Verse 3:8 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

4 مِن قَبۡلُ هُدࣰى لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَنزَلَ ٱلۡفُرۡقَانَۗ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِءَایَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ لَهُمۡ عَذَابࣱ شَدِیدࣱۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِیزࣱ ذُو ٱنتِقَامٍ ۝٤ min qablu hudan lilnnāsi wa-anzala l-fur'qāna inna alladhīna kafarū biāyāti l-lahi lahum ʿadhābun shadīdun wal-lahu ʿazīzun dhū intiqāmi earlier as a guide for people and He has sent down the distinction [between right and wrong]. Those who deny God’s revelations will suffer severe torment: God is almighty and capable of retribution 5 إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا یَخۡفَىٰ عَلَیۡهِ شَیۡءࣱ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا فِی ٱلسَّمَاۤءِ ۝٥ inna l-laha lā yakhfā ʿalayhi shayon fī l-arḍi walā fī l-samā Nothing on earth or in heaven is hidden from God 6 هُوَ ٱلَّذِی یُصَوِّرُكُمۡ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡحَامِ كَیۡفَ یَشَاۤءُۚ لَاۤ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡعَزِیزُ ٱلۡحَكِیمُ ۝٦ huwa alladhī yuṣawwirukum fī l-arḥāmi kayfa yashāu lā ilāha illā huwa l-ʿazīzu l-ḥakīm it is He who shapes you all in the womb as He pleases. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Wise 7 هُوَ ٱلَّذِیۤ أَنزَلَ عَلَیۡكَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ مِنۡهُ ءَایَـٰتࣱ مُّحۡكَمَـٰتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَـٰبِهَـٰتࣱۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِینَ فِی قُلُوبِهِمۡ زَیۡغࣱ فَیَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَـٰبَهَ مِنۡهُ ٱبۡتِغَاۤءَ ٱلۡفِتۡنَةِ وَٱبۡتِغَاۤءَ تَأۡوِیلِهِۦۖ وَمَا یَعۡلَمُ تَأۡوِیلَهُۥۤ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُۘ وَٱلرَّ ٰسِخُونَ فِی ٱلۡعِلۡمِ یَقُولُونَ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦ كُلࣱّ مِّنۡ عِندِ رَبِّنَاۚ وَمَا یَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّاۤ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ ۝٧ huwa alladhī anzala ʿalayka l-kitāba min'hu āyātun muḥ'kamātun hunna ummu l-kitābi wa-ukharu mutashābihātun fa-ammā alladhīna fī qulūbihim zayghun fayattabiʿūna mā tashābaha min'hu ib'tighāa l-fit'nati wa-ib'tighāa tawīlihi wamā yaʿlamu tawīlahu illā l-lahu wal-rāsikhūna fī l-ʿil'mi yaqūlūna āmannā bihi kullun min ʿindi rabbinā wamā yadhakkaru illā ulū l-albāb it is He who has sent this Scripture down to you [Prophet]. Some of its verses are definite in meaning- these are the cornerstone of the Scripture- and others are ambiguous. The perverse at heart eagerly pursue the ambiguities in their attempt to make trouble and to pin down a specific meaning of their own: only God knows the true meaning. Those firmly grounded in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it: it is all from our Lord’- only those with real perception will take heed

8 رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغۡ قُلُوبَنَا بَعۡدَ إِذۡ هَدَیۡتَنَا وَهَبۡ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحۡمَةًۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡوَهَّابُ ۝٨ rabbanā lā tuzigh qulūbanā baʿda idh hadaytanā wahab lanā min ladunka raḥmatan innaka anta l-wahāb ‘Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us. Grant us Your mercy: You are the Ever Giving

9 رَبَّنَاۤ إِنَّكَ جَامِعُ ٱلنَّاسِ لِیَوۡمࣲ لَّا رَیۡبَ فِیهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا یُخۡلِفُ ٱلۡمِیعَادَ ۝٩ rabbanā innaka jāmiʿu l-nāsi liyawmin lā rayba fīhi inna l-laha lā yukh'lifu l-mīʿād Our Lord, You will gather all people on the Day of which there is no doubt: God never breaks His promise.’ 10 إِنَّ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَن تُغۡنِیَ عَنۡهُمۡ أَمۡوَ ٰلُهُمۡ وَلَاۤ أَوۡلَـٰدُهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ شَیۡءࣰاۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمۡ وَقُودُ ٱلنَّارِ ۝١٠ inna alladhīna kafarū lan tugh'niya ʿanhum amwāluhum walā awlāduhum mina l-lahi shayan wa-ulāika hum waqūdu l-nār Neither their possessions nor their children will be any use to the disbelievers against God. The disbelievers will be fuel for the Fire 11 كَدَأۡبِ ءَالِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَٱلَّذِینَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۚ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِءَایَـٰتِنَا فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ شَدِیدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ ۝١١ kadabi āli fir'ʿawna wa-alladhīna min qablihim kadhabū biāyātinā fa-akhadhahumu l-lahu bidhunūbihim wal-lahu shadīdu l-ʿiqāb just as Pharaoh’s people and their predecessors denied Our revelations, and God punished them for their sins: God is severe in punishing 12 قُل لِّلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ سَتُغۡلَبُونَ وَتُحۡشَرُونَ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَۖ وَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡمِهَادُ ۝١٢ qul lilladhīna kafarū satugh'labūna watuḥ'sharūna ilā jahannama wabi'sa l-mihād [Prophet], say to the disbelievers, ‘You will be defeated and driven together into Hell, a foul resting place