Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow) in English

1. مثلهم كمثل الذي استوقد نارا فلما أضاءت ما حوله ذهب الله بنورهم وتركهم في ظلمات لا يبصرون

   17

   Their parable is that of one who lighted a torch, and when it had lit up all around him, Allah took away their light, and left them sightless in a manifold darkness.

   mathaluhum ka-mathali lladhī stawqada nāran fa-lammā ʾaḍāʾat mā ḥawlahū dhahaba llāhu bi-nūrihim wa-tarakahum fī ẓulumātin lā yubṣirūna

2. صم بكم عمي فهم لا يرجعون

   18

   Deaf, dumb, and blind, they will not come back.

   ṣummun bukmun ʿumyun fa-hum lā yarjiʿūna

3. أو كصيب من السماء فيه ظلمات ورعد وبرق يجعلون أصابعهم في آذانهم من الصواعق حذر الموت والله محيط بالكافرين

   19

   Or that of a rainstorm from the sky, wherein is darkness, thunder and lightning: they put their fingers in their ears due to the thunderclaps, apprehensive of death; and Allah besieges the faithless.

   ʾaw ka-ṣayyibin mina s-samāʾi fīhi ẓ-ẓulumātun wa-raʿdun wa-barqun yajʿalūna ʾaṣābiʿahum fī ʾādhānihim mina ṣ-ṣawāʿiqi ḥadhara l-mawti wa-llāhu muḥīṭun bi-l-kāfirīna

4. يكاد البرق يخطف أبصارهم كلما أضاء لهم مشوا فيه وإذا أظلم عليهم قاموا ولو شاء الله لذهب بسمعهم وأبصارهم إن الله على كل شيء قدير

   20

   The lightning almost snatches away their sight: whenever it shines for them, they walk in it, and when the darkness falls upon them, they stand. Had Allah willed, He would have taken away their hearing and sight. Indeed Allah has power over all things.

   yakādu l-barqu yakhṭafu ʾabṣārahum kullamā ʾaḍāʾa lahum mashaw fīhi wa-ʾidhā ʾaẓlama ʿalayhim qāmū wa-law shāʾa llāhu la-dhahaba bi-samʿihim wa-ʾabṣārihim ʾinna llāha ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīrun

5. يا أيها الناس اعبدوا ربكم الذي خلقكم والذين من قبلكم لعلكم تتقون

   21

   O mankind! Worship your Lord, who created you and those who were before you, so that you may be Godwary

   yā-ʾayyuhā n-nāsu ʿbudū rabbakumu lladhī khalaqakum wa-lladhīna min qablikum laʿallakum tattaqūna

6. الذي جعل لكم الأرض فراشا والسماء بناء وأنزل من السماء ماء فأخرج به من الثمرات رزقا لكم فلا تجعلوا لله أندادا وأنتم تعلمون

   22

   —He who made the earth a place of repose for you, and the sky a canopy, and He sends down water from the sky and with it brings forth crops for your sustenance. So do not set up equals to Allah, while you know.

   alladhī jaʿala lakumu l-ʾarḍa firāshan wa-s-samāʾa bināʾan wa-ʾanzala mina s-samāʾi māʾan fa-ʾakhraja bihī mina th-thamarāti rizqan lakum fa-lā tajʿalū li-llāhi ʾandādan wa-ʾantum taʿlamūna

7. وإن كنتم في ريب مما نزلنا على عبدنا فأتوا بسورة من مثله وادعوا شهداءكم من دون الله إن كنتم صادقين

   23

   And if you are in doubt concerning what We have sent down to Our servant, then bring a surah like it, and invoke your helpers besides Allah, if you are truthful.

   wa-ʾin kuntum fī raybin mimmā nazzalnā ʿalā ʿabdinā fa-ʾtū bi-sūratin min mithlihī wa-dʿū shuhadāʾakum min dūni llāhi ʾin kuntum ṣādiqīna

8. فإن لم تفعلوا ولن تفعلوا فاتقوا النار التي وقودها الناس والحجارة أعدت للكافرين

   24

   But if you do not—and you will not—then beware the Fire whose fuel will be humans and stones, prepared for the faithless.

   fa-ʾin lam tafʿalū wa-lan tafʿalū fa-ttaqū n-nāra llatī waqūduhā n-nāsu wa-l-ḥijāratu ʾuʿiddat li-l-kāfirīna