Those Who Set The Ranks
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful:
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By those who are ranged in ranks
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and the drivers who drive [away]
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and those who recite by way remembrance.
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Indeed your God is certainly One,
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Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, and Lord of the sun’s risings.
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We have indeed adorned the lowest heaven with an adornment, the stars,
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and to guard from every any rebellious devil.
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They cannot listen in on the High Council, for they are pelted from every side
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to repel [them], and theirs is an everlasting chastisement;
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except him who snatches a fragment, and who is then pursued by a piercing flame.
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So ask them: Are they stronger as a creation, or those [others] whom We created? Indeed We created them from a viscous clay.
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Nay, but you marvel, while they engage in ridicule,
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and [even] when they are reminded, they are not mindful,
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and when they see a sign, they make it an object of ridicule.
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And they say: ‘This is nothing but manifest sorcery.
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When we are dead and have become dust and bones, shall we indeed be resurrected?
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And our forefathers too?’
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Say: ‘Yes, and you will be utterly humiliated!’
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For it will be only a single cry and, lo! they will be watching.
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And they will say, ‘O woe to us!’ ‘This is the Day of Retribution’.
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‘This is the Day of Judgement that you used to deny!’
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‘Gather those who did wrong together with their mates and what they used to worship
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besides God and lead them to the path of Hell.
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But [first] stop them, for they must be questioned.
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“What is wrong with you that you do not help one another?”
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Nay, but today they offer complete submission.
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And some of them will turn to others, questioning each other.
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They will say: ‘Indeed you used to approach us from the right’.
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They say: ‘On the contrary! You were [simply] not believers.
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And we did not have any warrant over you. Nay, but you [yourselves] were a rebellious folk.
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So our Lord’s Words have become due against us. Indeed we shall taste [the doom];
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So we led you astray: Indeed we [ourselves] were astray’.
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So they on that day will share in the chastisement.
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Indeed so We deal with sinners.
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For truly it was they who, when it was said to them, ‘There is no god except God’, used to be scornful,
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and would say, ‘Are we to abandon our gods for a mad poet?’
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Nay, but he has brought [them] the truth and confirmed the [earlier] messengers.
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‘You shall certainly taste the painful chastisement,
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and you will only be requited what you used to do’,
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Except for God’s sincere servants;
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For them there will be a distinct provision,
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fruits and they will honoured
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in the Gardens of Bliss,
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[reclining] upon couches, facing one another;
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they are served from all round with a cup from a spring,
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white, delicious to the drinkers,
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wherein there is neither madness, nor will they be spent by it,
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and with them will be maidens of restrained glances with beautiful eyes,
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as if they were hidden eggs.
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Some of them will turn to others, questioning each other.
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One of them will say, ‘Indeed I had a comrade,
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who used to say, “Are you really among those who affirm as truth,
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[that] when we are dead and have become dust and bones, we shall actually be called to account?” ’
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He says, ‘Will you have a look?’
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Then he will take a look and he will catch sight of him in the centre of Hell.
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He will say, ‘By God! You very nearly destroyed me.
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And had it not been for the favour of my Lord, I [too] would have been of those arraigned’.
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Do we then not die [anymore],
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aside from our first death, and are we not to be chastised?’
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Truly this is indeed the mighty success.
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For the like of this let [all] the workers work.
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Is that a better hospitality or the Zaqqūm tree.
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We have indeed made it a trial for the wrongdoers?’
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Indeed it is a tree that comes forth from the very source of Hell.
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Its spathes are like the heads of devils.
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And indeed they will eat of it, and will fill their bellies from it.
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Then, lo!, on top of it they will have a brew of boiling water.
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Then indeed their return shall be to Hell-fire.
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Lo! they found their fathers to be astray,
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and so they are [also now] hurrying in their footsteps.
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And verily most of the ancients went astray before them,
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and We certainly had sent among them warners.
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So behold how was the consequence for them who were warned,
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[all] except God’s sincere servants.
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And verily Noah called to Us, and how excellent were the Hearers of the prayer.
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And We delivered him and his family from the great distress,
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and made his descendants the survivors.
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And We left for him among posterity:
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‘Peace be to Noah among the worlds!’
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Thus indeed We requite the virtuous.
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He was indeed one of Our faithful servants.
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Then We did drown the others.
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And truly of his adherents was Abraham.
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When he came to his Lord with a heart that was pure,
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when he said to his father and his folk, ‘What do you worship?
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Is it a calumny — gods other than God — that you desire?
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What then is your supposition regarding the Lord of the Worlds?’
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And he cast a glance at the stars
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and said, ‘Indeed I feel [I will be] sick’.
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So they went away, leaving him behind.
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Then he turned to their gods and said, ‘Will you not eat?
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What is wrong with you that you do not speak?’
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He then turned on them striking [them] with his right hand.
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So they came running towards him.
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He said, ‘Do you worship what you [yourselves] have carved,
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when God created you and whatever you make?’
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They said, ‘Build for him a structure, then cast him into the fierce fire’.
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So they sought to outwit him, but We made them the lowermost.
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And he said, ‘I shall indeed depart to my Lord, He will guide me.
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My Lord! Grant me of the righteous’.
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So We gave him the good tidings of a forbearing son.
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And when he was old enough to walk with him, he said, ‘O my dear son, I see in a dream that I shall sacrifice you. So see what you think’. He said, ‘O my father do whatever you have been commanded. You shall find me, God willing, of the steadfast’.
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And when they had both submitted, and he had laid him down on his forehead,
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We called to him, ‘O Abraham!
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Verily you have fulfilled the vision’. So do We reward those who are virtuous.
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Truly this was indeed a clear test’.
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Then We ransomed him with a mighty sacrifice.
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And We left for him among posterity:
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‘Peace be to Abraham!’
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So do We reward those who are virtuous.
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Indeed he is one of Our faithful servants.
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And We gave him the good tidings of [the birth of] Isaac a prophet, one of the righteous.
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And We blessed him and Isaac. And among their descendants is he who is virtuous, and he who plainly wrongs his soul.
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And verily We favoured Moses and Aaron,
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and We delivered them and their people from the great distress.
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And We helped them so that they became the victors.
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And We gave them the enlightening scripture.
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And We guided them to the straight path,,
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and We left for them among posterity:
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‘Peace be to Moses and Aaron!’
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So do We reward the virtuous.
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Indeed both were among Our faithful servants.
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And truly Elias was [also] one of the messengers.
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When he said to his people, ‘Will you not fear [God]?
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Do you call on Baal and abandon the Best of Creators,
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God, your Lord, and the Lord of your forefathers?’
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But they denied him. So they will indeed be arraigned
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— [all] except God’s delivered servants,
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and We left for him among posterity:
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‘Peace be to Elias!’
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Indeed so do We reward the virtuous.
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Truly he is one of Our faithful servants.
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And indeed Lot was one of the messengers;
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when We delivered him together with all his family,
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except an old woman [who was] among those who stayed behind.
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Then We destroyed [all] the others.
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And indeed you pass by them, [both] in the morning,
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and at night: will you not then understand?
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And indeed Jonah was one of the messengers;
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when he fled to the laden ship.
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Then he drew lots and was of those rejected.
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Then the whale swallowed him while he was blameworthy.
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And had he not been one of those who glorify [God],
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he would have tarried in its belly until the day when they are raised.
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Then We cast him onto the barren land, and he was sick.
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And We made a gourd plant to grow above him.
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And We sent him to a [community of a] hundred thousand or more.
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And they believed. So We gave them comfort for a while.
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So ask them: Are daughters to be for your Lord, while sons are to be for them?
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Or did We create the angels females while they were witnesses?
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Lo! it is indeed out of their [own] mendacity that they say,
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‘God has begotten’. And verily they are liars.
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Has He preferred daughters to sons?
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What is wrong with you? How do you judge?
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Will you not then remember?
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Or do you have a clear warrant?
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Then produce your scripture, if you are being truthful.
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And they have set up between Him and the jinn a kinship, while the jinn certainly know that they shall indeed be arraigned.
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Glory be to God above what they attribute
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— [all] except God’s devoted servants.
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For indeed you and what you worship
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— you cannot tempt thereto,
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except him who will burn in Hell.
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And there is not one of us, but has a known station.
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And indeed it is we who are the rangers.
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And indeed it is we who give glory.
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And indeed they used to say,
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‘If we had but a reminder from the ancients,
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we would have surely been God’s devoted servants’.
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Yet they disbelieved in it, but they will come to know.
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And verily Our Word has gone beforehand in favour of Our servants, the messengers
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— assuredly they shall be helped,
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and assuredly Our hosts, they will indeed be the victors.
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So leave them for a while
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and watch them; for they will [soon] see.
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Do they seek to hasten Our chastisement?
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But when it descends in their courtyard, how awful will be the morning for those who were warned.
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So leave them for a while,
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and watch; for they will [soon] see.
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Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Might, [exalted is He] above what they allege!
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And peace be to the messengers.
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And praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds.