Surah Az-Zukhruf (The Ornaments of Gold) in English

1. والذي نزل من السماء ماء بقدر فأنشرنا به بلدة ميتا كذلك تخرجون

   11

   and who sent down water from the sky in a measured manner, and We revived with it a dead country. Likewise, you shall be raised [from the dead].

   wa-lladhī nazzala mina s-samāʾi māʾan bi-qadarin fa-ʾansharnā bihī baldatan maytan ka-dhālika tukhrajūna

2. والذي خلق الأزواج كلها وجعل لكم من الفلك والأنعام ما تركبون

   12

   He created all the kinds and made for you the ships and the cattle such which you ride,

   wa-lladhī khalaqa l-ʾazwāja kullahā wa-jaʿala lakum mina l-fulki wa-l-ʾanʿāmi mā tarkabūna

3. لتستووا على ظهوره ثم تذكروا نعمة ربكم إذا استويتم عليه وتقولوا سبحان الذي سخر لنا هذا وما كنا له مقرنين

   13

   that you may sit on their backs, then remember the blessing of your Lord when you are settled on them, and say, ‘Immaculate is He who has disposed this for us, and we [by ourselves] were no match for it.

   li-tastawū ʿalā ẓuhūrihī thumma tadhkurū niʿmata rabbikum ʾidhā stawaytum ʿalayhi wa-taqūlū subḥāna lladhī sakhkhara lanā hādhā wa-mā kunnā lahū muqrinīna

4. وإنا إلى ربنا لمنقلبون

   14

   Indeed we shall return to our Lord.’

   wa-ʾinnā ʾilā rabbinā la-munqalibūna

5. وجعلوا له من عباده جزءا إن الإنسان لكفور مبين

   15

   They ascribe to Him offspring from among His servants! Man is indeed a manifest ingrate.

   wa-jaʿalū lahū min ʿibādihī juzʾan ʾinna l-ʾinsāna la-kafūrun mubīnun

6. أم اتخذ مما يخلق بنات وأصفاكم بالبنين

   16

   Did He adopt daughters from what He creates while He preferred you with sons?

   ʾami ttakhadha mimmā yakhluqu banātin wa-ʾaṣfākum bi-l-banīna

7. وإذا بشر أحدهم بما ضرب للرحمن مثلا ظل وجهه مسودا وهو كظيم

   17

   When one of them is brought the news of what he ascribes to the All-beneficent, his face becomes darkened and he chokes with suppressed rage, [and says]

   wa-ʾidhā bushshira ʾaḥaduhum bi-mā ḍaraba li-r-raḥmāni mathalan ẓalla wajhuhū muswaddan wa-huwa kaẓīmun

8. أومن ينشأ في الحلية وهو في الخصام غير مبين

   18

   ‘What! One who is brought up amid ornaments and is inconspicuous in contests?’

   ʾa-wa-man yunashshaʾu fī l-ḥilyati wa-huwa fī l-khiṣāmi ghayru mubīnin

9. وجعلوا الملائكة الذين هم عباد الرحمن إناثا أشهدوا خلقهم ستكتب شهادتهم ويسألون

   19

   They have made the angels—who are servants of the All-beneficent—females. Were they witness to their creation? Their testimony will be written down and they shall be questioned.

   wa-jaʿalū l-malāʾikata lladhīna hum ʿibādu r-raḥmāni ʾināthan ʾa-shahidū khalqahum sa-tuktabu shahādatuhum wa-yusʾalūna

10. وقالوا لو شاء الرحمن ما عبدناهم ما لهم بذلك من علم إن هم إلا يخرصون

    20

    They say, ‘Had the All-beneficent wished, we would not have worshipped them.’ They do not have any knowledge of that, and they do nothing but surmise.

    wa-qālū law shāʾa r-raḥmānu mā ʿabadnāhum mā lahum bi-dhālika min ʿilmin ʾin hum ʾillā yakhruṣūna

11. أم آتيناهم كتابا من قبله فهم به مستمسكون

    21

    Did We give them a Book before this, so that they are holding fast to it?

    ʾam ʾātaynāhum kitāban min qablihī fa-hum bihī mustamsikūna

12. بل قالوا إنا وجدنا آباءنا على أمة وإنا على آثارهم مهتدون

    22

    No, they said, ‘We found our fathers following a creed, and we are indeed guided in their footsteps.’

    bal qālū ʾinnā wajadnā ʾābāʾanā ʿalā ʾummatin wa-ʾinnā ʿalā ʾāthārihim muhtadūna