Surah 25: The Criterion - Overview
Surah 26: The Poets - Overview
Surah 27: The Ants - Overview
Surah 28: The Narration - Overview
Surah 29: The Spider - Overview
Surah 30: The Romans - Overview

Essential Koran

Servants of Love [25:63-76] 
The servants of the All-merciful are those who walk in the earth modestly and who, when the ignorant address them, say, 'Peace'; who pass the night prostrate to their Lord and standing; who say, 'Our Lord, turn thou from us the chastisement of Gehenna; surely its chastisement is torment most terrible; evil it is as a lodging-place and an abode'; who, when they expend, are neither prodigal nor parsimonious, but between them that is a just stand; who call not upon another god with God, nor slay the soul God has forbidden except by right, neither fornicate, for whosoever does that shall meet the price of sin -- doubled shall be the chastisement for him on the Resurrection Day, and he shall dwell therein humbled, save him who repents, and believes, and does righteous work -- those, God will change their evil deeds into good deeds, for God is ever All-forgiving, All-compassionate; and whosoever repents, and does righteousness, he truly turns to God in repentance. And those who bear not false witness and, when they pass by idle talk, pass by with dignity; who, when they are reminded of the signs of their Lord, fall not down thereat deaf and blind; who say, 'Our Lord, give us refreshment of our wives and seed, and make us a model to the godfearing.' Those shall be recompensed with the highest heaven, for that they endured patiently, and they shall receive therein a greeting and --  'Peace!' Therein they shall dwell forever; fair it is as a lodging-place and an abode.

The Prophet Moses Confronts Pharaoh [26:10-68] 
And when thy Lord called to Moses, 'Go to the people of the evildoers, the people of Pharaoh; will they not be godfearing?' He said, 'My Lord, I fear they will cry me lies, and my breast will be straitened, and my tongue will not be loosed; so send to Aaron. They also have a sin against me, and I fear they will slay me.' Said He, 'No indeed; but go, both of you, with Our signs, and We assuredly shall be with you, listening. So go you to Pharaoh, and say, "Verily, I am the Messenger of the Lord of all Being; so send forth with us the Children of Israel."' He said, 'Did we not raise thee amongst us as a child? Didst thou not thou tarry among us years of thy life? And thou didst the deed thou didst, being one of the ungrateful!' Said he, 'Indeed I did it then, being one of those that stray; so I fled from you, fearing you. But my Lord gave me Judgment and made me one of the Envoys. That is a blessing thou reproachest me with, having enslaved the Children of Israel.' Pharaoh said, 'And what is the Lord of all Being?' He said, 'The Lord of the heavens and earth, and what between them is, if you have faith.' Said he to those about him, 'Do you not hear?' He said, 'Your Lord and the Lord of your fathers, the ancients.' Said he, 'Surely your Messenger who was sent to you is possessed!' He said, 'The Lord of the East and West, and what between them is, if you have understanding.' Said he, 'If thou takest a god other than me, I shall surely make thee one of the imprisoned.' He said, 'What, even though I brought thee something manifest?' Said he, 'Bring it then, if thou art of the truthful.' So he cast his staff, and behold, it was a serpent manifest. And he drew forth his hand, and lo, it was white to the beholders. Said he to the Council about him, 'Surely this man is a cunning sorcerer who desires to expel you from your land by his sorcery; what do you command? ' They said, 'Put him and his brother off a while, and send among the cities musterers, to bring thee every cunning sorcerer.' So the sorcerers were assembled for the appointed time of a fixed day. The people were asked, 'Will you assemble? Haply we shall follow the sorcerers if it should be they are the victors.' Then, when the sorcerers came, they said to Pharaoh, 'Shall we indeed have a wage, if we should be the victors?' He said, 'Yes indeed; and you shall then be among the near-stationed.' Moses said to them, 'Cast you down what you will cast.' So they cast their ropes and their staffs, and said, 'By the might of Pharaoh we shall be the victors.' Then Moses cast his staff and lo, it forthwith swallowed up their lying invention; so the sorcerers were cast down, bowing themselves. They said, 'We believe in the Lord of all Being, the Lord of Moses and Aaron.' Said Pharaoh, 'You have believed him before I gave you leave. Why, he is the chief of you, the same that taught you sorcery; now you shall know! I shall assuredly cut off alternately your hands and feet, then I shall crucify you all together.' They said, 'There is no harm; surely unto our Lord we are turning. We are eager that our Lord should forgive us our offenses, for that we are the first of the believers.' Also We revealed unto Moses, 'Go with My servants by night; surely you will be followed.' The Pharaoh sent among the cities musterers: 'Behold, these are a small troop, and indeed they are enraging us; and we are a host on our guard.' So We expelled them from gardens and fountains, and treasures and a noble station; even so, and We bequeathed them upon the Children of Israel. They they followed them at the sunrise; and, when the two hosts sighted each other, the companions of Moses said, 'We are overtaken!' Said he, 'No indeed; surely my Lord is with me; He will guide me.' Then We revealed to Moses, 'Strike with thy staff the sea'; and it clave, and each part was as a mighty mount. And there We brought the others on, and We delivered Moses and those with him all together; then We drowned the others. Surely in that is a sign, yet most of them are not believers. Surely thy Lord, He is the All-mighty, the All-compassionate.

Of Course Not! [27:60-66] 
What, is God better, or that they associate? He who created the heavens and earth, and send down for you out of heaven water; and We caused to grow therewith gardens full of loveliness whose trees you could never grow. Is there a god with God? Nay, but they are a people who assign to Him equals! He who made the earth a fixed place and set amidst it rivers and appointed for it firm mountains and placed a partition between the two seas. Is there a god with God? Nay, but the most of them have no knowledge. He who answers the constrained, when he calls unto Him, and removes the evil and appoints you to be successors in the earth. Is there a god with God? Little indeed do you remember. He who guides you in the shadows of the land and the sea and looses the winds, bearing good tidings before His mercy. Is there a god with God? High exalted be God, above that which they associate! He who originates creation, then brings it back again, and provides you out of heaven and earth. Is there a god with God? Say: 'Produce your proof, if you speak truly.' Say: 'None knows the Unseen in the heavens and earth except God. And they are not aware when they shall be raised; nay, but their knowledge fails as to the Hereafter; nay, they are indeed in doubt of it; nay, they are blind to it.

The Sublime Sanctuary [28:49-57] 
Say: 'Bring forth a Book from God that gives better guidance than these, and follow it, if you speak truly.' Then if they do not answer thee, know that they are only following their caprices; and who is further astray than he who follows his caprice without guidance from God? Surely God guides not the people of the evildoers. Now We have brought them the Word; haply they may remember. Those to whom We gave the Book before this believe in it and, when it is recited to them, they say, 'We believe in it; surely it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed, even before it we had surrendered.' These shall be given their wage twice over for that they patiently endured, and avert evil with good, and expend of that We have provided them. When they hear idle talk, they turn away from it and say, 'We have our deeds, and you your deeds. Peace be upon you! We desire not the ignorant.' Thou guidest not whom thou likest, but God guides whom He wills, and knows very well those that are guided. They say, 'Should we follow the guidance with thee, we shall be snatched from our land.' Have We not established for them a sanctuary secure, to which are collected the fruits of everything, as a provision from Us? But most of them know not.

Day of Union [29:2-9] 
Do people reckon that they will be left to say 'We believe,' and will not be tried? We certainly tried those that were before them, and assuredly God knows those who speak truly, and assuredly God knows those who speak truly, and assuredly he knows the liars. Or do they reckon, those who do evil deeds, that they will outstrip Us? Ill they judge! Whoso looks to encounter God, God's term is coming; He is the All-hearing, the All-knowing. Whosoever struggles, struggles only to his own gain; surely God is All-sufficient nor needs any being. And those who believe, and do righteous deeds, We shall surely acquit them of their evil deeds, and shall recompense them the best of what they were doing. And those who believe, and do righteous deeds assuredly We shall admit them among the righteous.

Spider Webs [29:41-44] 
The likeness of those who have taken to them protectors, apart from God, is as the likeness of the spider that takes to itself a house; and surely the frailest of houses is the house of the spider, did they but know. God knows whatever thing they call upon apart from Him; He is the All-mighty, the All-wise. And those similitudes -- We strike them for the people, but none understands them save those who know. God created the heavens and the earth with the truth; surely in that is a sign to the believers.

Demonstrations of Power and Love [30:20-25] 
And of His signs is that He created you of dust; then lo, you are mortals, all scattered abroad. And of His signs is that He created for you, of yourselves, spouses, that you might repose in them, and He has set between you love and mercy. Surely in that are signs for a people who consider. And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and earth and the variety of your tongues and hues. Surely in that are signs for all living beings. And of His signs is your slumbering by night and day, and your seeking after His bounty. Surely in that are signs for a people who hear. And of His signs He shows you lightning, for fear and hope, and that He sends down out of heaven water and He revives the earth after it is dead. Surely in that are signs for a people who understand. And of His signs is that the heaven and earth stand firm by His command; then, when He calls you once and suddenly, out of the earth, lo you shall come forth.