21. The Prophets (48 – 82)

⁴⁸We gave Moses and Aaron [the Scripture] that distinguishes right from wrong, a light and a reminder for those who are mindful of God, ⁴⁹those who stand in awe of their Lord, though He is unseen, and who fear the Hour. ⁵⁰This [Qurʾan] too is a blessed message We have sent down—are you [people] going to deny it? ⁵¹Long ago We bestowed right judgement on Abraham and We knew him well. ⁵²He said to his father and his people, ‘What are these images to which you are so devoted?’ ⁵³They replied, ‘We found our fathers worshipping them.’ ⁵⁴He said, ‘You and your fathers have clearly gone astray.’⁵⁵They asked, ‘Have you brought us the truth or are you just playing about?’ ⁵⁶He said, ‘Listen! Your true Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, He who created them, and I am a witness to this. ⁵⁷By God I shall certainly plot against your idols as soon as you have turned your backs!’ ⁵⁸He broke them all into pieces, but left the biggest one for them to return to. ⁵⁹They said, ‘Who has done this to our gods? How wicked he must be!’ ⁶⁰Some said, ‘We heard a youth called Abraham talking about them.’ ⁶¹They said, ‘Bring him before the eyes of the people, so that they may witness [his trial].’ ⁶²They asked, ‘Was it you, Abraham, who did this to our gods?’ ⁶³He said, ‘No, it was done by the biggest of them—this one. Ask them, if they can talk.’ ⁶⁴They turned to one another, saying, ‘It is you who are in the wrong,’⁶⁵but then they lapsed again and said, ‘You know very well these gods cannot speak.’⁶⁶Abraham said, ‘How can you worship what can neither benefit nor harm you, instead of God? ⁶⁷Shame on you and on the things you worship instead of God. Have you no sense?’⁶⁸They said, ‘Burn him and avenge your gods, if you are going to do the right thing.’ ⁶⁹But We said, ‘Fire, be cool and safe for Abraham.’ ⁷⁰They planned to harm him, but We made them suffer the greatest loss. ⁷¹We saved him and Lot [and sent them] to the land We blessed for all people, ⁷²and We gave him Isaac and Jacob as an additional gift, and made each of them righteous.⁷³We made all of them leaders, guiding others by Our command, and We inspired them to do good works, to keep up the prayer, and to give alms: they were Our true worshippers. ⁷⁴We gave Lot sound judgement and knowledge and saved him from the community who practised obscenities—they were shameless people who broke God's law!⁷⁵We admitted him to Our mercy; he was a righteous man.

⁷⁶Long before that, We answered Noah when he cried out to Us: We saved him and his family from the great calamity ⁷⁷and We helped him against the people who rejected Our signs—they were evil people, so We drowned them all.

⁷⁸And remember David and Solomon, when they gave judgement regarding the field into which sheep strayed by night and grazed. We witnessed their judgement ⁷⁹and made Solomon understand the case [better], though We gave sound judgement and knowledge to both of them. We made the mountains and the birds celebrate Our praises with David—We did all these things—⁸⁰We taught him how to make coats of mail for the benefit of you [people], to protect you in your wars, but are you grateful for this?⁸¹We harnessed the stormy wind for Solomon, so that it sped by his command to the land We had blessed—We have knowledge of all things—⁸²and We made some of the jinn^a Cf. 34: 12–13. subservient to him, to dive for him and do other works besides. We were watching over them.