

In the name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful. This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of God, who believe in the unseen [God, angels, heaven, hell, etc.], establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them, and who believe in what has been revealed to you [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you [to Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus], and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith]. Those are upon [right] guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful. (Qur’an, 2:2-5)

ABOUT ALLAH

He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed. He is the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Perfection, the Bestower of Faith, the Overseer, the Exalted in Might, the Compeller, the Superior. Exalted is Allah above whatever they associate with Him. He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner; to Him belong the best names. Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise. (Qur’an, 59:22)

Allah there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. (Qur’an, 2:255)

Originator of the heavens and the earth, when He decrees a matter, He only says to it, “Be,” and it is. (Qur’an, 2:117)

To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Whether you show what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allah will bring you to account for it. Then He will forgive whom He wills and punish whom He wills, and Allah is over all things competent. (Qur’an, 2:284)

And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record. (Qur'an, 6:59)

CLOSENESS OF ALLAH

And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me—Indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided. (Qur’an, 2:186)

So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me. (Qur’an, 2:152)

ABOUT THE QUR’AN

. . .  [This is] a Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that you might bring mankind out of darknesses into the light by permission of their Lord—to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy. (Qur’an, 14:1)

O mankind, there has to come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers. (Qur’an, 10:57)

WHAT MUSLIMS BELIEVE

Say, [O believers], “We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him.” (Qur’an, 2:136)

FORGIVENESS

And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous. Who spend [in the cause of Allah] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people—and Allah loves the doers of good; And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins—and who can forgive sins except Allah? And [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know. Those—their reward is forgiveness from their Lord and gardens beneath which rivers flow [in Paradise], wherein they will abide eternally; and excellent is the reward of the [righteous] workers. (Qur’an, 3:133-136)

Say, “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (Qur’an, 39:53)

And those [believers] who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty. Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated—Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. And he who repents and does righteousness does indeed turn to Allah with [accepted] repentance. (Qur’an, 25:65-66)

RIGHTEOUSNESS

Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakāh [poor due]; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous. (Qur’an, 2:177)

FREEDOM TO CHOOSE ISLAM

There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion [of Islam]. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in false gods and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing. (Qur’an, 2:256)

Say, “The Truth is from your Lord”: Let him who will, believe, and let him who will, reject [it]. (Qur’an, 18:29)

And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned. And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might. (Qur’an, 22:40)

VALUE OF ONE LIFE

. . . whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land—it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one—It is as if he had saved mankind entirely. (Qur’an, 5:32)

MEN AND WOMEN

Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts [from illegal sexual acts] and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so—for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward. (Qur’an, 33:35)

CHARITY

The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed [of grain] which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies [His reward] for whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing. Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah and then do not follow up what they have spent with reminders [of it] or [other] injury will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. Kind speech and forgiveness are better than charity followed by injury. And Allah is Free of need and Forbearing. (Qur’an 2: 261-263)

BEAUTY OF MARRIAGE AND MORE

And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.

And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Indeed in that are signs for those of knowledge.

And of His signs is your sleep by night and day and your seeking of His bounty. Indeed in that are signs for a people who listen.

And of His signs is [that] He shows you the lightning [causing] fear and aspiration, and He sends down rain from the sky by which He brings to life the earth after its lifelessness. Indeed in that are signs for a people who use reason.

And of His signs is that the heaven and earth remain by His command. Then when He calls you with a [single] call from the earth, immediately you will come forth.

And to Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and earth. All are to Him devoutly obedient.

And it is He who begins creation; then He repeats it [on the Day of Resurrection], and that is [even] easier for Him. To Him belongs the highest attribute in the heavens and earth. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise. (Qur’an, 30:21-27)

MARY

And [mention] when the angels said, “O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds.”  (Qur’an, 3:42)

MANKIND

“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.”
(Qur’an, 49:13)

REPEL EVIL WITH GOOD

And those who are patient, seeking the countenance of their Lord, and establish prayer and spend from when We have provided for them secretly and publicly and repel evil with good—those will have the good consequence of [this] home—Gardens of perpetual residence; they will enter them with whoever were righteous among their fathers, their spouses, and their descendants. And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, [saying], “Peace [i.e., security] be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent in the final home.” (Qur’an, 13: 22-24)

SERVANTS OF ALLAH DESCRIBED

And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace, and those who spend [part of] the night to their Lord prostrating and standing [in prayer].

And those who say, “Our Lord, avert from us the punishment of Hell. Indeed, its punishment is ever adhering; indeed, it is evil as a settlement and residence.” And [they are] those who, when they spend, do so not excessively or sparingly but are ever, between that, [justly] moderate.

And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty. Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated—Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. And he who repents and does righteousness does indeed turn to Allah with [accepted] repentance.

And [they are] those who do not testify to falsehood, and when they pass near ill speech, they pass by with dignity. And those who, when reminded of the verses of their Lord, do not fall upon them deaf and blind.

And those who say, “Our Lord, grant us from among our spouses and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous.”

Those will be awarded the Chamber [in Paradise] for what they patiently endured, and they will 

be received therein with greetings and [words of] peace. Abiding eternally therein. Good is the settlement and residence.  (Qur’an, 25:63-77)

THOSE WHO LOSE MOST

Say, [O Muhammad], “Shall we [believers] inform you of the greatest losers as to [their] deeds? [They are] those whose effort is lost in worldly life, while they think that they are doing good work. Those are the ones who disbelieve in the verses of their Lord and in [their] meeting Him, so their deeds have become worthless; and We will not assign to them on the Day of Resurrection any weight [i.e., importance]. That is their recompense—Hell—for what they denied and [because] they took My signs and My messengers in ridicule. Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds—they will have the Gardens of Paradise as a lodging. Wherein they abide eternally. They were not desire from it any transfer. Say, “If the sea were ink for [writing] the words of my Lord, the sea would be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even if We brought the like of it as a supplement.” Say, “I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord—let him do righteous work and not associate in the workshop of his Lord anyone.” (Qur’an, 18:103-110)

IN CONCLUSION

Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgement] with a good deed will have ten times the like thereof [to his credit], and whoever comes with an evil deed will not be recompensed except the like thereof; and they will not be wronged.

Say, "Indeed, my Lord has guided me to a straight path—a correct religion—the way of Abraham, inclining toward truth. And he was not among those who associated others with Allah."

Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first [among you] of the Muslims."

Say, "Is it other than Allah I should desire as a lord while He is the Lord of all things? And every soul earns not [blame] except against itself, and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you concerning that over which you used to differ."

And it is He who has made you successors upon the earth and has raised some of you above others in degrees [of rank by giving you more of this world] that He may try you through what He has given you [to see if you believe or not and do good or not]. Indeed, your Lord is swift in penalty; but indeed, He is Forgiving and Merciful. (Qur’an, 6:160-165)