Texts of Islam

The Holy Quran: Sūra XLII. Shūrā, or Consu...

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This is Surah Ash-Shura (Chapter 42, "The Consultation") from the Quran, presented in Abdullah Yusuf Ali's 1934 English translation — a verse-by-verse rendering in elevated poetic prose that remains one of the most widely read English versions of the scripture. The chapter's central argument is the absolute sovereignty and unity of God (tawhid): God alone controls the heavens and earth, sustains all creation, and communicates with humanity through revelation, as He did with Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and finally Muhammad. A distinctive claim running through the chapter is the continuity of all prophetic religion — the same essential faith was given to all prophets, and divisions among believers arose from human "selfish envy" rather than genuine doctrinal difference. The chapter balances warnings of a coming Day of Judgment, where wrongdoers face penalty and the righteous receive reward, with repeated affirmations of God's mercy, forgiveness, and accessibility to those who repent. Notably, it includes an unusually explicit ethical teaching on responding to injury: retaliation is permitted in equal measure, but forgiveness and reconciliation are held to be spiritually superior and require greater courage. The surah closes by describing divine communication itself — revelation comes only through inspiration, a veil, or a messenger — framing the Quran as a guiding light sent to lead humanity to "the Straight Way."

The Holy Quran: Sūra XLII. Shūrā, or Consu...

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