Surah Al-'A`rāf (The Heights) in English

1. قال ما منعك ألا تسجد إذ أمرتك قال أنا خير منه خلقتني من نار وخلقته من طين

   12

   Said He, ‘What prevented you from prostrating, when I commanded you? ’‘I am better than him,’ he said. ‘You created me from fire and You created him from clay.’

   qāla mā manaʿaka ʾallā tasjuda ʾidh ʾamartuka qāla ʾana khayrun minhu khalaqtanī min nārin wa-khalaqtahū min ṭīnin

2. قال فاهبط منها فما يكون لك أن تتكبر فيها فاخرج إنك من الصاغرين

   13

   ‘Get down from it!’ He said. ‘It is not for you to be arrogant therein. Begone! You are indeed among the degraded ones.’

   qāla fa-hbiṭ minhā fa-mā yakūnu laka ʾan tatakabbara fīhā fa-khruj ʾinnaka mina ṣ-ṣāghirīna

3. قال أنظرني إلى يوم يبعثون

   14

   He said, ‘Respite me till the day they will be resurrected.’

   qāla ʾanẓirnī ʾilā yawmi yubʿathūna

4. قال إنك من المنظرين

   15

   Said He, ‘You are indeed among the reprieved.’

   qāla ʾinnaka mina l-munẓarīna

5. قال فبما أغويتني لأقعدن لهم صراطك المستقيم

   16

   ‘As You have consigned me to perversity,’ he said, ‘I will surely lie in wait for them on Your straight path.

   qāla fa-bi-mā ʾaghwaytanī la-ʾaqʿudanna lahum ṣirāṭaka l-mustaqīma

6. ثم لآتينهم من بين أيديهم ومن خلفهم وعن أيمانهم وعن شمائلهم ولا تجد أكثرهم شاكرين

   17

   Then I will come at them from their front and from their rear, and from their right and their left, and You will not find most of them to be grateful.’

   thumma la-ʾātiyannahum min bayni ʾaydīhim wa-min khalfihim wa-ʿan ʾaymānihim wa-ʿan shamāʾilihim wa-lā tajidu ʾaktharahum shākirīna

7. قال اخرج منها مذءوما مدحورا لمن تبعك منهم لأملأن جهنم منكم أجمعين

   18

   Said He, ‘Begone hence, blameful and banished! Whoever of them follows you, I will surely fill hell with you all.’

   qāla khruj minhā madhʾūman madḥūran la-man tabiʿaka minhum la-ʾamlaʾanna jahannama minkum ʾajmaʿīna

8. ويا آدم اسكن أنت وزوجك الجنة فكلا من حيث شئتما ولا تقربا هذه الشجرة فتكونا من الظالمين

   19

   [Then He said to Adam,] ‘O Adam, dwell with your mate in paradise, and eat thereof whence you wish; but do not approach this tree, lest you should be among the wrongdoers.’

   wa-yā-ʾādamu skun ʾanta wa-zawjuka l-jannata fa-kulā min ḥaythu shiʾtumā wa-lā taqrabā hādhihi sh-shajarata fa-takūnā mina ẓ-ẓālimīna

9. فوسوس لهما الشيطان ليبدي لهما ما ووري عنهما من سوآتهما وقال ما نهاكما ربكما عن هذه الشجرة إلا أن تكونا ملكين أو تكونا من الخالدين

   20

   Then Satan tempted them, to expose to them what was hidden from them of their nakedness, and he said, ‘Your Lord has only forbidden you from this tree lest you should become angels, or lest you become immortal.’

   fa-waswasa lahumā sh-shayṭānu li-yubdiya lahumā mā wūriya ʿanhumā min sawʾātihimā wa-qāla mā nahākumā rabbukumā ʿan hādhihi sh-shajarati ʾillā ʾan takūnā malakayni ʾaw takūnā mina l-khālidīna

10. وقاسمهما إني لكما لمن الناصحين

    21

    And he swore to them, ‘I am indeed your well-wisher.’

    wa-qāsamahumā ʾinnī lakumā la-mina n-nāṣiḥīna

11. فدلاهما بغرور فلما ذاقا الشجرة بدت لهما سوآتهما وطفقا يخصفان عليهما من ورق الجنة وناداهما ربهما ألم أنهكما عن تلكما الشجرة وأقل لكما إن الشيطان لكما عدو مبين

    22

    Thus he brought about their fall by deception. So when they tasted of the tree, their nakedness became exposed to them, and they began to stitch over themselves with the leaves of paradise. Their Lord called out to them, ‘Did I not forbid you from that tree, and tell you, ‘‘Satan is indeed your manifest enemy?’’ ’

    fa-dallāhumā bi-ghurūrin fa-lammā dhāqā sh-shajarata badat lahumā sawʾātuhumā wa-ṭafiqā yakhṣifāni ʿalayhimā min waraqi l-jannati wa-nādāhumā rabbuhumā ʾa-lam ʾanhakumā ʿan tilkumā sh-shajarati wa-ʾaqul lakumā ʾinna sh-shayṭāna lakumā ʿaduwwun mubīnun