Al-Ahqaf 46
The Sand DunesHow 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 Ha Mim and says that the heavens and earth were created with truth and for an appointed term, challenging people to show anything their other gods have created. The Prophet declares that he is nothing new among the messengers and only follows what is revealed to him, and the Book is said to confirm the Book of Moses. Two portraits follow: a child whose mother bore him with hardship, who on reaching forty prays to be grateful and to do good, and a child who scoffs at his believing parents and mocks resurrection. It then tells of the brother of Ad, who warned his people among the curving sand dunes; they mistook the coming punishment for a rain cloud, but it was a destroying wind. A group of jinn is described listening to the Quran and returning to their people as warners. The surah ends by telling the Prophet to be patient, as the messengers of firm resolve were patient.
- Creation with purpose
- Parents and children
- Warning of Ad's brother
- Jinn who heard the Quran
- Patience of the messengers
The name It is named after the curving sand dunes in verse 21, where the brother of Ad warned his people.
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1
Ha Mim.
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2
The sending down of the Book is from God, the Almighty, the All-Wise.
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3
We did not create the heavens and the earth and all that is between them except with truth and for an appointed term. But those who disbelieve turn away from what they have been warned of.
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4
Say, "Have you considered what you call upon besides God? Show me what they have created of the earth, or do they have a share in the heavens? Bring me a Book from before this, or some trace of knowledge, if you are truthful."
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5
And who is more astray than one who calls upon besides God those who will not respond to him until the Day of Resurrection, and who are unaware of their calls?
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6
And when mankind is gathered, they will be enemies to them and will deny their worship.
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7
When Our clear verses are recited to them, those who disbelieve say of the truth when it has come to them, "This is clear sorcery."
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8
Or do they say, "He has fabricated it"? Say, "If I have fabricated it, you have no power to help me against God at all. He knows best what you are engaged in. He is sufficient as a Witness between me and you, and He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful."
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9
Say, "I am not something new among the messengers, and I do not know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow what is revealed to me, and I am only a clear warner."
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10
Say, "Have you considered: if it is from God and you disbelieve in it, while a witness from the Children of Israel has testified to something like it and believed, while you are arrogant? God does not guide the wrongdoing people."
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11
Those who disbelieve say of those who believe, "If it were any good, they would not have beaten us to it." And since they have not been guided by it, they will say, "This is an old falsehood."
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12
And before it was the Book of Moses, as a guide and a mercy. And this is a Book confirming [it], in the Arabic tongue, to warn those who do wrong and as good news for those who do good.
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13
Those who say, "Our Lord is God," and then remain steadfast, there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.
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14
They are the companions of the Garden, remaining there forever, as a reward for what they used to do.
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15
We have enjoined upon man kindness to his parents. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship, and his bearing and weaning take thirty months, until when he reaches his full strength and reaches forty years, he says, "My Lord, inspire me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do righteousness that pleases You, and make my offspring righteous for me. I have turned to You in repentance, and I am one of the Muslims."
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16
Those are the ones from whom We accept the best of what they did and overlook their misdeeds, [they will be] among the companions of the Garden, [in fulfillment of] the promise of truth which they were promised.
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17
But the one who says to his parents, "Ugh to you both! Do you promise me that I will be brought forth [again], when generations before me have already passed away?" while they both call on God for help, [saying], "Woe to you! Believe! The promise of God is true," but he says, "This is nothing but legends of the ancients,"
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18
those are the ones against whom the word has come due, among communities of jinn and humans that passed away before them. They were truly losers.
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19
For all there are ranks according to what they did, so that He may pay them in full for their deeds, and they will not be wronged.
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20
And on the Day those who disbelieve are exposed to the Fire, [it will be said], "You exhausted your good things in your worldly life and enjoyed them. So today you are repaid with the punishment of humiliation, because you were arrogant on earth without right and because you were defiantly disobedient."
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21
And remember the brother of Ad, when he warned his people among the curving sand dunes, and warners had passed before him and after him: "Worship none but God. I fear for you the punishment of a tremendous Day."
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22
They replied, "Did you come to lure us away from our gods? Bring on us, then, what you are threatening, if you speak the truth."
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23
He said, "Knowledge [of its time] is only with God, and I convey to you what I have been sent with. But I see you are a people behaving ignorantly."
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24
Then when they saw it as a cloud approaching their valleys, they said, "This is a cloud bringing us rain." No, it is what you sought to hasten: a wind carrying a painful punishment,
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destroying everything by the command of its Lord. So they became such that nothing could be seen except their dwellings. Thus do We repay the guilty people.
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26
And We had established them in ways We have not established you, and We gave them hearing, sight and hearts. But their hearing, their sight and their hearts availed them nothing, since they used to reject the signs of God, and what they used to mock closed in on them.
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27
And We have destroyed the towns around you, and We varied the signs so that they might return.
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28
Then why did those whom they took as gods besides God, as a means of nearness, not help them? Rather, they vanished from them. That was their falsehood and what they used to fabricate.
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29
And when We directed to you a group of the jinn, listening to the Quran. When they attended it, they said, "Listen quietly." And when it was finished, they went back to their people as warners.
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They said, "O our people, we have heard a Book sent down after Moses, confirming what came before it, guiding to the truth and to a straight path.
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31
O our people, respond to the one who calls [you] to God and believe in Him; He will forgive you some of your sins and protect you from a painful punishment.
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32
And whoever does not respond to the one who calls to God cannot escape on earth, and he will have no protectors besides Him. Those are in clear error."
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33
Do they not see that God, who created the heavens and the earth and was not wearied by their creation, is able to give life to the dead? Yes, indeed; He has power over all things.
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34
And on the Day those who disbelieve are exposed to the Fire, [it will be said], "Is this not the truth?" They will say, "Yes, by our Lord." He will say, "Then taste the punishment for your disbelief."
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35
So be patient, as the messengers of firm resolve were patient, and do not seek to hasten [punishment] for them. On the Day they see what they are promised, it will be as though they had not remained [in the world] except an hour of a day. [This is] a proclamation. Will any be destroyed except the defiantly disobedient people?