The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

43. ORNAMENTS OF GOLD
A Meccan sura named after the gold ornaments mentioned in verse 35, and
alluded to again in verse 53: in both instances God is refuting the claim of the
disbelievers that a true prophet would be rich. The fact that the angels are
not God’s daughters but His obedient servants is emphasized again and again
(cf. verses 15–20, 60). Similarly, the idea that Jesus could be the son of God
is clearly denied (verses 57–9).
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1 Ha Mim
2 By the Scripture that makes things clear, 3 We have made it a Quran
in Arabic so that you [people] may understand. 4 It is truly exalted in
the Source of Scripture a kept with Us, and full of wisdom.
5 Should We ignore you and turn this revelation away from you
because you are insolent people? 6 We have sent many a prophet to
earlier people 7 and they mocked every one of them, 8 so We have
destroyed mightier people than [the disbelievers of Mecca] and their
example has gone down in history. 9 If you [Prophet] ask them, ‘Who
created the heavens and earth?’ they are sure to say, ‘They were
created by the Almighty, the All Knowing.’ 10 It is He who smoothed
out the earth for you and traced out routes on it for you to find your
way, 11 who sends water down from the sky in due measure––We
resurrect dead land with it, and likewise you will be resurrected from
the grave––12 who created every kind of thing, who gave you ships
and animals to ride on 13 so that you may remember your Lord’s
grace when you are seated on them and say, ‘Glory be to Him who
has given us control over this; we could not have done it by ourselves.
14 Truly it is to our Lord that we are returning.’
15 Yet they assign some of His own servants to Him as offspring! b
Man is clearly ungrateful! 16 Has He taken daughters for Himself and
favoured you with sons? 17 When one of them is given news of the
a Literally ‘mother of Scripture’, identified with the ‘Preserved Tablet’. Cf. 13: 39;
85: 22.
b The Meccan pagans considered the angels to be daughters of God, yet they were
dismissive of their own daughters.