Alif. Lam. Mim. Ra. These are the verses of the Divine Book, and that which has been sent down to you from your Lord is the very truth, but most (of your) people do not believe in this.1 It is Allah Who raised up the heavens without such pillars as you could see:2 then He sat Himself upon the Throne of His Kingdom:3 He subjected the sun and the moon to a law.4 Everything in the universe is running its course to its fixed term.5 And Allah alone is directing the whole affair. He makes His signs plain:6 perhaps you may be convinced of meeting your Lord.7 And it is He Who has spread out the earth, and fixed the immovable mountains in it, and made the rivers flow on it. He has created in pairs every kind of fruit, and He covers the day with the veil of night.8 Surely there are great Signs in these for those who reflect upon them. And behold! there are different regions on the earth close to one another;9 there are vineyards, corn fields and groves of date-palm with single or double trunk.10 All are irrigated with the same water, but We make some more tasteful than others. Most surely there are many Signs in all these things for those who use their common sense.11 Now, if there is anything for you to marvel at, you should marvel at their saying: "What! when we have become dust, shall we then be raised to a new life again?" These are the people who have denied their Lord:12 they are those who shall have collars around their necks:13 they shall be the dwellers of Hell and therein they shall dwell for ever. They demand from you the hastening of evil rather than good,14 though indeed there have been instances of exemplary punishments before them (of the wrath of God on the people who adopted the same attitude.) The fact is that your Lord shows forbearance to the people despite their transgressions, and it is also the fact that your Lord is stern in retribution. These people who have rejected your Message, say, "Why has no Sign been sent down to this person from His Lord"15 You are a warner only and every people has its guide.16