# Sura  23 - The Believers

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-18 — 1 clipping.*

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> SURA XXIII (23) - THE BELIEVERS   (Mecca - 118 Verses)          LXIV - 144   
>  
>        In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
>  
>        Happy now the believers,
>  
>        Who humble them in their prayer,
>  
>        And who keep aloof from vain words,
>  
>        And who are doers of alms deeds,
>  
>        And who restrain their appetites,
>  
>        (Save with their wives, or the slaves whom their right hands possess:
> for in that case they shall be free from blame:
>  
>        But they whose desires reach further than this are transgressors:)
>  
>        And who tend well their trusts and their covenants,
>  
>        And who keep them strictly to their prayers:
>  
> 23:10  These shall be the heritors,
>  
>        Who shall inherit the paradise, to abide therein for ever.
>  
>        Now of a fine clay have we created man:
>  
>        Then we placed him, a moist germ, in a safe abode;
>  
>        Then made we the moist germ a clot of blood:  then made the clotted
> blood into a piece of flesh; then made the piece of flesh into bones:  and we
> clothed the bones with flesh:  then brought forth man of yet another make -
> Blessed therefore be God, the most excellent of Makers -
>  
>        Then after this ye shall surely die:
>  
>        Then shall ye be waked up on the day of resurrection.
>  
>        And we have created over you seven heavens: - and we are not careless of
> the creation.
>  
>        And we send down water from the Heaven in its due degree, and we cause
> it to settle on the earth; - and we have pwoer for its withdrawal: -
>  
>        And by it we cause gardens of palm trees, and vineyards to spring forth
> for you, in which ye have plenteous fruits, and whereof ye eat;
>  
> 23:20  And the tree that growth up on Mount Sinai; which yieldeth oil and a
> juice for those who eat.
>  
>        And there is a lesson for you in the cattle:  We give you to drink of
> what is in their bellies, and many advantages do ye derive from them, and for
> food they serve you;
>  
>        And on them and on ships are ye borne.
>  
>        We sent Noah heretofore unto his people, and he said, "O my people!
> serve God:  ye have no other God than He:  will ye not therefore fear Him?
>  
>        But the chiefs of the people who believed not said, "This is but a man
> like yourselves:  he fain would raise himself above you:  but had it pleased
> God to send, He would have sent angels:  We heard not of this with our sires of
> old; -
>  
>        Verily he is but a man possessed; leave him alone therefore for a time."
>  
>        He said, "O my Lord! help me against their charge of imposture."
>  
>        So we revealed unto him, "Make the ark under our eye, and as we have
> taught, and when our doom shall come on, and the earth's surface shall boil up,
>  
>        Carry into it of every kind a pair, and thy family, save him on whom
> sentence hath already passed:  and plead not with me for the wicked, for they
> shall be drowned.
>  
>        And when thou, and they who shall be with thee, shall go up into the
> ark; say, 'Praise be unto God, who hath rescued us from the wicked folk.'
>  
> 23:30  And say, 'O my Lord! disembark me with a blessed disembarking:  for
> thou art the best to disembark.'"
>  
>        Verily in this were signs, and verily we made proof of man.
>  
>        We then raised up other generations after them;
>  
>        And we sent among them an apostle from out themselves, with, "Worship ye
> God! ye have no other God than He:  will ye not therefore fear Him?"
>  
>        And the chiefs of His people who believed not, and who deemed the
> meeting with us in the life to come to be a lie, and whom we had richly
> supplied in this present life, said, "This is but a man like yourselves; he
> eateth of what ye eat,
>  
>        And he drinketh of what ye drink:
>  
>        And if ye obey a man like yourselves, then ye will surely be undone.
>  
>        What! doth he fortell you, that after ye shall be dead and become dust
> and bones, ye shall be brought forth?
>  
>        Away, away with his predictions!
>  
>        There is no life beyond our present life; we die, and we live, and we
> shall not be quickened again!
>  
> 23:40  This is merely a man who forgeth a lie about God:  and we will not
> believe him."
>  
>        He said, "O my Lord! help me against this charge of imposture."
>  
>        He said, "yet a little, and they will soon repent them!"
>  
>        Then did the shout of the destroying angel injustice surprise them, and
> we made them like leaves swept down by a torrent,.  Away then with the wicked
> people!
>  
>        Then raised we up other generations after them -
>  
>        Neither too soon, nor too late, shall a people reach its appointed
> time -
>  
>        Then sent we our apostles one after another.  Oft as their apostle
> presented himself to a nation, they treated him as a liar; and we caused one
> nation to follow another; and we made them the burden of a tale.  Away then
> with the people who believe not!
>  
>        Then sent we Moses and his brother Aaron, with our signs and manifest
> power.
>  
>        To Pharaoh and his prices; but they behaved them proudly, for they were
> a haughty people.
>  
>        And they said, "Shall we believe on two men like ourselves, whose people
> are our slaves?"
>  
> 23:50  And they treated them both as impostors; wherefore they became of the
> destroyed.
>  
>        And we gave Moses the Book for Israel's guidance.
>  
>        And we appointed the Son of Mary, and His mother for a sign; and we
> prepared an abode for both in a lofty spot, quiet, and watered with springs.
>  
>        "O ye apostles! eat of things that are good:  and do that which is
> right:  of your doings I am cognisant.
>  
>        And truly this your religion is the one religion; and I am your Lord:
> therefore fear me."
>  
>        But men have rent their great concern, one among another, into sects;
> every party rejoicing in that which is their own;
>  
>        Wherefore leave them till a certain time, in their depths of error.
>  
>        What! think they that what we largely bestow on them of wealth and
> children,
>  
>        We hasten to them for their good?  Nay, they have no knowledge.
>  
>        But they who are awed with the dread of their Lord,
>  
> 23:60  And who believe in the signs of their Lord,
>  
>        And who give that which they give with hearts thrilled with dread
> because they must return unto their Lord,
>  
>        These hasten after good, and are the first to win it.
>  
>        We will not burden a soul beyond its power:  and with us is a book,
> which speaketh the truth; and they shall not be wronged:
>  
>        But as to this Book, their hearts are plunged in error, and their works
> are far other than those of Muslims, and they will work those works,
>  
>        Until when we lay hold on their affluent ones with punishment; lo! they
> cry for help:
>  
>        - "Cry not for help this day, for by Us ye shall not be succoured:
>  
>        Long since were my signs rehearsed to you, but ye turned back on your
> heels,
>  
>        Puffed up with pride, discoursing foolishly by night."
>  
> 23:70  Do they not then heed the things spoken - whether that hath come to
> them which came not to theirs fathers of old?
>  
>        Or do they not recognise their apostle; and therefore disavow him?
>  
>        Or say they, "A Djinn is in him?"  Nay! he hath come to them with the
> truth; but the truth do most of them abhor.
>  
>        But if the truth had followed in the train of their desires, the heavens
> and the earth, and all that therein is, had surely come to ruin!  But we have
> brought them their warning; and from their warning they withdraw.
>  
>        Dost thou ask them for remuneration?  But, remuneration from thy Lord is
> best; and He is the best provider.
>  
>        And thou indeed biddest them to the right path;
>  
>        But verily they who believe not in the life to come, from that path do
> surely wander!
>  
>        And if we had taken compassion on them with chastisement, yet they did
> not humble them to their Lord, nor did they abase them;
>  
>        Until, when we have opened upon them the door of a serve punishment, lo!
> they are in despair at it.
>  
> 23:80  It is He who hath implanted in you hearing, and sight, and heart; how
> few of you give thanks!
>  
>        It is He who hath caused you to be born on the earth:  and unto Him
> shall ye be gathered.
>  
>        And it is He who maketh alive and killeth, and of Him is the change of
> the night and of the day:  Will ye not understand?.
>  
>        But they say, as said those of old: -
>  
>        They say, "What! When we shall be dead, and have become dust and bones,
> shall we, indeed, be waked to life?
>  
>        This have we been promised, we and our fathers aforetime:  but it is
> only fables of the ancients."
>  
>        Say:  Whose is the earth, and all that is therein; - if ye know?
>  
>        They will answer, "God's.!  Say:  Will ye not then reflect?
>  
>        Say:  Who is the Lord of the seven heavens, and the Lord of the glorious
> throne?
>  
>        They will say, "They are God"s."  Say:  Will ye  not, then, fear Him?
>  
> 23:90  Say:  In whose hand is the empire of all things, who protecteth but is
> not protected?  if ye know:
>  
>        They will answer, "In God's"  Say:  How, then can ye be so spell-bound?
>  
>        Yea, we have brought them the truth; but they are surely liars:
>  
>        God hath not begotten offspring; neither is there any other God with
> Him:  else had each god assuredly taken away that which he had created, and
> some had assuredly uplifted themselves above others!  Far from the glory of
> God, be what they affirm of Him!
>  
>        He knoweth alike the unseen and the seen:  far be He uplifted above the
> gods whom they associate with Him!
>  
>        Say:  O my Lord!  If thou wilt let me witness the infliction of that
> with which they have been threatened!
>  
>        O my Lord! place me not among the ungodly people.
>  
>        Verily, we are well able to make thee see the punishment with which we
> have threatened them.
>  
>        Turn aside evil with that which is better:  we best know what they utter
> against thee.
>  
>        And Say:  "O my Lord! I betake me to Thee, against the promptings of the
> Satans:
>  
> 23:100 And I betake me to Thee, O my Lord! that they gain no hurtful access to
> me."
>  
>        When death overtaketh one of the wicked, he saith, "Lord, send me back
> again,
>  
>        That I may do the good which I have left undone."  "By no means."  These
> are the very words which he shall speak:  But behind them shall be a barrier,
> until the day when they shall be raised again.
>  
>        And when the trumpet shall be sounded, the ties of kindred between them
> shall cease on that day; neither shall they ask each other's help.
>  
>        They whose balances shall be heavy, shall be the blest.
>  
>        But they whose balances shall be light, - these are they who shall lose
> their souls, abiding in hell for ever:
>  
>        The fire shall scorch their faces, and their lips shall quiver
> therein: -
>  
>        - "What!  Were not my signs rehearsed unto you? and did ye not treat
> them as lies?"
>  
>        They shall say, "O our Lord! our ill-fortune prevailed against us, and
> we became an erring people.
>  
>        O our Lord!  Bring us forth hence:  if we go back against to our signs,
> we shall indeed be evil doers."
>  
> 23:110 He will say; "Be ye driven down into it; and, address me not."
>  
>        A part truly of my servants was there, who said, "O our Lord!  we
> believe:  forgive us, then, and be merciful to us, for of the merciful art thou
> the best."
>  
>        But ye received them with such scoffs that they suffered you to forget
> my warning, and ye laughed them to scorn.
>  
>        Verily this day will I reward them, for their patient endurance:  the
> blissful ones shall they be!
>  
>        He will say, "What number of years tarried ye on earth?"
>  
>        They will say, "We tarried a day, or part of a day; but ask the
> recording angels."
>  
>        God will say, "Short indeed was the time ye tarried, if that ye knew it.
>  
>        What!  Did ye then think that we had created you for pastime, and that
> ye should not be brought back again to us?"  Wherefore let God be exalted, the
> King, the Truth!  There is no god but He!  Lord of the stately throne!  And
> whoso, together with God, shall call on another god, for whom he had no proof,
> shall surely have to give account to his Lord.  Aye, it shall fare ill with the
> infidels.
>  
>        And say:  "O my Lord, pardon, and have mercy; for of those who show
> mercy, art thou the best."
>
> — *Sura  23 - The Believers*