Surah 35: Initiator (Fatir)

الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ فاطِرِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالأَرضِ جاعِلِ المَلٰئِكَةِ رُسُلًا أُولى أَجنِحَةٍ مَثنىٰ وَثُلٰثَ وَرُبٰعَ يَزيدُ فِى الخَلقِ ما يَشاءُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَىءٍ قَديرٌ

Praise be to God, Initiator of the heavens and the earth, and appointer of the angels to be messengers with wings - two, three, and four (wings). He increases the creation as He wills. God is Omnipotent.

ما يَفتَحِ اللَّهُ لِلنّاسِ مِن رَحمَةٍ فَلا مُمسِكَ لَها وَما يُمسِك فَلا مُرسِلَ لَهُ مِن بَعدِهِ وَهُوَ العَزيزُ الحَكيمُ

When God showers the people with mercy, no force can stop it. And if He withholds it, no force, other than He, can send it. He is the Almighty, Most Wise.

يٰأَيُّهَا النّاسُ اذكُروا نِعمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيكُم هَل مِن خٰلِقٍ غَيرُ اللَّهِ يَرزُقُكُم مِنَ السَّماءِ وَالأَرضِ لا إِلٰهَ إِلّا هُوَ فَأَنّىٰ تُؤفَكونَ

O people, remember God's blessings upon you. Is there any creator other than God who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? There is no other god beside Him. How could you deviate?

وَإِن يُكَذِّبوكَ فَقَد كُذِّبَت رُسُلٌ مِن قَبلِكَ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرجَعُ الأُمورُ

If they disbelieve you, messengers before you have been disbelieved. God is in control of all things.

يٰأَيُّهَا النّاسُ إِنَّ وَعدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ فَلا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ الحَيوٰةُ الدُّنيا وَلا يَغُرَّنَّكُم بِاللَّهِ الغَرورُ

O people, God's promise is the truth; therefore, do not be distracted by this lowly life. Do not be diverted from God by mere illusions.

إِنَّ الشَّيطٰنَ لَكُم عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذوهُ عَدُوًّا إِنَّما يَدعوا حِزبَهُ لِيَكونوا مِن أَصحٰبِ السَّعيرِ

The devil is your enemy, so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be the dwellers of Hell.

الَّذينَ كَفَروا لَهُم عَذابٌ شَديدٌ وَالَّذينَ ءامَنوا وَعَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ لَهُم مَغفِرَةٌ وَأَجرٌ كَبيرٌ

Those who disbelieve have incurred a severe retribution, and those who believe and lead a righteous life have deserved forgiveness and a great recompense.

أَفَمَن زُيِّنَ لَهُ سوءُ عَمَلِهِ فَرَءاهُ حَسَنًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُضِلُّ مَن يَشاءُ وَيَهدى مَن يَشاءُ فَلا تَذهَب نَفسُكَ عَلَيهِم حَسَرٰتٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَليمٌ بِما يَصنَعونَ

Note the one whose evil work is adorned in his eyes, until he thinks that it is righteous. God thus sends astray whoever wills (to go astray), and He guides whoever wills (to be guided). Therefore, do not grieve over them. God is fully aware of everything they do.

وَاللَّهُ الَّذى أَرسَلَ الرِّيٰحَ فَتُثيرُ سَحابًا فَسُقنٰهُ إِلىٰ بَلَدٍ مَيِّتٍ فَأَحيَينا بِهِ الأَرضَ بَعدَ مَوتِها كَذٰلِكَ النُّشورُ

God is the One who sends the winds to stir up clouds, then we drive them towards barren lands, and revive such lands after they were dead. Thus is the resurrection.

مَن كانَ يُريدُ العِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ العِزَّةُ جَميعًا إِلَيهِ يَصعَدُ الكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ وَالعَمَلُ الصّٰلِحُ يَرفَعُهُ وَالَّذينَ يَمكُرونَ السَّيِّـٔاتِ لَهُم عَذابٌ شَديدٌ وَمَكرُ أُولٰئِكَ هُوَ يَبورُ

Anyone seeking dignity should know that to God belongs all dignity. To Him ascends the good words, and He exalts the righteous works. As for those who scheme evil works, they incur severe retribution; the scheming of such people is destined to fail.

وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَكُم مِن تُرابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُطفَةٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَكُم أَزوٰجًا وَما تَحمِلُ مِن أُنثىٰ وَلا تَضَعُ إِلّا بِعِلمِهِ وَما يُعَمَّرُ مِن مُعَمَّرٍ وَلا يُنقَصُ مِن عُمُرِهِ إِلّا فى كِتٰبٍ إِنَّ ذٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسيرٌ

God created you from dust, then from a tiny drop, then He causes you to reproduce through your spouses. No female becomes pregnant, nor gives birth, without His knowledge. No one survives for a long life, and no one's life is snapped short, except in accordance with a pre-existing record. This is easy for God.

وَما يَستَوِى البَحرانِ هٰذا عَذبٌ فُراتٌ سائِغٌ شَرابُهُ وَهٰذا مِلحٌ أُجاجٌ وَمِن كُلٍّ تَأكُلونَ لَحمًا طَرِيًّا وَتَستَخرِجونَ حِليَةً تَلبَسونَها وَتَرَى الفُلكَ فيهِ مَواخِرَ لِتَبتَغوا مِن فَضلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُم تَشكُرونَ

The two seas are not the same; one is fresh and delicious, while the other is salty and undrinkable. From each of them you eat tender meat, and extract jewelry to wear. And you see the ships sailing through them, seeking His provisions, that you may be appreciative.

*35:12-13 When we send our astronauts into space, we provide them with their minimum needs of food, water, and oxygen. When we sided with Satan's blasphemy billions of years ago (Appendix 7), God launched us into space aboard the spaceship Earth. But God has supplied our spaceship with awesome renewable systems that provide a great variety of fresh foods, water, oxygen, and even the reproduction of us astronauts.

يولِجُ الَّيلَ فِى النَّهارِ وَيولِجُ النَّهارَ فِى الَّيلِ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمسَ وَالقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجرى لِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى ذٰلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُم لَهُ المُلكُ وَالَّذينَ تَدعونَ مِن دونِهِ ما يَملِكونَ مِن قِطميرٍ

He merges the night into the day, and merges the day into the night. He has committed the sun and the moon to run for a predetermined period of time. Such is God your Lord; to Him belongs all kingship. Any idols you set up beside Him do not possess as much as a seed's shell.

إِن تَدعوهُم لا يَسمَعوا دُعاءَكُم وَلَو سَمِعوا مَا استَجابوا لَكُم وَيَومَ القِيٰمَةِ يَكفُرونَ بِشِركِكُم وَلا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثلُ خَبيرٍ

If you call on them, they cannot hear you. Even if they hear you, they cannot respond to you. On the Day of Resurrection, they will disown you. None can inform you like the Most Cognizant.

*35:14 People idolize Jesus, Mary, Muhammad, Ali, and/or the saints; such idols are unaware and utterly powerless. Even when they were alive on this earth, they were powerless.

يٰأَيُّهَا النّاسُ أَنتُمُ الفُقَراءُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ هُوَ الغَنِىُّ الحَميدُ

O people, you are the ones who need God, while God is in no need of anyone, the Most Praiseworthy.

إِن يَشَأ يُذهِبكُم وَيَأتِ بِخَلقٍ جَديدٍ

If He wills, He can get rid of you and substitute a new creation.

وَما ذٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ بِعَزيزٍ

This is not too difficult for God.

وَلا تَزِرُ وازِرَةٌ وِزرَ أُخرىٰ وَإِن تَدعُ مُثقَلَةٌ إِلىٰ حِملِها لا يُحمَل مِنهُ شَىءٌ وَلَو كانَ ذا قُربىٰ إِنَّما تُنذِرُ الَّذينَ يَخشَونَ رَبَّهُم بِالغَيبِ وَأَقامُوا الصَّلوٰةَ وَمَن تَزَكّىٰ فَإِنَّما يَتَزَكّىٰ لِنَفسِهِ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ المَصيرُ

No soul can carry the sins of another soul. If a soul that is loaded with sins implores another to bear part of its load, no other soul can carry any part of it, even if they were related. The only people to heed your warnings are those who reverence their Lord, even when alone in their privacy, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat). Whoever purifies his soul, does so for his own good. To God is the final destiny.

وَما يَستَوِى الأَعمىٰ وَالبَصيرُ

The blind and the seer are not equal.

وَلَا الظُّلُمٰتُ وَلَا النّورُ

Nor are the darkness and the light.

وَلَا الظِّلُّ وَلَا الحَرورُ

Nor are the coolness of the shade and the heat of the sun.

وَما يَستَوِى الأَحياءُ وَلَا الأَموٰتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسمِعُ مَن يَشاءُ وَما أَنتَ بِمُسمِعٍ مَن فِى القُبورِ

Nor are the living and the dead; God causes whomever He wills to hear. You cannot make hearers out of those in the graves.

إِن أَنتَ إِلّا نَذيرٌ

You are no more than a warner.

إِنّا أَرسَلنٰكَ بِالحَقِّ بَشيرًا وَنَذيرًا وَإِن مِن أُمَّةٍ إِلّا خَلا فيها نَذيرٌ

We have sent you* with the truth, a bearer of good news, as well as a warner. Every community must receive a warner.

*35:24 The gematrical value of "Rashad Khalifa" (1230), plus the verse number (24) give us a total that is a multiple of 19 (1230+24=1254=19x66).

وَإِن يُكَذِّبوكَ فَقَد كَذَّبَ الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم جاءَتهُم رُسُلُهُم بِالبَيِّنٰتِ وَبِالزُّبُرِ وَبِالكِتٰبِ المُنيرِ

If they disbelieve you, those before them have also disbelieved. Their messengers went to them with clear proofs, and the Psalms, and the enlightening scriptures.

ثُمَّ أَخَذتُ الَّذينَ كَفَروا فَكَيفَ كانَ نَكيرِ

Subsequently, I punished those who disbelieved; how terrible was My retribution!

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّماءِ ماءً فَأَخرَجنا بِهِ ثَمَرٰتٍ مُختَلِفًا أَلوٰنُها وَمِنَ الجِبالِ جُدَدٌ بيضٌ وَحُمرٌ مُختَلِفٌ أَلوٰنُها وَغَرابيبُ سودٌ

Do you not realize that God sends down from the sky water, whereby we produce fruits of various colors? Even the mountains have different colors; the peaks are white, or red, or some other color. And the ravens are black.

وَمِنَ النّاسِ وَالدَّوابِّ وَالأَنعٰمِ مُختَلِفٌ أَلوٰنُهُ كَذٰلِكَ إِنَّما يَخشَى اللَّهَ مِن عِبادِهِ العُلَمٰؤُا۟ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزيزٌ غَفورٌ

Also, the people, the animals, and the livestock come in various colors. This is why the people who truly reverence God are those who are knowledgeable. God is Almighty, Forgiving.

إِنَّ الَّذينَ يَتلونَ كِتٰبَ اللَّهِ وَأَقامُوا الصَّلوٰةَ وَأَنفَقوا مِمّا رَزَقنٰهُم سِرًّا وَعَلانِيَةً يَرجونَ تِجٰرَةً لَن تَبورَ

Surely, those who recite the book of God, observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and from our provisions to them they spend - secretly and publicly - are engaged in an investment that never loses.

لِيُوَفِّيَهُم أُجورَهُم وَيَزيدَهُم مِن فَضلِهِ إِنَّهُ غَفورٌ شَكورٌ

He will recompense them generously, and will multiply His blessings upon them. He is Forgiving, Appreciative.

وَالَّذى أَوحَينا إِلَيكَ مِنَ الكِتٰبِ هُوَ الحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِما بَينَ يَدَيهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِعِبادِهِ لَخَبيرٌ بَصيرٌ

What we revealed to you in this scripture is the truth, consummating all previous scriptures. God is fully Cognizant of His servants, Seer.

ثُمَّ أَورَثنَا الكِتٰبَ الَّذينَ اصطَفَينا مِن عِبادِنا فَمِنهُم ظالِمٌ لِنَفسِهِ وَمِنهُم مُقتَصِدٌ وَمِنهُم سابِقٌ بِالخَيرٰتِ بِإِذنِ اللَّهِ ذٰلِكَ هُوَ الفَضلُ الكَبيرُ

We passed the scripture from generation to generation, and we allowed whomever we chose from among our servants to receive it. Subsequently, some of them wronged their souls, others upheld it only part of the time, while others were eager to work righteousness in accordance with God's will; this is the greatest triumph.

جَنّٰتُ عَدنٍ يَدخُلونَها يُحَلَّونَ فيها مِن أَساوِرَ مِن ذَهَبٍ وَلُؤلُؤًا وَلِباسُهُم فيها حَريرٌ

They will enter the gardens of Eden, where they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their garments in it will be made of silk.

وَقالُوا الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذى أَذهَبَ عَنَّا الحَزَنَ إِنَّ رَبَّنا لَغَفورٌ شَكورٌ

They will say, "Praise God for removing all our worries. Our Lord is Forgiving, Appreciative.

الَّذى أَحَلَّنا دارَ المُقامَةِ مِن فَضلِهِ لا يَمَسُّنا فيها نَصَبٌ وَلا يَمَسُّنا فيها لُغوبٌ

"He has admitted us into the abode of eternal bliss, out of His grace. Never do we get bored herein, never do we get tired."

وَالَّذينَ كَفَروا لَهُم نارُ جَهَنَّمَ لا يُقضىٰ عَلَيهِم فَيَموتوا وَلا يُخَفَّفُ عَنهُم مِن عَذابِها كَذٰلِكَ نَجزى كُلَّ كَفورٍ

As for those who disbelieve, they have incurred the fire of Hell, where they are never finished by death, nor is the retribution ever commuted for them. We thus requite the unappreciative.

وَهُم يَصطَرِخونَ فيها رَبَّنا أَخرِجنا نَعمَل صٰلِحًا غَيرَ الَّذى كُنّا نَعمَلُ أَوَلَم نُعَمِّركُم ما يَتَذَكَّرُ فيهِ مَن تَذَكَّرَ وَجاءَكُمُ النَّذيرُ فَذوقوا فَما لِلظّٰلِمينَ مِن نَصيرٍ

They will scream therein, "Our Lord, if you get us out of here, we will work righteousness, instead of the works we used to do." Did we not give you a life-long chance, with continuous reminders for those who would take heed? Did you not receive the warner? Therefore, taste (the consequences). The transgressors will have no one to help them.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عٰلِمُ غَيبِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالأَرضِ إِنَّهُ عَليمٌ بِذاتِ الصُّدورِ

God is the Knower of the future of the heavens and the earth. He is the Knower of all innermost thoughts.

هُوَ الَّذى جَعَلَكُم خَلٰئِفَ فِى الأَرضِ فَمَن كَفَرَ فَعَلَيهِ كُفرُهُ وَلا يَزيدُ الكٰفِرينَ كُفرُهُم عِندَ رَبِّهِم إِلّا مَقتًا وَلا يَزيدُ الكٰفِرينَ كُفرُهُم إِلّا خَسارًا

He is the One who made you inheritors of the earth. Subsequently, whoever chooses to disbelieve does so to his own detriment. The disbelief of the disbelievers only augments their Lord's abhorrence towards them. The disbelief of the disbelievers plunges them deeper into loss.

قُل أَرَءَيتُم شُرَكاءَكُمُ الَّذينَ تَدعونَ مِن دونِ اللَّهِ أَرونى ماذا خَلَقوا مِنَ الأَرضِ أَم لَهُم شِركٌ فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ أَم ءاتَينٰهُم كِتٰبًا فَهُم عَلىٰ بَيِّنَتٍ مِنهُ بَل إِن يَعِدُ الظّٰلِمونَ بَعضُهُم بَعضًا إِلّا غُرورًا

Say, "Consider the idols you have set up beside God; show me what on earth have they created." Do they own any partnership in the heavens? Have we given them a book wherein there is no doubt? Indeed, what the transgressors promise one another is no more than an illusion.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمسِكُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالأَرضَ أَن تَزولا وَلَئِن زالَتا إِن أَمسَكَهُما مِن أَحَدٍ مِن بَعدِهِ إِنَّهُ كانَ حَليمًا غَفورًا

God is the One who holds the heavens and the earth, lest they vanish. If anyone else is to hold them, they will most certainly vanish. He is Clement, Forgiving.

وَأَقسَموا بِاللَّهِ جَهدَ أَيمٰنِهِم لَئِن جاءَهُم نَذيرٌ لَيَكونُنَّ أَهدىٰ مِن إِحدَى الأُمَمِ فَلَمّا جاءَهُم نَذيرٌ ما زادَهُم إِلّا نُفورًا

They swore by God solemnly that if a warner went to them, they would be better guided than a certain congregation! However, now that the warner did come to them, this only plunged them deeper into aversion.

استِكبارًا فِى الأَرضِ وَمَكرَ السَّيِّئِ وَلا يَحيقُ المَكرُ السَّيِّئُ إِلّا بِأَهلِهِ فَهَل يَنظُرونَ إِلّا سُنَّتَ الأَوَّلينَ فَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللَّهِ تَبديلًا وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللَّهِ تَحويلًا

They resorted to arrogance on earth, and evil scheming, and the evil schemes only backfire on those who scheme them. Should they then expect anything but the fate of those who did the same things in the past? You will find that God's system is never changeable; you will find that God's system is immutable.

أَوَلَم يَسيروا فِى الأَرضِ فَيَنظُروا كَيفَ كانَ عٰقِبَةُ الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم وَكانوا أَشَدَّ مِنهُم قُوَّةً وَما كانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعجِزَهُ مِن شَىءٍ فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَلا فِى الأَرضِ إِنَّهُ كانَ عَليمًا قَديرًا

Have they not roamed the earth and noted the consequences for those who preceded them? They were even stronger than they. Nothing can be hidden from God in the heavens, nor on earth. He is Omniscient, Omnipotent.

وَلَو يُؤاخِذُ اللَّهُ النّاسَ بِما كَسَبوا ما تَرَكَ عَلىٰ ظَهرِها مِن دابَّةٍ وَلٰكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُم إِلىٰ أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى فَإِذا جاءَ أَجَلُهُم فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ بِعِبادِهِ بَصيرًا

If God punished the people for their sins, He would not leave a single creature on earth. But He respites them for a predetermined interim. Once their interim is fulfilled, then God is Seer of His servants.