The gates of Heaven will not be open to those who rejected Our revelations and arrogantly spurned them; even if a thick rope were to pass through the eye of a needle they would not enter the Garden. This is how We punish the guilty-

Hell will be their resting place and their covering, layer upon layer- this is how We punish those who do evil.

But those who believe and do good deeds- and We do not burden any soul with more than it can bear- are the people of the Garden and there they will remain.

We shall have removed all ill feeling from their hearts; streams will flow at their feet. They will say, ‘Praise be to God, who guided us to this: had God not guided us, We would never have found the way. The messengers of our Lord brought the Truth.’ A voice will call out to them, ‘This is the Garden you have been given as your own on account of your deeds.’

The people of the Garden will cry out to the people of the Fire, ‘We have found what our Lord promised us to be true. Have you found what your Lord promised you to be true?’ and they will answer, ‘Yes’. A voice will proclaim from their midst, ‘God’s rejection [hangs] over the evildoers:

those who turned others away from God’s path and tried to make it crooked, those who denied the Hereafter.’

A barrier divides the two groups with men on its heights recognizing each group by their marks: they will call out to the people of the Garden, ‘Peace be with you!’- they will not have entered, but they will be hoping,

and when their glance falls upon the people of the Fire, they will say, ‘Our Lord, do not let us join the evildoers!’-

and the people of the heights will call out to certain men they recognize by their marks, ‘What use were your great numbers and your false pride?

And are these the people you swore God would never bless? [Now these people are being told], “Enter the Garden! No fear for you, nor shall you grieve.”’

The people of the Fire will call to the people of Paradise, ‘Give us some water, or any of the sustenance God has granted you!’ and they will reply, ‘God has forbidden both to the disbelievers-

those who took their religion for distraction, a mere game, and were deluded by worldly life.’ Today We shall ignore them, just as they have ignored their meeting with this Day and denied Our Revelations.

We have brought people a Scripture- We have explained it on the basis of true knowledge- as guidance and mercy for those who believe.

What are they waiting for but the fulfilment of its [final prophecy]? On the Day it is fulfilled, those who had ignored it will say, ‘Our Lord’s messenger spoke the truth. Is there anyone to intercede for us now? Or can we be sent back to behave differently from the way we behaved before?’ They will really have squandered their souls, and all [the idols] they invented will have deserted them.

Your Lord is God, who created the heavens and earth in six Days, then established Himself on the throne; He makes the night cover the day in swift pursuit; He created the sun, moon, and stars to be subservient to His command; all creation and command belong to Him. Exalted be God, Lord of all the worlds!

Call on your Lord humbly and privately- He does not like those who transgress His bounds:

do not corrupt the earth after it has been set right- call on Him fearing and hoping. The mercy of God is close to those who do good.

It is God who sends the winds, bearing good news of His coming grace, and when they have gathered up the heavy clouds, We drive them to a dead land where We cause rain to fall, bringing out all kinds of crops, just as We shall bring out the dead. Will you not reflect?

Vegetation comes out of good land in abundance, by the will of its Lord, but out of bad land only scantily: We explain Our Revelations in various ways to those who give thanks.

We sent Noah to his people. He said, ‘My people, serve God: you have no god other than Him. I fear for you the punishment of a fearsome Day!’

but the prominent leaders of his people said, ‘We believe you are far astray.’

He replied, ‘My people, there is nothing astray about me! On the contrary, I am a messenger from the Lord of all the Worlds:

I am delivering my Lord’s messages to you and giving you sincere advice. I know things from God that you do not.

Do you find it so strange that a message should come from your Lord- through a man in your midst- to warn you and make you aware of God so that you may be given mercy?’

but they called him a liar. We saved him, and those who were with him, on the Ark and We drowned those who rejected Our revelations- they were wilfully blind.