Chapter 21 · 112 verses
Al-Anbiyaa
The Prophets
الأنبياء
Reading & audio settings
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
21:1
ٱقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَهُمْ فِى غَفْلَةٍ مُّعْرِضُونَ١
English
˹The time of˺ people’s judgment has drawn near, yet they are heedlessly turning away.
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21:2
مَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن ذِكْرٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِم مُّحْدَثٍ إِلَّا ٱسْتَمَعُوهُ وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ٢
English
Whatever new reminder comes to them from their Lord, they only listen to it jokingly
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21:3
لَاهِيَةً قُلُوبُهُمْ ۗ وَأَسَرُّوا۟ ٱلنَّجْوَى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ هَلْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ ۖ أَفَتَأْتُونَ ٱلسِّحْرَ وَأَنتُمْ تُبْصِرُونَ٣
English
with their hearts ˹totally˺ distracted. The evildoers would converse secretly, ˹saying,˺ “Is this ˹one˺ not human like yourselves? Would you fall for ˹this˺ witchcraft, even though you can ˹clearly˺ see?”
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21:4
قَالَ رَبِّى يَعْلَمُ ٱلْقَوْلَ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ٤
English
The Prophet responded, “My Lord ˹fully˺ knows every word spoken in the heavens and the earth. For He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.”
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21:5
بَلْ قَالُوٓا۟ أَضْغَـٰثُ أَحْلَـٰمٍۭ بَلِ ٱفْتَرَىٰهُ بَلْ هُوَ شَاعِرٌ فَلْيَأْتِنَا بِـَٔايَةٍ كَمَآ أُرْسِلَ ٱلْأَوَّلُونَ٥
English
Yet they say, “This ˹Quran˺ is a set of confused dreams! No, he has fabricated it! No, he must be a poet! So let him bring us a ˹tangible˺ sign like those ˹prophets˺ sent before.”
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21:6
مَآ ءَامَنَتْ قَبْلَهُم مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَـٰهَآ ۖ أَفَهُمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ٦
English
Not a ˹single˺ society We destroyed before them ever believed ˹after receiving the signs˺. Will these ˹pagans˺ then believe?
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21:7
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًا نُّوحِىٓ إِلَيْهِمْ ۖ فَسْـَٔلُوٓا۟ أَهْلَ ٱلذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ٧
English
We did not send ˹messengers˺ before you ˹O Prophet˺ except mere men inspired by Us. If you ˹polytheists˺ do not know ˹this already˺, then ask those who have knowledge ˹of the Scriptures˺.
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21:8
وَمَا جَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ جَسَدًا لَّا يَأْكُلُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ خَـٰلِدِينَ٨
English
We did not give those messengers ˹supernatural˺ bodies that did not need food, nor were they immortal.
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21:9
ثُمَّ صَدَقْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْوَعْدَ فَأَنجَيْنَـٰهُمْ وَمَن نَّشَآءُ وَأَهْلَكْنَا ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ٩
English
Then We fulfilled Our promise to them, saving them along with whoever We willed and destroying the transgressors.
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21:10
لَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ كِتَـٰبًا فِيهِ ذِكْرُكُمْ ۖ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ١٠
English
We have surely revealed to you a Book, in which there is glory for you. Will you not then understand?
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21:11
وَكَمْ قَصَمْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍ كَانَتْ ظَالِمَةً وَأَنشَأْنَا بَعْدَهَا قَوْمًا ءَاخَرِينَ١١
English
˹Imagine˺ how many societies of wrongdoers We have destroyed, raising up other people after them!
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21:12
فَلَمَّآ أَحَسُّوا۟ بَأْسَنَآ إِذَا هُم مِّنْهَا يَرْكُضُونَ١٢
English
When the wrongdoers sensed ˹the arrival of˺ Our torment, they started to run away from their cities.
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21:13
لَا تَرْكُضُوا۟ وَٱرْجِعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ مَآ أُتْرِفْتُمْ فِيهِ وَمَسَـٰكِنِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْـَٔلُونَ١٣
English
˹They were told,˺ “Do not run away! Return to your luxuries and your homes, so you may be questioned ˹about your fate˺.”
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21:14
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِينَ١٤
English
They cried, “Woe to us! We have surely been wrongdoers.”
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21:15
فَمَا زَالَت تِّلْكَ دَعْوَىٰهُمْ حَتَّىٰ جَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ حَصِيدًا خَـٰمِدِينَ١٥
English
They kept repeating their cry until We mowed them down, ˹leaving them˺ lifeless.
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21:16
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَـٰعِبِينَ١٦
English
We did not create the heavens and the earth and everything in between for sport.
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21:17
لَوْ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْوًا لَّٱتَّخَذْنَـٰهُ مِن لَّدُنَّآ إِن كُنَّا فَـٰعِلِينَ١٧
English
Had We intended to take ˹some˺ amusement, We could have found it in Our presence, if that had been Our Will.
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21:18
بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِٱلْحَقِّ عَلَى ٱلْبَـٰطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُۥ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ ۚ وَلَكُمُ ٱلْوَيْلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ١٨
English
In fact, We hurl the truth against falsehood, leaving it crushed, and it quickly vanishes. And woe be to you for what you claim!
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21:19
وَلَهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَمَنْ عِندَهُۥ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِۦ وَلَا يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ١٩
English
To Him belong all those in the heavens and the earth. And those nearest to Him are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they tire.
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21:20
يُسَبِّحُونَ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ لَا يَفْتُرُونَ٢٠
English
They glorify ˹Him˺ day and night, never wavering.
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About Surah Al-Anbiyaa (The Prophets)
Called "the Prophets," a Meccan sūrah surveying many messengers to show the single, unified call to worship God alone and the nearness of the reckoning.
- Chapter
- 21 of 114
- Revealed in
- Mecca
- Period
- Meccan
- Verses
- 112
Frequently asked questions
What is Surah Al-Anbiyaa about?
Called "the Prophets," a Meccan sūrah surveying many messengers to show the single, unified call to worship God alone and the nearness of the reckoning.
How many verses are in Surah Al-Anbiyaa?
Surah Al-Anbiyaa (The Prophets) has 112 verses (āyāt).
Is Surah Al-Anbiyaa Meccan or Madinan?
Surah Al-Anbiyaa is a Meccan (Makkī) sūrah, revealed in Mecca.
What number is Surah Al-Anbiyaa in the Qurʾān?
Surah Al-Anbiyaa is the 21st chapter (sūrah) of the Holy Qurʾān.