Sad 38
SadHow to read the Hangul
الرَّحْمَٰنِ르r라흐마니 بِسْمِ비스밀
- Bold = the stressed syllable of the word; a little stronger.
- Overline = long vowel (madd): hold it about two beats. Length matters most in recitation.
- Tiny = no vowel in the Arabic here — just the consonant, short.
- Small Latin letter = a sound Korean lacks, on the next syllable: f upper teeth on lower lip · θ/ð tongue tip between the teeth · r rolled tongue tip (a bare ㄹ is l).
How to read the Hangul
beginning the Christ salvation
- Bold, larger (ˈ) = say it strong and a little longer — the stressed syllable.
- Faint = weak and short (a reduced vowel). Don't give every syllable equal weight.
- Tiny 으 · 트 · 스 = barely voiced. English has no vowel there — stop on the consonant.
- Whole word faint (the, of, and, to…) = light and quick in a sentence; stress the content words.
- Small f v θ ð r = sounds Korean doesn't have — f: upper teeth on the lower lip; v: the same, voiced; θ/ð: tongue tip between the teeth; r: tongue curled back, touching nothing.
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Surah
About this surah
The surah begins with the letter Sad and an oath by the Quran that holds the Reminder, then describes the leaders who reject the warner, amazed that he has “made the gods into one God.” It turns to David, with whom the mountains and birds glorified God, and tells of two disputants over ninety-nine ewes and one ewe, through which David realizes he has been tested and asks forgiveness. David is then told to judge between people with truth and not follow his own desires. The surah goes on to Solomon and his horses, the wind and the devils placed under his command, Job's patience in suffering, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Ishmael, Elisha and Dhul-Kifl. After scenes of the Garden and of the people of the Fire quarreling, it closes with the story of Iblis, who refused to bow to the human created from clay and vowed to mislead people.
- David's judgment
- Solomon's kingdom
- Job's patience
- The arrogance of Iblis
- Reflecting on the Book
The name It is named after the Arabic letter Sad that opens verse 1; the text does not explain its meaning.
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1
Sad. By the Quran, which holds the Reminder!
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But those who disbelieve are lost in arrogance and defiance.
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How many generations before them have We destroyed! They cried out, but it was no longer a time for escape.
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They marvel that a warner has come to them from among themselves, and the disbelievers say, "This is a sorcerer, a liar.
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Has he made the gods into one God? This is truly a strange thing!"
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And the leaders among them went off, [saying], "Go on, and hold firm to your gods. This is surely something designed [against you].
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We have not heard of this in the latest creed. This is nothing but a fabrication.
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Has the Reminder been sent down to him, of all of us?" No, they are in doubt about My Reminder. No, they have not yet tasted My punishment.
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9
Or do they hold the treasuries of the mercy of your Lord, the Almighty, the Bestower?
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Or is theirs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them? Then let them climb up by [whatever] means [they can].
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[They are but] a host of the confederates, which will be routed there.
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Before them the people of Noah denied [the truth], and Ad, and Pharaoh, the owner of the stakes,
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and Thamud, and the people of Lot, and the dwellers of the thicket. These were the confederates.
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Every one of them denied the messengers, so My retribution was justly due.
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And these await nothing but a single blast, which will have no pause.
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They say, "Our Lord, let us have our portion now, ahead of the Day of Reckoning."
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Be patient with what they say, and remember Our servant David, the man of strength. He constantly turned [to God].
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We made the mountains join him in glorifying [God] at evening and at sunrise,
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and the birds too, gathered together, all turning to Him.
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We strengthened his kingdom and gave him wisdom and decisive speech.
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Has the story of the two disputants reached you, when they climbed over the wall into the sanctuary?
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When they came in upon David and he was alarmed by them, they said, "Do not be afraid. We are two disputants; one of us has wronged the other. So judge between us with truth, do not be unjust, and guide us to the right path.
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This is my brother. He has ninety-nine ewes and I have one ewe, yet he said, 'Hand it over to me,' and he overpowered me in argument."
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He said, "He has certainly wronged you by asking for your ewe to add to his ewes. Indeed many partners transgress against one another, except those who believe and do righteous deeds, and how few they are!" And David realized that We had tested him, so he asked forgiveness of his Lord, fell down bowing, and turned [to Him] in repentance.
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So We forgave him that, and he has nearness to Us and a fine place of return.
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"O David, We have made you a successor on the earth, so judge between people with truth and do not follow [your own] desire, for it will lead you astray from the way of God. Those who stray from the way of God will have a severe punishment, because they forgot the Day of Reckoning.
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We did not create the heaven and the earth and all that is between them in vain. That is the assumption of those who disbelieve. So woe to those who disbelieve, because of the Fire!
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Or shall We treat those who believe and do righteous deeds like those who spread corruption in the land? Or shall We treat the God-fearing like the wicked?
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[This is] a blessed Book that We have sent down to you, so that they may reflect on its verses and that people of understanding may take heed.
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And to David We gave Solomon. What an excellent servant! He constantly turned [to God].
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When there were displayed before him in the evening fine, swift horses standing poised,
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he said, "I have loved the love of good things above the remembrance of my Lord," until [the sun] was hidden behind the veil.
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"Bring them back to me." Then he began stroking their legs and necks.
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And We certainly tested Solomon, and placed a body upon his throne; then he turned back [to God].
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He said, "My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom that will not befit anyone after me. You are indeed the Bestower."
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So We made the wind subservient to him, blowing gently at his command wherever he directed,
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and the devils, every builder and diver,
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and others bound together in chains.
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"This is Our gift, so give freely or withhold, without account."
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And he has nearness to Us and a fine place of return.
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And remember Our servant Job, when he called out to his Lord, "Satan has afflicted me with hardship and suffering."
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"Strike [the ground] with your foot. Here is a cool spring for washing and for drinking."
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And We gave him back his family, and as many again with them, as a mercy from Us and a reminder for people of understanding.
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"And take in your hand a bundle of twigs and strike with it, and do not break your oath." We found him patient. What an excellent servant! He constantly turned [to God].
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And remember Our servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, men of strength and vision.
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We singled them out for a pure quality: remembrance of the [final] Abode.
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And in Our sight they are among the chosen, the best.
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Remember also Ishmael, Elisha, and Dhul-Kifl — each of them was of the finest.
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This is a reminder. And indeed the God-fearing will have a fine place of return:
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Gardens of Eden, whose gates will be open to them,
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reclining there, they will call for abundant fruit and drink,
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and with them will be companions of modest gaze, of equal age.
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Such is the promise given to you for the Day of Account.
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This is indeed Our provision, which will never run out.
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So it is. But the transgressors will have an evil place of return:
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Hell, where they will burn — and what a miserable place to rest!
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This, so let them taste it: scalding water and foul pus,
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and other [torments] of its kind, in pairs.
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"Here is a crowd rushing in with you." "No welcome to them! They will burn in the Fire."
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"No — you are the ones not welcome!" they will reply. "You are the ones who prepared this for us. What an evil place to settle!"
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They will say, "Our Lord, whoever brought this upon us, double his punishment in the Fire."
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And they will say, "Why is it that we do not see men whom we used to count among the wicked?
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Did we [wrongly] take them in mockery, or have our eyes missed them?"
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That is the truth: the quarreling of the people of the Fire.
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Say, "I am nothing but a warner. There is no god except God, the One, who overpowers all,
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the Lord of the heavens, the earth, and everything in between, the Almighty, the One who forgives much."
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Say, "It is tremendous news,
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from which you turn away.
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I had no knowledge of the Highest Assembly when they disputed.
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It is only revealed to me that I am a clear warner."
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Your Lord once said to the angels, "I am creating a human being out of clay.
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After I have given him his form and breathed into him something of My spirit, you are to fall down before him in prostration."
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So the angels prostrated, all of them together,
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except Iblis. He was arrogant and became one of the disbelievers.
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He said, "O Iblis, what prevented you from prostrating to what I created with My own hands? Are you arrogant, or are you one of the exalted?"
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He replied, "I am superior to him: You made me out of fire, and him out of clay."
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He said, "Then get out of here, for you are accursed.
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And My curse will be upon you until the Day of Judgement."
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He said, "My Lord, then grant me respite until the Day they are raised."
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He said, "You are among those granted respite,
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until the Day of the appointed time."
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He said, "Then by Your might, I will surely mislead them all,
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except Your devoted servants among them."
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He said, "This is the truth, and the truth I speak:
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I will surely fill Hell with you and with all those of them who follow you."
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Say, "I ask you no reward for this, nor am I one of those who pretend.
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It is nothing but a reminder to all the worlds,
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and you will surely come to know its news after a while."