Sura I
The Opening
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Praise be to God, Lord of the
worlds!
King of the day of religion!
Thee only do we worship, and to
Thee do we cry for help.
Guide Thou us on the straight
path,
The path of those to whom Thou
hast been gracious; -- with whom thou art not angry, and who go not astray.
Sura II
The Cow
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Elif. Lam.
Mim.
No doubt is there about that
Book: It is a guidance to the God-fearing.
Who believe in the unseen, who
observe prayer, and out of what we have bestowed on them, expend for God;
And who believe in what hath
been sent down to thee, and in what hath been sent down before thee, and full
faith have they in the life to come:
These are guided by their Lord;
and with these it shall be well.
As to the infidels, alike is it
to them whether thou warn them or warn them not -- they will not believe:
Their hearts and their ears hath
God sealed up; and over their eyes is a covering. For them, a severe chastisement!
And some there are who say,
"We believe in God, and in the latter day:"
Yet are they not believers!
Fain would they deceive God and
those who have believed; but they deceive themselves only, and know it not.
Diseased are their hearts! And that
disease hath God increased to them. Their's a sore chastisement, for that they
treated their prophet as a liar!
2:10 And
when it is said to them, "Cause not disorders in the earth:" they say, "Nay, rather do we set them
right."
Is it not that they are
themselves the authors of disorder? But they perceive it not!
And when it is said to them,
"Believe as other men have believed;" they say, "Shall we
believe as the fools have believed?" Is it not that they are themselves
the fools? But they know it not!
And when they meet the faithful
they say, "We believe;" but when they are apart with their Satans
they say, "Verily we hold with you, and at them we only mock."
God shall mock at them, and keep
them long in their rebellion, wandering in perplexity.
These are they who have
purchased error at the price of guidance: but
their traffic hath not been gainful, neither are they guided at all.
They are like one who kindleth a
fire, and when it hath thrown its light on all around him. . . . God taketh
away their light and leaveth them in darkness -- they cannot see! --
Deaf, dumb, blind: therefore they shall not retrace their steps from
error!
Or like those who, when there
cometh a storm-cloud out of the Heaven, big with darkness thunder and
lightning, thrust their fingers into their ears because of the thunder-clap,
for fear of death! God is round about the infidels.
The lightning almost snatcheth
away their eyes! So oft as it gleameth on them they walk on in it, but when
darkness closeth upon them, they stop! And if God pealed, of their ears and of
their eyes would he surely deprive them: --
verily God is Almighty! O men of Mecca adore your Lord, who hath created you
and those who were before you: haply you will
fear Him
2:20 Who
had made the earth a bed for you, and the heaven a covering, and hath caused
water to come down from heaven, and by it hath brought forth fruits for your
sustenance! Do not then wittingly give peers to God.
And if you be in doubt as to
that which we have sent down to our servant, then produce a Sura like it, and
summon your witnesses, beside God, if you are men of truth:
But if you do it not, and never
shall you do it, then fear the fire prepared for the infidels, whose fuel is
men and stones:
But announce to those who
believe and do the things that are right, that for them are gardens 'neath
which the rivers flow! So oft as they are fed therefrom with fruit for
sustenance, they say say, "This same was our sustenance of old:" And they shall have its like given to them.
Therein shall they have wives of perfect purity, and therein shall they abide
for ever.
Verily God is not ashamed to set
forth as well the instance of a gnat as of any nobler object: for as to those who have believed, they know it to
be the truth from their Lord; but as to the unbelievers, they will say,
"What meaneth God by this comparison?" Many will He mislead by such
parables and many guide: but none will He
mislead thereby except the wicked,
Who, after its establishment,
violate the covenant of God, and but in sunder what God hath bidden to be
joined, and act disorderly on the Earth. These are they who shall suffer loss!
How can you withhold faith from
God? You were dead and He gave you life; next He will cause you to die; next He
will restore you to life: next shall you
return to Him!
He it is who created for you all
that is on Earth, then proceeded to the Heaven, and into seven Heavens did He
fashion in: and He knoweth all things.
When thy Lord said to the
angels, "Verily, I am about to place one in my stead on earth," they
said, "Wilt thou place there one who will do ill therein and shed blood,
when we celebrate thy praise and extol thy holiness?" God said,
"Verily, I know what you know not."
And he taught Adam the names of
all things, and then set them before the angels, and said, "Tell me the
names of these, if you are endued with wisdom."
2:30 They
said, "Praise be to Thee! We have no knowledge but what Thou hast given us
to know. Thou! Thou art the Knowing, the Wise.!
He said, "O Adam, inform
them of their names." And when he had informed them of their names, He
said, "Did I not say to you that I know the hidden things of the Heavens
and of the Earth, and that I know what you bring to light, and what you
hide?"
And when we said to the angels,
"Bow down and worship Adam," then worshipped they all, save Eblis. He
refused and swelled with pride, and became one of the unbelievers.
And we said, "O Adam! dwell
thou and thy wife in the Garden, and eat you plentifully therefrom wherever you
list; but to this tree come not nigh, lest you become of the
transgressors."
But Satan made them slip from
it, and caused their banishment from the place in which they were. And we said,
"Get you down, the one of you an enemy to the other: and there shall be for you in the earth a dwelling-place, and a
provision for a time."
And words of prayer learned Adam
from his Lord: and God turned to him; for He
loveth to turn, the Merciful.
We said, "Get you down from
it, all together: and if Guidance shall come to
you from me, whoso shall follow my guidance, on them shall come no fear,
neither shall they be grieved:
But they who shall not believe,
and treat our signs as falsehoods, these shall be inmates of the fires; in it
shall they remain for ever."
O children of
And clothe not the truth with
falsehood, and hide not the truth when you know it:
2:40 And
observe prayer and pay the legal impost, and bow down with those who bow.
Will you enjoin what is right
upon others, and forget yourselves? Yet you read the Book: will you not understand?
And seek help with patience and
prayer: a hard duty indeed is this, but not to
the humble, Who bear in mind that they shall meet their Lord, and that unto Him
shall they return.
O children of
And fear you the day when soul
shall not satisfy for soul at all, nor shall any intercession be accepted from
them, nor shall any ransom be taken, neither shall they be helped.
And remember when we rescued you
for the people of Pharoah, who had laid on you a cruel chastisement. They slew
your male children, and let only your females live:
and in this was a great trial from your Lord:
And when we parted the sea for
you, and saved you, and drowned the people of Pharoah, while you were looking
on:
And when we were in treaty with
Moses forty nights: then during his absence
took you the calf and acted wickedly:
Yet after this we forgave you,
that you might be grateful:
2:50 And
when we gave Moses the Book and the Illumination in order to your guidance:
And remember when Moses said to
his people, "O my people! verily you have sinned to your own hurt, by your
taking the calf to worship it: Be turned then
to your creator, and slay the guilty among you; this will be best for you with
your creator:" Then turned He unto you,
for He is the one who turneth, the Merciful:
And when you said, "O
Moses! we will not believe thee until we see God plainly;" the thunderbolt
fell upon you while you were looking on:
Then we raised you to life after
you had been dead, that haply you might give thanks:
And we caused the clouds to
overshadow you, and we sent down manna and quails upon you; -- "Eat of the
good things we have give you for sustenance;" -- and they injured not us
but they injured themselves.
And when we said, "Enter
this city, and eat therefrom plentifully at your will, and enter the gate with
prostrations, and say, 'Forgiveness;' and we will pardon you your sins, and
give an increase to the doers of good:"
--
But the evil-doers changed that
word into another than that spoken to them, and we sent down upon those
evil-doers wrath from heaven, for that they had done amiss:
And when Moses asked drink for
his people, we said, "Strike the rock with thy rod;" and from it
there gushed twelve fountains" each tribe knew their drinking-place; --
"Eat and drink," said we, "of what God hath supplied, and do no
wrong on the earth by licentious deeds:"
And when you said, "O
Moses! we will not put up with one sort of food:
pray, therefore, thy Lord for us, that He would bring forth for us of that
which the earth groweth, its herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic and its
lentils and its onions:" He said,
"What! will you exchange that which is worse for what is better? Get you
down into Egypt; -- for you shall have what you have asked:" Vileness and poverty were stamped upon them,
and they returned with wrath from God: This,
for that they disbelieved the signs of God, and slew the Prophets unjustly: this, for that they rebelled and transgressed!
Verily, they were believe
(Muslims), and they who follow the Jewish religion, and the Christians, and the
Sabeites -- whoever of these believeth in God and the last day, and doeth that
which is right, shall have their reward with their Lord:
fear shall not come upon them, neither shall they be grieved.
2:60 Call
to mind also when we entered into a covenant with you, and lifted up the
mountain over you: -- "Take hold,"
said we, "on what we have revealed to you, with resolution, and remember
what is therein, that you may fear:"
But after this you turned back,
and but for God's grace and mercy toward you, you had surely been of the lost!
You know too those of you who transgressed on the Sabbath and to whom we said,
"Be changed into scouted apes;"
And we made them a warning to
those of their day, and to those who came after them, and a caution to the
God-fearing:
And when Moses said to his
people, "Verily, God bids you sacrifice a cow; they said, "Makest
thou a jest of us?" He said, "God keep me from being one of the
foolish." They said, "Call on thy Lord for us that He would make plain
to us what she is." He said, "God saith, 'She is a cow neither old
nor young, but of the middle age -- between the two:'
do therefore what you are bidden."
They said, "Call on your
Lord for us, that he would make plain to us what is her colour." He said,
"God saith, 'She is a fawn-coloured cow; her colour is very bright; she
rejoiceth the beholders.'"
They said, "Call on they
[sic] Lord for us that He would make plain to us what cow it is -- for to us
are cows alike, -- and verily, if God please, we shall be guided rightly;"
He said, "God saith, 'She
is a cow not worn by ploughing the earth or watering the field, sound, no
blemish in her.'" They said, "Now hast thou brought the truth:" Then they sacrificed her; Yet nearly had
they done it not:
And when you slew a man, and
strove among yourselves about hiom, God brought to light what he had hidden:
For we said, "Strike the
corpse with part of her." So God giveth life to the dead, and sheweth you
his signs, that haply you may understand.
Then after that your hearts
became hard like rocks, or harder still; for verily, from rocks have rivers
gushed; others, verily, have been cleft, and water hath issued from them; and
others, verily, have sunk down through fear of God:
And God is not regardless of your actions.
2:70
Desire you then that for your sakes the Jews should believe? Yet a part of them
heard the word of God, and then, after they had understood it; perverted, and
knew that they did so.
And when they fall in with the
faithful, they say, "We believe;" but when they are apart one with
another, they say, "Will you acquaint them with what God hath revealed to
you, that they may dispute with you about it in the presence of your
Lord?" Understand you their aim?
Know they not that God knoweth
what they hide, as well as what they bring to light?
But there are illiterates among
them who are unacquainted with the Book, but with lies only, and have but vague
fancies. Woe to those who with their own hands transcribe the Book corruptly,
and then say, "This is from God," that they may sell it for some mean
price! Woe then to them for that which their hands have written! and, Woe to
them for the gains which they have made!
And they said, "Hell fire
shall not touch us, but for a few days:"
Say: Have you received such a promise from
God? for God will not revoke his promise: or,
Speak you of God that which you know not?
But they whose only gains are
evil works, and who are environed by their sins, -- they shall be inmates of
the fire, therein to abide for ever:
But they who have believed and
done the things that be right, they shall be the inmates of
And when we entered into
covenant with the children of
And when we made a covenant with
you that you should not shed your own blood, nor expel one another from your
abodes, then you ratified it and yourselves were witnesses.
Then were you the very persons
who slew one another; and you drove out a part of your own people from their
abodes; you lent help against them with wrong and hatred; but if they come
captives to you, you redeem them!
-- Yet it was forbidden you to
drive them out. Believe you then part of the Book, and deny part? But what
shall be the meed of him among you who doth this, but shame in this life? And
on the day of the Resurrection they shall be sent to the most cruel of
torments, for God is not regardless of what you do.
2:80 These
are they who purchase this present life at the price of that which is to come;
their torment shall not be lightened, neither shall they be helped.
Moreover, to Moses gave we
"the Book," and we raised up apostles after him; and to Jesus, son of
Mary, gave we clear proofs of his mission, and strengthened him by the Holy
Spirit. So oft then as an apostle cometh to you with that which your souls
desire not, swell you with pride, and treat some as impostors, and slay others?
And they say,
"Uncircumcised are our hearts." Nay! God hath cursed them in their
infideility: few are they who believe!
And when a Book had come to them
from God, confirming that which they had received already -- although they had
before prayed for victory over those who believed not -- yet when that Koran
come to them, of which they had knowledge, they did not recognise it. The curse
of God on the infidels!
For a vile price have they sold
themselves, by not believing what God hath sent down, envious of God's sending
down his grace on such of his servants as he pleaseth:
and they have brought on themselves wrath upon wrath. And for the unbelievers
is a disgraceful chastisement.
And when it is said to them,
"Believe in what God hath sent down," they say, "In that which
hath been sent down to us we believe:"
but what hath since been sent down they disbelieve, although it be the truth
confirmatory of their own Scriptures. Say: Why
then have you of old slain God's prophets, if you are indeed believers?
Moreover, Moses came unto you
with proofs of his mission. Then in his absence you took the calf for your God,
and did wickedly.
And when we accepted your covenant,
and uplifted the mountain over you, we said, "Take firm hold on what we
have given you, and hearken." They said, "We have hearkened and have
rebelled:" then were they made to drink
down the calf into their hearts for their ingratitude. Say: A bad thing hath your faith commanded you, if you
be indeed believers.
Say:
If the future dwelling place with God be specially for you, but not for the
rest of mankind, then wish for death, if you are sincere:
But never can they wish it,
because of that which their own hands have sent on before them! And God knoweth
the offenders.
2:90 And
thou wilt surely find them of all men most covetous of life, beyond even the
polytheists. To be kept alive a thousand years might one of them desire: but that he may be preserved alive, shall no one
reprieve himself from the punishment! And God seeth what they do.
Say:
Whoso is the enemy of Gabriel -- For he it is who by God's leave hath caused
the Koran to descend on thy heart, the confirmation of previous revelations, and
guidance, and good tidings to the faithful --
Whoso is an enemy to God or his
angels, or to Gabriel, or to Michael, shall have God as his enemy: for verily God is an enemy to the Infidels.
Moreover, clear signs have we
sent down to thee, and one will disbelieve them but the perverse.
Oft as they have formed an
engagement with thee, will some of them set it aside? But most of them believe
not.
And when there came to them an
apostle from God, affirming the previous revelations made to them, some of those
to whom the Scriptures were given, threw the Book of God behind their backs as
if they knew it not:
And they followed what the
Satans read in the reign of Solomon: not that
Solomon was unbelieving, but the Satans were unbelieving. Sorcery did they teach
to men, and what had been revealed to the two angels, Harut and Marut, at
But had they believed and feared
God, better surely would have been the reward from God, -- if they had but
known it!
O you who believe! say not to
our apostle, "Raina" (Look at us); but say, "Ondhorna"
(Regard us). And attend to this; for, the Infidels shall suffer a grievous
chastisement.
The unbelievers among the people
of the Book, and among the dilators, desire not that any good should be sent
down to you from your Lord: but God will shew
His special mercy to whom He will, for He is of great bounty.
2:100
Whatever verses we cancel, or cause thee to forget, we bring a better or its
like. Knowest thou not that God hath power over all things?
Knowest thou not that the
dominion of the Heavens and of the Earth is God's? and that you have neither
patron nor helper, save God?
Would you ask of your apostle
what of old was asked of Moses? But he who exchangeth faith for unbelief, hath
already erred from the even way.
Many of the people of the Book
desire to bring you back to unbelief after you have believed, out of selfish
envy, even after the truth hath been clearly shown them. But forgive them, and
shun them till God shall come in with His working. Truly God hath power over
all things.
And observe prayers and pay the
legal impost: and whatever good thing you have
sent on before for your soul's sake, you shall find it with God. Verily God
seeth what you do.
And they say, "None but
Jews or Christians shall enter
But they who set their race with
resignation Godward, and do what is right, -- their reward is with their Lord;
no fear shall come on them, neither shall they be grieved.
Moveover, the Jews say,
"The Christians lean on nought:"
"On nought lean the Jews," say the Christians:
Yet both are readers of the Book. So with like words say they who have no
knowledge. But on the resurrection day, God shall judge between them as to that
in which they differ.
And who committeth a greater
wrong than he who hindereth God's name from being remember in his temples, and
who hasteth to ruin them? such men cannot enter them but with fear. Their's is
shame in this world, and a severe torment in the next.
The East and the West is God's: therefore, whichever way you turn, there is the
face of God: Truly God is immense and knoweth
all.
2:110 And
they say, "God hath a son:" No!
Praise be to Him! But -- His, whatever is in the Heavens and the Earth! All
obeyeth Him,
Sole maker of the Heavens and
the Earth! And when He decreeth a thing, He only saith to it, "Be,"
and it is.
And they who have no knowledge
say, "Unless God speak to us, or thou shew us a sign ...!" So, with
like words, said those who were before them:
their hearts are alike: Clear signs have we
already shewn for those who have firm faith:
Verily, with the Truth have we
sent thee, a bearer of good tidings and a warner:
and of the people of Hell thou shalt not be questioned.
But until thou follow their
religion, neither Jews nor Christians will be satisfied with thee. Say: Verily, guidance of God, -- that is the guidance!
And if, after "the Knowledge" which hath reached thee, thou follow
their desires, thou shalt find neither helper nor protector against God.
They to whom we have given the
Book, and who read it as it ought to be read, -- these believe therein: but whoso believeth not therein, shall meet with
perdition.
O children of
And dread the day when not in
aught shall soul satisfy for soul, nor shall any ransom be taken from it, nor
shall any intercession avail, and they shall not be helped.
When his Lord made trial of
Abraham by commands which he fulfilled, He said, "I am about to make thee
an Imam to mankind:" he said, "Of my
offspring also:" "My covenant,"
said God, "embraceth not the evil doers."
And remember when we appointed
the Holy House as man's resort and safe retreat, and said, "Take you the station
of Abraham for a place of prayer:" And we
commanded Abraham and Ismael, "Purify my house for those who shall go in
procession round it, and those who shall abide there for devotion, and those
who shall bow down and prostrate themselves."
120 And when
Abraham said, "Lord! make this secure land, and supply its people with
fruits, such of them as believe in God and in the last day:" He said, "And whoso believeth not, for
a little while will I bestow good things on him; then will I drive him to the
torment of the Fire!" An ill passage!
And when Abraham, with Ismael,
raised the foundations of the House, they said, "O our Lord! accept it
from us; for thou art the Hearer, the Knower.
O our Lord! make us also
Muslims, and our posterity a Muslim people; and teach us our holy rites, and be
turned towards us, for thou art He who turneth, the Merciful.
O our Lord! raise up among them
an apostle who may rehearse thy signs unto them, and teach them the 'Book,' and
Wisdom, and purify them: for thou art the
Mighty, the Wise."
And who but he that hath debased
his soul to folly will mislike the faith of Abraham, when we have chosen him in
this world, and in the the world to come he shall be of the Just?
When his Lord said to him,
"Resign thyself to me," he said, "I resign myself to the Lord of
the Worlds."
And this to this children did
Abraham bequeath, and Jacob also, saying, "O my children! truly God hath
chosen a religion for you; so die not unless you be also Muslims."
Were you present when Jacob was
at the point of death? when he said to his sons, "Whom will you worship
when I am gone?" They said, "We will worship thy God and the God of
thy fathers Abraham and Ismael and Isaac, one God, and to Him are we
surrendered (Muslims)."
That people have now passed away;
they have the reward of their deeds, and you shall have the meed of yours: but of their doings you shall not be questioned.
They say, moreover, "Become
Jews or Christians that you may have the true guidance." Say: Nay! the religion of Abraham, the sound in faith,
and not one of those who join gods with God!
2:130 Say
you: "We believe in God, and that which
hath been sent down to us, and that which hath been sent down to Abraham and
Ismael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes: and
that which hath been given to Moses and to Jesus, and that which was given to
the prophets from their Lord. No difference do we make between any of them: and to God are we resigned (Muslims)."
If therefore they believe even
as you believe, then have they true guidance; but if they turn back, then do
they cut themselves off from you: and God will
suffice to protect thee against them, for He is the Hearer, the Knower.
Islam is the Baptism of God, and
who is better to baptise than God? And Him do we serve.
Say:
Will you dispute with us about God? when He is our Lord and your Lord! We have
our works and you have your works; and we are sincerely His.
Will you say, "Verily
Abraham, and Ismael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, were Jews or
Christians?" Say: Who knoweth best, you,
or God? And who is more in fault than he who concealeth the witness which he
hath from God? But God is not regardless of what you do.
That people have now passed away: they have the reward of their deeds, and for you
is the meed of yours; but of their doings you shall not be questioned.
The foolish ones will say,
"What hath turned them from the kebla which they used?" Say: The East and the West are God's He guided whom he
will into the right path.
Thus have we made you a middle
kingdom, that you may be witnesses in regard to mankind, and that the apostle
may be a witness in regard to you.
We appointed the kebla which
thou formerly hadst, only that we might know him who followeth the apostle,
from him who turneth on his heels: The change
is a difficulty, but not to those whom God hath guided. But God will not let
your faith be fruitless; for unto man is God Merciful, Gracious.
We have seen thee turning thy
face towards every part of Heaven; but we will have thee turn to a kebla which
shall please thee. Turn then thy face towards the sacred Mosque, and wherever
you be, turn your faces towards that part. They, verily, to whom "the
Book" hath been given, know this to be the truth from their Lord: and God is not regardless of what you do.
2:140 Even
thou thou shouldst bring every kind of sign to those who have received the
Scriptures, yet thy kebla they will not adopt; nor shalt thou adopt their
kebla; nor will one part of them adopt the kebla of the other. And if, after
the knowledge which hath come to thee, thou follow their wishes, verily then
will thou become of the unrighteous.
They to whom we have given the
Scriptures know him -- the apostle -- even as they know their own children: but truly a part of them do conceal the truth,
though acquainted with it.
Part 2
The truth is from thy Lord. Be
not then of those who doubt.
All have a quarter of the
Heavens to which they turn them; but wherever you be, hasten emulously after
good: God will one day bring you all together;
verily, God is all-powerful.
And from whatever place thou
comest forth, turn thy face toward the sacred Mosque; for this is the truth
from thy Lord; and God is not inattentive to your doings.
And from whatever place thou
comest forth, turn thy face toward the sacred Mosque; and wherever you be, to
that part turn your faces, lest men have cause of dispute against you: but as for the impious among them, fear them not;
but fear me, that I may perfect my favours on you, and that you may be guided
aright.
And we sent to you an apostle
from among yourselves to rehearse our signs unto you, and to purify you, and to
instruct you in "the Book," and in the wisdom, and to teach you that
which you knew not:
Therefore remember me: I will remember you; and give me thanks and be not
ungrateful.
O you who believe! seek help
with patience and with prayer, for God is with the patient.
And say not of those who are
slain on God's path that they are Dead; nay they are Living! But you understand
not.
2:150 With
somewhat of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth, and lives, and fruits, will we
surely prove you: but bear good tidings to the
patient,
Who when a mischance chanceth
them, say, "Verily we are God's, and to Him shall we return:"
On them shall be blessings from
their Lord, and mercy: and these! -- they are
rightly guided.
Verily, Safe and Marwah are
among the monuments of God: whoever then
maketh a pilgrimage to the temple, or visiteth it, shall not be to blame if he
go round about them both. And as for him who of his own accord doeth what is good
-- God is Grateful, Knowing.
They who conceal aught that we
have sent down, either of clear proof or of guidance, after what we have so
clearly shewn to men in the Book, God shall curse them, and they who curse
shall curse them.
But as for those who turn to me,
and amend and make known the truth, even unto them will I turn me, for I am He
who Turneth, the Merciful.
Verily, they who are infidels
and die infidels -- these! upon them shall be the malison of God and of angels
and of all men:
Under it shall they remain for
ever: their torment shall not be lightened,
and God will not even look upon them!
Your God is one God: there is no God but He, the Compassionate, the
Merciful.
Assuredly in the creation of the
Heavens and of the Earth; and in the alternation of night and day; and in the
ships which pass through the sea with what is useful to men; and in the rain
which God sendeth down from Heaven, giving life by it to the earth after its
death, and by scattering over it all kinds of cattle; and in the change of the
winds, and in the clouds that are made to do serve between the Heaven and the
Earth; -- are signs for those who understand.
2:160 Yet
there are men who take to them idols along with God, and love them with the
love of God: But stronger in the faithful is
the love of God. Oh! the impious will see, when they see their chastisement,
that all power is God's, and that God is severe in chastising.
When those who have had
followers shall declare themselves clear from their followers after that they
have seen the chastisement, and when the ties between them shall be cut
asunder;
The followers shall say,
"Could we but return to life we would keep ourselves clear from them, as
they have declared themselves clear of us." So will God shew them their
works! Sighing is upon them! but, forth from the fire they come not.
Oh men! eat of that which is
lawful and good on the earth, but follow not the steps of Satan, for he is your
avowed enemy:
He only enjoineth you evil and
wickedness, and that you should aver of God that which you know not.
And when it is said to them,
"Follow you that which God hath sent down:"
they say, "Nay, we follow the usages which we found with our
fathers." What! though their fathers were utterly ignorant and devoid of
guidance?
The infidels resemble him who
shouteth aloud to one who heareth no more than a call and cry! Deaf, dumb,
blind: therefore they have no understanding.
O you who believe! eat of the
good things with which we have supplied you, and give God thanks if you are His
worshippers.
But that which dieth of itself,
and blood, and swine's flesh, and that over which any other name than that of
God hath been invoked, is forbidden you. But he who shall partake of them by
constraint, without lust of wilfulness, no sin shall be upon him. Verily God is
Indulgent, Merciful.
They truly who hide the
Scriptures which God hath sent down, and barter them for a mean price -- these
shall swallow into their bellies nought by fire. God will not speak to them, or
assail them, on the day of the Resurrection:
and theirs shall be a grievous torment.
2:170 These
are they who have bartered guidance for error, and pardon for torment; But how
great their endurance in fire!
This shall be their doom,
because God had sent down "the Book" with the very truth. And verily
they who dispute about that Book are in a far-gone severance from it.
There is no piety in turning
your faces toward the east or the west, but he is pious who believeth in God,
and the last day, and the angels, and the Scriptures, and the prophets; who for
the love of God disburseth his wealth to his kindred, and to the orphans, and
the needy, and the wayfarer, and those who ask, and for ransoming; who
observeth prayer, and payeth the legal alms, and who is of those who are
faithful to their engagements when they have engaged in them, and patient under
ills and hardships, and in time of trouble:
these are they who are just, and these are they who fear the Lord.
O believers! retaliation for
bloodshedding is prescribed to you: the free
man for the free, and the slave for the slave, and the woman for the woman: but he to whom his brother shall make any
remission, is to be dealt with equitably; and to him should he pay a fine with
liberality.
This is a relaxation from your Lord
and a mercy. For him who after this shall transgress, a sore punishment!
But in this law of retaliation
is your security for life, O men of understanding! to the intent that you may
fear God.
It is prescribed to you, when any
one of you is at the point of death, if he leave goods, that he bequeath
equitably to his parents and kindred. This is binding on those who fear God.
But as for him who after he hath heard the bequest shall change it, surely the
wrong of this shall be on those who change it:
verily, God Heareth, Knoweth.
But he who feareth from the
testator any mistake or wrong, and shall make a settlement between the parties
-- that shall be no wrong in him: verily, God
is Lenient, Merciful.
O believers! a Fast is prescribed
to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may fear God.
2:180 For
certain days. But he among you who shall be sick, or on a journey, shall fast
that same number of other days: and as for
those who are able to keep it and yet break it, the expiation of this shall be
the maintenance of a poor man. And he who of his own accord performeth a good
work, shall derive good from it: and good
shall it be for you to fast -- if you knew it.
As to the month Ramadhan in
which the Koran was sent down to be man's guidance, and an explanation of that
guidance, and of that illumination, as soon as any one of you observeth the
moon, let him set about the fast; but he who is sick, or upon a journey, shall
fast a like number of other days. God wisheth you ease, but wisheth not your
discomfort, and that you fulfil the number of days, and that you glorify God
for his guidance, and that you be thankful.
And when my servants ask thee
concerning me, then will I be nigh unto them. I will answer the cry of him that
crieth, when he crieth unto me: but let them
hearken unto me, and believe in me, that they may proceed aright.
You are allowed on the night of
the fast to approach your wives: they are your
garment and you are their garment. God knoweth that you defraud yourselves
therein, so He turneth unto you and forgiveth you! Now, therefore, go in unto
them with full desire for that which God hath ordained for you; and eat and
drink until you can discern a white thread from a black thread by the daybreak: then fast strictly till night, and go not in unto
them, but rather pass the time in the Mosques. These are the bounds set up by
God: therefore come not near them. Thus God
maketh his signs clear to men that they may fear Him.
Consume not your wealth among
yourselves in vain things, nor present it to judges that you may consume a part
of other men's wealth unjustly, while you know the sun which you commit.
They will ask thee of the new
moons. Say: They are periods fixed for man's
service and for the Pilgrimage. There is no piety in entering your houses at
the back, but piety consists in the fear of God. Enter your houses then by
their doors; and fear God that it may be well with you.
And fight for the cause of God
against those who fight against you: but
commit not the injustice of attacking them first:
God loveth not such injustice:
And kill them wherever you shall
find them, and eject them from whatever place they have ejected you; for civil
discord is worse than carnage: yet attack them
not at the sacred Mosque, unless they attack you therein; but if they attack
you, slay them. Such the reward of the infidels.
But if they desist, then verily
God is Gracious, Merciful.
Fight therefore against them
until there be no more civil discord, and the only worship be that of God: but if they desist, then let there be no
hostility, save against the wicked.
2:190 The
sacred month and the sacred precincts are under the safeguard of reprisals: whoever offereth violence to you, offer you the
like violence to him, and fear God, and know that God is with those who fear
Him.
Give freely for the cause of
God, and throw not yourselves with your own hands into ruin; and do good, for
God loveth those who do good.
Accomplish the Pilgrimage and
the Visitation of the holy places in honour of God:
and if you be hemmed in by foes, send whatever offering shall be the easiest: and shave not your heads until the offering reach
the place of sacrifice. But whoever among you is sick, or hath an ailment of
the head, must satisfy by fasting, or alms, or an offering. And when you are
safe from foes, he who contents himself with the Visitation of the holy places,
until the Pilgrimage, shall bring whatever offering shall be the easiest. But
he who findeth nothing to offer, shall fast three days in the Pilgrimage
itself, and seven days when you return: they
shall be ten days in all. This is binding on him whose family shall not be
present at the sacred Mosque. And fear God, and know that God is terrible in
punishing.
Let the Pilgrimage be made in
the months already known: whoever therefore
undertaketh the Pilgrimage therein, let him not know a woman, nor transgress,
nor wrangle in the Pilgrimage. The good which you do, God knoweth it. And
provide for your journey; but the best provision is the fear of God: fear me, then, O men of understanding!
It shall be no crime in you if
you seek an increase from your Lord; and when you pour swiftly on from Arafat,
then remember God near the holy monument; and remember Him, because He hath
guided you who before this were of those who went astray.
Then pass on quickly where the
people quickly pass, and ask pardon of God, for God is Forgiving, Merciful.
And when you have finished your
holy rites, remember God as you remember your own fathers, or with a yet more
intense remembrance! some men there are
who say, "O our Lord! give
us our portion in this world:" but such
shall have no portion in the next life:
And some say, "O our Lord!
give us good in this world and good in the next, and keep us from the torment of
the fire."
They shall have the lot which
they have merited: and God is swift to reckon.
Bear God in mind during the
stated days: but if any haste away in two
days, it shall be no fault in him: And if any
tarry longer, it shall be no fault in him, if he fear God. Fear God, then, and
know that to Him shall you be gathered.
2:200 A man
there is who surpriseth thee by his discourse concerning this life present. He
taketh God to witness what is in his heart; yet is he the most zealous in
opposing thee:
And when he turneth his back on
thee, he runneth through the land to enact disorders therein, and layeth waste
the fields and flocks: but God loveth not the
disorder.
And when it is said to him,
"Fear God," the pride of sin seizeth him:
but he shall have his fill of Hell; and right wretched the couch!
A man, too, there is who selleth
his very self out of desire to please God: and
God is good to his servants.
O believers! enter completely into
the true religion, and follow not the steps of Satan, for he is your declared
enemy.
But if you lapse after that our
clear signs have come to you, know that God is Mighty, Wise.
What can such expect but that
God should come down to them overshadowed with clouds, and the angels also, and
their doom be sealed? And to God shall all things return.
Ask the children of
This present life is prepared
for those who believe not, and who mock at the faithful. But they who fear God
shall be above them on the day of resurrection; and God is bounteous without
measure to whom He will.
Mankind was but one people; and
God sent prophets to announce glad tidings and to warn; and He sent down with
them the Book of Truth, that it might decide the disputes of men; and none
disputed but those to whom the Book had been given, after the clear tokens had reached
them, -- being full of mutual jealousy. And God guided those who believed to
the truth of that about which, by his permission, they had disputed; for God
guideth whom he pleaseth into the straight path.
2:210 Think
you to enter
They will ask thee what they
shall bestow in alms. Say: Let the good which
you bestow be for parents, and kindred, and orphans, and the poor, and the
wayfarer; and whatever good you do, of a truth God knoweth.
War is prescribed to you: but from this you are averse.
Yet haply you are averse from a
thing, though it be good for good, and haply you love a thing through it be bad
for you: And God knoweth; but you, you know
not.
They will ask thee concerning
war in the Sacred Month. Say: To war therein
is bad, but to turn aside from the cause of God, and to have no faith in Him,
and in the Sacred Temple, and to drive out its people, is worse in the sight of
God; and civil strive is worse than bloodshed. They will not cease to war
against you until they turn you from your religion, if they be able: but whoever of you shall turn from his religion
and die an infidel, their works shall be fruitless in this world, and in the
next: they shall be consigned to the fire;
therein to abide for aye.
But they who believe, and fly
their country, and fight in the cause of God may hope for God's mercy: and God is Gracious, Merciful.
They will ask thee concerning
wine and games of chance. Say: In both is
great sin, and advantage also, to men; but their sin is greater than their
advantage. They will ask thee also what they shall bestow in alms.
Say:
What you can spare. Thus God sheweth you his signs that you may ponder
On this present world, and on
the next. They will also ask thee concerning orphans. Say: Fair dealing with them is best;
But if you mix yourselves up (in
their affairs) they are your brethren: God
knoweth the foul dealer from the fair; and, if god pleased, he could indeed
afflict you! Verily, God is Mighty, Wise.
2:220 Marry
not idolatresses until their believe; a slave who believeth is better than an
idolatress, though she please you more. And wed not your daughters to idolaters
until they believe; for a slave who is a believer, is than better [sic] an
idolater, though he please you.
They invite to the Fire; but God
inviteth to
They will also question thee as
to the courses of women. Say: They are a
pollution. Separate yourselves therefore from women and approach them not,
until they be cleansed. But when they are cleansed, go in unto them as God hath
ordained for you. Verily God loveth those who turn to Him, and loveth those who
seek to be clean.
Your wives are your field: go in, therefore, to your field as you will; but
do first some act for your souls' [sic] good:
and fear you God, and know that you must meet Him; and bear these good tidings
to the faithful.
Swear not by God, when you make
oath, that you will be virtuous and fear God, and promote peace among men; for
God is He who Heareth, Knoweth.
God will not punish you for a
mistake in your oaths: but He will punish you
for that which your hearts have done. God is Gracious, Merciful.
They who intend to abstain from
their wives shall wait four months; but if they go back from their purpose,
then verily God is Gracious, Merciful.
And if they resolve on a
divorce, then verily God is He who Heareth, Knoweth.
The divorced shall wait the
result, until they have had their courses thrice, nor ought they to conceal
what God hath created in their wombs, if they believe in God and the last day;
and it will be more just in their husbands to bring them back when in this
state, if they desire what is right. And it is for the women to act as they
(the husbands) act by them, in all fairness; but the mean are a step above
them. God is Mighty, Wise.
You may divorce your wives twice: Keep them honourably, or put them away with
kindness. But it is not allowed you to appropriate to yourselves aught of what
you have given to them unless both fear that they cannot keep within the bounds
set up by God. And if you fear that they cannot observe the ordinances of God,
no blame shall attach to either of you for what the wife shall herself give for
her redemption. These are the bounds of God:
therefore overstep them not; for whoever oversteppeth the bounds of God, they
are evil doers.
2:230 But
if the husband divorce her a third time, it is not lawful for him to take her
again, until she shall have married another husband; and if he also divorce
her, then shall no blame attach to them if they return to each other, thinking
that they can keep within the bounds fixed by God. And these are the bounds of
God; He maketh them clear to those who have knowledge.
But when you divorce women, and
the time for sending them away is come, either retain them with generosity, or
put them away with generosity: but retain them
not by constraint so as to be unjust towards them. He who doth so, doth in fact
injure himself. And make not the signs of God a jest; but remember God's favour
toward you, and the Book and the Wisdom which He hath sent down to you for your
warning, and fear God, and know that God's knowledge embraceth everything.
And when you divorce your wives,
and they have waited the prescribed time, hinder them not from marrying their
husbands when they have agreed among themselves in an honourable way. This
warning is for him among you who believeth in God and in the last day. This is
most pure for you, and most decent. God knoweth, but you know not.
Mothers, when divorced, shall
give suck to their children two full years, if the father desire that the
suckling be completed; and such maintenance and clothing as is fair for them,
shall devolve on the father. No person shall be charged beyond his means. A
mother shall not be pressed unfairly for her child, nor a father for his child: And the same with the father's heir. But if they
choose to wean the child by consent and by bargain, it shall be no fault in
them. And if you choose to have a nurse for your children, it shall be no fault
in you, in case you pay what you promised her according to that which is fair.
Fear God, and know that God seeth what you do.
If those of you who die leave
wives, they must await their state during four months and ten days; and when
this their term is expired, you shall not be answerable for the way in which
they shall dispose of themselves fairly. And God is cognisant of what you do.
And then shall no blame attach
to you in making proposals of marriage to such women, or in keeping such
intention to yourselves? God knoweth that you will not forget them. But promise
them not in secret, unless you speak honourable words;
And resolve not on the marriage
tie until the prescribed time be reached; and know that God knoweth what is in
your minds: therefore, beware of Him; and know
that God is Gracious, Mild!
It shall be no crime in your if
you divorce your wives so long as you have not consummated the marriage, nor
settled any dowry on them. And provide what is needful for them -- he who is in
ample circumstances according to his means, and he who is straitened, according
to his means -- with fairness: This is binding
on those who do what is right.
But if you divorce them before
consummation, and have already settled a dowry on them, you shall give them
half of what you have settled, unless they make a release, or he make a release
in whose hand in the marriage tie. But if you make a release, it will be nearer
to piety. And forget not generosity in your relations one towards another; for
God beholdeth your doings.
Observe strictly the prayers,
and the middle prayer, and stand up full of devotion towards God.
2:240 And
if you have any alarm, then pray on foot or riding:
but when you are safe, then remember God,how he hath made you to know what you
knew not.
And such of you as shall die and
leave wives, shall bequeath their wives a year's maintenance without causing
them to quit their homes; but if they quit them of their own accord, then no
blame shall attach to you for any disposition they may make of themselves in a
fair way. And God is Mighty, Wise.
And for the divorced let there
be a fair provision. This a duty in those who fear God.
Thus God maketh his signs clear
to you that you may understand.
Hast thou not thought on those
who quitted their dwellings -- and they were thousands -- for fear of death?
God said to them, "Die:" then He
restored them to life, for full of bounty towards man is God. But most men give
not thanks!
Fight for the cause of God; and
know that God is He who Heareth, Knoweth.
Who is he that will lend to God
a goodly loan? He will double it to him again and again:
God is close, but open handed also: and to Him
shall you return.
Hast thou not considered the
assembly of the children of
And their prophet said to them,
"Not hath God set (Talout) Saul king over you." They said, 'How shall
he reign over us, when we are more worthy of the kingdom than he, and of wealth
he hath no abundance?" He said, "Verily God hath chosen him to be
over you, and hath given him increase in knowledge and stature; God giveth his
kingdom to whom he pleaseth; and God is Liberal, Knowing!"
And their prophet said to them,
"Verily, the sign of his kingship shall be that the Ark shall come to you: in it is a pledge of security from your Lord and
the relics left by the family of Moses, and the family of Aaron; the angels
shall bear it: Truly herein shall be a sign
indeed to you if you are believers."
2:250 And
when Saul marched forth with his forces, he said, "God will test you by a
river: He who drinketh of it shall not be of
my band; but he who shall not taste it, drinking a drink out of the hand
excepted, shall be of my band." And, except a few of them, they drank of
it. And when they had passed it, he and those who believed with him, the former
said, "We have no strength this day against (Dajalout) Goliath and his
forces:" But they who held it as certain
that they must meet God, said, "How oft, by God's will, hath a small host
vanquished a numerous host! and God is with the steadfastly enduring."
And when they went forth against
Goliath and his forces, they said, "O our Lord! pour out steadfastness
upon us, and set our feet firm, and help us against the infidels!"
And by the will of God they
routed them; and (Daood) David slew Goliath; and God gave him kingship and
wisdom, and taught him according to His will:
and were it not for the restraint of one by means of the other, imposed on men
by God, verily the earth had been utterly corrupted. But God is bounteous to
his creatures.
Part 3
Such are the signs of God: with truth do we rehearse them to thee, for one of
the Sent Ones art Thou.
Some of the apostles we have
endowed more highly than others: Those to whom
God hath spoken, He hath raised to the loftiest grade, and to Jesus the Son of
Mary we gave manifest signs, and we strengthened him with the Holy Spirit. And
if God had pleased, they who came after them would not have wrangled, after the
clear signs had reached them. But into disputes they fell: some of them believed, and some were infidels; yet
if God had pleased, they would not have thus wrangled:
but God doth what he will.
O Believers! give alms of that
with which we have supplied you, before the day cometh when there shall be no
trafficking, nor friendship, nor intercession. And the infidels are the
wrong-doers.
God! There is no God but He; the
Living, the Eternal; Nor slumber seizeth Him, nor sleep; His, whatsoever is in
the Heavens and whatsoever is in the Earth! Who is he that can intercede with
Him but by His own permission? He knoweth what hath been before them and what
shall be after them; yet nought of His knowledge shall they grasp, save what He
willeth,. His Throne reacheth over the Heavens and the Earth, and the upholding
of both burdeneth Him not; and He is the High, the Great!
Let there be no compulsion in
Religion. Now is the right way made distinct from error. Whoever therefore
shall deny Thagout and believe in God -- he will have taken hold on a strong
handle that shall not be broken: and God is He
who Heareth, Knoweth.
God is the patron of believers: he shall bring them out of darkness into light.
As to those who believe not,
their patrons are Thagout: they shall bring
them out of light into darkness: they shall be
given over to the fire: they shall abide
therein for ever.
2:260 Hast thou
not thought on him who disputed with Abraham about his Lord, because God had
given him the kingdom? When Abraham said, "My Lord is He who maketh alive
and causeth to die:" He said, "It is
I who make alive and cause to die!" Abraham said, "since God bringeth
the sun from the East, do thou, then, bring it from the West." The infidel
was confounded; for God guideth not the evil doers.
Or how he demeaned him who
passed by a city which had been laid in ruins. "How," said he,
"shall God give life to this city, after she hath been dead?" And God
caused him to die for an hundred years, and then raised him to life. And God
said, "How long hast thou waited?" He said, "I have waited a day
or part of a day." He said, "Nay, thou hast waited an hundred years.
Look on thy food and thy drink; they are not corrupted; and look on thine ass: we would make thee a sign unto men: And look on the bones of thine ass, how we will
raise them, then clothe them with flesh." And when this was shewn to him,
he said, "I acknowledge that God hath power to do all things."
When Abraham said, "O Lord,
shew me how thou wilt give life to the dead!:
He said, "Hast thou not believed?" He said, "Yes; but I have
asked thee, that my heart may be well assured." He said, "Take, then,
four birds, and draw them towards thee, and cut them in pieces; then place a
part of them on every mountain; then call them and they shall come swiftly to
thee: and know thou that God is Mighty,
Wise!"
The likeness of those who expend
their wealth for the cause of God, is that of a grain of corn which produceth
seven ears, and in each ear a hundred grains; and God will multiply to whom He
pleaseth: God is Liberal, Knowing!
They who expend their wealth for
the cause of God, and never follow what they have laid out with reproaches or
harm, shall have their reward with their Lord; no fear shall come upon them,
neither shall they be put to grief.
A kind speech and forgiveness is
better than alms followed by injury. God is Rich, Clement.
O you who believe! make not your
alms void by reproaches and injury, like him who spendeth his substance to be
seen of men, and believeth not in God and in the latter day,. The likeness of
such an one is that of a rock with a thin soil upon it, on which a heavy rain
falleth but leaveth it hard: No profit from
their works shall they be able to gain; for God guideth not the unbelieving
people.
And the likeness of those who
expend their substance from a desire to please God, and for the stablishing of
their souls, is as a garden on a hill, on which the heavy rain falleth, and it
yieldeth its fruits twofold; and even if a heavy rain fall not on it, yet is
there a dew: God beholdeth your actions.
Desireth any one of you a garden
of palms and vines through which rivers flow, in which he may have every fruit,
and that old age should surprise him there, and that his offspring should be
weakly, and that then a fiery violent wind shall strike it so that it shall be
burned? Thus God maketh plain his signs to you that you may reflect.
O you who believe! bestow alms
of the good things which you have acquired, and of that which we have brought
forth for you out of the earth, and choose not the bad for almsgiving,
2:270 Such
as you would accept yourselves only by connivance:
and know that God is Rich, Praiseworthy.
Satan menaceth you with poverty,
and enjoineth base actions: but God promiseth
you pardon from himself and abundance: God is
All-bounteous, Knowing.
He giveth wisdom to whom He will: and he to whom wisdom is given, hath had much good
given him; but none will bear it is mind, except the wise of heart.
And whatever alms you shall
give, or whatever vow you shall vow, of a truth God knoweth it: but they who act unjustly shall have no helpers.
Give you your alms openly? it is well. Do you conceal them and give them to the
poor? This, too, will be of advantage to you, and will do away you sins: and God is cognisant of your actions.
Their guidance is not thine
affair, O Muhammad; but God guideth whom he pleaseth. And the good that you
shall give in alms shall redound unto yourselves; and you shall not give but as
seeking the face of God; and whatever good thing you shall have given in alms,
shall be repaid you, and you shall not be wronged. There are among you the
poor, who being shut up to fighting for the cause of God, have it not in their
power to strike out into the earth for riches. Those who know them not, think
them rich because of their modesty. By this their token thou shalt know them --
they ask not of men with importunity: and of
whatever good thing you shall give them in alms, of a truth God will take
knowledge.
They who give away their
substance in alms, by night and day, in private and in public, shall have their
reward with their Lord: no fear shall come on
them, neither shall they be put to grief.
They who swallow down usury,
shall arise in the resurrection only as he ariseth whom Satan hath infected by
his touch. This, for that they say, "Selling is only the like of usury:" and yet God hath allowed selling, and
forbidden usury. He then who when this warning shall come to him from his Lord,
abstaineth, shall have pardon for the past, and his lot shall be with God. But
they who return to usury, shall be given over to the fire; therein shall they
abide for ever.
God will bring usury to nought,
but will increase alms with usury, and God loveth no infidel, or evil person.
But they who believe and do the things that are right, and observe the prayers,
and pay the legal impost, they shall have their reward with their Lord: no fear shall come on them, neither shall they be
put to grief.
O believers! fear God and
abandon your remaining usury, if you are indeed believers.
But if you do it not, then
hearken for war on the part of God and his apostle:
yet if you repent, you shall have the principal of your money. Wrong not, and
you shall not be wronged.
2:280 If
any one find difficulty in discharging a debt, then let there be a delay until
it be easy for him: but if you remit it as
alms it will be better for you, if you knew it.
Fear the day wherein you shall
return to God: then shall every soul be
rewarded according to its desert, and none shall have injustice done to them.
O you who believe! when you
contract a debt (payable) at a fixed date, write it down, and let the notary faithfully
note between you: and let not the notary
refuse to note, even as God hath taught him; but let him note it down, and let
him who oweth the debt dictate, and let him fear God his Lord, and not diminish
aught thereof. But if he who oweth the debt be foolish or weak, or be not able
to dictate himself, let his friend dictate for him with fairness; and call to
witness two witnesses of your people: but if
there be not two men, let there be a man, and two women of those whom you shall
judge fit for witnesses: if the one of them
should mistake, the other may cause her to recollect. And the witnesses shall
not refuse, whenever they shall be summoned. And disdain not to put the debt in
writing, be it large or small, with its time of payment:
this will be more just for you in the sight of God, better suited for
witnessing, and the best for avoiding doubt. But if the goods be there present,
and you pass them from hand to hand -- then it shall be no fault in you not to
write it down. And have witnesses when you sell, and harm not writer or witness: it will be a crime in you to do this. But fear God
and God will give you knowledge, for God hath knowledge of all things.
And if you be on a journey and
shall find no notary, let pledges be taken:
but if one of you trust the other, let him who is trusted, restore what he is
trusted with, and fear God his Lord. And refuse not to give evidence. He who
refuseth is surely wicked at heart: and God
knoweth your deeds.
Whatever is in the Heavens and
in the Earth is God's: and whether you bring
forth to light what is in your minds or conceal it, God will reckon with you
for it; and whom He pleaseth will He forgive, and whom He pleaseth will He
punish; for God is All-powerful.
The apostle believeth in that
which hath been sent down from his Lord, as do the faithful also. Each one
believeth in God, and His Angels, and His Books, and His Apostles: we make no distinction between any of His
Apostles. And they say, "We have heard and we obey. Thy mercy, Lord! for
unto thee must we return."
God will not burden any soul
beyond its power. It shall enjoy the good which it hath acquired, and shall
bear the evil for the acquirement of which it laboured. O our Lord! punish us
not if we forget, or fall into sin; O our Lord! and lay not on us a load like
that which thou has laid on those who have been before us; O our Lord! and lay
not on us that for which we have not strength:
but blot out our sins and forgive us, and have pity on us. Thou art our
protector: give us victory therefore over the
infidel nations.
Sura III (3)
The Family of Iman
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful.
Elif. Lam. Mim.
God! there is no god but He, the
Living, the Merciful!
In truth hath He sent down to
thee "the Book," which confirmeth those which precede it: For He had sent down the Law, and the Evangel
aforetime, as man's Guidance; and now hath He sent down the
"Illumination." (Furkan.)
Verily for those who believe not
in the signs of God, is a severe chastisement! And God is Mighty, the Avenger!
God! nought that is in Earth or
that is in Heaven, is hidden unto Him. He it is who formeth you in your
mothers' wombs. There is no god but He; the Mighty, the Wise!
He it is who hath sent down to
thee "the Book." Some of its signs are of themselves perspicuous; --
these are the basis of the Book -- and others are figurative. But they whose
hearts are given to err, follow its figures, craving discord, craving an interpretation;
yet none knoweth its interpretation but God. And the stable in knowledge say,
"We believe in it: it is all from our
Lord." But none will bear this in mind, save men endued with
understanding.
O our Lord! suffer not our
hearts to go astray after that thou hast once guided us, and give us mercy from
before thee; for verily thou art He who giveth.
O our Lord! For the day of whose
coming there is not a doubt, thou wilt surely gather mankind together. Verily,
God will not fail the promise.
As for the infidels, their
wealth, and their children, shall avail them nothing against God. They shall be
fuel for the fire.
After the wont of the people of
Pharaoh, and of those who went before them, they treated our signs as
falsehoods. Therefore God laid hold of them in their sins; and God is severe in
punishing!
3:10 Say
to the infidels: you shall be worsted, and to
Hell shall you be gathered together; and wretched the couch!
You have already had a sign in
the meeting of the two hosts. The one host fought in the cause of God, and the
other was infidel. To their own eyesight, the infidels saw you twice as many as
themselves: And God aided with his succour
whom He would: And in this truly was a lesson
for men endued with discernment.
Fair-seeming to men is the love of
pleasures from women and children, and the treasured treasures of God and
silver, and horses of mark, and flocks, and cornfields! Such the enjoyment of
this world's life. But God! goodly the home with Him.
Say:
Shall I tell you of better things than these, prepared for those who fear God,
in His presence? Theirs shall be gardens, beneath whose pavilions the rivers
flow, and in which shall they abide for aye:
and wives of stainless purity, and acceptance with God:
for God regardeth his servants --
Who say, "O our Lord! we
have indeed believed; pardon us our sins, and keep us from the torment of the
fire;" --
The patient, and the truthful,
the lowly, and the charitable, and they who seek pardon at each daybreak.
God witnesseth that there is no
god but He: and the angels, and mean endued
with knowledge, stablished in righteousness, proclaim "There is no god but
He, the Mighty, the Wise!"
The true religion with God is
Islam: and they to whom the Scriptures had
been given, differed not till after "the knowledge" had come to them,
and through mutual jealousy. But as for him who shall not believe in the signs
of God -- God will be prompt to reckon with him!
If they shall dispute with thee,
then Say: I have surrendered myself to God, as
have they who follow me.
Say to those who have received
the Book, and to the common folk, Do you surrender yourselves unto God? If they
become Muslims, then are they guided aright:
but if they turn away -- thy duty is only preaching; and God's eye is on His
servants.
3:20 But
to those who believe not in the signs of God, and unjustly slay the prophets,
and slay those men who enjoin uprightness, -- announce an afflictive
chastisement.
These are they whose works come
to nought in this world, and in the next; and none shall they have to help
them!
Hast thou not marked those who
have received a portion of the Scriptures, when they are summoned to the Book
of God, that it may settle their differences? Then did a part of them turn
back, and withdrew far off.
This -- because they said,
"The fire shall by no means touch us, but for certain days:" -- Their own devices have deceived them in
their religion.
But how, when we shall assemble
them together for the day of (which) whose coming there is no doubt, and when
every soul shall be paid what it hath earned, and they shall not be wronged?
Say:
O God, possessor of all power, thou givest power to whom thou wilt, and whom
thou wilt thou dost abase! In thy hand is good; for thou art over all thing
potent.
Thou causest the night to pass into
the day, and thou causest the day to pass into the night. Thou bringest the
living out of the dead, and thou bringest the dead out of the living; and thou
givest sustenance to whom thou wilt, without measure.
Let not believers take infidels
for their friends rather than believers: whoso
shall do this hath nothing to hope from God -- unless, indeed, you fear a fear
from them: But God would have you beware of
Himself: for to God you return. Say: Whether you hide what is in your breasts, or
whether you publish it abroad, God knoweth it:
He knoweth what is in the heavens and what is in the earth; and over all things
is God potent.
On that day shall every soul
find present to it, whatever it hath wrought of good:
and as to what it hath wrought of evil, it will wish that wide were the space
between itself and it! But God would have you beware of Himself; for God is
kind to His servants.
Say:
If you love God, then follow me: God will love
you, and forgive your sins, for God is Forgiving, Merciful. Say: Obey God and the Apostle; but if you turn away,
then verily, God loveth not the unbelievers.
3:30
Verily above all human beings did God choose Adam, and Noah, and the family of
Abraham, and the family of Imran, the one the posterity of the other: And God Heareth, Knoweth.
Remember when the wife of Imran
said, "O my Lord! I vow to thee what is in my womb, for thy special
service. Accept it from me, for thou Hearest, Knowest!" And when she had
given birth to it, she said, "O my Lord! Verily I have brought forth a
female," -- God knew what she had brought forth; a male is not as a female
-- "and I have named her Mary, and I take refuge with thee for her and for
her offspring, from Satan the stoned."
So with goodly acceptance did
her Lord accept her, and with goodly growth did he make her grow. Zacharias
reared her. So oft as Zacharias went in to Mary at the sanctuary, he found her
supplied with food. "Oh, Mary!" said he, "whence hast thou
this?" She said, "It is from God; for God supplieth whom He will,
without reckoning!"
There did Zacharias call upon
his Lord: "O my Lord!" said he,
"vouchsafe me from thyself good descendants, for thou art the hearer of
prayer." Then did the angels call to him, as he stood praying in the
sanctuary.:
"God announceth John
(Yahia) to thee, who shall be a verifier of the word from God, and a greater
one, chaste, and a prophet of the number of the just."
He said, "O my Lord! how
shall I have a son, now that old age hath come upon me, and my wife is
barren?" He said, "Thus will God do His pleasure."
He said, "Lord! give me a
token." He said, "Thy token shall be, that for three days thou shalt
speak to no man but by signs: But remember thy
Lord often, and praise him at even and at morn:"
And remember when the angels
said, "O Mary! verily hath God chosen thee, and purified thee, and chosen
thee above the women of the worlds!
O Mary! be devout towards thy
Lord, and prostrate thyself, and bow down with those who bow."
This is one of the announcements
of things unseen by thee: To thee, O Muhammad!
do we reveal it; for thou wast not with them when they cast lots with reeds
which of them should rear Mary; nor wast thou with them when they disputed
about it.
3:40
Remember when the angel said, "O Mary! Verily God announceth to thee the
Word from Him: His name shall be, Messiah
Jesus the son of Mary, illustrious in this world, and in the next, and one of
those who have near access to God;
And He shall speak to men alike
when in the cradle and when grown up; And he shall be one of the just."
She said, "How, O my Lord!
shall I have a son, when man hath not touched me?" He said, "Thus: God will create why He will; When He decreeth a
thing, He only saith, 'Be,' and it is."
And he will teach him the Book,
and the Wisdom, and the Law, and the Evangel; and he shall be an apostle to the
children of
And I have come to attest the
law which was before me; and to allow you part of that which had been forbidden
you; and I come to you with a sign from your Lord:
Fear God, then, and obey me; of a truth God is my Lord, and your Lord;
Therefore worship Him. This is a right way."
And when Jesus perceived
unbelief on their part, He said, "Who my helpers with God?" The
apostles said, "We will be God's helpers! We believe in God, and bear thou
witness that we are Muslims.
O our Lord! we believe in what
thou hast sent down, and we follow the apostle; write us up, then, with those
who bear witness to him."
And the Jews plotted, and God
plotted: But of those who plot is God the
best.
Remember when God said, "O
Jesus! verily I will cause thee to die, and will take thee up to myself and deliver
thee from those who believe not; and I will place those who follow thee above
those who believe not, until the day of resurrection. Then, to me is your
return, and wherein you differ will I decide between you.
And as to those who believe not,
I will chastise them with a terrible chastisement in this world and in the
next; and none shall they have to help them."
3:50 But
as to those who believe, and do the things that are right, He will pay them
their recompense. God loveth not the doers of evil.
These signs, and this wise
warning do we rehearse to thee.
Verily, Jesus is as Adam in the
sight of God. He created him of dust: He then
said to him, "Be" -- and he was.
The truth from thy Lord! Be not
thou, therefore, of those who doubt.
As for those who dispute with
thee about Him, after "the knowledge" hath come to thee, Say: Come, let us summon our sons and your sons, our
wives and your wives, and ourselves and yourselves. Then will we invoke and lay
the malison of God on those that lie!
This recital is very truth, and
there is no god but God; and verily God is the Mighty, the Wise.
But if they turn away, then
verily God hath knowledge of the corrupt doers.
Say:
O people of the Book! come you to a just judgment between us and you -- That we
worship not aught but God, and that we join no other god with Him, and that the
one of us take not the other for lords, beside God. Then if they turn their
backs, Say: Bear you witness that we are
Muslims.
O people of the Book! Why
dispute about Abraham, when the Law and the Evangel were not sent down till
after him? Do you not then understand?
Lo! you are they who dispute
about that in which you have knowledge; but why dispute about that of which you
have no knowledge? God hath knowledge, but you know nothing.
3:60
Abraham was neither Jew nor Christian; but he was sound in the faith, a Muslim;
and not of those who add gods to God.
They among men, who are nearest
of kin to Abraham, are surely those who follow him, and this prophet Muhammad,
and they who believe on him. And God is the protector of the faithful.
A party among the people of the
Book would fain mislead you: but they only
mislead themselves, and perceive it not.
O people of the Book! why clothe
you the truth with falsehood? Why wittingly hide the truth?
Others of the people of the Book
say: "Believe in what hath been sent down
to the believers, at daybreak, and deny it at its close" -- Thus do they
go back --
"And believe in those only
who follow your Religion" Say: True
guidance is guidance from God -- that to others may be imparted the like of
what hath been imparted to you. Will they wrangle then with you in the presence
of their Lord? Say: Plenteous gifts are in the
hands of God: He imparteth them unto whom He
will, and God is Bounteous, Wise.
He will vouchsafe His mercy to
whom He will, for God is of great bounteousness.
Among the people of the Book are
some, to one of whom if thou entrust a thousand dinars, he will restore them to
thee: And there is of them to whom if thou
entrust a dinar, he will not restore it to thee, unless thou be ever instant
with him.
This -- because they say,
"We are not bound to keep faith with the ignorant (Pagan) folk, and they
utter a lie against God, and know they do so;"
3:70 But whoso
is true to his engagement, and feareth God, -- verily God loveth those that
fear Him.
Verily they who barter their
engagement with God, and their oaths, for some paltry price -- These! no
portion for them in the world to come! and God will not speak to them, and will
not look on them, on the day of resurrection, and will not assoil them! for
them, a grievous chastisement!
And some truly are there among
them who torture the Scriptures with their tongues, in order that you may
suppose it to be from the Scripture, yet it is not from the Scripture. And they
say, "This is from God;" yet it is not from God: and they utter a lie against God, and they know
they do so.
It beseemeth not a man, that God
should give him the Scriptures and the Wisdom, and the gift of prophecy, and
that then he should say to his followers, "Be you worshippers of me, as
well as of God;" but rather, "Be you perfect in things pertaining to
God, since you know the Scriptures, and have studied deep."
God doth not command you to take
the angels or the prophets as lord. What! would he command you to become
infidels after you have been Muslims?
When God entered into covenant
with the prophets, he said, "This is the Book and the Wisdom which I give
you. Hereafter shall a prophet come unto you to confirm the Scriptures already
with you. You shall surely believe on him, and you shall surely aid him. Are
you resolved?" said he, "and do you accept the covenant on these
terms?" They said, "We are resolved;" "Be you then the
witnesses," said he, "and I will be a witness as well as you.
And whoever turneth back after
this, these are surely the perverse."
Other religion than that of God
desire they? To him doth everything that is in the Heavens and in the Earth submit,
in willing or forced obedience! and to Him do they return.
Say:
We believe in God, and in what hath been sent down to us, and what hath been
sent down to Abraham, and Ismael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and in
what was given to Moses, and Jesus, and the Prophets, from their Lord. We make
no difference between them. And to Him are we resigned (Muslims).
Whoso desireth any other
religion than Islam, that religion shall never be accepted from him, and in the
next world he shall be among the lost.
3:80 How
shall God guide a people who, after they had believed and bore witness that the
apostle was true, and after that clear proofs of his mission had reached them,
disbelieved? God guideth not the people who transgress.
These! their recompense, that
the curse of God, and of angels, and of all men, is on them!
Under it shall they abide for
ever; their torment shall not be assuaged! nor shall God even look upon them!
--
Save those who after this repent
and amend; for verily God is Gracious, Merciful!
As for those who become
infidels, after having believed, and then increase their infidelity -- their
repentance shall never be accepted. These! they are the erring ones.
As for those who are infidels,
and die infidels, from no one of them shall as much gold as the earth could
contain be accepted, though he should offer it in ransom. These! a grievous
punishment awaiteth them; and they shall have none to help them.
You shall never attain to
goodness till you give alms of that which you love; and whatever you give, of a
truth God knoweth.
All food was allowed to the
children of Israel, except what Jacob forbad himself, ere the law was sent
down; Say: Bring you then the law and read it,
if you be men of truth.
And whoso after this inventeth
the lie about God: -- These are evil doers.
Say:
God speaketh truth. Follow, therefore, the religion of Abraham, the sound in
faith, who was not one of those who joined other gods to God.
3:90 The
first temple that was founded for mankind, was that in Becca, -- Blessed, and
guidance to human beings.
In it are evident signs, even
the standing-place of Abraham: and he who
entereth it is safe. And the pilgrimage to the temple, is a service due to God
from those who are able to journey thither.
And as to them who believeth not
-- verily God can afford to dispense with all creatures!
Part 4
Say:
O people of the Book! why disbelieve you the signs of God? But God is witness
of your doings.
Say:
O people of the Book! why repel believers from the way of God? You fain would
make it crooked, and yet you are its witnesses! But God is not regardless of
what you do.
O believers! if you obey some
amongst those who have received the Scripture, after your very Faith will they
make you infidels!
But how can you become infidels,
when the signs of God are recited to you, and his prophet is among you? Whoever
holdest fast by God, is already guided to a straight path.
O you believers! fear God as He
deserveth to be feared! and die not till you have become Muslims.
And hold you fast by the cord of
God, all of you, and break not loose from it; and remember God's goodness
towards you, how that when you were enemies, He united your hearts, and by his
favour you became brethren;
And when you were on the brink
of the pit of fire, he drew you back from it. Thus God clearly sheweth you his
signs that you may be guided;
3:100 And
that there may be among you a people who invite to the Good, and enjoin the
Just, and forbid the Wrong. These are they with whom it shall be well.
And be you not like those who
have formed divisions, and fallen to variance after the clear proofs have come
to them. These! a terrible chastisement doth await them,
On the day when faces shall turn
white, and faces shall turn black! And as to those whose faces shall have turned
black "....What! after your belief have you become infidels? Taste then
the chastisement, for that you have been unbelievers."
And as to those whose faces
shall have become white, they shall be within the mercy of God: therein shall they abide for ever.
These are the signs of God: we recite them to thee in truth: And God willeth not injustice to mankind.
Whatever is in the Heavens, and
whatever is on the Earth, is God's. And to God shall all things return.
You are the best folk that hath been
raised up unto mankind. You enjoin the Just, and you forbid the Evil, and you
believe in God: And if the people of the Book
had believed, it had surely been better for them! Believers there are among
them, but most of them are perverse.
They will never inflict on you
but a trifling damage; and if they do battle with you, they shall turn their
backs to you: then they shall not be
succoured.
Shame shall be stamped upon them
wherever found, unless they ally them with God and men! And the wrath of God will
they incur, and poverty shall be stamped upon them! This -- for that they
believed not in the signs of God, and slew the prophets unjustly: This -- because they rebelled, and became
transgressors.
Yet all are not alike: Among the people of the Book is an upright folk,
who recite the signs of God in the night-season, and adore:
3:110 They
believe in God and in the latter day, and enjoin justice, and forbid evil, and
speed on in good works. These are of the righteous.
And of whatever good you do, you
shall not be denied the meed. God knoweth those who fear Him.
But as for the infidels, their
wealth, and their children shall avail them nothing against God. They shall be
the inmates of the fire, to abide therein eternally.
The alms which they bestow in this
present life, are like a freezing wind, which falleth upon and destroyeth the
cornfields of a people who have been to themselves unjust. God doeth them to
injustice, to to themselves are they unjust.
O you who have believed! form
not intimacies among others than yourselves. They will not fail to corrupt you.
They long for your ruin. Hatred hath already shewn itself out of their mouths,
but more grievous is what their breasts conceal. The tokens thereof we have
already made plain to you, if you will comprehend.
See now! you love them, but they
love not you. You believe the entire Book. And when they meet you, they say,
"We believe;" but when they are apart, they bite their fingers' ends
at you, out of wrath. Say: "Die in your
wrath!" God truly knoweth the very recesses of your breasts.
If good befalleth you it
grieveth them, and when ill lighteth on you, they rejoice in it. But if you be
steadfast and fear God, their craft shall in no way harm you. For God is round
about their doings.
And remember when thou didst
leave thy household at early morn, that thou mightest prepare the faithful a
camp for the war; -- God heard, knew it --
When two troops of you became
full of anxious thoughts, and lost heart, and when God became the protector of
both! In God, then, let the faithful trust.
God had already succoured you at
Bedr, when you were the weaker! Fear God,. then, that you may be thankful.
3:120 Then
thou didst say to the faithful, "is it not enough for you that your Lord
aideth you with three thousand angels sent down from on high?"
Aye:
but if you be steadfast and fear God, and the foe come upon you in hot haste,
your Lord will help you with five thousand angels in their cognisances!
This, as pure good tidings for
you, did God appoint, that your hearts might be assured -- for only from God,
the Mighty, the Wise, cometh the Victory - and that He might cut off the
uttermost part of those who believed not, or cast them down so that they should
be overthrown, defeated without resource.
It is none of thy concern
whether He be turned unto them in kindness or chastise them: for verily they are wrongful doers.
Whatever is in the Heavens and
the Earth is God's! He forgiveth whom He will, and whom He will, chastiseth: for God is Forgiving, Merciful.
O you who believe! devour not
usury, doubling it again and again! But fear God, that you may prosper.
And fear the fire which is
prepared for them that believe not; and obey God and the apostle, that you may
find mercy:
And vie in haste for pardon from
your Lord, and a
Who give alms, alike in
prosperity and in success, and who master their anger, and forgive others! God
loveth the doers of good.
They who, after they have done a
base deed or committed a wrong against their own selves, remember God and
implore forgiveness of their sins -- and who will forgive sins but God only? --
persevere not in what they have wittingly done amiss.
3:130 As
for these! Pardon from their Lord shall be their recompense, and gardens 'neath
which the rivers flow; for ever shall they abide therein: And goodly the reward of those who labour!
Already, before your time, have
examples been made! Traverse the earth, then, and see what hath been the end of
those who treat prophets as liars.
This Koran is a manifest to man,
and a guidance, and a warning to the God-fearing!
And be not fainthearted, and be
not sorrowful: For you shall gain the upper
hand if you be believers.
If a wound hath befallen you, a wound
like it hath already befallen others: we
alternate these days of successes and reverses among men, that God may know
those who have believed, and that He may take martyrs from among you, - but God
loveth not the wrongful doers --
And that God may test those who
believe, and destroy the infidels.
Thought you that you should
enter
You had desired death ere you
met it. But you have now seen it -- and you have beheld it -- and fled from it!
Muhammad is no more than an
apostle; other apostles have already passed away before him: if he die, therefore, or be slain, will you turn
on your heels? But he who turneth on his heels shall not injure God at all: And God will certainly reward the thankful!
No one can die except by God's
permission, according to the Book that fixeth the term of life. He who desireth
the recompense of this world, we will give him thereof; And he who desireth the
recompense of the next life, we will give him thereof! And we will certainly
reward the thankful.
3:140 How
many a prophet hath combated those who had with them many myriads! Yet were
they not daunted at what befel them on the path of God, nor were they weakened,
nor did they basely submit! God loveth those who endure with steadfastness.
Nor said they more than this: "O our Lord! forgive us our sins and our
mistakes in this our work; and set our feet firm; and help us against the
unbelieving people." And God gave them the recompense of this world, and
the excellence of the recompense of the next. For God loveth the doers of what
is excellent.
O you who have believed! if you
obey the infidels, they will cause you to turn upon your heels, and you will
fall back into perdition:
But God is your liege lord, and
He is the best of helpers.
We will cast a dread into hearts
of the infidels because they have joined gods with God without warranty sent
down; their abode shall be the fire; and wretched shall be the mansion of the
evil doers.
Already had God made good to you
His promise, when by His permission you destroyed your foes, until your courage
failed you, and you disputed about the order, and disobeyed, after that the
Prophet had brought you within view of that for which you longed.
Some of you were for this world,
and some for the next. Then, in order to make trial of you, He turned you to
flight from them, -- yet hath He now forgiven you; for all-bounteous is God to
the faithful --
When you came up the height and
took no heed of any one, while the Prophet in your rear was calling you to the
fight! God hath rewarded you with trouble upon trouble, that you might learn
not to be chagrined at your loss of booty, or at what befel you! God is
acquainted with your actions.
Then after the trouble God sent
down security upon you. Slumber fell upon a part of you:
as to the other part -- their own passions stirred them up to think unjustly of
God with thoughts of ignorance! They said -- What gain we by this affair? Say: Verily the affair resteth wholly with God. They
hid in their minds what they did not speak out to thee, saying, "Were we
to have gained aught in this affair, none of us had been slain at this
place." Say: Had you remained in your
homes, they who were decreed to be slain would have gone forth to the places
where they lie: -- in order that God might
make trial of what was in your breasts, and might discover what was in your
hearts, for God knoweth the very secrets of the breast.
Of a truth it was Satan alone
who caused those of you to fail in duty who turned back on the day when the
hosts met, for some of their doings! But now hath God pardoned them; For God is
Forgiving, Gracious.
3:150 O you
who believe! be not like the infidels, who said of their brethren when they had
travelled by land or had gone forth to war, "Had they kept with us, they
had not died, and had not been slain!"| God purposed that this affair
should cause them heart sorrow! God maketh alive and killeth; and God beholdeth
your actions.
And if you shall be slain or die
on the path of God, then pardon from God and mercy is better than all your
amassings;
For if you die or be slain,
verily unto God shall you be gathered.
Of the mercy of God thou hast
spoken to them in gentle terms. Hadst thou been severe and harsh-hearted, they
would have broken away from thee. Therefore, forgive and ask for pardon for
them, and consult them in the affair of warn, and when thou art resolved, then
put thou thy trust in God, for God loveth those who trust in Him.
If God help you, none shall
overcome you; but if He abandon you, who is he that shall help you when He is
gone? In God, then, let the faithful trust.
It is not the Prophet who will
defraud you; -- But he who shall defraud, shall come forth with his defraudings
on the day of the resurrection: then shall
every soul be paid what it hath merited, and they shall not be treated with
injustice.
Shall he who hath followed the
good pleasure of God be as he who hath brought on himself wrath from God, and
whose abode shall be Hell? and wretched the journey thither!
There are varying grades with
God: and God beholdeth what you do.
Now hath God been gracious to
the faithful, when he raised up among them an apostle out of their own people,
to rehearse unto them his signs, and to cleanse them, and to give them
knowledge of the Book and of Wisdom: for
before they were in manifest error.
When a reverse hath befallen
you, the like of which you had before inflicted, say you, "Whence is
this?" Say: It is from yourselves. For God
hath power over all things.
3:160 And
that which befel you on the day when the armies met, was certainly by the will
of God, and that he might know the faithful, and that he might know the
hypocrites! And when the word was "Advance, fight on the path of God, or
drive back the foe," -- they said "Had we known how to fight, we
would have followed you." Nearer were some of them on that day to unbelief
than to faith:
They said with their lips what
was not in their hearts! But God knew what they concealed,
Who said of their brethren while
themselves sat at home, "Had they obeyed us, they had not been
slain." Say: Keep back death from
yourselves if you speak truth.
And repute not those slain on God's
path to be dead. Nay, alive with their Lord, are they richly sustained;
Rejoicing in what God of his
bounty hath vourchsafed them, filled with joy for those who follow after them,
but have not yet overtaken them, that on them nor fear shall come, nor grief;
Filled with joy at the favours
of God, and at his bounty: and that God
suffereth not the reward of the faithful to perish.
As to those who after the
reverse which befel them, respond to God and the Apostle -- such of them as do
good works and fear God, shall have a great reward:
Who, when men said to them,
"Now are the Meccans mustering against you; therefore fear them!" it
only increased their faith, and they said, "Our sufficiency is God, and He
is an excellent protector."
They returned, therefore, with
the favour of God, enriched by Him, and untouched by harm; and they followed
what was well pleasing to God. And God is of great Munificence.
Only would that Satan instill
the fear of his adherents: Fear them not, but
fear me if you are believers.
3:170 Let
not those who view in haste after infidelity grieve thee: Verily not one whit shall they injure God! God will refuse them
all part in the life to come: a severe
chastisement shall be their lot.
They truly who purchase
infidelity at the price of their faith, shall not injure God on whit! and a
grievous chastisement shall be their lot.
Let not the infidels deem that
the length of days we give them is good for them! We only give them length of
days that they may increase their sins! and a shameful chastisement shall be
their lot.
It is not in God to leave the
faithful in the state in which they are, until he sever the bad from the good:
Nor is God minded to lay open
the secret things to you, but God chooseth whom he will of his apostles to know
them. Believe, therefore, in God and his apostles:
and if you believe and fear God, a great reward awaited you.
And let not those who are
niggard of what God hath vouchsafed them in his bounty, think that this will be
good for them -- Nay, it will be bad for them --
That of which they have been
niggard shall be their collar on the day of the resurrection. God's, the
heritage of the Heavens and of the Earth! And God is well-informed of all you
do.
Now hath God heard the saying of
those who said: "Aye, God is poor and we
are rich." We will surely write down their sayings, and their unjust
slaughter of the prophets; and we will say, "Taste you the torment of the
burning.
This, for what your hands have
sent before you; and because God will not inflict a wrong upon his servants!:
To those who say, "Verily,
God hath enjoined us that we are not to credit an apostle until he present us a
sacrifice which fire out of Heaven shall devour,"
3:180 Say: Already have apostles before me come to you with
miracles, and with that of which you speak. Wherefore slew you them? Tell me,
if you are men of truth.
And if they treat thee as a
liar, then verily apostles have been treated as liars before thee, though they
came with clear proofs of their mission, and with Scriptures, and with the
light-giving Book.
Every soul shall taste of death: and you shall only receive your recompenses on the
day of resurrection. And whoso shall scape the fire, and be brought into
You shall assuredly be tried in
your possessions and in yourselves. And many hurtful things shall you assuredly
hear from those to whom the Scriptures were given before you, and from those
who join other gods with God. But if you be steadfast, and fear God -- this
verily is needed in the affairs of life.
Moreover, when God entered into
a covenant with those to whom the Scriptures had been given, and said,
"You shall surely make it known to mankind and not hide it," they
cast it behind their backs, and sold it for a sorry price! But vile is that for
which they have sold it.
Suppose not that they who
rejoice in what they have brought to pass, and love to be praised for what they
have not done -- suppose not they shall escape the chastisement. And afflictive
chastisement doth await them,
For the Kingdom of the Heavens
and the Earth is God's, and God hath power over all things.
Verily, in the creation of the
Heavens and of the Earth, and in the succession of the night and of the day,
are signs for men of understanding heart;
Who standing, and sitting, and
reclining, bear God in mind, and muse on the creation of the Heavens and of the
Earth. "O our Lord!" say they, "thou hast not created this in vain.
No. Glory be to Thee! Keep us, then, from the torment of the fire.
O our Lord! surely thou wilt put
him to shame whom thou shalt cause to enter into the Fire, and the wrong-doers
shall have none to help them.
3:190 O our
Lord! we have indeed heard the voice of one that called. He called us to the
faith -- 'Believe you on your Lord' -- and we have believed.
O our Lord! forgive us then our
sin, and hide away from us our evil deeds, and cause us to die with the
righteous.
O our Lord! and give us what
thou has promised us by thine apostles, and put us not to shame on the day of
the resurrection. Verily, Thou wilt not fail thy promise."
And their Lord answereth them,
"I will not suffer the work of him among you that worketh, whether of male
or female, to be lost. The one of you is the issue of the other.
And they who have fled their
country and quitted their homes and suffered in my cause, and have fought and
fallen, I will blot out their sins from them, and I will bring them into
gardens beneath which the streams do flow."
A recompense from God! and God!
with Him is the perfection of recompense!
Let not prosperity in the land
on the part of those who believe not, deceive thee. 'Tis but a brief enjoyment!
Then shall Hell be their abode; and wretched the bed!
But as to those who fear their
Lord -- for them are the gardens 'neath which the rivers flow: therein shall they abide for aye. Such their
reception with God -- and that which is with God is best for the righteous.
Among the people of the Book are
those who believe in God, and in what He hath sent down to you, and in what He
hath sent down to them, humbling themselves before God. they barter not the
signs of God for a mean price.
These! their recompense awaiteth
them with their Lord: aye! God is swift to
take account.
3:200 O you
who believe! be patient and vie in patience, and be firm, and fear God, that it
may be well with you.
Sura IV (4)
Women
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
O men! fear your Lord, who hath
created you of one man (nafs, soul), and of him created his wife, and from
these twain hath spread abroad so many men and women. And fear you God, in
whose name you ask mutual favours, -- reverence the wombs that bare you. Verily
is God watching over you!
And give to the orphans their
property; substitute not worthless things of your own for their valuable ones,
and devour not their property after adding it to your own; for this is a great
crime.
And if you are apprehensive that
you shall not deal fairly with orphans, then, of other women who seem good in
your eyes, marry but two, or three, or four; and if you still fear that you
shall not act equitably, then one only; or the slaves whom you have acquired: this will make justice on your part easier. Give
women their dowry freely; but if of themselves they give up aught thereof to
you, then enjoy it as convenient, and profitable.
And entrust not to the incapable
the substance which God hath placed with you for their support; but maintain
them therewith, and clothe them, and speak to them with kindly speech.
And make trial of orphans until
they reach the age of marriage; and if you perceive in them a sound judgment,
then hand over their substance to them; but consume you it not wastefully, or
by hastily entrusting it to them;
Because they are growing up. And
let the rich guardian not even touch it; and let him who is poor use it for his
support (eat of it) with discretion.
And when you make over their substance
to them, then take witnesses in their presence:
God also maketh a sufficient account.
Men ought to have a part of what
their parents and kindred leave; and women a part of what their parents and
kindred leave: whether it be little or much,
let them have a stated portion.
And when they who are of kin are
present at the division, and the orphans and the poor, let them too have a
share; and speak to them with kindly speech.
4:10 And
let those be afraid to wrong the orphans, who, should they leave behind them
weakly offspring, would be solicitous on their account. Let them, therefore,
fear god, and let them propose what is right.
Verily they who swallow the
substance of the orphan wrongfully, shall swallow down only fire into their
belies, and shall burn in the flame!
With regard to your children,
God commandeth you to give the male the portion of two females; and if they be
females more than two, then they shall have two-thirds of that which their
father hath left: but if she be an only
daughter, she shall have the half; and the father and mother of the deceased
shall each of them have a sixth part of what he hath left, if he have a child;
but if he have no child, and his parents be his heirs, then his mother shall
have a third: and if he have brethren, his
mother shall have the sixth, after paying the bequests he shall have
bequeathed, and his debts. As to your fathers, or your children, you know not
which of them is the most advantageous to you. This is the law of God. Verily,
God is Knowing, Wise!
Half of what your wives leave
shall be your's, if they have no issue; but if they have issue, then a fourth
of what they leave shall be your's, after paying the bequests they shall
bequeath, and debts.
And your wives shall have a
fourth part of what you leave, if you have no issue; but if you have issue,
then they shall have an eighth part of what you leave, after paying the
bequests y shall bequeath, and debts.
If a man or a woman make a
distant relation their heir, and he or she have a brother or a sister, each of
these two shall have a sixth; but if there are more than this, then shall they
be sharers in a third, after payment of the bequests he shall have bequeathed,
and debts.
Without loss to any one. This is
the ordinance of God, and God is Knowing, Gracious!
These are precepts of God; and
whoso obeyeth God and his prophet, him shall God bring into gardens beneath
whose shades the rivers flow, therein to abide for ever:
and this, the great blessedness!
And whoso shall rebel against
God and his apostle, and shall break His bounds, him shall God place in the
fire to abide therein for ever; and his shall be a shameful torment.
If any of your women be guilty
of whoredom, then bring four witnesses against them from among yourselves; and
if they bear witness to the fact, shut them up within their houses till death
release them, or God make some way for them.
4:20 And
if two men among you commit the same crime, then punish them both; but if they
turn and amend, then let them be; for God is He who turneth, Merciful!
With God himself will the
repentance of those who have done evil ignorantly, and then turn speedily unto
Him, but accepted. These! God will turn unto them:
for God is Knowing, Wise!
But no place of repentance shall
there be for those who do evil, until, when death is close to one of them, he
saith, "Now verily am I turned to God;" nor to those who die
unbelievers. These! we have made ready for them a grievous torment!
O believers! it is not allowed
you to be heirs of your wives against their will; nor to hinder them from
marrying, in order to take from them part of the dowry you had given them,
unless they have been guilty of undoubted lewdness; but associate kindly with
them: for if you are estranged from them,
haply you are estranged from that in which God hath placed abundant good.
Part 5
And if you be desirous to
exchange one wife for another, and have given one of them a talent, make no
deduction from it. Would you take it by slandering her, and with manifest
wrong?
How, moreover, could you take
it, when one of you hath gone in unto the other, and they have received from
you a strict bond of union?
And marry not women whom your
fathers have married: for this is a shame, and
hateful, and an evil way: -- though what is
past may be allowed.
Forbidden to you are your
mothers, and your daughters, and your sisters, and your aunts, both on the
father and mother's side, and your nieces on the brother and sister's side, and
your foster-mothers, and your foster-sisters, and the mothers of your wives, and
your step-daughters who are your wards, born of your wives to whom you have
gone in: (but if you have not gone in unto
them, it shall be no sin in you to marry them;) and the wives of your sons who
proceed out of your loins; and you may not have two sisters; except where it is
already done. Verily, God is Indulgent, Merciful!
Forbidden to you also are
married women, except those who are in your hands as slaves: This is the law of God for you. And it is allowed
you, beside this, to seek out wives by means of your wealth, with modest
conduct, and without fornication. And give those with whom you have cohabited
their dowry. This is the law. But it shall be no crime in you to make
agreements over and above the law. Verily, God is Knowing, Wise!
And whoever of you is not rich
enough to marry free believing women, then let him marry such of your believing
maidens as have fallen into your hands as slaves; God well knoweth your faith.
You are sprung the one from the other. Marry them, then, with the leave of their
masters, and give them a fair dower: but let
them be chaste and free from fornication, and not entertainers of lovers.
4:30 If
after marriage they commit adultery, then inflict upon them half the penalty
enacted for free married women. This law is for him among you who is afraid of
doing wrong: but if you abstain, it will be
better for you. And God is Lenient, Merciful.
God desireth to make this known
to you, and to guide you into the ways of those who have been before you, and
to turn Him unto you in mercy. And God is Knowing, Wise!
God desireth thus to turn him
unto you: but they who follow their own lusts,
desire that with great swerving should you swerve! God desireth to make your
burden light: for man hath been created weak.
O believers! devour not each
other's substance in mutual frivolities; unless there be a trafficking among
you by your own consent: and commit not
suicide: -- of a truth God is merciful to you.
And whoever shall do this
maliciously and wrongfully, we will in the end cast him into the fire; for this
is easy with God.
If you avoid the great sins
which you are forbidden, we will blot out your faults, and we will cause you to
enter
Covet not the gifts by which God
hath raised some of you above others. The men shall have a portion according to
their deserts, and the women according to their deserts. of God, therefore, ask
his gifts. Verily, God hath knowledge of all things.
To every one have we appointed
kindred, as heirs of which parents and relatives, and those with whom you have
joined right hands in contract, leave. Give therefore, to each their portion.
Verily, God witnesseth all things.
Men are superior to women on
account of the qualities with which God hath gifted the one above the other,
and on account of the outlay they make from their substance for them. Virtuous
women are obedient, careful, during the husband's absence, because God hath of
them been careful. But chide those for whose refractoriness you have cause to
fear; remove them into beds apart, and scourge them:
but if they are obedient to you, then seek not occasion against them: verily, God is High, Great!
And if you fear a breach between
man and wife, then send a judge chosen from his family, and a judge chosen from
her family: if they are desirous of agreement,
God will effect a reconciliation between them; verily, God is knowing, apprised
of all!
4:40
Worship God, and join not aught with Him in worship. Be good to parents, and to
kindred, and to orphans, and to the poor, and to a neighbour, whether kinsman
or new-comer, and to a fellow traveller, and to the wayfarer, and to the slaves
whom your right hands hold; verily, God loveth not the proud, the vain boaster,
Who are niggardly themselves, and
bid others be niggards, and hide away what God of his bounty hath given them.
We have made ready a shameful chastisement for the unbelievers,
And for those who bestow their
substance in alms to be seen of men, and believe not in God and in the last day.
Whoever hath Satan for his companion, an evil companion hath he!
But what blessedness would be
theirs, if they should believe in God and in the last day, and bestow alms out
of what God hath vouchsafed them; for God taketh knowledge of them!
God truly will not wrong any one
of the weight of a mote; and if there be any good deed, he will repay it
doubly; and from his presence shall be given a great recompense.
How! when we shall bring up
against them, witnesses from all peoples, and when we shall bring thee up as a
witness against these? On that day they who were Infidels and rebelled against
the prophet, shall wish that the earth were levelled with them! But nothing
shall they hide from God.
O you true believers, come not
to prayer when you are drunken, but wait till you can understand what you
utter; nor when you are polluted, unless you be travelling on the road, until
you have washed you. If you be sick, or on a journey, or have come from the
unclean place, or have touched a woman, and you find not water, then rub pure
sand, and bathe your face and your hands with it:
verily, God is Lenient, Merciful.
Hast thou not remarked those to
whom a part of the Scriptures hath been given? Vendors are they of error, and
are desirous that you go astray from the way. But God knoweth your enemies; and
God is a sufficient patron, and God is a sufficient helper!
Among the Jews are those who
displace the words of their Scriptures, and say, "We have heard, and we
have not obeyed. Hear thou, but as one that heareth not; and look at us;"
perplexing with their tongues, and wounding the Faith by their revilings.
But if they would say, "We
have heard, and we obey; hear thou, and regard us;" it were better for
them, and more right. But God hath cursed them for their unbelief. Few only of
them are believers!
4:50 O you
to whom the Scriptures have been given! believe in what we have sent down
confirmatory of the Scripture which is in your hands, ere we efface your
features, and twist your head round backward, or curse you as we cursed the
sabbath-breakers: and the command of God was
carried into effect.
Verily, God will not forgive the
union of other gods with Himself! But other that this will He forgive to whom
He pleaseth. And He who uniteth gods with God hath devised a great wickedness.
Hast thou not marked those who
hold themselves to be righteous? But God holdeth righteous whom He will; and
they shall not be wronged the husk of a date stone.
Behold how they devise a lie of
God! Therein is wickedness manifest enough!
Hast thou not observed those to
whom a part of the Scriptures hath been given? They believe in Djibt and
Thagout, and say of the infidels, "These are guided in a better path than
those who hold the faith."
These are they whom God hath
cursed: and for him whom God hath cursed, thou
shalt by no means find a helper.
Shall they have a share in the
kingdom who would not bestow on their fellow men even the speck in a date
stone?
Envy they other men what God of
his bounty hath given them? We gave of old the Scriptures and wisdom to the
line of Abraham, and we gave them a grand kingdom:
- Some of them believe on the
prophet and some turn aside from him: -- the
flame of Hell is their sufficing punishment!
Those who disbelieve our signs
we will in the end cast into the fire: so oft
as their skins shall be well burnt, we will change them for fresh skins, that
they may taste the torment. Verily God is Mighty, Wise!
4:60 But
as for those who have believed, and done the things that are right, we will
bring them into gardens 'neath which the rivers flow -- therein to abide
eternally; therein shall they have wives of stainless purity: and we will bring them into aye-shadowing shades.
Verily, God enjoineth you to
give back your trusts to their owners, and when you judge between men, to judge
with fairness. Excellent is the practice to which God exhorteth you. God
Heareth, Beholdeth!
O you who believe! obey God and
obey the apostle, and those among you invested with authority; and in in aught
you differ, bring it before God and the apostle, if you believe in God and in
the latter day. This is the best and fairest way to settlement.
Hast thou not marked those who
profess that they believe in what hath been sent down to thee, and what hath been
sent down before thee? Fain would they be judged before Thagout, though
commanded not to believe in him; and fain would Satan make them wander with
wanderings wide of truth.
And when it is said to them,
"Accede to that which God hath sent down, and to the apostle," thou
seest the hypocrites avert them from thee with utter aversion.
But how, when some misfortune
shall fortune them, for their previous handywork? Then will they come to thee,
swearing by God, "We desire nothing but to promote good and concord!"
These are they whose hearts God
knoweth. Therefore break off from them, and warn them, and speak words that may
penetrate their souls.
We have not sent any apostle but
to be obeyed, if God so will: but if they,
after they have sinner to their own hurt by unbelief, come to thee and ask
pardon of God, and the apostle ask pardon for them, they shall surely find that
God is He who turneth unto man, Merciful.
And they will not -- I sear by
thy Lord -- they will not believe, until they have set thee up as judge between
them on points where they differ. Then shall they not find in their own minds
any difficulty in thy decisions, and shall submit with entire submission.
Had we laid down such a law for
them as "Kill yourselves, or abandon your dwellings," but few of them
would have done it. But had they done that to which they were exhorted, better
had it been for them, and stronger for the confirmation of their faith.
4:70 In
that case we had surely given them from ourself a great recompense, and on the straight
path should we surely have guided them.
And whoever shall obey God and
the Apostle, these shall be with those of the Prophets, and of the Sincere, and
of the Martyrs, and of the Just, to whom God hath been gracious. These are a
goodly band!
This is the bounty of God; and
in knowledge doth God suffice.
O you who believe! make use of
precautions; and advance in detachments, or, advance in a body.
There is of you who will be a
laggard: and if a reverse befall you he saith,
"Now hath God dealt graciously with me, since I was not with you in the
fight:"
But if a success from God betide
you, he will say, as if there had never been any friendship between you and
him, "Would I had been with them! a rich prize should I have won!"
Let those then fight on the path
of God, who barter this present life for that which is to come; for whoever
fighteth on God's path, whether he be slain or conquer, we will in the end give
him a great reward.
But what hath come to you that
you fight not on the path of God, and for the weak among men, women and
children, who say, "O our Lord! bring us forth from this city whose
inhabitants are oppressors; give us a champion from thy presence; and give us
from thy presence a defender."
They who believe, fight on the
path of God; and they who believe not, fight on the path of Thagout: Fight therefore against the friends of Satan.
Verily the craft of Satan shall be powerless!
Hast thou not marked those to
whom it was said, "Withhold your hands while from war; and observe prayer,
and pay the stated alms.": But when war
is commanded them, lo! a portion of them fear men as with the fear of God, or
with a yet greater fear, and say: "O our
Lord! why hast thou commanded us war? Couldst thou not have given us respite
till our not distant end?" Say: Small the
fruition of this world; but the next life is the true good for him who feareth
God! and you shall not be wronged so much as the skin of a date stone.
4:80
Wherever you be, death will overtake you -- although you be in lofty towers! If
good fortune betide them, they say, "This is from God;" and if evil
betide them, they say, "This is from thee." Say: All is from God:
But what hath come to these people that they are not near to understanding what
is told them?
Whatever good betideth thee is
from God, and whatever betideth thee of evil is from thyself; and we have sent
thee to mankind as an apostle: God is thy
sufficing witness.
Whoso obeyeth the Apostle, in so
doing obeyeth God: and as to those who turn
back from thee, we have not sent thee to be their keeper.
Moreover, they say: "Obedience!" but when they come forth
from thy presence, a party of them brood by night over other than thy words;
but God writeth down what they brood over:
therefore separate thyself from them, and put thou thy trust in God. God is a
sufficient protector!
Can they not consider the Koran?
Were it from any other than God, they would surely have found in it many
contradictions.
And when tidings, either of
security or alarm, reach them, they tell them abroad; but if they would report
them to the apostle, and to those who are in authority among them, those who
desire information would learn it from them. But for the goodness and mercy of
God towards you, you would have followed Satan except a few!
Fight, therefore, on God's path:O lay not burdens on any but thyself; and stir up
the faithful. The might of the infidels haply will God restrain, for God is the
stronger in prowess, and the stronger to punish.
He who shall mediate between men
for a good purpose shall be the gainer by it. But he would sho mediate with an
evil mediation shall reap the fruit of it. And God keepeth watch over
everything.
If you are greeted with a
greeting, then greet you with a better greeting, or at least return it; God
taketh county of all things.
God! there is no god but He! He
will certainly assemble you on the day of resurrection. There is no doubt of
it. And whose word is more true than God's?
4:90 Why
are you two parties on the subject of the hypocrites, when God hath cast them
off for their doings? Desire you to guide those whom God hath led astray? But
for him whom God leadeth astray, thou shalt by no means find a pathway.
They desire that you should be
infidels as they are infidels, and that you should be alike. Take therefore none
of them for friends, till they have fled their homes for the cause of God. If
they turn back, then seize them, and slay them wherever you find them; but take
none of them as friends or helpers,
Except those who shall seek an
asylum among your allies, and those who come over to you -- their hearts
forbidding them to make war on you, or to make war on their own people. Had God
pleased, he would have given them power against you, and they would have made
war upon you! But, if they depart from you, and make not war against you and
offer you peace, then God alloweth you no occasion against them.
You will find others who seek to
gain your confidence as well as that of their own people: So oft as they return to sedition, they shall be overthrown in
it: But if they leave you not, nor propose
terms of peace to you nor withhold their hands, then seize them, and slay them,
wherever you find them. Over these have we given you undoubted power.
A believer killeth not a
believer but by mischance: and whoso killeth a
believer by mischance shall be bound to free a believer from slavery; and the
blood-money shall be paid to the family of the slain, unless they convert it
into alms. But if the slain believer be of a hostile people, then let him
confer freedom on a slave who is a believer; and if he be of a people between
whom and yourselves there is an alliance, then let the blood-money be paid to
his family, and let him set free a slave who is a believer: and let him who hath not the means, fast two
consecutive months. This is the penance enjoined by God; and God is Knowing,
Wise!
But whoever shall kill a
believer of set purpose, his recompense shall be hell; for ever shall he abide
in it; God shall be wrathful with him, and shall curse him, and shall get ready
for him a great torment.
O believers! when you go forth
to the fight for the cause of God, be discerning, and say not to every one who
meeteth you with a greeting, "Thou art not a believer" in your greed
after the chance good things of this present life! With God are abundant
spoils. Such hath been your wont in times past; but God hath been gracious to
you. Be discerning, then, for God well knoweth what you do.
Those believers who sit at home
free from trouble, and those who do valiantly in the cause of God with their
substance and their persons, shall not be treated alike. God hath assigned to
those who contend earnestly with their persons and with their substance, a rank
above those who sit at home. Goodly promises hath He made to all. But God hath
assigned to the strenuous a rich recompense, above those who sit still at home,
Rank of his own bestowal, and
forgiveness, and mercy; for God is Indulgent, Merciful.
The angels, when they took the
souls of those who had been unjust to their own weal, demanded, "What hath
been your state?" They said, "We were the weak ones of the
earth." They replied, "Was not God's earth broad enough for you to
flee away in?" These! their home shall be Hell, and evil the passage to it
--
4:100
Except the men and women and children who were not able, through their
weakness, to find the mean of escape, and were not guided on their way. These
haply God will forgive: for God is Forgiving,
Gracious.
Whoever flieth his country for
the cause of God, will find in the earth many under like compulsion, and
abundant resources; and if any one shall quit his home and fly to God and his
apostle, and then death overtake him, -- his reward from God is sure: for God is Gracious, Merciful!
And when you go forth to war in
the land, it shall be no crime in you to cut short your prayers, if you fear
lest the infidels come upon you; Verily, the infidels are your undoubted
enemies!
And when thou, O apostle! shalt
be among them, and shalt pray with them, then let a party of them rise up with
thee, but let them take their arms; and when they shall have made their
prostrations, let them retire to your rear:
then let another party that hath not prayed come forward, and let them pray
with you; but let them take their precautions and their arms. Pleased would the
infidels be for you to neglect your arms and your baggage, that they might turn
upon you at once! And it shall be no crime in you to lay down your arms if rain
annoy you, or if you be sick. But take your precautions. Verily, God hath made
ready a shameful torment for the infidels.
And when you shall have ended
the prayer, make mention of God, standing, and sitting, and reclining: and as soon as you are secure, observe prayer; for
to the faithful, prayer is a prescribe dduty, and for stated hours.
Slacken not in pursuit of the
foe. If you suffer, assuredly they suffer also as you suffer; but you hope from
God for what they cannot hope! And God is Knowing, Wise!
Verily, we have sent down the
Book to thee with the truth, thou that mayest judge between men according as
God hath given thee insight: But with the
deceitful ones dispute not: and implore pardon
of God. Verily, God is Forgiving, Merciful.
And plead not with us for those
who are self-deceivers; for God loveth not him who is deceitful, criminal.
From men they hide themselves;
but they cannot hide themselves from God: and
when they hold nightly discourses which please Him not, He is with them. God is
round about their doings!
Oh! you are they who plead in
their favour in this present life; but who shall plead with God for them on the
day of the resurrection? Who will be the guardian over them?
4:110 Yet
he who doth evil, or shall have acted against his own weal, and then shall ask
pardon of God, will find God Forgiving, Merciful:
And whoever committeth a crime,
committeth it to his own hurt. And God is Knowing, Wise!
And whoever committeth an
involuntary fault or a crime, and then layeth it on the innocent, shall surely
bear the guilt of calumny and of a manifest crime.
But for the grace and mercy of
God upon thee, a party among them had resolved to mislead thee, but they shall
only mislead themselves; nor in aught shall they harm thee. God hath caused the
Book and the wisdom to descend upon thee: and what
thou knowest not He hath caused thee to know:
and the grace of God toward thee hath been great.
In most of their secret talk is
nothing good; but only in his who enjoineth almsgiving, or that which is right,
or concord among men. Whoso doth this, out of desire to please God, we will
give him at the last a great reward:
But whoso shall sever himself
from the prophet after that "the guidance" hath been manifested to
him, and shall follow any other path than that of the faithful, we will turn
our back on him as he hath turned his back on us, and we will cast him into
Hell; -- an evil journey thither!
God truly will not forgive the
joining other gods with Himself. Other wins He will forgive to whom He will: but he who joineth gods with God, hath erred with
far-gone error.
They call, beside Him, upon mere
goddesses! they invoke a rebel Satan!
On them is the malison of God.
For he said, "A portion of thy servants will I surely take, and will lead
them astray, and will stir desires within them, and will command them and they
shall cut the ears of animals; and I will command them, and they shall alter
the creation of God." He who taketh Satan rather than God for his patron,
is ruined with palpable ruin:
He hath made them promises, and he
hath stirred desires within them; but Satan promiseth, only to beguile!
4:120
These! their dwelling Hell! no escape shall they find from it!
But they who believe and do the
things that are right, we will bring them into gardens beneath which the rivers
flow; For ever shall they abide therein. Truly it is the promise of God: And whose word is more sure than God's?
Not according to your wishes, or
the wishes of the people of the Book, shall these things be. He who doth evil
shall be recompensed for it. Patron or helper, beside God, shall he find none.
But whoso doth the things that
are right, whether male or female, and he or she a believer, -- these shall
enter
And who hath a better religion
than he who resigneth himself to God, who doth what is good, and followeth the
faith of Abraham in all sincerity? And God took Abraham for his friend.
All that is in the Heavens and
all that is on the Earth is God's: and God
encompasseth all things!
Moreover, they will consult thee
in regard to women: Say: God hath instructed you about them; and His will is rehearsed
to you, in the Book, concerning female orphans to whom you give not their legal
due, and whom you refuse to marry; also with regard to weak children; and that
you deal with fairness towards orphans. You cannot do a good action, but verily
God knoweth it.
And if a wife fear ill usage or
aversion on the part of her husband, then shall it be no fault in them if they
can agree with mutual agreement, for agreement is best. Men's souls are prone
to avarice; but if you act kindly and fear God, then, verily, your actions are
not unnoticed by God!
And you will not have it at all
in your power to treat your wives alike, even though you fain would do so; but
yield not wholly to disinclination, so that you leave one of them as it were in
suspense; if you come to an understanding, and fear God, then, verily, God is
Forgiving, Merciful;
But if they separate, God can
compensate both out of His abundance; for God is Vast, Wise;
4:130 And
whatever is in the Heavens and in the Earth is God's! We have already enjoined
those to whom the Scriptures were given before you, and yourselves, to fear
God. But if you become unbelievers, yet know that whatever is in the Heavens
and in the Earth is God's: and God is Rich,
Praiseworthy.
All that is in Heaven and all
that is in Earth is God's! God is a sufficient protector!
If he pleased, he could cause
you to pass away, O mankind! and create others in your stead: for this hath God power.
If any one desire the reward of
this world, yet with God is the reward of this world and of the next! And God
Heareth, Beholdeth.
O you who believe! stand fast to
justice, when you bear witness before God, though it be against yourselves, or
your parents, or your kindred, whether the party be rich or poor. God is nearer
than you to both. Therefore follow not passion, lest you swerve from truth. And
if you wrest your testimony or stand aloof, God verily is well aware of what
you do.
O you who believe! believe in
God and his Apostle, and the Book which he hath sent down to his Apostle, and
the Book which he hath sent down aforetime. Whoever believeth not on God and
his Angels and his Books and his Apostles, and in the last day, he verily hath
erred with far-gone error.
Verily, they who believed, then
became unbelievers, then believed, and against became unbelievers, and then
increased their unbelief -- it is not God who will forgive them or guide them
into the way.
Announce to the hypocrites that
a dolorous torment doth await them.
Those who take the unbelievers
for friends besides the faithful -- do they seek honour at their hands? Verily,
all honour belongeth unto God!
And already hath He sent this
down to you in the Book "WHEN YE SHALL HEAR THE SIGNS OF GOD THEY SHALL
NOT BE BELIEVED BUT SHALL BE MOCKED AT." Sit you not therefore with such,
until they engage in other discourse; otherwise, you will become like them.
Verily God will gather the hypocrites and the infidels all together in Hell.
4:140 They
watch your narrowly. Then if God grant you a victory, they say, "Are we
not with you?" and if the infidels meet with a success, they say to them,
"Were we not superior to you: and did we
not defend you from those believers?" God shall judge betwixt you on the
day of the resurrection, and God will by no means make a way for the infidels
over the believers.
The hypocrites would deceive
God, but He will deceive them! When they stand up for prayer, they stand
carelessly, to be seen of men, and they remember God but little:
Wavering between the one and the
other -- belonging neither to these nor those! and by no means shalt thou find
a path for him whom God misleadeth.
O believers! take not infidels
for friends rather than believers. Would you furnish God with clear right to
punish you?
Verily the hypocrites shall be
in the lowest abyss of the fire: and, by no
means shalt thou find a helper for them;
Save for those who turn and
amend, and lay fast hold on God, and approve the sincerity of their religion to
God; these shall be numbered with the faithful, and God will at last bestow on
the faithful a great reward.
Why should God inflict a
chastisement upon you, if you are grateful, and believe? God is Grateful, Wise!
God loveth not that evil be
matter of public talk, unless any one hath been wronged:
God it is who Heareth, Knoweth!
Part 6
Whether you publish what is
good, or conceal it, or pardon evil, verily God is Pardoning, Powerful!
Of a truth they who believe not
on God and his Apostles, and seek to separate God from his Apostles, and say,
"Some we believe, and some we believe not," and desire to take a
middle way;
4:150
These! they are veritable infidels! and for the infidels have we prepared a
shameful punishment.
And they who believe on God and
his Apostles, and make no difference between them -- these! we will bestow on
them their reward at last. God is Gracious, Merciful!
The people of the Book will ask
of thee to cause a Book to come down unto them out of Heaven. But a greater
thing that this did they ask of Moses! for they said, "Shew us God
plainly!" and for this their wickedness did the fire-storm lay hold on
them. Then took they the calf as the object of their worship, after that our
clear tokens had come to them; but we forgave them this, and conferred on Moses
undoubted power.
And we uplifted the mountain
over them when we made a covenant with them, and we said to them, "Enter
the gate adoring;" and we said to them, "Transgress not on the
Sabbath," and we received from them a strict covenant.
So, for that they have broken
their covenant, and have rejected the signs of God, and have put the prophets
to death unjustly, saying the while, "Our hearts are uncircumcised,"
-- Nay, but God hath sealed them up for their unbelief, so that but few
believe.
And for their unbelief, -- and
for their having spoken against Mary a grievous calumny, --
And for their saying,
"Verily we have slain the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, an Apostle of
God." Yet they slew him not, and they crucified him not, but they had only
his likeness. And they who differed about him were in doubt concerning him: No sure knowledge had they about him, but followed
only an opinion, and they did not really slay him, but God took him up to
Himself. And God is Mighty, Wise!
These shall not be one of the
people of the Book but shall believe in Him before his death, and in the day of
resurrection, He will be a witness against them.
For the wickedness of certain
Jews, and because they turn many from the way of God, we have forbidden them
goodly viands which had been before allowed them.
And because they have taken
usury, though they were forbidden it, and have devoured men's substance in
frivolity, we have got ready for the infidels among them a grievous torment.
4:160 But
their men of solid knowledge, and the believers who believe in that which hath
been sent down to thee, and in what hath been sent down before thee, and who
observe prayer, and pay the alms of obligation, and believe in God and the latter
day, -- these! we will give them a great reward.
Verily we have revealed to thee
as we revealed to Noah and the Prophets after him, and as we revealed to
Abraham, and Isma\uel and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and Jesus, and Job,
and Jonah, and Aaron, and Solomon; and to David gave we Psalms.
Of some apostles we have told
thee before: of other apostles we have not
told thee -- And discoursing did God discourse with Moses --
Apostles charged to announce and
to warn, that men, after those apostles, might have no plea against god. And
God is Mighty, Wise!
But God is himself witness of
what He hath sent down to thee: In His
knowledge hath He sent it down to thee. The angels are also its witnesses: but God is a sufficient witness!
Verily, they who believe not and
pervert from the way of God, have indeed erred with error wide of truth.
Verily, those who believe not,
and act wrongfully, God will never pardon, and never will he guide them on
path,
Than the path to Hell, in which
they shall abide for ever! And this is easy for God.
O men! now hath an apostle come
to you with truth from your Lord. Believe then, it will be better for you. But
if you believe not, then, all that is in the Heavens and the Earth is God's;
and God is Knowing, Wise!
O you people of the Book!
overstep not bounds in your religion; and of God, speak only truth. The
Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, is only an apostle of God, and his Word which he
conveyed into Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from himself. Believe therefore in
God and his apostles, and say not, "Three:"
(there is a Trinity) Forebear -- it will be better for you. God is only one
God! Far be it from His glory that He should have a son! His, whatever is in
the Heavens, and whatever is in
the Earth! And God is a sufficient Guardian.
4:170 The
Messiah disdaineth not to be a servant of God, nor do the angels who are nigh
unto Him.
And whoso disdaineth His
service, and is filled with pride, God will gather them all to Himself.
And to those who believe and do
the things that are right, will He pay them their due recompense, and out of
His bounty will He increase them: but as for
those who are disdainful and proud, with a grievous chastisement will He
chastise them;
And none beside God shall they
find to protect or to help them.
O men! now hath a proof come to
you from your Lord, and we have sent down to you a clear light. As to those who
believe in God, and lay fast nhold on Him, these will He cause to enter into his
mercy and grace, and along the straight way unto Himself will He guide them.
They will consult thee. Say: God instructeth you as to distant kindred. If a
man die childless, but have a sister, half what he shall have shall be her's;
and if she die childless he shall be her heir. But if there be two sisters,
two-third parts of what he shall have shall be theirs; and if there be both
brothers and sisters, the male shall have the portion of two females. God
teacheth you plainly, that you err not! God knoweth all things.
Sura V
The Table (5)
[
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful.
O BELIEVERS! be faithful to your
engagements. You are allowed the flesh of cattle other than what is hereinafter
recited, except game, which is not allowed you while you are on pilgrimage.
Verily, God ordaineth what he pleaseth.
O Believers! violate neither the
rites of God, nor the sacred month Muharram, nor the offering, nor its
ornaments, nor those who press on to the sacred house seeking favour from their
Lord and his good pleasure in them.
But when all is over, then take
to the chase: and let not ill will at those
who would have kept you from the sacred mosque lead you to transgress, but
rather be helpful to one another according to goodness and piety, but be not
helpful for evil and malice: and fear you God.
Verily, God is severe in punishing!
That which dieth of itself, and
blood, and swine's flesh, and all that hath been sacrificed under the invocation
of any other name than that of God, and the strangled, and the killed by a
blow, or by a fall, or by goring, and that which hath been eaten by beasts of
prey, unless you make it clean by giving the death-stroke yourselves, and that
which hath been sacrificed on the blocks of stone, is forbidden you: and to make division of the slain by consulting
the arrows, is impiety in you. Woe this day on those who forsake your religion!
And fear them not, but fear Me.
This day have I perfected your
religion for you, and have filled up the measure of my favours upon you: and it is my pleasure that Islam be your religion;
but whoso without wilful leanings to wrong shall be forced by hunger to
transgress, to him, verily, will God be Indulgent, Merciful.
They will ask thee what is made
lawful for them. Say: Those things which are
good are legalised to you, and the prey of beasts of chase which you have
trained like dogs, teaching them as God hath taught you. Eat, therefore, of
what they shall catch for you, and make mention of the name of God over it, and
fear God: Verily, Swift is God to reckon:
This day, things healthful are
legalised to you, and the meats of those who have received the Scriptures are
allowed to you, as your meats are to them. And you are permitted to marry
virtuous women who are believers, and virtuous women of those who have received
the Scriptures before you, when you shall have provided them their portions,
living chastely with them without fornication, and without taking concubines.
Vain the works of him who shall renounce the faith! and in the next world he
shall be of the lost.
O Believers! when you address
yourselves to prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbow, and wipe
your heads, and your feet to the ankles.
And if you have become unclean,
then purify yourselves. But if you are sick, or on a journey, or if one of you
come from the place of retirement, or if you have touched women, and you find
no water, then take clean sand and rub your faces and your hands with it. God desireth
not to lay a burden upon you, but he desireth to purify you, and He would fill
up the measure of His favour upon you, that you may be grateful.
5:10 And
remember the favour of God upon you, and His covenant which He hath covenanted
with you, when you said, "We have heard and will obey;" and fear God;
verily, God knoweth the very secrets of the breast.
O Believers! stand up as
witnesses for God by righteousness: and let
not ill-will at any, induce you not to act uprightly. Act uprightly. Next will this
be to the fear of God. And fear you God:
verily, God is apprised of what you do.
God hath promised to those who
believe, and do the things that are right, that for them is pardon and a great
reward.
But they who are Infidels and
treat our signs as lies -- these shall be mated with Hell fire.
O Believers! recollect God's
favour upon you, when certain folk were minded to stretch forth their hands
against you, but He kept their hands from you. Fear God then: and on God let the faithful trust.
Of old did God accept the
covenant of the children of
But for their breaking their
covenant we have cursed them, and have hardened their hearts. They shift the
words of Scripture from their places, and have forgotten part of what they were
taught. Thou wilt not cease to discover deceit on their part, except in a few
of them. But forgive them, and pass it over: verily,
God loveth those who act generously!
And of those who say, "We
are Christians,! have we accepted the covenant. But they too have forgotten a
part of what they were taught; wherefore we have stirred up enmity and hatred
among them that shall last till the day of the Resurrection; and in the end
will God tell them of their doings.
O people of the Scriptures! now
is our Apostle come to you to clear up to you much that you concealed of those Scriptures,
and to pass over many things. Now hath a light and a clear Book come to you
from God, by which God will guide him who shall follow after his good pleasure,
to paths of peace, and will bring them out of the darkness to the light, by his
will: and to the straight path will he guide
them.
Infidels now are they who say,
"Verily God is the Messiah Ibn Maryam (son of Mary)! Say: And who could aught obtain from God, if he chose
to destroy the Messiah Ibn Maryam, and his mother, and all who are on the earth
together?
5:20 For
with God is the sovereignty of the Heavens and of the Earth, and of all that is
between them! He createth what He will; and over all this is God potent.
Say the Jews and Christians,
"Sons are we of God and his beloved." Say:
Why then doth he chastise you for your sins? Nay! you are but a part of the men
whom he hath created! He will pardon whom he pleaseth, and chastise whom he
pleaseth, and with God is the sovereignty of the Heavens and of the Earth, and
of all that is between them, and unto Him shall all things return.
O people of the Book! now hath
our Apostle come to you to clear up to year the cessation of Apostles, lest you
should say, "There hath come to us no bearer of good tidings, nor any
warner." But now hath a bearer of good tidings and a warner reached you.
And God is Almighty.
And remember when Moses said to
his people, "O my people! call to mind the goodness of God towards you
when he appointed Prophets among you, and appointed you kings, and gave you
what never had been given before to any human beings:
Enter, O my people! the holy
land which God hath destined for you. Turn not back, lest you be overthrown to
your ruin."
They said, "O Moses!
Therein are men of might. And verily, we can by no means enter it till they be
gone forth. But if they go forth from it, then verily will we enter in."
Then said two men of those who
feared their Lord and to whom God had been gracious, "Enter in upon them
by the gate: and when you enter it, you
overcome! If you be believers, put you your trust in God."
They said, "O Moses! never
can we enter while they remain therein. Go thou and thy Lord and fight; for
here will we sit us down."
He said, "O my Lord, Verily
of none am I master but of myself and my brother:
put thou therefore a difference between us and this ungodly people."
He said, "Verily the land
shall be forbidden them forty years: they
shall wander in the earth perplexed. Fret not thyself therefore for the ungodly
people."
5:30
Relate to them exactly the story of the sons of Adam when they each offered an
offering; accepted from the one of them, and not accepted from the other. The
one said, "I will surely slay thee." Said the other, "God only
accepted from those that fear Him.
"Even if thou stretch forth
thine hand against me to slay me, I will not stretch forth my hand against thee
to slay thee. Truly I fear God the Lord of the Worlds.
"Yea, rather would I that
thou shouldest bear my sin and thine own sin, and that thou become an inmate of
the Fire: for that is the recompense of the
unjust doers."
And his passion led him to slay
his brother: and he slew him; and he became
one of those who perish.
And God sent a raven which
scratched upon the ground, to shew him how he might hide his brother's wrong.
He said: "O woe is me! am I too weak to
become like this raven, and to hide away my brother's wrong?" And he
became one of the repentant.
For this cause have we ordained
to the children of Israel that he who slayeth any one, unless it be a person
guilty of manslaughter, or of spreading disorders in the land, shall be as
though he had slain all mankind; but that he who saveth a life, shall be as
though he had saved all mankind alive.
Of old our Apostles came to them
with the proofs of their mission; then verily after this most of them committed
excesses in the land.
Only, the recompense of those
who war against god and his Apostle, and go about to commit disorders on the
earth, shall be that they shall be slain or crucified, or have their alternate
hands and feet cut off, or be banished the land:
This their disgrace in this world, and in the next a great torment shall be
theirs --
Except those who, ere you have
them in your power, shall repent; for know that God is Forgiving, Merciful.
O you who believe! fear God.
Desire union with Him. Contend earnestly on his path, that you may attain to
happiness.
5:40 As to
the infidels -- if that they had twice the riches of the earth to be their
ransom from torment on the day of resurrection, it should not be accepted from
them! And a dolorous torment shall be their's.
Fain would they come forth from
the Fire; but forth from it they shall not come:
and a lasting torment shall be their's.
As to the thief, whether man or
woman, cut you off their hands in recompense for their doings This is a penalty
by way of warning from God himself. And God is Mighty, Wise.
But whoever shall turn him to
God after this his wickedness, and amend, God truly will be turned to him: for God is Forgiving, merciful.
Knowest thou not that the
sovereignty of the Heavens and of the Earth is God"s? He chastiseth whom
He will, and whom He will He forgiveth. And God hath power over all things.
O Apostle! let not those who vie
with one another in speeding to infidelity vex this; -- of those who say with
their mouths, "We believe," but whose hearts believe not; -- of of
the Jews -- listeners to a lie -- listeners to others -- but who come not to
thee. They shift the words of the law from their places, and say, "If this
be brought to you, receive it; but if this be not brought to you, then beware
of it." For him whom God would mislead, thou canst in no wise prevail with
God! They whose hearts God shall not please to cleanse, shall suffer disgrace
in this world, and in the next a grievous punishment;
Listeners to a falsehood and
greedy devourers of the forbidden! If, therefore, they have recourse to thee,
then judge between them, or withdraw from them. If thou withdraw from them,
then can they have no power to injure thee. But if thou judge, then judge
between them with equity. Verily, God loveth those who deal equitably.
But how shall they make thee
their judge, since they possess already the Law, in which are the behests of
God, and have not obeyed it? After this, they will turn their backs; but such
are not believers.
Verily, we have sent down the
law (Towrat) wherein are guidance and light. By it did the prophets who
professed Islam judge the Jews; and the doctors and the teachers judged by that
portion of the Book of God, of which they were the keepers and the witnesses.
Therefore, O Jews! fear not men but fear Me; and barter not away my signs for a
mean price! And whoso will not judge by what God hath sent down -- such are the
Infidels.
And therein have we enacted for
them, "Life for life, and eye for eye, and nose for nose, and ear for ear,
and tooth for tooth, and for wounds retaliation:"
-- Whoso shall compromise it as alms shall have therein the expiation of his
sin; and whoso will not judge by what God hath sent down -- such are the
transgressors.
5:50 And
in the footsteps of the prophets caused we Jesus, the son of Mary, to follow,
confirming the law which was before him: and
we gave him the Evangel with its guidance and light, confirmatory of the
preceding Law; a guidance and warning to those who fear God; --
And that the people of the
Evangel may judge according to what God hath sent down therein. And whoso will
not judge by what God hath sent down -- such are the perverse.
And to thee we have sent down
the Book of the Koran with truth, confirmatory of previous Scriptures, and
their safeguard. Judge therefore between them by what God hath sent down, and
follow not their desires by deserting the truth which hath come unto thee. To
every one of you have we given a rule and a beaten track.
And if God had pleased He had
surely made you all one people; but He would test you by what He hath given to
each. Be emulous, then, in good deeds. To God shall you all return, and He will
tell you concerning the subjects of your disputes.
Wherefore do thou judge between
them, by what God hath sent down, and follow not their wishes! but he on thy
guard against them lest they beguile thee from any of those precepts which God
hath sent down to thee; and if they turn back, then know thou that for some of
their crimes doth God choose to punish them:
for truly most men are perverse.
Desire they, therefore, the
judgments of the times of (pagan) ignorance? But what better judge can there be
than God for those who believe firmly?
O Believers! take not the Jews
or Christians as friends. They are but one another's friends. If any one of you
taketh them for his friends, he surely is one of them! God will not guide the
evil doers.
So shalt thou see the diseased
at heart speed away to them, and say, "We fear lest a change of fortune
befall us." But haply God will of himself bring about some victory or
event of His own ordering: then soon will they
repent them of their secret imaginings.
Then will the faithful say,
"What! are these they who swore, by their most solemn oath, that they were
surely with you?" Vain their works; and themselves shall come to ruin.
O you who believe! should any of
you desert His religion, God will then raise up a people loved by Him, and
loving Him, lowly towards the faithful, haughty towards the Infidels. For the
cause of God will they contend, and not fear the blame of the blamer. This is
the Grace of God! On whom He will He bestoweth it! God is Vast, Omniscient!
5:60
Verily, your protector is God and His Apostle, and those who believe, who observe
prayer, and pay the alms of obligation, and who bow in worship.
And whoso take God and His
Apostle, and those who believe for friends, they truly are the people of God;
they shall have the upper hand.
O you who believe! take not such
of those who have received the Scriptures before you, as scoff and jest at your
religion, or the Infidels, for your friends, but fear God if you are believers:
Nor those who when you call to
prayer, make it an object of raillery and derision. This they do because they
are a people who understand not.
Say:
O people of the Book! do you not disavow us only because we believe in God, and
in what He hath sent down to us, and in what He hath sent down aforetime, and
because most of you are doers of ill?
Say:
Can I announce to you any retribution worse than that which awaiteth them with
God? They whom God hath cursed and with whom He hath been angry -- some of them
hath He changed into apes and swine; and they who worship Thagout are in evil
plight, and have gone far astray from the right path!
When they presented themselves
to you they said, "We believe;" but Infidels they come in unto you,
and Infidels they went forth! God well knew what they concealed.
Many of them shalt thou see
hastening together to wickedness and malice, and to eat unlawful things. Shame
on them for what they have done!
Had not their doctors and
teachers forbidden their uttering wickedness, and their eating unlawful food,
bad indeed would have been their doings!
"The hand of God," say
the Jews, "is chained up." Their own hands shall be chained up -- and
for that which they have said shall they be cursed. Nay! outstretched are both
His hands! At His own pleasure does He bestow gifts. That which hath been sent
down to thee from thy Lord will surely increase the rebellion and unbelief of
many of them; and we have put enmity and hatred between them that shall last
till the day of the Resurrection. Oft as they kindle a beacon fire for war
shall God quench it! and their aim will be to abet disorder on the earth: but God loveth not the abettors of disorder.
5:70 But
if the people of the Book believe and have the fear of God, we will surely put
away their sins from them, and will bring them into gardens of delight: and if that they observe the law and the Evangel,
and what hath been sent down to them from their Lord, they shall surely have
their fill of good things from above them and from beneath their feet. Some
there are among them who act aright; but many of them -- how evil are their
doings!
O Apostle! proclaim all that
hath been sent down to thee from thy Lord: for
it thou do it not, thou hast not proclaimed His message at all. And God will
protect thee from evil men: verily, God
guideth not the unbelievers.
Say:
O people of the Book! you have no ground to stand on, until you observe the Law
and the Evangel, and that which hath been sent down to you from your Lord. The
Book which hath been sent down to thee from thy Lord will certainly increase
the rebellion and unbelief of many of them; but, be not thou troubled for the
unbelievers.
Verily, they who believe, and
the Jews, and the Sabeites, and the Christians -- whoever of them believeth in
God and in the last day, and doth what is right, on them shall come no fear,
neither shall they be put to grief.
Of old we accepted the covenant
of the children of
And they reckoned that no harm
would come of it: -- but they became blind and
deaf! Then was God turned unto them: then many
of them again became blind and deaf! but God beheld what they did.
Infidels now are they who say,
"God is the Messiah, Son of Mary;" for the Messiah said, "O
children of
They surely are Infidels who
say, "God is the third of three:"
for there is no God but one God: and if they
refrain not from what they say, a grievous chastisement shall light on such of
them as are Infidels.
Will they not, therefore, be
turned unto God, and ask pardon of Him? since God is Forgiving, Merciful!
The Messiah, Son of Mary, is but
an Apostle; other Apostles have flourished before him; and his mother was a
just person: they both ate food. Behold! how
we make clear to them the signs! then behold how they turn aside!
5:80 Say: Will you worship, beside God, that which can
neither hurt nor help? But God! He only Heareth, Knoweth.
Say:
O people of the Book! outstep not bounds of truth in your religion; neither
follow the desires of those who have already gone astray, and who have caused
many to go astray, and have themselves gone astray from the evenness of the
way.
Part 7
Those among the children of
Thou shalt see many of them make
friends of the infidels. Evil the actions which their own passions have sent on
beforehand; for God is angry with them, and in torment shall they abide for
ever:
But, if they had believed in
God, and the Prophet, and the Koran which hath been sent down to him, they had
not taken them for their friends; but perverse are most of them.
Of all men thou wilt certainly
find the Jews, and those who join other gods with God, to be the most intense
in hatred of those who believe; and thou shalt certainly find those to be
nearest in affection to them who say, "We are Christians." This,
because some of them are priests and monks, and because they are free from pride.
And when they hear that which
hath been sent down to the Apostle, thou seest their eyes overflow with tears
at the truth they recognise therein, saying, "O our Lord! we believe;
write us down therefore with those who bear witness to it.
And why should we not believe in
God, and in the truth which hath come down to us, and crave that our Lord would
bring us into
Therefore hath God rewarded them
for these their words, with gardens 'neath which the rivers flow; they shall
abide therein for ever: this the reward of the
righteous! But they who believe not and treat our signs as lies shall be the
inmates of Hell-fire.
O you who believe! interdict not
the healthful viands which God hath allowed you; go not beyond this limit. God
loveth not those who outstep it.
5:90 And
eat of what God hath given you for food, that which is lawful and wholesome: and fear God, in whom you believe.
God will not punish you for a
mistaken word in your oaths: but he will punish
you in regard to an oath taken seriously. Its expiation shall be to feed ten
poor persons with such middling food as you feed your own families with, or to
clothe them; or to set free a captive. But he who cannot find means, shall fast
three days. This is the expiation of your oaths when you shall have sworn. Keep
then your oaths. Thus God maketh his signs clear to you, that you may give
thanks.
O believers! surely wine and
games of chance, and statues and the divining arrows, are an abomination of Satan's
work! Avoid them, that you may prosper.
Only would Satan sow hatred and
strife among you, by wine and games of chance, and turn you aside from the
remembrance of God, and from prayer: will you
not, therefore abstain from them? Obey God and obey the Apostle, and be on your
guard: but if you turn back, know that our
Apostle is only bound to deliver a plain announcement.
No blame shall attach to those
who believe and do good works, in regard to any food they have taken, in case
they fear God and believe, and do the things that are right, and shall still
fear God and believe, and shall still fear him, and do good; for God loveth
those who do good.
O you who believe! God will
surely make trial of you with such game as you may take with your hands, or your
lances, that God may know who feareth him in secret:
and whoever after this transgresseth, shall suffer a grievous chastisement.
O believers! kill no game while
you are on pilgrimage. Whosoever among you shall purposely kill it, shall
compensate for it in domestic animals of equal value (according to the judgment
of two just persons among you), to be brought as an offering to the Caaba; or
in expiation thereof shall feed the poor; or as the equivalent of this shall
fast, that he may taste the ill consequence of his deed. God forgiveth what is
past; but whoever doth it again, God will take vengeance on him; for God is
mighty and vengeance is His.
It is lawful for you to fish in
the sea, and to eat fish, as provision for you and for those who travel; but it
is unlawful for you to hunt by land while you are still on pilgrimage: fear you God, therefore, before whom you shall be
assembled.
God hath appointed the Caaba,
the sacred house, to be a station for mankind, and the sacred month, and the
offering, and its ornaments. This, that you may know that God knoweth all that
is in the heavens and on the earth, and that God hath knowledge of everything.
Know that God is severe in punishing, and that God is Forgiving, Merciful.
The Apostle is only bound to
preach: and God knoweth what you bring to
light, and what you conceal
5:100 Say: The evil and the good shall not be valued alike,
even though the abundance of evil please thee; therefore fear God, O you of
understanding! that it may be well with you.
O believers! ask us not of
things which if they were told might only pain you; but if you ask of such
things when the entire Koran shall have been sent down, they will be declared
to you: God will pardon you for this, for God
is Forgiving, Gracious. They who were before you, asked concerning such things,
and afterwards quickly disbelieved therein.
God hath not ordained anything
on the subject of Bahira, or Saiba, or Wasila, or Hami; but the unbelievers
have invented this lie against God: and most of
them had no understanding.
And when it ws said to them,
"Accede to that which God hath sent down, and to the Apostle:" they said, "Sufficient for us in the
faith in which we found our fathers." What! though their fathers knew
nothing, and had no guidance?
O believers! take heed to
yourselves. He who erreth shall not hurt you when you have the "guidance:" to God shall you all return, and He will
tell you that which you have done.
O believers! let there be
witnesses between you, when death draweth nigh to any of you, at the time of
making the testament; two witnesses -- just men from among yourselves, or two
others of a different tribe from yourselves -- if you be journeying the earth,
and the calamity of death surprise you. You shall shut them both up, after the
prayer; and if you doubt them, they shall swear by God, "We will not take
a bribe though the party be of kin to us, neither will we conceal the testimony
of God, for then we should be among the wicked."
But if it shall be made clear
that both have been guilty of a falsehood, two others of those who have
convicted them thereof, the two nearest in blood shall stand up in their place,
and they shall swear by God, "Verily our witness is more true than the
witness of these two; neither have we advanced anything untrue, for then should
we be of the unjust."
Thus will it be easier for men
to bear a true witness, or fear lest after their oath another oath be given.
Therefore fear God and hearken; for God guideth not the perverse.
One day will God assemble the
Apostles, and say, "What reply was made to you?" They shall say,
"We have no knowledge, but Thou art the Knower of Secrets."
When He shall say: O Jesus! Son of Mary! call to mind my favour upon
thee and upon thy mother, when I strengthened thee with the Holy Spirit, that
thou shouldest speak to men alike in the cradle, and when grown up; --
5:110 And
when I taught thee the Scripture, and Wisdom, and the Law, and the Evangel: and thou didst create of clay, as it were, the
figure of a bird, by my leave, and didst breathe into it, and by my leave it
became a bird, and thou didst heal the blind and the leper, by my leave; and
when, by my leave, thou didst bring forth the dead; and when I withheld the
children of Israel from thee, when thou hadst come to them with clear tokens: and such of them as believed not said, "This
is nought but plain sorcery;"
And when I revealed unto the
Apostles, "Believe on me and on my Sent One," they said, "We
believed; and bear thou witness that we are Muslims."
Remember when the Apostles said
-- "O Jesus, son of Mary! is thy Lord able to send down a furnished table
to us out of Heaven?" He said -- "Fear God if you be believers."
They said -- "We desire to
eat therefrom, and to have our hearts assured; and to know that thou hast
indeed spoken truth to us, and to be witnesses thereof."
Jesus, Son of Mary, said --
"O God, our Lord! send down a table to us out of Heaven, that it may
become a recurring festival to us, to the first of us and to the last of us,
and a sign from thee; and do thou nourish us, for thou art the best of
nourishers."
And God said -- Verily, I will
cause it to descend unto you; but whoever among you after that shall
disbelieve, I will surely chastise him with a chastisement, wherewith I will
not chastise any other creature.
And when God shall say --
"O Jesus, Son of Mary: hast thou said
unto mankind -- 'Take me and my mother as two Gods, beside God?'" He shall
say -- "Glory be unto Thee! it is not for me to say that which I know to
be not the truth; had I said that, verily thou wouldest have known it: Thou knowest what is in me, but I know not what is
in Thee; for Thou well knowest things unseen!
"I spake not to them aught
but that which thou didst bid me -- 'Worship God, my Lord and your Lord;' and I
was a witness of their actions while I stayed among them; but since thou hast
taken me to Thyself, Thou hast Thyself watched them, and Thou art witness of
all things:
"If Thou punish them, they
are Thy servants, and if Thou forgive them.... Thou, verily, art the Mighty,
the Wise!"
God will say -- This day shall
their truth advantage the truthful. Gardens shall have have 'neath which the
rivers flow, and remain therein for ever: God
is well pleased with them and they with Him. This shall be the great bliss.
5:120 Unto
God belongeth the sovereignty of the Heavens and of the Earth, and of all that
they contain; and He hath power over all things.
Sura VI
The Cattle (6)
[
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Praise be to God, who hath
created the Heavens and the Earth, and ordained the darkness and the light! Yet
unto their Lord do the infidels give peers!
He it is who created you of clay
-- then decreed the term of your life: and with
Him is another prefixed term for the resurrection. Yet have you doubts thereof!
And He is God in the Heavens and
on the Earth! He knoweth your secrets and your disclosures! and He knoweth what
you deserve.
Never did one single sign from
among the signs of their Lord come to them, but they turned away from it;
And now, after it hath reached
them, have they treated the truth itself as a lie. But in the end, a message as
to that which they have mocked, shall reach them.
See they not how many generations
we have destroyed before them? We had settled them on the earth as we have not
settled you, and we sent down the very heavens upon them in copious rains, and
we made the rivers to flow beneath their feet:
yet we destroyed them in their sins, and raised up other generations to succeed
them.
And had we sent down to thee a
Book written on parchment, and they had touched it with their hands, the
infidels had surely said, "This is nought but plain sorcery."
They say, too, "Unless an
angel be sent down to him...." But if we had sent down an angel, their
judgment would have come on them at once, and they would have had no respite:
And if we had appointed an
angel, we should certainly have appointed one in the form of a man, and we
should have clothed him before them in garments like their own.
6:10
Moreover, apostles before thee have been laughed to scorn: but that which they laughed to scorn encompassed
the mockers among them!
Say:
go through the land: then see what hath been
the end of those who treated them as liars.
Say:
Whose is all that is in the Heavens and the Earth? Say:
God's. He had imposed mercy on Himself as a law. He will surely assemble you on
the Resurrection day; there is no doubt of it. They who are the authors of
their own ruin, are they who will not believe.
His, whatsoever hath its
dwelling in the night and in the day! and He, the Hearing, the Knowing!
Say:
Other than god shall I take as Lord, maker of the Heavens and of the Earth, who
nourisheth all, and of none is nourished? Say:
Verily, I am bidden to be the first of those who surrender them to God (profess
Islam): and, be not thou of those who join
gods with God.
Say:
Verily, I fear, should I rebel against my Lord, the punishment of the great
day.
From whomsoever it shall be
averted on that day, He will have had mercy on him:
and this will be the manifest bliss.
If God touch thee with trouble,
none can take it off but He: and if He visit
thee with good -- it is He whose power is over all things;
And He is the Supreme over his
servants; and He is the Wise, the Cognisant!
Say:
What thing is weightiest in bearing witness? Say:
God is witness between me and you; and this Koran hath been revealed to me that
I should warn you by it, and all whom it shall reach,. What! will you really bear
witness that there are other gods with God? Say:
I bear no such witness. Say: Verily, He is one
God, and I truly am guiltless of what you join with Him.
6:20 They
to whom we have given the Book, recognise him (Muhammad) as they do their own
children: but they who are the authors of
their own perdition are they who will not believe.
And who more wicked than he who
inventeth a lie concerning God, or who treateth our signs as lies? Verily those
wicked ones shall not prosper.
And on "the Day" we
will gather them all together: then will we
say to those who joined gods with God, "Where are those companion-gods of
yours, as you supposed them?"
Then shall they find no other
excuse than to say, "By God our Lord! we joined not companions with
Him."
Behold! how they lie against
themselves -- and the gods of their own inventing desert them!
Some among them hearken unto
thee: but we have cast veils over their hearts
that they should not understand the Koran, and a weight into their ears: and though they should see all kinds of signs,
they will refuse all faith in them, until when they come to thee, to dispute
with thee, the infidels say, "Verily, this is nothing but fables of the
ancients."
And they will forbid it, and
depart from it: -- but they are only the authors
of their own perdition, and know it not.
If thou couldst see when they
shall be set over the fire, and shall say, "Oh! would we might be sent
back! we would not treat the signs of our Lord as lies! we would be of the
believers."
Aye! that hath become clear to
them which they before concealed; but though they should return, they would
surely go back to that which was forbidden them; for they are surely liars!
And they say, "There is no
other than our life in this world, neither shall we be raised again."
6:30 But
if thou couldest see when they shall be set before their Lord! He shall say to
them, "Is not this it in truth." They shall say, "Yea, by our
Lord!" "Taste then," saith He, "the torment, for that you
believed not!"
Lost are they who deny the
meeting with God until "the Hour" cometh suddenly upon them! Then
will they say, "Oh, our signs for past negligence of this hour!" and
they shall bear their burdens on their back! Will not that be evil with which they
shall be burdened?
The life in this world is but a
play and pastime; and better surely for men of godly fear will be the future
mansion! Will you not then comprehend?
Now know we that what they speak
vexeth thee: But it is not merely thee whom
they charge with falsehood, but the ungodly gainsay the signs of God.
Before thee have apostles
already been charged with falsehood: but they
bore the charge and the wrong with constancy, till our help came to them; --
for none can change the words of God. But this history of His Sent Ones hath
already reached thee.
But if their estrangement be
grievous to thee, and if thou art able to seek out an opening into the earth or
a ladder into Heaven, that thou mightest bring them a sign.... Yes! But if God
pleased, He would surely bring them, one and all, to the guidance! therefore be
not thou one of the ignorant.
To those only who shall lend an
ear will He make answer: as for the dead, God
will raise them up; then unto Him shall they return.
They say, "Unless a sign be
sent down to him from his Lord...." Say:
Verily, God is able to send down a sign; but the greater part of them know it
not.
No kind of beast is there on
earth nor fowl that flieth with its wings, but is a folk like you: nothing have we passed over in the Book: then unto their Lord shall they be gathered.
They who gainsay our signs are
deaf, and dumb, in darkness: God will mislead
whom He pleaseth, and whom He pleaseth He will place upon the straight path.
6:40 Say: What think you? If the punishment of God were to
come upon you, or "the Hour" were to come upon you, will you cry to
any other than God? Tell me, if you speak the truth?
Yes! to Him will you cry: and if He please He will deliver you from that you
shall cry to Him to avert, and you shall forget the partners you have joined
with Him.
Already have we sent apostles to
nations that were before thee, and we laid hold on them with troubles and with
straits in order that they might humble themselves:
Yet, when our trouble came upon
them, they did not humble themselves; but their hearts were hardened, and Satan
pre-arranged for them their course of conduct.
And when they had forgotten
their warnings, we set open to them the gates of all things, until, as they
were rejoicing in our gifts, we suddenly laid hold upon them, and lo! they were
plunged into despair.
And the uttermost part of that
impious people was cut off. All praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds!
Say:
What think you? If God should take away your hearing and your sight and set a
seal upon your hearts, what god beside God would restore them to you? See! how
we vary our wondrous verses (signs)! yet they turn away from them!
Say:
What think you? If the punishment of God come on you suddenly or foreseen,
shall any perish except the impious?
We send not our Sent Ones but as
heralds of good news and warners; and whoso shall believe and amend, on them
shall come no fear, neither shall they be sorrowful:
But whoso shall charge our signs
with falsehood, on them shall fall a punishment for their wicked doings.
6:50 Say: I say not to you, "In my possession are the
treasures of God;" neither say I, "I know things secret;"
neither do I say to you, "Verily, I am an angel:"
Only what is revealed to me do I follow. Say:
Shall the blind and the seeing be esteemed alike? Will you not then reflect?
And warn those who dread their
being gathered to their Lord, that patron or intercessor they shall have none
but Him, -- to the intent that they may fear Him!
And thrust not thou away those
who cry to their Lord at morn and even, craving to behold his face. It is not
for thee in anything to judge of their motives, nor for them in anything to
judge of thee. If thou thrust them away thou wilt be of the doers of wrong.
Thus have we made proof of some
of them by others, that they may say, "Are these they among us to whom God
hath been gracious?" Doth not God best know the thankful?
And when they who believe in our
signs come to thee, Say: Peace be upon you!
Your Lord hath laid down for himself a law of mercy; so that if any one of you
commit a fault through ignorance, and afterwards turn and amend, He surely will
be Gracious, Merciful.
Thus have we distinctly set
forth our signs, that the way of the wicked might be made known.
Say:
Forbidden am I to worship those whom you call on beside God. Say: I will not follow your wishes; for then should I
have gone astray, and should not be of the guided.
Say:
I act upon proofs from my Lord, but you treat them as falsehoods. That
punishment which you desire to be hastened is not in my power; judgment is with
God only: He will declare the truth; and He is
the best settler of disputes.
Say:
If what you would hasten on, were in my power, the matter between me and you
had been decided: but God best knoweth the
impious.
And with Him are the keys of the
secret things; none knoweth them but He: He
knoweth whatever is on the land and in the sea; and no leaf falleth but He
knoweth it; neither is there a grain in the darknesses of the earth, nor a
thing green or sere, but it is noted in a distinct writing.
6:60 It is
He who taketh your souls at night, and knoweth what you have merited in the day: then he awaketh you therein, that the set
life-term may be fulfilled: then unto Him
shall you return; and then shall he declare to you that which you have wrought.
Supreme over his servants He
sendeth forth guardians who watch over you, until, when death overtaketh any
one of you, our messengers take his soul, and fail not:
Then are they returned to God
their Lord, the True. Is not judgment His? Swiftest He, of those who take
account!
Say:
Who rescueth you from the darkness of the land and of the sea, when humbly and
secretly you cry to Him -- "If thou rescue us from this, we will surely be
of the thankful?"
Say:
God rescueth you from them, and from every strait:
yet afterwards you give Him companions!
Say:
It is He who hath power to send on you a punishment from above you, or from
beneath your feet, or to clothe you with discord, and to make some of you to taste
the violence of others. See how variously we handle the wondrous verses, that
haply they may become wise!
But thy people hath accused the
Koran of falsehood, though it be the truth:
Say: I am not in charge of you: To every prophecy is its set time, and bye-and-bye
you shall know it!
And when thou seest those who
busy themselves with cavilling at our signs, withdraw from them till they busy
themselves in some other subject: and if Satan
cause thee to forget this, sit not, after recollection, with the ungodly people:
Not that they who fear God are
to pass any judgment upon them, but the object of recollection is that they may
continue to fear Him.
And quit those who make their
religion a sport and a pastime, and whom this present life hath deceived: warn them hereby that every soul will be consigned
to doom for its own works: patron or
intercessor, beside God, shall it have none:
and could it compensate with fullest compensation, it would not be accepted
from it. They who for their deeds shall be consigned to doom -- for them are
draughts of boiling water, and a grievous torment; for that they believed not!
6:70 Say: Shall we, beside God, call upon those who can
neither help nor hurt us? Shall we turn upon our heel after that God hath
guided us? Like some bewildered man whom the Satans have spell-bound in the
desert, though his companions call him to the true guidance, with, "Come
to us!" Say: Verily, guidance from God,
that is the true guidance; and we are commanded to surrender ourselves to the
Lord of the Worlds.
And observe you the times of
prayer, and fear you God: for it is He to whom
you shall be gathered.
And it is He who hath created
the Heavens and the Earth, in truth, and when He saith to a thing,
"Be," it is.
His word is the truth: and His the kingdom, on the day when there shall
be a blast on the trumpet: He knoweth alike
the unseen and the seen: and He is the Wise,
the Cognisant.
And remember when Abraham said
to his father Azar, Takest thou images as gods? Verily, I see that thou and thy
people are in manifest error.
And thus did we shew Abraham the
kingdom of the Heavens and of the Earth, that he might be stablished in
knowledge.
And when the night overshadowed
him, he beheld a star. "This," said he, "is my Lord:" but when it set, he said, "I love not
gods which set."
And when he beheld the moon
uprising, "This," said he, "is my Lord:"
but when it set, he said, "Surely, if my Lord guide me not, I shall surely
be of those who go astray."
And when he beheld the sun
uprise, he said, "This is my Lord; this is greatest." But when it
set, he said, "O my people! I share not with you the guilt of joining gods
with God;
I turn my face to him who hath
created the Heavens and the Earth, following the right religion: I am not one of those who add gods to God.
6:80 And
his people disputed with him. -- He said:
"Dispute you with me about God, when He hath guided me? And I fear not the
deities whom you join with Him, for only by the will of my Lord have they any
power: My Lord embraceth all things in His
knowledge. Will you not then consider?
And how should I fear what you
have joined with God, since you fear not for having joined with Him that for
which He hath sent you down no warranty? Which, therefore, of the two parties
is more worthy of safety? Know you that?
They who believe, and who clothe
not their faith with error. theirs is safety, and they are guided aright."
This is our reasoning with which
we furnished Abraham against his people: We uplift
to grades of wisdom whom we will; Verily thy Lord is Wise, Knowing.
And we gave him Isaac and Jacob,
and guided both aright; and we had before guided Noah; and among the
descendants of Abraham, David and Solomon, and Job and Joseph, and Moses and Aaron: Thus do we recompense the righteous:
And Zachariah, John, Jesus, and
Elias: all were just persons:
And Ismael and Elisha and Jonas
and
And some of their fathers, and
of their offspring, and of their brethren: and
we chose them, and guided them into the straight way.
This is God's guidance: He guideth by it such of his servants as he will: But if they join other gods with Him, vain
assuredly shall be all their works.
These are they to whom we gave
the Scripture and Wisdom and Prophecy: but if
these their posterity believe not therein, we will entrust these gifts to a
people who will not disbelieve therein.
6:90 These
are they whom God hath guided: follow
therefore their guidance. Say: No pay do I ask
of you for this: Verily it is no other than
the teaching for all creatures.
No just estimate do they form of
God when they say, "Nothing hath God sent down to man." Say: Who sent down the Book which Moses brought, a
light and guidance to man, which you set down on paper, publishing part, but
concealing most; though you have now been taught that which neither you nor
your fathers knew? Say: It is God: then leave them in their pastime of cavillings.
And this Book which we have sent
down is blessed, confirming that which was before it; and in order that thou
mightest warn the mother-city and those who dwell round about it. They who
believe in the next life will believe in It, and will keep strictly to their
Prayers.
But is any more wicked than he
who deviseth a lie of God, or saith, "I have had a revelation," when
nothing was revealed to him? And who saith, "I can bring down a book like
that which God hath sent down"? But couldst thou see when the ungodly are
in the floods of death, and the angels reach forth their hands saying,
"Yield up your souls: -- this day shall
you be recompensed with a humiliating punishment for your untrue sayings about
God, and for proudly rejecting his signs!"
"And now are you come back
to us, alone, as we created you at first, and you leave behind you the good
things which we had given you, and we see not with you your intercessors whom
you regarded as the companions of God among you. There is a severance between
you now, and those whom you regarded as partners with God have deserted
you."
Verily God causeth the grain and
the date stone to put forth: He bringeth forth
the living from the dead, and the dead from the living! This is God! Why, then,
are you turned aside from Him?
He causeth the dawn to appear,
and hath ordained the night for rest, and the sun and the moon for computing
time! The ordinance of the Mighty, the Wise!
And it is He who hath ordained
the stars for you that you may be guided thereby in the darknesses of the land
and of the sea! clear have we made our signs to men of knowledge.
And it is He who hath produced
you from one man, and hath provided for you an abode and resting-place! Clear
have we made our signs for men of insight.
And it is He who sendeth down
rain from Heaven: and we bring forth by it the
buds of all the plants, and from them bring we forth the green foliage, and the
close growing grain, and palm trees with sheaths of clustering dates, and
gardens of grapes, and the olive and the pomegranate, like and unlike. Look you
on their fruits when they fruit and ripen. Truly herein are signs unto people
who believe.
6:100 Yet
have they assigned the Djinn to God as his associates, though He created them;
and in their ignorance have they falsely ascribed to him sons and daughters.
Glory be to Him! And high let Him be exalted above that which they attribute to
Him!
Sole maker of the Heavens and of
the Earth! how, when He hath no consort, should He have a son? He hath created
everything, and He knoweth everything!
This God your Lord. There is no
God but He, the creator of all things:
therefore worship Him alone; -- and He watcheth over all things.
No vision taketh in Him, but He
taketh in all vision: and He is the Subtile,
the All-informed.
Now have proofs that may be
seen, come to you from your Lord; whoso seeth them, the advantage will be his
own: and whoso is blind to them, his own will
be the loss: I am not made a keeper over you.
Thus variously do we apply our
signs, that they may say, " Thou hast studied deep:"
and that to people of understanding we may make them clear.
Follow thou that which hath been
revealed to thee by thy Lord: there is no god
but He! and withdraw from those who join other gods with Him.
Had God pleased, they had not
joined other gods with Him: and we have not
made thee keeper over them, neither art thou a guardian over them.
Revile not those whom they call
on beside God, lest they, in their ignorance, despitefully revile Him. Thus
have we planned out their actions for every people; then shall they return to
their Lord, and He will declare to them what those actions have been.
With their most solemn oath have
they sworn by God, that if a sign come unto them they will certainly believe
it; Say: Signs are in the power of God alone; and
He teacheth you not thereby, only because when they were wrought, you did not
believe.
6:110 And
we will turn their hearts and their eyes away from the truth, because they did
not believe therein at first, and we will leave them in their transgressions,
wandering in perplexity.
Part 8
And though we had sent down the
angels to them, and the dead had spoken to them, and we had gathered all things
about them in tribes, they had not believed, unless God had willed it! but most
of them do not know it.
Thus have we given an enemy to
every prophet -- Satans among men and among Djinn:
tinsel discourses do they suggest the one to the other, in order to deceive: and had they Lord willed it, they would not have
done it. Therefore, leave them and their vain imaginings --
And let the hearts of those who
believe not in the life to come incline thereto, and let them find their
content in this, and let them gain what they are gaining.
What! shall I seek other judge
than God, when it is He who hath sent down to you the distinguishing Book? They
to whom we have given the Book know that it is sent down from thy Lord with
truth. Be not thou then of those we doubt.
And the words of thy Lord are
perfect in truth and in justice: none can
change his words: He is the Hearing, Knowing.
But if thou obey most men in
this land, from the path of God will they mislead thee:
they follow but a conceit, and they are only liars.
Thy Lord! He best knoweth those
who err from his path, and He knoweth the rightly guided.
Eat of that over which the name
of God hath been pronounced, if you believe in his sings.
And why eat you not of that over
which the name of God hath been pronounced, since He hath made plain to you
what He hath forbidden you, save as to that which is forced upon you? But
indeed many mislead others by their appetites, through lack of knowledge.
Verily, thy Lord! He best knoweth the transgressors.
6:120 And
abandon the semblance of wickedness, and wickedness itself. They, verily, whose
only acquirement is iniquity, shall be rewarded for what they shall have
gained.
Eat not therefore of that on
which the name of God has not been named, for that is assuredly a crime: the Satans will indeed suggest to their votaries
to wrangle with you; but if you obey them, you will indeed be of those who join
gods with God.
Shall the dead, whom we have
quickened, and for whom we have ordained a light whereby he may walk among men,
be like him, whose likeness is in the darkness, whence he will not come forth?
Thus have the doings of the unbelievers been prepared for them.
Even so have we placed in every
city, ringleaders of its wicked ones, to scheme therein:
but only against themselves shall they scheme! and they know it not.
And when a sign cometh to them
they say, "We will not believe, till the like of what was accorded to the
apostles of God, be accorded to us." God best knoweth where to place his
mission. Disgrace with God, and a vehement punishment shall come upon the
transgressors for their crafty plottings.
And whom God shall please to
guide, that man's breast will He open to Islam; but whom He shall please to
mislead, strait and narrow will He make his breast, as though he were mounting
up into the very Heavens! Thus doth God inflict dire punishment on those who
believe not.
And this is the right way of thy
Lord. Now have we detailed our signs unto those who will consider.
For them is a dwelling of peace
with their Lord! and in recompense for their works, shall he be their
protector.
On the day whereon God shall
gather them all together... "O race of Djinn," will He say,
"much did you exact from mankind." And their votaries from among men
shall say, "O our Lord! we rendered one another mutual services: but we have reached our set term, which thou hast
set for us." He will say, "Your abode the fire! therein abide you for
ever: unless as God shall will." Verily,
thy Lord is Wise, Knowing.
Even thus we place some of the
wicked over others, as the meed of their doings.
6:130 O
race of Djinn and men! came not apostles to you from among yourselves,
rehearsing my signs to you, and warning you of the meeting of this your day?
They shall say, "We bear witness against ourselves." This world's
life deceived them; and they shall bear witness against themselves that they
were infidels: --
This, because thy Lord would not
destroy the cities in their sin, while their people were yet careless.
And for all, are grades of
recompense as the result of their deeds; and of what they do, thy Lord is not
regardless.
And thy Lord is the Rich one, full
of compassion! He can destroy you if He please, and cause whom He will to
succeed you, as he raised you up from the offspring of other people:
Verily, that which is threatened
you shall surely come to pass, neither shall you weaken its might.
Say:
O my people! Act as you best can: I verily
will act my part, and hereafter shall you know
Whose will be the recompense of
the abode! Verily, the ungodly shall not prosper.
Moreover, they set apart a
portion of the fruits and cattle which he hath produced, and say, "This is
for God" -- so deem they -- "And this for his companions, whom we
associate with Him" But that which is for these companions of theirs,
cometh not to God; yet that which is for God, cometh to the companions! Ill do
they judge.
Thus have the companion-gods
induced many of these, who join them with God, to slay their children, that
they might ruin them, and throw the cloak of confusion over their religion. But
if God had pleased, they had not done this. Therefore, leave them and their
devices.
They also say, "These
cattle and fruits are sacred: none may taste
them but whom we please:" so deem they --
"And there are cattle, whose backs should be exempt from labour." And
there are cattle over which they do not pronounce the name of God: inventing in all this a lie against Him. For their
inventions shall He reward them.
6:140 And
they say, "That which is in the wombs of these cattle is allowed to our
males, and forbidden to our wives;" but if it prove abortive, both partake
of it. God shall reward them for their distinctions! Knowing, Wise is He.
Lost are they who, in their
ignorance, have foolishly slain their children, and have forbidden that which
God hath given them for food, devising an untruth against God! Now have they
erred; and they were not rightly guided.
He it is who produceth gardens
of the vine trellised and untrellised, and the palm trees, and the corn of
various food, and olives, and pomegranates, like and unlike. East of their
fruit when they bear fruit, and pay the due thereof on the day of its
ingathering: and be no prodigal, for God
loveth not the prodigal.
And there are cattle for burdens
and for journeys. Eat of what God hath given you for food; and follow not the
steps of Satan, for he is your declared enemy.
You have four sorts of cattle in
pairs: of sheep a pair, and of goats a pair.
Say: Hath He forbidden the two males or the
two females; or that which the wombs of the two females enclose? Tell me with
knowledge, if you speak the truth:
And of camels a pair, and of
oxen a pair. Say: Hath He forbidden the two
males or the two females; or that which the wombs of the two females enclose?
Were you witnesses when God enjoined you this? Who then is more wicked that he
who, in his ignorance, inventeth a lie against God, to mislead men? God truly
guideth not the wicked.
Say:
I find not in what hath been revealed to me aught forbidden to the eater to
eat, except it be that which dieth of itself, or blood poured forth, or swine's
flesh; for this is unclean or profane, being slain in the name of other than
God. But whoso shall be a forced partaker, if it be without wilfulness, and not
in transgression, -- verily, thy Lord is Indulgent, Merciful!
To the Jews did we forbid every
beast having an entire hoof, and of both bullocks and sheep we forbade them the
fat, save what might be on their back,s or their entrails, and the fat attached
to the bone. With this have we recompensed them, because of their
transgressions: and verily, we are indeed
equitable.
If they treat thee as an
impostor, then Say: Your Lord is of
all-embracing mercy: but his severity shall
not be turned aside from the wicked.
They who add gods to God will
say, "If God had pleased, neither we nor our fathers had given him
companions, nor should we have interdicted anything.," thus did they who
flourished before them charge with imposture, until they had tasted our
severity! Say: Have you any knowledge that you
can produce to us? Verily, you follow only a conceit:
you utter only lies!
6:150 Say: Peremptory proof is God's! Had He pleased He had
guided you all aright.
Say:
Bring hither your witnesses who can witness that God hath forbidden these
animals; but if they bear witness, witness not thou with them nor witness to
the conceits of those who charge our signs with falsehood, and who believe not
in the life to come, and give equals to our Lord.
Say:
Come, I will rehearse what your Lord hath made binding on you -- that you
assign not aught to Him as partner; and that you be good to your parents; and
that you slay not your children because of poverty:
for them and for you will we provide: and that
you come not near to pollutions, outward or inward:
and that you slay not anyone whom God hath forbidden you, unless for a just
cause. This hath he enjoined on you, to the intent that you may understand.
And come not nigh to the
substance of the orphan, but to improve it, until he come of age: and use a full measure, and a just balance: We will not task a soul beyond its ability. And
when you give judgment, observe justice, even though it be the affair of a
kinsman, and fulfil the covenant of God. This hath God enjoined you for your
monition --
And, "this is my right
way." Follow it then; and follow not other paths lest you be scattered
from His path. This hath he enjoined you, that you may fear Him.
Then gave we the Book to Moses
-- complete for him who should do right, and a decision for all matters, and a
guidance, and a mercy, that they might believe in the meeting with their Lord.
Blessed, too, this Book which we
have sent down. Wherefore follow it and fear God, that you may find mercy:
Lest you should say, "The
Scriptures were indeed sent down only unto two peoples before us, but we were
not able to go deep into their studies:"
Or lest you should say, "If
a book had been sent down to us, we had surely followed the guidance better
than they." But now hath a clear exposition come to you from your Lord,
and a guidance and a mercy. Who then is more wicked than he who treateth the
signs of God as lies, and turneth aside from them? We will recompense those who
turn aside from our signs with an evil punishment, because they have turned
aside.
What wait they for, but the
coming of the angels to them, or the coming of thy Lord Himself, or that some
of the signs of thy Lord should come to pass? On the day when some of thy
Lord's signs shall come to pass, its faith shall not profit a soul which
believed not before, nor wrought good works in virtue of its faith. Say: Wait you. Verily, we will wait also.
6:160 As to
those who split up their religion and become sects, have thou nothing to do
with them: their affair is with God only.
Hereafter shall he tell them what they have done.
He who shall present himself
with good works shall receive a tenfold reward; but he who shall present
himself with evil works shall receive none other than a like punishment: and they shall not be treated unjustly.
Say:
As for me, my Lord hath guided me into a straight path; a true religion, the creed
of Abraham, the sound in faith; for he was not of those who join gods with God.
Say:
My prayers and my worship and my life and my death are unto God, Lord of the
Worlds. He hath no associate. This am I commanded, and I am the first of the
Muslims.
Say:
Shall I seek any other Lord than God, when He is Lord of all things? No soul
shall labour but for itself; and no burdened one shall bear another's burden.
At last you shall return to your Lord, and he will declare that to you about
which you differ.
And it is He who hath made you
the successors of others on the earth, and hath raised some of you above others
by various grades, that he may prove you by his gifts. Verily thy Lord is swift
to punish. But He is also Gracious, Merciful!
Sura VII (7)
Al Araf
[
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Elif. Lam. Mim. Sad.
A Book hath been sent down to
thee: therefore let there be no difficulty in
thy breast concerning it: to the intent that
thou mayest warn thereby, and that it may be a monition to the faithful.
Follow you what hath been sent
down to you from your Lord; and follow no masters beside Him. How little will
you be monished!
How many cities have we
destroyed! By night, or while they were in their midday slumber, did our wrath
reach them!
And what was their cry when our
wrath reached them, but to say, "Verily, we have been impious."
Surely, therefore, will we call
those to account, to whom an Apostle hath been sent, and of the sent ones
themselves will we certainly demand a reckoning.
And with knowledge will we tell
them of their deeds, for we were not absent from them.
The weighing on that day, with
justice! and they whose balances shall be heavy, these are they who shall be
happy.
And they whose balances shall be
light, these are they who have lost their souls, for that to our signs they
were unjust:
And now have we stablished you
on the earth, and given you therein the supports of life. How little do you
give thanks!
7:10 We
created you; then fashioned you; then said we to the angels, "Prostrate
yourselves unto Adam: and they prostrated them
all in worship, save Ebilis: He was not among
those who prostrated themselves.
To him said God: "What hath hindered thee from prostrating
thyself in worship at my bidding?" He said, "Nobler am I than he: me hast thou created of fire; of clay hast thou
created him."
He said, "Get thee down
hence:
He said, "Respite me till
the day when mankind shall be raised from the dead."
He said, "One of the
respited shalt thou be."
He said, "Now, for that
thou hast caused me to err, surely in thy straight path will I lay wait for
them:
Then I will surely come upon
them from before, and from behind, and from their right hand, and from their
left, and thou shalt not find the greater part of them to be thankful."
He said, "Go forth from it,
a scorned, a banished one! Whoever of them shall follow thee, I will surely
fill hell with you, one and all.
And, O Adam! dwell thou and thy
wife in
Then Satan whispered them to
shew them their nakedness, which had been hidden from them both. And he said,
"This tree hath your Lord forbidden you, only lest you should become
angels, or lest you should become immortals."
7:20 And
he sware to them both, "Verily I am unto you one who counselleth
aright."
So he beguiled them by deceits: and when they had tasted of the tree, their
nakedness appeared to them, and they began to sew together upon themselves the
leaves of the garden. And their Lord called to them, "Did I not forbid you
this tree, and did I not say to you, 'Verily, Satan is your declared
enemy.'"
They said, "O our Lord!
With ourselves have we dealt unjustly: if thou
forgive us not and have pity on us, we shall surely be of those who
perish."
He said, "Get you down, the
one of you an enemy to the other; and on earth shall be your dwelling, and your
provision for a season."
He said, "On it shall you
live, and on it shall you die, and from it shall you be taken forth."
O children of Adam! now have we
sent down to you raiment to hide your nakedness, and splendid garments; but the
raiment of piety -- this is best. This is one of the signs of God, that man
haply may reflect.
O children of Adam! let not
Satan bring you into trouble, as he drove forth your parents from the Garden,
by despoiling them of their raiment, that he might cause them to see their
nakedness: He truly seeth you, he and his
comrades, whence you see not them. Verily, we have made the Satans tutelars of
those who believe not.
And when the wicked commit some
filthy deed, they say, "We found our fathers practising it, and to us hath
God commanded it" -- Say: God enjoineth
not filthy deeds. Will you speak of God you know not what?
Say:
My Lord hath enjoined what is right. Turn your faces therefore towards every
place where he is worshipped, and call upon him with sincere religion. As he
created you, to him shall you return: some
hath he guided, and some hath he justly left in error, because they have taken
the Satans as their tutelars beside god, and have deemed that they were guided
aright.
O children of Adam! wear your
goodly apparel when you repair to any mosque, and eat you and drink; but exceed
not, for He loveth not those who exceed.
7:30 Say: Who hath prohibited God's goodly raiment, and the
healthful viands which He hath provided for his servants? Say: These are for the faithful in this present life,
but above all on the day of the resurrection. Thus make we our signs plain for
people of knowledge.
Say:
Truly my Lord hath forbidden filthy actions whether open or secret, and iniquity,
and unjust violence, and to associate with God that for which He hath sent down
no warranty, and to speak of God that you know not.
Every nation hath its set time.
And when their time is come, they shall not retard it an hour; and they shall
not advance it.
O children of Adam! there shall
come to Apostles from among yourselves, rehearsing my signs to you; and whoso
shall fear God and do good works, no fear shall be upon them, neither shall
they be put to grief.
But they who charge our signs
with falsehood, and turn away from them in their pride, shall be inmates of the
fire: for ever shall they abide therein.
And who is worse that he who
deviseth a lie of God, or treateth our signs as lies? To them shall a portion
here below be assigned in accordance with the Book of our decrees, until the
time when our messengers, as they receive their souls, shall say, "Where
are they on whom you called beside God?" They shall say, "Gone from
us." And they shall witness against themselves that they were infidels.
He shall say, "Enter you
into the Fire with the generations of Djinn and men who have preceded you. So
oft as a fresh generation entereth, it shall curse its sister, until when they
have all reached it, the last comes shall say to the former, 'O our Lord! these
are they who led us astray: assign them
therefore a double torment of the fire:'"
He will say, "You shall all have double." But of this are you
ignorant.
And the former of them shall say
to the latter, "What advantage have you over us? Taste you therefore the
torment for that which you have done."
Verily, they who have charged
our signs with falsehood and have turned away from them in their pride,
Heaven's gates shall not be opened to them, nor shall they enter
They shall make their bed in
Hell, and above them shall be coverings of fire! After this sort will we
recompense the evil doers.
7:40 But
as to those who have believed and done the things which are right (we will lay
on no one a burden beyond his power) These shall be inmates of
And we will remove whatever
rancour was in their bosoms: rivers shall roll
at their feet: and they shall say,
"Praise be to God who hath guided us hither! We had not been guided had
not God guided us! Of a surety the Apostles of our Lord came to us with
truth." And a voice shall cry to them, "This is
And the inmates of
Who turn men aside from the way
of God, and seek to make it crooked, and who believe not in the life to
come!"
And between them shall be a
partition; and on the wall Al Araf shall be men who will know all, by their
tokens, and they shall cry to the inmates of Paradise, "Peace be on
you!" but they shall not yet enter it, although they long to do so.
And when their eyes are turned
towards the inmates of the Fire, they shall say, "O our Lord! place us not
with the offending people."
And they who are upon Al Araf
shall cry to those whom they shall know by their tokens, "Your amassings
and your pride have availed you nothing.
Are these they on whom you sware
God would not bestow mercy? Enter you into
And the inmates of the fire
shall cry to the inmates of
Who made their religion a sport
and pastime, and whom the life of the world hath deceived." This day
therefore will we forget them, as they forgot the meeting of this their day,
and as they did deny our signs.
7:50 And
now have we brought them the Book: with
knowledge have we explained it; a guidance and a mercy to them that believe.
What have they to wait for now
but its interpretation? When its interpretation shall come, they who aforetime
were oblivious of it shall say, "The Prophets of our Lord did indeed bring
the truth; shall we have any intercessor to intercede for us? or could we not
be sent back? Then would we act otherwise that we have acted." But they
have ruined themselves; and the deities of their own devising have fled from
them!
Your Lord is God, who in six
days created the Heavens and the Earth, and then mounted the throne: He throweth the veil of night over the day: it pursueth it swiftly:
and he created the sun and the moon and the stars, subjected to laws by His
behest: Is not all creation and its empire
HIs? Blessed be God the Lord of the Worlds!
Call upon your Lord with
lowliness and in secret, for He loveth not the transgressors.
And commit not disorders on the earth
after it hath been well ordered; and call on Him with fear and longing desire: Verily the mercy of God is nigh unto the
righteous.
And He it is who sendeth forth
the winds as the heralds of his compassion, until they bring up the laden
clouds, which we drive along to some dead land and send down water thereon, by
which we cause an upgrowth of all kinds of fruit. -- Thus will we bring forth
the dead. Haply you will reflect.
In a rich soil, its plants
spring forth abundantly by the will of its Lord, and in that which is bad, they
spring forth but scantily. Thus do We diversify our signs for those who are
thankful.
Of old sent We Noah to his
people, and he said, "O my people! worship God. You have no God but Him: indeed I fear for you the chastisement of the
great day."
The chiefs of his people said,
"We clearly see that thou art in a palpable error."
He said, "There is no error
in my, O my people! but I am a messenger from the Lord of the Worlds.
7:60 I
bring to you the messages of my Lord, and I give you friendly counsel; for I
know from God what you know not.
Marvel you that a Warning should
come to you from your Lord through one of yourselves, that he may warn you, and
that you may fear for yourselves, and that haply you may find mercy?"
But they treated him as a liar: so we delivered him and those who were with him in
the ark, and we drowned those who charged our signs with falsehood; for they
were a blind people.
And to Ad we sent their brother
Houd. "O my people!" said he, "worship God: you have no other god than Him: Will you not then fear Him?"
Said the unbelieving chiefs
among his people, "We certainly perceive that thou art unsound of mind;
and we surely deem thee an impostor."
He said, "O my people! it
is not unsoundness of mind in me, but I am an Apostle from the Lord of the
Worlds.
The messages of my Lord do I
announce to you, and I am your faithful counsellor.
Marvel you that a warning hath
come to you from your Lord through one of yourselves that He may warn you?
Remember how he hath made you the successors of the people of Noah, and
increased you in tallness of stature. Remember then the favours of God, that it
may haply be well with you."
They said, "Art thou come
to us in order that we may worship one God alone, and leave what our fathers
worshipped? Then bring that upon us with which thou threatenest us, if thou be
a man of truth."
He said, "Vengeance and
wrath shall suddenly light on you from your Lord. Do you dispute with me about
names that you and your fathers have given your idols, and for which god hath
sent you down to warranty? Wait you then, and I too will wait with you."
7:70 And
we delivered him, and those who were on his side, by our mercy, and we cut off,
to the last man, those who had treated our signs as lies, and who were not
believers.
And to Themoud we sent their
brother Saleh. He said, O my people! worship God:
you have no other god than Him: now hath a
clear proof of my mission come to you from your Lord, this she-camel of God
being a sign to you: therefore let her go at
large to pasture on God's earth: and touch her
not to harm her, lest a grievous chastisement seize you.
And remember how he hath made
you successors to the Adites, and given you dwellings on the earth, so that on
its plains you build castles, and hew out houses in the hills. And bear in mind
the benefits of god, and lay not the earth waste with deeds of license.
Said the chiefs of his people
puffed up with pride, to those who were esteemed weak, even to those of them
who believed, "What! know you for certain that Saleh is sent by his
Lord?" They said, "Truly we believe in that with which he hath been
sent."
Then said those proud men,
"Verily, we reject that in which you believe."
And they ham-strung the
she-camel, and rebelled against their Lord's command, and said, "O Saleh,
let thy menaces be accomplished upon us if thou art one of the Sent Ones."
Then the earthquake surprised
them; and in the morning they were found dead on their faces in their
dwellings.
So he turned away from them, and
said, "O my people! I did indeed announce to you the message of my Lord: and I gave you faithful counsel, but you love not
faithful counsellors.
We also sent
Come you to men, instead of
women, lustfully? You are indeed a people given up to excess.
7:80 But
the only answer of his people was to say, "Turn them out of your city, for
they are men who vaunt them pure."
And we delivered him and his
family, except his wife; she was of those who lingered:
And we rained a rain upon them: and see what was the end of the wicked!
And we sent to Madian their
brother Shoaib. He said, "O my people! worship God; you have no other God
than Him: now hath a clear sign come to you
from your Lord: give therefore the full in
measures and weights; take from no man his chattels, and commit no disorder on
the earth after it has been made so good. This will be better for you, if you
will believe it.
And lay not in ambush by every
road in menacing sorts; nor mislead him who believeth in God, from His way, nor
seek to make it crooked; and remember when you were few and that he multiplied
you, and behold what hath been the end of the authors of disorder!
And if a part of you believe in
that with which I am sent, and a part of you believe not, then wait steadfastly
until God shall judge between us, for He is the best of judges."
Said the chiefs of his people
puffed up with pride, "We will surely banish thee, O Shoaib, and thy
fellow-believers from our cities, unless indeed you shall back to our
religion." "What!" said he, "though we abhor it?
Now shall we have devised a lie
concerning God, if after he hath delivered us from your religion we shall return
to it; nor can we return to it, unless by the will of God our Lord: our Lord embraceth all things in his ken. In God
have we put our trust: O our Lord! decide
between us and between our people, with truth; for the best to decide art
Thou."
Part 9
And the chiefs of his people who
believed not, said, "If you follow Shoaib, you shall then surely
perish."
An earthquake therefore
surprised them, and they were found in the morning dead on their faces, in
their dwellings.
7:90 Those
who had treat Shoaib as an impostor, became as though they had never dwelt in
them: they who treated Shoaib as an impostor,
were they that perished.
So he turned away from them and
said, O my people! I proclaimed to you the messages of my Lord, and I
counselled you aright; but how should I be grieved for a people who do not
believe?
Nor did we ever send a prophet
to any city without afflicting its people with adversity and trouble, that
haply they might humble them.
Then changed we their ill for
good, until they waxed wealthy, and said, "Of old did troubles and
blessings befall our fathers:" therefore
did we seize upon them suddenly when they were unaware.
But if that the people of these
cities had believed and feared us, we would surely have laid open to them
blessings out of the Heaven and the Earth: but
they treated our signs as lies, and we took vengeance on them for their deeds.
Were the people, therefore, of
those cities secure that our wrath would not light on them by night, while they
were slumbering?
Were the people of those cities
secure that our wrath would not light on them in broad day, while they were
disporting themselves?
Did they, therefore, deem
themselves secure from the deep counsel of God? But none deem themselves secure
from the deep counsel of God, save those who perish.
Is it not proved to those who
inherit this land after its ancient occupants, that if we please we can smite
them for their sins, and put a seal upon their hearts, that they hearken not?
We will tell thee the stories of
these cities. Their apostles came to them with clear proofs of their mission;
but they would not believe in what they had before treated as imposture. --
Thus doth God seal up the hearts of the unbelievers --
7:100 And
we found not of their covenant in most of them; but we found most of them to be
perverse.
Then after them we sent Moses
with our signs to Pharaoh and his nobles, who acted unjustly in their regard.
But see wht was the end of the corrupt doers!
And Moses said, "O Pharaoh!
verily I am an apostle from the Lord of the Worlds.
Nothing but truth is it right
for me to speak of God. Now am I come to you from your Lord with a proof of my
mission; send away, therefore, the children of
So he threw down his rod, and
lo! it distinctly became a serpent.
Then drew he forth his hand, and
lo! it was white to the beholders.
The nobles of Pharaoh's people
said, "Verily, this is an expert enchanter:
Fain would he expel you from your
land: what then do you order to be done?"
They said, "Put him and his
brother off awhle, and send round men to your cities who shall muster
And bring to thee every skilled
enchanter."
7:110 And
the enchanters came to Pharaoh. Said they, "Shall we surely be rewarded if
we prevail?"
He said, "Yes; and you
certainly shall be near my person."
They said, "O Moses! either
cast thou down thy rod first, or we will cast down ours."
He said, "Cast you
down." And when they had cast them down they enchanted the people's eyes,
and made them afraid; for they had displayed a great enchantment.
Then spake we unto Moses,
"Throw down thy rod;" and lo! it devoured their lying wonders.
So the truth was made strong,
and that which they had wrought proved vain:
And they were vanquished on the
spot, and drew back humiliated.
But the other enchanters
prostrated themselves adoring:
Said they, "We believe on
the Lord of the World,
The Lord of Moses and
Aaron."
7:120 Said
Pharoah, "Have you believed on him, ere I have given you leave? This truly
is a plot which you have plotted in this my city, in order to drive out its
people. But you shall see in the end what shall happen.
I will surely cut off your hands
and feet on opposite sides; then will I have you all crucified."
They said, "Verily, to our
Lord do we return;
And thou takest vengeance on us
only because we have believed on the signs of our Lord when they came to us.
Lord! pour out constancy upon us, and cause us to die Muslims."
Then said the chiefs of Pharaoh's
people -- "Wilt thou let Moses and his people go to spread disorders in
our land, and desert thee and thy gods?" He said, "We will cause
their male children to be slain and preserve their females alive: and verily we shall be masters over them."
Said Moses to his people,
"Cry unto God for help, and bear up patiently, for the earth is God's: to such of His servants as He pleaseth doth He
give it as a heritage; and for those that fear Him is a happy issue."
"We have been
oppressed," they said, "before thou camest to us, and since thou hast
been with us:" "Perhaps," said
he, "your Lord will destroy your enemy, and will make you his successors
in the land, and He will see how you will act therein."
Already had we chastised the
people of Pharaoh with dearth and scarcity of fruits, that haply they might
take warning:
And when good fell to their lot
they said, "This is our due." But if ill befel them, they regarded
Moses and his partisans as (the birds) of evil omen. Yet, was not their evil
omen from God? But most of them knew it not.
And they said, "Whatever
sign thou bring us for our enchantment, we will not believe on thee."
7:130 And
we sent upon them the flood and the locusts and the kummal (lice) and the frogs
and the blood, -- clear signs -- but they behaved proudly, and were a sinful
people.
And when any plague fell upon
them, they said, "O Moses! pray for us to thy Lord, according to that
which he hath covenanted with thee: Truly if
thou take off the plague from us, we will surely believe thee, and will surely
send the children of
Therefore we took vengeance on them
and drowned them in the sea, because they treated our signs as falsehoods and
were heedless of them.
And we gave to the people who
had been brought so low, the eastern and the western lands, which we had
blessed as an heritage: and the good word of thy
Lord was fulfilled on the children of Israel because they had borne up with
patience: and we destroyed the works and the
structures of Pharaoh and his people:
And we brought the children of
For the worship they practise
will be destroyed, and that which they do, is vain."
He said, "Shall I seek any
other god for you than God, when it is He who hath preferred you above all
other peoples?"
And remember when we rescued you
from the people of Pharaoh they had laid on you a cruel affliction; they slew
your sons, and let only your daughters live, and in this was a great trial from
your Lord.
And we appointed a meeting with
Moses for thirty nights, which we completed with then other nights, so that his
whole time with his Lord amounted to forty nights. Then said Moses to his
brother Aaron, "Take thou my place among my people, and act rightly, and
follow not the way of the corrupt doers."
And when Moses came at our set
time and his Lord spake with him, he said, "O Lord, shew thyself to me,
that I may look upon thee." He said, "Thou shalt not see Me; but look
towards the mount, and if it abide firm in its place, then shalt thou see
Me." And when God manifested Himself to the mountain he turned it to dust!
and Moses fell in a swoon.
7:140 And
when he came to himself, he said, "Glory be to thee! To thee do I turn in
penitence, and I am the first of them that believe."
He said, "O Moses! thee
above all men have I chosen by my commissions, and by my speaking to thee. Take
therefore what I have brought thee, and be one of those who render thanks.
And we wrote for him upon the tables
a monition concerning every matters, and said, "Receive them thyself with
steadfastness, and command thy people to receive them for the observance of its
most goodly precepts: -- I will shew you the
abode of the wicked."
The unjustly proud ones of the
earth will I turn aside from my signs, for even if they see every sign they
will n ot believe them; and if they see the path of uprightness, they will not
take it for their path, but if they see the path of error, for their pasty will
they take it.
This, -- for that they treated
our signs as lies, and were heedless of them.
Vain will be the works of those
who treated our signs, and the meeting of the life to come, as lies! Shall they
be rewarded but as they have wrought?
And the people of Moses took during
his absence a calf made of their ornaments, and ruddy like gold, and lowing.
Saw they not that it could not speak to them, nor guide them in the way?
Yet they took it for God and
became offenders!
But when they repented, and saw
that they had erred, they said, Truly if our Lord have no mercy on us, and
forgive us, we shall surely be of those who perish.
And when Moses returned to his
people, wrathful, angered, he said, "Evil is it that you have done next
upon my departure. Would you hasten on the judgments of your Lord?" And he
threw down the tables, and seized his brother by the head and dragged him unto
him. Said he, "Son of my mother! the people thought me weak, and had well
nigh slain me. Make not mine enemies to rejoice over me, and place me not among
the wrong doers."
7:150 He
said, "O Lord, forgive me and my brother, and bring us into thy mercy' for
of those who shew mercy thou art the most merciful."
Verily as to those who took the
calf as a god, wrath from their Lord shall overtake them, and shame in this
present life: for thus recompense we the
devisers of a lie.
But to those who have done evil,
then afterwards repent and believe, thy Lord will thereafter be Lenient,
Merciful.
And when the anger of Moses was
stilled, he took up the tables; and in their writing was guidance and mercy for
those who dread their Lord.
And Moses chose seventy men of
his people for a meeting appointed by us. And when the earthquake overtook
them, he said, "O my Lord! if it had been thy pleasure, thou hadst destroyed
them and me ere this! wilt thou destroy us for what our foolish ones have done?
It is nought by thy trial: thou wilt mislead
by it whom thou wilt, and guide whom thou wilt. Our guardian, thou! Forgive us
then and have mercy on us; for of those who forgive art thou the best:
And write down for us what is
good in this world, as well as in the world to come, for to thee are we
guided." He said, "My chastisement shall fall on whom I will, and my
mercy embraceth all things, and I write it down for those who shall fear me,
and pay the alms, and believe in our signs,
Who shall follow the Apostle,
the unlettered Prophet -- whom they shall find described with them in the Law
and Evangel. What is right will he enjoin them, and forbid them what is wrong,
and will allow them healthful viands and prohibit the impure, and will ease
them of their burden, and of the yokes which were upon them; and those who
shall believe in him, and strengthen him, and help him, and follow the light
which hath been sent down with him, -- these are they with whom it shall be
well."
Say to them: O men! Verily I am God's apostle to you all;
Whose is the kingdom of the
Heavens and of the Earth! There is no God but He! He maketh alive and killeth! Therefore
believe on God, and his Apostle -- the unlettered Prophet -- who believeth in
God and his word. And follow him that you may be guided aright.
And among the people of Moses
there is a certain number who guide others with truth, and practise what is
right according to it.
7:160 And
we divided the Israelites into twelve tribes, as nations; and we revealed unto
Moses when the people asked drink of him -- "Strike the rock with thy
staff:" and there gushed forth from it twelve
fountains -- the men all knew their drinking places. And we caused clouds to
overshadow them, and send down upon them the manna and the quails.... "Eat
of the good things with which we have supplied you." But it was not us
whom they injured, but they injured their own selves:
And when it was said to them,
"Dwell in this city, and eat therefrom what you will, and say
'Hittat" (forgiveness), and enter the gate with prostrations; then will we
pardon your offences -- we will give increase to the doers of good:"
But the ungodly ones among them
changed that word into another than that which had been told me: therefore sent we forth wrath out of Heaven upon
them for their wrong doings.
And ask them about the city that
stood by the sea, when its inhabitants broke the Sabbath; when their fish came
to them on their Sabbath day appearing openly, but came not to them on the day
when they kept no Sabbath. Thus did we make trial of them, for that they were
evildoers.
And when some of them said, why
warn you those whom God would destroy or chastise with terrible chastisement?
they said, For our own excuse with your Lord; and that they may fear Him.
And when they forgot their
warnings, we delivered those who had forbidden evil; and we inflicted a severe
chastisement on those who had done wrong, for that they were evil doers.
But when they proudly persisted
in that which we forbidden, we said to them, "Become scouted apes;"
and then thy Lord declared that until the day of the resurrection, he would
surely send against them (the Jews) those who should evil entreat and chastise
them: for prompt is thy Lord to punish; and He
is Forgiving, Merciful.
And we have divided them upon
the Earth as peoples: some of them are upright
and some are otherwise; and by good things and by evil things have we proved
them, to the intent that they might return to us.
And they have had successors to
succeed them: they have inherited the Book: they have received the passing good things of this
lower world, and say, "It will be forgiven us." Yet if the like good
things came to them again, they would against receive them. But hath there not
been received on their part a covenant through the Scripture that they should
speak nought of God but the truth? And yet they study its contents. But the
mansion of the next world hath more value for those who fear God -- Do you not
then comprehend? --
And who hold fast the Book, and
observe prayer: verily, we will not suffer the
reward of the righteous to perish.
7:170 And
when we shook the mount over them as if it had been a shadow, and they thought
it falling upon them... "Received, said we, with steadfastness what we
have brought you, and remember what is therein, to the end that you may fear
God."
And when thy Lord brought forth
their descendants from the reins of the sons of Adam and took them to witness
against themselves, "Am I not," said He, "your Lord?" They
said, "Yes, we witness it." This we did, lest you should say on the
day of Resurrection, "Truly, of this were we heedless, because uninformed;"
Or lest you should say,
"Our fathers, indeed, aforetime joined other gods with our God, and we are
their seed after them: wilt thou destroy us
for the doings of vain men?"
Thus make we our signs clear: that haply they may return to God.
Receite to them the history of
him to whom we vouchsafed our signs, and who departed from the, so that Satan
followed him, and he became one of the seduced.
Had we pleased, we had certainly
thereby exalted him; but he crouched to the earth and followed his own list: his likeness, hterefore, is as that of the dog
which lolls out his tongue, whether thou chase him away, or leave him alone!
Such is the likeness of those who treat our signs as lies. Tell them this tale
then, that they may consider.
Evil the likeness of those who
treat our signs as lies! and it is themselves they injure.
He whom God guideth is the
guided, and they whom he misleadeth shall be the lost.
Many, moreover, fo the Djinn and
men ahve we created for Hell. Hearts have they with which they understand not,
and eyes have they with which they see not, and ears have they with which they
hearken not. They are like the brutes: Yea,
they go more astray: these are the heedless.
Most excellent titles hath God: by these call you on Him, and stand aloof from
those who pervert his titles For what they have done shall they be repaid!
7:180 And
among those whom we have created are a people who guide others with truth, and
in accordance therewith act justly.
But as for those who treat our
signs as lies, we will gradually bring
them down by means of which they
know not:
And though I lengthen their
days, verily, my stratagem shall prove effectual.
Will they not bethink them that
their companion Muhammad is not djinn-possessed? Yes, his office is only that
of plain warner.
Will they not look forth on thr
realms of the Heaven and of the Earth, and on all things which God hath made,
to see whether haply their end by not drawing on? And in what other book will
they believe who reject the Koran?
No other guide for him whom God
shall mislead! He will leave them distraught in their wanderings.
They will ask thee of the Hour
-- for what time is its coming fixed? Say: The
knowledge of it is only with my Lord: none
shall manifest it in its time but He: it is
the burden of the Heavens and of the Earth:
not otherwise than on a sudden will it come on you.
They will ask thee as if thou
wast privy to it. Say: The knowledge of ti is
with none but God. But most men know not this.
Say:
I have no control over what may be helpful or hurtful to me, but as God
willeth. Had I the knowledge of this secrets, I should revel in the good, and
evil should not touch me. But I am only a warner, and an announcer of good
tidings to those who believe.
He it is who hath created you
from a single person, and from him brought forth his wife that he might dwell
with her: and when he had known her, she bore
a light burden, and went about with it; and when it became heavy, they both
cried to God their Lord, "If thou give us a perfect child we will surely
be of the thankful."
7:190 Yet
when God had given them a perfect child, they joined partners with Him in
return for what he had given them. But high is God above the partners they
joined with Him!
What! Will they join those with
Him who cannot create anything, and are themselves created, and have no power
to help them, or to help themselves?
And if you summon them to
"the guidance," they will not follow you! It is the same to them
whether y summon them or whether you hold your peace!
Truly they whom you call on
beside God, are, like yourselves, His servants! Call on them then, and let them
answer you, if what you say of them be true!
Have they feet to walk with?
Have they hands to hold with? Have they eyes to see with? Have they ears to
hear with? Say: Call on this joint gods of
yours; then make your plot against me, and delay it not.
Verily, my Lord is God, who hath
send down "the Book;" and He is the protector of the righteous.
But they whom you call on beside
Him, can lend you no help, nor can they help themselves:
And if you summon them to
"the guidance," they hear you not:
thou seest them look towards thee, but they do not see!
Make the best of things; and
enjoin what is just, and withdraw from the ignorant:
And if stirrings to evil from
Satan stir thee, fly thou for refuge to God:
He verily heareth, knoweth!
7:200
Verily, they who fear God, when some phantom from Satan toucheth them, remember
Him, and lo! they see clearly.
Their Brethren will only
continue them in error, and cannot preserve themselves from it.
And when thou bringest not a
verse (sign) of the Koran to them, they say, "hast thou not yet patched it
up? Say: I only follow my Lord's utterances to
me. This is a clear proof on the part of your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy
for those who believe.
And when the Koran is read, then
listen you to it and keep silence, that haply you may obtain mercy.
And think within thine own self
on God, with lowliness and with fear and without loud spoken words, at even and
at morn; and be not one of the heedless.
Verily they who are round about
thy Lord disdain not His service. They praise Him and prostrate themselves
before Him.
Sura VIII
The Spoils (8)
[
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
They will question thee about
the Spoils. Say: The spoils are God's and the
apostle's. Therefore, fear God, and settle this among yourselves; and obey God and
his apostle, if you are believers.
Believers are they only whose
hearts thrill with fear when God is named, and whose faith increaseth at each
recital of his signs, and who put their trust in their Lord;
Who observe the prayers, and
give alms out of that with which we have supplied them;
These are the believers: their due grade awaiteth them in the presence of
their Lord, and forgiveness, and a generous provision.
Remember how thy Lord caused
thee to go forth from thy home on a mission of truth, and part of the believers
were quite averse to it:
They disputed with thee about
the truth which had been made so clear, as if they were being led forth to
death, and saw it before them:
And remember when God promised
you that one of the two troops should fall to you, and you desired that they
who had no arms should fall to you: but God
purposed to prove tree the truth of his words, and to cut off the uttermost
part of the infidels;
That he might prove his truth to
be the truth, and bring nought that which is nought, though the impious were
averse to it:
When you sought succour of your
Lord, and he answered you, "I will verily aid you with a thousand angels,
rank on rank:"
8:10 And
God made this promise as pure good tidings, and to assure your hearts by it: for succour cometh from God alone! Verily God is
Mighty, Wise.
Recollect when sleep, a sign of
security from Him, fell upon you, and he sent down upon you water from Heaven
that he might thereby cleanse you, and cause the pollution of Satan to pass
from you, and that he might gird up your hearts, and stablish your feet by it:
When thy Lord spake unto the
angels, "I will be with you: therefore
stablish you the faithful. I will cast a dread into the hearts of the infidels."
Strike off their heads then, and strike off from them every finger-tip.
This, because they have opposed
God and his apostle: And whoso shall oppose
God and his apostle.... Verily, God will be severe in punishment.
"This for you! Taste it
then! and for the infidels is the tortue of the fire!"
O you who believe! when you meet
the marshalled hosts of the infidels, turn not your backs to them:
Whoso shall turn his back to
them on that day, unless he turn aside to fight, or to rally to some other troop,
shall incur wrath from God: Hell shall be his
abode and wretched the journey thither!
So it was not you who slew them,
but God slew them; and those shafts were God's not thine! He would make trial
of the faithful by a gracious trial from Himself:
Verily, God Heareth, Knoweth.
This befel, that God might also
bring to nought the craft of the infidels.
O Meccans! if you desired a
decision, now hath the decision come to you. It will be better for you if you
give over the struggle. If you return to it, we will return; and your forces,
though they be many, shall never avail you aught, for God is with the faithful.
8:20 O you
faithful! obey God and his apostle, and turn not away from Him, now that you
hear the truth;
And be not like those who say
"We hear," when they hear not;
For the vilest beasts in God's
sight, are the deaf, the dumb, who understand not.
Had God known any good in them,
he would certainly have made them hear. But even if He had made them hear, they
would certainly have turned back and withdrawn afar.
O you faithful! make answer to
the appeal of God and his apostle when he calleth you to that which giveth you
life. Know that God cometh in between a man and his own heart, and that to him
shall you be gathered.
And be afraid of temptation: the evil doers among you will not be the only ones
on whom it will light: And know you that God
is severe in punishment.
And remember when you were few,
and reputed weak in the land: you feared lest
men should pluck you away; then was it that He took you in and strengthened you
with his help, and supplied you with good things, that haply you might give
thanks.
O you who believe! deal not
falsely with God and his apostle; and be not false in your engagements, with
your own knowledge:
And know that your wealth and
your children are a temptation; and that God! with Him is a glorious
recompense.
O you who believe! if you fear
God he will make good your deliverance, and will put away your sins from you,
and will forgive you. God is of great bounteousness!
8:30 And
call to mind when the unbelievers plotted against thee, to detain thee
prisoner, or to kill thee, or to banish thee:
They plotted -- but God plotted: and of
plotters is god the best!
And oft as our signs were
rehearsed to them, they said, "Now have we heard:
if we pleased we could certainly utter its like! You, it is mere tales of the
ancients."
And when they said, "God!
if this be the very truth from before thee, rain down stones upon us from
Heaven, or lay on us some grievous chastisement."
But God chose not to chastise
them while thou wast with them, nor would God chastise them when they sued for
pardon.
But because they debarred the
faithful from the holy temple, albeit they are not its guardians, nothing is
there on their part why God should not chastise them. The Godfearing only are
its guardians; but most of them know it not.
And their prayer at the house of
God is no other than whistling through the fingers and clapping of the hands --
"Taste then the torment, for that you have been unbelievers."
The infidels spend their riches
with intent to turn men aside from the way of God:
spent it they shall; then shall sighing be upon them, and then shall they be
overcome.
And the infidels shall be
gathered together into Hell,
That God may separate the bad
from the good, and put the bad one upon the other, and heap them all up and put
them into Hell! These are they who shall be lost.
Say to the infidels: If they desist from their unbelief, what is now
past shall be forgiven them; but if they return to it, they have already before
them the doom of the ancients!
8:40 Fight
then against them till strife be at an end, and the religion be all of it
God's. If they desist, verily God beholdeth what they do:
Part 10
But if they turn their back,
know you that God is your protector: Excellent
protector! excellent helper!
And know you, that when you have
taken any booty, a fifth part belongeth to God and to the Apostle, and to the
near of kin, and to orphans, and to the poor, and to the wayfarer, if you
believe in God, and in that which we have sent down to our servant on the day
of the victory, the day of the meeting of the Hosts. Over all things is God
potent.
When you were encamped on the
near side of the valley, and they were on the further side, and the caravan was
below you, if you had made an engagement to attack, you would have failed the
engagement; but you were led into action notwithstanding, that God might
accomplish the things destined to be done:
That he who should perish might
perish with a clear token before him and that he who liveth might live with it.
And verily, God Heareth, Knoweth.
Remember when God shewed them to
thee in thy dream, as few: Had he shown them
numerous, you would certainly have become fainthearted, and would certainly
have disputed about the matter -- But from this God kept you -- He knoweth the
very secrets of the breast --
And when, on your meeting, he
made them to appear to your eyes as few, and diminished you in their eyes, that
God might carry out the thing that was to be done. To God do all things return.
Believers! when you confront a
troop, stand firm and make frequent mention of the name of God, that it may
fare well with you:
And obey God and his Apostle;
and dispute not, lest you become fainthearted and your success go from you; but
endure with steadfastness, for God is with the steadfastly enduring.
And be not like those Meccans
who came out of their houses insolently and to be seen of men, and who turn
others from the way of God: God is round about
their actions.
8:50 When
Satan prepared their works for them, and said, "No man shall conquer you
this day; and verily I will be near to help you:"
But when the two armies came in sight, he turned on his heel and said,
"Ay, I am clear of you: ay, I see what
you see now: ay, I fear God; for God is severe
in punishing."
When the hypocrites and the
diseased of heart said, "Their Religion hath misled the Muslims: But whoso putteth his trust in God.... Yes, verily
God is Mighty, Wise!
If thou didst see, when the
angels cause the infidels to die! They smite their faces and their backs, and
-- "Taste you the torture of the burning:
This, for what your hands have
sent on before you:" -- God is not unjust
to his servants.
Their state is like that of the
people of Pharaoh and of those before them who believed not in the signs of God: therefore God seized upon them in their sin! God
is Mighty, severe in punishing.
This because God changeth not the
favour with which he favoureth a people, so long as they change not what is in
their hearts; and for that God Heareth, Knoweth.
Their state is like that of the
people of Pharaoh, and of those before them who treated their Lord's signs as
lies. We therefore destroyed them in their sins, and we drowned the people of
Pharaoh; for they were all doers of wrong.
The worst beasts truly in the
sight of God are the thankless who will not believe;
They with whom thou hast
leagued, and who are ever breaking their league, and fear not God!
If thou take them in warn, then,
by the example of their fate, scatter those who shall follow them -- that they
may be warned:
8:60 Or if
thou fear treachery from any people, throw back their treaty to them as thou
fairly mayest, for God loveth not the treacherous.
And think not that the infidels
shall escape Us! They shall not weaken God.
Make ready then against them
what force you can, and strong squadrons whereby you may strike terror into the
enemy of God and your enemy, and into others beside them whom you know not, but
whom God knoweth. All that you shall expend for the cause of God shall be
repaid you; and you shall not be wronged.
And if they lean to peace, lean
thou also to it; and put thy trust in God: for
He is the Hearing, the KNowing.
But if they seek to betray thee,
God will be all-sufficient for thee. He it is who hath strengthened thee with
His help, and with the faithful, and hath made their hearts one. Hadst thou
spent all the riches of the earth, thou couldst not have united their hearts;
but God hath united them, for He is Mighty, Wise.
O prophet! God, and such of the
faithful as follow thee, will be all-sufficient for thee.
O prophet! stir up the faithful
to the fight. Twenty of you who stand firm shall vanquish two hundred: and if there be a hundred of you they shall
vanquish a thousand of the infidels, for they are a people devoid of
understanding.
Now hath God made your work
easy, for he knoweth how weak you art. If there be an hundred of you who endure
resolutely, they shall vanquish two hundred; and if there be a thousand of you,
they shall vanquish two thousand by God's permission; for God is with those who
are resolute to endure.
No prophet hath been enabled to
take captives until he had made great slaughter in the earth. You desire the
passing fruitions of this world, but God desireth the next life for you. And
God is Mighty, Wise.
Had there not been a previous
ordinance from God, a severe chastisement had befallen you, for the ransom
which you took.
8:70 Eat
therefore of the spoils you have taken what is lawful and good; and fear God: God is Gracious, Merciful.
O prophet! say to the captives
who are in your hand, "If God shall know good to be in your hearts, He
will give you good beyond all that hath been take4n
from you, and will forgive you: for God is
Forgiving, Merciful."
But if they seek to deal
treacherously with you -- they have already dealt treacherously with God
before! Therefore hath He given you power over them. God is Knowing, Wise.
Verily, they who have believed
and fled their homes and spent their substance for the cause of God, and they
who have taken in the prophet and been helpful to him, shall be near of kin the
one to the other. And they who have believed, but have not fled their homes,
shall have no rights of kindred with you at all, until they too fly their
country. Yet if they seek aid from you on account of the faith, your part it is
to give them aid, except against a people between whom and yourselves there
shall be at treaty. And God beholdeth your actions.
The infidels lend one another
mutual help. Unless you do the same, there will be discord in the land and
great corruption.
But as for those who have
believed and fled their country, and fought on the path of God, and given the
prophet an asylum, and been helpful to him, these are the faithful; Mercy is
their due and a noble provision.
And they who have believed and
fled their country since, and have fought at your side, these also are of you.
Those who are united by ties of blood are the nearest of kin to each other.
This is in the Book of God. Verily, God knoweth all things.
Sura IX
Immunity (9)
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An Immunity from God and His Apostle
to those with whom you are in league, among the Polytheist Arabs! (those who
join gods with God).
Go you therefore, at league in
the land four months: but know that God you
shall not weaken; and that those who believe not, God will put to shame --
And a proclamation on the part
of God and His Apostle to the people on the day of the greater pilgrimage, that
God is free from any engagement with the votaries of other gods with God as is
His Apostle! If, therefore, you turn to God it will be better for you; but if
you turn back, then know that you shall not weaken God:
and to those who believe not, announce thou a grievous punishment.
But this concerneth not those
Polytheists with whom you are in league, and who shall have afterwards in no
way failed you, nor aided anyone against you. Observe, therefore, engagement
with them through the whole time of their treaty:
for God loveth those who fear Him.
And when the sacred months are
passed, kill those who join other gods with God wherever you shall find them;
and seize them, besiege them, and lay wait for them with every kind of ambush: but if they shall convert, and observe prayer, and
pay the obligatory alms, then let them go their way, for God is Gracious,
Merciful.
If any one of those who join
gods with God ask an asylum of thee, grant him an asylum, that he may hear the
Word of God, and then let him reach his place of safety. This, for that they
are people devoid of knowledge.
How shall they who add gods to
God be in league with God and with His Apostle, save those with whom you made a
league at the sacred temple? So long as they are true to you, be you true to
them; for God loveth those who fear Him.
How can they? since if they
prevail against you, they will not regard in you either ties of blood or faith.
With their mouths will they content you, but their hearts will be averse. The
greater part of them are perverse doers.
They sell the signs of God for a
mean price, and turn others aside from his way:
evil is it that they do!
9:10 They
regard not in a believer either ties of blood or faith; these are the
transgressors!
Yet if they turn to God and
observe prayer, and pay the impost, then are they your brethren in religion. We
make clear our signs to those who understand.
But, if after alliance made,
they break their oaths and revile your religion, then do battle with the
ring-leaders of infidelity -- for no oaths are binding with them -- that they
may desist.
What! will you not fight against
those Meccans who have broken their oaths and aimed to expel your Apostle, and
attacked you first? Will you dread them? God is more worthy of your fear, if
you are believers.!
So make war on them: By your hands will God chastise them, and will put
them to shame, and will give you victory over them, and will heal the bosoms of
a people who believe;
And will take away the wrath of
their hearts. God will be turned unto whom He will:
and God is Knowing, Wise.
Think you that you shall be
forsaken as if God did not yet know those among you who do valiantly, and take
none for their friends beside God, and His Apostle, and the faithful? God is
well apprised of your doings.
It is not for the votaries of
other gods with God, witnesses against themselves of infidelity, to visit the
temples of God. These! vain their works: and
in the fire shall they abide for ever!
He only should visit the temples
of God who believeth in God and the last day, and observeth prayer, and payeth
the legal alms, and dreadeth none but God. These haply will be among the
rightly guided.
Do you place the giving drink to
the pilgrims, and the visitation of the sacred temple, on the same level with
him who believeth in God and the last day, and fighteth on the way of God? They
shall not be held equal by God: and God
guideth not the unrighteous.
9:20 They
who have believed, and fled their homes, and striven with their substance and
with their persons on the path of God, shall be of highest grade with God: and these are they who shall be happy!
Tidings of mercy from Himself,
and of His good pleasure, doth their Lord send them, and of gardens in which
lasting pleasure shall be theirs;
Therein shall they abide for
ever; for God! with Him is a great reward.
O believers! make not friends of
your fathers or your brethren if they love unbelief above faith: and whoso of you shall make them his friends, will
be wrong doers.
Say:
If your fathers, and your sons, and your brethren, and your wives, and your
kindred, and the wealth which you have gained, and merchandise which you fear may
be unsold, and dwellings wherein you delight, be dearer to you than God and His
Apostle and efforts on his Path, then wait until God shall Himself enter on His
work: and God guideth not the impious.
Now hath God helped you in many
battlefields, and on the day of Honein, when you prided yourselves on your
numbers; but it availed you nothing; and the earth, with all its breadth,
became too straight for you: then turned you
your backs in flight:
Then did God send down His
spirit of repose upon His Apostle, and upon the faithful, and He sent down the
hosts which you saw not, and He punished the Infidels:
This, the Infidels' reward!
Yet, after this, will God be
turned to whom He pleaseth; for God is Gracious, Merciful!
O Believers! only they who join
gods with God are unclean! Let them not, therefore, after this their year, come
near the sacred
Make war upon such of those to
whom the Scriptures have been given as believe not in God, or in the last day,
and who forbid not that which God and His Apostle have forbidden, and who
profess not the professions of the truth, until they pay tribute out of hand,
and they be humbled.
9:30 The
Jews say, "Ezra (Ozair) is a son of God"; and the Christians say,
"The Messiah is a son of God." Such the sayings in their mouths! They
resemble the saying of the Infidels of old! God do battle with them! How are
they misguided!
They take their teachers, and
their monks, and the Messiah, son of Mary, for Lords beside God, though bidden
to worship one God only. There is no God but He! Far from His glory be what
they associated with Him!
Fain would they put out God's
light with their mouths: but God only desireth
to perfect His light, albeit the Infidels abhor it.
He it is who hath sent His
Apostle with the Guidance and a religion of the truth, that He may make it
victorious over every other religion, albeit they who assign partners to God be
averse from it.
O Believers! of a truth, many of
the teachers and monks do devour man's substance in vanity, and turn them from
the Way of God. But to those who treasure up gold and silver and expend it not
in the Way of God, announce tidings of a grievous torment.
On that day their treasures
shall be heated in hell fire, and their foreheads, and their sides, and their
back, shall be branded with them.... "This is what you have treasured up
for yourselves: taste, therefore, your
treasures!"
Twelve months is the number of
months with God, according to God's book, since the day when He created the
Heavens and the Earth: of these four are
sacred: this is the right usage: But wrong not yourselves therein; attack those who
join gods with God in all, as they attack you in all:
and know that God is with those who fear Him.
To carry over a sacred month to
another, is only a growth of infidelity. The Infidels are led into error by it.
They allow it one year, and forbid it another, that they may make good the
number of months which God hath hallowed, and they allow that which God hath
prohibited. The evil of their deeds hath been prepared for them by Satan: for God guideth not the people who do not believe.
O Believers! what possessed you,
that when it was said to you, "March forth on the Way of God," you
sank heavily earthwards? What! prefer you the life of this world to the next?
But the fruition of this mundane life, in respect of that which is to come, is
but little.
Unless you march forth, with a
grievous chastisement will He chastise you; and He will place another people in
your stead, and you shall in no way harm Him:
for over everything is God potent.
9:40 If
you assist not your Prophet ... God assisted him formerly, when the unbelievers
drove him forth, in company with a second only! when they two were in the cave;
when the Prophet said to his companion, "Be not distressed; verily, God is
with us." And God sent down His tranquility upon him, and strengthened him
with hosts you saw not, and made the word of those who believed not the abased,
and the word of God was the exalted: for God
is Mighty, Wise.
March you forth the light and
heavy armed, and contend with your substance and your persons on the Way of
God. This, if you know it, will be better for you.
Had there been a near advantage
and a short journey, they would certainly have followed thee; but the way
seemed long to them. Yet will they sear by God, "Had we been able, we had
surely gone forth with you:" they are
self-destroyers! And God knoweth that they are surely liars!
God forgive there! Why didst
thou give them leave to stay behind, ere they who make true excuses had become
known to thee, and thou hadst known the liars?
They who believe in God and in
the last day will not ask leave of thee to be exempt from contending with their
substance and their persons. But God knoweth those who fear Him!
They only will ask thy leave who
believe not in God and the last day, and whose hearts are full of doubts, and
who are tossed up and down in their doubtings.
Moreover, had they been desirous
to take the field, they would have got ready for that purpose the munitions of
war. But God was averse to their marching forth, and made them laggards; and it
was said, "Sit you at home with those who sit."
Had they taken the field with
you, they would only have added a burden to you, and have hurried about among
you, stirring you up to sedition; and some there are among you who would have
listened to them: and God knoweth the evil
doers.
Of old aimed they at sedition,
and deranged thy affairs, until the truth arrived, and the behest of God became
apparent, averse from it though they were.
Some of them say to thee,
"Allow me to remain at home, and expose me not to the trial." Have
they not fallen into a trial already? But verily, Hell shall environ the
Infidels!
9:50 If a
success betide thee, it annoyeth them: but if
a reverse betide thee, they say, "We took our own measures before:" and they turn their backs and are glad.
Say:
Nothing can befall us but what God hath destined for us. Our liege-lord is He;
and on God let the faithful trust!
Say:
Await you for us, other than one of the two best things? But we await for you
the infliction of a chastisement by God, from himself, or at our hands. Wait
you then; we verily will wait with you.
Say:
Make you your offerings willingly or by constraint; it cannot be accepted from
you, because you are a wicked people:
And nothing hindreth the
acceptance of their offerings, but that they believe not in God and His
Apostle, and discharge not the duty of prayer but with sluggishness, and make
not offerings but with reluctance.
Let not, therefore, their riches
or their children amaze thee. God is only minded to punish them by means of
these, in this life present, and that their souls may depart while they are
unbelievers.
And they swear by God that they
are indeed of you, yet they are not of you, but they are people who are afraid
of you:
If they find a place of refuge,
or caves, or a hiding place, they assuredly turn towards it and haste thereto.
Some of them also defame thee in
regard to the alms; yet if a part be given them, they are content, but if no
part be given them, behold, they are angry!
Would that they were satisfied
with that which God and His Apostle had given them, and would say "God
sufficeth us! God will vouchsafe unto us of His favour, and so will His Apostle: verily until God do we make our suit!"
9:60 But
alms are only to be given to the poor and needy, and those who collect them,
and to those whose hearts are won to Islam, and for ransoms, and for debtors,
and for the cause of God, and the wayfarer. This is an ordinance from God: and God is Knowing, Wise.
There are some of them who
injure the Prophet and say, "He is all ear." Say: An ear of good to you! He believeth in God, and believeth
the believers: and is a mercy to such of you
as believe:
But they who injure the Apostle
of God, shall suffer a dolorous chastisement.
They swear to you by God to
please you; but worthier is God, and His Apostle, that they should please Him,
if they are believers.
Know they not, that for him who
opposeth God and His Apostle, is surely the fire of Hell, in which he shall
remain for ever? This is the great ignominy!
The hypocrites are afraid lest a
Sura should be sent down concerning them, to tell them plainly what is in their
hearts. Say: Scoff you; but God will bring to
light that which you are afraid of.
And if thou question them, they
will surely say, "We were only discoursing and jesting." Say: What! do you scoff at God, and His signs, and His
Apostle?
Make no excuse: from faith you have passed to infidelity! If we
forgive some of you, we will punish others:L
for that they have been evil doers.
Hypocritical men and women
imitate one another. They enjoin what is evil, and forbid what is just, and
shut up their hands. They have forgotten God, and He hath forgotten them.
Verily, the hypocrites are the perverse doers.
God promiseth the hypocritical
men and women, and the unbelievers, the fire of Hell -- therein shall they
abide -- this their sufficing portion! And God hath cursed them, and a lasting
torment shall be theirs.
9:70 You
act like those who flourished before you. Mightier were they than you in
prowess, and more abundant in wealth and children, and they enjoyed their
portion: so you also enjoy your portion, as
they were were before you enjoyed theirs; and you hold discourses like their
discourses. These! vain their works both for this world and for that which is
to come! These! they are the lost ones.
Hath not the history reached them
of those who were before them? -- of the people of Noah, and of Ad, and of
Themoud, and of the people of Abraham, and of the inhabitants of Madian, and of
the overthrown cities? Their apostles came to them with clear proofs of their
mission: God would not deal wrongly by them,
but they dealt wrongly by themselves.
The faithful of both sexes are
mutual friends: they enjoin what is just, and
forbid what is evil; they observe prayer, and pay the legal impost, and they
obey God and His Apostle. On these will God have mercy:
verily, God is Mighty, Wise.
To the faithful, both men and
women, God promiseth gardens 'neath which the rivers flow, in which they shall
abide, and goodly mansions in the gardens of
O Prophet! contend against the
infidels and the hypocrites, and be rigorous with them:
Hell shall be their dwelling place! Wretched the journey thither!
They swear by God that they said
no such thing: yet spake they the word
infidelity, and from Muslims became unbelievers! They planned what they could
not effect; and only disapproved of it because God and His Apostle had enriched
them by His bounty! If they repent it will be better for them; but if they fall
back into their sin, with a grievous chastisement will God chastise them in
this world and the next, and on earth they shall have neither friend nor
protector!
Some there are of them who made
this agreement with God -- "If truly He give us of His bounties, we will
surely give alms and surely be of the righteous."
Yet when he had vouchsafed them
of His bounty, they became covetous thereof, and turned their backs, and
withdrew afar off:
So He caused hypocrisy to take
its turn in their hearts, until the day on which they shall meet Him -- for
that they failed their promise to God, and for that they were liars!
9:80 They
who traduce such of the faithful as give their alms freely, and those who find
nothing to give but their earnings, and scoff at them, God shall scoff at them;
and there is a grievous torment in store for them.
Ask thou forgiveness for them,
or ask it not, it will be the same. If thou ask forgiveness for them seventy
times, God will by no means forgive them. This, for that they believe not in God
and His Apostle! And God guideth not the ungodly people.
They who were left at home were
delighted to stay behind God's Apostle, and were averse from contending with
their riches and their persons for the cause of God, and said, "March not
out in the heat." Say: A fiercer heat
will be the fire of Hell." Would that they understood this.
Little, therefore, let them
laugh, and much let them weep, as the meed of their doings!
If God bring thee back from the
fight to some of them, and they ask thy leave to take the field, Say: By no means shall you ever take the field with me,
and by no means shall you fight an enemy with me:
you were well pleased to sit at home at the first crisis: sit you at home, then, with those who lag behind.
Never pray thou over anyone of
them who dieth, or stand at his grave -- because they believed not in God and
His Apostle, and died in their wickedness.
Let not their riches or their
children astonish thee: through these God is
fain only to punish them in this world, and that their souls should depart
while they are still infidels.
When a Sura was sent down with
"Believe in God and go forth to war with His Apostle," those of them
who are possessed of riches demanded exemption, and said, "Allow us to be
with those who sit at home.
Well content were they to be
with those who stay behind: for a seal hath
been set on their hearts so that they understand not:
--
But the Apostle and those who
share his faith, contend for the faith with purse and person; and these! all
good things await them: and these are they who
shall be happy.
9:90 God
hath made ready for them gardens 'neath which the rivers flow, wherein they
shall remain for ever: this will be the great
bliss.
Some Arabs of the desert came
with excuses, praying exemption; and they who had gainsaid God and His Apostle
sat at home: a grievous punishment shall light
on such of them as believe not.
It shall be no crime in the
weak, and in the sick, and in those who find not the means of contributing, to
stay at home, provided they are sincere with God and His Apostle. Against those
who act virtuously, there is no cause of blame:
and God is Gracious, Merciful: --
Part 11
Nor against those, to whom when
they came to thee that thou shouldst mount them, thou didst say "I find
not wherewith to mount you," and they turned away their eyes shedding
floods of tears for grief, because they found no means to contribute.
On is there cause of blame
against those who, though they are rich, ask thee for exemption. They are
pleased to be with those who stay behind; and God hath set a seal upon their
hearts: they have no knowledge.
They will excuse themselves to
you when you come back to them. Say: Excuse
yourselves not; we cannot believe you: now
hath God informed us about you: God will
behold your doings, and so will His Apostle:
to Him who knoweth alike things hidden and things manifest shall you hereafter
be brought back: and He will tell you what you
have done.
They will adjure you by God when
you are come back to them, to withdraw from them:
Withdraw from them, then, for they are unclean:
their dwelling shall be Hell, in recompense for their deserts.
They will adjure you to take
pleasure in them; but if you take pleasure in them, God truly will take no
pleasure in those who act corruptly.
The Arabs of the desert are most
stout in unbelief and dissimulation; and likelier it is that they should be
unaware of the laws which God hath sent down to His Apostle: and God is Knowing, Wise.
Of the Arabs of the desert there
are some who reckon what they expend in the cause of God as tribute, and wait
for some change of fortune to befall you: a
change for evil shall befall them! God is the Hearer, the Knower.
9:100 And
of the Arabs of the desert, some believe in God and in the last day, and deem
those alms an approach to God and to the Apostle's prayers. Are they not their
approach? Into His mercy shall God lead them:
yes, God is Indulgent, Merciful.
As for those who led the way,
the first of the Mohadjers, and the Ansars, and those who have followed their
noble conduct, God is well pleased with them, and they with Him: He hath made ready for them gardens under whose
trees the rivers flow: to abide therein for
aye: this shall be the great bliss:
And of the Arabs of the desert
round about you, some are hypocrites: and of
the people of
Others have owned their faults, and
with an action that is right they have mixed another that is wrong. God will
haply be turned to them: for God is Forgiving,
Merciful.
Take alms of their substance,
that thou mayst cleanse and purify them thereby, and pray for them; for thy
prayers shall assure their minds: and God
Heareth, Knoweth.
Know they not that when his
servants turn to Him with repentance, God accepteth it, and that He accepteth
alms, and that God is He who turneth, the Merciful?
Say:
Work you: but God will behold your work, and
so will His Apostle, and the faithful: and you
shall be brought before Him who knoweth alike the Hidden and the Manifest, and
He will tell you of all your works.
And others await the decision of
God; whether He will punish them, or whether He will be turned unto them: but God is Knowing, Wise.
There are some who have built a
Mosque for mischief and for infidelity, and to disunite the faithful, and in
expectation of him who, in time past, warned against God and His Apostle. They
will surely sear, "Our aim was only good:"
but God is witness that they are liars.
Never set thou foot in it. There
is a Mosque founded from tis first day in piety. More worthy is it that thou
enter therein: therein are men who aspire to
purity, and God loveth the purified.
9:110 Which
of the two is best? He who hath founded his building on the fear of God and the
desire to please Him, or he who hath founded his building on the brink of an
undermined bank washed away by torrents, so that it rusheth with him into the
fire of Hell? But God guided not the doers of wrong.
Their building which they have
built will not cease to cause uneasiness in their hearts, until their hearts
are cut in pieces. God is Knowing, Wise.
Verily, of the faithful hath God
bought their persons and their substances, on condition of Paradise for them in
return: on the path of God shall they fight,
and slay, and be slain: a promise for this is
pledged in the Law, and in the Evangel, and in the Koran -- and who more
faithful to his engagement than God? Rejoice, therefore, in the contract that
you have contracted: for this shall be the
great bliss.
Those who turn to God, and those
who serve, who praise, who fast, who bow down, who prostrate themselves, who
enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil, and keep to the bounds of God...
Wherefore bear these good tidings to the faithful.
It is not for the prophet or the
faithful to pray for the forgiveness of those, even though they be of kin, who
associate other beings with God, after it hath been made clear to them that
they are to be the inmates of Hell.
For neither did Abraham ask
forgiveness for his father, but in pursuance of a promise which he had promised
to him: but when it was shewn him that he was
an enemy to God, he declared himself clear of him. Yet Abraham was pitiful,
kind.
Nor is it for God to lead a
people into error, after he hath guided them aright, until that which they
ought to dread hath been clearly shewn them. Verily, God knoweth all things.
God! His the kingdom of the
Heavens and of the Earth! He maketh alive and killeth! You have no patron or
helper save God.
Now hath God turned Him unto the
Prophet and unto the refugees (Mohadjers), and unto the helpers (Ansars), who
followed him in the hour of distress, after that the hearts of a part of them
had well nigh failed them. Then turned He unto them, for He was Kind to them,
Merciful.
He hath also turned Him unto the
three who were left behind, so that the earth, spacious as it is, became to
strait for them; and their souls became so straitened within them, that they
bethought them that there was no refuge from God but unto Himself. Then was He
turned to them, that they might be turned to Him, for God is He that turneth,
the Merciful.
9:120
Believers! fear God, and be with the sincere.
No cause had the people of
Medina and the Arabs of the desert around them, to abandon God's Apostle, or to
prefer their own lives to his; because neither thirst, nor the labour, nor
hunger, could come upon them when on path of God; neither do they step a step
which may anger the unbelievers, neither do they receive from the enemy any
damage, but it is written down to them as a good work. Verily, God suffereth
not the reward of the righteous to perish.
Nor give they alms either small
or great, nor traverse they a torrent, but it is thus reckoned to them; that
God may reward them with better than they have wrought.
The faithful must not march
forth all together to the wars: and if a party
of every band of them march not out, it is that they may instruct themselves in
their religion, and may warn their people when they come back to them, that
they take heed to themselves.
Believers! wage war against such
of the infidels as are your neighbours, and let them find you rigorous: and know that God is with those who fear him.
Whenever a Sura is sent down,
there are some of them who say, "Whose faith hath it increased?" It
will increase the faith of those who believe, and they shall rejoice.
But as to those in whose hearts
is a disease, it will add doubt to their doubt, and they shall die infidels.
Do they not see that they are
proved every year once or twice? Yet they turn not, neither are they warned.
And whenever a Sura is sent
down, they look at one another.... "Doth any one see you?" then turn
they aside. God shall turn their hearts aside, because they are a people devoid
of understanding.
Now hath an Apostle come unto
you from among yourselves: your iniquities
press heavily upon him. He is careful over you, and towards the faithful,
compassionate, merciful.
9:130 If
they turn away, Say: God sufficeth me: there is no God but He. In Him put I my trust. He
is the possessor of the Glorious Throne!
Sura X
Jonah, Peace Be On Him!
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Elif. Lam. Ra.
These are the signs of the wise
Book!
A matter of wonderment is it to
the men of
Verily your Lord is God who hath
made the Heavens and the Earth in six days -- then mounted his throne to rule
all things: None can intercede with him till
after his permission: This is God, your Lord: therefore serve him:
Will you not reflect?
Unto Him shall you return, all
together: the promise of God is sure: He produceth a creature, then causeth it to return
again -- that he may reward those who believe and do the things that are right,
with equity: but as for the infidels! -- for
them the draught that boileth and an afflictive torment -- because they have
not believed.
It is He who hath appointed the
sun for brightness, and the moon for a light, and hath ordained her stations
that you may learn the number of years and the reckoning of time. God hath not
created all this but for the truth. He maketh his signs clear to those who
understand.
Verily, in the alternations of
night and of day, and in all that God hath created in the Heavens and in the
Earth are signs to those who fear Him.
Verily, they who hope not to
meet Us, and find their satisfaction in this world's life, and rest on it, and
who of our signs are heedless; --
These! their abode the fire, in
recompense of their deeds!
But they who believe and do the
things that are right, shall their Lord direct aright because of their faith.
Rivers shall flow at their feet in gardens of delight:
10:10 Their
cry therein, "Glory be to thee, O God!" and their salutation therein,
"Peace!"
And the close of their cry,
"Praise be to God, Lord of all creatures!"
Should God hasten evil on men as
they fain would hasten their good, then were their end decreed! So leave we
those who hope not to meet Us, bewildered in their error.
When trouble toucheth a man, he
crieth to us, on his side, or sitting, or standing; and we we withdraw his
trouble from him, he passeth on as though he had not called on us against the
trouble which touched him! Thus are the deeds of transgressors pre-arranged for
them.
And of old destroyed we
generations before you, when they had acted wickedly, and their Apostles had
come to them with clear tokens of their mission, and they would not believe: -- thus reward we the wicked.
Then we caused you to succeed
them on the earth, that we might see how you would act.
But when our clear signs are
recited to them, they who look not forward to meet Us, say, "Bring a
different Koran from this, or make some change in it." Say: It is not for me to change it as mine own soul
prompteth. I follow only what is revealed to me:
verily, I fear, if I rebel against my Lord, the
punishment of a great day.
Say:
Had God so pleased, I had not recited it to you, neither had I taught it to
you. Already have I dwelt among you for years, ere it was revealed to me.
Understand you not?
And who is more unjust than he
who coineth a lie against God, or treateth his signs as lies? Surely the wicked
shall not prosper!
And they worship beside God,
what cannot hurt or help them; and say, "These are our advocates with
God!" Say: Will you inform God of aught
in the Heavens and in the Earth which he knoweth not? Praise be to Him! High be
He exalted above the deities they join with Him!
10:20 Men
were of one religion only: then they fell to
variance: and had not a decree (of respite)
previously gone forth from thy Lord, their differences had surely been decided
between them!
They say:
"Unless a sign be sent down to him from his Lord..." But Say: The hidden is only with God: wait therefore: I truly will
be with you among those who wait.
And when after a trouble which
had befallen them, we caused this people to taste of mercy, lo! a plot on their
part against our signs! Say: Swifter to plot
is God! Verily, our messengers note down your plottings.
He it is who enableth you to
travel by land and sea, so that you go on board of ships -- which sail on with
them, with favouring breeze in which they rejoice. But if a tempestuous gale
overtake them, and the billow come on them from every side, and they think that
they are encompassed therewith, they call on God, professing sincere religion: -- "Wouldst thou but rescue us from this,
then will we indeed be of the thankful."
But when we have rescued them,
lo! they commit unrighteous excesses on the earth! O men! assuredly your
self-injuring excess is only an enjoyment of this life present: soon you return to us:
and we will let you know what you have done!
Verily, this present life is
like the water which we send down from Heaven, and the produce of the earth, of
which men and cattle eat, is mingled with it, till the earth hath received its
golden raiment, and is decked out: and they
who dwell on it deem that they have power over it! but, Our behest cometh to it
by night or by day, and we make it as if it had been mown, as if it had not
teemed only yesterday! Thus make we our signs clear to those who consider.
And God calleth to the abode of
peace; and He guideth whom He will into the right way.
Goodness itself and an increase
of it for those who do good! neither blackness nor shame shall cover their
faces! These shall be the inmates of
And as for those who have
wrought out evil, their recompense shall be evil of like degree, and shame
shall cover them -- no protector shall they have against God: as though their faces were darkened with deep murk
of night! These shall be inmates of the fire:
therein they shall abide for ever.
And on that day will we gather
them all together: then will we say to those
who added gods to God, "To your place, you and those added gods of
yours!" Then we will separate between them:
and those their gods shall say, "You served us not:
10:30 And
God is a sufficient witness between us and you:
we cared not aught for your worship."
There shall every soul make
proof of what itself shall have sent on before, and they shall be brought back
to God, their true lord, and the deities of their own devising shall vanish
from them.
Say:
Who supplieth you from the Heaven and the Earth? Who hath pwoer over hearing
and sight? And who bringeth forth the living from the dead, and bringeth forth
the dead from the living? And who ruleth all things? They will surely say,
"God:" then Say: "What! will you not therefore fear him?
This God then is your truth Lord: and when the truth is gone, what remaineth but
error? How then are you so peverted?
Thus is the word of thy Lord
made good on the wicked, that they shall not believe.
Say:
Is there any of the gods whom you add to God who produceth a creature, then
causeth it to return to him? Say: God
produceth a creature, then causeth it to return to Him:
How therefore are you turned aside?
Say:
Is there any of the gods you add to God who guideth into the turth? Say: God guideth into the truth. Is He then who guideth
into the truth the more worthy to be followed, or he who guideth not unless he
be himself guided? What then hath befallen you that you so judge?
And most of them follow only a
conceit: -- But a conceit attaineth to nought
of truth! Verily God knoweth what they say.
Moreover this Koran could not
have been devised by any but God: but it
confirmeth what was revealed before it, and is a clearing up of the Scriptures
- there is no doubt thereof -- from the Lord of all creatures.
Do they say, "He hath
devised it himself?" Say: Then bring a
Sura like it; and call on whom you can beside God, if you speak truth.
10:40 But
that which they embrace not in their knowledge have they charged with
falsehood, though the explanation of it had not yet been given them. So those
who were before them brought charges of imposture:
But see what was the end of the unjust!
And some of them believe in it,
and some of them believe not in it. But thy Lord well knoweth the
transgressors.
And if they charge thee with
imposture, then Say: My work for me, and your
work for you! You are clear of that which I do, and I am clear of that which
you do.
And some of them lend a ready
ear to thee: But wilt thou make the deaf to
hear even though they understand not?
And some of them look at thee: But wilt thou guide the blind even though they see
not?
Verily, God will not wrong men
in aught, but men will wrong themselves.
Moreover, on that day, He will
gather them all together; They shall seem as though they had waiting but an
hour of the day! They shall recognise one another! Now perish they who denied
the meeting with God, and were not guided aright!
Whether we cause thee to see some
of our menaces against them fulfilled, or whether we first take thee to
Ourself, to us do they return. Then shall God bear witness of what they do.
And every people has its
apostle. And when their apostle comes, a rightful decision will take place between
them, and they will not wronged.
Yet they say, "When will
this menace be made good? Tell us if you speak truly."
10:50 Say: I have no power over my own weal or woe, but as
God pleaseth. Every people hath its time: when
their time is come, they shall neither retard nor advance it an hour.
Say:
How think you? if God's punishment came on you by night or by day, what portion
of it would the wicked desire to hasten on?
When it falleth on you, will you
believe it then? Yes! you will believe it then. Yet did you challenge its
speedy coming.
Then shall it be said to the
transgressors, "Taste you the punishment of eternity! Shall you be
rewarded but as you have wrought?
They will desire thee to inform
them whether this be true? Say: Yes! by my
Lord it is the truth: and it is not you who
can weaken Him.
And every soul that hath sinned,
if it possessed all that is on earth, would assuredly ransom itself therewith;
and they will proclaim their repentance when they have seen the punishment: and there shall be rightful decision between them,
and they shall not be unjustly dealt with.
Is not whatever is in the
Heavens and the Earth God's? Is not then the promise of God true? Yet most of
them know it not.
He maketh alive and He causeth
to die, and to Him shall you return.
O men! now hath a warning come
to you from your Lord, and a medicine for what is in your breasts, and a
guidance and a mercy to believers.
Say:
Through the grace of God and his mercy! and in this therefore let them rejoice: better is this than all you amass.
10:60 Say: What think you? of what God hath sent down to you
for food, have you made unlawful and lawful? Say:
Hath God permitteth you? or invent you on the part of God?
But what on the day of
Resurrection will be the thought of those who invent a lie on the part of God?
Truly God is full of bounties to man; but most of them give not thanks.
Thou shalt not be employed in
affairs, nor shalt thou read a text out of the Koran, nor shall you work any
work, but we will be witnesses over you when you are engaged therein: and not the weight of an atom on Eath or in Heaven
escapeth thy Lord; nor is there aught that is less than this or greater, but it
is in the perspicuous Book.
Are not the friends of God, those
on whom no fear shall come, nor shall they be put to grief?
They who believe and fear God --
For them are good tidings in
this life, and in the next! There is no change in the words of God! This, the
great felicity!
And let not their discourse grieve
thee: for all might is God's: the Hearer, the Knower, He!
Is not whoever is in the Heavens
and the Earth subject to God? What then do they follow who, beside God, call
upon deities they have joined with Him? They follow but a conceit, and they are
but liars!
It is He who hath ordained for
you the night wherein to rest, and the lightsome day. Verily in this are signs
for those who hearken.
They say, "God hath
begotten children." No! by this glory! He is the self-sufficient. All that
is in the Heavens and all that is in the Earth is His! Have you warranty for
that assertion? What! speak you of God that which you know not?
10:70 Say: Verily, they who devise this lie concerning God
shall fare ill.
A portion have they in this
world! Then to us they return! Then make we them to taste the vehement torment,
for that they were unbelievers.
Recite to them the history of
Noah, when he said to his people -- If, O my people! my abode with you, and my
reminding you of the signs of God, be grievous to you, yet in God is my trust: Muster, therefore, your designs and your false
gods, and let not your design be carried on by you in the dark: then come to some decision about me, and delay
not.
And if you turn your backs on
me, yet ask I no reward from you: my reward is
with God alone, and I am commanded to be of the Muslims.
But they treated him as a liar: therefore we rescued him and those who were with
him in the ark, and we made them to survive the others; and we drowned those
who charged our signs with falsehood. See, then, what was the end of these
warned ones!
Then after him, we sent Apostles
to their peoples, and they come to them with credentials; but they would not
believe in what they had denied aforetime:
Thus seal we up the hearts of the transgressors!
Then sent we, after them, Moses
and Aaron to Pharaoh and his nobles with our signs; but they acted proudly and
were a wicked people:
And when the truth came to them
from us, they said, "Verily, this is clear sorcery."
Moses said, "What! say you of
a truth after it hath come to you, 'Is this sorcery?' But sorcerers shall not
prosper."
They said, "Art thou come
to us to pervert us from the faith in which we found our fathers, and that you
twain shall bear rule in this land? But we believe you not."
10:80 And
Pharaoh said: "Fetch me every skilled
magician." And when the magicians arrives, Moses said to them, "Cast
down what you have to cast."
And when they had cast them
down, Moses said, "Verily, God will render vain the sorceries which you
have brought to pass: God prospereth not the
work of the evildoers.
And by his words will God verify
the Truth, though the impious be averse to it.
And none believed on Moses but a
race among his own people, through fear of Pharaoh and his nobles, lest he should
afflict them: For of a truth mighty was
Pharaoh in the land, and one who committed excesses.
And Moses said: "O my people! if you believe in God, then put
your trust in Him -- if you be Muslims."
And they said: "In God put we our trust. O our Lord! abandon
us not to trial from that unjust people,
And deliver us by thy mercy from
the unbelieving people."
Then thus revealed we to Moses
and his brother: "Provide houses for your
people in
And Moses said: "O our Lord! thou hast indeed given to
Pharaoh and his nobles splendour and riches in this present life: O our Lord! that they may err from thy way! O our
Lord! confound their riches, and harden their hearts that they may not believe
till they see the dolorous torment."
He said, "The prayer of you
both is heard: pursue you both therefore the
straight path, and follow not the path of those who have no knowledge.
10:90 And
we led the children of Israel through the sea; and Pharaoh and his hosts
followed them in eager and hostile sort until, when the downing overtook him,
he said, "I believe that there is no God but he on whom the children of
Israel believe, and I am one of the Muslims."
"Yes, now," said God: "but thou hast been rebellious hitherto, and
wast one of the wicked doers.
But this day will we rescue thee
with thy body that thou mayest be a sign to those who shall be after thee: but truly, most men are of our signs
regardless!"
Moreover we prepared a settled
abode for the children of
And if thou art in doubt as to
what we have sent down to thee, inquire at those who have read the Scriptures
before thee. Now hath the truth come unto thee from they Lord: be not therefore of those who doubt.
Neither be of those who charge
the signs of God with falsehood, lest thou be of those who perish.
Verily they against whom the
decree of thy Lord is pronounced, shall not believe.
Even though every kind of sign
come unto them, till they behold the dolorous torment!
Were it otherwise, any city, had
it believed, might have found its safety in its faith. But it was so, only with
the people of Jonas. When they believed, we delivered them from the penalty of
shame in this world, and provided for them for a time.
But if thy Lord had pleased,
verily all who are in the earth would have believed together. What! wilt thou
compel men to become believers?
10:100 No
soul can believe but by the permission of God:
and he shall lay his wrath on those who will not understand.
Say:
Consider you whatever is in the Heavens and on the Earth: but neither signs, nor warners, avail those who will not
believe!
What then can they expect but
the like of such days of wrath as befel those who flourish before them? Say: Wait; I too will wait with you:
Then will we deliver our
apostles and those who believe. Thus it is binding on us to deliver the
faithful.
Say:
O men! if you are in doubt as to my religion, verily I worship not what you
worship beside God; but I worship God who will cause you to die: and I am commanded to be a believer.
And set thy face toward true
religion, sound in faith, and be not of those who join other gods with God:
Neither invoke beside God that
which can neither help nor hurt thee: for it thou
do, thou wilt certainly then be one of those who act unjustly.
And if God lay the touch of
trouble on thee, none can deliver thee from it but He:
and if He will thee any good, none can keep back his boons. He will confer them
on such of his servants as he chooseth: and He
is the Gracious, the Merciful!
Say:
O men! now hath the truth come unto you from your Lord. He therefore who will
be guided, will be guided only for his own behoof:
but he who shall err will err only against it; and I am not your guardian!
And follow what is revealed to
thee: and persevere steadfastly till God shall
judge, for He is the best of Judges.
Sura XI
Houd (11)
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Elif. Lam. Ra. A book whose
verses are stablished in wisdom and then set forth with clearness -- from the
Wise, the All-informed --
That you worship none other than
God -- Verily I come to you from Him charged with warnings, announcements;
And that you seek pardon of your
Lord, and then be turned unto Him! Goodly enjoyments will He give you to enjoy
until a destined time, and His favours will He bestow on every one who deserves
his favours. But if you turn away, then verily I fear for you the chastisement
of the great day.
Unto God shall you return, and
over all things is he Potent.
Do they not doubly fold up their
breasts, that they may hide themselves from Him?
Part 12
But when they enshroud
themselves in their garments, doth He not know alike what they conceal and what
they shew?
For He knoweth the very inmost
of their breast.
There is no moving thing on
earth whose nourishment dependeth not on god; he knoweth its haunts and final
resting place: all is in the clear Book.
And He it is who hath made the
Heavens and the Earth in six days: His throne
had stood ere this upon the waters, that He might make proof which of you would
excel in works.
11:10 And
if thou say, "After death you shall surely be raised again," the
infidels will certainly explain, "This is nothing but pure sorcery."
And if we defer their
chastisement to some definite time, they will exclaim, "What keepeth it
back?" What! will it not come upon them on a day when there shall be none
to avert it from them? And that at which they scoffed shall enclose them in on
every side.
And if we cause man to taste our
mercy, and then deprive him of it, verily, he is despairing, ungrateful.
And if after trouble hath
befallen him we cause him to taste our favour, he will surely exclaim,
"The evils are passed away from me." Verily, he is joyous, boastful.
Except those who endure with
patience and do the things that are right:
these doth pardon await and a great reward.
Perhaps thou wilt suppress a part
of what hath been revealed to thee, and wilt be distressed at heart lest they
say, "If a treasure be not sent down to him, or an angel come with
him...." But thou art only a warner, and God hath all things in his
charge.
If they shall say, "The
Koran is his own device," Say: Then bring
ten Suras like it of your devising, and call whom you can to your aid beside
God, if you are men of truth.
But if they answer you not, then
know that it hath been sent down to you in the wisdom of God only, and that there
is no God but He. Are you then Muslims?
Those who choose this present
life and its braveries, we will recompense for their works therein: they shall having nothing less therein than their
deserts.
These are they for whom there is
nothing in the next world but the Fire: all
that they have wrought in this life shall come to nought, and vain shall be all
their doings.
11:20 With
such can they be compared who rest upon clear proofs from their Lord? to whom a
witness from him reciteth the Koran, and who is preceded by the Book of Moses,
a guide and mercy? These have faith in it: but
the partisans of idolatry, who believe not in it, are menaced with the fire!
Have thou no doubts about that Book, for it is the very truth from thy Lord.
But most men will not believe.
Who is guilty of a greater
injustice than he who inventeth a lie concerning God? They shall be set before
their Lord, and the witnesses shall say, "These are they who made their
Lord a liar." Shall not the malison of God be on these unjust doers,
Who pervert others from the way
of God, and seek to make it crooked, and believe not in a life to come? God's
power on earth they shall not weaken; and beside God they have no protector!
Doubled shall be their punishment! They were not able to hearken, and they
could not see.
These are they who have lost
their own souls, and the deities of their own devising have vanished form them:
There is no doubt but that in
the next world they shall be the lost one.
But they who shall have believed
and done the things that are right, and humbled them before their Lord, shall
be the inmates of
These two sorts of persons
resemble the blind and deaf, and the seeing and the hearing: shall these be compared as alike? Ah! do you not
comprehend?
We sent Noah of old unto his
people: -- "Verily I come to you a plain
admonisher,
That you worship none but God.
Verily I fear for you the punishment of a grievous day."
Then said the chiefs of his
people who believed not, "We see in thee but a man like ourselves; and we
see not who have followed thee except our meanest ones of hasty judgment, nor
see we any excellence in you above ourselves:
nay, we deem you liars."
11:30 He
said: "O my people! how think you? If I
am upon a clear revelation from my Lord, who hath bestowed on me mercy from
Himself to which you are blind, can we force it on you, if you are averse from
it?
And, O my people! I ask you not
for riches: my reward is of God alone: and I will not drive away those who believe that
they shall meet their Lord: -- but I see that
you are an ignorant people.
And, O my people! were I to
drive them away, who shall help me against God? Will you not therefore
consider?
And I tell you not that with me
are the treasurers of God: nor do I say, 'I
know the things unseen;' nor do I say, 'I am an angel;' nor do I say of those
whom you eye with scorn, No good thing will God bestow on them: -- God best knoweth what is in their minds -- for
then should I be one of those who act unjustly."
They said, "O Noah! already
hast thou disputed with us, and multiplied disputes with us: Bring then upon us what thou hast threatened, if
thou be of those who speak truth."
He said, "God will bring it
on you at His sole pleasure, and it is not you who can weaken him;
Nor, if God desire to mislead
you, shall my counsel profit you, though I fain would counsel you aright. He is
your Lord, and unto Him shall you be brought back.
Do they say, "This Koran is
of his own devising?" Say: On me be my
own guilt, if I have devised it, but I am clear of that whereof you are guilty.
And it was revealed unto Noah.
Verily, none of thy people shall believed, save they who have believed already;
therefore be not thou grieved at their doings.
But build the
11:40 So he
built the
On whom a punishment shall come
that shall shame him, and on whom shall light a lasting punishment."
Thus was it until our sentence
came to pass, and the earth's surface boiled up. We said, "Carry into it
one pair of every kind, and thy family, except him on whom sentence hath before
been passed, and those who have believed." But there believed not with him
except a few.
And he said, "Embark you therein.
In the name of God be its course and its riding at anchor! Truly my Lord is
right Gracious, Merciful."
And the
He said, "I will betake me
to a mountain that shall secure me from the water." He said, "None
shall be secure this day from the decree of God, save him on whom He shall have
mercy." And a wave passed between them, and he was among the drowned.
And it was said, "O Earth!
swallow up thy water;" and "cease, O Heaven!" And the water
abated, and the decree was fulfilled, and the
And Noah called on his Lord and
said, "O Lord! verily my son is of my family:
and thy promise is true, and thou art the most just of judges."
He said, "O Noah! verily,
he is not of thy family: in this thou actest
not aright. Ask not of me that whereof thou knowest nought: I warn thee that thou become not of the ignorant.
He said, "To thee verily, O
my Lord, do I repair lest I ask that of thee wherein I have no knowledge: unless thou forgive me and be merciful to me I
shall be one of the lost.
11:50 It
was said to him, "O Noah! debark with peace from Us, and with blessings on
thee and on peoples to be born from those who are with thee; but as for other
and unbelieving peoples, we will give them their good things in this world, but
hereafter shall a grievous punishment light on them from us.
This is one of the secret
Histories: we reveal it unto thee: neither thou nor thy people knew it ere this: be patient thou:
verily, there is a prosperous issue to the God-fearing.
And unto Ad we sent their
Brother Houd. He said, "O my people, worship God. You have no God beside
Him. You only devise a lie.
O my people! I ask of you no
recompense for this: my recompense is with Him
only who hath made me. Will you not then understand?
O my people! ask pardon of your
Lord; then be turned unto Him: He will send
down the heavens upon you with copious rains;
And with strength on strength
will He increase you:L only turn not back with
deeds of evil."
They said, "O Houd, thou
hast not brought us proofs of thy mission: we
will not abandon our gods at thy word, and we believe thee not.
We can only say that some of our
gods have smitten thee with evil." Said he, "Now take I God to
witness, do you also witness, that I am clear of your joining other gods
To God. Conspire then against me
all of you, and delay me not.
For I trust in God, my Lord and
yours. No single beast is there which he holdeth not by its forelock. Right,
truly, is the way in which my Lord goeth.
11:60 But
if you turn back, I have already declared to you my message. And my Lord will
put another people in your place, nor shall you at all hurt Him; verily, my
Lord keepeth watch over all things."
And when our doom came to be
inflicted, we rescued Houd and those who had like faith with Him, by our
special mercy: we rescued them from the rigorous
chastisement.
These men of Ad gainsaid the
signs of their Lord, and rebelled against his messengers, and followed the
bidding of every proud contumacious person.
Followed therefore were they in
this world by a curse; and in the day of Resurrection it shall be said to them,
"What! Did not Ad disbelieve their Lord?" Was not Ad, the people of
Houd, cast far away?
And unto Themoud we sent their
Brother Saleh: -- "O my people! said he,
worship God: you have no other god then Him.
He hath raised you up out of the earth, and hath given you to dwell therein.
Ask pardon of him then, and be turned unto him; for thy Lord is nigh, ready to
answer."
They said, "O Saleh! our
hopes were fixed on thee till now: forbiddest thou
us to worship what our fathers worshipped/ Truly we misdoubt the faith to which
thou callest us, as suspicious."
He said, "O my people! what
think you? If I have a revelation from my Lord to support me, and if He hath
shewed his mercy on me, who could protect me from God if I rebel against him?
You would only confer on me increase of ruin.
O my people! this is the
she-Camel of God, and sign unto you. Let her go at large and feed in God's
earth, and do her no harm, lest a speedy punishment overtake you."
Yet they hamstrung her: then said he, "Yet three days more enjoy
yourselves in your dwellings: this menace will
not prove untrue."
And when our sentence came to
pass, we rescued Saleh and those who had a like faith with him, by our mercy,
from ignominy on that day. Verily, thy Lord is the Strong, the Mighty!
11:70 And a
violent tempest overtook the wicked, and they were found in the morning
prostrate in their dwellings,
As though they had never abode in
them. What! Did not Themoud disbelieve his Lord? Was not Themoud utterly cast
off?
And our messengers came formerly
to Abraham with glad tidings. "Peace," said they. He said,
"Peace," and he tarried not, but brought a roasted calf.
And when he saw that their hands
touched it not, he misliked them, and grew fearful of them. They said,
"Fear not," for we are sent to the people of
His wife was standing by and
laughed; and we announced Isaac to her; and after Isaac, Jacob.
She said, "Ah, woe is me!
shall I bear a son when I am old, and when this my husband is an old man? This
truly would be a marvellous thing."
They said, "Marvellest thou
at the command of God? God's mercy and blessing be upon you, O people of this
house; praise and glory are His due!"
And when Abraham's fear had
passed away, and these glad tidings had reached him, he pleaded with us for the
people of
"O Abraham! desist from
this; for already hath the command of thy God gone forth; as for them, a
punishment not to be averted is coming on them."
And when our messengers came to
11:80 And
his people came rushing on towards him, for aforetime had they wrought this
wickedness. He said, "O my people! these my daughters will be purer for
you: fear God, and put me not to shame in my
guests. Is there no rightminded man among you?"
They said, "Thou knowest
now that we need not thy daughters; and thou well knowest what we
require."
He said, "Would that I had
strength to resist you, or that I could find refuge with some powerful
chieftain."
The Angels said, "O
And when our decree came to be
executed we turned those cities upside down, and we rained down upon them
blocks of claystone one after another, marked by thy Lord himself. Nor are they
far distant from the wicked Meccans.
And we sent to Madian their
brother Shoaib. He said, "O my people! worship God:
no other God have you than He: give not short
weight and measure: I see indeed that you
revel in good things; but I fear for you the punishment of the all-encompassing
day.
O my people! give weight and
measure with fairness; purloin not other men's goods; and perpetrate not
injustice on the earth with corrupt practices:
A residue, the gift of God, will
be best for you if you are believers:
But I am not a guardian over
you."
They said to him, "O
Shoaib! is it thy prayers which enjoin that we should leave what our fathers
worshipped, or that we should not do with our substance as pleaseth us? Thou
forsooth art the mild, the right director!"
11:90 He
said, "O my people! How think you? If I have a clear revelation from my
Lord, and if from Himself He hath supplied me with goodly supplies, and if I
will not follow you in that which I myself forbid you, do I seek aught but your
amendment so far as in me lieth? My sole help is in God. In Him do I trust, and
to Him do I turn me.
O my people! let not your
opposition to me draw down upon you the like of that which befel the people of
Noah, or the people of Houd, or the people of Saleh:
and the abodes of the people of
Seek pardon of your Lord and be turned
unto Him: verily, my Lord is Merciful, Loving.
They said, "O Shoaib! we
understand not much of what thou sayest, and we clearly see that thou art
powerless among us:L were it not for thy
family we would have surely stoned thee, nor couldest thou have prevailed
against us."
He said, "O my people!
think you more highly of my family than of God? Cast you Him behind your back,
with neglect? Verily, my Lord is round about your actions.
And, O my people! act with what
power you can for my hurt: I verily will act: and you shall know
On whom shall light a punishment
that shall disgrace him, and who is the liar. Await you; verily I will await
with you."
And when our decree came to
pass, we delivered Shoaib and his companions in faith, by our mercy: And a violent tempest overtook the wicked, and in
the morning they were found prostrate in their houses
As if they had never dwelt in
them. Was not Madian swept off even as Themoud had been swept off?
Of old sent we Moses, with our signs
and with incontestable power to Pharaoh, and to his nobles -- who followed the
behests of Pharaoh, and, unrighteous were Pharaoh's bests.
11:100 He
shall head his people on the day of the Resurrection and cause them to descend
into the fire: and wretched the descent by
which they shall descend!
They were followed by a curse in
this world; and in the day of the Resurrection, wretched the gift that shall be
given them!
Such, the histories of the
cities which we relate to thee. Some of them are standing, others mown down:
We dealt not unfairly by them,
but they dealt not fairly by themselves: and
their gods on whom they called beside God availed them not at all when thy
Lord's behest came to pass. They did not increase their ruin.
Such was thy Lord's grasp when
he laid that grasp on the cities that had been wicked. Verily his grasp is
afflictive, terrible!
Herein truly is a sign for him
who feareth the punishment of the latter day. That shall be a day unto which
mankind shall be gathered together; that shall be a day witnessed by all
creatures.
No do we delay it, but until a
time appointed.
When that day shall come no one
shall speak a word but by His leave, and some shall be miserable and others
blessed.
And as for those who shall be
consigned to misery -- their place the Fire! therein shall they sigh and bemoan
them --
Therein shall they abide while
the Heavens and the Earth shall last, unless thy Lord shall will it otherwise;
verily thy Lord doth what He chooseth.
11:110 And
as for the blessed ones -- their place the Garden! therein shall they abide
while the Heavens and the Earth endure, with whatever imperishable boon thy
Lord my please to add.
Have thou no doubts therefore
concerning that which they worship: they
worship but what their fathers worshipped before them:
we will surely assign them their portion with nothing lacking.
Of old gave we Moses the Book,
and they fell to variance about it. If a decree of respite had not gone forth
from thy Lord, there had surely been a decision between them. Thy people also
are in suspicious doubts about the Koran.
And truly thy Lord will repay
every one according to their works! for He is well aware of what they do.
Go straight on then as thou hast
been commanded, and he also who hath turned to God with thee, and let him
transgress no more. He beholdeth what you do.
Lean not on the evil doers lest
the Fire lay hold on you. You have no protector, save God, and you shall not be
helped against Him.
And observe prayer at early
morning, at the close of the day, and at the approach of night; for the good
deeds drive away the evil deeds. This is a warning for those who reflect:
And persevere steadfastly, for
verily God will not suffer the reward of the righteous to perish.
Were the generations before you,
endued with virtue, and who forbad corrupt doings on the earth, more than a few
of those whom we delivered? but the evil doers followed their selfish
pleasures, and became transgressors.
And thy Lord was not one who
would destroy those cities unjustly, when its inhabitants were righteous.
11:120 Had
thy Lord pleased he would have made mankind of one religion:L but those only to whom thy Lord hath granted his
mercy will cease to differ. And unto this hath He created them; for the word of
thy Lord shall be fulfilled, "I will wholly fill hell with Djinn and
men."
And all that we have related to
thee of the histories of these Apostles, is to confirm thy heart thereby. By
these hath the truth reached thee, and a monition and warning to those who
believe.
But say to those who believe
not, "Act as you may and can: we will act
our part: and wait you; we verily will
wait."
To God belong the secret things
of the Heavens and of the Earth: all things
return to him: worship him then and put thy
trust in Him: thy Lord is not regardless of
your doings!
Sura XII (12)
Joseph, Peace Be On Him
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
An Arabic Koran have we sent it
down, that you might understand it.
In revealing to thee this Koran,
one of the most beautiful of narratives will be narrate to thee, of which thou
hast hitherto been regardless.
When Joseph said to his Father,
"O my Father! verily I beheld eleven stars and the sun and moon -- beheld
them make obeisance to me!"
He said, "O my son! tell
not thy vision to thy brethren, lest they plot a plot against thee: for Satan is the manifest foe of man.
It is thus that thy Lord shall
choose thee and will teach thee the interpretation of dark sayings, and will
perfect his favours on thee and on the family of Jacob, as of old he perfected
it on thy fathers Abraham and Isaac; verily thy Lord is Knowing, Wise!"
Now in Joseph and his brethren
are signs for the enquirers;
When they said, "Surely
better loved by our Father, than we, who are more in number, is Joseph and his
brother; verily, our father hath clearly erred.
Slay you Joseph! or drive him to
some other land, and on you along shall your father's face be set! and after
this, you shall live as upright persons."
12:10 One
of them said, "Slay not Joseph, but cast him down to the bottom of the
well: if you do so, some wayfarers will take
him up."
They said, "O our Father!
why dost thou not entrust us with Joseph? indeed we mean him well.
Send him with us to-morrow that
he may enjoy himself and sport: we will surely
keep him safely.:
He said, "Verily, your
taking him away will grieve me; and I fear lest while you are heedless of him
the wolf devour him."
They said, "Surely if the wolf
devour him, and we so many, we must in that case be weak indeed."
And when they went away with him
they agreed to place him at the bottom of the well. And We revealed to him,
"Thou wilt yet tell them of this their deed, when they shall not know
thee."
And they came at nightfall to
their father weeping.
They said, "O our Father!
of a truth, we went to run races, and we left Joseph with our clothes, and the
wolf devoured him: but thou wilt not believe
us even though we speak the truth."
And they brought his shirt with
false blood upon it. He said, "Nay, but yourselves have managed this
affair. But patience is seemly: and the help
of God is to be implored that I may bear what you tell me."
And wayfarers came and sent
their drawer of water, and he let down his bucket. "Good news!" said
he, "This is a youth!: And they kept his
case secret, to make merchandise of him. But God knew what they did.
12:20 And
they sold him for a paltry price -- for some dirhems counted down, and at no
high rate did they value him.
And he who bought him -- an
Egyptian -- said to his wife, "Treat him hospitable; haply he may be
useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son." Thus did we settle Joseph in
the land, and we instructed him in the interpretation of dark sayings, for God
is equal to his purpose; but most men know it not.
And when he had reached his age
of strength we bestowed on him judgment and knowledge; for thus do we
recompense the well doers.
And she in whose house he was conceived
a passion for him, and she shut the doors and said, "Come hither." He
said, "God keep me! Verily, my lord hath given me a good home: and the injurious shall not prosper."
But she longed for him; and he
had longed for her had he not seen a token from his lord. Thus we averted evil
and defilement from him, for he was one of our sincere servants.
And they both made for the door,
and she rent his shirt behind; and at the door they met her lord.
"What," said she, "shall be the recompense of him who would do
evil to thy family, but a prison or a sore punishment?"
He said, "She solicited me
to evil." And a witness out of her own family witnessed: "If his shirt be rent in front she speaketh
truth, and he is a liar:
But if his shirt be rent behind,
she lieth and he is true."
And when his lord saw his shirt
torn behind, he said, "This is one of your devices! verily your devices
are great!
Joseph! leave this affair. And
thou, O wife, ask pardon for thy crime, for thou hast sinned."
12:30 And
in the city, the women said, "The wife of the Prince hath solicited her
servant: he hath fired her with his love: but we clearly see her manifest error."
And when she heard of their
cabal, she sent to them and got ready a banquet for them, and gave each one of
them a knife, and said, "Joseph shew thyself to them." And when they
saw him they were amazed at him, and cut their hands, and said, "God keep
us! This is no man! This is no other than a noble angel!"
She said, "This is he about
whom you blamed me. I wished him to yield to my desires, but he stood firm. But
if he obey not my command, he shall surely be cast into prison, and become one
of the despised."
He said, "O my Lord! I
prefer the prison to compliance with their bidding:
but unless thou turn away their snares from me, I shall play the youth with
them, and become one of the unwise."
And his Lord heard him and
turned aside their snares from him: for he is
the Hearer, the Knower.
Yet resolved they, even after
they had seen the signs of his innocence, to imprison him for a time.
And there came into the prison
with him two youths. Said one of them, "Methought in my dream that I was
pressing grapes." And the other said, "I dreamed that I was carrying
bread on my head, of which the birds did eat. Declare to us the interpretation
of this, for we see thou art a virtuous person."
He said, "There shall not
come to you in a dream any food wherewith you shall be fed, but I will acquaint
you with its interpretation ere it come to pass to you. This is a part of that
which my Lord hath taught me: for I have
abandoned the religion of those who believe not in God and who deny the life to
come;
And I follow the religion of my
fathers, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. We may not associate aught with God. This
is of God's bounty towards us and towards mankind:
but the greater part of mankind are not thankful.
O my two fellow prisoners! are
sundry lords best, or God, the One, the Mighty?
12:40 You
worship beside him mere names which you have named, you and your fathers, for
which God hath not sent down any warranty. Judgment belongeth to God alone. He
hath bidden you worship none but Him. This is the right faith: but most men know it not.
O my two fellow prisoners! as to
one of you, he will serve wine unto his Lord:
but as to the other, he will be crucified and the birds shall eat from off his
head. The matter is decreed concerning which you enquire."
And he said unto him who he
judged would be set at large, "Remember me with thy lord." But Satan
caused him to forget the remembrance of his Lord, so he remained some years in
prison.
And the King said, "Verily,
I saw in a dream seven fat kine which seven lean devoured; and seven green ears
and other withered. O nobles, teach me my vision, if a vision you are able to
expound."
They said, "They are
confused dreams, nor know we aught of the unravelling of dreams."
And he of the twain who had been
set at large, said, "I will tell you the interpretation; let me go for
it."
"Joseph, man of truth!
teach us of the seven fat kine which have lean devoured, and of the seven green
ears, and other withered, that I may return to the men, and that they may be
informed."
He said, "You shall sow
seven years as is your wont, and the corn which you reap leave you in its ear,
except a little of which you shall eat.
Then after that shall come seven
grievous years which shall eat what you have stored for them, except a little
which you shall have kept.
Then shall come after this a
year, in which men shall have rain, and in which they shall press the
grape."
12:50 And
the King said, "Bring him to me," And when the messenger came to
Joseph he said, "Go back to thy lord, and ask him what meant the women who
cut their hands, for my lord well knoweth the snare they laid."
Then said the Prince to the women,
"What was your purpose when you solicited Joseph?" They said,
"God keep us! we know not any ill of him." The wife of the Prince
said, "Now doth the truth appear. It was I who would have led him into
unlawful love, and he is one of the truthful."
"By this" (said
Joseph) "may my lord know that I did not in his absence play him false,
and that God guideth not the machinations of deceivers.
Part 13
Yet I hold not myself clear, for
the heart is prone to evil, save theirs on whom my Lord hath mercy; for
gracious is my Lord, the Merciful."
And the King said, "Bring
him to me: I will take him for my special
service." And when he had spoken with him he said, "From this day
shalt thou be with us, invested with place and trust."
He said, "Set me over the
granaries of the land, I will be their prudent keeper!:
Thus did we stablish Joseph in
the land that he might house himself
therein at pleasure. We bestow
our favours on whom we will, and suffer not the reward of the righteous to
perish.
And truly the recompense of the
life to come is better, for those who have believed and feared God.
And Joseph's brethren came and
went in to him and he knew them, but they recognised him not.
And when he had provided them
with their provision, he said, "Bring me your brother from your father.
See you not that I fill the measure, and am the best of hosts?
12:60 But
if you bring him not to me, then no measure of corn shall there be for you from
me, nor shall you come near me."
They said to his servants,
"Put their money into their camel-packs, that they may perceive it when
they have returned to their family: haply they
will come back to us."
And when they returned to their
father, they said, "O, our father! corn is withholden from us: send, therefore, our brother with us and we shall
have our measure; and all care of him will we take."
He said, "Shall I entrust
you with him otherwise than as I before entrusted you with his brother? But God
is the best guardian, and of those who shew compassion He is the most
compassionate."
And when they opened their goods
they found their money had been returned to them. They said, "O, our
father, what more can we desire? Here is our money returned to us; we will
provide corn for our families, and will take care of our brother, and shall
receive a camel's burden more of corn. This is an easy quantity."
He said, "I will not send
him with you but on your oath before God that you will, indeed, bring him back
to me, unless hindrances encompass you." And when they had given him their
pledge, he said, "God is witness of what we say."
And he said, "O, my sons!
Enter not by one gate, but enter by different gates. Yet can I not help you
against aught decreed by God: judgment
belongeth to God alone. In Him put I my trust, and in Him let the trusting trust."
And when they entered as their
father had bidden them, it did not avert from them anything decreed of God; but
it only served to satisfy a desire in the soul of Jacob which he had charged
them to perform; for he was possessed of knowledge which we had taught him; but
most men have not that knowledge.
And when they came in to Joseph,
he took his brother to him. He said, "Verily, I am thy brother. Be not
thou grieved for what they did."
12:70 And
when he had provided them with their provisions, he placed his drinking cup in
his brother's camel-pack. Then a crier cried after them, "O travellers!
you are surely thieves."
They turned back to them and
said, "What is that you miss?"
"We miss," said they,
"the prince's cup. For him who shall restore it, a camel's load of corn! I
pledge myself for it."
They said, "By God! you
know certainly that we came not to do wrong in the land and we have not been
thieves."
"What," said the
Egyptians, "shall be the recompense of him who hath stolen it, if you be
found liars?"
They said, "That he in
whose camel-pack it shall be found be given up to you in satisfaction for it.
Thus recompense we the unjust.:
And Joseph began with their
sacks, before the sack of his brother, and then from the sack of his brother he
drew it out. This stratagem did we suggest to Joseph. By the King's law he had
no power to seize his brother, had not God pleased. We uplift into grades of
wisdom whom we will. And there is one knowing above every one else endued with
knowledge.
They said, "If he steal, a
brother of his hath stolen heretofore." But Joseph kept his secret, and
did not discover it to them. Said he, aside, "You are in the worse
condition. And God well knoweth what you state."
They said, "O Prince! Verily
he hath a very aged father; in his stead, therefore, take one of us, for we see
that thou art a generous person."
He said, "God forbid that
we shall take but him with whom our property was found, for then should we act
unjustly."
12:80 And
when they despaired of Benjamin, they went apart for counsel. The eldest of
them said, "Know you not how that your father hath taken a pledge from you
before God, and how formerly you failed in duty with regard to Joseph? I will
not quit the land till my father give me leave, or God decide for me; for of
those who decide is He the best.
Return you to your father and
say, 'O our father! Verily, thy son hath stolen:
we bear witness only of what we know: we could
not guard against the unforeseen.
Enquire for thyself ion the city
where we have been, and of the caravan with which we have arrived; and we are
surely speakers of the truth.'
He said, "nay, you have
arranged all this among yourselves: But
patience is seemly: God, may be, will bring
them back to me together; for he is the Knowing, the Wise."
And he turned away from them and
said, "Oh! how I am grieved for Joseph!" and his eyes became white
with grief, for he bore a silent sorrow.
They said, "By God thou
wilt only cease to think of Joseph when thou art at the point of death, or
dead."
He said, "I only plead my
grief and my sorrow to God: but I know from
God what you know not:
Go, my sons, and seek tidings of
Joseph and his brother, and despair not of God's mercy, for none but the
unbelieving despair of the mercy of God."
And when they came in to Joseph,
they said, "O Prince, distress hath reached us and our family, and little
is the money that we have brought. But give us full measure, and bestow it as
alms, for God will recompense the almsgivers."
He said, "Know you what you
did to Joseph and his brother in your ignorance?"
12:90 They
said, "Canst thou indeed be Joseph?" He said, "I am Joseph, and
this is my brother. Now hath God been gracious to us. For whoso feareth God and
endureth. . . . God verily will not suffer the reward of the righteous to
perish!"
They said, "By God! now
hath God chosen thee above us, and we have indeed been sinners!"
He said, "No blame be on
you this day. God will forgive you, for He is the most merciful of those who
shew mercy.
Go you with this my shirt and
throw it on my father's face, and he shall recover his sight: and bring me all your family."
And when the caravan was
departed, their father said, 'I surely perceive the smell of Joseph: think you that I dote?"
They said, "By God, it is
thy old mistake."
And when the bearer of good
tidings came, he cast it on his face, and Jacob's eyesight returned.
Then he said, "Did I not
tell you that I knew from God what you knew not?"
They said, "Our father, ask
pardon for our crimes for us, for we have indeed been sinners."
He said, "I will ask pardon
of my Lord, for he is Gracious, Merciful."
12:100 And
when they came into Joseph he took his parents to him, and said, "Enter
you
And he raised his parents to the
seat of state, and they fell down bowing themselves unto him. Then said he,
"O my father, this is the meaning of my dream of old. My Lord hath now
made it true, and he hath surely been gracious to me, since he took me forth
from the prison, and hath brought you up out of the desert, after that Satan
had stirred up strife between me and my brethren; for my Lord is gracious to
whom He will; for He is the Knowing, the Wise.
O my Lord, thou hast given me
dominion, and hast taught me to expound dark sayings. Maker of the Heavens and
of the Earth! My guardian art thou in this world and in the next! Cause thou me
to die a Muslim, and join me with the just."
This is one of the secret
histories which we reveal unto thee. Thou wast not present with Joseph's
brethren when they conceived their design and laid their plot: but the greater part of men, though thou long for
it, will not believe.
Thou shalt not ask of them any
recompense for this message. It is simply an instruction for all mankind.
And many as are the signs in the
Heavens and on the Earth, yet they will past them by, and turn aside from them:
And most of them believe not in
God, without also joining other deities with Him.
What! Are they sure that the overwhelming
chastisement of God shall not come upon them, or that tht Hour shall not come
upon them suddenly, while they are unaware?
Say:
This is my way: resting on a clear proof, I
call you to God, I and whoso followeth me:L
and glory be to God! I am not one of those who add other deities to Him.
Never before thee have we sent
any but men, chosen out of the people of the cities, to whom we made
revelations. Will they not journey through the land, and see what hath been the
end of those who were before them? But the mansions of the next life shall be
better for those who fear God. Will they not then comprehend?
12:110 When
at last the Apostles lost all hope, and deemed that they were reckoned as
liars, our aid reached them, and we delivered whom we would; but our vengeance
was not averted from the wicked.
Certainly in their histories is
an example for men of understanding. This is no new tale of fiction, but a
confirmation of previous scriptures, and an explanation of all things, and
guidance and mercy to those who believe.
Sura XIII -- (13)
Thunder
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful.
Elif. Lam. Mim. Ra. These, the signs
of the Book! And that which hath been sent down to thee from thy Lord is the
very truth: But the greater part of men will
not believe.
It is God who hath reared the
Heavens without pillars thou canst behold; then mounted his throne, and imposed
laws on the sun and moon: each travelleth to
its appointed goal. He ordereth all things. He maketh his signs clear, that you
may have firm faith in a meeting with your Lord.
And He it is who hath
outstretched the earth, and placed on it the firm mountains, and rivers: and of every fruit He hath placed on it tow kinds: He causeth the night to enshroud the day. Verily
in this are signs for those who reflect.
And on the earth hard by each
other are its various portions: gardens of
grapes and corn, and palm trees single or clustered. Though watered by the same
water, yet some make we more excellent as food than other: Verily in all this are signs for those who
understand.
If ever thou dost marvel,
marvellous surely is their saying, "What! when we have become dust, shall
we be restored in a new creation?"
These are they who in their Lord
believe not: these! the collars shall be on
their necks; and these shall be inmates of the fire, to abide therein for aye.
To hasten evil rather than good
will they challenge thee: but, before their
time have been like examples. Full, truly, of mercy is thy Lord unto men,
despite their sins; but verily, thy Lord is right vehement to punish.
And they who believe not say: ":If a sign
from his Lord be not sent down to him . . .!" Thou art a warner only. And
every people hath its guide.
God knoweth the burden of every
female, and how much their wombs lessen and enlarge:
with Him everything is by measure:
13:10
Knower of the Hidden and the Manifest! the Great! the Most High!
Alike to Him is that person
among you who concealeth his words, and he that telleth them abroad: he who hideth him in the night, and he who cometh
forth in the day.
Each hath a succession of Angels
before him and behind him, who watch over him by God's behest. Verily, God will
not change his gifts to men, till they change what is in themselves: and when God willeth evil unto men, there is none
can turn it away, nor have they any protector beside Him.
He it is who maketh the
lightning to shine unto you; for fear and hope:
and who bringeth up the laden clouds.
And the Thunder uttereth his
praise, and the Angels also, for awe of Him:
and he sendeth his bolts and smiteth with them whom he will while they are
wrangling about God! Mighty is he is prowess.
Prayer is His of right: but these deities to whom they pray beside Him
give them no answer, otherwise than as he is answered who stretcheth forth his
hands to the water that it may reach his mouth, when it cannot reach it! The
prayer of the Infidels only wandereth, and is lost.
And unto God doth all in the
Heavens and on the Earth bow down in worship, willingly or by constraint: their very shadows also morn and even!
Say:
Who is Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth? Say:
God. Say: Why then have you taken beside Him
protectors, who even for their own selves have no power for help or harm? Say: What! shall the blind and the seeing be held
equal? Shall the darkness and the light be held equal? Or have they given
associates to God who have created as He hath created, so that their creation
appear to them like His? Say: God is the
Creator of all things! He is the One! the Conquering!
He sendeth down the rain from
Heaven: then flow the torrents in their due
measure, and the flood beareth along a swelling foam. And from the metals which
are molten in the fire for the sake of ornaments or utensils, a like scum
ariseth. In this way doth God depict (set forth) truth and falsehood. As to the
foam, it is quickly gone: and as to what is
useful to man, it remaineth on the earth,. Thus doth God set forth comparisons!
To those who respond to their Lord shall be an excellent reward; but those who
respond not to his call, had they all that the earth containeth twice over,
they would surely give it for their ransom. Evil their reckoning! and Hell
their home! And wretched the bed!
Shall he then who knoweth that
what hath been sent down to thee from thy Lord is the truth, act like him who
is blind? Men of insight only will bear this in mind,
13:20 Who
fulfil their pledge to God, and break not their compact:
And who join together what God
hath bidden to be joined, and who fear their Lord, and dread an ill reckoning;
And who, from desire to see the
face of their Lord, are constant amid trials, and observe prayer and give alms,
in secret and openly, out of what we have bestowed upon them, and turn aside
evil by good: for these is the recompense of
that abode.
Gardens of
"Peace be with you!"
say they, "because you have endured all things!" charming the
recompense of their abode!
But those who, after having
contracted it, break their covenant with God, and cut asunder what God hath
bidden to be united, and commit misdeeds on the earth, these, a curse awaiteth
them, and an ill abode!
God is open-handed with supplies
to whom he will, or is sparing. They rejoice in the life that now is, but this
present life is but a passing good, in respect of the life to come!
And they who believe not say,
"Unless a sign be sent down to him from his Lord. . . ." Say: God truly will mislead whom he will; and He will
guide to Himself him who turneth to Him,
Those who believe, and whose
hearts rest securely on the thought of God. What! Shall not men's hearts repose
in the thought of God? They who believe and do the things that be right --
blessedness awaiteth them, and a goodly home.
Thus have we sent thee to a
people whom other peoples have preceded, that thou mightest rehearse to them
our revelations to thee. Yet they believe not on the God of Mercy. Say: He is my Lord. There is no God but He. In Him do I
put my trust. To Him must I return.
13:30 If
there were a Koran by which the mountains could be set in motion, or the earth
cleft, or the dead be made to speak. . .! But all sovereignty is in the hands
of God. Do then believers doubt that had He pleased God would certainly have
guided all men aright?
Misfortune shall not cease to
light on the unbelievers for what they have done, or to take up its abode hard
by their dwellings, until the threat of God come to pass. Verily, God will not
fail his plighted word.
Before thee indeed have apostles
been mocked at; but though I bore long with the unbelievers, at last I seized
upon them; -- and how severe was my punishment!
Who is it then that is standing
over every soul to mark its actions? Yet have they set up associates with God.
Say: Name them. What! Would you inform God of
that which He knoweth not on the Earth? Or are they not a mere empty name? But
prepared of old for the infidels was this fraud of theirs; and they are turned
aside from the path; and whom God causeth to err, no guide shall there be for
him!
Chastisement awaiteth them in
this present life, and more grievous shall be the chastisement of the next: and one shall screen them from God.
A picture of the
They to whom we have given the
Book rejoice in what hath been sent down to thee; yet some are banded together
who deny a part of it. Say: I am commanded to worship
God, and not to associate any creature with Him. On Him do I call, and to Him
shall I return.
Thus, then, as a code in the
Arabic tongue have we sent down the Koran; and truly, if after the knowledge
that hath reached thee thou follow their desires, thou shalt have no guardian
or protector against God.
Apostles truly have we already
sent before thee, and wives and offspring have we given them. Yet no apostle
had come with miracles unless by leave of God. To each age its Book.
What He pleaseth will God
abrogate or confirm: for with Him is the
source of revelation.
13:40
Moreover, whether we cause thee to see the fulfilment of part of our menaces,
or whether we take thee hence, verily, thy work is preaching only, and ours to
take account.
See they not that we come into
their land and cut short its borders? God pronounceth a doom, and there is none
to reverse his doom. And swift is He to take account.
Those who lived before them made
plots: but all plotting is controlled by God: He knoweth the works of every one, and the
infidels shall know whose will be the recompense of the abode.
The infidels, moreover, will
say; Thou art not sent of God. Say: God is
witness enough betwixt me and you, and, whoever hath knowledge of the Book.
Sura XIV (14)
Abraham, On Whom Be Peace
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Elif. Lam. Ra. This Book have we
sent down to thee that by their Lord's permission thou mayest bring men out of
darkness into light, into the path of the Mighty, the Glorious --
Of God; to whom belongeth
whatever is in the Heavens and whatever is on the Earth:
and woe! for their terrible punishment, to the infidels,
Who love the life that now is,
above that which is to come, and mislead from the way of God, and seek to make
it crooked. These are in a far-gone error.
And in order that He might speak
plainly to them, we have not sent any Apostle, save with the speech of his own
people; but God misleadeth whom He will, and whom He will he guideth: and He is the Mighty, the Wise.
Of old did we sent Moses with
our signs: and said to him, "Bring forth
thy people from the darkness into the light, and remind them of the days of
God." Verily, in this are signs for every patient, grateful person:
When Moses said to his people,
"Remember the kindness of God to you, when he rescued you from the family
of Pharaoh who laid on you a cruel affliction, slaughtering your male children,
and suffering only your females to live." In this was a sore trial from
your Lord --
And when your Lord caused it to
be heard that, "If we render thanks then will I surely increase you more
and more: but if you be thankless. . . .
Verily, right terrible my chastisement."
And Moses said, "If you and
all who are on the Earth be thankless, yet truly God is passing Rich, and
worthy of all praise."
Hath not the story reached you
of those who were before you, the people of Noah, and Ad, and Themoud,
14:10 And
of those who lived after them? None knoweth them but God. When their prophets
came to them with proofs of their mission, they put their hands on their mouths
and said, "In sooth, we believe not your message; and in sooth, of that to
which you bid us, we are in doubt, as of a thing suspicious."
Their prophets said: "Is there any doubt concerning God, maker of
the Heavens and of the Earth, who calleth you that He may pardon your sin, and
respite you until an appointed time?"
They said, "You are but men
like us: fain would you turn us from our fathers'
worship. Bring us therefore some clear proof."
Their Apostles said to them,
"We are indeed but men like you. But God bestoweth favours on such of his
servants as he pleaseth, and it is not in our power to bring you any special
proof,
But by the leave of God. In God
therefore let the faithful trust.
And why should we not put our
trust in God, since He hath already guided us in our ways. We will certainly
bear with constancy the harm you would do to us. In God let the trustful
trust."
And they who believed not said
to their Apostles, "Forth from our land will we surely drive you, or, to
our religion shall you return." Then their Lord revealed to them, "We
will certainly destroy the wicked doers,
And we shall certainly cause you
to dwell in the land after them. This for him who dreadeth the appearance at my
judgment-seat and who dreadeth my menace!"
Then sought they help from God,
and every proud rebellious one perished:
Hell is before him: and of tainted water shall he be made to drink:
14:20 He
shall sup it and scarce swallow it for loathing; and Death shall assail him on
every side, but he shall not die: and before
him shall be seen a grievous torment.
A likeness of those who believe
not in their Lord. Their works are like ashes which the wind scattereth on a
stormy day: no advantage shall they gain from
their works. This is the far-gone wandering.
Seest thou not that in truth
hath God created the Heavens and the Earth? Were such his pleasure He could
make you pass away, and cause a new creation to arise.
And this would not be hard for
God.
All mankind shall come forth
before God; and the weak shall say to the men of might, "Verily, we were
your followers: will you not then relieve us
of some part of the vengeance of God?"
They shall say, "If God had
guided us, we surely had guided you. It is now all one whether we be impatient,
or endure with patience. We have no escape."
And after doom hath been given,
Satan shall say, "Verily, God promised you a promise of truth: I, too, made you a promise, but I deceived you.
Yet I had not power over you:
But I only called you and you
answered me. Blame not me then, but blame yourselves:
I cannot aid you, neither can you aid me. I never believed that I was His equal
with whom you joined me." As for the evil doers, a grievous torment doth
await them.
But they who shall have believed
and done the things that be right, shall be brought into gardens beneath which
the rivers flow: therein shall they abide for
ever by the permission of their Lord: their
greeting therein shall be, "Peace."
Seest thou not to what God
likeneth a good word? To a good true: its root
firmly fixed, and its branches in the Heaven:
14:30
Yielding its fruit in all seasons by the will of its Lord. God setteth forth
these similitudes to men that haply they may reflect.
And an evil word is like an evil
tree torn up from the face of the earth, and without strength to stand.
Those who believe shall God
stablish by his steadfast word both in this life and in that which is to come: but the wicked shall He cause to err: God doth his pleasure.
Hast thou not beholden those who
repay the goodness of God with infidelity, and sink their people into the abode
of perdition --
Hell? Therein shall they be
burned; and wretched the dwelling!
They set up compeers with God in
order to mislead man from his way. Say: Enjoy
your pleasures yet awhile, but assuredly, your going hence shall be into the
fire.
Speak to my servants who have
believed, that they observe prayer, and give alms of that with which we have
supplied them, both privately and openly, ere the day come when there shall be
neither traffic nor friendship.
It is God who hath created the
Heavens and the Earth, and sendeth down water from the Heaven, and so bringeth
forth the fruits for your food:L And He hath
subjected to you the ships, so that by His command, they pass through the sea;
and He hath subjected the rivers to you: and
He hath subjected to you the sun and the moon in their constant courses: and He hath subjected the day and the night to you: of everything which you ask Him, giveth He to you;
and if you would reckon up the favours of God, you cannot count them! Surely
man is unjust, ungrateful!
Abraham said: "O Lord make this land secure, and turn aside
me and my children from serving idols:
For many men, O my Lord, have
they led astray. But whosoever shall follow me, he truly shall be of me; and
whosoever shall disobey me. . . . Thou truly art Gracious, Merciful.
14:40 O our
Lord! verily I have settled some of my offspring in an unfruitful valley, nigh
to thy holy house; O our Lord, that they may strictly observe prayer! Make thou
therefore the hearts of men to yearn toward them, and supply them with fruits
that they may be thankful.
O our Lord! thou truly knowest
what we hide and what we bring to light; nought on earth or in heaven is hidden
from God. Praise be to God who hath given me, in my old age, Ismael and Isaac!
My Lord is the hearer of prayer.
Lord! grant that I and my
posterity may observe prayer. O our Lord! and grant this my petition. O our
Lord! forgive me and my parents and the faithful, on the day wherein account
shall be taken."
Think thou not that God is
regardless of the deeds of the wicked. He only respiteth them to the day on
which all eyes shall stare up with terror:
They hasten forward in fear;
their heads upraised in supplication; their looks riveted; and their hearts a
blank. Warn men therefore of the day when the punishment shall overtake them,
And when the evil doers shall
say, "O our Lord! respite us yet a little while:
To thy call will we make answer;
thine Apostles will we follow." "Did you not once swear that no
change should befall you?
"Yet you dwelt in the
dwellings of those who were the authors of their undoing and it was made plain to
you how we had dealt with them; and we held them up to you as examples. They
plotted their plots: but God could master
their plots, even though their plots had been so powerful as to move the
mountains."
Think not then that God will fail
his promise to his Apostles; aye! God is mighty, and Vengeance is His.
On the day when the Earth shall
be changed into another Earth, and the Heavens also, men shall come forth unto
God, the Only, the Victorious.
14:50 And
thou shalt see the wicked on that day linked together in chains --
Their garments of pitch, and
fire shall enwrap their faces -- that God may reward every soul as it
deserveth; verily God is prompt to reckon.
This is a message for mankind,
that they may thereby warned:
and that they may know that there is but one God; and that men of understanding
may ponder it.
Part 14
Sura XV (15)
Hedjr
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Elif. Lam. Ra. These are the
signs of the Book, and of a lucid recital [Koran].
Many a time will the infidels
wish that they had been Muslims.
Let them feast and enjoy
themselves, and let hope beguile them: but
they shall know the truth at last.
We never destroyed a city whose
term was not perfixed:
No people can forstall or retard
its destiny.
They say:
"O thou to whom the warning hath been sent down, thou art surely possessed
by a djinn:
Wouldst thou not have come to us
with the angels, if thou wert of those who assert the truth?"
- We will not send down the
angels without due cause. The Infidels would not in that case have been
respited.
Verily, We have sent down the
warning, and verily, We will be its guardian;
15:10 And
already have We sent Apostles, before thee, among the sects of the ancients;
But never came Apostles to them
whom they did not deride.
In like manner will We put it
into the hearts of the sinners of
They will not believe on him
though the example of those of old hath gone before.
Even were We to open above them
a gate in Heaven, yet all the while they were mounting up to is,
They would surely say: It is only that our eyes are drunken: nay, we are a people enchanted.
We have set the signs of the
zodiac in the Heavens, and adorned and decked them forth for the beholders,
And We guard them from every
stoned Satan,
Save such as steal a hearing: and him doth a visible flame pursue.
And the Earth have We spread
forth, and thrown thereon the mountains, and caused everything to spring froth
in it in balanced measure:
15:20 And
we have provided therein sustenance for you, and for the creatures which not
you sustain:
And no one thing is there, but
with Us are its storehouses; and We send it not down but in settled measure:
And We send forth the
fertilising winds, and cause the rain to come down from the heaven, and give
you to drink of it; and it is not you who are its storers:
And We cause to live and We
cause to die, and We are the heir of all things:
We know those of you who flourish
first and We know those who come later:
And truly thy Lord will gather
them together again, for He is Wise, Knowing.
We created man of dried clay, of
dark loam moulded;
And the djinn had We before
created of subtle fire.
Remember when thy Lord said to
the Angels, "I create man of dried clay, of dark loam moulded:
And when I shall have fashioned
him and breathed of my spirit into him, then fall you down and worship
him."
15:30 And
the Angels bowed down in worship, all of them, all together,
Save Eblis: he refused to be with those who bowed in worship.
"O Eblis," said God,
"wherefore art thou not with those who bow down in worship?"
He said, "It beseemeth not
me to bow in worship to man whom thou hast created of clay, of moulded
loam."
He said, "Begone then
hence; thou art a stoned one,
And the curse shall be on thee
till the day of reckoning."
He said, "O my Lord!
respite me till the day when man shall be raised from the dead."
He said, "One then of the
respited shalt thou be
Till the day of the predestined
time."
He said, "O my Lord!
because thou hast beguiled me, I will surely make all fair seeming to them on
the earth; I will surely beguile them all;
15:40
Except such of them as shall be thy sincere servants."
He said, "This is the right
way with me;
For over none of my servants
shalt thou have power, save those beguiled ones who shall follow thee."
And verily, Hell is the promise
for them one and all.
It hath seven Portals; at each
Portal is a separate band of them;
But 'mid gardens and fountains
shall the pious dwell:
"Enter you therein in
peace, secure -"
And all rancour will We removed
from their bosoms: they shall sit as brethren,
face to face, on couches:
Therein no weariness shall reach
them, nor forth from it shall they be cast for ever.
Announce to my servants that I
am the Gracious, the Merciful.
15:50 And
that my chastisement is the grievous chastisement.
And tell them of Abraham's
guests.
When they entered in unto him,
and said, "Peace." "Verily," said he, "We fear you."
They said, "Fear not, for
of a sage son we bring thee tidings."
He said, "Bring you me such
tidings now that old age hath come upon me? What, therefore, are your tidings
really?"
They said, "We announce
them to thee in very truth. Be not then one of the despairing."
"And who," said he,
"despaireth of the mercy of his Lord, but they who err?"
He said, "What is your
business then, O you Sent Ones?"
They said, "We are sent
unto a people who are sinners,
Except the family of
15:60
Except his wife. We have decreed that she shall be of those who linger."
And when the Sent Ones came to
the family of
He said, "You are persons
unknown to me,"
They said, "Yes; but we
have come to thee for a purpose about which thy people doubt:
We have come to thee with very
truth, and we are truthful envoys.
Lead forth therefore thy family
in the dead of the night; follow thou on their rear:
and let no one of you turn round, but pass you on whither you are bidden."
And this command we gave him
because to the last man should these people be cut off at morning.
Then came the people of the city
rejoicing at the news --
He said, "These are my
guests: therefore disgrace me not.
And fear God and put me not to
shame."
15:70 They said,
"Have we not forbidden thee to entertain any one whatever?"
He said, "Here are my
daughters, if you will thus act."
As thou livest, O Muhammand,
they were bewildered in the drunkenness of their just.
So a tempest overtook them at
their sunrise,
And we turned the city upside
down, and we rained stones of baked clay upon them.
Verily, in this are signs for
those who scan heedfully;
And these cities lay on the high
road.
Verily, in this are signs for
the faithful.
The inhabitants also of El Aika were
sinners:
So we took vengeance on them,
and they both became a plain example.
15:80 And
the people of Hedjr treated God's messengers as liars.
And we brought forth our signs
to them, but they drew back from them:
And they hewed them out abodes
in the mountains to secure them:
But a tempest surprised them at
early morn,
And their labours availed them
nothing.
We have not created the heavens
and the earth and all that between them is, but for a worthy end. And verily,
"the hour" shall surely come. Wherefore do thou, Muhammad, forgive
with kindly forgiveness,
For they Lord! He is the
Creator, the Wise.
We have already given thee the
seven verses of repetition and the glorious Koran.
Strain not thine eyes after the
good things we have bestowed on some of the unbelievers:
afflict not thyself on their account, and lower thy wing to the faithful.
And Say:
I am the only plain-spoken warner.
15:90 We
will punish those who foster divisions,
Who break up the Koran into
parts:
By they Lord! we will surely
take account from them one and all,
Concerning that which they have
done.
Profess publicly then what thou
hast been bidden, and withdraw from those who join gods to God.
Verily, We will maintain thy
cause against those who deride thee,
Who set up gods with God: and at last shall they know their folly.
Now know We that they heart is
distressed at what they say:
But do thou celebrate the praise
of thy Lord, and be of those who bow down in worship;
And serve thy Lord till the
certainty o'ertake thee.
Sura XVI (16)
The Bee
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The doom of God cometh to pass.
Then hasten it not. Glory be to Him! High let Him be exalted above the gods
whom they joint with Him!
But His own behest will He cause
the angels to descend with the Spirit on whom he pleaseth among his servants,
bidden them, "Warn that there is no God but me; therefore fear me."
He hath created the Heavens and
the Earth to set forth his truth; high let Him be exalted above the gods they
join with Him!
Man hath He created from a moist
germ; yet lo! man is an open caviller.
And the cattle! for you hath he
created them: in them you have warm garments
and gainful uses; and of them you eat:
And they beseem you well when
you fetch them home and when you drive them forth to pasture:
And they carry your burdens to
lands which you could not else reach but with travail of soul: truly your Lord is full of goodness, and merciful:
And He hath given you horses,
mules, and asses, that you may ride them, and for your ornament: and things of which you have no knowledge hath he
created.
Of God it is to point out
"the Way." some turn aside from it:
but had He pleased, He had guided you all aright.
16:10 It is
He who sendeth down rain out of Heaven: from
it is your drink; and from it are the plants by which you pasture.
By it He causeth the corn, and
the olives, and the palm-trees, and the grapes to spring forth for you, and all
kinds of fruits: verily, in this are signs for
those who ponder.
And He hath subjected to you the
night and the day; the sun and the moon and the stars too are subjected to you
by his behest; verily, in this are signs for those who understand:
And all of varied hues that He
hath created for you over the earth: verily,
in this are signs for those who remember.
And He it is who hath subjected
the sea to you, that you may eat of its fresh fish, and take forth from it
ornaments to wear -- thou seest the ships ploughing its billows -- and that you
may go in quest of his bounties, and that you might given thanks.
And He hath thrown firm
mountains on the earth, lest it move with you; and rivers and paths for your
guidance,
And way marks. By the stars too
are men guided.
Shall He then who hath created
be as he who hath not created? Aye! God is right Gracious, Merciful!
And God knoweth what you
conceal, and what you bring to light,
16:20 While
the gods whom they call on beside God, create nothing, but are themselves
created: Dead are they, lifeless! and they
know not when they shall be raised!
Your God is the one God: and they who believe not in a future life, have
hearts given to denial, and are men of pride:
--
Beyond a doubt God knoweth what
they conceal and what they manifest: --
He truly loveth not the men of
pride.
For when it is said to them,
"What is this your Lord hath sent down?" they say, "Fables of
the ancients," --
That on the day of resurrection
they may bear their own entire burden, and the burden of those whom they, in
their ignorance, misled. Shall it not be a grievous burden for them?
They who were before them did
plot of old. But God attacked their building at its foundation -- the roof fell
on them from above; and, whence they looked not for it, punishment overtook
them:
On the day of resurrection, too,
will He shame them. He will say, "Where are the gods you associated with
me, the subjects of your disputes?" They to whom "the knowledge"
had been given will say, Verily, this day shall shame and evil fall upon the
infidels.
16:30 They
are sinners against their own souls whom the angels shall cause to die will
proffer the submission, "No evil have we done." Nay! God knoweth what
you have wrought:
Enter you therefore the gates of
Hell to remain therein for ever: and horrid
the abiding place of the haughty ones!
But to those who have feared God
it shall be said, "What is this that your Lord hath awarded?" They
shall say, "That which is best. To those who do good, a good reward in
this present world; but better the mansion of the next, and right pleasant the
abode of the God-fearing!"
Gardens of
To whom, as righteous persons,
the angels shall say, when they receive their souls, "Peace be on you!
Enter
What can the infidels expect but
that the angels of death come upon them, or that a sentence of thy Lord take
effect? Thus did they who flourished before them. God was not unjust to them,
but to their ownselves were they unjust; and the ill which they had done
recoiled upon them, and that which they had scoffed at encompassed them round
about.
They who have joined other gods
with God say, "Had he pleased, neither we nor our fathers had worshipped
aught but him; nor should we, apart from him, have forbidden aught." Thus
acted they who were before them. Yet is the duty of the apostles other than
public preaching?
And to every people have we sent
an apostle saying: -- Worship God and turn
away from false gods. Some of them there were whom God guided, and there were
others decreed to err. But go through the land and see what hath been the end
of those who treated my apostles as liars!
If thou art anxious for their
guidance, know that God will not guide him whom He would lead astray, neither
shall they have any helpers.
16:40 And
they swear by God with their most sacred oath that "God will never raise
him who once is dead." Nay, but on Him is a promise binding, though most
men know it not, --
That He may clear up to them the
subject of their disputes, and that the infidels may know that they are liars.
Our word to a thing when we will
it, is but to say, "Be," and it is.
And as to those who when
oppressed have fled their country for the sake of God, we will surely provide
them a goodly abode in this world, but greater the reward of the next life, did
they but know it.
They who bear ills with patience
and put their trust in the Lord!
None have we sent before thee
but men inspired -- ask of those who have Books of Monition, if you know it not
--
With proofs of their mission and
Scriptures: and to thee have we sent down this
Book of Monition that thou mayest make clear to men what hath been sent down to
them, and that they may ponder it.
What! Are they then who have
plotted mischiefs, sure that God will not cause the earth to cleave under them?
or that a chastisement will not come upon them whence they looked not for it?
Or that He will not seize upon
them in their comings and goings, while they shall not be able to resist him?
Or that he will not seize them with
some slowly wasting scourge? But verily your Lord is Good, Gracious.
16:50 Have
they not seen how everything which God hath created turneth its shadow right
and left, prostrating itself before God in all abasement?
And all in the Heavens and all
on the Earth, each thing that moveth, and the very angels, prostrate them in
adoration before God, and are free from pride;
They fear their Lord who is
above them, and do what they are bidden:
For God hath said, "Take
not to yourselves two gods, -- for He is one God:
me, therefore! yea, me revere!
All in the Heavens and in the
Earth is His! His due unceasing service! Will you then fear any other than God?
And all your blessings are
assuredly from God: then, when trouble
befalleth you, to Him you turn for help:
Then when He relieveth you of
the trouble, lo! some of you join associates with your Lord: --
To prove how thankless are they
for our gifts! Enjoy yourselves then: but in
the end you shall know the truth.
And for idols, of which they
know nothing, they set apart a share of our bounties! By God you shall be
called to account for your devices!
And they ascribe daughters unto
God! Glory be to Him! But they desire them not for themselves:
16:60 For
when the birth of a daughter is announced to any one of them, dark shadows
settle on his face, and he is sad:
He hideth him from the people
because of the ill tidings: shall he keep it
with disgrace or bury it in the dust? Are not their judgments wrong?
To whatever is evil may they be
likened who believe not in a future life; but God is to be likened to whatever
is loftiest: for He is the Mighty, the Wise.
Should God punish men for their
perverse doings, he would not leave on earth a moving thing! but to an
appointed term doth He respite them; and when their term is come, they shall
not delay or advance it an hour.
Yet what they loathe themselves
do they assign to God; and their tongues utter the lie, that theirs shall be a
goodly lot. But beyond a doubt is it that the fire awaiteth them, and that they
shall be the first sent into it.
By God we have sent Apostles to
nations before thee, but Satan prepared their work for them, and this day is he
their liege; and a woeful punishment doth await them.
And we have sent down the Book
to thee only, that thou mightest clear up to them the subject of their
wranglings, and as a guidance and a mercy to those who believe.
And God sendeth down water from
Heaven, and by it giveth life to the Earth after it hath been dead: verily, in this is a sign to those who hearken.
You have also teaching from the
cattle. We give you drink of the pure milk, between dregs and blood, which is
in their bellies; the pleasant beverage of them that quaff it.
And among fruits you have the
palm and the vine, from which you get wine and healthful nutriment: in this, verily, are signs for those who reflect.
16:70 And
thy Lord hath taught the bee, saying:
"Provide thee houses in the mountains, and in the trees, and in the hives
which men to build thee:
Feed, moreover, on every kind of
fruit, and walk the beaten paths of thy Lord."
From its belly cometh forth a
fluid of varying hues, which yieldeth medicine to man. Verily in this is a sign
for those who consider.
And God hath created you; by and
bye will he take you to himself; and some among you will he carry on to abject
old age, when all that once was known is known no longer. Aye, God is Knowing,
Powerful.
And God hath abounded to some of
you more than to others in the supplies of life; yet they to whom He hath
abounded, impart not thereof to the slaves whom their right hands possess, so
that they may share alike. What! will they deny, then, that these boons are
from God?
God, too, hath given you wives
of your own race, and from your wives hath He given you sons and grandsons, and
with good things hath he supplied you. What, will they then believe in vain
idols? For God's boons they are ungrateful!
And they worship beside God
those who neither out of the Heavens or Earth can provide them a particle of food,
and have no power in themselves!
Make no comparisons, therefore,
with God. Verily, God hath knowledge, but you have not.
God maketh comparison between a
slave the property of his lord, who hath no power over anything, and a free man
whom we have ourselves supplied with goodly supplies, and who giveth alms
therefrom both in secret and openly. Shall they be held equal? No: praise be to God! But most men know it not.
God setteth forth also a
comparison between two men, one of whom is dumb from his birth, and hath no
power over anything, and is a burden to his lord:
send him where he will, he cometh not back with success. She he and the man who
enjoineth what is just, and keepeth in the straight path, be held equal?
God's are the secrets of the
Heavens and of the Earth! and the business of the last hour will be but as the
twinkling of an eye, or even less. Yes! for all things is God Potent.
16:80 God
hath brought you out of your mothers' wombs devoid of all knowledge; but hath
given you hearing, and sight, and heart, that haply you might render thanks.
Have they never looked up at the
birds subjected to Him in Heaven's vault? None holdeth them in hand but God! In
this are signs for those who believe.
And God hath given you tents to
dwell in: and He hath given you the skins of
beasts for tents, that you may find them light when you shift your quarters, or
when you halt; and from their wool and soft fur and hair, hath He supplied you
with furniture and goods for temporary use.
And from the things which He
hath created, hath God provided shade for you, and have given you the mountains
for places of shelter, and have given you garments to defend you from the heat,
and garments to defend you in your wars. Thus doth He fill up the measure of His
goodness toward you, that you may resign yourselves to Him.
But if they turn their backs,
still thy office is only plain spoken preaching.
They own the goodness of God --
then they disown it -- and most of them are infidels.
But one day, we will raise up a
witness out of every nation: then shall the
infidels have no permission to make excuses, and they shall find no favour.
And when they who have acted
thus wrongly shall behold their torment, it shall not be made light to them,
nor will God deign to look upon them.
And when they who have acted
thus wrongly shall behold their torment, it shall not be made light to them,
nor will God deign to look upon them.
And when they who had joined
associates with God shall see those their associate-gods, they shall say,
"O our Lord! these are our associate-gods whom we called upon beside
Thee." But they shall retort on them, "Verily, you are liars."
And on that day shall they
proffer submission to God; and the deities of their own invention shall vanish
from them.
16:90 As
for those who were infidels and turned others aside from the way of God, to
them we will add punishment on punishment for their corrupt doings.
And one day we will summon up in
every people a witness against them from among themselves; and we will bring
thee up as a witness against these Meccans:
for to thee have we sent down the Book which cleareth up everything, a
guidance, and mercy, and glad tidings to those who resign themselves to God (to
Muslims).
Verily, God enjoineth justice
and the doing of good and gifts to kindred; and he forbiddeth wickedness and
wrong and oppression. He warneth you that haply you may be mindful.
Be faithful in the covenant of
God when you have covenanted, and break not your oaths after you have pledged
them: for now have you made God to stand
surety for you. Verily, God hath knowledge of what you do.
And, because you are a more
numerous people than some other people, be not like her who unravelleth the
thread which she had strong spun, by taking your oaths with mutual perfidy. God
is making trial of you in this: and in the day
of resurrection he will assuredly clear up to you that concerning which you are
now at variance.
Had God pleased, He could have
made you one people: but He caused whom He
will to err, and whom He will He guideth: and
you shall assuredly be called to account for your doings.
Therefore take not your oaths
with mutual fraud, lest your foot slip after it hath been firmly fixed, and you
taste of evil because you have turned others aside from the way of God, and
great be your punishment.
And barter not the covenant of
God for a mean price; for with God is that which is better for you, if you do
but understand.
All that is with you passeth
away, but that which is with God abideth. With a reward meet for their best
deeds will we surely recompense those who have patiently endured.
Whoso doeth that which is right,
whether male or female, if a believer, him will we surely quicken to a happy
life, and recompense them with a reward meet for their best deeds.
16:100 When
thou readest the Koran, have recourse to God for help against Satan the stoned,
For no power hath he over those
who believe, and put their trust in their Lord,
But only hath he power over
those who turn away from God, and join other deities with Him.
And when we change one (sign)
verse for another, and God knoweth best what He revealeth, they say, "Thou
art only a fabricator." Nay! but most of them have no knowledge.
Say:
The Holy Spirit hath brought it down with truth from thy Lord, that He may
stablish those who have believed, and as guidance and glad tidings to the
Muslims.
We also know that they say,
"Surely a certain person teacheth him." But the tongue of him at whom
they hint is foreign, while this Koran is in the plain Arabic.
As for those who believe not in
the signs of God, God will not guide them, and a sore torment doth await them.
Surely they invent a lie who
believe not in the signs of God -- and they are the liars.
Whoso, after he hath believed in
God denieth him, if he were forced to it and if his heart remain steadfast in
the faith, shall be guiltless: but whoso
openeth his breast to infidelity -- on such shall be wrath from God, and a
severe punishment awaiteth them.
This, because they have loved
this present life beyond the next, and because God guideth not the unbelievers!
16:110 These
are they whose hearts and ears and eyes God hath sealed up: these are the careless ones: in the next world shall they perish beyond a doubt.
To those also who after their
trials fled their country, then fought and endured with patience, verily, thy
Lord will in the end by forgiving, gracious.
On a certain day shall every
soul come to plead for itself, and every soul shall be repaid according to its
deeds; and they shall not be wronged.
God proposeth the instance of a
city, secure and at ease, to which its supplies come in plenty from every side.
but she was thankless for the boons of God; God therefore made her taste the
woe of famine and of fear, for what they had done.
Moreover, an apostle of their
own people came to them, and they treated him as an impostor. So chastisement
overtook them because they were evil doers.
Of what God hath supplied you
eat the lawful and good, and be grateful for the favours of God, if you are his
worshippers.
Forbidden to you is that only
which dieth of itself, and blood, and swine's flesh, and that which hath been
slain in the name of any other than God: but
if any be forced, and neither lust for it nor wilfully transgress, then verily
God is forgiving, gracious.
And say not with a lie upon your
tongue, "This is lawful and this is forbidden:"
for so will you invent a lie concerning God:
but they who invent a lie of God shall not prosper:
Brief their enjoyment, but sore
their punishment!
To the Jews we have forbidden
that of which we before told thee; we injured them not, but they injured
themselves.
16:120 To
those who have done evil in ignorance, then afterwards have repented and amended,
verily thy Lord is in the end right gracious, merciful.
Verily, Abraham was a leader in
religion: obedient to God, sound in faith: he was not of those who join gods with God.
Grateful was he for His favours: God chose him and guided him into the straight
way;
And we bestowed on him good
things in this world: and in the world to come
he shall be among the just.
We have moreover revealed to
thee that thou follow the religion of Abraham, the sound in faith. He was not
of those who join gods with God.
The Sabbath was only ordained
for those who differed about it: and of a
truth thy Lord will decide between them on the day of resurrection as to the
subject of their disputes.
Summon thou to the way of thy
Lord with wisdom and with kindly warning: dispute
with them in the kindest manner: thy Lord best
knoweth those who stray from his way, and He best knoweth those who have
yielded to his guidance.
If you make reprisals, then make
them to the same extent that you were injured:
but if you can endure patiently, best will it be for the patiently enduring.
Endure then with patience. But
thy patient endurance must be sought in none by God. And be not grieved about
the infidels, and be not troubled at their devises; for God is with those who
fear him and do good deeds.
Part 15
Sura XVII (17)
The Night Journey
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Glory be to Him who carried his
servant by night from the sacred
And we gave the Book to Moses
and ordained it for guidance to the children of
Of posterity of those whom we
bare with Noah! He truly was a grateful servant!
And we solemnly declared to the
children of
So when the menace for the first
crime came to be inflicted, we sent against you our servants endued with
terrible prowess; and they searched the inmost part of your abodes, and the
menace was accomplished.
Then we gave you the mastery
over them in turn, and increased you in wealth and children, and made you a
most numerous host.
We said, "if you do well,
to your own behoof will you do well: and if
you do evil, against yourselves will you do it. And when the menace for the
second crime came to be inflicted, then we sent an enemy to sadden your faces,
and to enter the temple as they entered it at first, and to destroy with utter
destruction that which they had conquered.
Haply your Lord will have mercy
on you! but if you return we will return: and
we have appointed Hell -- the prison of the infidels.
Verily this Koran guideth to
what is most upright; and it announceth to believers
17:10 Who
do the things that are right, that for them is a great reward;
And that for those who believe
not in the life to come, we have got ready a painful punishment.
May prayeth for evil as he
prayeth for good; for man is hasty.
We have made the night and the
day for two signs: the sign of the night do we
obscure, but the sign of the day cause we to shine forth, that you may seek
plenty from your Lord, and that you may know the number of the years and the
reckoning of time; and we have made everything distinct by distinctiveness.
And every man's fate have we
fastened about his neck: and on the day of
resurrection will we bring forth to him a book which shall be proffered to him
wide open:
- "Read thy Book: there needeth none by thyself to make out an
account against thee this day."
For his own good only shall the
guided yield to guidance, and to his own loss only shall the erring err; and
the heavy laden shall not be laden with another's load. We never punished until
we had first sent an apostle:
And when we willed to destroy a
city, to its affluent ones did we address our bidding; but when they acted
criminally therein, just was its doom, and we destroyed it with an utter
destruction.
And since Noah, how many nations
have we exterminated! And of the sins of his servants thy Lord is sufficiently
informed, observant.
Whoso chooseth this quickly
passing life, quickly will we bestow therein that which we please -- even on
him we chose; afterward we will appoint hell for him, in which he shall burn --
disgraced, outcast:
17:20 But
whoso chooseth the next life, and striveth after it as it should be striven
for, being also a believer, -- these! their striving shall be grateful to God:
To all -- both to these and
those -- will we prolong the gifts of thy Lord; for not to any shall the gifts of
thy Lord be denied.
See how we have caused some of
them to excel others! but the next life shall be greater in its grades,, and
greater in excellence.
Set not up another god with God,
lest thou sit thee down disgraced, helpless.
Thy Lord hath ordained that you
worship none but him; and, kindness to your parents, whether one or both of
them attain to old age with thee: and say not
to them, "Fie!" neither reproach them; but speak to them both with
respectful speech;
And defer humbly to them out of
tenderness; and say, "Lord, have compassion on them both, even as they
reared me when I was little."
Your Lord well knoweth what is
in your souls; he knoweth whether you be righteous:
And gracious is He to those who
return to Him.
And to him who is of kin render
his due, and also to the poor and to the wayfarer; yet waste not wastefully.
For the wasteful are brethren of
the Satans, and Satan was ungrateful to his Lord:
17:30 But
if thou turn away from them, while thou thyself seekest boons from thy Lord for
which thou hopest, at least speak to them with kindly speech:
And let not thy hand be tied up
to thy neck; nor yet open it with all openness, lest thou sit thee down in
rebuke, in beggary.
Verily, thy Lord will provide
with open hand for whom he pleaseth, and will be sparing. his servants doth he
scan, inspect.
Kill not your children for fear
of want: for them and for you will we provide.
Verily, the killing them is a great wickedness.
Have nought to do with adultery;
for it is a foul thing and an evil way:
Neither slay any one whom God
hath forbidden you to slay, unless for a just cause:
and whosoever shall be slain wrongfully, to his heir have we given powers; but
let him not outstep bounds in putting the manslayer to death, for he too, in
his turn, will be assisted and avenged.
And touch not the substance of
the orphan, unless in an upright way, till he attain his age of strength: And perform your convent; verily the covenant
shall be enquired of:
And give full measure when you
measure, and weigh with just balance. This will be better, and fairest for
settlement:
And follow not that of which
thou hast no knowledge; because the hearing and the sight and the heart, --
each of these shall be enquired of:
And walk not proudly on the
earth, for thou canst not cleave the earth, neither shalt thou reach to the
mountains in height:
17:40 All
this is evil; odious to thy Lord.
This is a part of the wisdom
which thy Lord hath revealed to thee. Set not up any other god with God, lest
thou be cast into Hell, rebuked, cast away.
What! hath your Lord prepared
sons for you, and taken for himself daughters from among the angels? Indeed,
you say a dreadful saying.
Moreover, for man's warning have
we varied this Koran: Yet it only increaseth
their flight from it.
Say:
If,, as you affirm, there were other gods with Him, they would in that case
seek occasion against the occupant of the throne:
Glory to Him! Immensely high is
He exalted above thier blasphemies!
The seven heavens praise him,
and the earth, and all who are therein; neither is there aught which doth not
celebrate his praise; but their utterances of praise you understand not. He is
kind, induglent.
When thou recitest the Koran we
place between thee and those who believe not in the life to come, a dark veil;
And we put coverings over their
hearts lest they should understand it, and in their ears a heaviness;
And when in the Koran thou
namest thy One lord, they turn their backs in flight.
17:50 We well
know why they hearken, when they hearken unto thee, and when they whisper
apart; when the wicked say, "You follow no other than a man
enchanted."
See what likenesses they strike
out for thee! But they are in error, neither can they find the path.
They also say, "After we
shall have become bones and dust, shall we in sooth be raised a new
creation?"
Say:
"Yes, though you were stones, or iron, or any other creature, to your
seeming, yet harder to be raised." But they will say, "Who shall
bring us back?" Say: "He who created
you at first." And they will wag their heads at thee, and say, "When
shall this be?" Say: "Haply it is
nigh."
On that day shall God call you
forth, and you shall answer by praising Him; and you shall seem to have tarried
but a little while.
Enjoin my servants to speak in
kindly sort: Verily Satan would stir up
strifes among them, for Satan is man's avowed foe.
Your Lord well knoweth you: if He please He will have mercy on you; or if He
please He will chastise you: and we have not sent
thee to be a guardian over them.
Thy Lord hath full knowledge of
all in the heavens and the earth. High gifts have we given to some of the
prophets than to others, and the Psalter we gave to David.
Say:
Call you upon those whom you fancy to be gods beside Him; yet they will have no
power to relieve you from trouble, or to shift it elsewhere.
Those whom you call on,
themselves desire union with their Lord, striving which of them shall be
nearest to him: they also hope for his mercy
and fear his chastisement. Verily the chastisement of thy Lord is to be
dreaded.
17:60 There
is no city which we will not destroy before the day of Resurrection, or
chastise it with a grievous chastisement. This is written in the Book.
Nothing hindered us from sending
thee with the power of working miracles, except that the people of old treated
them as lies. We gave to Themoud the she-camel before their very eyes, yet they
maltreated her! We send not a prophet with miracles but to strike terror.
And remember when we said to
thee, Verily, thy Lord is round about mankind; we ordained the vision which we
shewed thee, and likewise the cursed tree of the Koran, only for men to dispute
of; we will strike them with terror; but it shall only increase in them
enormous wickedness:
And when we said to the Angels,
"Prostrate yourselves before Adam:"
and they all prostrated them, save Eblis. "What!" said he,
"shall I bow me before him whom thou hast created of clay?
Seest thou this man whom thou
hast honoured above me? Verily, if thou respite me till the day of
Resurrection, I will destroy his offspring, except a few."
He say, "Begone: but whosoever of them shall follow thee, verily,
Hell shall be your recompense; an ample recompense!
And entice such of them as thou
canst by thy voice; assault them with thy horsemen and thy footmen; be their
partner in their riches and in their children, and make them promises: but Satan shall make them only deceitful promises.
As to my servants, no power over
them shalt thou have; And thy Lord will be their sufficient guardian."
It is your Lord who speedeth
onward the ships for you in the sea, that you may seek of his abundance; for he
is merciful towards you.
When a misfortune befalleth you
out at sea, they whom you invoke are not to be found:
God alone is there: yet when he bringeth you
safe to dry land, you place yourselves at a distance from Him. Ungrateful is
man.
17:70 What!
are you sure, then, that he will not cleave the sides of the earth for you? or
that he will not send against you a whirlwind charged with sands? Then shall
you find no protector.
Or are you sure that he will not
cause you to put back to sea a second time, and send against you a storm blast,
and drown you, for that you have been thankless? Then shall you find no helper
against us therein.
And now have we honoured the
children of Adam: by land and by sea have we
carried them: food have we provided for them
of good things, and with endowments beyond many of our creatures have we
endowed them.
One day we will summon all men
with their leaders: they whose book shall be
given into their right hand, shall read their book, and not be wronged a thread:
And he who has been blind here,
shall be blind hereafter, and wander yet more from the way.
And, verily, they had well nigh
beguiled thee from what we revealed to thee, and caused thee to invent some
other things in our name: but in that case
they would surely have taken thee as a friend;
And had we not settled thee,
thou hadst well nigh leaned to them a little:
In that case we would surely
have made thee taste of woe in life and of woe in death:
then thou shouldest not have found a helper against us.
And truly they had almost caused
thee to quit the land, in order wholly to drive thee forth from it: but then, themselves should have tarried but a
little after thee.
This was our way with the
Apostles we have already sent before thee, and in this our way thou shalt find
no change.
17:80
Observe prayer at sunset, till the first darkening of the night, and the daybreak
reading -- for the daybreak reading hath its witnesses,
And watch unto it in the night: this shall be an excess in service: it may be that thy Lord will raise thee to a
glorious station:
And say, "O my Lord, cause
me to enter with a perfect entry, and to come forth with a perfect forthcoming,
and give me from thy presence a helping power:"
And say:
Truth is come and falsehood is vanished. Verily, falsehood is a thing that
vanisheth.
And we send down of the Koran
that which is a healing and a mercy to the faithful:
But it shall only add to the ruin of the wicked.
When we bestow favours on man,
he withdraweth and goeth aside; but when evil toucheth him, he is despairing.
Say:
Every one acteth after his own manner: but
your Lord well knoweth who is best guided in his path.
And they will ask thee of the
Spirit. Say: The Spirit proceedeth at my
Lord's command: but of knowledge, only a
little to you is given.
When we please, we will take
away what we have revealed to thee: none will
thou then find to undertake thy cause with us.
Save as a mercy from thy Lord;
great, verily, is his favour towards thee.
17:90 Say: Verily, were men and Djinn assembled to produce
the like of this Koran, they could not produce its like, though the one should
help the other.
And of a truth we have set out
to men every kind of similitude in this Koran, but most men have refused
everything except unbelief.
And they say, "By no means
will we believe on thee till thou cause a fountain to gush forth for us from
the earth;
Or, till thou have a garden of
palm-trees and grapes, and thou cause forth-gushing rivers to gush forth in its
midst;
Or thou make the heaven to fall
on us, as thou hast given out, in pieces; or thou bring God and the angels to
vouch for thee;
Or thou have a house of gold; or
thou mount up into Heaven; nor will we believe in thy mounting up, till thou
send down to us a book which we may read." Say:
Praise be to my Lord! Am I more than a man, an apostle?
And what hindereth men from
believing, when the guidance hath come to them, but that they say, "Hath
God sent a man as an apostle?"
Say:
Did angels walk the earth as its familiars, we had surely sent them an
angel-apostle out of Heaven.
Say:
God is witness enough between you and me. His servants He scanneth, eyeth.
And He whom God shall guide will
be guided indeed; and whom he shall mislead thou shalt find none to assist, but
Him: and we will gather them together on the
day of the resurrection, on their faces, blind and dumb and deaf: Hell shall be their abode:
so oft as its fires die down, we will rekindle the flame.
17:100 This
shall be their reward for that they believed not our signs and said, "When
we shall have become bones and dust, shall we surely be raised a new
creation?"
Do they not perceive that God,
who created the Heavens and the Earth, is able to create their like? And he
hath ordained them a term; there is no doubt of it:
but the wicked refuse everything except unbelief.
Say:
If you held the treasures of my Lord's mercy you would certainly refrain from
them through fear of spending them: for man is
covetous.
We therefore gave to Moses nine
clear signs. Ask thou, therefore, the children of
Said Moses, "Thou knowest
that none hath sent down these clear signs but the Lord of the Heavens and of
the Earth; and I surely deem thee, O Pharaoh, a person lost."
So Pharaoh sought to drive them out
of the land; but we drowned him and all his followers.
And after his death, we said to
the children of
And we have parcelled out the
Koran into sections, that thou mightest recite it unto men by slow degrees, and
we have sent it down piecemeal.
Say:
Believe you therein or believe you not? They verily to whom knowledge had been
given previously, fall on their faces worshipping when it is recited to them,
and say: "Glory be to God! the promise of
our Lord is made good!"
They fall down on their faces
weeping, and It increaseth their humility.
17:110 Say: Call upon God (Allah), or call upon the God of
Mercy (Arrahman), by whichsoever you will invoke him:
He hath most excellent names. And be not loud in thy prayer, neither pronounce
it too low; but between these follow a middle way:
And say:
Praise be to God who hath not begotten a son, who hath no partner in the
Kingdom, nor any protector on account of weakness. And magnify him by
proclaiming His greatness.
Sura XVIII (18)
The Cave
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Praise be to God, who hath sent
down the Book to his servant, and hath not made it tortuous
But direct; that it may warn of
a grievous woe from him, and announce to the faithful who do the things that
are right, that a goodly reward, wherein they shall abide for ever, awaiteth
them;
And that it may warn those who
day, "God hath begotten a Son."
No knowledge of this have either
they or their fathers! A grievous saying to come out of their mouths! They
speak no other than a lie!
And haply, if they believe not
in this new revelation, thou wilt slay thyself, on their very footsteps, out of
vexation.
Verily, we have made all that is
on earth as its adornment, that we might make trial who among mankind would
excel in works:
But we are surely about to
reduce all that is thereon to dust!
Hast thou reflected that the
Inmates of The Cave and of Al Rakim were one of our wondrous signs?
When the youths betook them to
the cave they said, "O our Lord! grant us mercy from before thee, and
order for us our affair aright."
18:10 Then
struck we upon their ears with deafness in the cave for many a year:
Then we awaked them that we
might know which of the two parties could best reckon the space of their
abiding.
We will relate to thee their
tale with truth., They were youths who had believed in their Lord, and in
guidance had we increased them;
And we had made them stout of heart,
when they stood up and said, 'Our Lord is Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth: we will call on no other God than Him; for in that
case we had said a thing outrageous.
These our people have taken
other gods beside Him, though they bring no clear proof for them; but, who m
ore iniquitous than he who forgeth a lie of God?
So when you shall have separated
you from them and from that which they worship beside God, then betake you to
the cave: Your Lord will unfold his mercy to you,
and will order your affairs for you for the best."
And thou mightest have seen the
sun when it arose, pass on the right of their cave, and when it set, leave them
on the left, while they were in its spacious chamber. This is one of the signs
of God. Guided indeed is he whom God guideth; but for him whom He misleadeth,
thou shalt by no means find a patron, director.
And thou wouldst have deemed
them awake, though they were sleeping: and we
turned them to the right and to the left. And in the entry lay their dog with
paws outstretched. Hadst thou come suddenly upon them, thou wouldst surely have
turned thy back on them in flight, and have been filled with fear at them.
So we awaked them that they
might question one another. Said one of them, "How long have you tarried
here?" They said, "We have tarried a day or part of a day." They
said, "Your Lord knoweth best how long you have tarried: Send now one of you with this your coin into the
city, and let him mark who therein hath purest food, and from him let him bring
you a supply: and let him be courteous, and
not discover you to any one.
For they, if they find you out,
will stone you or turn you back to their faith, and in that case it will fare
ill with you for ever."
18:20 And
thus made we their adventure known to their fellow citizens, that they might
learn that the promise of God is true, and that as to "the Hour"
there is no doubt of its coming. When they disputed among themselves concerning
what had befallen them, some said, "Build a building over them; their Lord
knoweth best about them." Those who prevailed in the matter said, "A
place of worship will we surely raise over them."
Some say, "They were three;
their dog the fourth:" others say,
"Five; their dog the sixth," guessing at the secret: others say "Seven; and their dog the
eighth." Say: My Lord best knoweth the
number: none, save a few, shall know them.
Therefore be clear in thy
discussions about them, and ask not any Christian concerning them.
Say not thou of a thing, "I
will surely do it to-morrow;" without, "If God will." And when
thou has forgotten, call thy Lord to mind; and say, "Haply my Lord will
guide me, that I may come near to the truth of this story with
correctness."
And they tarried in their cave 300 years, and 9
years over.
Say:
God best knoweth how long they tarried: With
Him are the secrets of the Heavens and of the Earth:
Look thou and hearken unto Him alone. Man hath no guardian but Him, and none
may bear part in his judgments: --
And publish what hath been
revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord -- none may change his words, -- and
thou shalt find no refuge beside Him.
Be patient with those who call
upon their Lord at morn and even, seeking his face:
and let not thine eyes be turned away from them in quest of the pomp of this
life; neither obey him whose heart we have made careless of the remembrance of
Us, and who followeth his own lusts, and whose ways are unbridled.
And say:
the truth is from your Lord: let him then who
will, believe; and let him who will, be an infidel. But for the offenders we
have got ready the fire whose smoke shall enwrap them:
and if they implore help, helped shall they be with water like molten brass
which shall scald their faces. Wretched the drink! and an unhappy couch!
But as to those who have
believed and done the things that are right, -- Verily we will not suffer the
reward of him whose works were good, to perish!
18:30 For
them, the gardens of Eden, under whose shades shall river flow: decked shall they be therein with bracelets of gold,
and green robes of silk and rich brocade shall they wear, reclining them
therein on thrones. Blissful the reward! and a pleasant couch!
And set forth to them as a
parable two men; on one of whom we bestowed two gardens of grape vines, and
surrounded both with palm trees, and placed corn fields between them: Each of the gardens did yield its fruit, and
failed not thereof at all:
And we caused a river to flow in
their midst: And this man received his fruit,
and said, disputing with him, to his companion, "More have I than thou of
wealth, and my family is mightier."
And he went into his garden --
to his own soul unjust. He said, "I do not think that this will ever
perish:
And I do not think that 'the
Hour' will come: and even if I be taken back
to my Lord, I shall surely find a better than it in exchange."
His fellow said to him,
disputing with him, "What! hast thou no belief in him who created thee of
the dust, then of the germs of life, then fashioned thee a perfect man?
But God is my Lord; and no other
being will I associate with my Lord.
And why didst thou not say when
thou enteredst thy garden, 'What God willeth! there is no power but in God.'
Though thou seest that I have less than thou of wealth and children,
Yet haply my Lord may bestow
upon me better than thy garden, and may send his bolts upon it out of Heaven,
so that the next dawn shall find it barren dust;
Or its water become deep sunk,
so that thou art unable to find it."
18:40 And
his fruits were encompassed by destruction. Then began he to turn down the
palms of his hands at what he had spent on it; for its vines were falling down
on their trellises, and he said, "Oh that I had not joined any other god
to my Lord!"
And he had no host to help him instead
of God, neither was he able to help himself.
Protection in such a case is of
God -- the Truth: He is the best rewarder, and
He bringeth to the best issue.
And set before them a similitude
of the present life. It is as water which we send down from Heaven, and the
herb of the Earth is mingled with it, and on the morrow it becometh dry stubble
which the winds scatter: for God hath power
over all things.
Wealth and children are the
adornment of this present life: but good
works, which are lasting, are better in the sight of thy Lord as to recompense,
and better as to hope.
18:45 And
call to mind the day when we will cause the mountains to pass away, and thou
shalt see the earth a levelled plain, and we will gather mankind together, and
not leave of them any one.
And they shall be set before thy
Lord in ranks: -- "Now are you come unto
us as we created you at first: but you thought
that we should not make good to you the promise."
And each shall have his book put
into his hand: and thou shalt see the wicked
in alarm at that which is therein: and they
shall say, "O woe to us! what meaneth this Book? It leaveth neither small
nor great unnoted down!" And they shall find all that they have wrought
present to them, and thy Lord will not deal unjustly with any one.
When we said to the angels,
"Prostrate yourselves before Adam," they all prostrated them save
Eblis, who was of the Djinn, and revolted from his Lord's behest. -- What! will
you then take him and his offspring as patrons rather than Me? and they your
enemies? Sad exchange for the ungodly!
I made them not witnesses of the
creation of the Heavens and of the Earth, nor of their own creation, neither
did I take seducers as my helpers.
18:50 On a
certain day, God shall say, "Call you on the companions you joined with
me, deeming them to be gods:" and they
shall call on them, but they shall not answer them:
then will we place a valley of perdition between them:
And the wicked shall see the
fire, and shall have a foreboding that they shall be flung into it, and they
shall find no escape from it.
And now in this Koran we have
presented to man similitudes of every kind:
but, at most things is man a caviller.
And what, now that guidance is
come to them, letteth men from believing and from asking forgiveness of their
Lord -- unless they wait till that the doom of the ancients overtake them, or
the chastisement come upon them in the sight of the universe?
We send not our Sent Ones but to
announce and to warn: but the infidels cavil
with vain words in order to refute the truth; and they treat my signs and their
own warnings with scorn.
But who is worse than he who
when told of the signs of his Lord turneth him away and forgetteth what in time
past his hands have wrought? Truly we have thrown veils over their hearts lest
they should understand this Koran, and into their ears a heaviness:
And if thou bid them to
"the guidance" yet will they not even then be guided ever.
The gracious one, full of
compassion, is thy Lord! if he would have chastised them for their demerits he
would have hastened their chastisement. But they have a time fixed for the
accomplishment of our menaces: and beside God
they shall find no refuge.
And those cities did we destroy
when they became impious; and of their coming destruction we gave them warning.
Remember when Moses said to his
servant, "I will not stop till I reach the confluence of the two seas, or
for years will I journey on."
18:60 But
when they reached their confluence, they forgot their fish, and it took its way
in the sea at will.
And when they had passed on,
said Moses to his servant, "Bring us our morning meal; for now have we
incurred weariness from this journey."
He said, "What thinkest
thou? When we repaired to the rock for rest I forgot the fish; and none but Satan
made me forget it, so as not to mention it; and it hath taken its way in the
sea in a wondrous sort."
He said, "It is this we
were in quest of." And they both went back retracing their footsteps.
Then found they one of our
servants to whom we had vouchsafed our mercy, and whom we had instructed with
our knowledge.
And Moses said to him,
"Shall I follow thee that thou teach me, for guidance, of that which thou
too hast been taught?"
He said, "Verily, thou
canst not have patience with me;
How canst thou be patient in
matters whose meaning thou comprehendest not?"
He said, "Thou shalt find
me patient if God please, nor will I disobey thy bidding."
He said, "Then, if thou
follow me, ask me not of aught until I have given thee an account
thereof."
18:70 So
they both went on, till they embarked in a ship, and he -- the unknown --
staved it in. "What!" said moses, "hast thou staved it in that
thou mayest drown its crew? a strange thing now hast thou done!"
He said, "Did I not tell
thee that thou couldst not have patience with me?"
He said, "Chide me not that
I forgat, nor lay on me a hard command."
Then went they on till they met
a youth, and he slew him. Said Moses, "Hast thou slain him who is free
from guilt of blood? Now hast thou wrought a grievous thing!"
He said, "Did I not tell
thee that thou couldst not have patience with me?"
Part 16
Moses said, "If after this
I ask thee aught, then let me be thy comrade no longer; but now hast thou my
excuse."
They went on till they came to
the people of a city. Of this people they asked food, but they refused them for
guests. And they found in it a wall that was about to fall, and he set it
upright. Said Moses, "If thou hadst wished, for this thou mightest have
obtained pay."
He said, "This is the
parting point between me adn thee. But I will first tell thee the meaning of
that which thou couldst not await with patience.
"As to the vessel, it
belonged to poor men who toiled upon the sea, and I was minded to damage it,
for in their rear was a king who seized every ship by force.
As to the youth, his parents
were believers, and we feared lest he should trouble them by error and
infidelity.
18:80 And
we desired that their Lord might give them in his place a child, better than he
in virtue, and near to filial piety.
As to the wall, it belonged to
two orphan youths in the city, and beneath it was their treasure: and their father was a righteous man: and thy Lord desired that they should reach the age
of strength, and take force their treasure through the mercy of thy Lord. And
not of mine own will have I done this. This is the interpretation of that which
thou couldst not bear with patience."
They will ask thee of
Dhoulkarnain [the two-horned]. Say: I will
recite to you an account of him.
We stablished his power upon the
earth, and made for him a way to everything. And a route his followed,
Until when he reached the
setting of the sun, he found it to set in a miry fount; and hard by he found a
people.
We said, "O Dhoulkarnain!
either chastise or treat them generously."
"The impious," said
he, "will we surely chastise;" then shall he be taken back to his
Lord, and he will chastise him with a grievous chastisement.
But as to him to believeth and doeth
that which is right, he shall have a generous recompense, and we will lay on
them our easy behests.
Then followed he a route,
Until when he reached the rising
of the sun he found it to rise on a people to whom we had given no shelter from
it.
18:90 Thus
it was. And we had full knowledge of the forces that were with him.
Then followed he a route
Until he came between the two
mountains, beneath which he found a people who scarce understood a language.
They said, "O Dhoulkarnain!
verily, God and Magog waste this land: shall
we then pay thee tribute, so thou build a rampart between us and them?"
He said, "Better than your
tribute is the might wherewith my Lord had strengthened me; but help me
strenuously, and I will set a barrier between you and them.
Bring me blocks of iron,"
-- until when it filled the space between the mountain sides --
"Ply," said he, "your bellows," -- until when he had made
it red with heat (fire), he said, -- "Bring me molten brass that I may
pour upon it."
And God and Magog were not able
to scale it, neither were they able to dig through it.
"This," said he,
"is a mercy from my Lord:
But when the promise of my Lord
shall come to pass, he will turn it to dust; and the promise of my Lord is
true."
On that day we will let them
dash like billows one over another; and there shall be a blast on the trumpet,
and we will gather them together in a body.
18:100 And
we will set Hell on that day close before the infidels,
Whose eyes were veiled from my
warning, and who had no power to hear.
What! do the infidels think that
they can take my servants as their patrons, beside Me? Verily, we have got Hell
ready as the abode of the infidels.
Say:
Shall we tell you who they are that have lost their labour most?
Whose aim in the present life
hath been mistaken, and who deem that what they do is right?
They are those who believe not
in the signs of the Lord, or that they shall ever meet him. Vain, therefore,
are their works; and no weight will we allow them on the day of resurrection.
This shall be their reward --
Hell. Because they were unbelievers, and treated my signs and my Apostles with
scorn.
But as for those who believe and
do the things that are right, they shall have the gardens of
They shall remain therein for
ever: they shall wish for no change from it.
Say:
Should the sea become ink, to write the words of my Lord, the sea would surely
fail ere the words of my Lord would fail, though we brought its like in aid.
18:110 Say: In sooth I am only a man like you. It hath been
revealed to me that your God is one only God:
let him then who hopeth to meet his Lord work a righteous work: nor let him give any other creature a share in the
worship of his Lord.
Sura XIX (19)
Mary
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Kaf. Ha. Ya. Ain. Sad. A recital
of thy Lord's mercy to his servant Zachariah;
When he called upon his Lord
with secret calling,
And said, "O Lord, verily
my bones are weakened, and the hoar hairs glisten on my head,
And never, Lord, have I prayed
to thee with ill success.
But now I have fears for my
kindred after me; and my wife is barren:
Give me, then, a successor as thy
special gift, who shall be my heir and an heir of the family of Jacob: and make him, Lord, well pleasing to thee."
- "O Zachariah! verily we
announce to thee a son, -- his name John:
That name We have given to none
before him."
He said:
"O my Lord! how when my wife is barren shall I have a son, and when I have
now reached old age, failing in my powers?"
19:10 He
said: So shall it be. Thy Lord hath said, Easy
is this to me, for I created thee aforetime when thou wast nothing."
He said, "Vouchsafe me, O
my Lord! a sign." He said: "Thy sign
shall be that for three nights, though sound in health, thou speakest not to
man."
And he came forth from the
sanctuary to his people, and made signs to them to sign praises morn and even.
We said:
"O John! receive the Book with purpose of heart:"
-- and We bestowed on him wisdom while yet a child;
And mercifulness from Ourself,
and purity; and pious was he, and duteous to his parents; and not proud,
rebellious.
And peace was on him on the day
he was born, and the day of his death, and shall be on the day when he shall be
raised to life!
And make mention in the Book, of
Mary, when she went apart from her family, eastward,
And took a veil to shroud
herself from them: and we sent our spirit to
her, and he took before her the form of a perfect man.
She said:
"I fly for refuge from thee to the God of Merch! If thou fearest Him,
begone from me."
He said:
"I am only a messenger of thy Lord, that I may bestow on thee a holy
son."
19:20 She
said: "How shall I have a son, when man
hath never touched me? and I am not unchaste."
He said:
"So shall it be. Thy Lord hath said:
'Easy is this with me:' and we will make him a
sign to mankind, and mercy from us. For it is a thing decreed."
And she conceived him, and
retired with him to a far-off place.
And the throes came upon her by
the trunk of a palm. She said: "Oh, would
that I had died ere this, and been a thing forgotten, forgotten quite!"
And one cried to her from below
her: "Grieve not thou, thy Lord hath
provided a streamlet at thy feet: --
And shake the trunk of the
palm-tree toward thee: it will drop fresh ripe
dates upon thee.
Eat then and drink, and be of
cheerful eye: and shouldst thou see a man,
Say, -- Verily, I have vowed
abstinence to the God of mercy. -- To no one will I speak this day."
Then came she with the babe to
her people, bearing him. They said, "O Mary! now hast thou done a strange
thing!
O sister of Aaron! Thy father
was not a man of wickedness, nor unchaste thy mother."
19:30 And
she made a sign to them, pointing towards the babe. They said, "How shall
we speak with him who is in the cradle, an infant?"
It said, "Verily, I am the
servant of God; He hath given me the Book, and He hath made me a prophet;
And he hath made me blessed
wherever I may be, and hath enjoined me prayer and almsgiving so long as I
shall live;
And to be duteous to her that
bare me: and he hath not made me proud,
depraved.
And the peace of God was on me the
day I was born, and will be the day I shall die, and the day I shall be raised
to life."
This is Jesus, the son of Mary;
this is a statement of the truth concerning which they doubt.
It beseemeth not God to beget a
son. Glory be to Him! when he decreeth a thing. He only saith to it, Be, and it
Is.
And verily, God is my Lord and
your Lord; adore Him then. This is the right way.
But the Sects have fallen to
variance among themselves about Jesus: but
woe, because of the assembly of a great day, to those who believe not!
Make them hear, make them behold
the day when they shall come before us! But the offenders this day are in a
manifest error.
19:40 Warn
them of the day of sighing when the decree shall be accomplished, while they are
sunk in heedlessness and while they believe not.
Verily, we will inherit the
earth and all who are upon it. To us shall they be brought back.
Make mention also in the Book of
Abraham; for he was a man of truth, a Prophet.
When he said to his Father,
"O my Father! why dost thou worship that which neither seeth nor heareth,
nor profiteth thee aught?
O my Father! verily now hath
knowledge come to me which hath not come to thee. Follow me therefore -- I will
guide thee into an even path.
O my Father! worship not Satan,
for Satan is a rebel against the God of Mercy.
O my Father! indeed I fear lest
a chastisement from the God of Mercy light upon thee, and thou become Satan's
vassal."
He said, "Castest thou off
my Gods, O Abraham? if thou forbear not, I will surely stone thee. Begone from
me for a length of time."
He said, "Peace be on thee!
I will pray my Lord for thy forgiveness, for he is gracious to me:
But I will separate myself from
you, and the gods you call on beside Go, and on my Lord will I call. Haply, my
prayers to my Lord will not be with ill success."
19:50 And
when he had separated himself from them and that which they worshipped beside
God, we bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob, and each of them we made a prophet:
And we bestowed gifts of them in
our mercy, and gave them the lofty tongue of truth."
And commemorate Moses in
"the Book;" for he was a man of purity:
moreover he was an Apostle, a Prophet:
From the right side of the
mountain we called to him, and caused him to draw nigh to us for secret
converse:
And we bestowed on him in our
mercy his brother Aaron, a Prophet.
And commemorate Ismael in
"the Book;" for he was true to his promise, and was an Apostle, a
Prophet;
And he enjoined prayer and
almsgiving on his people, and was well pleasing to his Lord.
And commemorate Edris in
"the Book;" for he was a man of truth, a Prophet:
And we uplifted him to a place
on high.
These are they among the
prophets of the posterity of Adam, and among those whom we bare with Noah, and
among the posterity of Abraham and Israel, and among those whom we have guided
and chosen, to whom God hath shewed favour. When the signs of the God of Mercy
were rehearsed to them, they bowed them down worshipping and weeping.
19:60 But
others have come in their place after them:
they have made an end of prayer, and have gone after their own lusts; and in
the end they shall meet with evil: --
Save those who turn and believe
and do that which is right, these shall enter the Garden, and in nought shall
they be wronged:
The Garden of Eden, which the
God of Mercy hath promised to his servant, though yet unseen: for his promise shall come to pass:
No vain discourse shall they
hear therein, but only "Peace;" and their food shall be given them at
morn and even:
This is the Paradise which we
will make the heritage of those our servants who fear us.
We come not down from heaven but
by thy Lord's command. His, whatever is before us and whatever is behind us,
and whatever is between the two! And thy Lord is not forgetful, --
Lord of the Heavens and of the
Earth, and of all that is between them! Worship Him, then, and abide thou
steadfast in his worship. Knoweth thou any other of the same name?
Man saith: "What! after I am dead, shall I in the end be brought
forth alive?"
Doth not man bear in mind that
we made him at first, when he was nought?
And I swear by thy Lord, we will
surely gather together them and the Satans:
then will we set them on their knees round Hell:
19:70 Then
will we take forth from each band those of them who have been stoutest in
rebellion against the God of Mercy:
Then shall we know right well to
whom its burning is most due:
No one is there of you who shall
not go down unto it -- This is a settled decree with thy Lord --
Then will we deliver those who
had the fear of God, and the wicked will we leave in it on their knees.
And when our clear signs are
rehearsed to them, the infidels say to those who believe: "Which of the two parties is in the best plight? and which
is the most goodly company?"
But how many generations have we
brought to ruin before them, who surpassed them in riches and in splendour!
Say:
As to those who are in error, the God of Mercy will lengthen out to them a
length of days.
Until they see that with which
they are threatened, whether it be some present chastisement, or whether it be
"the Hour," and they shall then know which is in the worse state, and
which the more weak in forces:
But God will increase the
guidance of the already guided.
And good works which abide, are
in thy Lord's sight better in respect of guerdon, and better in the issue than
all worldly good.
19:80 Hast
thou marked him who believeth not in our signs, and saith, "I shall surely
have riches and children bestowed upon me?"
Hath he mounted up into the
secrets of God? hath he made a compact with the God of Mercy?
No! we will certainly write down
what he saith, and will lengthen the length of his chastisement:
And We will inherit what he
spake of, and he shall come before us all alone.
They have taken other gods
beside God to be their help.
But it shall not be. Those gods
will disavow their worship and will become their enemies.
Seest thou not that we send the
Satans against the Infidels to urge them into sin?
Wherefore be not thou in haste
with them; for a small number of days do we number to them.
One day we will gather the
God-fearing before the God of Mercy with honours due:
But the sinners will we drive
unto Hell, like flocks driven to the watering.
19:90 None shall
have power to intercede, save he who hath received permission at the hands of
the God of Mercy.
They say:
"The God of Mercy hath gotten offspring." Now have you done a
monstrous thing!
Almost might the very Heavens be
rent thereat, and the Earth cleave asunder, and the mountains fall down in
fragments,
That they ascribe a son to the
God of Mercy, when it beseemeth not the God of Mercy to beget a son!
Verily there is none in the
Heavens and in the Earth but shall approach the God of Mercy as a servant. He
hath taken note of them, and numbered them with exact numbering:
And each of them shall come to
Him, on the day of Resurrection, singly:
But love with the God of Mercy
vouchsafe to those who believe and do the things that be right.
Verily we have made this Koran
easy and in thine own tongue, that thou mayest announce glad tidings by it to
the God-fearing, and that thou mayest warn the contentious by it.
How many generations have we
destroyed before them! Canst thou search out one of them? or canst thou hear a
whisper from them?
Sura XX (20)
Ta. Ha.
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Ta. Ha. Not to sadden thee have
we sent down this Koran to thee,
But as a warning for him who
feareth;
It is a missive from Him who
hath made the earth and the lofty heavens!
The God of Mercy sitteth on his
throne:
His, whatsoever is in the
heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and whatsoever is between them both,
and whatsoever is beneath the humid soil!
Thou needest not raise thy voice: for He knoweth the secret whisper, and the yet
more hidden.
God! There is no God but He!
Most excellent His titles!
Hath the history of Moses
reached thee?
When he saw a fire, and said to
his family, "Tarry you here, for I perceive a fire:
20:10 Haply
I may bring you a brand from it, or find at the fire a guide."
And when he came to it, he was
called to, "O Moses!
Verily, I am thy Lord: therefore pull off they shoes: for thou art in the holy
And I have chosen thee: hearken then to what shall be revealed.
Verily, I am God: there is no God but me:
therefore worship me, and observe prayer for a remembrance of me.
Verily the hour is coming: -- I all but manifest it --
That every soul may be
recompensed for its labours.
Nor let him who believeth not
therein and followeth his lust, turn thee aside from this truth, and thou
perish.
Now, what is that in thy right
hand, O Moses?"
Said he, "It is my staff on
which I lean, and with which I beat down leaves for my sheep, and I have other
uses for it."
20:20 He
said, "Cast it down, O Moses!"
So he cast it down, and lo! it
became a serpent that ran along.
He said, "Lay hold on it,
and fear not: to its former state will we restore
it."
"Now play thy right hand to
thy arm-pit: it shall come forth white, but
unhurt: -- another sign! --
That we may shew thee the
greatest of our signs.
Go to Pharaoh, for he hath burst
all bounds."
He said, "O my Lord!
enlarge my breast for me,
And make my work easy for me,
And loose the knot of my tongue,
That they may understand my
speech.
20:30 And
give me a counsellor from among my family,
Aaron my brother;
By him gird up my loins,
And make him a colleague in my
work,
That we may praise thee oft and
oft remember thee,
For thou regardest us."
He said, "O Moses, thou
hast obtained thy suit:
Already, at another time, have
we showed thee favour,
When we spake unto thy mother
what was spoken:
'Cast him into the ark: then cast him on the sea [the river], and the sea
shall throw him on the shore: and an enemy to
me and an enemy to him shall take him up.' And I myself have made thee an
object of love,
20:40 That
thou mightest be reared in mine eye.
When thy sister went and said,
'Shall I shew you one who will nurse him?' Then We returned thee to thy mother
that her eye might be cheered, and that she might not grieve. And when thou
slewest a person, We delivered thee from trouble, and We tried thee with other
trial.
For years didst thou stay among
the people of Midian; then camest thou hither by my decree, O Moses:
And I have chosen thee for
Myself.
Go thou and thy brother with my
signs and be not slack to remember me.
Go you to Pharaoh, for he hath
burst all bounds:
But speak you to him with gentle
speech; haply he will reflect or fear."
They said, "O our Lord!
truly we fear lest he break forth against us, or act with exceeding
injustice."
He said, "Fear you not, for
I am with you both. I will hearken and I will behold.
Go you then to him and say,
'Verily we are Sent ones of thy Lord; send therefore the children of Israel
with us and vex them not: now are we come to
thee with signs from thy Lord, and, Peace shall be on him who followeth the
right guidance.
20:50 For
now hath it been revealed to us, that chastisement shall be on him who chargeth
with falsehood, and turneth him away.'"
And he said, "Who is your
Lord, O Moses?"
He said, "Our Lord is He
who hath given to everything its form and then guideth it aright."
"But what," said he,
"was the state of generations past?"
He said, "The knowledge
thereof is with my Lord in the Book of his decrees. My Lord erreth not, nor
forgetteth.
He hath spread the earth as a
bed, and hath traced out paths for you therein, and hath sent down rain from
Heaven, and by it we bring forth the kinds of various herbs:
- 'Eat you, and feed your
cattle.' Of a truth in this are signs unto men endued with understanding.
From it have we created you, and
into it will we return you, and out of it will we bring you forth a second
time."
And we shewed him all our signs: but he treated them as falsehoods, and refused to
believe.
He said, "hast thou come, O
Moses, to drive us from our land by thine enchantments?
20:60
Therefore will we assuredly confront thee with like enchantments: so appoint a meeting between us and you -- we will
not fail it, we, and do not thou - in a place alike for both."
He said, "On the feast day
be your meeting, and in broad daylight let the people be assembled."
And Pharaoh turned away, and
collected his craftsmen and came.
Said Moses to them, "Woe to
you! devise not a lie against God:
For then will he destroy you by
a punishment. They who have lied have ever perished."
And the magicians discussed
their plan, and spake apart in secret:
They said, "These two are
surely sorcerers: fain would they drive you
from your land by their sorceries, and lead away in their paths your chiefest
men:
So muster your craft: then come in order:
well this day shall it be for him, who shall gain the upper hand."
They said, "O Moses, wilt
thou first cast down thy rod, or shall we be the first who cast?
He said, "yes, cast you
down first." And lo! by their enchantment their cords and rods seemed to
him as if they ran.
20:70 And
Moses conceived a secret fear within him.
We said, "Fear not, for
thou shalt be the uppermost:
Cast forth then what is in thy
right hand: it shall swallow up what they have
produced: they have only produced the deceit
of an enchanter: and come where he may, ill
shall an enchanter fare."
And the magicians fell down and
worshipped. They said, "We Believe in the Lord of Aaron and of
Moses."
Said Pharaoh, "Believe you
on him ere I give you leave? He, in sooth, is your Master who hath taught you
magic. I will therefore cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and
I will crucify you on trunks of the palm, and assuredly shall you learn which
of us is severest in punishing, and who is the more abiding."
They said, "We will not
have more regard to thee than to the clear tokens which have come to us, or
than to Him who hath made us: doom the doom
thou wilt: Thou canst only doom as to this
present life: of a truth we have believed on
our Lord that he may pardon us our sins and the sorcery to which thou hast
forced us, for God is better, and more abiding than thou.
As for him who shall come before
his Lord laden with crime -- for him verily is Hell:
he shall not die in it and he shall not live.
But he who shall come before
Him, a believer, with righteous works, -- these! the loftiest grades await them:
Gardens of Eden, beneath whose
trees the rivers flow: therein shall they
abide for ever. This, the reward of him who hath been pure."
Then revealed we to Moses,
"Go forth by night with my servants and cleave for them a dry path in the
sea;
20:80 Fear
not thou to be overtaken, neither be thou afraid."
And Pharaoh followed them with
his hosts, and the whelming billows of the sea overwhelmed them, for Pharaoh
misled his people, and did not guide them.
O children of Israel! we rescued
you from your foes; and We appointed a meeting with you on the right side of
the mountain; and We caused the manna and the quail to descend upon you:
"Eat," said We,
"of the good things with which we have supplied you; but without excess,
lest my wrath fall upon you; for on whom my wrath doth fall, he perisheth
outright.
Surely however will I forgive
him who turneth to God and believeth, and worketh righteousness, and then
yieldeth to guidance.
But what hath hastened thee on
apart from thy people, O Moses?"
He said, "They are hard on
my footsteps: but to thee, O Lord, have I
hastened, that thou mightest be well pleased with me."
He said, "Of a truth now
have we proved thy people since thou didst leave them, and Samiri had led them
astray."
And Moses returned to his
people, angered, sorrowful.
He said, "O my people! did
not your Lord promise you a good promise? Was the time of my absence long to
you? or desired you that wrath from your Lord should light upon you, that you
failed in your promise to me?"
20:90 They
said, "Not of our own accord have we failed in the promise to thee, but we
were made to bring loads of the people's trinkets, and we threw them into the
fire -- and Samiri likewise cast them in, and brought forth to them a corporeal
lowing calf: and they said, 'This is your God
and the God of Moses, whom he hath forgotten.'"
What! saw they not that it
returned them no answer, and could neither hurt nor help them?
And Aaron had before said to
them, "O my people! by this calf are you only proved: surely your Lord is the God of Mercy: follow me therefore and obey my bidding."
They said, "We will not
cease devotion to it, till Moses come back to us."
He said, "O Aaron! when
thou sawest that they had gone astray, what hindered thee from following me?
Hast thou then disobeyed my command?"
He said, 'O Son of my mother!
seize me not by my beard, nor by my head:
indeed I feared lest thou shouldst say, 'Thou hast rent the children of Israel asunder,
and hast not observed my orders.'"
He said, "And what was they
motive, O Samiri?" He said, "I saw what they saw not: so I took a handful of dust from the track of the
messenger of God, and flung it into the calf, for so my soul prompted me."
He said, "Begone then: verily thy doom even in this life shall be to say,
'Touch me not.' And there is a threat against thee, which thou shalt not escape
hereafter. Now look at thy god to which thou hast continued so devoted: we will surely burn it and reduce it to ashes,
which we will cast into the sea.
Your God is God, beside whom
there is no God: In his knowledge he embraceth
all things."
20:100 Whoso
shall turn aside from it shall verily carry a burden on the day of Resurrection:
Under it shall they remain: and grievous, in the day of Resurrection, shall it
be to them to bear.
On that day there shall be a
blast on the trumpet, and We will gather the wicked together on that day with
leaden eyes:
They shall say in a low voice,
one to another, -- "You tarried but ten days on earth."
We are most knowing with respect
to that which they will say when the most veracious of them will say. "You
have not tarried above a day."
And they will ask thee of the
mountains: Say:
scattering my Lord will scatter them in dust;
And he will leave them a level
plain: thou shalt see in it no hollows or
jutting hills.
On that day shall men follow
their summoner -- he marcheth straight on: and
low shall be their voices before the God of Mercy,n or shalt thou heart aught
by the light footfall.
No intercession shall avail on
that day, save his whom the God of Mercy shall allow to intercede, and whose
words he shall approve.
He knoweth their future and
their past; but in their own knowledge they comprehend it not: --
20:110 And
humble shall be their faces before Him that Liveth, the Self-subsisting: and undone he, who shall bear the burden of
iniquity;
But he who shall have done the
things that are right and is a believer, shall fear neither wrong nor loss.
Thus have We sent down to thee
an Arabic Koran, and have set forth menaces therein diversely, that haply they
may fear God, or that it may give birth to reflection in them.
Exalted then be God, the King,
the Truth! Be not hasty in its recital while the revelation of it to thee is
incomplete. Say rather, "O my Lord, increase knowledge unto me."
And of old We made a covenant
with Adam; but he forgat it; and we found no firmness of purpose in him.
And when We said to the angels,
"Fall down and worship Adam," they worshipped all, save Eblis, who
refused: and We said, "O Adam! this truly
is a foe to thee and to thy wife. Let him not therefore drive you out of the
garden, and you become wretched;
For to thee is it granted that
thou shalt not hunger therein, neither shalt thou be naked;
And that thou shalt not thirst
therein, neither shalt thou parch with heat;"
But Satan whispered him: said he, "O Adam! shall I shew thee the tree
of Eternity, and the Kingdom that faileth not?:"
And they both ate thereof, and
their nakedness appeared to them, and they began to sew of the leaves of the
Garden to cover them, and Adam disobeyed his Lord and went astray.
20:120
Afterwards his Lord chose him for himself, and was turned towards him, and
guided him.
And God said, "Get you all
down hence, the one of you a foe unto the other. Hereafter shall guidance come
unto you from me;
And whoso followeth my guidance
shall not err, and shall not be wretched:
But whoso turneth away from my
monition, his truly shall be a life of misery:
And We will assemble him with
others on the day of Resurrection, blind."
He will say, "O my Lord!
why hast thou assembled me with others, blind? whereas I was endowed with
sight."
He will answer, "Thus is it,
because our signs came unto thee and thou didst forget them, and thus shalt
thou be forgotten this day."
Even thus will We recompense him
who hath transgressed and hath not believed in the signs of his Lord; and
assuredly the chastisement of the next world will be more severe and more
lasting.
Are not they, who walk the very
places where they dwelt, aware how many generations we have destroyed before
them? Verily in this are signs to men of insight.
And had not a decree of respite
from thy Lord first gone forth, their chastisement had at once ensued. Yet the
time is fixed.
20:130 Put
up then with what they say; and celebrate the praise of thy Lord before the
sunrise, and before its setting; and some time in the night do thou praise him,
and in the extremes of the day, that thou haply mayest please Him.
And strain not thine eye after
what We have bestowed on divers of them -- the braveries of this world -- that
we may thereby prove them. The portion which thy Lord will give, is better and
more lasting.
Enjoin prayer on thy family, and
persevere therein. We ask not of thee to find thine own provision -- we will
provide for thee, and a happy issue shall there be to piety.
But they say, "If he come
not to us with a sign from his Lord...!" But have not clear proof for the
Koran come to them, in what is in the Books of old?
And had We destroyed them by a
chastisement before its time, they would surely have said, "O our Lord!
How could we believe if thou didst not send unto us an Apostle that we might
follow thy signs ere that we were humbled and disgraces."
Part 17
Sura XXI (21)
The Prophets
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
This people's reckoning hath
drawn nigh, yet, sunk in carelessness, they turn aside.
Every fresh warning that cometh
to them from their Lord they only hear to mock it, --
Their hearts set on lusts: and they who have done this wrong say in secret
discourse, "Is He more than a man like yourselves? What! will you, with
your eyes open, accede to sorcery?"
Say:
"My Lord knoweth what is spoken in the heaven and on the earth: He is the Hearer, the Knower."
"Nay," say they,
"it is the medley of dreams: nay, he hath
forged it: nay, he is a poet: let him come to us with a sign as the prophets of
old were sent."
Before their time, none of the
cities which we have destroyed, believed: will
these men, then, believe?
And we sent none, previous to
thee, but men to whom we had revealed ourselves. Ask you the people who are warned
by Scriptures, if you know it not.
We have them n ot bodies which
could dispense with food: and they were not to
live for ever.
Then made we good our promise to
them; and we delivered them and whom we pleased, and we destroyed the
transgressors.
21:10 And
now have we sent down to you "the book," in which is your warning: What, will you not then understand?
And how many a guilty city have
we broken down, and raised up after it other peoples:
And when they felt our
vengeance, lo! they fled from it.
"Flee not," said the
angels in mockery, "but come back to that wherein you revelled, and to
your abodes! Questions will haply be put to you."
They said, "Oh, woe to us!
Verily we have been evil doers."
And this ceased not to be their
cry, until we made them like reaped corn, extinct.
We created not the heaven and
the earth, and what is between them, for sport:
Had it been our wish to find a
pastime, we had surely found it in ourselves; -- if to do so had been our will.
Nay, we will hurl the truth at
falsehood, and it shall smite it, and lo! it shall vanish. But woe be to you
for what you utter of God!
All beings in the heaven and on
the earth are His: and they who are in his
presence disdain not his service, neither are they wearied:
21:20 They
praise Him night and day: they rest not.
Have they taken gods from the
earth who can quicken the dead?
Had there been in either heaven
or earth gods besides God, both surely had gone to ruin. But glory be to God,
the Lord of the throne, beyond what they utter!
He shall not be asked of his
doings, but they shall be asked.
Have they taken other gods
beside Him? Say; Bring forth your proofs that they are gods. This is the
warning of those who are with me, and the warning of those who were before me: but most of them know not the truth, and turn
aside.
No apostle have we sent before
thee to whom we did not reveal that "Verily there is no God beside me: therefore worship me."
Yet they say, "The God of
Mercy hath begotten issue from the angels." Glory be to Him! Nay, they are
but His honoured servants:
They speak not till He hath
spoken; and they do His bidding.
He knoweth what is before them
and what is behind them; and no plea shall they offer.
Save for whom He pleaseth; and
they tremble for fear of Him.
21:30 And
that angel among them who saith "I am a god beside Him," will we
recompense with hell: in such sort will we
recompense the offenders.
Do not the infidels see that the
heavens and the earth were both a solid mass, and that we clave them asunder, and
that by means of water we give life to everything? Will they not then believe?
And we set mountains on the
earth lest it should move with them, and we made on it broad passages between
them as routes for their guidance;
And we made the heaven a roof strongly
upholden; yet turn they away from its signs.
And He it is who hath created
the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, each moving swiftly in its
sphere.
At no time have we granted to
man a life that shall last for ever: if thou
then die, shall they live for ever?
Every soul shall taste of death: and for trial will we prove you with evil and with
good; and unto Us shall you be brought back.
And when the infidels see thee
they receive thee only with scoffs: -- "What!
is this he who maketh such mention of your gods?" Yet when mention is made
to them of the God of Mercy, they believe not.
"Man," say they,
"is made up of haste." But I will shew you my signs: desire them not then to be hastened.
They say, "When will this
threat be made good? Tell us, if you be men of truth?"
21:40 Did
the infidels but know the time when they shall not be able to keep the fire of
hell from their faces or from their backs, neither shall they be helped!
But it shall come on them suddenly
and shall confound them; and they shall not be able to put it back, neither
shall they be respited.
Other apostles have been scoffed
at before thee: but that doom at which they
mocked encompassed the scoffers.
Say:
Who shall protect you by night and by day from the God of Mercy? Yet turn they
away from the warning of their Lord.
Have they gods beside Us who can
defend them? For their own succour have they no power; neither shall the gods
they join with God screen them from Us.
Yes! we have given these men and
their fathers enjoyments so long as their life lasted. What! see they not that
we come to a land and straiten its borders? Is it they who are the conquerors?
Say:
I only warn you of what hath been revealed to me:
but the deaf will not hear the call, whenever they are warned;
Yet if a breath of thy Lord's
chastisement touch them, they will assuredly say, "Oh! woe to us! we have
indeed been offenders."
Just balances will we set up for
the day of the resurrection, neither shall any soul be wronged in aught;
though, were a work but the weight of a grain of mustard seed, we would bring
it forth to be weighed: and our reckoning will
suffice.
We gave of old to Moses and
Aaron the illumination, and a light and a warning for the God-fearing,
21:50 Who
dread their Lord in secret, and who tremble for "the Hour."
And this Koran which we have
sent down is a blessed warning: will you then
disown it?
Of old we gave unto Abraham his
direction, for we knew him worthy.
When he said to his Father and
to his people, "What are these images to which you are devoted?"
They said, "We found our
fathers worshipping them."
He said, "Truly you and
your fathers have been in a plain mistake."
They said, "Hast thou come
unto us in earnest? or art thou of those who jest?"
He said, "Nay, your Lord is
the Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth, who hath created them both; and to
this am I one of those who witness:
- And, by God, I will certainly
lay a plot against your idols, after you shall have retired and turned your backs."
So, he broke them all in pieces,
except the chief of them, that to it they might return, inquiring.
21:60 They
said, "Who hath done this to our gods? Verily he is one of the
unjust."
They said, "We heard a
youth make mention of them: they call him
Abraham."
They said, "Then bring him
before the people's eyes, that they may witness against him."
They said, "Hast thou done
this to our gods, O Abraham?"
He said, "Nay, that their
chief hath done it: but ask y them, if they
can speak."
So they turned their thoughts
upon themselves, and said, "You truly are the impious persons:"
Then became headstrong in their
former error and exclaimed, "Thou knowest that these speak not."
He said, "What! do you then
worship, instead of God, that which doth not profit you at all, nor injure you?
Fie on you and on that you worship instead of God! What! do you not then
understand?"
They said: "Burn him, and come to the succour of your gods: if you will do anything at all."
We said, "O fire! be thou
cold, and to Abraham a safety!"
21:70 And
they sought to lay a plot against him, but we made them the sufferers.
And we brought him and Lot in
safety to the land which we have blessed for all human beings:
And we gave him Isaac and Jacob
as a farther gift, and we made all of them righteous:
We also made them models who
should guide others by our command, and we inspired them with good deeds and
constancy in prayer and almsgiving, and they
worshipped ud.
And unto Lot we gave wisdom, and
knowledge; and we rescued him from the city which wrought filthiness; for they
were a people, evil, perverse:
And we caused him to enter into
our mercy, for he was of the righteous.
And remember Noah when aforetime
he cried to us and we heard him, and delivered him and his family from the
great calamity;
And we helped him against the
people who treated our signs as impostures. An evil people verily were they,
and we drowned them all.
And David and Solomon; when they
gave judgment concerning a field when some people's sheep had caused a waste
therein; and we were witnesses of their judgment.
And we gave Solomon insight into
the affair; and on both of them we bestowed wisdom and knowledge. And we
constrained the mountains and the birds to join with David in our praise: Our doing was it!
21:80 And
we taught David the art of making mail for you, to defend you from each other's
violence: will you therefore be thankful?
And to Solomon we subjected the
strongly blowing wind: it sped at his bidding
to the land we had blessed; for we know all things:
And sundry Satans who should
dive for him and perform other work beside:
and we kept watch over them.
And remember Job: When he cried to his Lord, "Truly evil hath
touched me: but thou art the most merciful of
those who shew mercy."
So we heard him, and lightened
the burden of his woe; and we gave him back his family, and as many more with
them, -- a mercy from us, and a memorial for those who serve us:
And Ismael, and Edris and
Dhoulkefl -- all steadfast in patience.
And we caused them to enter into
our mercy; for they were of the righteous:
And Dhoulnoun; when he went on
his way in anger, and thought that we had no power over him. But in the
darkness he cried "There is no God but thou:
Glory be unto Thee! Verily, I have been one of the evil doers:"
So we heard him and rescued him
from misery: for thus recuse we the faithful:
And Zacharias; when he called
upon his Lord saying, "O my Lord, leave not not childless: but there is no better heir than Thyself."
21:90 So we
heard him, and gave him John, and we made his wife fit for child- bearing.
Verily, these vied in goodness, and called upon us with love and fear, and
humbled themselves before us:
And her who kept her maidenhood,
and into whom we breathed of our spirit, and made her and her son a sign to all
creatures.
Of a truth, this, your religion,
is the one Religion, and I your Lord; therefore serve me."
But they have rent asunder this
their great concern among themselves into sects. All of them shall return to
us.
And whoso shall do the things
that are right, and be a believer, his efforts shall not be disowned: and surely will we write them down for him.
There is a ban on every city
which we shall have destroyed, that they shall not rise again,
Until a way is opened for God
and Magog, and they shall hasten from every high land,
And this sure promise shall draw
on. And lo! the eyes of the infidels shall stare amazedly; and they shall say,
"Oh, our misery! of this were we careless! yea, we were impious
persons."
Verily, you, and what you
worship beside God, shall be fuel for hell:
you shall go down into it.
Were these gods, they would not
go down into it; but they shall all abide in it for ever.
21:100
Therein shall they groan; but nought therein shall they hear to comfort them.
But they for whom we have before
ordained good things, shall be far away from it:
Its slightest sound they shall
not hear: in what their souls longed for, they
shall abide for ever:
The great terror shall not trouble
them; and the angel shall meet them with, "This is your day which you were
promised."
On that day we will roll up the
heaven as one rolleth up written scrolls. As we made the first creation, so
will we bring it forth again. This promise bindeth us; verily, we will perform
it.
And now, since the Law was
given, have we written in the Psalms that "my servants, the righteous,
shall inherit the earth."
Verily, in this Koran is
teaching for those who serve God.
We have not sent thee otherwise
than as mercy unto all creatures.
Say:
Verily it hath been revealed to me that your God is one God; are you then
resigned to Him? (Muslims.)
But if they turn their backs,
then say: I have warned you all alike; but I
know not whether that with which you are threatened be nigh or distant.
21:110 God
truly knoweth what is spoken aloud, and He also knoweth that which you hide.
And I know whether haply this
delay be not for your trial, and that you may enjoy yourselves for a time.
My Lord saith: Judge you with truth; for our Lord is the God of
Mercy -- whose help is to be sought against what you utter.
Sura XXII (22)
The Pilgrimage
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
O Men of
On the day when you shall behold
it, every suckling woman shall forsake her sucking babe; and every woman that
hath a burden in her womb shall cast her burden; and thou shalt see men
drunken, yet are they not drunken: but it is
the mighty chastisement of God!
There is a man who, without
knowledge, wrangleth about God, and followeth every rebellious Satan;
Concerning whom it is decreed,
that he shall surely beguile and guide into the torment of the Flame, whoever
shall take him for his Lord.
O men! if you doubt as to the
resurrection, yet, of a truth, have We created you of dust, then of the moist
germs of life, then of clots of blood, then of pieces of flesh shapen and unshapen,
that We might give you proofs of our power! And We cause one sex or the other,
at our pleasure, to abide in the womb until the appointed time; then We bring
you forth infants; then permit you to reach your age of strength; and one of
you dieth, and another of you liveth on to an age so abject that all his former
knowledge is clean forgotten! And thou hast seen the earth dried up and barren: but when We send down the rain upon it, it
stirreth and swelleth, and groweth every kind of luxuriant herb.
This, for that God is the Truth,
and that it is He who quickeneth the dead, and that He hath power over
everything:
And that "the Hour"
will indeed come -- there is no doubt of it -- and that God will wake up to
life those who are in the tombs.
A man there is who disputeth
about God without knowledge or guidance or enlightening Book,
Turning aside in scorn to
mislead others from the way of God! Disgrace shall be his in this world; and on
the day of the resurrection, We will make him taste the torment of the burning: --
22:10
"This, for thy handywork of old! for God is not unjust to His
servants."
There are some who serve God in
a single point. If good come upon one of them, he resteth in it; but if trial
come upon him, he turneth him round (to infidelity) with the loss both of this
world and of the next! This same is the clear ruin!
He calleth upon that beside God
which can neither hurt him nor profit him. This same is the far-gone error!
He calleth on him who would
sooner hurt than profit him. Surely, bad the lord, and, surely, bad the vassal!
But God will bring in those who
shall believe and do the things that are right, into gardens 'neath which the
rivers flow: for God doth that which He
pleaseth.
Let him who thinketh that God
will not help His Apostle in this world and in the next, stretch a cord aloft
as if to destroy himself; then let him cut it, and see whether his devices can
bring that to nought at which he was angry!
Thus send we down the Koran with
its clear signs (verses): and because God
guideth whom He pleaseth.
As to those who believe, and the
Jews, and the Sabeites, and the Christians, and the Magians, and those who join
other gods with God, of a truth, God shall decide between them on the day of
resurrection: for God is witness of all
things.
Seest thou not that all in the
Heavens and all on the Earth adoreth God? the sun and the moon and the stars,
and the mountains, and the trees, and the beasts, and many men? But of many is
chastisement due due:
And whom God shall disgrace
there shall be none to honour: God doth that
which pleaseth Him.
22:20
These, the Faithful and the Infidels, are the two disputants who dispute
concerning their Lord: but for those who have
disbelieved, garments of fire shall be cut out; the boiling water shall be
poured down upon their heads:
All that is in their bowels, and
their skins, shall be dissolved: and there are
maces of iron for them!
So oft as they, for very
anguish, would fain come forth thence, back shall they be turned into it: and -- "Taste you the torment of the
burning."
But God will bring in those who
shall have believed, and done the things that are right, into gardens 'neath
which the rivers flow. Adorned shall they be therein with golden bracelets and
with pearls, and their raiment therein shall be of silk;
For they were guided to the best
of words; guided to the glorious path!
But those who believe not, and
seduce others from the way of God, and from the Holy Mosque which we have
appointed to all men, alike for those who abide therein, and for the stranger;
And those who seek impiously to
profane it, we will cause to taste a grievous punishment.
And all to mind when we assigned
the site of the House to Abraham and said:
"Unite not aught with Me in worship, and cleanse My House for those who go
in procession round it, and who stand or bow in worship:"
And proclaim to the peoples a
pilgrimage: Let them come to thee on foot and
on every fleet camel, arriving by every deep defile:
That they may bear witness of
its benefits to them, and may make mention of God's name on the appointed days,
over the brute beasts with which He hath supplied them for sustenance: Therefore eat thereof yourselves, and feed the
needy, the poor:
22:30 Then
let them bring the neglect of their persons to a close, and let them pay their
vows, and circuit the ancient House.
This do. And he that respecteth
the sacred ordinances of God, this will be best for him with his Lord. The
flesh of cattle is allowed you, save of those already specified to you. Shun
you, therefore, the pollutions of idols; and shun you the word of falsehood;
Sound in faith Godward, uniting
no god with Him; for whoever uniteth gods with God, is like that which falleth
from on high, and the birds snatch it away, or the wind wafteth it to a distant
place.
This do. And they who respect
the rites of God, perform an action which proceedeth from piety of heart.
You may obtain advantages from
the cattle up to the set time for slaying them:
then, the place for sacrificing them is at the ancient House.
And to every people have we
appointed rites, that they may commemorate the name of God over the brute
beasts which He hath provided for them. And your God is the one God. To Him,
therefore, surrender yourselves: and bear thou
good tidings to those who humble them, --
Whose hearts, when mention is
made of God, thrill with awe; and to those who remain steadfast under all that
befalleth them, and observe prayer, and give alms of that with which we have
supplied them.
And the camels have we appointed
you for the sacrifice to God: much good have
you in them. Make mention, therefore, of the name of God over them when you
slay them, as they stand in a row; and when they are fallen over on their sides,
eat of them, and feed him who is content and asketh not, and him who asketh.
Thus have We subjected them to you, to the intent you should be thankful.
By no means can their flesh
reach unto God, neither their blood; but piety on your part reacheth Him. Thus
hath He subjected them to you, that you might magnify God for His guidance: moreover, announce to those who do good deeds --
That God will ward off mischief
from believers: for God loveth not the false,
the Infidel.
22:40 A
sanction is given to those who, because they have suffered outrages, have taken
up arms; and verily, God is well able to succour them:
Those who have been driven forth
from their homes wrongfully, only because they say "Our Lord is the
God." And if God had not repelled some men by others, cloisters, and
churches, and oratories, and mosques, wherein the name of God is ever
commemorated, would surely have been destroyed. And him who helpeth God will
God surely help: for God is right Strong,
Mighty: --
Those who, if we establish them
in this land, will observe prayer, and pay the alms of obligation, and enjoin
what is right, and forbid what is evil. And the final issue of all things is
unto God.
Moreover, if they charge thee
with imposture, then already, before them, the people of Noah, and Ad and
Themoud, and the people of Abraham, and the people of Lot, and the dwellers in
Madian, have charged their prophets with imposture! Moses, too, was charged
with imposture! And I bore long with the unbelievers; then seize upon them: and how great was the change I wrought!
And how many cities which had
been ungodly, and whose roofs are now laid low in ruin, have We destroyed! And
wells have been abandoned and lofty castles!
Have they not journeyed through
the land? Have they not hearts to understand with, or ears to hear with? It is
not that to these sights their eyes are blind, but the hearts in their breasts
are blind!
And they will bid thee to hasten
the chastisement. But God cannot fail His threat. And verily, a day with thy
Lord is as a thousand years, as you reckon them!
How many cities have I long
borne with, wicked though they were, yet then laid hold on them to chastise
them! Unto Me shall all return.
Say:
O men! I am only your open warner:
And they who believe and do the
things that are right, shall have forgiveness and an honourable provision;
22:50 But
those who strive to invalidate our signs shall be inmates of Hell.
We have not sent any apostle or
prophet before thee, among whose desires Satan injected not some wrong desire,
but God shall bring to nought that which Satan had suggested. Thus shall God
affirm His revelations for God is Knowing, Wise!
That He may make that which
Satan hath injected, a trial to those in whose hearts is a disease, and whose
hearts are hardened. -- Verily, the wicked are in a far-gone severance from the
truth! --
And that they to whom "the
Knowledge" hath been given, may know that the Koran is the truth from thy
Lord and may believe in it, and their hearts may acquiesce in it: for God is surely the guider of those who believe,
into the straight path.
But the Infidels will not cease
to doubt concerning it, until "the Hour" come suddenly upon them, or
until the chastisement of the day of desolation come upon them.
On that day the Kingdom shall be
God's: He shall judge between them: and they who shall have believed and done the
things that are right, shall be in gardens of delight:
But they who were Infidels and
treated our signs as lies -- these then -- their's a shameful chastisement!
And as to those who fled their
country for the cause of God, and were afterwards slain, or died, surely with
goodly provision will God provide for them! for verily, God! He, surely, is the
best of providers!
He will assuredly bring them in
with an in-bringing that shall please them well:
for verily, God is right Knowing, Gracious.
So shall it be. And whosoever in
making exact reprisal for injury done him, shall again be wronged, God will
assuredly aid him: for God is most Merciful,
Gracious.
22:60 So
shall it be; for that God causeth the night to enter in upon the day, and He
causeth the day to enter in upon the night:
and for that God Heareth, Seeth.
So shall it be, for that God is
the truth; and because what they call on beside Him is vanity: and because God is the Lofty, the Might!
Seest thou not that God sendeth
down water from Heaven, and that on the morrow the earth is clad with verdure?
for God is benignant, cognisant of all.
His, all in the Heavens and all
on Earth: and verily, God! He assuredly is the
Rich, the Praiseworthy!
Seest thou not that God hath put
under you whatever is in the earth; and the ships which traverse the sea at His
bidding? And He holdeth back the heaven that it fall not on the earth, unless
He permit it! for God is right Gracious to mankind, Merciful.
And He it is who hath given you
life, then will cauae you to die, then will give you life -- of a truth man is
all ungrateful.
To every people have we
appointed observances which they observe. Therefore, let them not dispute this
matter with thee, but bid them to thy Lord, for thou art on the right way:
But if they debate with thee,
then say: God best knoweth what you do!
God will judge between you on
the day of resurrection, as to the matters wherein you differ.
Knowest thou not that God
knoweth whatever is in the Heaven and on the Earth? This truly is written in
the Book: this truly is easy for God.
22:70 They
worshjip beside God, that for which He hath sent down no warranty, and that of
which they have no knowledge: but for those
who commit this wrong, no helper!
And when our clear signs are
rehearsed to them, thou mayst perceive disdain in the countenances of the
Infidels. Scarce can they refrain from rushing to attack those who rehearse our
signs to them! Say: Shall I tell you of worse
than this? The fire which God hath threatened to those who believer not!
Wrteched the passage thither!
O men! a parable is set forth to
you, wherefore hearken to it. Verily, they on whom you call beside God, cannot
create a fly, though they assemble for it; and if the fly carry off aught from
them, they cannot take it away from it! Weak the suppliant and the supplicated!
Unworthy the estimate they form
of God! for God is right Powerful, Mighty!
God chooseth messengers from
among the angels and from among men: verily,
God Heareth, Seeth.
He knoweth what is before them
and what is behind them; and unto God shall all things return.
Believers! bow down and
prostrate yourselves and worship your Lord, and work righteousness that you may
fare well.
And do valiantly in the cause of
God as it behoveth you to do for Him. He hath elected you, and hath not laid on
you any hardship in religion, the Faith of your father Abraham. He hath named
you the Muslims
Heretofore and in this Book,
that the Apostles may be a witness against you, and that you may be witnesses
against the rest of mankind. Therefore observe prayer, and pay the legal
impost, and cleave fast to God. He is your liege Lord -- a goodly Lord, and
goodly Helper!
Part 18
Sura XXIII (23)
The Believers
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Happy now the believers,
Who humble them in their prayer,
And who keep aloof from vain
words,
And who are doers of alms deeds,
And who restrain their
appetites,
(Save with their wives, or the
slaves whom their right hands possess: for in
that case they shall be free from blame:
But they whose desires reach
further than this are transgressors:)
And who tend well their trusts
and their covenants,
And who keep them strictly to
their prayers:
23:10 These
shall be the heritors,
Who shall inherit the paradise,
to abide therein for ever.
Now of a fine clay have we
created man:
Then we placed him, a moist
germ, in a safe abode;
Then made we the moist germ a
clot of blood: then made the clotted blood
into a piece of flesh; then made the piece of flesh into bones: and we clothed the bones with flesh: then brought forth man of yet another make --
Blessed therefore be God, the most excellent of Makers --
Then after this you shall surely
die:
Then shall you be waked up on
the day of resurrection.
And we have created over you
seven heavens: -- and we are not careless of
the creation.
And we send down water from the
Heaven in its due degree, and we cause it to settle on the earth; -- and we
have pwoer for its withdrawal: --
And by it we cause gardens of
palm trees, and vineyards to spring forth for you, in which you have plenteous
fruits, and whereof you eat;
23:20 And
the tree that growth up on Mount Sinai; which yieldeth oil and a juice for
those who eat.
And there is a lesson for you in
the cattle: We give you to drink of what is in
their bellies, and many advantages do you derive from them, and for food they
serve you;
And on them and on ships are you
borne.
We sent Noah heretofore unto his
people, and he said, "O my people! serve God:
you have no other God than He: will you not
therefore fear Him?
But the chiefs of the people who
believed not said, "This is but a man like yourselves: he fain would raise himself above you: but had it pleased God to send, He would have sent
angels: We heard not of this with our sires of
old; --
Verily he is but a man
possessed; leave him alone therefore for a time."
He said, "O my Lord! help
me against their charge of imposture."
So we revealed unto him,
"Make the ark under our eye, and as we have taught, and when our doom
shall come on, and the earth's surface shall boil up,
Carry into it of every kind a
pair, and thy family, save him on whom sentence hath already passed: and plead not with me for the wicked, for they
shall be drowned.
And when thou, and they who
shall be with thee, shall go up into the ark; say, 'Praise be unto God, who
hath rescued us from the wicked folk.'
23:30 And
say, 'O my Lord! disembark me with a blessed disembarking: for thou art the best to disembark.'"
Verily in this were signs, and
verily we made proof of man.
We then raised up other
generations after them;
And we sent among them an apostle
from out themselves, with, "Worship you God! you have no other God than He: will you not therefore fear Him?"
And the chiefs of His people who
believed not, and who deemed the meeting with us in the life to come to be a
lie, and whom we had richly supplied in this present life, said, "This is
but a man like yourselves; he eateth of what you eat,
And he drinketh of what you
drink:
And if you obey a man like
yourselves, then you will surely be undone.
What! doth he fortell you, that
after you shall be dead and become dust and bones, you shall be brought forth?
Away, away with his predictions!
There is no life beyond our
present life; we die, and we live, and we shall not be quickened again!
23:40 This
is merely a man who forgeth a lie about God:
and we will not believe him."
He said, "O my Lord! help
me against this charge of imposture."
He said, "yet a little, and
they will soon repent them!"
Then did the shout of the
destroying angel injustice surprise them, and we made them like leaves swept
down by a torrent,. Away then with the wicked people!
Then raised we up other
generations after them --
Neither too soon, nor too late,
shall a people reach its appointed time --
Then sent we our apostles one
after another. Oft as their apostle presented himself to a nation, they treated
him as a liar; and we caused one nation to follow another; and we made them the
burden of a tale. Away then with the people who believe not!
Then sent we Moses and his
brother Aaron, with our signs and manifest power.
To Pharaoh and his prices; but
they behaved them proudly, for they were a haughty people.
And they said, "Shall we
believe on two men like ourselves, whose people are our slaves?"
23:50 And they
treated them both as impostors; wherefore they became of the destroyed.
And we gave Moses the Book for
Israel's guidance.
And we appointed the Son of
Mary, and His mother for a sign; and we prepared an abode for both in a lofty
spot, quiet, and watered with springs.
"O you apostles! eat of
things that are good: and do that which is
right: of your doings I am cognisant.
And truly this your religion is
the one religion; and I am your Lord:
therefore fear me."
But men have rent their great
concern, one among another, into sects; every party rejoicing in that which is
their own;
Wherefore leave them till a
certain time, in their depths of error.
What! think they that what we
largely bestow on them of wealth and children,
We hasten to them for their good?
Nay, they have no knowledge.
But they who are awed with the
dread of their Lord,
23:60 And
who believe in the signs of their Lord,
And who give that which they
give with hearts thrilled with dread because they must return unto their Lord,
These hasten after good, and are
the first to win it.
We will not burden a soul beyond
its power: and with us is a book, which
speaketh the truth; and they shall not be wronged:
But as to this Book, their
hearts are plunged in error, and their works are far other than those of
Muslims, and they will work those works,
Until when we lay hold on their
affluent ones with punishment; lo! they cry for help:
- "Cry not for help this
day, for by Us you shall not be succoured:
Long since were my signs
rehearsed to you, but you turned back on your heels,
Puffed up with pride,
discoursing foolishly by night."
23:70 Do
they not then heed the things spoken -- whether that hath come to them which
came not to theirs fathers of old?
Or do they not recognise their
apostle; and therefore disavow him?
Or say they, "A Djinn is in
him?" Nay! he hath come to them with the truth; but the truth do most of
them abhor.
But if the truth had followed in
the train of their desires, the heavens and the earth, and all that therein is,
had surely come to ruin! But we have brought them their warning; and from their
warning they withdraw.
Dost thou ask them for
remuneration? But, remuneration from thy Lord is best; and He is the best
provider.
And thou indeed biddest them to
the right path;
But verily they who believe not
in the life to come, from that path do surely wander!
And if we had taken compassion
on them with chastisement, yet they did not humble them to their Lord, nor did
they abase them;
Until, when we have opened upon them
the door of a serve punishment, lo! they are in despair at it.
23:80 It is
He who hath implanted in you hearing, and sight, and heart; how few of you give
thanks!
It is He who hath caused you to
be born on the earth: and unto Him shall you
be gathered.
And it is He who maketh alive
and killeth, and of Him is the change of the night and of the day: Will you not understand?.
But they say, as said those of
old: --
They say, "What! When we
shall be dead, and have become dust and bones, shall we, indeed, be waked to
life?
This have we been promised, we
and our fathers aforetime: but it is only
fables of the ancients."
Say:
Whose is the earth, and all that is therein; -- if you know?
They will answer, "God's.!
Say: Will you not then reflect?
Say:
Who is the Lord of the seven heavens, and the Lord of the glorious throne?
They will say, "They are
God"s." Say: Will you not, then,
fear Him?
23:90 Say: In whose hand is the empire of all things, who
protecteth but is not protected? if you know:
They will answer, "In
God's" Say: How, then can you be so
spell-bound?
Yea, we have brought them the
truth; but they are surely liars:
God hath not begotten offspring;
neither is there any other God with Him: else
had each god assuredly taken away that which he had created, and some had
assuredly uplifted themselves above others! Far from the glory of God, be what
they affirm of Him!
He knoweth alike the unseen and
the seen: far be He uplifted above the gods
whom they associate with Him!
Say:
O my Lord! If thou wilt let me witness the infliction of that with which they
have been threatened!
O my Lord! place me not among
the ungodly people.
Verily, we are well able to make
thee see the punishment with which we have threatened them.
Turn aside evil with that which
is better: we best know what they utter
against thee.
And Say:
"O my Lord! I betake me to Thee, against the promptings of the Satans:
23:100 And I
betake me to Thee, O my Lord! that they gain no hurtful access to me."
When death overtaketh one of the
wicked, he saith, "Lord, send me back again,
That I may do the good which I
have left undone." "By no means." These are the very words which
he shall speak: But behind them shall be a
barrier, until the day when they shall be raised again.
And when the trumpet shall be
sounded, the ties of kindred between them shall cease on that day; neither
shall they ask each other's help.
They whose balances shall be
heavy, shall be the blest.
But they whose balances shall be
light, -- these are they who shall lose their souls, abiding in hell for ever:
The fire shall scorch their
faces, and their lips shall quiver therein: --
- "What! Were not my signs
rehearsed unto you? and did you not treat them as lies?"
They shall say, "O our Lord!
our ill-fortune prevailed against us, and we became an erring people.
O our Lord! Bring us forth hence: if we go back against to our signs, we shall
indeed be evil doers."
23:110 He
will say; "Be you driven down into it; and, address me not."
A part truly of my servants was
there, who said, "O our Lord! we believe:
forgive us, then, and be merciful to us, for of the merciful art thou the
best."
But you received them with such
scoffs that they suffered you to forget my warning, and you laughed them to
scorn.
Verily this day will I reward
them, for their patient endurance: the
blissful ones shall they be!
He will say, "What number
of years tarried you on earth?"
They will say, "We tarried
a day, or part of a day; but ask the recording angels."
God will say, "Short indeed
was the time you tarried, if that you knew it.
What! Did you then think that we
had created you for pastime, and that you should not be brought back again to
us?" Wherefore let God be exalted, the King, the Truth! There is no god
but He! Lord of the stately throne! And whoso, together with God, shall call on
another god, for whom he had no proof, shall surely have to give account to his
Lord. Aye, it shall fare ill with the infidels.
And say:
"O my Lord, pardon, and have mercy; for of those who show mercy, art thou
the best."
Sura XXIV (24)
Light
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
A Sura which we have sent down and
sanctioned! Clear signs have we sent down therein, that you may take warning.
The whore and the whoremonger --
scourge each of them with a hundred stripes; and let not compassion keep you
from carrying out the sentence of God, if you believe in God and the last day: And let some of the faithful witness their
chastisement.
The whoremonger shall not marry
other than a whore or an idolatress; and the whore shall not marry other than a
whoremonger or an idolater. Such alliances are forbidden to the faithful.
They who defame virtuous women,
and bring not four witnesses, scourge them with fourscore stripes, and receive
you not their testimony for ever, for these are perverse persons --
Save those who afterwards repent
and life virtuously; for truly God is Lenient, Merciful!
And they who shall accuse their
wives, and have no witnesses but themselves, the testimony of each of them
shall be a testimony by God four times repeated, that he is indeed of them that
speak the truth.
And the fifth time that the malison
of God be upon him, if he be of them that lie.
But it shall avert the
chastisement from her if she testify a testimony four times repeated, by God,
that he is of them that lie;
And a fifth time to call down the
wrath of God on her, if he have spoken the truth.
24:10 And
but for the goodness and mercy of God towards you, and that God is He who
loveth to turn, Wise....!
Of a truth, they who advanced
that lie were a large number of you; but regard it not as an evil to you. No,
it is an advantage to you,. toe very man among them shall it be done according
to the offence he hath committed; and as to that person among them who took on
himself to aggravate it, a sore punishment doth await him.
Did not the faithful of both
sexes, when you heard of this, form a favourable judgment in their own minds,
and say, "This is a manifest lie?"
Have they brought four witnesses
of the fact? If they cannot produce the witnesses, they are the liars in the
sight of God.
And but for the goodness of God
towards you, and His mercy in this world and in the next, a severe punishment
had come upon you for that which you spread abroad, when you uttered with your
tongues, and spake with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge. You
deemed it to be alight matter, but with God it was a grave one.
And did you say when you heard
it, 'It is not for us to talk of this affair! O God! By thy Glory, this is a
gross calumny?"
God hath warned you that you go
not back to the like of this for ever, if you be believers:
And God maketh His signs clear
to you: for God is Knowing, Wise.
But as for those who love that
foul calumnies should go forth against those who believe, a grievous
chastisement awaits them
In this world and in the next.
And God hath knowledge, but you have not.
24:20 And
but for the goodness of God towards you and His Mercy, and that God is Kind,
Merciful...!
O you who believe! follow not
the steps of Satan, for whosoever shall follow the steps of Satan, he will
enjoin on him what is base and blameworthy; and but for the goodness of God
towards you, and His mercy, no one of you had been cleansed for ever: but God maketh whom He will to be clean, and God
Heareth, Knoweth.
And let not persons of wealth
and means among you swear that they will not give to their kindred, to the
poor, and to those who have fled their homes in the cause of God; let them
rather pardon and pass over the offence. Desire you not that God should forgive
you? And God is Gracious, Merciful!
Verily, they who throw out
charges against virtuous but careless women, who yet are believers, shall be
cursed in this world and in the world to come; and a terrible punishment doth
await them.
Their own tongues, and hands,
and feet, shall one day bear witness against them of their own doings.
On that day will God pay them
their just due, and they shall know that God is the clear Truth itself.
Bad women for bad men, and bad
men for bad women; but virtuous women for virtuous men, and virtuous men for
virtuous women! These shall be cleared from calumnies; theirs shall be
forgiveness and an honourable provision.
O you who believe! enter not
into other houses than your own, until you have asked leave, and have saluted
its inmates. This will be best for you: happly
you will bear this in mind.
And if you find no one therein,
then enter it not till leave be given you; and if it be said to you, "Go
you back," then go you back. This will be more blameless in you, and God
knoweth what you do.
There shall be no harm in your
entering houses in which no one dwelleth, for the supply of your needs: and God knoweth what you do openly and what you
hide.
24:30 Speak
unto the believers that they restrain their eyes and observe continence. Thus
will they be more pure. God is well aware of what they do.
And speak to the believing women
that they refrain their eyes, and observe continence; and that they display not
their ornaments, except those which are external; and that they throw their
veils over their bosoms, and display not their ornaments, except to their
husbands or their fathers, or their husbands' fathers, or their sons, or their
husbands' sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' son, or their sisters'
sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male domestics who have no natural
force, or to children who note not women's nakedness. And let them not strike
their feet together, so as to discover their hidden ornaments. And be you all
turned to God, O you Believers! that it may be well with you.
And marry those among you who
are single, and your good servants, and the handmaidens. If they are poor, God
of His bounty will enrich them. God is all-bounteous, Knowing.
And let those who cannot find a
match live in continence till God of His bounty shall enrich them. And to those
of your slaves who desire a deed of manumission, execute it for them, if you
know good in them, and give them a portion of the wealth of God which He hath
given you. Force not your female slaves into sin, in order that you may gain
the casual fruitions of this world, if they wish to preserve their modesty. Yet
if any one compel them, then Verily to them, after their compulsion, will God
be Forgiving, Merciful.
And now have we sent down to you
clear signs, and an instance from among those who flourished before you, and a
caution for the God-fearing.
God is the light of the Heavens
and of the Earth. His Light is like a niche in which is a lamp -- the lamp
encased in glass -- the glass, as it were, a glistening star. From a blessed
tree it is lighted, the olive neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil
would well nigh shine out, even though fire touched it not! It is light upon
light. God guideth whom He will to His light, and God setteth forth parables to
men, for God knoweth all things.
In the temples which God hath
allowed to be reared, that His name may therein be remember, do men praise Him
morn and even.
Men whom neither merchandise nor
traffic beguile from the remembrance of God, and from the observance of prayer,
and the payment of the stated alms, through fear of the day when hearts shall
throb and eyes shall roll:
That for their most excellent
works may God recompense them, and of His bounty increase it to them more and
more: for God maketh provision for whom He
pleaseth without measure.
But as to the infidels, their
works are like the vapour in a plain which the thirst dreameth to be water,
until when he cometh unto it, he findeth it not aught, but findeth that God is
with him; and He fully payeth him his account:
for swift to take account is God:
24:40 Or
like the darkness on the deep sea when covered by billows riding upon billows,
above which are clouds: darkness upon
darkness. When a man reacheth forth his hand, he cannot nearly see it! He to
whom God shall not give light, no light at all hath he!
Hast thou not seen how all in
the Heavens and in the Earth uttereth the praise of God? -- the very birds as
they spread their wings? Every creature knoweth its prayer and its praise! and
God knoweth what they do.
God's, the Kingdom of the
Heavens and of the Earth: and unto God the
final return!
Hast thou not seen that God
driveth clouds lightly forward, then gathereth them together, then pileth them
in masses? And then thou seest the rain forthcoming from their midst; and He
causeth clouds like mountains charged with hail, to descend from the heaven,
and He maketh it to fall on whom He will, and from whom He will He turneth it
aside. -- The brightness of His lightning all but taketh away the sight!
God causeth the day and the night
to take their turn. Verily in this is teaching for men of insight. And God hath
created every animal of water. Some go upon the belly; some go upon two feet;
some go upon four feet. God hath created what He pleased. Aye, God hath power
over all things.
Now have we sent down distinct
signs. -- And God guideth whom He will into the right path:
For there are who say, "We
believe on God and on the Apostle, and we obey;" yet, after this, a part
of them turn back. But these are not of the faithful.
And when they are summoned
before God and His Apostle that He may judge between them, lo! a part of them
withdraw:
But had the truth been on their
side, they would have come to Him, obedient.
What! are they diseased of
heart? Do they doubt? Are they afraid that God and His Apostles will deal
unfairly with them? Nay, themselves are the unjust doers.
24:50 The
words of the believers, when called to God and His Apostle that He may judge
between them, are only to say, "We have heard, and we obey:" these are they with whom it shall be well.
And whoso shall obey God, and
His Apostle, and shall dread God and fear Him, these are they that shall be the
blissful.
And they have sworn by God, with
a most solemn oath, that if thou give them the word, they will certainly march
forth. Say: swear you not: of more worth is obedience. Verily, God is well
aware of what you do.
Say:
Obey God and obey the Apostle. Suppose that you turn back, still the burden of
his duty is on him only, and the burden of your duty rests on you. If you obey
Him, you shall have guidance: but plain
preaching is all that devolves upon the Apostle.
God hath promised to those of
you who believe and do the things that are right, that He will cause them to
succeed others in the land, and He gave succession to those who were before
them, and that He will establish for them that religion which they delight in,
and that after their fears He will give them security in exchange. They shall
worship Me: nought shall they join with Me: And whoso, after this, believe not, they will be
the impious.
But observe prayer, and pay the
stated alms, and obey the Apostle, that haply you may find mercy.
Let not the Infidels think that
they can weaken God on His own Earth: their
dwelling place shall be the Fire! and right wretched the journey!
O you who believe! let your
slaves, and those of you who have not come of age, ask leave of you, three
times a day, ere they come into your presence; -- before the morning prayer,
and when you lay aside your garments at mid-day, and after the evening prayer.
These are your three times of privacy. No blame shall attach to you or to them,
if after these times, when you go your rounds of attendance on one another,
they come in without permission. Thus doth God make clear to you His signs: and God is Knowing, Wise!
And when your children come of
age, let them ask leave to come into your presence, as they who were before
them asked it. Thus doth God make clear to you his signs: and God is Knowing, Wise.
As to women who are past
childbearing, and have no hope of marriage, no blame shall attach to them if
they lay aside their outer garments, but so as not to shew their ornaments. Yet
if they abstain from this, it will be better for them:
and God Heareth, Knoweth.
24:60 No
crime shall it be in the blind, or in the lame, or in the sick, to eat at your
tables: or in yoursselves, if you eat in your
own houses, or in the houses of your fathers, or of your mothers, or of your
brothers, or of your sisters, or of your uncles on the father's side, or of your
aunts on the father's side, or of your uncles on the mother's side, or of your
aunts on the mother's side, or in those of which you possess the keys, or in
the house of your friend. No blame shall attach to you whether you eat together
or apart.
And when you enter houses,
salute one another with good and blessed greeting as from God. Thus doth God
make clear to you His signs, that haply you may comprehend them.
Verily, they only are believers
who believe in God and His Apostle, and who, when they are with him upon any
affair of common interest, depart not until they have sought his leave. Yes,
they who ask leave of thee, are those who believe in God and His Apostle. And
when they ask leave of Thee on account of any affairs of their own, then grant
it to those of them whom thou wilt, and ask indulgence for them of God: for God is Indulgent, Merciful.
Address not the Apostle as you
address one another. God knoweth those of you who withdraw quietly from the
assemblies, screening themselves behind others. And let those who transgress
his command beware, lest some present trouble befall them, or a grievous
chastisement befall them, hereafter.
Is not whatever is in the
Heavens and the Earth God's? He knoweth your state; and one day shall men be assembled
before Him, and He will tell them of what they have done: for God knoweth all things.
Sura XXV (25)
Al Furkan
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Blessed be He who hath sent down
Al Furkan (the illumination) on his servant, that to all creatures he may be a
warner.
His the Kingdom of the Heavens
and of the Earth! No son hath He begotten! No partner hath He in his Empire!
All things hath He created, and decreeing hath decreed their destinies.
Yet have they adopted gods
beside Him which have created nothing, but were themselves created:
And no power have they over
themselves for evil or for good, nor have they power of death, or of life, or
of raising the dead.
And the infidels say, "This
Koran is a mere fraud of his own devising, and others have helped him with it,
who had come hither by outrage and life."
And they say, "Tales of the
ancients that he hath put in writing! and they were dictated to him morn and
even."
Say:
He hath sent it down who knoweth the secrets of the Heavens and of the Earth.
He truly is the Gracious, the Merciful.
And they say, "What sort of
apostle is this? He eateth food and he walketh the streets! Unless an angel be
sent down and take part in his warnings,
Or a treasure be thrown down to
him, or he have a garden that supplieth him with food..." and those unjust
persons say, "You follow but a man enchanted."
25:10 See
what likenesses they strike out for thee! But they err, and cannot find their
way.
Blessed be He who if he please
can give thee better than that of which they speak -- Gardens, 'neath which the
rivers flow: and pavilions will He assign
thee.
Aye, they have treated the
coming of "the Hour" as a lie. But a flaming fire have we got ready
for those who treat the coming of the Hour as a lie.
When it shall see them from
afar, they shall hear its raging and roaring, --
And when they shall be flung
into a narrow space thereof bound together, they shall invoke destruction on
the spot:
- "Call not this day for
one destruction, but call for destructions many."
Say:
Is this, or the Paradise of Eternity which was promised to the God-fearing,
best? Their recompense shall it be and their retreat;
Abiding therein for ever, they
shall have it in all that they desire! It is a promise to be claimed of thy
Lord.
And on the day when he shall
gather them together, and those whom they worshipped beside God, he will say,
"Was it you who led these my servants astray, or of themselves strayed
they from the path?"
They will say, "Glory be to
thee! It beseemed not us to take other lords than thee. But thou gavest them
and their fathers their fill of good things, till they forgat the remembrance of
thee, and became a lost people."
25:20 Then
will God say to the Idolaters, "Now have they made you liars in what you
say, and they have no power to avert your doom, or to succour you."
Part 19
And whosoever of you thus
offendeth, we will make him taste a great punishment.
Never have we sent Apostles
before thee who ate not common food, and walked not the streets. And we test
you by means of each other. Will you be steadfast? Thy Lord is looking on!
They who look not forward to
meet Us say, "If the angels be not sent down to us, or unless we behold
our Lord...." Ah! they are proud of heart, and exceed with great excess!
On the day when they shall see
the angels, no good news shall there be for the guilty ones, and they shall cry6 out, "A barrier than cannot be passed!"
Then will we proceed to the
works which they have wrought, and make them as scattered dust.
Happier, on that day, the
inmates of the Garden as to abode, and better off as to place of noontide
slumber!
On that day shall the heaven
with its clouds be cleft, and the angels shall be sent down, descending:
On that day shall all empire be
in very deed with the God of Mercy, and hard day shall it be for the Infidels.
And on that day shall the wicked
one bite his hands, and say, "Oh! would that I had taken the same path
with the Apostle!
25:30
"Oh! woe is me! would that I had not taken such an one for my friend!
It was he who led me astray from
the Warning which had reached me! and Satan is man's betrayer."
Then said the Apostle, "O
my Lord! truly my people have esteemed this Koran to be vain babbling."
Thus have we given to every
Prophet an enemy from among the wicked ones - But thy Lord is a sufficient
guide and helper.
And the infidels say,
"Unless the Koran be sent down to him all at once...." But in this
say would we stablish thy heart by it; in parcels have we parcelled it out to
thee;
Nor shall they come to thee with
puzzling questions, but we will come to thee with the truth, and their best
solution.
They who shall be gathered upon
their faces into hell, shall have the worst place, and be farthest from the
path of happiness.
Heretofore we gave the law to
Moses, and appointed his brother Aaron to be his counsellor:
And we said, "Go you to the
people who treat our signs as lies." And them destroyed we with utter
destruction.
And as to the people of Noah!
when they treated their Apostles as impostors, we drowned them; and we made
them a sign to mankind: -- A grievous
chastisement have we prepared for the wicked!
25:40 And
Ad and Themoud, and the men of Rass, and divers generations between them:
Unto each of them did we set
forth parables for warnings, and each of them did we utterly exterminate.
Oft there this have the
unbelieving Meccans passed by the city on which we rained a fatal rain. What!
Have they not seen it? Yet have they no hope of a resurrection!
And when they see thee, they do
but take thee as the subject of their railleries. "What! Is this he whom
God has sent as an Apostle?
Indeed he had well nigh led us
astray from our gods, had we not persevered steadfastly in their service."
But in the end they shall know, when they shall see the punishment, who hath
most strayed from the path.
What thinkest thou? He who hath
taken his passion as a god -- wilt thou be a guardian over him?
Thinkest thou that the greater
part of them hear or understand? They are just like the brutes! Yes! they stray
even further from the right way.
Hast thou not seen how thy Lord lengthened
out the shadow? Had He pleased he had made it motionless. But we made the sun
to be its guide;
Then draw it in unto Us with
easy indrawing.
He it is who ordaineth the night
as a garment, and sleep for rest, and ordaineth the day for waking up to life:
25:50 He it
is who sendeth the winds as the forerunner of his mercy; and pure water send we
down from Heaven,
That we may revive by it a dead
land: and we give it for drink to our
creation, beasts and men in numbers;
And we distribute it among them
on all sides, that they may reflect: Yet most
decline to render thanks.
Had we pleased, we had raised up
a warner in every city.
Give not way therefore to the
Infidels, but by means of this Koran strive against them with a mighty strife.
And He it is who hath let loose
the two seas, the one sweet, fresh; and the other salt, bitter; and hath put an
interspace between them, and a barrier that cannot be passed.
And it is He who hath created
man of water, and established between them the ties of kindred and affinity: and potent is thy Lord.
Yet beside God do they worship
what can neither help nor hurt them: and the
Infidel is Satan's helper against his Lord:
Still we have sent thee only as
a herald and a warner.
Say:
I ask of you no recompense for it, except from him who is willing to take the
way to his Lord.
25:60 And
put thou thy trust in Him that liveth and dieth not, and celebrate his praise;
(He fully knoweth the faults of his servants) who in six days created the
Heavens and the Earth, and whatever is between them, then mounted his Throne: the God of Mercy! Ask now of the Wise concerning
Him.
But when it is said to them,
"Bow down before the God of Mercy," they say, "Who is the God of
Mercy? Shall we bow down to what thou biddest?" And they fly from thee the
more.
Blessed be He who hath placed in
the Heaven the sign of the Zodiac! who hath placed in it the Lamp of the Sun,
and the light-giving Moon!
And it is He who hath ordained
the night and the day to succeed one another for those who desire to think on
God or desire to be thankful.
And the servants of the God of
Mercy are thy who walk upon the Earth softly; and when the ignorant address
them, they reply, "Peace!"
They that pass the night in the
worship of their lord prostrate and standing:
--
And that say, "O our Lord!
turn away from us the torment of Hell, for its torment is endless: it is indeed an ill abode and resting place!
Those who when they spend are
neither lavish nor niggard, but keep the mean:
--
Those who call on no other gods
with God, nor slay whom God hath forbidden to be slain, except for a just
cause, and who commit not fornication (for he who doth this shall meet the
reward of his wickedness:
Doubt to him shall be the
torment on the day of Resurrection; and in it shall he remain, disgraced, for
ever: --
25:70 Save
those who shall repent and believe and do righteous works -- for them God will
change their evil things into good things, for God is Gracious, Merciful --
And whoso turneth to God and
doeth what is right, he verily will concert with a true conversion):
And they who bear not witness to
that which is false, and when they pass by frivolous sport, pass on with
dignity: --
And they who, when monished by
the signs of their Lord, fall not down thereat, as if deaf and blind: --
And who say, "O our Lord!
give us in our wives and offspring the joy of our eyes, and make us examples to
those who fear thee:"
These shall be rewarded with the
High Places of Paradise for their steadfast endurance, and they shall meet therein
with -- Welcome and Salutation: -- For ever
shall they remain therein: a fair abode and
resting-place!
Say:
Not on your account doth my Lord care if you call not on Him! you have treated
his Apostle as an impostor: but bye and bye a
punishment shall cleave to them.
Sura XXVI (26)
The Poets
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Ta. Sin Mim. These are the signs
of the lucid Book.
Haply thou wearest thyself away
with grief because they will not believe.
Were it our will we could send
down to them a sign from Heaven, before which they would humbly bow.
But from each fresh warning that
cometh to them from the God of Mercy they have only turned aside,
And treated it as a lie: But tidings shall reach them which they shall not
laugh to scorn.
Have they not beheld the earth
-- how we have caused every kind of noble plant to spring up therein?
Verily, in this is a sign: but most of them believe not.
And assuredly, thy Lord! -- He
is the Mighty, the Merciful.
And remember when thy Lord
called to Moses, "Go to the wicked people,
26:10 The
people of Pharoah. What! will they not fear me?"
He said, "My Lord, in sooth
I fear lest they treat me as a liar:
And my breast is straitened, and
I am slow of speech: send therefore to Aaron
to be my helpmate.
For they have a charge against
me, and I fear lest they put me to death."
He said, "Surely not. Go
you therefore with our signs: we will be with
you and will hearken.
And go to Pharaoh and say: 'Verily we are the messengers of the Lord of the
words --
Send forth with us the children
of Israel.'"
He said, "Did we not rear
thee among us when a a child? And hast thou not passed years of thy life among
us?
And yet what a deed is that
which thou hast done! Thou art one of the ungrateful."
He said, "I did it indeed,
and I was one of those who erred:
26:20 And I
fled from you because I feared you; but my Lord hath given me wisdom and hath
made me one of his Apostles.
And is this the favour thou has
conferred on me, that thou hast enslaved the children of Israel?"
Said Pharaoh, "Who then is
the Lord of the Worlds?"
He said, "The Lord of the
Heavens and of the Earth and of all that is between them, if only you believe
it."
Said Pharaoh to those around
him, "Hear you this?"
"Your Lord," said
Moses, "and the Lord of your sires of old."
"In sooth, your Apostle
whom He hath sent to you, " said Pharaoh, "is certainly
possessed."
He said, "Lord is He of the
East and of the West, and of all that is between them, if you can
understand."
He said, "If you take any
God beside me, I will surely put thee in ward."
Said Moses, "What! if I
shew thee that which shall be a proof of my mission?"
26:30 He
said, "Forth with it then, if thou speakest truth."
Then threw he down his staff,
and lo! and undoubted serpent:
And he drew out his hand, and
lo! if was white to the beholders,
He said to his nobles around
him, "This truly is a right cunning sorcerer:
Fain would he drive you out of
your land by his sorcery. But what do you suggest?"
They said, "Put him and his
brother off awhile, and send summoners to all the cities,
Who shall bring to thee every
cunning magician."
So the magicians were mustered
at a set time, on a solemn day:
And it was said ot the people,
"Are you all assembled?"
- "Yes! and we will follow
the magicians if they gain the day."
26:40 And
when the magicians were arrived they said to Pharaoh, "Shall we have a
reward if we gain the day?"
He said, "Yes. And verily
in that case you shall be of those who are near my person."
Moses said to them, "Throw
down what you have to throw."
So they cast down their ropes
and rods, and said, "By Pharaoh's might we shall surely win."
Then Moses threw down his rod,
and lo! it swallowed up their cheating wonders.
Then the magicians threw
themselves down in worship:
They said, "We believe on
the Lord of the Worlds,
The Lord of Moses and of
Aaron."
Said Pharaoh, "Have you then
believe on him ere I gave you leave? He truly is your master who hath taught
you magic. But bye and bye you shall surely know my power.
I will cut off your hands and
feet on opposite sides, and I will have you all crucified."
26:50 They
said, "It cannot harm us, for to our Lord shall we return:
Assuredly we trust that our Lord
will forgive us our sins, since we are of the first who believe."
Then revealed we this order to
Moses: "Go forth by night with my
servants, for you will be pursued."
And Pharaoh sent summoners
through the cities: --
"These Israelites,"
said they, "are a scanty band;
Yet are they enraged against us
--
But we truly are numerous,
wary."
Thus we caused them to quit
gardens and fountains,
And treasures and splendid
dwellings;
So was it; and we gave them to
the children of Israel for an heritage.
26:60 Then
at sunrise the Egyptians followed them:
And when the hosts came in view
of one another, the comrades of Moses said, "We are surely
overtaken."
He said, "By no means: -- for my Lord is with me -- He will guide
me."
And we revealed this order to
Moses, "Strike the sea with thy rod." And it clave asunder, and each
part became like a huge mountain.
Then made we the others to draw
on;
And we saved Moses, and those
who were with him, all;
But we drowned the others.
Truly in this was a sign; but
most of them did not believe.
But verily thy Lord, -- He is
the Mighty, the Merciful!
And recite to them the story of
Abraham
26:70 When
he said to his Father and to his people, "What worship you?"
They said, "We worship
idols, and constant is our devotion to them."
He said, "Can they hear you
when you cry to them?
Or help you or do you
harm?"
They said, "But we found
our Fathers do the like."
He said, "How think you? Them
whom you worship,
You and your fathers of early
days,
Are my foes: not not so the Lord of the Worlds,
Who hath created me, and guideth
me,
Who giveth me food and drink;
26:80 And
when I am sick, he healeth me,
And who will cause me to die and
again quicken me,
And who, I hope, will forgive me
my sins in the day of reckoning.
My Lord! bestow on me wisdom and
join me to the just,
And give me a good name among
posterity,
And make we one of the heirs of
the garden of delight,
And forgive my father, for he
was one of the erring,
And put me not to shame on the
day when mankind shall be raised up,
The day when neither wealth nor
children shall avail,
Save to him who shall come to
God with a sound heart:
26:90 When
Paradise shall be brought near the pious,
And Hell shall lay open for
those who have gone astray.
And it shall be said to them,
'Where are they whom you worshipped
Beside God? Can they harm you or
help themselves?'
And they shall be cast into it
-- the seducers and the seduced,
And all the host of Eblis.
They shall say, as they wrangle
therein together,
'By God, we were in a plain
error,
When we equalled you with the
Lord of the Words:
And none misled us by the
wicked,
26:100 And
we have none to plead for us,
Nor friend who careth for us.
Could we but return, we would be
of the believers'"
Verily, in this was a sign: but most of them believed not.
And truly thy Lord! -- He is the
Mighty, the Merciful!
The people of Noah gainsaid the
Apostles,
When their brother Noah said to
hem, "Will you not fear God?
Of a truth am I your faithful
Apostle;
Fear God then and obey me.
I ask of you no reward for this,
for my reward is of the Lord of the Worlds alone:
26:110 Fear
God then and obey me."
They said, "Shall we
believe on thee when the meanest only are thy followers?"
He said, "But I have no
knowledge of that they did:P
To my Lord only must their
account be given: would that you understood
this!
And I will not thrust away those
who believe,
For I am only one charged with
plain warnings."
They said, "Now unless thou
desist, O Noah, one of the stoned shalt thou surely be."
He said, "Lord! my people
treat me as a liar:
Decide thou therefore a decision
between me and them, and rescue me and the faithful who are with me."
So we saved him and those who
were with him in the fully-laden ark,
26:120 And
afterwards we drowned the rest.
Herein truly was a sign, but
most of them believed not.
But thy Lord! -- He is the
Mighty, the Merciful.
The Adites treated their
Apostles as liars,
When their brother Houd said to
them, "Will you not fear God?
I am your Apostle, worthy of all
credit;
Fear God then and obey me:
I ask for no reward for this;
for my reward is of the Lord of the World alone.
What! built you landmarks on all
heights in mere pastime?
And raise you structures to be
your lasting abodes?
26:130 And
when you put forth your power do you put it forth with harshness?
Fear you God then and obey me;
And fear you Him who hath plenteously
bestowed on you you well know what:
Plenteously bestowed on you
flocks and children,
And gardens and fountains;
Indeed I fear for you the
punishment of a tremendous day."
They said, "It is the same
to us whether thou warn or warn us not.
This is but a tale of the
ancients,
And we are not they who shall be
punished."
And they charged him with
imposture; and we destroyed them. In this was a sign:
but most of them believed not.
26:140 But
thy Lord! -- He is the Mighty, the Merciful!
The Themoudites also treated
their Apostles as liars,
When their brother Saleh said to
them, "Will you not fear God?
I am your Apostle worthy of all
credit:
Fear God, then, and obey me.
I ask of you no reward for this: my reward is of the Lord of the Worlds alone.
She you be left secure amid
these things here?
Amid gardens and fountains,
And corn-fields and palm-trees,
with flower-sheating branches?
And, insolent that you are, will
you hew out your dwellings in the mountains?
26:150 But
fear God and obey me,
And obey not the bidding of
those who commit excess,
Who act disorderly on the earth
and reform it not."
They said, "Certainly thou
art a person bewitched;
Thou art only a man like us: produce now a sign if thou art a man of
truth."
He said, "This she-camel,
then -- drink shall there be for her, and drink shall there be for you, on a
several day for each.
But harm her not, lest the
punishment of a tremendous day overtake you."
But they ham-strung her, and
repented of it on the morrow;
For the punishment overtook
them. In this truly was a sign, but most of them believed not.
But thy Lord! -- He is the
Powerful, the Merciful!
26:160 The
people of Lot treated their apostles as lairs,
When their brother Lot said to
them, "Will you not fear God?
I am your Apostle worthy of all
credit:
Fear God, then, and obey me.
For this I ask you no reward: my reward is of the Lord of the worlds alone.
What! with men, of all
creatures, will you have commerce?
And leave you your wives whom
your Lord hath created for you? Ah! you are an erring people!"
They said, "O Lot, if thou
desist not, one of the banished shalt thou surely be."
He said, "I utterly abhor
your doings:
My Lord! deliver me and my
family from what they do."
26:170 So we
delivered him and his whole family --
Save an aged one among those who
tarried --
Then we destroyed the rest --
And we rained down a rain upon
them, and fatal was the rain to those whom we had warned.
In this truly was a sign; but
most of them did not believe.
But thy Lord! He is the
Powerful, the Merciful!
The dwellers in the forest of
Madian treated the Apostles as liars.
When Shoaib their brother said
to them, "Will you not fear God?
I truly ma your trustworthy
Apostle.
Fear God, then, and obey me:
26:180 No
reward ask I of you for this: my reward is of
the Lord of the Worlds alone.
Fill the measure, and be not of
those who minish:
Weigh with exact balance:
And defraud not men in their
substance, and do no wrong on the earth by deeds of license;
And fear Him who made you and
the races of old?
Then said, "Certainly thou
art a person bewitched.
Thou art but a man like us, and
we deem thee liar --
Make now a part of the heaven to
fall down upon us, if thou art a man of truth."
He said, "My Lord best knoweth
your doings."
And when they treated him as a
liar, the chastisement of the day of cloud overtook them. This truly was the
chastisement of a dreadful day!
26:190 In
this was a sign, but most of them believed not.
But thy Lord! -- He is the
Mighty, the Mercilful!
Verily from the Lord of the
Worlds hath this Book come down;
The faithful spirit hath come
down with it
Upon thy heart, that thou
mightest become a warner --
In the clear Arabic tongue:
And truly it is foretold in the
Scriptures of them of yore.
Was it not a sign to them that
the learned among the children of Israel recognised it?
If we had sent it down unto any
foreigner,
And he had recited it to them,
they had not believed.
26:200 In
such sort have we influenced the heart of the wicked ones,
That they will not believe it
till they see the grievous chastisement?
And it shall come upon them on a
sudden when they look not for it:
And they will say, "Can we
be respited?"
What! will they seek to hasten
on our chastisement?
How thinkest thou? If after we
have given them their fill for years,
That with which they are menaced
come upon them at last,
Of what avail will their
enjoyments be to them?
We never destroyed a city which
had not first its warners
With admonition; nor did we deal
unjustly.
26:210 The
Satans were not sent down with this Koran:
It beseemed them not, and they
had not the power,
For they are far removed from
hearing it.
Call not thou on any other god
but God, lest thou be of those consigned to torment:
But warn thy relatives of nearer
kind,
And kindly lower thy wing over
the faithful who follow thee.
And if they disobey thee, then
say: "I will not be answerable for your
doings;" --
And put thy trust in Him that is
the Mighty, the Merciful,
Who seeth thee when thou
standest in prayer,
And thy demeanour amongst those
who worship;
26:220 For
He heareth, knoweth all.
Shall I tell you on whom Satan
descend?
They descend on every lying,
wicked person:
They impart what they have
heard; -- but most of them are liars,
It is the poets whom the erring
follow:
See thou not how they rove
distraught in every valley?
And that they say that which
they do not?
Save those who believe and do
good works, and oft remember God;
And who defend themselves when
unjustly treated. But they who treat them unjustly shall find out what a lot
awaiteth them.
Sura XXVII (27)
The Ant
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Ta. Sad. These are the signs (verses)
of the Koran and of the lucid Book;
Guidance and glad tidings to the
believers who observe prayer and pay the stated alms, and believe firmly -- do
they -- in the life to come.
As to those who believe not in
the life to come, we have made their own doings fair seeming to them, and they
are bewildered therein.
These are they whom the woe of
chastisement awaiteth; and in the next life they shall suffer -- yes shall they
-- greatest loss;
But thou hast certainly received
the Koran from the Wise, the Knowing.
Bear in mind when Moses said to
his family, "I have perceived a fire;
I will bring you tidings from
it, or will bring you a blazing brand, that you may warm you."
And when he came to it, he was
called to, "Blessed, He who is in the fire, and He who is about it; and
glory be to God, the Lord of the worlds!
O Moses! verily, I am God, the
Mighty, the Wise!
27:10 Throw
down now thy staff." And when he saw that it moved itself as though it
were a serpent, he retreated backward and returned not. "O Moses, fear
not; for the Sent Ones fear not in my presence,
Save he who having done amiss
shall afterwards exchange the evil for good; for I am Forgiving, Merciful.
Put now thy hand into thy bosom: it shall come forth white, yet free from hurt: one of the nine signs to Pharaoh and his people;
for a perverse people are they."
And when our signs were wrought
in their very sight, they said, "This is plain magic."
And though in their souls they
knew them to be true, yet in their wickedness and pride they denied them. But
see what was the end of the corrupt doers!
And of old we gave knowledge to
David and Solomon: and they said, "Praise
be to God, who hath made us to excel many of his believing servants!"
And in knowledge Solomon was
David's heir. And he said, "O men, we have been taught the speech of
birds, and are endued with everything. This is indeed a clear boon from
God."
And to Solomon were gathered his
hosts of Djinn and men and birds, and they were marched on in bands,
Till they reached the Valley of
Ants. Said an ant, "O you ants, enter your dwellings, lest Solomon and his
army crush you and know it not."
Then smiled Solomon, laughing at
her words, and he said, "Stir me up, O Lord, to be thankful for thy favour
which thou hast shewed upon me and upon my parents, and to do righteousness
that shall be well pleasing to thee, and bring me in, by thy mercy, among thy
servants the righteous."
27:20 And
he reviewed the birds, and said, "How is it that I see not the lapwing? Is
it one of the absent?
Surely, with a severe
chastisement will I chastise it, or I will certainly slaughter it, unless it
bring me a clear excuse."
Nor tarried it long ere it came
and said, "I have gained the knowledge that thou knowest not, and with sure
tidings have I come to thee from Saba:
I found a woman reigning over
them, gifted with everything, and she hath a splendid throne;
And I found her and her people
worshipping the sun instead of God; and Satan hath made their works fair
seeming to them, so that he hath turned them from the Way: wherefore they are not guided,
To the worship of God, who
bringeth to light the secret things of heaven and earth, and knoweth what men
conceal and what they manifest:
God! there is no god but He! the
lord of the glorious throne!"
He said, "We shall see
whether thou hast spoken truth, or whether thou art of them that lie.
Go with this my letter and throw
it down to them: then turn away from them and
await their answer."
She said, "O my nobles! an
honourable letter hath been thrown down to me:
27:30 It is
from Solomon; and it is this: 'In the name of
God, the Compassionate, the Merciful!
Set not up yourselves against
me, but come to me submitting (Muslims).'"
She said, "O my nobles,
advise me in mine affair: I decide it not
without your concurrence."
They said, "We are endued
with strength and are endued with mighty valour. -- But to command is thine: See therefore what thou wilt command us."
She said, "Kings when they enter
a city spoil it, and abase the mightiest of its people:
and in like manner will these also do.
But I will send to them with a
gift, and await what my envoys bring back."
And when the messenger came to
Solomon, he said, "Aid you me with riches? But what God hath given to me
is better than what he hath given you: yet you
glory in your gifts:
Return to them: for we will surely come to them with forces which
they cannot withstand, and we will drive them from their land humbled and
contemptible."
Said he, "O nobles, which
of you will bring me her throne before they come to me, submitting?: (Muslims)."
And Efreet of the Djinn said: "I will bring it thee ere thou risest from
thy place: I have power for this and am
trust."
27:40 And
one who had the knowledge of Scripture said, "I will bring it to thee in
the twinkling of an eye." And when he saw it set before him, he said,
'This is of the favour of my Lord, to try me whether I will be thankful or
unthankful. And he who is thankful is thankful to his own behoof; and as for
him who is unthankful -- truly my Lord is self-sufficient, bounteous!"
Said he, "Make her throne
so that she know it not: we shall see whether
she hath or hath not guidance."
And when she came he said,
"is thy throne like this?" She said, "As though it were the
same." "And we," said he, "have had knowledge given us
before her, and have been Muslims."
But the gods she had worshipped
instead of God had led her astray: for she was
of a people who believe not.
It was said to her, "Enter
the Palace:" and when she saw it, she
thought it a lake of water, and bared her legs. He said, "It is a palace
paved with glass."
She said, "O my Lord! I
have sinner against my own soul, and I resign myself, with Solomon, to God the
Lord of the Worlds."
And of old we sent to Themoud
their brother Saleh, with "Serve you God:"
but lo! they became two sets of disputants wrangling with each other.
He said, "O my people, why,
if you ask not pardon of God that you may find mercy, hasten you on evil rather
than good?"
They said, "We augur ill
concerning thee and those who are with thee." He said, "The ills of
which you augur depend on God. But you a a people on your trial."
And there were in the city nine
persons who committed excesses in the land and did not that which is right.
27:50 They
said, "Swear you to one another by God that we will surely fall on him and
on his family by night: then will we say to
the avenger of blood, we witnessed not the destruction of his family: and verily we speak the truth."
And they devised a device, and
we devised a device, and they were not aware of it --
And see what the was the end of
their device! We destroyed them and their whole people:
And for their sin these their
houses are empty ruins: Verily in this is a
sign to those who understand;
And we delivered those who
believed and feared.
And Lot, when he said to his
people, "What! proceed you to such filthiness with your eyes open?
Part 20
What! come you with lust unto
men rather than to women? Surely you are an ignorant people."
And the answer of his people was
but to say, "Cast out the family of Lot from your city: they, forsooth, are men to purity!"
So we rescued him and his family: but as for his wife, we decreed her to be of them
that lingered:
And we rained a rain upon them,
and fatal was the rain to those who had had their warning.
27:60 Say: Praise be to God and peace by on His servants whom
He hath chosen! Is God the more worthy or the gods they join with Him?
Is not He who hath made the Heavens
and the Earth, and hath sent down rain to you from Heaven, by which we cause
the luxuriant groves to spring up? It is not in your power to cause its trees
to spring up! What! A god with God? Yet they find equals for Him!
Is not He, who hath set the
earth so firm, and hath made rivers in its midst, and hath placed mountains
upon it, and put a barrier between the two seas? What! a god with God? Yet the
greater part of them have no knowledge!
Is not He the more worthy who
answereth the oppressed when they cry to
him, and taketh off their ills,
and maketh you to succeed your sires on the earth? What! a god with God? How
few bear these things in mind!
Is not He, who guideth you in
the darkness of the land and of the sea, and who sendeth forth the winds as the
forerunners of His mercy? What! a god with God? Far from God be what you join
with Him!
Is not He, who created a Being,
then reneweth it, and who supplieth you out of the Heaven and the Earth? What!
a god with God? Say: Bring forth your proofs
if you speak the truth.
Say:
None either in the Heavens or in the Earth knoweth the unseen but God. And they
know not
When they shall be raised.
- Yet they have attained to a
knowledge of the life to come: -- yet are they
in doubt about it: -- yet are they blind about
it!
And the unbelievers say: "When we and our fathers have been dead shall
we be taken forth?
27:70 Of
old have we been promised this, we and our sires of old:
it is but fables of the ancients."
Say:
Go you through the land, and see what hath been the end of the wicked.
And grieve not thou for them,
nor be in distress at their devisings.
And they say, "When will
this promise be made good, if you speak true?"
Say:
Haply a part of what you desire to be hastened may be close behind you.
And truly thy Lord is full of
goodness towards men: But most of them are not
thankful.
And thy Lord knoweth well what
their breasts enshroud, and what they bring to light,
And there is no secret thing in
the Heaven or on the Earth, but it is in the clear Book.
Truly this Koran declareth to
the children of Israel most things wherein they disagree:
And it is certainly guidance and
a mercy to the faithful.
27:80
Verily, by his wisdom will thy Lord decide between them:
for He is the Mighty, the Knowing.
Put thou then thy trust in God: for thou hast clear truth on thy side.
Thou shalt not make the dead to
hear; neither shalt thou make the deaf to hear the call, when they turn away
backward;
Neither art thou the guide of
the blind out of their errors: none truly
shalt thou make to hear but those who believe our signs:
and they are Muslims.
When the doom shall be ready to
light upon them, we will cause a monster to come forth to them out of the
earth, and cry to them, "Verily men have not firmly believed our signs."
And on that day shall be
gathered out of eery nation a company of those who have gainsaid our signs, in
separate bands;
Till they come before God, who
will say, "Treated you my signs as impostures, although you embraced them
not in your knowledge? or what is it that you were doing?
And doom shall light upon them
for their evil deeds, and nought shall they have to plead.
See they not that we have
ordained the night that they may rest in it, and the day with its gift of
light? Of a truth herein are signs to people who believe.
On that day there shall be a
blast on the trumpet, and all that are in the heavens, and all that are on the
earth shall be terror-stricken, save him whom God pleaseth to deliver; and all
shall come to him in humble guise.
27:90 And
thou shalt see the mountains, which thou thinkest so firm, pass away with the
passing of a cloud! 'Tis the work of God, who ordereth all things! of all that
you do is He well aware.
To him who shall present himself
with good works, shall be a reward beyond their desert, and they shall be
secure from the terror on that day;
And they who shall present
themselves with evil shall be flung downward on their faces into the fire.
Shall you be rewarded but as you have wrought?
Say:
Specially ma I commanded to worship the Lord of this land, which He hath
sanctified. All things are His: and I am
commanded to be one of those who surrender them to God (a Muslim)
And to recite the Koran: and whosoever is rightly guided, assuredly will be
rightly guided to his own behoof.
And as to him who erreth, say, I
truly am a warner only. And say, Praise be to God! He will shew you His signs,
and you shall acknowledge them: and of what
you do, thy Lord is not regardless.
Sura XXVIII (28)
The Story
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Ta. Sin. Mim. These are the
signs of the lucid Book.
We will recite to thee portions
of the History of Moses and Pharaoh with truth, for the teaching of the
faithful.
Now Pharaoh lifted himself up in
the earth, and divided his people into parties:
one portion of them he brought low -- He slew their male children, and let
their females only live; for he was one of those who wrought disorders.
And we were minded to shew
favour to those who were brought lo in the land, and to make them spiritual
chief, and to make them spiritual chiefs, and to make them Pharaoh's heirs,
And to stablish them in the
land; and to make Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts, the eye-witnesses of what
they dreaded from them.
And we said by revelation to the
mother of Moses, "Give him suck; and if thou fearest for him, launch him
on the sea; and fear not, neither fret; for we will restore him to thee, and
make him one of the apostles."
And Pharaoh's family took him up
to be a foe and a sorrow to them, for sinners were Pharaoh and Haman and their
hosts!
And Pharaoh's wife said,
"Joy of the eye to me and thee! put him not to death: haply he will be useful to us, or we may adopt him
as a son." But they knew not what they did.
And the heart of Moses' mother
became a blank through fear: and almost had
she discovered him, but that we girt up her heart with constancy, in order that
she might be one of those who believe.
28:10 She
said to his sister, "Follow him." And she watched him from afar: and they perceived it not.
And we caused him to refuse the
nurses, until his sister came and said, Shall I point out to you the family of
a house that will rear him for you, and will be careful of him?
So we restored him to his
mother, to be the joy of her eyes, and that she might not fret, and that she
might know that the promise of God was true. But most men knew it not.
And when he had reached his age of
strength, and had become a man, we bestowed on him wisdom and knowledge; for
thus do we reward the righteous.
And he entered a city at the
time when its inhabitants would not observe him, and found therein two men
fights: the one, of his own people; the other,
of his enemies. And he who was of his own people asked his help against him who
was of his enemies. And Moses smote him with his fist and slew him. Said he,
"This is a work of Satan; for he is an enemy, a manifest misleader."
He said, "O my Lord, I have
sinner to mine own hurt: forgive me." So
God forgave him; for He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
He said, "Lord, because
thou hast showed me this grace, I will never again be a helper of the
wicked."
And in the city at noon he was full
of fear, casting furtive glances round him:
and lo! the man whom he had helped the day before, cried out to him again for
help. Said Moses to him, "Thou art plainly a most depraved person."
And when he would have laid
violent hands on him who was their common foe, he said to him, "O Moses,
dost thou desire to slay me, as thou slayedst a man yesterday? Thou desirest
only to become a tyrant in this land, and desirest not to become a
peacemaker."
But a man came running up from
the city's end. He said, "O Moses, of a truth, the nobles consult to slay
thee -- Begone then -- I counsel thee as a friend."
28:20 So
forth he went from it in fear, looking warily about him. He said, "O Lord,
deliver me from the unjust people."
And when he was journeying
toward Madian, he said, "Haply my Lord will direct me in an even
path."
And when he arrived at the water
of Madian, he found at it a company of men watering.
And he found beside them, two
women keeping back their flock: "Why do
you," said he, "thus?" They said "We shall not water till
the shepherds shall have driven off; for our father is very aged."
So he watered for them -- then
retired to the shade and said, 'O my Lord, of the good thou hast caused me to
meet with I stand in need."
And one of them came to him,
walking bashfully. Said she, "My father calleth thee, that he may pay thee
wages for thy watering for us." And when he came to him and had told him
his story, "Fear not," said he, "thou hast escaped from an
unjust people."
One of them said, "O my
father, hire him: for the best thou canst hire
is the strong, the trusty."
He said, "Truly to one of
these my two daughters I desire to marry thee, if for eight years thou wilt be
my hired servant: and if thou fulfil ten, it
shall be of thine own accord, for I wish not to deal hardly with thee. Thou
wilt find me, if God will, one of the upright."
He said, "Be it so between
me and thee: Whichever of the two terms I
fulfil, there will be no injustice to me. And God is witness of what we
say."
And when Moses had fulfilled the
term, and was journeying with his family, he perceived a fire on the mountain
side. He said to his family, "Wait you, for I perceive a fire. Haply I may
you tidings from it, or a brand from the fire to warm you."
28:30 And
when he came up to it, a Voice cried to him out of the bush from the right side
of the valley in the sacred hollow, "O Moses, I truly am God, the Lord of
the Worlds:
Throw down now thy rod."
And when he saw it move as though it were a serpent, the retreated and fled and
returned not. "O Moses," cried the Voice, "draw near and fear
not, for thou art in safety.
Put thy hand into thy bosom; it
shall come forth white, but unharmed: and draw
back thy hand to thee without fear. These shall be two signs from thy Lord to
Pharaoh and his nobles; for they are a perverse people.
He said, "O my Lord! truly
I have slain one of them, therefore fear I lest they slay me.
My brother Aaron is clearer of
speech than I. Send him, therefore, with me as a help, and to make good my
cause, for I fear lest they treat me as an imposter."
He said, "We will
strengthen thine arm with thy brother, and we will give power unto you both,
and they shall not equal you in our signs. You twain and they who shall follow
you, shall gain the day."
And when Moses came to him with
our demonstrative signs they said, "This is nought but magical device. We
never heard the like among our sires of old."
And Moses said, "My Lord
best knoweth on whom He hath bestowed His guidance, and whose shall be the
recompense of the abode of Paradise. Verily, the wicked shall not
prosper."
And Pharaoh said, "O you
nobles, you have no other God that I know of but myself. Burn me then, Haman,
bricks of clay, and build me a tower that I may mount up to the God of Moses,
for in sooth, I deem him a liar."
And he and his hosts behaved
themselves proudly and unjustly on the earth, and thought that they should
never be brought back to us.
28:40 But
we seized on him and his hosts and cast them into the sea: Behold, then, the end of the wrongful doers:
And we made them imams who
invite to the fire of hell, and on the day of Resurrection they shall not be
helped.
We followed them with a curse in
this world, and covered shall they be with shame on the day of Resurrection.
And after we had destroyed the
former generations, we gave the book of the Law to Moses for man's
enlightening, and a guidance and a mercy, that haply they might reflect.
And thou wast not on the western
slope of Sinai when we laid his charge on Moses, nor wast thou one of the
witnesses;
But we raised up generations
after Moses, men whose days were lengthened; neither didst thou dwell among the
inhabitants of Madian to rehearse to them our signs, but we sent Apostles to
them.
Nor wast thou on the slope of
Sinai when we called to Moses, but it is of the mercy of thy Lord that thou
warnest a people, to whom no warner had come before thee, to the intent that
they should reflect:
And that they should not say
when a calamity shall befal them for the previous handy work, "O our Lord!
why hast thou not sent an Apostle to us? Then we should have followed thy signs
and have been of the believers."
Yet when the truth came to them
from our very presence, they said, "Unless the like powers be given to him
that were given to Moses...." But did they not disbelieve in what of old
was given to Moses? They said, "Two works of sorcery have helped each
other;" and they said, "We disbelieve them both."
Say:
Bring then a Book from before God which shall be a better tuide than these,
that I may follow it; if you speak the truth.
28:50 And
if they answer thee not, then know that verily they are following their own
caprices: and who goeth more widely astray
that he who followeth his own caprice without guidance from God? for God
guideth not the wicked.
And now have we caused our word
to come unto them, that they may be warned:
They to whom we gave the
Scriptures for it, do in it believe.
And when it is recited to them
they say, "We believe in it, for it is the truth from our Lord. We were
Muslims before it came."
Twice shall their reward be
given them, for that they suffered with patience, and repelled evil with good,
and gave alms out of that with which we provided them.
And when they hear light
discourse they withdraw from it, and say, "Our works for us and your works
for you! Peace be on you! We are not in quest of fools!"
Thou truly canst not guide whom
thou desirest; but God guideth whom He will; and He best knoweth those who
yield to guidance.
But they say, "If we follow
the way in which thou art guided, we shall be driven from our country."
But have we not established for them a sacred secure precinct, to which fruits
of every kind, our gift for their support, are gathered together? But most of
them have no knowledge.
And how many cities have we
destroyed that flourished in wanton ease! And these their dwellings have not
been inhabited since their time save by a few, and it is we who became their
heirs.
But thy Lord did not destroy the
cities till He had sent an apostle to their mother-city to rehearse our signs
to its people: nor did we destroy the cities
unless its people were unjust.
28:60 And
all that hath been bestowed on you is merely for enjoyment and pomp of this
life present: but that which is with God is
better and more lasting. Will you not be wise?
Shall he then to whom we have
promised a goodly promise and who obtaineth it, be as he on whom we have
bestowed the enjoyments of this life present, and who on the day of
Resurrection shall be brought up for punishment?
On that day will God cry to them
and say, "Where are my companions, as you supposed them?"
They on whom doom shall be
justly pronounced will say, "O our Lord! these are they whom we led astray: we led them astray even as we had been led astray
ourselves: Thou hast no cause of blame against
us: It was not we whom they worshipped.
And it shall be said, "Call
now on those whom you made God's companions:"
and they shall call on them, but they will not answer them. And they shall see
the punishment, and wish that they had been guided aright.
And on that day shall God call
to them and say, "How answered you the apostles?"
But on that day they shall be
too blinded with confusion to give an account, nor shall they ask it of one
another.
Yet as to him who shall turn to
God and believe and do the thing that is right, it may come to pass that he
shall be among the happy.
And thy Lord createth what he
will and hath a free choice. But they, the false gods, have no power to choose.
Glory be to God! and high let him be exalted above those whom they associate
with him.
And thy Lord knoweth what their
breasts conceal and what they bring to light.
28:70 And
He is God! There is no god but He! His, all praise in this life and in the next,
and His the power supreme, and to Him shall you be brought back!
Say:
What think you? If God should enshroud you with a long night until the day of
resurrection, what god beside God would bring you light? Will you not then
hearken?
Say:
What think you? If God should make it one long day for you until the day of
resurrection, what god but God could bring you the night in which to take your
rest? Will you not then see?
Of His mercy he hath made for
you the night that you may take your rest in it; and the day that you may seek
what you need out of his bounteous supplies, and that you may give thanks.
One day God will call to them
and say, "Where are my companions as you supposed them?
And we will bring up a witness
out of every nation and say, "Bring your proofs." And they shall know
that the truth is with God alone, and the gods of their own devising shall
desert them.
Now Korah was of the people of
Moses: but he behaved haughtily toward them;
for we had given him such treasure that its keys would have burdened a company
of men of strength. When his people said to him, "Exult not, for God
loveth not those who exult;
But seek, by means of what God
hath given thee, to attain the future Mansion; and neglect not thy part in this
world, but be bounteous to others as God hath been bounteous to thee, and seek
not to commit excesses on the earth; for God loveth not those who commit
excesses:"
He said, "It hath been
given me only on account of the knowledge that is in me." Did he not know
that God had destroyed before him generations that were mightier than he in
strength and had amassed more abundant wealth? But the wicked shall not be
asked of their crimes.
And Korah went forth to his
people in his pomp. Those who were greedy for this present life said, "Oh
that we had the like of that which hath been bestowed on Korah! Truly he is
possessed of great good fortune.
28:80 But
they to whom knowledge had been given said, "Woe to you! the reward of God
is better for him who believeth and worketh righteousness, and none shall win
it but those who have patiently endured."
And we clave the earth for him
and for his palace, and he had no forces, in the place of God, to help him, nor
was he among those who are succoured.
And in the morning those who the
day before had coveted his lot said, "Aha! God enlargeth supplies to whom
he pleaseth of his servants, or is sparing. Had not God been gracious to us, He
had caused it to cleave for us. Aha! the ungrateful can never prosper."
As to this future mansion, we
will bestow it on those who seek not to exalt them in the earth or to do wrong: And there is a happy issue for the God-fearing.
Whoso doeth good shall have
reward beyond its merits, and whoso doeth evil, they who do evil shall be
rewarded only as they shall have wrought.
He who hath sanctioned the Koran
to thee will certainly bring thee to thy home. Say:
My Lord best knoweth who hath guidance, and who is in undoubted error.
Thou didst never expect that the
Book would be given thee. Of thy Lord's mercy only hath it been sent down. Be
not thou helpful then to the unbelievers:
Neither let them turn thee aside
from the signs of God after they have been sent down to thee, but bid men to
thy Lord: and be not among those who add gods
to God:
And call not on any other god with
God. There is no god but He! Everything shall perish except Himself! Judgment
is His, and to Him shall you return!
Sura XXIX (29)
The Spider
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Elif. Lam. Mim. think men that
when they say, "We believe," they shall be let alone and not be put
to proof?
We put to proof those who lived
before them; for God will surely take knowledge of those who are sincere, and
will surely take knowledge of the liars.
Think they who work evil that
they shall escape Us? Ill do they judge.
To him who hopeth to meet God,
the set time of God will surely come. The Hearer, the Knower, He!
Whoso maketh efforts for the
faith, maketh them for his own good only. Verily God is rich enough to dispense
with all creatures.
And as to those who shall have
believed and done the things that are right, their evil deeds will we surely
blot out from them, and according to their best actions will we surely reward
them.
Moreover we have enjoined on man
to shew kindness to parents: but if they
strive with thee that thou join that with Me of which thou hast no knowledge,
obey them not. To me do you return, and then will I tell you of your doings:
And those who shall have
believed and done the things that are right, we will surely give them an
entering in among the just.
But some men say, "We
believe in God," yet when they meet with sufferings in the cause of God,
they regard trouble from man as chastisement from God. Yet if a success come
from thy Lord they are sure to say, "We were on your side!" Doth not
God well know what is in the breasts of his creatures?
29:10 Yes,
and God well knoweth those who believe, and He well knoweth the Hypocrites.
The unbelievers say to the
faithful, "Follow you our way, and we will surely bear your sins."
But not aught of their sins will they bear -- verily they are liars!
But their own burdens, and
burdens beside their own burdens shall they surely bear:
and inquisition shall be made of them on the day of Resurrection as to their
false devices.
Of old sent we Noah to his
people: a thousand years save fifty did he
tarry among them; and the flood overtook them in their wrongful doings:
But we rescued him and those who
were in the vessel; and we made it a sign to all men:
And Abraham; when he said to his
people, "Worship God and fear Him. This will be best for you, if you have
knowledge;"
You only worship idols beside
God, and are the authors of a lie. Those whom you worship beside God can give
you no supplies: seek, then, your supplies
from God; and serve Him and give Him thanks. To Him shall you return.
Suppose that you treat me as a
liar! nations before you have treated God's messenger as a liar; but open
preaching is his only duty.
See they not how God bringeth
forth creation? and then causeth it to return again? This truly is easy for
God.
Say, Go through the earth, and
see how he hath brought forth created beings. Hereafter, with a second birth
will God cause them to be born again; for God is Almighty.
29:20 Whom
He pleaseth will He chastise, and on whom He pleaseth will He have mercy, and
to Him shall you be taken back.
And you shall not invalidate his
power either in the Earth or in the Heaven:
and, save God, you shall have neither patron nor helper.
As for those who believe not in
the signs of God, or that they shall ever meet him, these of my mercy shall
despair, and these doth a grievous chastisement await."
And the only answer of his
people was to say, "Slay him or burn him." But from the fire did God
save him! Verily, herein are signs to those who believe.
And Abraham said, "Of a
truth you have taken idols along with God as your bond of union in this life
present;
But on the day of resurrection
some of you shall deny the others, and some of you shall curse the others; and
your abode shall be the fire, and you shall have none to help."
But Lot believed on him, and
said, "I betake me to my Lord, for He truly is the Mighty, the Wise."
And we bestowed on him Isaac and
Jacob, and placed the gift of prophecy and the Scripture among his posterity;
And we gave him his reward in this world, and in the next he shall be among the
just.
We sent also Lot: when he said to his people, "Proceed you to a
filthiness in which no people in the world hath ever gone before you?
Proceed you even to men? attack
you them on the highway? and proceed you to the crime in your assemblies?"
but the only answer of his people was to say, "Bring God's chastisement
upon us, if thou art a man of truth." He cried:
My Lord! help me against this polluted people.
29:30 And
when our messengers came to Abraham with the tidings of a son, they said,
"Of a truth we will destroy in in-dwellers in this city, for its
in-dwellers are evil doers."
He said, "Lot is
therein." They said, "We know full well who therein is. Him and his
family will we save, except his wife; she will be of those who linger.
And when our messengers came to
Lot, he was troubled for them, and his arm was too weak to protect them; and
they said, "Fear not, and distress not thyself, for thee and thy family
will we save, except thy wife; she will be of those who linger.
We will surely bring down upon
the dwellers in this city vengeance from Heaven for the excesses they have
committed."
And in what we have left of it
is a clear sign to men of understanding.
And to Madian we sent their
brother Shoaib. And he said, "Oh! my people! worship God, and expect the
latter day, and enact not in the land deeds of harmful excess."
But they treated him as an
imposter: so an earthquake assailed them; and
at morn they were found prostrate and dead in their dwellings.
And we destroyed Ad and Themoud.
Already is this made plain to you in the ruins of their dwellings. For Satan
had made their own works fair seeming to them, and drew them from the right
path, keen-sighted though they were.
And Corah and Pharaoh and Haman.
With proofs of his mission did Moses come to them, and they behaved proudly on
the earth; but us they could not outstrip;
For, every one of them did we
seize in his sin. Against some of them did we sent a stone-charged wind: Some of them did the terrible cry of Gabriel
surprise: for some of them we cleaved the
earth; and some of them we drowned. And it was not God who would deal wrongly
by them, but they wronged themselves.
29:40 The
likeness for those who take to themselves guardians instead of God is the
likeness of the spider who buildeth her a house:
But verily, frailest of all houses surely is the house of the spider. Did they
but know this!
God truly knoweth all that they
call on beside Him; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.
These similitudes do we set
forth to men: and one understand them except
the wise.
God hath created the Heavens and
the Earth for a serious end. Verily in this is a sign to those who believe.
Recite the portions of the Book
which have been revealed to thee and discharge the duty of prayer: for prayer restraineth from the filthy and the
blame-worthy. And the gravest duty is the remembrance of God; and God knoweth
what you do.
Dispute not, unless in kindly
sort, with the people of the Book; save with such of them as have dealt
wrongfully with you: And say you, "We
believe in what hath been sent down to us and hath been sent down to you. Our
God and your God is one, and to him are we self-surrendered" (Muslims).
Part 21
Thus have we sent down the Book
of the Koran to thee: and they to whom we have
given the Book of the law believe in it: and
of these Arabians there are those who believe in it:
and none, save the Infidels, reject our signs.
Thou didst not recite any book
(of revelation) before it: with that right
hand of thine thou didst not transcribe one:
else might they who treat it as a vain thing have justly doubted:
But it is a clear sign in the
hearts of those whom "the knowledge" hath reached. None except the
wicked reject our signs.
And they say, "Unless a
sign be sent down to him from his Lord...." Say:
Signs are in the power of God alone. I am only a plain spoken warner.
29:50 Is it
not enough for them that we have sent down to thee the Book to be recited to
them? In this verily is a mercy and a warning to those who believe.
Say:
God is witness enough between me and you.
He knoweth all that is in the
Heavens and the Earth, and they who believe in vain things and disbelieve in
God -- these shall be the lost ones.
They will challenge thee to
hasten the punishment: but had there not been
a season fixed for it, that punishment had already come upon them. But it shall
overtake them suddenly when they look not for it.
They will challenge thee to
hasten the punishment: but verily Hell shall
be round about the infidels.
One day the punishment shall wrap
them round, both from above them and from beneath their feet; and God will say,
"Taste you your own doings."
O my servants who have believed!
Vast truly is my Earth: me, therefore! yea
worship me.
Every soul shall taste of death.
Then to us shall you return.
But those who shall have
believed and wrought righteousness will we lodge in gardens with palaces,
beneath which the rivers flow. For ever shall they abide therein. How goodly
the reward of those who labour,
Who patiently endure, and put
their trust in their Lord!
29:60 How
many animals are there which provide not their own food! God feedeth them and
you. He heareth, Knoweth all things.
If thou ask them who hath
created the Heavens and the Earth, and hath imposed laws on the sun and on the
moon, they will certainly say, "God." How then can they devise lies?
God lavisheth supplies on such
of his servants as He pleaseth or giveth to them by measure. God knoweth all
things.
If thou ask them who sendeth
rain from heaven, and by it quickeneth the earth, after it hath been dead, they
will certainly answer, "God." Say:
Praise be to God! Yet most of them do not understand.
This present life is no other
than a pastime and a disport: but truly the
future mansion is life indeed! Would that they knew this!
Lo! when they embark on
shipboard, they call upon God, vowing him sincere worship, but when He bringeth
them safe to land, behold they join partners with Him.
In our revelation they believe
not, yet take their fill of good things. But in the end they shall know their
folly.
Do they not see that we have
established a safe precinct while all around them men are being spoiled? Will
they then believe in vain idols, and not own the goodness of God?
But who acteth more wrongly than
he who deviseth a lie against God, or calls the truth when it hath come to him,
a lie? Is there not an abode for the infidels in Hell?
And whoso maketh efforts for us,
in our ways will we guide them: for God is
assuredly with those who do righeous deeds.
Sura XXX (30)
The Greeks
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Elif. Lam. Mim. The Greeks have
been defeated
In a land hard by: But after their defeat they shall defeat their
foes,
In a few years. First and last
is the affair with God. And on that day shall the faithful rejoice
In the aid of their God: He aideth whom He will; and He is the Mighty, the
Merciful.
It is the promise of God: To his promise God will not be untrue: but most men know it not.
They know the outward shews of
this life present, but of the next life are they careless.
Have they not considered within
themselves that God hath not created the Heavens and the Earth and all that is
between them but for a serious end, and for a fixed term? But truly most men
believe not that they shall meet their Lord.
Have they never journeyed
through the land, and seen what hath been the end of those who were before
them? Mightier were they than these in strength; and they broke up the land,
and dwelt in it in greater numbers than they who dwell there now; and their
apostles came to them with proofs of their mission:
and it was not God who would wrong them, but they wronged themselves.
Then evil was the end of the
evil doers; because they had treated our signs as lies, and laughed them to
scorn.
30:10 God
bringeth forth the creation -- then causeth it to return again -- then to Him
shall you come back.
And on that day when the hour
shall arrive, the guilty shall be struck dumb for despair,
And they shall have no
intercessors from among the gods whom they have joined with God, and they shall
deny the gods they joined with Him.
And on that day when the Hour
shall arrive, shall men be separated one from another;
And as for those who shall have
believed and done the things that are right, they shall enjoy themselves in a
flowery mead;
But as for those who shall not
have believed, but treated our signs and the meeting of the next life as lies,
they shall be given over to the torment.
Glorify God therefore when you
reach the evening, and when you rise at morn:
And to Him be praise in the
Heavens and on the Earth; and at twilight, and when you rest at noon.
He bringeth forth the living out
of the dead, and He bringeth forth the dead out of the living: and He quickeneth the earth when dead. Thus is it
that you too shall be brought forth.
And one of his signs it is that
He hath created you out of dust; then lo! you become men who spread themselves
far and wide:
30:20 And
one of his signs it is, that He hath created wives for you of your own species,
that you may dwell with them, and hath put love and tenderness between you.
Herein truly are signs for those who reflect.
And among his signs are the
creation of the Heavens and of the Earth, and your variety of tongues and
colour. Herein truly are signs for all men.
And of his signs are your sleep
by night and by day, and your goings in quest of his bounties. Herein truly are
signs to those who hearken.
And of his signs are, that He
sheweth you the lightning, a source of awe and hope; and that He sendeth down
rain from the heaven and giveth life by it to the earth when dead. Herein truly
are signs to those who understand.
And of his signs also one is
that the Heaven and the Earth stand firm at his bidding:
hereafter, when with one summons He shall summon you out of the earth, -- lo!
forth shall you come.
His, whatsoever is in the
Heavens and on the Earth: all are obedient to
him.
And He it is who bringeth a
creature forth, then causeth it to return again; and to him is this most easy.
To whatever is loftiest in heaven and earth is He to be likened; and He is the
Mighty, the Wise.
He setteth forth to you an
instance drawn from yourselves. Have you among the slaves whom you right hands
have won, any partner in what we have bestowed on you, so that you share alike?
Fear you them as you fear each other? (Thus make we our signs clear to men of
understanding.)
No, you do not. But the wicked,
devoid of knowledge, follow their own desires:
and those whom God shall mislead, who shall guide, and who shall be their
protector?
Set thou thy face then, as a
true convert, towards the Faith which God hath made, and for which He hath made
man. No change is there in the creation of God. This is the right Faith, but
the greater part of men know it not.
30:30 And
be you turned to Him, and fear Him, and observe prayer, and be not of those who
unite gods with God:
Of those who have split up their
religion, and have become sects, where every party rejoices in what is their
own.
When some evil toucheth men,
they turn to their Lord and call upon him:
then when he hath made them taste his mercy, lo, a part of them join other gods
with their Lord,
Ungrateful for our favours! Enjoy
yourselves then. But in the end you shall know your folly.
Have we sent down to them any
mandate which speaketh in favour of what they join with God?
When we cause men to taste mercy
they rejoice in it; but if, for that which their hands have aforetime wrought,
evil befall them, they despair.
See they not that God bestoweth
full supplies on whom, He pleaseth and giveth sparingly to whom He pleaseth?
Signs truly are there herein to those who believe.
To him who is of kin to thee
give his due, and to the poor and to the wayfarer:
this will be best for those who seek the face of God; and with them it shall be
well.
Whatever you put out at usury to
increase it with the substance of others shall have no increase from God: but whatever you shall give in alms, as seeking
the face of God, shall be doubled to you.
It is God who created you --
then fed you -- then will cause you to die -- then will make you alive. Is
there any of your companion-gods who can do aught of these things? Praise be to
Him! and far be He exalted above the gods they join with Him.
30:40
Destruction hath appeared by land and by sea on account of what men's hands
have wrought, that it might make them taste somewhat of the fruit of their
doings, that haply they might turn to God.
Say:
Journey through the land, and see what hath been the end of those who were
before you! The greater part of them joined other gods with God.
Set thy face then towards the
right faith, ere the day come which none can hinder God from bring on. On that
day shall they be parted in twain:
Unbelievers on whom shall be
their unbelief; and they who have wrought righteousness, and prepared for
themselves couches of repose:
That of his bounty He may reward
those who have believed and wrought righteousness; for the unbelievers He
loveth not.
And one of his signs is that He
sendeth the winds with glad tidings of rain, both that He may cause you to
taste his mercy, and that ships may sail at his command, that out of his
bounties you may seek wealth, and that haply you may render thanks.
We have sent apostles before
thee to their peoples, and they presented themselves to them with clear proofs
of their mission; and while it behoved us to succour the faithful, we took
vengeance on the guilty.
It is God who sendeth the winds
and uplifteth the clouds, and, as He pleaseth, spreadeth them on high, and
breaketh them up; and thou mayest see the rain issuing from their midst; and
when He poureth it down on such of his servants as He pleaseth, lo! they are
filled with joy,
Even they who before it was sent
down to them, were in mute despair.
Look then at the traces of God's
mercy -- how after its death he quickeneth the earth! This same God will surely
quicken the dead, for to all things His might is equal.
30:50 Yet
should we send a blast, and should they see their harvest turn yellow, they
would afterwards shew themselves ungrateful.
Thou canst not make the dead to
hear, neither canst thou make the deaf to hear the call, when they withdraw and
turn their backs:
Neither canst thou guide the
blind out of their error: in sooth, none shalt
thou make to hear, save him who shall believe in our signs: for they are resigned to our will (Muslims).
It is God who hath created you
in weakness, then after weakness hath given you strength: then after strength, weakness and grey hairs: He createth what He will; and He is the Wise, the
Powerful.
And on the day whereon the Hour
shall arrive, the wicked will swear
That not above an hour have they
waited: Even so did they utter lies on earth:
But they to whom knowledge and
faith have been given will say, "You have waited, in accordance with the
book of God, till the day of Resurrection: for
this is the day of the Resurrection -- but you knew it not."
On that day their plea shall not
avail the wicked, neither shall they again be bidden to seek acceptance with
God.
And now have we set before men,
in this Koran, every kind of parable: yet if
thou bring them a single verse of it, the infidels will surely say, "You
are only utterers of vain things."
It is thus that God hath sealed
up the hearts of those who are devoid of knowledge.
30:60 But
do thou, Muhammad, bear with patience, for true is the promise of God; and let
not those who have no firm belief, unsettle thee.
Sura XXXI (31)
Lokman
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Elif. Lam. Mim. These are the
verses (signs) of the wise Book,
A guidance and a mercy to the
righteous,
Who observe prayer, and pay the
impost, and believe firmly in the life to come:
--
These rest on guidance from
their Lord, and with these it shall be well.
But a man there is who buyeth an
idle tale, that in his lack of knowledge he may mislead others form the way of
God, and turn it to scorn. For such is prepared a shameful punishment!
And when our signs are rehearsed
to him, he turneth away disdainfully, as though he heard them not, -- as though
his ears were heavy with deafness. Announce to him therefore tidings of an
afflictive punishment!
But they who shall have believed
and wrought good works, shall enjoy the gardens of delight:
For ever shall they dwell
therein: it is God's true promise! and He is
the Mighty, the Wise.
Without pillars that can be seen
hath He created the heavens, and on the earth hath thrown mountains lest it
should move with you; and He hath scattered over it animals of every sort: and from the Heaven we send down rain and cause
every kind of noble plant to grow up therein.
31:10 This
is the creation of God: Shew me now what
others than He have created. Ah! the ungodly are in a manifest delusion.
Of old we bestowed wisdom upon
Lokman, and taught him thus -- "Be thankful to God:
for whoever is thankful, is thankful to his own behoof; and if any shall be
thankless... God truly is self-sufficient, worthy of all praise!"
And bear in mind when Lokman
said to his son by way of warning, "O my son! joint not others gods with
God, for the joining gods with God is the great impiety."
(We have commanded man
concerning his parents. His mother carrieth him with weakness upon weakness;
nor until after two years is he weaned. Be grateful to me, and to thy parents.
Unto me shall all come.
But if they importune thee to
join that with Me of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not: comport thyself towards them in this world as is
meet and right; but follow the way of him who turneth unto me. Until me shall
you return at last, and then will I tell you of your doings;)
"O my son! verily God will
bring everything to light, though it were but the weight of a grain of
mustard-seed, and hidden in a rock or in the heavens or in the earth; for, God
is subtile, informed of all.
O my son! observe prayer, and
enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and be patient under whatever shall betide
thee: for this is a bounden duty.
And distort not thy face at men;
nor walk thou loftily on the earth; for God loveth no arrogant vain-glorious
one.
But let thy pace be middling;
and lower thy voice: for the least pleasing of
voices is surely the voice of asses."
See you not how that God hath
put under you all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and hath
been bounteous to you of his favours, both for soul and body. But some are
there who dispute of God without knowledge, and have no guidance and no
illuminating Book:
31:20 And
when it is said to them, Follow you what God hath sent down, they say,
"Nay; that religion in which we found our fathers will we follow." What!
though Satan bid them to the torment of the flame?
But whoso setteth his face
toward God with self-surrender, and is a doer of that which is good, hath laid
hold on a sure handle; for unto God is the issue of all things.
But let not the unbelief of the
unbelieving grieve thee: unto us shall they
return: then will we tell them of their
doings; for God knoweth the very secrets of the breast.
Yet a little while will we
provide for them: afterwards will we force
them to a stern punishment.
If thou ask them who hath
created the heavens and the earth, they will certainly reply, "God."
Say: God be praised! But most of them have no
knowledge.
God's, whatever is in the
Heavens and the Earth! for God, He is the Rich, the Praiseworthy.
If all the trees that are upon
the earth were to become pens, and if God should after that swell the sea into
seven seas of ink, His words would not be exhausted:
for God is Mighty, Wise.
Your creation and your
quickening hereafter, are but as those of a single individual. Verily, God
Heareth, Seeth!
Seest thou not that God causeth
the night to come in upon the day, and the day to come in upon the night? and
that he hath subjected the sun and the moon to laws by which each speedeth
along to an appointed goal? and that God therefore is acquainted with that
which you do?
This, for that God is the truth;
and that whatever you call upon beside Him is a vain thing; and that God -- He
is the High, the Great.
31:30 Seest
thou not how the ships speed on in the sea, through the favour of God, that he
may shew you of his signs? for herein are signs to all patient, grateful ones.
When the waves cover them like
dark shadows they call upon God as with sincere religion; but when He safely
landeth them, some of them there are who halt between two opinions. Yet none
reject our signs but all deceitful, ungrateful ones.
O men! fear you your Lord, and
dread the day whereon father shall not atone for son, neither shall a son in
the least atone for his father.
Aye! the promise of God is a
truth. Let not this present life then deceive you; neither let the deceiver
deceive you concerning God.
Aye! God! -- with Him is the
knowledge of the Hour; and He sendeth down the rain -- and He knoweth what is
in the wombs -- but no soul knoweth what it shall have gotten on the morrow: neither knoweth any soul in what land it shall
die. But God is knowing, informed of all.
Sura XXXII (32)
Adoration
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful.
Elif. Lam. Mim. This Book is
without a doubt a Revelation sent down from the Lord of the Worlds.
Will they say, He hath forged
it? Nay, it is the truth from thy Lord that thou mayest warn a people to whom
no warner hath come before thee, that haply they may be guided.
God it is who hath created the
Heavens and the Earth and all that is between them in six days; then ascended
his throne. Save Him you have no patron, and none to plead for you. Will you
not then reflect?
From the Heaven to the Earth He governeth
all things: in the end shall they come up to
him on a day whose length shall be a thousand of such years as you reckon.
This is He who knoweth the
unseen and the seen; the Mighty, the Merciful,
Who hath made everything which
he hath created most good; and began the creation of man with clay;
Then ordained his progeny from
germs of life, from sorry water:
Then shaped him, and breathed of
His Spirit into him, and gave you hearing and seeing and hearts: what little thanks do you return!
And they say, "What! when
we shall have laid hidden in the earth, shall we become a new creation?"
32:10 Yea,
they deny that they shall meet their Lord.
Say:
The angel of death who is charged with you shall cause you to die: then shall you be returned to your Lord.
Couldst thou but see when the
guilty shall droop their heads before their Lord, and cry, "O our Lord! we
have seen and we have heard: return us then to
life: we will do that which is right. Verily
we believe firmly!"
(Had we pleased we had certainly
given to every soul its guidance. But true shall be the word which hath gone
forth from me -- I will surely fill hell with Djinn and men together.)
"Taste then the recompense
of your having forgotten the meeting with this your day. We, too, we have
forgotten you: taste then an eternal
punishment for that which you have wrought."
They only believe in our signs,
who, when mention is made of them, fall down in adoration, and celebrate the
praise of their Lord, and are not puffed up with disdain:
Who, as they raise them from
their couches, call on their Lord with fear and desire, and give alms of that
with which we have supplied them.
No soul knoweth what joy of the
eye is reserved for the good in recompense of their works.
Shall he then who is a believer
be as he who sinneth grossly? they shall not be held alike.
As to those who believe and do
that which is right, they shall have gardens of eternal abode as the meed of
their works:
32:20 But
at for those who grossly sin, their abode shall be the fire: so oft as they shall desire to escape out of it,
back shall they be turned into it. And it shall be said to them, Taste you the
torment of the fire, which he treated as a lie.
And we will surely cause them to
taste a punishment yet nearer at hand, beside the greater punishment, that
haply they may turn to us in penitence.
Who acteth worse than he who is
warned by the signs of his Lord, then turneth away from them? We will surely
take vengeance on the guilty ones.
We heretofore gave the Book of
the law to Moses: have thou no doubt as to our
meeting with him: and we appointed it for the
guidance of the children of Israel.
And we appointed Imams from
among them who should guide after our command when they had themselves endured
with constancy, and had firmly believed in our signs.
Now thy Lord! He will decide
between them on the day of resurrection as to the subject of their disputes.
Is it not notorious to them how
many generations, through whose abodes they walk, we have destroyed before
them? Truly herein are signs: will they not
then hear?
See they not how we drive the
rain to some parched land and thereby bring forth corn of which their cattle
and themselves do not eat? Will they not then behold?
They say, "When will this
decision take place? Tell us, if you are men of truth?"
Say:
On the day of that decision, the faith of infidels shall not avail them, and
they shall have no further respite.
32:30 Stand
aloof from them then, and wait thou, for they too wait.
Sura XXXIII (33)
The Confederates
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
O Prophet, fear thou God, and
obey not the unbelievers and the hypocrites; -- Truly God is Knowing, Wise:
But follow what is revealed to
thee from thy Lord: Cognisant truly is He of
all your actions --
And put thou thy trust in God,
for a sufficient guardian is God.
God hath not given a man two
hearts within him; neither hath he made your wives who you divorce to be as
your mothers; nor hath he made your adopted sons to be as your own sons. Such
words are indeed in your mouths; but God speaketh the truth, and in the right
way He guideth.
Name them after their fathers: this will be more right before God. But if you
know not who their fathers are, then let them be your brethren in the faith,
and your comrades. And unless made with intent of heart, mistakes in this
matter shall be no crime in you: for God is
Lenient, Merciful.
Nearer of kin to the faithful is
the Prophet, than they are to their own selves. His wives are their mothers.
According to the Book of God, they who are related by blood, are nearer to the
one to the other than other believers, and than those who have fled their
country for the cause of God: but whatever
kindness you shew to your kindred, shall be noted down in the Book.
And remember that we have
entered into covenant with the Prophets, and with thee, and with Noah, and
Abraham, and Moses, and Jesus, Son of Mary:
and we formed with them a strict covenant,
That God may question the men of
truth as to their truth. But a sore torment hath He prepared for the
unbelievers.
O believers! remember the
goodness of God towards you, when the armies came against you, and we sent
against them a blast, and hosts that you saw not; for the you of God was upon
your doings:
33:10 When
they assailed you from above you, and from below you, and when your eyes became
distracted, and your hearts came up into your throat, and you [Bought divers
thoughts of God:
Then were the faithful tried,
and with strong quaking did they quake:
And when the disaffected and the
diseased of heart said, "God and his Apostle have made us but a cheating
promise:"
And when a part of them said,
"O people of Yathrib! there is no place of safety for you here; therefore
return into the city." And another party of you asked the prophet's leave
to return, saying, "Our houses are left defenceless." No! they were
not left defenceless: but their sole thought
was to flee away.
If the enemy had effected an entry
at all points, and they (the disaffected) had been asked to promote confusion,
they would have done so; but only a short time would they have remained in it.
-- (Medina).
They had before pledged
themselves to God that they would not turn their backs; and a pledge given to
God must be enquired of.
Say:
Flight shall not profit you; if you have fled the death or the slaughter, yet
even then, but a little while shall you enjoy your good things!
Say:
Who is here that will screen you from God, whether He choose to bring evil on
you, or to shew you mercy? None beside God shall they find to be their patron
or helper.
God well knoweth those among you
who cause hindrances, and those who say to their brethren, "Come hither to
us;" and who come not to the fight except a little.
It is out of covetousness in
your regard: for when an alarm cometh, thou
mayest see them look to thee, and roll their eyes like him on whom the shadows
of death have fallen! Yet, when the alarm is passed, with sharp tongues will
they assail you, covetous of the best of the spoil. No faith have these! God
will make their doings of no avail! And easy is this with God.
33:20 They
thought that the confederates would never retire:
and were the confederates to come again, they would fain be dwelling among the
Arabs of the desert, and there ask news about you! for though they were with
you, they fought not except a little.
A noble pattern had you in God's
Apostle, for all who hope in God, and in the latter day, and oft remember God!
And when the faithful saw the
confederates, they said, "This is what God and His Apostle promised us,
and God and His Apostle spoke truly:" and
it only increased their faith and self-devotion.
Some were there among the
faithful who made good what they had promised to God,. Some have fulfilled
their course, and others await its fulfilment, and have not been changelings
who change --
That God may reward the faithful
for their faithfulness, and may punish the hypocrites, if He so please, or be
turned unto them: for God is Forgiving,
Merciful.
And God drove back the infidels
in their wrath; they won no advantage; God sufficed the faithful in the fight: for God is Strong, Mighty.
And He caused those of the
people of the Book (the Jews), who had aided the confederates, to come down out
of their fortresses, and cast dismay into their hearts:
some you slew, others you took prisoners.
And He gave you their land, and
their dwellings, and their wealth, for an heritage -- even a land on which you
had never set foot: for the might of God is
equal to all things.
O Prophet! say to thy wives, If
you desire this present life and its braveries, come then, I will provide for
you, and dismiss you with an honourable dismissal.
But if you desire God and His
Apostle, and a home in the next life, then, truly, hath God prepared for those
of you who are virtuous, a great reward.
33:30 O
wives of the Prophet! should any of you be guilty of a prove lewdness, doubly
shall her chastisement be doubled: and with
God this is easy.
Part 22
But whoever of you shall obey
God and His Apostle, and shall do that which is right, twice over will we give
her her reward, and we have prepared for her a noble provision
O wives of the Prophet! you are
not as other women. If you fear God, be not too complaisant of speech, lest the
man of unhealthy heart should lust after you, but speak with discreet speech.
And abide still in your houses,
and go not in public decked as in the days of your former ignorance, but
observe prayer, and pay the impost, and obey God and the Apostle: for God only desireth to put away filthiness from
you as his household, and with cleansing to cleanse you.
And recollect what is rehearsed
to you in your houses of the Book of God, and of wisdom:
for God is keen-sighted, cognisant of all.
Truly the men who resign
themselves to God (Muslims), and the women who resign themselves, and the
believing men and the believing women, and the devout men and the devout women,
and the men of truth, and the women of truth, and the patient men and the
patient women, and the humble men and the humble women, and the men who give
alms and the women who give alms, and the men who fast and the women who fast,
and the chaste men and the chaste women, and the men and the women who oft
remember God: for them hath God prepared
forgiveness and a rich recompense.
And it is not for a believer,
man or woman, to have any choice in their affairs, when God and His Apostle
have decreed a matter: and whoever disobeyeth
God and His Apostle, erreth with palpable error.
And, remember, when thou saidst
to him unto whom God had shewn favour, and to whom thou also hadst shewn
favour, "Keep thy wife to thyself, and fear God;" and thou didst hide
in they mind what God would bring to light, and thou didst fear man; but more
right had it been to fear God. And when Zaid had settled concerning her to
divorce her, we married her to thee, that it might not be a crime in the
faithful to marry the wives of their adopted sons, when they have settled the
affair concerning them. And the behest of God is to be performed.
No blame attacheth to the
prophet where God hath given him a permission. Such was the way of God with
those prophets who flourished before thee; for God's behest is a fixed decree
--
Who fulfilled the mission with
which God had charged them, and feared Him, and feared none but god. And God
taketh a sufficient account.
33:40
Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Apostle of God,
and the seal of the prophets: and God knoweth
all things.
O Believers! remember God with
frequent remembrance, and praise Him morning and evening.
He blesseth you, and His angels
intercede for you, that He may bring you forth out of darkness into light: and Merciful is He to the Believers.
Their greeting on the day when
they shall meet Him shall be "Peace!" And He hath got ready for them
a noble recompense.
O Prophet! we have sent thee to
be a witness, and a herald of glad tidings, and a warner;
And one who, through His own
permission, summoneth to god, and a light-giving torch.
Announce, therefore, to
believers, that great boons do await them from God;
And obey not the Infidels and
Hypocrites -- yet abstain from injuring them:
and put thou thy trust in God, for God is a sufficient guardian.
O Believers! when you marry believing
women, and then divorce them before you have consummated the marriage, you have
no term prescribed you, which you must fulfil towards them: provide for them, and dismiss them with a
reputable dismissal.
O Prophet! we allow thee thy wives
whom thou hast dowered, and the slaves whom thy right hand possesseth out of
the booty which God hath granted thee, and the daughters of thy uncle, and of
thy paternal and maternal aunts who fled with thee to Medina, and any believing
woman who hath given herself up to the Prophet, if the Prophet desired to wed
her -- a Privilege for thee above the rest of the Faithful.
33:50 We
well know what we have settled for them, in regard to their wives and to the
slaves whom their right hands hold, that there may be no fault on thy part: and God is Indulgent, Merciful!
Thou mayest decline for the
present whom thou wilt of them, and thou mayest take to thy bed her whom thou
wilt, and whomsoever thou shalt long for of those thou shalt have before
neglected; and this shall not be a crime in thee. Thus will it be easier to
give them the desire of their eyes, and not to put them to grief, and to
satisfy them with what thou shalt accord to each of them. God knoweth what is
in your hearts, and God is Knowing, Gracious.
It is not permitted thee to take
other wives hereafter, nor to change thy present wives for other women, though
their beauty charm thee, except slaves whom thy right hand shall possess. And
God watcheth all things.
O Believers! enter not into the
houses of the Prophet, save by his leave, for a meal, without waiting his time.
When you are invited then enter, and when you have eaten then disperse at once.
And engage not in familiar talk, for this would cause the Prophet trouble, and
he would be ashamed to bid you go; but God is not ashamed to say the truth. And
when you would ask any gift of his wives, ask it from behind a veil. Purer will
this be for your hearts and for their hearts. And you must not trouble the
Apostle of God, nor marry his wives, after him, for ever. This would be a grave
offense with God.
Whether you bring a matter to
the light or hide it, God truly hath knowledge of all things.
No blame shall attach to them
(your wives) for speaking to their fathers unveiled, or to their sons, or to
their brothers, or to their brothers' sons, or to their sisters' sons, or to
their women, or to the slaves whom their right hands hold. And fear you God: for God witnesseth all things.
Verily, God and His Angels bless
the Prophet! Bless you Him, O Believers, and salute Him with salutations of
Peace.
Verily, they who affront God and
His Apostle, the curse of God is on them in this world, and in the world to
come: and He hath prepared for them a shameful
chastisement.
And they who shall affront
believing men and believing women, for no fault of theirs, they shall surely
bear the guilt of slander, and of a clear wrong.
O Prophet! speak to thy wives
and to thy daughters, and to the wives of the Faithful, that they let their
veils fall low. Thus will they more easily be known, and they will not be
affronted. God is Indulgent, Merciful!
33:60 If
the Hypocrites, and the men of tainted hearts, and the stirrers of sedition in
Medina desist not, we will surely stir thee up against them. Then shall they
not be suffered to dwell near thee therein, but a little while:
Cursed wherever they are found;
they shall be seized and slain with slaughter!
Such hath been the way of God
with those who lived before them; and no change canst thou find in the way of
God.
Men will ask thee of "the
Hour." Say: The knowledge of it is with
God alone: and who can tell thee whether haply
the Hour be not nigh at hand?
Verily, God hath cursed the
Infidels, and hath got ready for them the flame:
For aye shall they abide
therein; none to befriend them, no helper shall they find!
On the day when their faces
shall be rolled in the fire, they shall cry:
"Oh! would that we had obeyed God, and obeyed the Apostle!"
And they shall say: "Oh our Lord! indeed we obeyed our chiefs and
our great ones, and they misled us from the way of God --
O our Lord! give them a double
chastisement, and curse them with a heavy curse."
O Believers! be not like those
who affronted Moses. But God cleared him from what they said of him, and of God
what he high esteemed.
33:70 O
Believers! fear God, and speak with well-guided speech.
That God may bless your doings
for you, and forgive you your sins. And whoso obeyeth God and His Apostle with
great bliss shall he be blessed.
Verily, we proposed to the
Heavens, and to the Earth, and to the Mountains to receive the Faith, but they
refused the burden, and they feared to receive it. Man undertook to bear it,
but hath proved unjust, senseless!
Therefore will God punish the
hypocritical men and the hypocritical women, and the men and the women who join
gods with God; but to the believing men and women will God turn him: for God is Indulgent, Merciful!
Sura XXXIV (34)
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Praise be to God! to whom
belongeth all that is in the Heavens and all that is on the Earth; and to Him
be praise in the next world: for he is the
All-wise, the All-informed!
He knoweth what entereth into
the earth, and what proceedeth from it; and what cometh down from heaven, and
what goeth up into it: and He is the Merciful,
the Forgiving!
"Never," say the
unbelievers, "will the Hour come upon us!" Say: Yea, by my Lord who knoweth the unseen, it will surely come
upon you! not the weight of a mote either in the Heavens or in the Earth
escapeth him; nor is there aught less than this or aught greater, which is not
in the clear Book; --
To the intent that God may
reward those who have believed and done the things that are right: Pardon and a noble provision shall they receive:
But as for those who aim to
invalidate our signs, -- a chastisement of painful torment awaiteth them!
And they to whom knowledge hath been
given see that what hath been sent down to thee from thy Lord is the truth, and
that it guideth into the way of the Glorious one, the Praiseworthy.
But the unbelievers say to those
whom they fall in with, "Shall we shew you a man who will foretell you
that when you shall have been utterly torn and rent to pieces, you shall be
restored in a new form?
He deviseth a lie about God, or
there is a djinn in him," but they who believe not in the next life, shall
incur the chastisement, and be lost in the mazes of estrangement from God.
What! have they never
contemplated that which is before them and behind them, the Heaven and the
Earth? If such were our pleasure, we could sink them into that Earth, or cause
a portion of that Heaven to fall upon them! herein truly is a sign for our
every returning servant.
34:10 Of
old bestowed we on David a gift, our special boon:
-- "You mountains and you birds answer his songs of praise." And we
made the iron soft for him: -- "Make
coats of mail, and arrange its plates; and work you righteousness; for I behold
your actions."
And unto Solomon did we subject
the wind, which travelled in the morning a month's journey, and a month's
journey in the evening. And we made a fountain of molten brass to flow for him.
And of the Djinn were some who worked in his presence, by the will of his Lord;
and such of them as swerved from our bidding will we cause to taste the torment
of the flame.
They made for him whatever he
pleased, of lofty halls, and images, and dishes large as tanks for watering
camels, and cooking pots that stood firmly. "Work," said we, "o
family of David with thanksgiving:" But
few of my servants are the thankful!
And when we decreed the death of
Solomon, nothing shewed them that he was dead but a reptile of the earth that
gnawed the staff which supported his corpse. And when it fell, the Djinn
perceived that if they had known the things unseen, they had not continued in
this shameful affliction.
A sign there was to Saba, in
their dwelling places: -- two gardens, the one
on the right hand and the other on the left:
-- "Eat you of your Lord's supplies, and give thanks to him: Goodly is the country, and gracious is the
Lord!"
But they turned aside: so we sent upon them the flood of Irem; and we
changed them their gardens into two gardens of bitter fruit and tamarisk and
some few jujube trees.
Such was our retribution on them
for their ingratitude: but do we thus
recompense any except the ungrateful?
And we placed between them and
the cities which we have blessed, conspicuous cities, and we fixed easy stages: "Travel you through them by night and day,
secure."
But they said, "O Lord!
make the distance between our journeys longers;" - and against themselves
did they act unjustly: so we made them a tale,
and scattered them with an utter scattering. Truly herein are signs to everyone
that is patient, grateful.
And Eblis found that he had
judged truly of them: and they all except a
remnant of the faithful, followed him:
34:20 Yet
no power had he over them. Only we would discern him who believed in the life
to come, from him who doubted of it; for thy Lord watched all things.
Say:
Call you upon those whom you deem gods, beside God:
their power in the Heavens and in the Earth is not the weight of an atom -- neither
have they any share in either; nor hath He a helper from among them.
No intercession shall avail with
Him but that which He shall Himself allow. Until when at last their hearts
shall be relieved from terror, they shall say, "What saith your
Lord?" they shall say, "The Truth; and He is the High, the
Great."
Say:
Who supplied you out of the Heavens and the Earth? Say:
God. And either we or you have guidance, or are in palpable error!
Say:
Not as to our faults shall you be questioned; neither shall we be questioned as
to your actions.
Say:
Our Lord will gather us together: then will He
judge between us in justice; for He is the Judge, the Knowing!
Say:
Shew me those whom you have united with Him as associates: Nay, rather, He is God, the Mighty, the Wise!
And we have sent thee to mankind
at large, to announce and to threaten. But most men understand not.
And they say, "When will
this threat come to pass? Tell us, if you be men of truth."
Say:
You are menaced with a day, which not for an hour shall you retard or hasten
on.
34:30 The
unbelievers say, "We will not believe in this Koran, nor in the Books
which preceded it." But couldst thou see when the wicked shall be set
before their Lord! With reproaches will they answer one another. The weak shall
say to the mighty ones, "But for you we had been believers:"
Then shall the mighty ones say
to the weak, "What! was it we would turned you aside from the guidance
which had reached you? Nay, but you acted wickedly yourselves."
And the weak shall say to the
mighty ones, "Nay, but there was a plot by night and by day, when you bad
us believe not in God, and gave him peers." And they shall proclaim their
repentance after they have seen the punishment! And yokes will we place on the
necks of those who have not believed! Shall they be rewarded but as they have
wrought?
And never have we sent a warner
to any city whose opulent men did not say, "In sooth we disbelieve your
message."
And they said, "We are the
more abundant in riches and in children, nor shall we be among the
punished."
Say:
Of a truth my Lord will be liberal or sparing in his supplies to whom he
pleaseth: but the greater part of men
acknowledge it not.
Neither by your riches nor by
your children shall you bring yourselves into nearness with Us; but they who
believe and do the thing that is right shall have a double reward for what they
shall have done: and in the pavilions of
Paradise shall they dwell secure!
But they who shall aim to
invalidate our signs, shall be consigned to punishment.
Say:
Of a truth my Lord will be liberal in supplies to whom he pleaseth of his
servants, or will be sparing to him: and
whatever you shall give in alms he will return; and He is the best dispenser of
gifts.
One day he will gather them all
together: then shall he say to the angels,
"Did these worship you?"
34:40 They
shall say, "Glory be to thee! Thou art our master, not these! But they
worshipped the Djinn: it was in them that most
of them believed.
On this day the one of you shall
have no power over others for help or hurt. And we will say to the evil doers,
"Taste you the torment of the fire, which you treated as a delusion."
For when our distinct signs are
recited to them, they say, "This is merely a man who would fain pervert
you from your father's Worship." And they say, "This (Koran) is no
other than a forged falsehood." And the unbelievers say to the truth when
it is presented to them, "Tis nothing but palpable sorcery."
Yet have we given them no books
in which to study deeply, nor have we sent any one to them before thee, charged
with warnings.
They also flourished before
them, treated our apostles as impostors in like sort:
but not to the tenth part of what we bestowed on them, have these attained. And
yet when they charged my apostles with deceit, how terrible was my vengeance:
Say:
One thing in sooth do I advise you: -- that
you stand up before God two and two, or singly, and then reflect that in your
fellow citizen is no djinn:P he is no other
than your warner before a severe punishment.
Say:
I ask not any wage from you: keep it for
yourselves: my wage is from God alone. And He
is witness over all things!
Say:
Truly my Lord sendeth forth the Truth: --
Knower of things unseen!
Say:
Truth is come, and falsehood shall vanish and return no more.
Say:
If I err, verily to my own cost only shall I err:
but if I have guidance, it will be of my Lord's revealing, for He is the
Hearer, the near at hand.
34:50
Couldst thou see how they shall tremble and find no escape, and be taken forth from
the place that is so near;
And shall say, "We believe
in Him!" But how, in their present distance, shall they receive the faith,
When they had before denied it,
and aimed their shafts at the mysteries from afar?:
And a gulf shall be between them
and that which they shall desire --
As was done unto their likes of
old, who were lost in the questionings of doubt.
Sura XXXV (35)
The Creator, Or The Angels
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
35:1
Praise be to God, Maker of the Heavens and of the Earth! Who employeth the
angels as envoys, with pairs of wings, two, three and four: He addeth to his creature what He will! Truly God
hath power for all things.
The mercy which God layeth open
for man, no one can keep back; and what He shall keep back, none can afterwards
send forth. And He is the Mighty, the Wise.
O men! bear in mind the favour
of God towards you. Is there a creator other than God, who nourisheth you with
the gifts of heaven and earth? There is no God but He! How then are you turned
aside from Him?
If they treat thee as an
impostor, then before thee have apostles been treated as impostors. But to God
shall all things return.
O men! assuredly the promise of
God is true: let not then the present life
deceive you: and let not the Deceiver deceive
you as to God.
Yes, Satan is your foe. For a
foe then hold him. He calleth his followers to him that they may become inmates
of the flame.
The unbelievers -- for them a
terrible punishment!
But believers and doers of good
works, for them is mercy, and a great reward!
Shall he, the evil of whose
deeds are so tricked out to him that he deemeth them good, be treated like him
who seeth things aright? Verily God misleadeth whom He will, and guideth whom
He will. Spend not thy soul in sights for them:
God knoweth their doings
35:10 It is
God who sendeth forth the winds which raise the clouds aloft: then drive we them on to some land dead from
drought, and give life thereby to the earth after its death. So shall be the
resurrection.
If any one desireth greatness,
all greatness is in God. The good word riseth up to Him, and the righteous deed
will He exalt. But a severe punishment awaiteth the plotters of evil things;
and the plots of such will He render vain.
Moreover, God created you of
dust -- then of the germs of life -- then made you two sexes: and no female conceiveth or bringeth forth without
his knowledge; and the aged ageth not, nor is aught minished from man's age,
but in accordance with the Book. An easy thing truly is this to God.
Nor are the two seas alike: the one fresh, sweet, pleasant for drink, and the
other salt, bitter; yet from both you eat fresh fish, and take forth for you
ornaments to wear, and thou seest the ships cleaving their waters that you may
go in quest of his bounties, and that you may be thankful.
He causeth the night to enter in
upon the day, and the day to enter in upon the night; and He hath given laws to
the sun and to the moon, so that each journeyeth to its appointed goal: This is God your Lord:
All power is His: But the gods whom you call
on beside Him have no power over the husk of a date stone!
If you cry to them they will not
hear your cry; and if they heard they would not answer you, and in the day of
resurrection they will disown your joining them with God: and none can instruct thee like Him who is informed of all.
O men! you are but paupers in
need of God; but God is the Rich, the Praiseworthy!
If He please, He could sweep you
away, and bring forth a new creation!
Nor will this be hard for God.
And the burdened soul shall not
bear the burden of another: and if the heavy
laden soul cry out for its burden to be carried, yet shall not aught of it be
carried, even by the near of kin! Thou shalt warn those who fear their Lord in
secret, and observe prayer. And whosoever shall keep himself pure, he purifieth
himself to his own behoof: for unto God shall
be the final gathering.
35:20 And
the blind and the seeing are not alike; neither darkness and light; nor the
shade and the hot wind;
Nor are the living and the dead
the same thing! God indeed shall make whom He will to hearken, but thou shalt
not make those who are in their graves to hearken; for only with warning are
thou charged.
Verily we have sent thee with
the truth; a bearer of good tidings and a warner; nor hath there been a people
unvisited by its warner.
And if they treat thee as a
liar, so did those who were before them threat their Apostles who came to them
with the proofs of their mission, and with the Scriptures and with the
enlightening Book:
Then chastised I the unbelievers: and how great was my vengeance!
Seest thou not how that God
sendeth down water from the Heaven, and that by it we cause the up-growth of
fruits of varied hues, and that on the mountains are tracks of varied hues,
white and red, and others are of a raven black? And of men, and reptiles and
animals, various likewise are the hues. Such only of his servants as are possessed
of knowledge fear God. Lo! God is Mighty, Gracious!
Verily they who recite the Book
of God, and observe prayer, and give alms in public and in private from what we
have bestowed upon them, may hope for a merchandise that shall not perish:
God will certainly pay them
their due wages, and of his bounty increase them:
for He is Gracious, Grateful.
And that which we have revealed
to thee of the Book is the very Truth, confirmatory of previous Scriptures: for God knoweth and beholdeth his servants.
Moreover, we have made the Book
an heritage to those of our servants whom we have chosen. Some of them injure
themselves by evil deeds; others keep the midway between good and evil; and
others, by the permission of God, outstrip in goodness; this is the great
merit!
35:30 Into
the gardens of Eden shall they enter: with
bracelets of gold and pearl shall they be decked therein, and therein shall
their raiment be of silk:
And they shall say, "Praise
be to God who hath put away sorrow from us. Verily our Lord is Gracious,
Grateful.
Who of His bounty hath placed us
in a mansion that shall abide for ever:
therein no toil shall reach us, and therein no weariness shall touch us."
But for infidels is the fire of
Hell; to die shall never be decreed them, nor shall aught of its torment be
made light to them. Thus reward we every infidel!
And therein shall they cry
aloud, "Take us hence, O our Lord! righteousness will we work, and not
what we wrought of old." -- "Prolonged we not your days that whoever
would be warned might be warned therein? And the preacher came to you --
Taste it then." -- There is
no protector for the unjust.
God truly knoweth the hidden
things both of the Heavens and of the Earth:
for He knoweth the very secrets of the breast.
He hath appointed you his
vicegerents in the earth: And whoever
believeth not, on him shall be his unbelief; and their unbelief shall only
increase for the unbelievers, hatred at the hands of their Lord: -- and their unbelief shall only increase for the
unbelievers their own perdition!
Say:
What think you of the gods whom you invoke beside God? Shew me what part of the
earth they have created? Had they a share in the creation of the Heavens? Have
we given them a Book in which they can find proofs that they are to be called
on? Nay, the wicked promise one another only deceits.
Verily God holdeth fast the
Heavens and the Earth that they pass not away:
and if they were passing away one could hold them back but He: for He is Kind, Gracious.
35:40 They
swore by God with their mightiest oath that should a preacher come to them they
would yield to guidance more than any people:
but when the preacher came to them it only increased in them their
estrangement,
Their haughtiness on earth and
their plotting of evil! But the plotting of evil shall only enmesh those who
make use of it. Look they then for aught but God's way of dealing with the
peoples of old? Thou shalt not find any change in the way of God, --
Yea, thou shalt not find any
variableness in the way of God.
Have they never journeyed in the
land and seen what hath been the end of those who flourished before them,
though mightier in strength than they? God is not to be frustrated by aught in
the Heavens or in the Earth; for He is the All-knowing, the All-mighty.
If, moreover, God should
chastise men according to their deserts, He would not leave even a reptile on
the back of the earth! But to an appointed time doth He respite them.
And when their time shall come,
then verily God's eye is on his servants.
Sura XXXVI (36)
Ya. Sin.
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
36:1 Ya.
Sin. By the wise Koran!
Surely of the Sent Ones, Thou,
Upon a right path!
A revelation of the Mighty, the
Merciful,
That thou shouldest warn a
people whose fathers were not warned and therefore lived in heedlessness!
Just, now, is our sentence
against most of them; therefore they shall not believe.
On their necks have we placed
chains which reach the chin, and forced up are their heads:
Before them have we set a
barrier and behind them a barrier, and we have shrouded them in a veil, so that
they shall not see.
Alike is it to them if thou warn
them or warn them not: they will not believe.
36:10 Him only
shalt thou really warn, who followeth the monition and feareth the God of mercy
in secret: him cheer with tidings of pardon,
and of a noble recompense.
Verily, it is We who will
quicken the dead, and write down the works which they have sent on before them,
and the traces which they shall have left behind them:
and everything have we set down in the clear Book of our decrees.
Set forth to them the instance
of the people of the city when the Sent Ones came to it.
When we sent two unto them and
they charged them both with imposture -- therefore with a third we strengthened
them: and they said, "Verily we are the
Sent unto you of God."
They said, "You are only
men like us: Nought hath the God of Mercy sent
down. You do nothing but lie."
They said, "our Lord
knoweth that we are surely sent unto you;
To proclaim a clear message is
our only duty."
They said, "Of a truth we
augur ill from you: if you desist not we will
surely stone you, and a grievous punishment will surely befall you from
us."
They said, "Your augury of
ill is with yourselves. Will you be warned? Nay, we are an erring people."
Then from the end of the city a
man came running: He said, "O my people!
follow the Sent Ones;
36:20
Follow those who ask not of you a recompense, and who are rightly guided.
And why should I not worship Him
who made me, and to whom you shall be brought back?
Shall I take gods beside Him? If
the God of Mercy be pleased to afflict me, their intercession will not avert
from me aught, nor will they deliver:
Truly then should I be in a
manifest error.
Verily, in your Lord have I
believed; therefore hear me."
- It was said to him,
"Enter thou into Paradise:" And he
said, "Oh that my people knew
How gracious God hath been to
me, and that He hath made me one of His honoured ones."
But no army sent we down out of
heaven after his death, nor were we then sending down our angels --
Part 23
There was but one shout from Gabriel, and lo! they were extinct.
Oh! the misery that rests upon
my servants! No apostle cometh to them but they laugh him to scorn.
36:30 See
they not how many generations we have destroyed before them?
Not to false gods is it that
they shall be brought back,
But all, gathered together,
shall be set before Us.
Moreover, the dead earth is a
sign to them: we quicken it and bring forth
the grain from it, and they eat thereof:
And we make in it gardens of the
date and vine; and we cause springs to gush forth in it;
That they may eat of its fruits
and of the labour of their hands. Will they not therefore be thankful?
Glory be to Him, who hath
created all the sexual pairs of such things as Earth produceth, and of mankind
themselves; and of things beyond their ken!
A sign to them also is the
Night. We withdraw the day from it, and lo! they are plunged in darkness;
And the Sun hasteneth to her
place of rest,. This, the ordinance of the Mighty, the Knowing!
And as for the Moon, We have
decreed stations for it, till it change like an old and crooked palm branch.
36:40 To
the Sun it is not given to overtake the Moon, nor doth the night outstrip the
day; but each in its own sphere doth journey one.
It is also a sign to them that
we bare their posterity in the full-laden Ark;
And that we have made for them
vessels like it on which they embark;
And if we please, we drown them,
and there is none to help them, and they are not rescued,
Unless through our mercy, and
that they may enjoy themselves for yet awhile.
And when it is said to them, Fear
what is before you and what is behind you, that you may obtain mercy. . . .
Aye, not one sign from among the
signs of their Lord dost thou bring them, but they turn away from it!
And when it is said to them,
Give alms of what God hath bestowed on you, they who believe not say to the
believers, "Shall we feed him whom God can feed if He will? Truly you are
in no other than a plain error."
And they said, "When will
this promise be fulfilled, if what you say be true?"
They await but a single blast: as they are wrangling shall it assail them:
36:50 And
not a bequest shall they be able to make, nor to their families shall they
return.
And the trumpet shall be blown,
and, lo! they shall speed out of their sepulchres to their Lord:
They shall say, "Oh! woe is
us! who hath roused us from our sleeping place? 'Tis what the God of Mercy
promised; and the Apostles spake the truth."
But one blast shall there be,
and, lo! they shall be assembled before us, all together.
And on that day shall no soul be
wronged in the least: neither shall you be
rewarded but as you shall have wrought.
But joyous on that day shall be
the inmates of Paradise, in their employ;
In shades, on bridal couches
reclining, they and their spouses:
Therein shall they have fruits,
and shall have whatever they require --
"Peace!" shall be the
word on the part of a merciful Lord.
"But be you separated this
day, O you sinners!
36:60 Did I
not enjoin on you, O sons of Adam, 'Worship not Satan, for that he is your
declared foe.'
But 'Worship Me: this is a right path'?
But now hath he led a vast host
of you astray. Did you not then comprehend?
This is Hell with which you were
threatened:
Endure its heat this day, for
that you believed not."
On that day will we set a seal
upon their mouths; yet shall their hands speak unto us, and their feet shall
bear witness of that which they shall have done.
And, if we pleased, we would
surely put out their eyes: yet even then would
they speed on with rivalry in their path: but
how should they see?
And, if we pleased, we would
surely transform them as they stand, and they would not be able to move onward,
or to return.
Him cause we to stoop through
age whose days we lengthen. Will they not understand?
We have not taught him
(Muhammad) poetry, nor would it beseem him. This Book is no other than a
warning and a clear Koran.
36:70 To
warn whosoever liveth; and, that against the Infidels sentence may be justly
given.
See they not that we have
created for them among the things which our hands have wrought, the animals of
which they are masters?
And that we have subjected them
unto them? And on some they ride, and of others they eat;
And they find in them profitable
uses and beverages:
Yet have they taken other gods beside
God that they might be helpful to them.
No power have they to succour
them: yet are their votaries an army at their
service.
Let not their speech grieve thee: We know what they hide and what they bring to
light.
Doth not man perceive that we
have created him of the moist germs of life? Yet lot! is he an open caviller.
And he meeteth us with
arguments, and forgetteth his creation:
"Who," saith he, "shall give life to bones when they are
rotten?"
Say:
He shall given life to them who gave them being at the first, for in all
creation is he skilled:
36:80 Who
even out of the green tree hath given you fire, and lo! you kindle flame from
it.
What! must not He who hath
created the Heavens and the Earth be mighty enough to create your likes? Yes!
and He is the skilful creator.
His command when He willeth
aught, is but to say to it, BE, and IT IS.
So glory be to Him in whose hand
is sway over all things! And to Him shall you be brought back.
Sura XXXVII (37)
The Ranks
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
37:1 By
the angels ranged in order for Songs of Praise,
And by those who repel demons,
And by those who recite the
Koran for warning,
Truly your God is but one,
Lord of the Heavens and of the
Earth, and of all that is between them, and Lord of the East.
We have adorned the lower heaven
with the adornment of the stars.
They serve also as a guard
against every rebellious Satan,
That they overhear not what passeth
in the assembly on high, for they are darted at from every side,
Driven off and consigned to a
lasting torment;
37:10
While, if one steal a word by stealth, a glistening flame pursueth him.
Ask the Meccans then, Are they,
or the angels whom we have made, the stronger creation? Aye, of coarse clay
have we created them.
But while thou marvellest they
mock;
When they are warned, no warning
do they take;
And when they see a sign, they
fall to mocking,
And say, "This is no other
than clear sorcery:
What! when dead, and turned to
dust and bones, shall we indeed be raised?
Our sires also of olden
times?"
Say, Yes; and you shall be
covered with disgrace.
For, one blast only, and lo!
they shall gaze around them,
37:20 And
shall say, "Oh! woe to us! this is the day of reckoning;
This is the day of decision
which you gainsaid as an untruth."
Gather together those who have
acted unjustly, and their consorts, and the gods whom they adored
Beside God; and guide them to
the road for Hell.
Set them forth: they shall be questioned.
"How now, that you help not
one another?"
But on this day they shall
submit themselves to God,
And shall address one another
with mutual reproaches.
They shall say, "In sooth,
you came to us in well-omened sort:"
But they will answer, "Nay,
it was you who would not believe; and we had no power whatever over you. Nay,
you were people given to transgress;
37:30 Just,
therefore, is the doom which are Lord hath passed upon us. We shall surely
taste it:
We made you err, for we had
erred ourselves."
Partners therefore shall be in
punishment on that day.
Truly, thus will we deal with
the wicked,
Because when it was said to
them, There is no God but God, they swelled with pride,
And said, "Shall we then
abandon our gods for a crazed poet?"
Nay, he cometh with truth and
confirmeth the Sent Ones of old.
You shall surely taste the
painful punishment,
And you shall not be rewarded
but as you have wrought,
Save the sincere servants of
God!
37:40 A stated
banquet shall they have
Of fruits; and honoured shall
they be
In the gardens of delight,
Upon couches face to face.
A cup shall be borne round among
them from a fountain,
Limpid, delicious to those who
drink;
It shall not oppress the sense,
nor shall they therewith be drunken.
And with them are the large-eyed
ones with modest refraining glances, fair like the sheltered egg.
And they shall address one
another with mutual questions.
Saith one of them, "I truly
had a bosom friend,
37:50 Who
said, 'Art thou of those who credit it?
What! when we shall have died,
and become dust and bones, shall we indeed be judged?'"
He shall say to those around
him, "Will you look?"
And he shall look and see him in
the midst of Hell.
And he shall say to him,
"By God, thou hadst almost caused me to perish;
And, but for the favour of my
Lord, I had surely been of those who have been brought with thee into
torment."
"But do we not die,"
say the blessed,
"Any other than our first
death? and have we escaped the torment?"
This truly is the great
felicity!
For the like of this should the
travailers travail!
37:60 Is
this the better repast or the tree Ez-zakkoum?
Verily, we have made it for a
subject of discord to the wicked.
It is a tree which cometh up
from the bottom of hell;
Its fruits is as it were the
heads of Satans;
And, lo! the damned shall surely
eat of it and fill their bellies with it:
Then shall they have, thereon, a
mixture of boiling water:
Then shall they return to hell.
They found their fathers erring,
And they hastened on in their
footsteps.
Also before them the greater
number of the ancients had erred,
37:70
Though we had sent warners among them.
But see what was the end of
these warned one,
Except of God's true servants.
Noah call on us of old, and
right prompt were we to hear him,
And we saved him and his family
out of the great distress,
And we made his offspring the
survivors;
And we left for him with
posterity,
"Peace be on Noah
throughout the worlds!"
Thus do we reward the
well-doers,
For he was one of our believing
servants; --
37:80 And
the rest we drowned.
And truly, of his faith, was
Abraham,
When he brought to his Lord a
perfect heart,
When he said to his father and
to his people, "What is this you worship?
Prefer you with falsehood gods
to God?
And what deem you of the Lord of
the worlds?"
So gazing he gazed towards the
starts,
And said, "In sooth I am
ill:
And they turned their back on
him and departed.
He went aside to their gods and
said, "Do you not eat?
37:90 What
aileth you that you do not speak?"
He broke out upon them, with the
right hand striking:
When his tribesmen came back to
him with hasty steps --
He said, "Worship you what
you carve,
When God hath created you, and that
you make?"
They said, "Build up a pyre
for him and cast him into the glowing flame."
Fain would they plot against
him, but we brought them low.
And he said, "Verily, I
repair to my Lord who will guide me:
O Lord give me a son, of the
righteous."
We announced to him a youth of
meekness.
37:100 And
when he became a full-grown youth,
His father said to him, "My
son, I have seen in a dream that I should sacrifice thee; therefore, consider
what thou seest right."
He said, "My father, do
what thou art bidden; of the patient, if God please, shalt thou find me."
And when they had surrendered
them to the will of God, he laid him down upon his forehead:
We cried unto him, "O
Abraham!
Now hast thou satisfied the
vision,." See how we recompense the righteous.
This was indeed a decisive test.
And we ransomed his son with a
costly victim,
And we left this for him among
posterity,
"Peace be on Abraham!"
37-110 Thus do we reward the well-doers,
For he was of our believing
servants.
And we announced Isaac to him --
a righteous Prophet --
And on him and on Isaac we
bestowed our blessing. And among their offspring were well-doers, and others,
to their own hurt undoubted sinners.
And of old, to Moses and to
Aaron shewed we favours:
And both of them, and their
people, we rescued from the great distress:
And we succoured them, and they
became the conquerors:
And we gave them (Moses and
Aaron) each the lucid book:
And we guided them each into the
right way:
And we left this for each among
posterity,
37:120
"Peace be on Moses and Aaron."
Thus do we reward the
well-doers,
For they were two of our
believing servants.
And Elias truly was of our Sent
Ones,
When he said to his people,
"Fear you not God?
Invoke you Baal and forsake you
the most skilful Creator?
God is your Lord, and the Lord
of your sires of old?"
But they treated him as a liar,
and shall therefore be consigned to punishment,
Except God's faithful servants.
And we left this for him among
posterity,
37:130
"Peace be on Eliasin!"
Thus do we reward the
well-doers.
For he was one of our believing
servants.
And Lot truly was of our Sent
Ones,
When we rescued him and all his
family,
Save an aged woman among those
who tarried.
Afterward we destroyed the
others.
And you indeed pass by their
ruined dwellings at morn
And night: will you not then reflect?
Jonas, too, was one of the
Apostles,
37:140 When
he fled into the laden ship,
And lots were cast, and he was
doomed,
And the fish swallowed him, for
he was blameworthy.
But had he not been of those who
praise Us,
In its belly had he surely
remained, till the day of resurrection.
And we cast him on the bare
shore -- and he was sick; --
And we caused a gourd-plant to
grow up over him,
And we sent him to a hundred
thousand persons, or even more,
And because they believed, we
continued their enjoyments for a season.
Inquire then of the Meccans
whether thy Lord hath daughters, and they, sons?
37:150 Have
we created the angels females? and did they witness it?
Is it not a falsehood of their
own devising, when they say,,
"God hath begotten"?
They are indeed liars.
Would he have preferred
daughters to sons?
What reason have you for thus
judging?
Will you not then receive this
warning?
Have you a clear proof for them?
Produce your Book if you speak
truth.
And they make him to be of kin
with the Djinn: but the Djinn have long known
that these idolaters shall be brought up before God.
Far be the glory of God from
what they impute to him.
37:160
"His faithful servants do not thus.
Moreover, you and what you
worship
Shall not stir up any against
God,
Save him who shall burn in Hell.
And verily each one of us hath
his appointed place,
And we range ourselves in order,
And we celebrate His
praises."
And if those infidels say,
"Had we a revelation
transmitted to us from those of old,
We had surely been God's
faithful servants."
37:170 Yet
they believe not the Koran. But they shall know its truth at last.
Our word came of old to our
servants the apostles,
That they should surely be the
succoured,
And that our armies should
procure the victory for them.
Turn aside therefore from them
for a time,
And behold them, for they too
shall in the end behold their doom.
Would they then hasten our
vengeance?
But when it shall come down into
their courts, an evil morning shall it be to those who have had their warning.
Turn aside from them therefore
for a time.
And behold; for they too shall
in the end behold their doom.
37:180 Far
be the glory of thy Lord, the Lord of all greatness, from what they impute to
him,
And peace be on his Apostles!
And praise be to God the Lord of
the worlds.
Sura XXXVIII (38)
Sad
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
38:1 Sad.
By the Koran full of warning! In sooth the Infidels are absorbed in pride, in
contention with thee.
How many generations have we
destroyed before them! And they cried for mercy but no time was it of escape!
And they marvel that a warner
from among themselves hath come to them; and the Infidels say, "This is a
sorcerer, a liar:
Maketh he the gods to be but one
god? A strange thing forsooth is this!"
And their chiefs took themselves
off. "Go, said they, and cleave steadfastly to your gods. You see the
thing aimed at.
We heard not of this in the
previous creed. It is but an imposture:
To him alone of us all hath a
book of warning been sent down?" Yes! they are in doubt as to my warnings,
for they have not yet tasted my vengeance.
Are the treasures of the mercy
of thy Lord, the Mighty, the bounteous, in their hands?
Is the kingdom of the heavens
and of the earth and of all that is between them theirs? Then let them mount up
by cords!
38:10 Any
army of the confederates shall here be routed.
Before them the people of Noah
and Ad and Pharaoh the impaler treated their prophets as impostors;
And Themoud, and the people of
Nought did they all but charge the
apostles with falsehood: Just, therefore, the
retribution.
And these (Meccans) await but
one single trumpet blast -- There shall be no delaying it --
Yet they dare to say, "O
our Lord! hasten our lot to us, before the day of reckoning."
Put thou up with what they say: and remember our servant David, a man strong of
hand, one who turned him to Us in penitence;
We constrained the mountains to
join with him in lauds at even and at sunrise;
And the birds which flocked to him,
and would all return to him oft;
And we stablished his kingdom: and wisdom, and skill to pronounce clear
decisions, did we bestow on him.
38-20 Hath the story of the two pleaders reached thee,
O Muhammad, when they mounted the walls of his closet?
When they entered in upon David,
and he was frightened at them, they said, "Be not afraid; we are two
opposing parties: one of us hath wronged the
other. Judge therefore with truth between us, and be not unjust, but guide us
to the right way.
Now this my brother had ninety
and nine ewes, and I had but a single ewe; and he said, make me her keeper. And
he over-persuaded me in the dispute."
He said, "Certainly he hath
wronged thee in asking for thine ewe to add her to his own ewes: and truly many associates do one another wrong --
except those who believe and do the things that are right; and few indeed are
they!" And David perceived that we had tried him; so he asked pardon of
his Lord, and fell down and bowed himself and repented.
So we forgave him that his sin;
and truly he shall have a high rank with Us, and an excellent retreat in
Paradise.
O David! verily we have made
thee our vicegerent upon earth. Judge therefore between men with truth, and
follow not thy passions, lest they cause thee to err from the way of God. For
they who err from the way of God shall meet with a grievous chastisement, for
that they have forgotten the day of reckoning.
We have not created the heaven
and the earth and what is between them for nought. That is the thought of
infidels; but woe to the infidels because of the fire!
Shall we treat those who believe
and do the things that are right like those who propagate evil on earth? Shall
we treat the God-fearing like the impious?
A blessed Book have we sent down
to thee, that men may meditate its verses, and that those endued with
understanding may bear it in mind.
And Solomon gave we unto David.
An excellent servant, for he loved to turn him Godward.
38:30
Remember when at eventide the prancing chargers were displayed before him,
And he said, "Truly I have
loved the love of earthly goods above the remembrance of my Lord, till the sun
hath been hidden by the veil of darkness.
Bring them back to me," And
he began to sever the legs and necks.
We also made trial of Solomon,
and placed a phantom on his throne: whereupon
he returned to Us (in penitence).
He said, O my Lord! pardon me,
and give me a dominion that may not be to any one beside me, for thou art the
liberal giver.
So we subjected the wind to him;
it ran softly at his bidding, whithersoever he directed it:
And the Satans -- every builder
and diver --
And others bound in chains:
"This," said we,
"is our gift: be bounteous then, or
withhold thy favours; no account shalt thou render."
And his rank also is high with
Us, and an excellent retreat.
38:40 And
remember our servant Job when he cried to his Lord, "Verily, Satan hath
laid on me disease and pain."
"Stamp," said we,
"with thy foot. This is to wash with; cool, and to drink."
And we gave him back his family,
and as many more with them in our mercy; for a monition to men of judgment.
And we said, "Take in thine
hand a rod, and strike with it, nor break thine oath." Verily, we found
him patient!
How excellent a servant, one who
turned to Us was he!
And remember our servants
Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, men of might and vision.
With this cleansing did we
cleanse them -- the remembrance of the abode of Paradise.
And verily, they were, in our
sight, of the elect and of the good.
And remember Ishmael and Elisha
and Dhoulkefl, for all these were of the just.
This is a monition: and verily, the pious shall have a goodly retreat:
38:50
Gardens of Eden, whose portals shall stand open to them:
Therein reclining, they shall
there call for many a fruit and drink:
And with them shall be virgins
of their own age, with modest retiring glances:
"This is what you were
promised at the day of reckoning."
"Yes! this is our provision: it shall never fail."
Even so. But for the evil doers
is a wretched home --
Hell -- wherein they shall be
burned: how wretched a bed!
Even so. Let them then taste it
-- boiling water and gore,
And other things of kindred
sort!
To their leaders it shall be
said, "This company shall be thrown in headlong with you. No greetings
shall await them, for they shall be burned in the fire."
38:60 They
shall say: "But you, too! there shall ble
no welcome for you. It was you who prepared this for us, and wretched is the
abode!"
They will say: "O our Lord! increase twofold in the fire,
the punishment of him who hath brought this upon us."
And they will say: "Why see we not the men whom we numbered
among the wicked --
Whom we used to treat with
scorn? Have they escaped our eyes?:"
Verily this is truth -- the
wrangling together of the people of the fire.
Say:
I am but a warner; and there is no God but God the One, the Almighty!
Lord of the Heavens and of the
Earth, and of all that is between them, the Potent, the Forgiving!
Say:
this is a weighty message,
From which you turn aside!
Yet had I no knowledge of what
passed among the celestial chiefs when they disputed,
38:70 --
Verily, it hath been revealed to me only because I am a public preacher --
When thy Lord said to the
angels, "I am about to make man of clay,
And when I have formed him and
breathed my spirit into him, then worshipping fall down before him."
And the angels prostrated
themselves, all of them with one accord,
Save Eblis. He swelled with
pride, and became an unbeliever.
"O Eblis," said God,
"what hindereth thee from prostrating thyself before him whom my hands
have made?
Is it that thou are puffed up
with pride? or art thou a being of lofty merit?"
He said, "I am more
excellent than he; me hast thou created of fire:
of clay hast thou created him."
He said:
"Begone then hence: thou art accursed,
And lo! my ban shall be on thee
till the day of the reckoning."
38:80 He
said: "O my Lord! respite me till the day
of Resurrection."
He said, "One then of the
respited shalt thou be,
Till the day of the time
appointed."
He said:
"I swear by thy might then that all of them will I seduce,
Save thy sincere servants among
them."
He said:
"It is truth, and the truth I speak. From thee will I surely fill Hell,
and with such of them as shall follow thee, one and all.
Say:
I ask no wage of you for this, nor am I one who intermeddleth.
Of a truth the Koran is no other
than a warning to all creatures.
And after a time shall you
surely know its message.
Sura XXXIX (39)
The Troops
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
39:1 The
Book sent down from God, the Mighty, the Wise!
We have sent down the Book to
thee with the truth: serve thou God then, and
be sincere in thy worship:
Is not a sincere worship due to
God?
But they who take others beside
him as lords saying, "We serve them only that they may bring us near to
God." -- God will judge between them and the faithful, concerning that
wherein they are at variance.
Verily God will not guide him
who is a liar, an infidel.
Had God desired to have had a
son, he had surely chosen what he pleased out of his own creation,. But praise
be to Him! He is God, the One, the Almighty.
For truth hath he created the
Heavens and the Earth: It is of Him that the
night returneth upon the day and that the day returneth upon the night: and He controlleth the sun and the moon so that
each speedeth to an appointed goal. Is He not the Mighty, the Gracious?
He created you all of one man,
from whom He afterwards formed his wife; and of cattle He hath sent down to you
four pairs. In the wombs of your mothers did He create you by creation upon
creation in triple darkness. it is He who is God your Lord: the kingdom is His:
There is no God but He. How then are you so turned aside from Him?
Suppose you render him no
thanks! yet forsooth is God rich without you:
but He is not pleased with thanklessness in His servants: yet if you be thankful He will be pleased with you. The soul
burdened with its own works shall not be burdened with the burden of another: hereafter shall you return to your Lord, and he
will tell you of all your works,
39:10 For
he knoweth the very secrets of your breasts.
When some trouble toucheth a
man, he turneth to his Lord and calleth on him:
yet no sooner hath He enriched him with his favour than he forgetteth Him on
whom he before had called, and setteth up peers with God, that he may beguile
others from His way. Say: Enjoy thou thyself
yet a little in thine ingratitude! but thou shalt surely be one of the inmates
of the fire.
Shall he observeth the hours of
the night, prostrate or standing in devotion, heedful of the life to come, and
hoping for the mercy of his Lord...? Say:
Shall they who have knowledge and they who have it not, be treated alike? In
sooth, men of understanding only will take the warning.
Say:
O my believing servants, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world
there is good:L and broad is God's earth --
verily those who endure with patience shall be repaid:
their reward shall not be by measure.
Say:
I am bidden to serve God with a sincere worship:
and I am bidden to be the firsst of those who surrender themselves to him
(Muslims).
Say:
Verily I fear if I rebel against my Lord the punishment of a great day.
Say:
God will I serve, presenting him with a sincere worship:
And serve you what you choose
beside Him. Say: The losers truly will they be
who shall lose their own souls and their families on the day of resurrection: Is not this the clear ruin?
Canopies of fire shall be over
them, and floors of fire beneath them. With this doth God alarm his servants: Fear you me, then, O my servants!
But good tidings are there for
those who shun the worship of Thagout and are tuxned to God. Cheer them with
good tidings those my servants who hearken to my word and follow its
excellence. These are they whom God guideth, and these are men of insight.
39:20 Him
then on whom the sentence of punishment hath justly lighted -- him who is
doomed to the fire canst thou rescue?
But for those who fear their
Lord are storied pavilions beneath which shall the rivers flow: it is the promise of God, and God will not fail in
his promise.
Seest thou not that God sendeth
down water from heaven, and guideth it along so as to form springs in the earth
-- then bringeth forth by it corn of varied sorts -- then causeth he it to
wither, and thou seest it become yellow -- then crumbleth it away? Lo! herein
is teaching for men of insight.
Shall he then whose breast God
hath opened to Islam, and who hath light from his Lord..." But woe to
those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of God! They plainly
err.
The best of recitals hath God
sent down -- a book in unison with itself, and teaching by iteration. The very
skins of those who fear their Lord do creep at it! Then do their skins and
their hearts soften at the remembrance of their Lord! This is God's guidance: by it will He guide whom He pleaseth; and, whom
God shall mislead, no guide shall there be for him.
Shall he who shall have nought
but his own face to shelter him with from the torment of the punishment on the
day of the resurrection...? Aye, to the evil doers it shall be said,
"Taste you what you have earned."
They who were before them said it
was a lie; but a punishment came upon them whence they looked not for it:
And God made them taste
humiliation in this present life: but greater
surely will be the punishment of the life to come. Did they but know it!
Now have we set before man in
this Koran every kind of parable for their warning:
An Arabic Koran, free from
tortuous wording, to the intent that they may fear God.
39:30 God
setteth forth the comparison of a man with associates at variance among
themselves, and of a man devoted wholly to a man. Are these to be held alike?
No, praise be to God! But the greater part of them understand not.
Thou truly shall die, O
Muhammad, and they too shall die:
Part 24
Then, at the day of
resurrection, you shall wrangle with one another in the presence of your Lord.
And who acteth more unjustly
than he who lieth of God, and treateth the truth when it cometh to him as a
lie? Is there not a dwelling-place in Hell for the infidels?
But he who bringeth the truth,
and he who believeth it to be the truth: these
are the God-fearing.
Whatever they shall desire,
awaiteth them with their Lord! This is the reward of the righteous;
Tht God may do away the guilt of
their worst actions, and for their best actions render them their reward.
Is not God all-sufficient for his
servant? Yet would they scare thee by their idols. But no guide shall there be
for him whom God misleadeth:
And he whom God guideth shall
have none to mislead him. Is not God, all-mighty, able to revenge?
And if thou ask them who hath
created the Heavens and the Earth, they will surely answer, God. Say: This you, then, that they on whom you call beside
God, if God choose to afflict me, could remove his affliction? or if he choose
to show me mercy, could they withhold His mercy? Say:
God sufficeth me: in Him let the trusting
trust.
39:40 Say: O my people, act your part as best you can, I too
will act mine; and in the end you shall know
On whom shall light a punishment
that shall shame him, and on whom a lasting punishment shall fall.
Assuredly we have sent down the
Book to thee for man and for the ends of truth. Whoso shall be guided by it --
it will be for his own advantage, and whoso shall err, shall only err to his
own loss. But not to thy keeping are they entrusted.
God taketh souls unto Himself at
death; and during their sleep those who do not die:
and he retaineth those on which he hath passed a decree of death, but sendeth
the others back till a time that is fixed. Herein are signs for the reflecting.
Have they taken aught beside God
as intercessors? Say: What! though they have
no power over anything, neither do they understand?
Say:
Intercession is wholly with God: His the
kingdom of the Heavens and of the Earth! To him shall you be brought back
hereafter!
But when the One God is named,
the hearts of those who believe not in the life to come, shrivel up: but when the deities who are adored beside Him are
named, lo! they are filled with joy.
Say:
O God, creator of the Heaven and of the Earth, who knowest the hidden and the
manifest, thou shalt judge between thy servants as to the subject of their
disputes.
If the wicked possessed all that
is in the earth and as much against therewith, verily they would ransom
themselves with it from the pain of the punishment on the day of the
resurrection; and there shall appear to them, from God, things they had never
reckoned on:
And their own ill deeds shall be
clearly perceived by them, and that fire at which they mocked shall encircle
them on every side.
39:50 When
trouble befalleth a man he crieth to Us; afterwards, when we have vouchsafed
favour to him, he saith, "God knew that I deserved it." Nay, it is a
trial. But the greater part of them knew it not.
The same said those who
flourished before them; but their deeds profited them not.
And their own ill deeds recoiled
upon them. And whoso among these
(Meccans) shall do wrong, on
them likewise their own misdeeds shall light, neither shall they invalidate
God.
Know they not that God giveth supplies
with open hand, and that He is sparing to whom He will? Of a truth herein are
signs to those who believe.
Say:
O my servants who have transgressed to your own hurt, despair not of God's
mercy, for all sins doth God forgive. Gracious, Merciful is He!
And return you to your Lord, and
to Him resign yourselves, ere the punishment come on you, for then you shall
not be helped:
And follow that most excellent
thing which hath been sent down to you from your Lord, ere the punishment come
on you suddenly, and when you look not for it:
So that a soul say, "Oh
misery! for my failures in duty towards God! and verily I was of those who
scoffed:"
Or say, "Had God guided me,
I had surely been of those who feared Him:"
Or say, when it seeth the
punishment, "Could I but return, then I would be of the righteous."
39:60 Nay!
my signs had already come to thee, and thou didst treat them as untruths, and
wast arrogant, and becamest of those who believed not.
And on the resurrection day,
thou shalt see those who have lied of God, with their faces black. Is there not
an abode in Hell for the arrogant?
But God shall rescue those who
fear him into their safe retreat: no ill shall
touch them, neither shall they be put to grief.
God is the creator of all
things, and of all things is He the guardian! His the keys of the Heaven and of
the Earth! and -- who believe not in the signs of God -- these! they shall
perish!
Say:
What! do you then bid me worship other than God, O you ignorant ones?
But now hath it been revealed to
thee and to those who flourished before thee, -- "Verily, if thou join
partners with God, vain shall be all thy work, and thyself shalt be of those
who perish.
Nay, rather worship God! and be
of those who render thanks."
But they have not deemed of God
as is He due; for on the resurrection day the whole Earth shall be but his
handful, and in his right hand shall the Heavens be folded together. Praise be
to Him! and high be He uplifted above the partners they join with Him!
And there shall be a blast on
the trumpet, and all who are in the Heavens and all who are in the Earth shall
expire, save those whom God shall vouchsafe to live. Then shall there be
another blast on it, and lo! arising they shall gaze around them:
And the earth shall shine with
the light of her lord, and the Book shall be set, and the prophets shall be
brought up, and the witnesses; and judgment shall be given between them with
equity; and none shall be wronged:
39:70 And
every soul shall receive as it shall have wrought, for well knoweth He men's
actions.
And by troops shall the
unbelievers be driven towards Hell, until when they reach it, its gates shall
be opened, and its keepers shall say to them, "Came not apostles from
among yourselves to you, reciting to you the signs of the Lord, and warning you
of the meeting with Him on this your day?" They shall say,
"Yes." But just is the sentence of punishment on the unbelievers.
It shall be said to them,
"Enter you the gates of Hell, therein to dwell for ever;" and
wretched the abode of the arrogant!
But those who feared their Lord
shall be driven on by troops to Paradise, until when they reach it, its gates
shall be opened, and its keepers shall say to them, "All hail! virtuous
have you been: enter therein, to abide herein
for ever."
And they shall say, "Praise
be to God, who hath made good to us His promise, and hath given to us the earth
as our heritage, that we may dwell in Paradise wherever we please!" And
goodly is the reward of those who travailed virtuously.
And thou shalt see the Angels
circling around the Throne with praises of their Lord:
and judgment shall be pronounced between them with equity: and it shall be said, "Glory be to God the
Lord of the Worlds."
Sura XL (40)
The Believer
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
40:1 Ha.
Mim. The Revelation (sending down) of the Book is from God the Almighty, the
All-knowing,
Forgiver of sin, and receiver of
penitence, -- vehement in chastisement,
Long-suffering! There is no God
but He: to Him shall be the final gathering.
None but infidels gainsay the
signs of God: but let not their prosperity in
the land deceive thee.
The people of Noah, and the
confederates after them, have brought the charge of imposture before these
Meccans: each nation schemed against their
apostle to lay violent hold on him, and disputed with vain words to refute the
truth. Therefore did I lay violent hold on them; and how greater was my
chastisement!
Thus is it that thy Lord's
sentence, that inmates shall they be of the fire, was accomplished upon the
infidels.
They who bear the throne and
they who encircle it, celebrate the praise of their Lord and believe in Him,
and implore forgiveness for the believers: -- "O
our Lord! thou embracest all things in mercy and knowledge; forgive, therefore,
those who turn to thee and follow thy path; keep them from the pains of hell:
O our Lord! and bring them into
the Gardens of
And keep them from evil: for on him hast thou mercy whom on that day thou
shalt keep from evil;" and this will be the great felicity.
40:10 But
to the infidels shall a voice cry, "Surely the hatred of God is more
grievous than your hatred of yourselves, when you were called to the faith, and
remained unbelievers."
They shall say, "Twice, O
our Lord, hast thou given us death, and twice hast thou given us life: and we acknowledge our sins: is there no way to escape?"
"This hath befallen you,
for that when One God was proclaimed to you, you believed not: but when partners had been united with him, you
believed: But judgment belongeth unto God, the
High, the Great."
It is He who sheweth you his
signs, and sendeth down supplies to you from Heaven:
but none will receive warning save he who turneth to God.
Call then on God, offering him a
pure worship, though the infidels abhor it.
Of exalted grade, of the throne
possessed, He sendeth forth the Spirit at His own behest on whomsoever of His
servants He pleaseth, that He may warn of the day of meeting,
The day when they shall come
forth from their graves, when nought that concerneth them shall be hidden from
God. With whom shall be the power supreme on that day? With God, the One, the
Almighty.
On that day shall every soul be
recompensed as it hath deserved: no injustice
on that day! Verily, God will be swift to reckon.
Warn them, then, of the approaching
day, when men's hearts shall rise up, choking them, into their throats.
The evil-doers shall have no
friend or intercessor who shall prevail.
40:20 God
knoweth the deceitful of eye, and what men's breasts conceal.
And everything will God decide with
truth: But nothing shall those gods whom men
call on beside him, decide. Verily, God! the Hearer, the Beholder, He!
Have they never journeyed in
this land, and seen what hath been the end of those who flourished before them?
Mightier were they in strength than these Meccans, and their races remain in
the land: Yet God took them in their sins, and
there was none to defend them against God.
This, because they apostles had
come to them with proofs of their mission, and they believed not: so God took them in hand; for He is mighty,
vehement in punishing.
Moreover we had sent Moses of
old with our signs and with clear authority.
To Pharaoh, and Haman, and Karun: and they said, "Sorcerer, impostor."
And when he came to them from our
presence with the truth, they said, "Slay the sons of those who believe as
he doth, and save their females alive;" but the stratagem of the
unbelievers issued only in failure.
And Pharaoh said, "Let me
alone, that I may kill Moses; and let him call upon his Lord: I fear lest he change your religion, or cause
disorder to dhew itself in the land."
And Moses said, "I take
refuge with my Lord and your Lord from every proud one who believeth not in the
day of reckoning."
And a man of the family of
Pharaoh, who was a believer, but hid his faith, said, "Will you slay a man
because he saith my Lord is god, when he hath already come to you with proofs
of his mission from your Lord? and if he be a liar, on him will be his life: but if he be a man of truth, part at least of what
he threateneth will fall upon you. Truly God guideth not him who is a
transgressor, a liar.
40:30 O my
people! this day is the kingdom yours, the eminent of the earth! but who shall
defend us from the vengeance of God if it come on us?" Pharaoh said,
"i would have you see only what I see; and in a right way only will I
guide you."
Then said he who believed,
"O my people! truly I fear for you the like of the day of the allies,
The like of the state of the
people of Noah and Ad and Themoud,
And of those who came after
them; yet God willeth not injustice to his servants.
And, O my people! I indeed fear
for you the day of mutual outcry --
The day when you shall be turned
back from the Judgment into hell. No protector shall you have then against God.
And he whom God shall mislead no guide shall there be for him.
Moreover, Joseph had come to you
before with clear tokens, but you ceased not to doubt of the message with which
he came to you, until when he died, you said, 'God will by no means raise up an
apostle after him.'" Thus God misleadeth him who is the transgressor, the
doubter.
They who gainsay the signs of
the God without authority having come to them, are greatly hated by the God and
by those who believe. Thus God sealeth up every proud, contumacious heart.
And Pharaoh said, "O Haman,
Build for me a tower that I may reach the avenues,
The avenues of the heavens, and
may mount to the God of Moses, for I verily deem him a liar."
40:40 And
thus the evil of his doings was made fair-seeming to Pharaoh, and he turned
away from the path of truth; but the artifice of Pharaoh ended only in his
ruin.
And he who believed said,
"O my people! follow me: into the right
way will I guide you.
O my people! this present life
is only a passing joy, but the life to come is the mansion that abideth.
Whoso shall have wrought evil
shall not be recompensed but with its life; but whoso shall have done the
things that are right, whether male or female, and is a believer -- these shall
enter paradise: good things unreckoned shall
they enjoy therein.
And, O my people! how is it that
I bid you to salvation, but that you bid me to the fire?
You invite me to deny God, and
to join with him gods of whom I know nothing; but I invite you to the Mighty,
the Forgiving.
No doubt is there that they to
whom you invite me are not to be invoked either in this world or in the world
to come: and that unto God is our return, and
that the transgressors shall be in the inmates of the fire.
Then shall you remember what I
am saying unto you: and to God commit I my
case: Verily, God beholdeth his
servants."
So God preserved him from the
evils which they had planned, and the woe of the punishment encompassed the
people of Pharaoh.
It is the fire to which they shall
be exposed morning and evening, and on the day when "the Hour" shall
arrive -- "Bring in the people of Pharaoh into the severest
punishment."
40:50 And
when they shall wrangle together in the fire, the weak shall say to those who had
borne themselves so proudly, "It is your we followed: will you therefore relieve us from aught of the
fire?"
And those proud ones shall say,
"Verily we are all in it; for now hath God judged between his
servants."
And they who are in the fire
shall say to the keepers of Hell, "Implore your Lord that he would give us
ease but for one day from this torment."
They shall say, "Came not
your apostles to you with the tokens?" They shall say, "Yes."
They shall say, "Cry you then aloud for help:"
but the cry of the unbelievers shall be only in vain.
Assuredly, in this present life
will we succour our apostles and those who shall have believed, and on the day
when the witnesses shall stand forth;
A day whereon the plea of the
evil doers shall not avail them; but theirs shall be a curse, and theirs the
woe of the abode in Hell.
And of old gave we Moses the
guidance, and we made the children of Israel the heritors of the Book, -- a
guidance and warning to men endued with understanding.
Therefore be steadfast thou and
patient; for true is the promise of God: and
seek pardon for thy fault, and celebrate the praise of thy Lord at evening and
at morning.
As to those who cavil at the
signs of God without authority having reached them, nought is there but pride
in their breasts: but they shall not succeed.
Fly thou for refuge then to God, for He is the Hearer, the Beholder.
Greater surely than the creation
of man is the creation of the heavens and of the earth:
but most men know it not.
40:60
Moreover, the blind and the seeing, and the evil doer and they who believe and
do the things that are right, shall not be deemed equal. How few ponder this!
Aye, "the Hour" will
surely come: there is no doubt of it: but most men believe it not.
And your Lord saith, "Call
upon me -- I will hearken unto you: but they
who turn in disdain from my service shall enter Hell with shame."
It is God who hath ordained the
night for your rest, and the day to give you light:
verily God is rich in bounties to men: but
most men render not the tribute of thanks.
This is God your Lord, Creator
of all things: no god is there but He: why then do you turn away from Him?
Yet thus are they turned aisde
who gainsay the signs of God.
It is God who hath given you the
earth as a sure foundation, and over it built up the Heaven, and formed you,
and made your forms beautiful, and feedeth you with good things. This is God
your Lord. Blessed then be Goid the Lord of the World!
He is the Living One. No God is
there but He. Call then upon Him and offer Him a pure worship. Praise be to God
the Lord of the Worlds!
Say:
Verily I am forbidden to worship what you call on beside God, after that the
clear tokens have come to me from my Lord, and I am bidden to surrender myself
to the Lord of the Worlds.
He it is who created you of the
dust, then of the germs of life, then of thick blood, then brought you forth
infants: then he letteth you reach your full
strength, and then become old men (but some of you die first), and reach the
ordained term. And this that haply you may understand.
40:70 It is
He who giveth life and death; and when He decreeth a thing, He only saith of
it, "Be," and it is.
Seest thou not those who cavil
at the signs of God? how are they turned aside!
They who treat "the
Book," and the message with which we have sent our Sent Ones, as a lie,
shall know the truth hereafter.
When the collars shall be on
their necks and the chains to drag them into Hell:
then in the fire shall they be burned.
Then shall it be said to them,
"Where are they whom you made the objects of joint worship with God?"
They shall say, "They have vanished away from us. Yea, it was nought on
which we called heretofore." Thus God leadeth the unbelievers astray.
- "This for you, because of
your unrighteous insolence and immoderate joys on earth.
Enter you the portal of Hell to
abide therein for ever. And, wretched the abode of the haughty ones!"
`Therefore be thou steadfast in
patience: for the promise of God is truth: and whether we shall make thee see part of the
woes with which we threatened them, or whether we cause thee first to die, unto
us shall they be brought back.
And we have already sent
apostles before thee: of some we have told
thee, and of others we have told you nothing: but
no apostle had the power to work a miracle unless by the leave of God. But when
God's behest cometh, everything will be decided with truth: and then they perish who treated it as a vain
thing.
It is God who hath given you the
cattle that on some of them you may ride, and of some may eat:
40:80
(Other advantages too do you derive from them) and that by them you may effect
the projects you cherish in your breasts; for on them, and on ships are you
borne:
And He sheweth you His signs: which, then, of the signs of God will you deny?
Have they not journeyed in this
land, and seen what hath been the end of those who flourished before them? More
were they than these in number and mightier in strength, and greater are the
traces of their power remaining in the land:
yet their labours availed them nothing.
And when their apostles had come
to them with the tokens of their mission, they exulted in what they possessed
of knowledge; but that retribution at which they scoffed, encompassed them.
And when they beheld our
vengeance they said, "We believe in God alone, and we disbelieve in the
deities we once associated with Him."
But their faith, after they had
witnessed our vengeance, profited them not. Such is the procedure of God with
regard to his servants who flourished of old. And then the unbelievers
perished.
Sura XLI (41)
The Made Plain
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Ha. Mim. A Revelation from the
Compassionate, the Merciful!
A Book whose verses (signs) are
made plain -- an Arabic Koran, for men of knowledge;
Announcer of glad tidings and
charged with warnings! But most of them withdraw and hearken not:
And they say, "Our hearts
are under shelter from thy teachings, and in our ears is a deafness, and
between us and thee there is a veil. Act as thou thinkest right: we verily shall act as we think right."
Say:
I am only aman like you. It is revealed to me that your God is one God: go straight then to Him, and implore his pardon.
And woe to those who join gods with God;
Who pay not the alms of
obligation, and in the life to come believe not!
But they who believe and do the
things that are right shall receive a perfect recompense.
Say:
Do you indeed disbelieve in Him who in two days created the earth? and do you
assign Him peers? The Lord of the worlds is He!
And he hath placed on the earth
the firm mountains which tower above it; and He hath blessed it, and
distributed food throughout it, for the cravings of all are alike, in four days:
41:10 Then
He applied himself to the Heaven, which then was but smoke: and to it and to the Earth He said, "Come
you, whether in obedience or against your will?" and they both said,
"We come obedient."
And He made them seven heavens
in two days, and in each heaven made known its office:
And we furnished the lower heaven with lights and guardian angels. This, the
disposition of the Almighty, the All-knowing.
If they turn away, then say: I warn you of a tempest, like the tempest of Ad and
Themoud!
When the apostles came to them,
on every side, saying, "Worship none but God," they said, "Had
our Lord been pleased to send down, He had surely sent down angels; and in
sooth, your message we do not believe."
As to Ad, they bore them proudly
and unjustly in the land, and said, "Who more mighty than we in
prowess?" Saw they not that God their creator was mightier than they in
prowess? And they rejected our signs.
Therefore on ill-omened days did
we send against them an impetuous blast that we mighty make them taste the
chastisement of shame in this world: -- but
more shameful shall be the chastisement of the life to come; and they shall not
be protected.
And as to Themoud, we had
vouchsafed them guidance; but to guidance did they prefer blindness; wherefore
the tempest of a shameful punishment overtook them for their doings:
But we rescued the believing and
the God-fearing:
And warn of the day when the
enemies of God shall be gathered unto the fire urged on in bands:
Until when they reach it, their
ears and their eyes and their skins shall bear witness against them of their
deeds:
41:20 And
they shall say to their skins, "Why witness you against us?" They
shall say, "God, who giveth a voice to all things, hath given us a voice: He created you at first, and to Him are you
brought back.
And you did not hide yourselves
so that neither your ears nor your eyes nor your skins should witness against
you: but you thought that God knew not many a
thing that you did!
And this your thought which you
did think of your Lord hath ruined you, so that you are become of those who
perish."
And be they patient, still the
fire shall be their abode: or if they beg for
favour, yet shall they not be of the favoured.
And we will appoint Satans as
their fast companions; for it was they who made their present and future state
seem fair and right to them; and the sentence passed on the peoples of Djinn
and men who flourished before them hath become their due, and they shall
perish.
Yet the unbelievers say,
"Hearken not to this Koran, but keep up a talking, that you may overpower
the voice of the reader."
Surely therefore will we cause
the unbelievers to taste a terrible punishment;
And recompense them according to
the worst of their actions.
This the reward of the enemies
of God, -- the Fire! it shall be their eternal abode, in requital for their
gainsaying our signs.
And they who believed not shall
say, "O our Lord! shew us those of the Djinn and men who led us astray: both of them will we put under our feet, that they
may be of the humbled."
41:30 But
as for those who say, "Our Lord is God;" and who go straight to Him,
the angels shall descend to them and say, "Fear you not, neither be you
grieved, but rejoice you in the paradise which you have been promised.
We are your guardians in this
life and in the next: your's therein shall be
your soul's desire, and your's therein whatever you shall ask for,
The hospitality of a Gracious, a
Merciful One."
And who speaketh fairer than he
who biddeth to God and doth the thing that is right, and saith, "I for my
part am of the Muslims"?
Moreover, good and evil are not
to treated as the same thing. Turn away evil by what is better, and lo! he
between whom and thyself was enmity, shall be as though he were a warm friend.
But none attain to this save men
steadfast in patience, and none attain to it except the most highly favoured.
And if an enticement from Satan
entice thee, then take refuge in God, for He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
And among his signs are the
night, and the day, and the sun, and the moon. Bend not in adoration to the sun
or the moon, but bend in adoration before God who created them both, if you
would serve Him.
But if they are too proud for
this, yet they who are with thy Lord do celebrate His praises night and day,
and cease not.
And among His signs is this,
that thou seest the earth drooping: but, when
we send down the rain upon it, it is stirred and swelleth; verily He who giveth
it life, will surely give life to the dead; for His might extendeth over all
things.
41:40 They
truly who with obloquy disown our signs are not hidden from us. Is he then who
shall be cast into the fire, or he who shall come forth secure on the day of
resurrection, in the better position? Do what you will:
but His eye is on all your doings.
Verily, they who believe not in
"the warning," after it hath come to them... and yet the Koran is a
glorious book!
Falsehood, from whatever side it
cometh, shall not come nigh it; it is a missive down from the Wise, the
Praiseworthy.
Nothing hath been said to thee
what hath not been said of old to apostles before thee. Verily with thy Lord is
forgiveness, and with Him is terrible retribution.
Had we made it a Koran in a
Persian tongue, they had surely said, "Unless its signs be made clear...!
What! A book in a Persian and Arabic?" Say:
It is to those who believe a guide and a medicine; but as to those who believe
not, there is a thickness in their ears, and to them it is a blindness: they are like those who are called to from afar.
Of old we gave the Book to
Moses, and disputes rose about it: and if a
decree of respite from thy Lord had gone before, there would surely have been a
decision between them: for great were their
doubts and questionings about it.
He who doth right -- it is for
himself: and he who doth evil -- it is for
himself: and thy Lord will not deal unfairly
with his servants.
Part 25
With Him alone is the knowledge
of "the Hour." No fruit cometh forth from its coverings, neither doth
any female conceive, nor is she delivered, but with His knowledge. And on that
day He shall call men to Him, saying, "{Where are the companions you gave
me?" They shall say, "We own to thee, there is no one of us can
witness for them."
And what erst called on shall
pass away from them, and they shall perceive that there will be no escape for
them.
Man ceaseth not to pray for good: but if evil betide him he despondeth, despairing.
41:50 And
if we cause him to taste our mercy after affliction hath touched him, he is
sure to say, "This is my due: and I take
no thought of the Hour of Resurrection: and if
I be brought back to my Lord, I shall indeed attain with Him my highest
good." But we will then certainly declare their doings to the Infidels,
and cause them to taste a stern punishment.
When we are gracious to man, he
withdraweth and turneth him aside: but when
evil toucheth him, he is a man of long prayers.
Say:
What think you? If this Book be from God and you believe it not, who will have
gone further astray than he who is at a distance from it?
We will shew them our signs in
different countries and among themselves, until it become plain to them that it
is the truth. Is it not enough for thee that thy Lord is witness of all things?
Are they not in doubt as to the
meeting with their Lord? But doth he not encompass all things?
Sura XLII (42)
Counsel
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Ha. Mim. Ain. Sin. Kaf. Thus
unto thee as unto those who preceded thee doth God, the Mighty, the Wise,
reveal!
All that is in the Heavens and
all that is in the Earth is His: and He is the
High, the Great!
Ready are the Heavens to cleave
asunder from above for very awe: and the
angels celebrate the praise of their Lord, and ask forgiveness for the dwellers
on earth: Is not God the Indulgent, the
Merciful?
But whoso take aught beside Him
as lords -- God watcheth them! but thou hast them not in thy charge.
It is thus moreover that we have
revealed to thee an Arabic Koran, that thou mayest warn the mother city and all
around it, and that thou mayest warn them of that day of the Gathering, of
which there is no doubt -- when part shall be in Paradise and part in the
flame.
Had God so pleased, He had made
them one people and of one creed: but He
bringeth whom He will within His mercy; and as for the doers of evil, no
patron, no helper shall there be for them.
Will they take other patrons
than Him? But God is man's only Lord: He
quickeneth the dead; and He is mighty over all things.
And whatever the subject of your
disputes, with God doth its decision rest. This is God, my Lord: in Him do I put my trust, and to Him do I turn in
penitence;
Creator of the Heavens and of
the Earth! he hath given you wives from among your own selves, and cattle male
and female -- by this means to multiply you:
Nought is there like Him! the Hearer, the Beholder He!
42:10 His,
the keys of the Heavens and of the Earth! He giveth with open hand, or
sparingly, to whom He will: He knoweth all
things.
To you hath He prescribed the
faith which He commanded unto Noah, and which we have revealed to thee, and
which we commanded unto Abraham and Moses and Jesus, saying, "Observe this
faith, and be not divided into sects therein." Intolerable to those who
worship idols jointly with God
Is that faith to which thou dost
call them. Whom He pleaseth will God choose for it, and whosoever shall turn to
Him in penitence will He guide to it.
Nor were they divided into sects
through mutual jealousy, till after that "the knowledge" had come to
them: and had not a decree from thy Lord gone
forth respiting them to a fixed time, verily, there had at once been a decision
between them. And they who have inherited "the Book" after them, are
in perplexity of doubt concerning it.
For this cause summon thou them
to the faith, and go straight on as thou hast been bidden, and follow not their
desires: and Say:
In whatsoever Books God hath sent down do I believe:
I am commanded to decide justly between you:
God is your Lord and our Lord: we have our
works and you have your works: between us and
you let there be no strife: God will make us
all one: and to Him shall we return.
And as to those who dispute
about God, after pledges of obedience given to Him, their disputing shall be
condemned by their Lord, and wrath shall be on them, and theirs shall be a sore
torment.
It is God who hath sent down the
Book with truth, and the Balance: but who
shall inform thee whether haply "the Hour" be nigh?
They who believe not in it,
challenge its speedy coming: but they who
believe are afraid because of it, and know it to be a truth. Are not they who
dispute of the Hour, in a vast error?
Benign is God towards hie
servants: for whom He will doth He provide: and He is the Strong, the Mighty.
Whoso will choose the harvest
field of the life to come, to him will we give increase in this his harvest
field: and whoso chooseth the harvest field of
this life, thereof will we give him: but no
portion shall there be for him in the life to come.
42:20 Is it
that they have gods who have sanctioned for them aught in the matter of
religion which God hath not allowed. But had it not been for a decree of
respite till the day of severance, judgment had ere now taken place among them;
and assuredly the impious shall undergo a painful torment.
On that day thou shalt see the
impious alarmed at their own works, and the consequence thereof shall fall upon
them: but they who believe and do the things that
are right, shall dwell in the meadows of paradise:
whatever they shall desire awaiteth them with their Lord. This, the greatest
boon.
This is what God announceth to
his servants who believe and do the things that are right. Say: For this ask I no wage of you, save the love of my
kin. and whoever shall have won the merit of a good deed, we will increase good
to him therewith; for God is forgiving, grateful.
Will they say he hath forged a
lie of God? If God pleased, He could then seal up thy very heart. But God will
bring untruth to nought, and will make good the truth by his word: for He knoweth the very secrets of the breast.
He it is who accepteth
repentance from his servants, and forgiveth their sins and knoweth your actions:
And to those who believe and do
the things that are right will he hearken, and augment his bounties to them: but the unbelievers doth a terrible punishment
await.
Should God bestow abundance upon
his servants, they might act wantonly on the earth:
but He sendeth down what He will by measure; for he knoweth, beholdeth his
servants.
He it is who after that men have
despaired of it, sendeth down the rain, and spreadeth abroad his mercy: He is the Protector, the Praiseworthy.
Among his signs is the creation
of the Heavens and of the Earth, and the creatures which he hath scattered over
both: and, for their gathering together when
he will, He is all-powerful!
Nor happeneth to you any mishap,
but it is for your own handy-work: and yet he
forgiveth many things.
42:30 You
cannot weaken him on the earth: neither,
beside God, patron or helper shall you have.
Among his signs also are the
sea-traversing ships like mountains: if such
be his will, He lulleth the wind, and they lie motionless on the back of the
waves: -- truly herein are signs to all the
constant, the grateful; --
Or if, for their ill deserts, He
cause them to founder, still He forgiveth much:
But they who gainsay our signs
shall know that there will be no escape for them.
All that you receive is but for enjoyment
in this life present: but better and more
enduring is a portion with God, for those who believe and put their trust in
their Lord;
And who avoid the heinous things
of crime, and filthiness, and when they are angered, forgive;
And who hearken to their Lord,
and observe prayer, and whose affairs are guided by mutual counsel, and who
give alms of that with which we have enriched them;
And who, when a wrong is done
them, redress themselves:
- Yet let the recompense of evil
be only a like evil -- but he who forgiveth and is reconciled, shall be
rewarded by God himself; for He loveth not those who act unjustly.
And there shall be no way open
against those who, after being wronged, avenge themselves;
42:40 But
there shall be a way open against those who unjustly wrong others, and act
insolently on the earth in disregard of justice. These! a grievous punishment
doth await them.
And whoso beareth wrongs with
patience and forgiveth; -- this verily is a bounden duty;
But he whom God shall cause to
err, shall thenceforth have no protector. And thou shalt behold the
perpetrators of injustice,
Exclaiming, when they see the
torment, "Is there no way to return?"
And thou shalt see them when set
before it, downcast for the shame: they shall
look at it with stealthy glances: and the
believers shall say, "Truly are the losers they who have lost themselves
and their families on the day of Resurrection! Shall not the prepetrators of
injustice be in lasting torment?"
And no other protectors shall
there be to succour them than God; and no pathway for him whom God shall cause
to err.
Hearken then to your Lord ere
the day come, which none can put back when God doth ordain its coming. No place
of refuge for you on that day! no denying your own works!
But if they turn aside from
thee, yet we have not sent thee to be their guardian. 'Tis thine but to preach.
When we cause man to taste our gifts of mercy, he rejoiceth in it; but if for
their by-gone handy-work evil betide them, then lo! is man ungrateful.
God's, the kingdom of the
Heavens and of the Earth! He createth what He will! and he giveth daughters to
whom He will, and sons to whom He will:
Or He giveth them children of
both sexes, and He maketh whom He will to be childless; for He is Wise,
Powerful!
42:50 It is
not for man that God should speak with him but by vision, or from behind a veil:
Or, He sendeth a messenger to
reveal, by his permission, what He will: for
He is Exalted, Wise!
Thus have we sent the Spirit
(Gabriel) to thee with a revelation, by our command. Thou knowest not, ere
this, what "the Book" was, or what the faith. But we have ordained it
for a light: by it will we guide whom we
please of our servants. And thou shalt surely guide into the right way,
The way of God, whose is all
that the Heaven and the Earth contain. Shall not all things return to God?
Sura XLIII (43)
Ornaments Of Gold
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Ha. Mim. By the Luminous Book!
We have made it an Arabic Koran
that you may understand:
And it is a transcript of the
archetypal Book, kept by us; it is lofty, filled with wisdom,
Shall we then turn aside this
warning form you because you are a people who transgress?
Yet how many prophets sent we
among those of old!
But no prophet came to them whom
they made not the object of their scorn:
Wherefore we destroyed nations
mightier than these Meccans in strength; and the example of those of old hath
gone before!
And if thou ask them who created
the Heavens and the Earth, they will say:
"The Mighty, the Sage, created them both,"
Who hath made the Earth as a
couch for you, and hath traced out routes therein for your guidance;
43:10 And
who sendeth down out of Heaven the rain in due degree, by which we quicken a
dead land; thus shall you be brought forth from the grave:
And who hath created the sexual
couples, all of them, and hath made for you the ships and beasts whereon you
ride:
That you may sit balanced on
their backs and remember the goodness of your Lord as you sit so evenly
therein, and say: "Glory to Him who hath
subjected these to us! We could not have attained to it of ourselves:
And truly unto our Lord shall we
return."
You do they assign to him some
of his own servants for offspring! Verily man is an open ingrate!
Hath God adopted daughters from
among those whom he hath created, and chosen sons for you?
But when that is announced to
any one of them, which he affirmeth to be the case with the God of Mercy, his
face settleth into darkness and he is silent-sad.
What! make they a being to be
the offspring of God who is brought up among trinkets, and is every contentious
without reason?
And they make the angels who are
the servants of God of Mercy, females. What! did they witness their creation?
Their witness shall be taken down, and they shall hereafter be enquired at.
And they say: "Had the God of Mercy so willed it we should
never have worshipped them." No knowledge have they in this: they only lie.
43:20 Have
we ere this given them a Book? and do they possess it still?
But say they: "Verily we found our fathers of that
persuasion, and verily, by their footsteps do we guide ourselves."
And thus never before thy time
did we send a warner to any city but its wealthy ones said: "Verily we found our fathers with a religion,
and in their tracks we tread."
Say, -- such was our command to
that apostle -- "What! even if I bring you a religion more right than that
you found your fathers following?" And they said, "Verily we believe
not in your message."
Wherefore we took vengeance on
them, and behold what hath been the end of those who treated our messengers as
liars!
And bear in mind when Abraham
said to his father and to his people, "Verily I am clear of what you
worship,
Save Him who hath created me;
for he will vouchsafe me guidance."
And this he established as a
doctrine that should abide among his posterity, that to God might they be
turned.
In sooth to these idolatrous Arabians
and to their fathers did I allow their full enjoyments, till the truth should
come to them, and an undoubted apostle:
But now that the truth hath come
to them, they say, "'Tis sorcery, and we believe it not."
43:30 And
they say, 'Had but this Koran been sent down to some great one of the two
cities. . .!"
Are they then the distributors
of thy Lord's Mercy? It is we who distribute their subsistence among them in
this world's life; and we raise some of them by grades above others, that the
one may take the other to serve him: but
better is the mercy of thy Lord than all their hoards.
But for fear that all mankind
would have become a single people of unbelievers, verily we would certainly
have given to those who believe not in the God of Mercy roofs of silver to
their houses, and silver stairs to ascend by;
And doors of silver to their
houses, and couches of silver to recline on;
And ornaments of gold: for all these are merely the good things of the
present life; but the next life doth thy Lord reserve for those who fear Him.
And whoso shall withdraw from
the Warning of the God of Mercy, we will chain a Satan to him, and he shall be
his fast companion:
For the Satans will turn men
aside from the Way, who yet shall deem themselves rightly guided;
Until when man shall come before
us, he shall say, "O Satan, would that between me and thee were the
distance of the East and West." And a wretched companion is a Satan.
But it shall not avail you on
that day, because you were unjust: partners
shall you be in the torment.
What! Canst thou then make the
deaf to hear, or guide the blind and him who is in palpable error?
43:40
Whether therefore we take thee off by death, surely will we avenge ourselves on
them;
Or whether we make thee a
witness of the accomplishment of that with which we threatened them, we will
surely gain the mastery over them.
Hold thou fast therefore what
hath been revealed to thee, for thou art on a right path:
For truly to thee and to thy
people it is an admonition; and you shall have an account to render for it at
last.
And ask our Sent Ones whom we
have sent before thee, "Appointed we gods beside the God of Mercy whom
they should worship?"
Of old sent we Moses with our
signs to Pharaoh and his nobles: and he aid,
"I truly am the Apostle of the Lord of the world."
And when he presented himself
before them with our signs, lo! they laughed at them,
Though we shewed them no sign
that was not greater than its fellow: and
therefore did we lay hold on them with chastisement, to the intent that they
might be turned to God.
Then they said, "O
Magician! call on thy Lord on our behalf to do as he hath engaged with thee,
for truly we would fain be guided."
But when we relieved them from
the chastisement, lo! they broke their pledge.
43:50 And
Pharaoh made proclamation among his people. Said he, "O my people! is not
the kingdom of Egypt mine, and these rivers which flow at my feet? Do you not
behold?
Am I not mightier than this
despicable fellow,
And who scarce can speak
distinctly?
Have bracelets of gold then been
put upon him, or come there with him a train of Angels?"
And he inspired his people with
levity, and they obeyed him; for they were a perverse people:
And when they had angered us, we
took vengeance on them, and we drowned them all.
And we made them a precedent and
instance of divine judgments to those who came after them.
And when the Son of Mary was set
forth as an instance of divine power, lo! thy people cried out for joy thereat:
And they said, "Are our
gods or is he the better?" They put this forth to thee only in the spirit
of dispute. Yea, they are a contentious people.
Jesus is no more than a servant
whom we favoured, and proposed as an instance of divine power to the children
of Israel.
43:60 (And
if we pleased, we could from yourselves bring forth Angels to succeed you on
earth:)
And he shall be a sign of the
last hour; doubt not then of it, and follow you me:
this is the right way;
And let not Satan turn you aside
from it, for he is your manifest foe.
And when Jesus came with
manifest proofs, he said, "Now am I come to you with wisdom; and a part of
those things about which you are at variance I will clear up to you; fear you
God therefore and obey me.
Verily, God is my Lord and your
Lord; wherefore worship you him: this is a
right way."
But the different parties feel
into disputes among themselves; but woe to those who thus transgressed, because
of the punishment of an afflictive day!
For what wait they but for the
hour "to come suddenly on them, while they expect it not?"
Friends on that day shall become
foes to one another, except the God-fearing:-
"O my servants! on this day
shall not fear come upon you, neither shall you be put to grief,
Who have believed in our signs
and become Muslims:
43:70 Enter
you and your wives into Paradise, delighted."
Dishes and bowls of gold shall
go round unto them: there shall they enjoy
whatever their souls desire, and whatever their eyes delight in; and therein
shall you abide for ever.
This is Paradise, which you have
received as your heritage in recompense for your works;
Therein shall you have fruits in
abundance, of which you shall eat.
But in the torment of Hell shall
the wicked remain for ever:
It shall not be mitigated to
them,. and they shall be mute for despair therein,
For it is not we who have
treated them unjustly, but it was they who were unjust to themselves.
And they shall cry, "O
Malec! would that thy Lord would make an end of us!" He saith: "Here must you remain."
We have come to you with the
truth (O Meccans), but most of you abhor the truth.
Have they drawn tight their
toils for thee? We too will tighten ours.
43:80 Think
they that we hear not their secrets and their private talk? yes, and our angels
who are at their sides write them down.
Say:
If the God of Mercy had a son, the first would I be to worship him:
But far be the Lord of the
Heavens and of the Earth, the Lord of the Throne, from that which they impute
to Him!
Wherefore let them alone, to plunge
on, and sport, until they meet the day with which they are menaced.
He who is God in the Heavens is
God in earth also: and He is the Wise, the
Knowing.
And Blessed be He whose is the
kingdom of the Heavens and of the Earth and of all that is between them; for
with Him is the knowledge of the Hour, and to Him shall you be brought back.
The gods whom they call upon
beside Him shall not be able to intercede for others:
they only shall be able who bore witness to the truth and knew it."
If thou ask them who hath
created them, they will be sure to say, "God." How then hold they
false opinions?
And one saith, "O Lord!
verily these are people who believe not."
Turn thou then from them, and
say, "Peace:" In the end they shall
know their folly.
Sura XLIV (44)
Smoke
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Ha. Mim. By this clear Book!
See! on a blessed night have we
sent it down, for we would warn mankind:
On the night wherein all things
are disposed in wisdom,
By virtue of our behest. Lo! we
have ever sent forth Apostles,
A mercy from thy Lord: he truly heareth and knoweth all things --
Lord of the Heavens and of the
Earth and of all that is between them, -- if you be firm in faith --
There is no God but He! -- He
maketh alive and killeth! -- Your Lord and the Lord of your sires of old!~
Yet with doubts do they disport
them.
But mark them on the day when
the Heaven shall give out a palpable smoke,
44:10 Which
shall enshroud mankind: this will be an
afflictive torment.
They will cry, "Our Lord!
relieve us from this torment: see! we are
believers."
But how did warning avail them,
when an undoubted apostle had come to them;
And they turned their back son
him, and said, "Taught by others, possessed?"
Were we to relieve you from the
plague even a little, you would certainly relapse.
On the day when we shall
fiercely put forth our great fierceness, we will surely take vengeance on them!
Of old, before their time, had
we proved the people of Pharaoh, when a noble apostle presented himself to
them.
"Send away with me,"
cried he, "the servants of God; for I am an apostle worthy of all credit:
And exalt not yourselves against
God, for I come to you with undoubted power;
And I take refuge with Him who
is my Lord and your Lord, that you stone me not:
44:20 And
if you believe me not, at least separate yourselves from me,"
And he cried to his Lord,
"That these are a wicked people."
"March forth then, said
God, with my servants by night, for you will be
pursued.
And leave behind you the cleft
sea: they are a drowned host."
How many a garden and fountain
did they quit!
And corn fields and noble
dwellings!
And pleasures in which they
rejoiced them!
So was it: and we gave them as a heritage to another people.
Nor Heaven nor Earth wept for
them, nor was their sentence respited;
And we rescued the children of
Israel from a degrading affliction --
44:30 From
Pharaoh, for he was haughty, given to excess.
And we chose them, in our
prescience, above all peoples,
And we shewed them miracles
wherein was their clear trial.
Yet these infidels say,
"There is but our first
death, neither shall be be raised again:
Bring back our sires, if you be
men of truth."
Are they better than the people
of Tobba,
And those who flourished before
them whom we destroyed for their evil deeds?
We have not created the Heavens
and the Earth and whatever is between them in sport:
We have not created them but for
a serious end: but the greater part of them
understand it not.
44:40
Verily the day of severing shall be the appointed time fo all:
A day when the master shallnot
at all be aided by the servant, neither shall they behelped;
Save those on whom God shall
have his mercy: for He is the mighty, the
merciful.
Verily the tree of Ez-Zakkoum
Shall be the sinner's food:
Like dregs of oil shall it boil
up in their bellies,
Like the boiling of scalding
water.
"-Seize you him, and drag
hinm into the mid-fire;
Then pour on his head of the
tormenting boiling water.
-'Taste this:' for thou forsooth art the mighty, the honourable!
44:50 Lo!
this is that of which you doubted.!
But the pious shall be in a
secure place,
Amid gardens and fountains,
Clothed in silk and richest
robes, facing one another:
Thus shall it be: and we will wed them to the virgins with large
dark eyes:
Therein shall they call, secure,
for every kind of fruit;
Therein, their first death
passed, shall they taste death no more; and He shall keep them from the pains
of Hell: --
'Tis the gracious bounty of thy
Lord! This is the great felicity.
We have made this Koran easy for
thee in thine own tongue, that they may take the warning.
Therefore wait thou, for they
are waiting.
Sura XLV (45)
The Kneeling
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Ha. Mim. This Book is sent down
from God, the Mighty, the Wise!
Assuredly in the Heavens and the
Earth are signs for those who believe:
And in your own creation, and in
the beasts which are scattered abroad are signs to the firm in faith:
And in the succession of night
and day, and in the supply which God sendeth down from the Heaven whereby He
giveth life to the earth when dead, and in the change of the winds, are signs
for a people of discernment.
Such are the signs of God: with truth do we recite them to thee. But in what
teaching will they believe, if they reject God and his signs?
Woe to every lying sinner,
Who heareth the signs of God
recited to him, and then, as though he heard them not, persisteth in proud
disdain! Apprise him of an afflictive punishment.
And when he becometh acquainted
with any of our signs he turneth them into ridicule. These! a shameful
punishment for them!
Hell is behind them! and neither
their gains nor the lords whom they have adopted beside God shall avail them in
the least: and theirs, a great punishment!
45:10 This
is "Guidance:" and for those who
disbelieve the signs of their Lord is the punishment of an afflictive torment.
It is God who hath subjected the
sea to you that the ships may traverse it at his bidding, and that you may go
in quest of the gifts of his bounty, and that you may be thankful.
And he hath subjected to you all
that is in the Heavens and all that is on the Earth:
all is from him. Verily, herein are signs for those who reflect.
Tell the believers to pardon
those who hope not for the days of God in which He purposeth to reward men
according to their deeds.
He who doth that which is right,
doth it to his own behoof, and whoso doth evil, doth it to his own hurt.
Hereafter, to your Lord shall you be brought back.
To the children of Israel gave
we of old the Book and the Wisdom, and the gift of Prophecy, and we supplied
them with good things, and privileged them above all peoples:
And we gave them clear sanctions
for our behests: neither did they differ,
through mutual envy, till after they had become possessed of knowledge; but thy
Lord will judge between them on the day of resurrection, as to the subject of
their disputes.
Afterwards, we set thee over our
divine law: follow it then: and follow not the wishes of those who have no
knowledge,
For against God shall they avail
thee nothing. And in sooth, the doers of evil are one another's patrons; but
the patron of them that fear Him is God himself.
This Book hath insight for
mankind, and a Guidance and Mercy to a people who are firm in faith.
45:20 Deem
they whose gettings are only evil, that we will deal with them as with those
who believe and work righteousness, so that their lives and deaths shall be
alike? Ill do they judge.
In all truth hath God created
the Heavens and the Earth, that he may reward every one as he shall have
wrought; and they shall not be wronged.
What thinkest thou? he who hath
made a God of his passions, and whom God causeth wilfully to err, and whose
ears and whose heart he hath sealed up, and over whose sight he hath placed a
veil -- who, after his rejection by God, shall guide such a one? Will you not
then be warned?
And they say, "There is
only this our present life: we die and we
live, and nought but time destroyeth us." But in this they have no
knowledge: it is merely their own conceit.
And when our clear signs are
recited to them, their only argument is to say, "Bring back our fathers,
if you speak the truth."
Say:
God giveth you life, then causeth you to die:
then will He assemble you on the day of resurrection:
there is no doubt of it: but most men have not
this knowledge.
And God's is the kingdom of the
Heavens and of the Earth; and on the day when the Hour shall arrive, on that
day shall the despisers perish.
And thou shalt see every nation
kneeling: to its own book shall every nation
be summoned: -- "This day shall you be
repaid as you have wrought.
This our Book will speak of you
with truth: therein have we written down
whatever you have done."
As to those who have believed
and wrought righteously, into his mercy shall their Lord cause them to enter.
This shall be undoubted bliss!
45:30 But
as to the Infidels -- "Were not my signs recited to you? but you proudly
scorned them, and became a sinful people."
And when it was said,
"Verily the Promise of God is truth; and as to the Hour, there is no doubt
of it;" you said, "We know not what the hour is -- we conceive it a
mere conceit, -- we have no assurance of it,"
And the evils they have wrought
shall rise up into their view, and that at which they mocked shall hem them in
on every side.
And it shall be said to them,
"This day will we forget you as you forgat your meeting with us this day,
and your abode shall be the fire, and none shall there be to succour you: --
This, because you received the
signs of God with mockery, and this present life deceived you." On that
that therefore they shall not come out from it; and they shall not be asked to
win the favour of God.
Praise then be to God, Lord of
the Heavens and Lord of the Earth; the Lord of the world!
And He be
the greatness in the Heavens and on the Earth; for He is the Mighty, the Wise!
Part 26
Sura XLVI (46)
Al Ahkaf
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Ha. Mim. The Revelation (sending
down) of this Book is from the Mighty, the Wise!
We have not created the Heavens
and the Earth and all that is between them otherwise than in truth and for a
settled term. But they who believe not, turn away from their warning.
Say:
What think you? As for those whom you invoke beside God, shew me what part of
the earth it is which they have created? Had they a share in the Heavens? Bring
me a Book sent down by them before this Koran, or traces of their knowledge; --
if you are men of truth.
And who erreth more than he who,
beside God, calleth upon that which shall not answer him until the day of
Resurrection? Yes, they regard not their invocations;
And when mankind shall be
assembled together, they will become their enemies, and ungratefully disown
their worship.
And when our clear signs are
recited to them, they who believe not say of the truth when it cometh to them,
"This is plain sorcery."
Will they say, "he hath
devised It?" Say: If I have devised the
Koran, then not one single thing shall you ever obtain for me from God! He best
knoweth what you utter in its regard! Witness enough is He between me and you!
And He is the Gracious, the Merciful.
Say:
I am no apostle of new doctrines: neither know
I what will be done with me or you. Only what is revealed to me do I follow,
and I am only charged to warn openly.
Say:
What think you? If this Book be from God, and you believe it not, and a witness
of the children of
46:10 But
the infidels say of the believers, "If it were a good Book they would not
have been before us in believing it:" And
not having submitted to guidance, they proceed to say, "It is an old lying
legend!"
But before the Koran was the
Book of Moses, a rule and a mercy; and this Book confirmeth it (the Pentateuch)
in the Arabic tongue -- that those who are guilty of that wrong may be warned,
and as glad tidings to the doers of good.
Assuredly they who say,
"Our Lord is God," and take the straight way to Him -- no fear shall
come on them, neither shall they be put to grief:
These shall be the inmates of
Paradise to remain therein for ever, -- the recompense of their deeds!
Moreover, we have enjoined on
man to shew kindness to his parents. With pain his mother beareth him; with
pain she bringeth him forth: and his bearing
and his weaning is thirty months; until when he attaineth his strength, and
attaineth to forty years, he saith, "O my Lord! stir me up to be grateful
for thy favours wherewith thou hast favoured me and my parents, and to do good
works which shall please thee: and prosper me
in my offspring: for to thee am I turned, and
am resigned to thy will" (am a Muslim).
These are they from whom we will
accept their best works, and whose evil works we will pass by; among the
inmates shall they be of Paradise: -- a true
promise which they are promised.
But he who saith to his parents,
"Fie on you both! Promise you me that I shall be taken forth from the
grave alive, when whole generations have already passed away before me?"
But they both will implore the help of God, and say, "Alas for thee! Believe: for the promise of God is true." But he
saith, "It is no more than a fable of the ancients."
These are they in whom the
sentence passed on the nations, djinn and men, who flourished before them, is
made good. They shall surely perish.
And there are grades for all,
according to their works, that God may repay them for their works; and they
shall not be dealt with unfairly.
And they who believe not shall
one day be set before the fire. "You made away your precious gifts during
your life on earth; and you took your fill of pleasure in them: This day, therefore, with punishment of shame
shall you be rewarded, for that you behaved you proudly and unjustly on the
earth, and for that you were given to excesses."
46:20
Remember, too, the brother of Ad when he warned his people in Al Ahkaf -- and
before and since his time there have been warners -- "Worship none but God: verily I fear for you the punishment of the great
day."
They said, "Art thou come
to us to turn us away from our Gods? Bring on us now the woes which thou
threatenest if thou speakest truth."
"That knowledge," said
he, "is with God alone: I only proclaim
to you the message with which I am sent. But I perceive that you are a people
sunk in ignorance."
So when they saw a cloud coming
straight for their valleys, they said, "It is a passing cloud that shall
give us rain." "Nay, it is that whose speedy coming you challenged --
a blast wherein is an afflictive punishment:
--
It will destroy everything at
the bidding of its Lord!" And at morn nought was to be seen but their
empty dwellings! Thus repay we a wicked people.
With power had we endued them,
even as with power have we endued you; and we had given them ears and eyes and
hearts: yet neither their eyes, nor their
ears, nor their hearts aided them at all, when once they gainsaid the signs of
God; but that punishment which they had mocked at enveloped them on all sides.
Of old, too, did we destroy the
cities which were round about you; and in order that they might return to us,
we varied our signs before them.
But did those whom they took for
gods beside God as his kindred deities, help them? Nay, they withdrew from
them. Such was their delusion, and their device!
And remember when we turned
aside a company of the djinn to thee, that they might hearken to the Koran: and no sooner were they present at its reading
than they said to each other, "Hist;" and when it was ended, they
returned to their people with warnings.
They said, "O our people!
verily we have been listening to a book sent down since the days of Moses,
affirming the previous scriptures; it guideth to the truth, and to the right
way.
46:30 O our
people! Obey the Summoner of God, and believe in him, that He may forgive your
sins, and rescue from an afflictive punishment.
And he who shall not respond to
God's preacher, yet cannot weaken God's power on earth, nor shall he have
protectors beside Him. These are in obvious error."
See they not that God who
created the Heavens and the Earth, and was not wearied with their creation, is
of power to quicken the dead? Yea, he is for all things Potent.
And a day is coming when the
infidels shall be set before the fire. "Is not this it in truth?"
They shall say, "Aye, by our Lord." He said, "Taste then the
punishment for that you would not believe."
Bear thou up, then, with
patience, as did the Apostles endued with firmness, and seek not to accelerate
their doom. For, on the day when they shall see that with which they have been
menaced,
It shall be as though they had
waited but an hour of the day. Enough! shall any perish save they who
transgress?
Sura XLVII (47)
Muhammad
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Whoso believe not, and prevent others
from the way of God -- their works will He cause to miscarry;
But whoso believe, and do things
that are right, and believe in what hath been sent down to Muhammad -- for it
is the truth from their Lord -- their sins will He cancel, and dispose their
hearts aright.
This -- because the infidels
followed vanity, while those who believe, followed the truth from their Lord.
Thus to men doth God set forth their likenesses.
When you encounter the infidels,
strike off their heads till you have made a great slaughter among them, and of
the rest make fast the fetters.
And afterwards let there either
be free dismissals or ransomings, till the war hath laid down its burdens. Thus
do. Were such the pleasures of God, he could himself take vengeance upon them: but He would rather prove the one of you by the
other. And whoso fight for the cause of God, their works he will not suffer to
miscarry;
He will vouchsafe them guidance,
and dispose their hearts aright;
And he will bring them into
Believers! if you help God, God
will help you, and will set your feet firm:
But as for the infidels, let
them perish: and their works shall God bring
to nought:
47:10 This
-- because they were averse from the command which God sent down; Fruitless,
therefore, shall their works become!
Have they not journeyed through
the land, and seen what hath been the end of those who flourished before them?
God brought destruction on them: and the like
of this doth await the infidels.
This -- because God is the
protector of those who believe, and because the infidels have no protector.
Verily God will bring those who
believe, and do the things that are right, into the Gardens, beneath whose
shades the rivers flow: but they who believe
not, take their fill, and eat as the beasts eat! And their dwelling- place the
fire!
And how many cities were
mightier in strength than thy city,. which hath thrust thee forth! We destroyed
them, and there was none to help them.
Shall he who followeth the clear
teaching of his Lord be as he, the evil of whose doings hath been made to seem
good to him, or like those who follow their own lusts?
A picture of the Paradise which
is promised to the Godfearing! Therein are rivers of water, which corrupt not: rivers of milk, whose taste changeth not: and rivers of wine, delicious to those who quaff
it;
And rivers of honey clarified: and therein are all kinds of fruit for them from
their Lord! Is this like the lot of those who must dwell for ever in the fire?
and shall have draughts of boiling water forced on them which will rend their
bowels asunder?
Some of them indeed hearken to
thee, until when they go out from thee, they say with sneers to those to whom
"the knowledge" hath been given, "What is this he said?"
These are they whose hearts God hath sealed up, and who follow their own lusts.
But as to those who have the
guidance, He will increase their guidance, and He will teach them what to fear.
47:20 For
what do the infidels wait, but that the Hour come suddenly on them? Already are
its signs come, and when it hath come on them indeed, how can they be warned
then?
Know, then, that there is no god
but God: and ask pardon for thy sin, and for believers,
both men and women. God knoweth your busy movements, and your final
resting-places.
The believers say, "Oh,
would that a Sura were sent down!" but when a peremptory Sura is revealed,
whose burden is war, thou mayest see the diseased of heart look toward thee,
with a look of one on whom the shadows of death have fallen! But better in them
would be obedience and becoming language.
And if, when the command for war
is issued, they are true to God, it will be assuredly best for them.
Were you not ready, if you had
turned back from Him, to spread disorder in the land, and violate the ties of
blood?
These are they whom God hath
cursed, and made deaf, and blinded their eyes!
Will they not then meditate on
the Koran? Are locks upon their hearts?
But as to those who return to
their errors after "the guidance" hath been made plain to them, Satan
shall beguile them, and fill them with his suggestions.
This -- because they say to
those who abhor what God hath sent down, "We will comply with you in part
of what you enjoin." But God knoweth their secret reservations.
But how? When the angels, in
causing them to die, shall smite them on the face and back!
47:30 This
-- because they follow that which angerth God, and abhor what pleaseth Him: therefore will He make their works fruitless.
Think these men of diseased
hearts, that God will not bring out their malice to light?
If such were our pleasure, we
could point them out to thee, and thou surely know them by their tokens: and know them thou shalt, by the strangeness of
their words. God knoweth your doings.
And we will surely test you,
until we know the valiant and the steadfast among you:
and we will test the reports of your conduct.
Verily they who believe not, and
turn others from the way of God, and separate from the Apostle after that
"the guidance" hath been clearly shewn them, shall in no way injure
God: but their works shall he bring to naught.
Believers! obey God and the
Apostle: and render not your works vain.
Verily those who believe not,
and who pervert others from the way of God, and then die in unbelief, God will
not forgive.
Be not fainthearted then; and
invite not the infidels to peace when you have the upper hand: for God is with you, and will not defraud you of
the recompense of your works.
Surely this present life is only
a play, and pastime! but if you believe, fear God; He will give you your
rewards: but He will not ask all your riches
of you.
Should He ask them of you, and
urge you, you would shew yourself niggards:
and He would bring your grudges to light.
37:40 Lo!
you are they, who are called to expend for the cause of God: and some of you are niggards: but whoso is niggardly shall be niggard only to
his own loss; for God is the Rich, and you are the poor:
and if you turn back, He will change you for another people, and they shall not
be your like!
Sura XLVIII (48)
The Victory
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Verily, We have won for thee an undoubted
victory --
In token that God forgiveth thy
earlier and later faults, and fulfilleth His goodness to thee, and guideth thee
on the right way,
And that God succoureth thee
with a mighty succour.
He it is who sendeth down a
spirit of secure repose into the hearts of the faithful that they might add
faith to their faith; (for God's are the armies of the Heavens and of the Earth: and God is Knowing, Wise:)
And that He may bring the
believing men and the believing women into gardens 'neath whose trees the
rivers flow, to dwell therein for ere, and that He may cancel their evil deeds: for this is the great bliss with God:
And that He may punish the
hypocritical men and the hypocritical women, and the men and women who join
other gods with God, and think evil thoughts of Him. Theirs shall be a round of
evil; and God is angry with them: and, an evil
journey thither!
The armies of the Heavens and of
the Earth are God's, and God is Mighty, Wise!
Verily, we have sent thee to be
a witness and a herald of good (an announcer), and a warner,
That you may believe on God and
on His Apostle; and may assist Him, and honour Him, and praise him, morning and
evening.
48:10 In
truth, they who plighted fealty to thee, really plighted that fealty to God: the hand of God was over their hands! Whoever,
therefore, shall break his oath shall only break it to his own hurt; but
whoever shall be true to his engagement with God, He will give him a great
reward.
The Arabs who took not the field
with you, will say to thee, "We were engaged with our property and our
families; therefore ask thou pardon for us." They speak with their tongues
what is not in their hearts. Say: And who can
have any power over God in your behalf, whether he will you some loss, or
whether he will you an advantage? Yes, God is acquainted with your doings.
But you thought that the Apostle
and the faithful could never more come back to their families; and your hearts
were pleased at this; and you thought an evil thought of this expedition, and
you became an undone people:
For, whoso believeth not in God,
and His Apostle. . . . Verily, we have got ready the flame for the Infidels!
And God's is the kingdom of the
Heavens and of the Earth: Whom He will He
forgiveth, and whom He will He punisheth: and
God is Gracious, Merciful!
They who took not the field with
you will say, when you go forth to the spoil to take it, "Let us follow
you." Fain would they change the word of God. Say:
You shall by no means follow us: thus hath God
said already. They will say,. "Nay, you are jealous of us." Nay! they
are men of little understanding.
Say to those Arabs of the
desert, who took not the field, you shall be called forth against a people of
mighty valour. You shall do battle with them, or they shall profess Islam. If you
obey, a goodly recompense will God give you; but if you turn back, as you
turned back aforetime, He will chastise you with a sore chastisement.
It shall be no crime on the part
of the blind, the lame, or the sick, if they go not to the fight. But whoso
shall obey God and His Apostle, he shall bring him into the gardens 'neath
which the rivers flow: but whoso shall turn
back, He will punish him with a sore punishment.
Well pleased now hath God been
with the believers when they plighted fealty to thee under the tree; and He
knew what was in their hearts: therefore did
He send down upon them a spirit of secure repose, and rewarded them with a
speedy victory,
And with the rich booty which
they took: for God is Mighty, Wise!
48:20 God
promised you the taking of a rich booty and sped it to you; and He withheld
men's hands from you, for a sign to the faithful, and that He might guide you
along the right way: --
And other booty, over which you
have not yet had power: but now hath God
compassed them for you; for God is over all things Potent.
If the Infidels shall fight
against you, they shall assuredly turn their backs; then, neither protector nor
helper shall they find!
Such is God's method carried
into effect of old; no change canst thou find in God's mode of dealing.
And He it was who held their
hands from you and your hands from them in the valley of Mecca, after that He
had given you the victory over them: for God
saw what you did.
These are they who believed not,
and kept you away from the sacred Mosque, as well as the offering which was
prevented from reaching the place of sacrifice. And had it not been that you
would have trodden down believers, both men and women, whom you knew not, so
that a crime might have lighted on you without your knowledge on their account,
and that God would bring whom He will within His mercy, this would have been
otherwise ordered. Had they been apart, we had surely punished such of them as
believed not, with a sore punishment.
When the unbelievers had fostered
rage in their hearts -- the rage of ignorance (of heathens) God sent down His
peace on His Apostle and on the faithful, and stablished in them the word of
piety, for they were most worthy and deserving of it:
and God knoweth all things.
Now hath God in truth made good
to His Apostle the dream in which he said, "You shall surely enter the
sacred Mosque, if God will, in full security, having your heads shaved and your
hair cut: you shall not fear; for He knoweth what
you know not; and He hath ordained you, beside this, a speedy victory."
It is He who hath sent His
Apostle with "the Guidance," and the religion of truth, that He may
exalt it above every religion. And enough for thee is this testimony on the
part of God.
Muhammad is the Apostle of God;
and his comrades are vehement against the infidels, but full of tenderness
among themselves. Thou mayest see them bowing down, prostrating themselves,
imploring favours from God, and His acceptance. Their tokens are on their
faces, the marks of their prostrations. This is their picture in the Law, and
their picture in the Evangel: they are as the
seed which putteth forth its stalk; then strengtheneth it, and it groweth
stout, and riseth upon its stem, rejoicing the husbandman -- that the infidels
may be wrathful at them. To such of them as believe and do the things that are
right, hath God promised forgiveness and a noble recompense.
Sura XLIX (49)
the apartments
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
O Believers! enter not upon any
affair ere God and His Apostle permit you; and fear you God: for God Heareth, Knoweth.
O Believers! raise not your
voices above the voice of the Prophet, neither speak loud to him as you speak
loud one to another, lest your works come to nought, and you unaware of it.
They who lower their voices in
the presence of the Apostle of God, are the persons whose hearts God hath
inclined to piety. Forgiveness shall be theirs and a rich reward.
They who call out to thee while
thou art within thine apartments, have most of them no right perception of what
is due to thee.
But if they wait patiently till
thou come forth to them, it were far better for them. But God is Indulgent,
Merciful.
O Believers! if any bad man come
to you with news, clear it up at once, lest through ignorance you harm others,
and speedily have to repent of what you have done.
And know that an Apostle of God
is among you! should he give way to you in many matters you would certainly
become guilty of a crime. But God hath endeared the faith to you, and hath
given it favour in your hearts, and hath made unbelief, and wickedness, and
disobedience hateful to you. Such are they who pursue a right course.
Through the bounty and grace
which is from God: and God is Knowing, Wise.
If two bodies of the faithful
are at war, then make you peace between them:
and if the one of them wrong the other, fight against that part which doth the
wrong, until they come back to the precepts of God:
if they come back, make peace between them with fairness, and act impartially;
God loveth those who act with impartiality.
49:10 Only
the faithful are brethren; wherefore make peace between your brethren; and fear
God, that you may obtain mercy.
O Believers! let not men laugh
men to scorn who haply may be better than themselves; neither let women laugh
women to scorn who may haply be better than themselves! Neither defame one
another, nor call one another by nicknames. Bad is it to be called wicked after
having professed the faith: and whoso repent
not of this are doers of wrong.
O Believers! avoid frequent
suspicions, for some suspicions are a crime; and pry not: neither let the one of you traduce another in his absence.
Would any one of you like to eat the flesh of his death brother? Surely you
would loathe it. And fear you God: for God is
Ready to turn, Merciful.
O men! verily, we have created
you of a male and a female; and we have divided you into peoples and tribes
that you might have knowledge one of another. Truly, the most worthy of honour
in the sight of God is he who feareth Him most. Verily, God is Knowing,
Cognisant.
The Arabs of the desert say,
"We believe." Say thou: You believe
not; but rather say, "We profess Islam;" for the faith hath not yet
found its way into your hearts. But if you obey God and His Apostle, he will
not allow you to lose any of your actions: for
God is Indulgent, Merciful.
The true believers are those
only who believe in God and His Apostle, and afterwards doubt not; and who
contend with their substance and their persons on the path of God. These are
the sincere.
Say:
Will you teach God about your religion? when God knoweth whatever is in the
Heavens and on the Earth: yea, God hath knowledge
of all things.
They taunt thee with their
having embraced Islam. Say: Taunt me not with
your having embraced Islam: God rather
taunteth you with His having guided you to the faith:
acknowledge this if you are sincere.
Verily, God knoweth the secrets
of the Heavens and of the Earth: and God
beholdeth what you do.
Sura L (50)
Kaf
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Kaf. By the glorious Koran:
They marvel forsooth that one of
themselves hath come to them charged with warnings. "This," say the
infidels, "is a marvellous thing:
What! when dead and turned to
dust shall we. . . . ? Far off is such a return as this?"
Now know we what the earth
consumeth of them, and with us is a Book in which account is kept.
But they have treated the truth
which hath come to them as falsehood; perplexed therefore is their state.
Will they not look up to the
heaven above them, and consider how we have reared it and decked it forth, and
that there are no flaws therein?
And as to the earth, we have
spread it out, and have thrown the mountains upon it, and have caused an
upgrowth in it of all beauteous kinds of plants,
For insight and admonition to
every servant who loveth to turn to God:
And we send down the rain from
Heaven with its blessings, by which we cause gardens to spring forth and the
grain of harvest,
50:10 And
the tall palm trees with date-bearing branches one above the other
For man's nourishment: And life give we thereby to a dead land. So also
shall be the resurrection.
Ere the days of these (Meccans)
the people of Noah, and the men of Rass and Themoud, treated their prophets as
impostors:
And Ad and Pharaoh, and the
brethren of
Are we wearied out with the
first creation? Yet are they in doubt with regard to a new creation!
We created man: and we know what his soul whispereth to him, and
we are closer to him than his neck-vein.
When the two angels charged with
taking account shall take it, one sitting on the right hand,
Not a word doth he utter, but
there is a watcher with him ready to note it down:
And the stupor of certain death
cometh upon him: -- "This is what thou
wouldst have shunned" --
And there was a blast on the
trumpet, -- it was the threatened day!
50:20 And
every soul came, -- an angel with it urging it along, and an angel to witness
against it --
Saith he, "Of this day
didst thou live in heedlessness: but we have
taken off they veil from thee, and thy sight is becoming sharp this day."
And he who is at this side shall
say, "This is what I am prepared with against thee."
And God will say, "Cast
into Hell, you twain, every infidel, every hardened one,
The hinderer of the good, the
transgressor, the doubter,
Who set up other gods with God.
Cast you him into the fierce torment."
He who is at his side shall say,
"O our Lord! I led him not astray, yet was he in an error wide of
truth."
He shall say, "Wrangle not
in my presence. I had plied you beforehand with menaces:
My doom changeth not, and I am
not unjust to man."
On that day will we cry to Hell,
"Art thou full?" And it shall say, "Are there more?"
50:30 And
not far from thence shall Paradise be brought near unto the Pious:
- "This is what you have
been promised: to every one who hath turned in
penitence to God and kept his laws;
Who hath feared the God of Mercy
in secret, and come to him with a contrite heart:
Enter it in peace: this is the day of Eternity."
There shall they have all that
they can desire: and our's will it be to
augment their bliss:
And how many generations have we
destroyed ere the days of these (Meccans), mightier than they in strength!
Search you then the land. Is there any escape?
Lo! herein is warning for him
who hath a heat, or giveth ear, and is himself an eye-witness.
We created the heavens and the
earth and all that is between them in six days, and no weariness touched us.
Wherefore put up with what they
say, and celebrate the praise of thy Lord before sunrise and before sunset:
And praise Him in the night: and perform the two final prostrations.
50:40 And
list for the day whereon the crier shall cry from a place near to every one
alike:
The day on which men shall in
truth hear that shout will be the day of their coming forth from the grave.
Verily, we cause to live, and we
cause to die. To us shall all return.
On the day when the earth shall
swiftly cleave asunder over the dead, will this gathering be easy to Us.
We know best what the infidels
say: and thou art not to compel them.
Warn then by the Koran those who
fear my menace.
Sura LI (51)
The Scattering
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
By the clouds which scatter with
scattering,
And those which bear their load,
And by those which speed lightly
along,
And those which apportion by
command!
True, indeed, is that with which
you are threatened,
And lo! the religion will surely
come.
By the star-tracked heaven!
You are discordant in what you
say;
But whoso turneth him from the
truth, is turned from it by a divine decree.
51:10
Perish the liars,
Who are bewildered in the depths
of ignorance!
They ask, "When this day of
judgment?"
On that day they shall be
tormented at the fire.
"Taste you of this your
torment, whose speedy coming you challenged."
But the God-fearing shall dwell
amid gardens and fountains,
Enjoying what their Lord hath
given them, because, aforetime they were well-doers:
But little of the night was it
that they slept,
And at dawn they prayed for
pardon,
And gave due share of their wealth
to the suppliant and the outcast.
51:20 On
Earth are signs for men of firm belief,
And also in your own selves: Will you not then behold them?
The Heaven hath sustenance for
you, and it containeth that which you are promised.
By the Lord then of the heaven
and of the earth, I swear that this is the truth, even as you speak yourselves.
Hath the story reached thee of
Abraham's honoured guests?
When they went in unto him and
said, "Peace!" he replied, "Peace:
-- they are strangers."
And he went apart to his family,
and brought a fatted calf,
And set it before them. He said,
"Eat you not?"
And he conceived a fear of them.
They said to him, "Fear not:" and
announced to him a wise son.
His wife came up with outcry: she smote her face and said, "What I, old and
barren!"
51:30 They
said, "Thus saith thy Lord. He truly is the Wise, the Knowing."
Part 27
Said he, "And what, O
messengers, is your errand?"
They said, "To a wicked
people are we sent,
To hurl upon them stones of
clay,
Destined by thy Lord for men
guilty of excesses."
And we brought forth the
believers who were in the city:
But we found not in it but one
family of Muslims.
And signs we left in it for
those who dread the afflictive chastisement, --
And in Moses: when we sent him to Pharaoh with manifest power:
But relying on his forces he
turned his back and said, "Sorcerer, or Possessed."
51:40 So we
seized him and his hosts and cast them into the sea; for of all blame was he
worthy.
And in Ad: when we sent against them the desolating blast:
It touched not aught over which
it came, but it turned it to dust.
And in Themoud: when it was said to them, "Enjoy yourselves
for yet a while."
But they rebelled against their
Lord's command: so the tempest took them as
they watched its coming.
They were not able to stand
upright, and could not help themselves.
And we destroyed the people of
Noah, before them; for an impious people were they.
And the Heaven -- with our hands
have we built it up, and given it its expanse;
And the Earth -- we have
stretched it out like a carpet; and how smoothly have we spread it forth!
And of everything have we
created pairs: that haply you may reflect.
51:50 Fly
then to God: I come to you from him a plain
warner.
And set not up another god with
God: I come to you from him a plain warner.
Even thus came there no apostle
to those who flourished before them, but they exclaimed, "Sorcerer, or
Possessed."
Have they made a legacy to one
another of this scoff? Yes, they are a rebel people.
Turn away, then, from them, and
thou shalt not incur reproach:
Yet warn them, for, in truth,
warning will profit the believers.
I have not created Djinn and
men, but that they worship me:
I require not sustenance from
them, neither require I that they feed me:
Verily, God is the sole
sustainer: possessed of might: the unshaken!
Therefore to those who injure
thee shall be a fate like the fate of their fellows of old. Let them not
challenge me to hasten it.
51:60 Woe
then to the infidels, because of their threatened day.
Sura LII (52)
The Mountain
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
By the mountain,
And by the Book written
On an outspread roll,
And by the frequented fane,
And by the lofty vault,
And by the swollen sea,
Verily, a chastisement from thy
Lord is imminent,
And none shall put it back.
Reeling on that day the Heaven
shall reel,
52:10 And
stirring shall the mountains stir.
And woe, on that day, to those who
called the apostles liars,
Who plunged for pastime into
vain disputes --
On that day shall they be trust
with thrusting to the fire of Hell: --
"This is the fire which you
treated as a lie.
What! is this magic, then? or,
do you not see it?
Burn you therein: bear it patiently or impatiently 'twill be the
same to you: for you shall assuredly receive
the reward of your doings."
But mid gardens and delights
shall they dwell who have feared God,
Rejoicing in what their Lord
have given them; and that from the pain of hell-fire hath their Lord preserved
them.
"Eat and drink with healthy
enjoyment, in recompense for your deeds."
52:20 On
couches ranged in rows shall they recline; and to the damsels with large dark
eyes will we wed them.
And to those who have believed,
whose offspring have followed them in the faith, will we again unite their
offspring; nor of the meed of their works will we in the least defraud them.
Pledged to God is every man for his actions and their desert.
And fruits in abundance will we
give them, and flesh as they shall desire:
Therein shall they pass to one
another the cup which shall engender no light discourse, no motive to sin:
And youths shall go round among
them beautiful as imbedded pearls:
And shall accost one another and
ask mutual questions.
"A time indeed there
was," will they say, "when we were full of care as to the future lot
of our families;
But kind hath God been to us,
and from the pestilential torment hath he preserved us;
For, heretofore we called upon
Him -- and He is the Beneficent, the Merciful."
Warn thou, then. Four thou by
the favour of thy Lord art neither soothsayer nor possessed.
52:30 Will
they say, "A poet! let us await some adverse turn of his fortune?"
Say, wait you, and in sooth I
too will wait with you.
Is it their dreams which inspire
them with then? or is it that they are a perverse people?
Will they say, "He hath
forged it (the Koran) himself?" Nay, rather it is that they believed not.
Let them then produce a
discourse like it, if they speak the Truth.
Were they created by nothing? or
were they the creators of themselves?
Created they the Heavens and the
Earth? Nay, rather, they have no faith.
Hold they thy Lord's treasures?
Bear they the rule supreme?
Have they a ladder for hearing
the angels? Let any one who hath heard them bring a clear proof of it.
52:40 Asked
thou pay of them? they are themselves weighed down with debts.
Have they such a knowledge of
the secret things that they can write them down?
Desire they to lay snares for
thee? But the snared ones shall be they who do not believe.
Have they any God beside God?
Glory be to God above what they join with Him.
And should they see a fragment
of the heaven falling down, they would say, "It is only a dense
cloud."
Leave them then until they come
face to face with the day when they shall swoon away:
A day in which their snares
shall not at all avail them, neither shall they be helped.
And verily, beside this is there
a punishment for the evil-doers: but most of
them know it not.
Wait thou patiently the judgment
of thy Lord, for thou art in our eye; and celebrate the praise of thy Lord when
thou risest up,
And in the night-season: Praise him when the stars are setting.
Sura LIII (53)
The Star
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
By the star when it setteth,
Your compatriot erreth not, nor
is he led astray,
Neither speaketh he from mere
impulse.
The Koran is no other than a
revelation revealed to him:
One terrible in power taught it
him,
Endued with wisdom. With even
balance stood he
In the highest part of the
horizon:
Then came he nearer and
approached,
And was at the distance of two bows,
or even closer, --
53:10 And
he revealed to his servant what he revealed.
His heart falsified not what he
saw.
What! will you then dispute with
him as to what he saw?
He had seen him also another
time,
Near the Sidra-tree, which marks
the boundary.
Near which is the garden of
respose.
When the Sidrah-tree was covered
with what covered it,
His eye turned not aside, nor
did it warner:
For he saw the greatest of the
signs of his Lord.
Do you see At-Lat and Al-Ozza,
53:20 And
Manat the third idol besides?
What? shall you have male
progeny and God female?
This were indeed an unfair
partition!
These are mere names: you and your fathers named them thus: God hath not sent down any warranty in their
regard. A mere conceit and their own impulses do they follow. Yet hath
"the guidance" from their Lord come to them.
Shall man have whatever he
wisheth?
The future and the present are
in the hand of God:
And many as our the Angels in
the Heavens, their intercession shall be of no avail
Until God hath permitted it to
whom he shall please and will accept.
Verily, it is they who believe
not in the life to come, who name the angels with names of females:
But herein they have no
knowledge: they follow a mere conceit: and mere conceit can never take the place of
truth.
53:30
Withdraw then from him who turneth his back on our warning and desireth only
this present life.
This is the sum of their
knowledge. Truly thy Lord best knoweth him who erreth from his way, and He best
knoweth him who hath received guidance.
And whatever is in the Heavens
and in the Earth is God's, that he may reward those who do evil according to
their deeds: and those who do good will He
reward with good things.
To those who avoid great crimes and
scandals but commit only lighter faults, verily, thy Lord will be diffuse of
mercy. He well knew you when he produced you out of the earth, and when you
were embryos in your mother's womb. Assert not then your own purity. He best
knoweth who feareth him.
Hast thou considered him who
turned his back?
Who giveth little and is
covetous?
Is it that he hath the knowledge
and vision of the secret things?
Hath he not been told of what is
in the pages of Moses?
And of Abraham faithful to his
pledge?
That no burdened soul shall bear
the burdens of another,
53:40 And
that nothing shall be reckoned to a man but that for which he hath made efforts:
And that his efforts shall at
last be seen in their true light:
Then then he shall be
recompensed with a most exact recompense,
And that unto thy Lord is the
term of all things,
And that it is He who causeth to
laugh and to weep,
And that He causeth to die and
maketh alive,
And that He hath created the
sexes, male and female,
From the diffused germs of life,
And that He enricheth and
causeth to possess,
53:50 And
that He is the Lord of Sirius,
And that it was He who destroyed
the ancient Adines,
And the people of Themoud and
left not one survivor,
And before them the people of
Noah who were most wicked and most perverse.
And it was He who destroyed the
cities that were overthrown.
So that that which covered them
covered them.
Which then of thy Lord's
benefits wilt thou make a matter of doubt?
He who warneth you is one of the
warners of old.
The day that must draw night,
draweth nigh already: and yet none but God can
reveal its time.
Is it at these sayings that you
marvel?
53:60 And
that you laugh and weep not?
And that you are triflers?
Prostrate yourselves then to God
and worship.
Sura LIV (54)
The Moon
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The hour hath approached and the
moon hath been cleft:
But whenever they see a miracle
they turn aside and say, This is well-devised magic.
And they have treated the
prophets as impostors, and follow their own lusts; but everything is
unalterably fixed.
A message of prohibition had
come to them --
Consummate wisdom -- but warners
profit them not.
Quit them then. On the day when
the summoner shall summon to a stern business,
With downcast eyes shall they
come forth from their graves, as if they were scattered locusts,
Hastening to the summoner.
"This," shall the infidels say, "is the distressful day."
Before them the people of Noah
treated the truth as a lie. Our servant did they charge with falsehood, and
said, "Demoniac!" and he was rejected.
54:10 Then
cried he to his Lord, "Verily, they prevail against me; come thou
therefore to my succour."
So we opened the gates of Heaven
with water which fell in torrents,
And we caused the earth to break
forth with springs, and their waters met by settled decree.
And we bare him on a vessel made
with planks and nails.
Under our eyes it floated on: a recompence to him who had been rejected with
unbelief.
And we left it a sign: but, is there any one who receives the warning?
And how great was my vengeance
and my menace!
Easy for warning have we made
the Koran -- but, is there any one who receives the warning?
The Adites called the truth a
lie: but how great was my vengeance and my
menace;
For we sent against them a
roaring wind in a day of continued distress:
54:20 It
tore men away as though they were uprooted palm stumps.
And how great was my vengeance
and my menace!
Easy for warning have we made
the Koran -- but, is there any one who receives the warning?
The tribe of Themoud treated the
hreatenings as lies:
And they said, "Shall we
follow a single man from among ourselves? Then verily should we be in error and
in folly.
To him alone among us is the
office of warning entrusted? No! he is an impostor, an insolent person."
To-morrow shall they learn who
is the impostor, the insolent.
"For we will send the
she-camel to prove them: do thou mark them
well, O Saleh, and be patient:
And fortell them that their
waters shall be divided between themselves and her, and that every draught
shall come by turns to them."
But they called to their
comrade, and he took a knife and ham-strung her.
54:30 And how
great was my vengeance and my menace!
We sent against them a single
shout; and they became like the dry sticks of the fold-builders.
Easy have we made the Koran for
warning -- but, is there any one who receives the warning?
The people of Lot treated his
warning as a lie;
But we sent a stone-charged wind
against them all, except the family of Lot, whom at daybreak we delivered,
By our special grace -- for thus
we reward the thankful.
He, indeed, had warned them of
our severity, but of that warning they doubted.
Even this guess did they demand: therefore we deprived them of sight,
And said, "Taste you my
vengeance and my menace;"
And in the morning a relentless
punishment overtook them.
54:40 Easy
have we made the Koran for warning -- but, is there any one who receives the
warning?
To the peoples of Pharaoh also
came the threatenings:
All our miracles did they treat
as impostures. Therefore seized we them as he only can seize, who is the
Mighty, the Strong.
Are your infidels, O Meccans,
better men that these? Is there an exemption for you in the sacred Books?
Will they say, "We are a
host that lend one another aid?"
The host shall be routed, and
they shall turn them back.
But, that Hour is their
threatened time, and that Hour shall be most severe and bitter.
Verily, the wicked are sunk in
bewilderment and folly.
On that day they shall be
dragged into the fire on their faces. "Taste you the touch of Hell."
All things have we created after
a fixed decree:
54:50 Our command
was but one word, swift as the twinkling of an eye,
Of old, too, have we destroyed
the like of you -- yet is any one warned?
And everything that they do is
in the Books;
Each action, both small and
great, is written down.
Verily, amid gardens and rivers
shall the pious dwell.
In the seat of truth, in the
presence of the potent King.
Sura
The Merciful
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The God of Mercy hath taught the
Koran,
Hath created man,
Hath taught him the Bayan.
(articulate speech)
The Sun and the Moon have each
their times,
And the plants and the trees
bend in adoration.
And the Heaven, He hath reared
it on high, and hath appointed the balance;
That in the balance you should
not transgress.
Weigh therefore with fairness,
and scant not the balance.
And the Earth, He hath prepared
it for the living tribes:
55:10
Therein on fruits, and the palms with sheathed clusters,
And the grain with its husk, and
the fragrant plants.
Which then of the bounties of
your Lord will you twain deny?
He created man of clay like that
of the potter.
And He created the djinn of pure
fire:
Which then of the bounties, etc.
He is the Lord of the East,
He is the Lord of the West:
Which, etc.
He hath let loose the two seas
which meet each other:
55:20 Yet
between them is a barrier which they overpass not;
Which, etc.
From each he bringeth up pearls
both great and small:
Which, etc.
And His are the ships towering
up at sea like mountains:
Which, etc.
All on the earth shall pass
away,
But the face of thy Lord shall
abide resplendent with majesty and glory:
Which, etc.
To Him maketh suit all that is
in the Heaven and the Earth. Every day doth some new work employ Him:
55:30
Which, etc.
We will find leisure to judge
you, O you men and djinn:
Which, etc.
O company of djinn and men, if
you can overpass the bounds of the Heavens and the Earth, then overpass them.
But by our leave only shall you overpass them:
Which, etc.
A bright flash of fire shall be
hurled at you both, and molten brass, and you shall not defend yourselves from
it:
Which, etc.
When the Heaven shall be cleft
asunder, and become rose red, like stained leather:
Which, etc.
On that day shall neither man
nor djinn be asked of his sin:
55:40
Which, etc.
By their tokens shall the
sinners be known, and they shall be seized by their forelocks and their feet:
Which, etc.
"This is Hell which sinners
treated as a lie."
To and fro shall they pass
between it and the boiling water:
Which, etc.
But for those who dread the
majesty of their Lord shall be two gardens:
Which, etc.
These Gardens are of Afnans: (branches)
Which, etc.
55:50 In
each two fountains flowing:
Which, etc.
In each two kinds of every fruit:
Which, etc.
On couches with linings of
brocade shall they recline, and the fruit of the two gardens shall be within
easy reach:
Which, etc.
Therein shall be the damsels
with retiring glances, whom nor man nor djinn hath touched before them:
Which, etc.
Like jacynths and pearls:
Which, etc.
55:60 Shall
the reward of good be aught but good?
Which, etc.
And beside these shall be two
other gardens:
Which, etc.
Of a dark green:
Which, etc.
With gushing fountains in each:
Which, etc.
In each fruits and the palm and
the pomegranate:
Which, etc.
55:70 In
each, the fair, the beauteous ones:
Which, etc.
With large dark eyeballs, kept
close in their pavilions:
Which, etc.
Whom man hath never touched,nor any
djinn:
Which, etc.
Their spouses on soft green
cushions and on beautiful carpets shall recline:
Which, etc.
Blessed be the name of thy Lord,
full of majesty and glory.
Sura LVI (56)
The Inevitable
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
When the day that must come
shall have come suddenly,
None shall treat that sudden
coming as a lie:
Day that shall abase! Day that
shall exalt!
When the earth shall be shaken
with a shock,
And the mountains shall be
crumbled with a crumbling,
And shall become scattered dust,
And into three bands shall you
be divided:
Then the people of the right
hand -- Oh! how happy shall be the people of the right hand!
And the people of the left hand
-- Oh! how wretched shall be the people of the left hand!
56:10 And
they who were foremost on earth -- the foremost still.
These are they who shall be
brought nigh to God,
In gardens of delight;
A crown of the former
And few of the latter
generations;
On inwrought couches
Reclining on them face to face:
Aye-blooming youths go round
about to them
With goblets and ewers and a cup
of flowing wine;
Their brows ache not from it,
nor fails the sense:
56:20 And
with such fruits as shall please them best,
And with flesh of such birds, as
they shall long for:
And theirs shall be the Houris,
with large dark eyes, like pearls hidden in their shells,
In recompense of their labours
past.
No vain discourse shall they
hear therein, nor charge of sin,
But only the cry, "Peace!
Peace!"
And the people of the right hand
-- oh! how happy shall be the people of the right hand!
Amid thornless sidrahs
And talh trees clad with fruit,
And in extended shade,
56:30 And
by flowing waters,
And with abundant fruits,
Unfailing, unforbidden,
And on lofty couches.
Of a rare creation have we
created the Houris,
And we have made them ever
virgins,
Dear to their spouses, of equal
age with them,
For the people of the right
hand,
A crowd of the former,
And a crowd of the latter
generations.
56:40 But
the people of the left hand -- oh! how wretched shall be the people of the left
hand!
Amid pestilential winds and in
scalding water,
And in the shadow of a black
smoke,
Not cool, and horrid to behold.
For they truly, ere this, were
blessed with worldly goods,
But persisted in heinous sin,
And were wont to say,
"What! after we have died,
and become dust and bones, shall we be raised?
And our fathers, the men of
yore?"
Say:
Aye, the former and the latter:
56:50
Gathered shall they all be for the time of a known day.
Then you, O you the erring, the
gainsaying,
Shall surely eat of the tree
Ez-zakkoum,
And fill your bellies with it,
And thereupon shall you drink
boiling water,
And you shall drink as the
thirst camel drinketh.
This shall be their repast in
the day of reckoning!
We created you, will you not
credit us?
What think you? The germs of
life --
Is it you who create them? or
are we their creator?
56:60 It is
we who have decreed that death should be among you;
Yet are we not thereby hindered
from replacing you with others, your likes, or from producing you again in a
form which you know not!
You have known the first
creation: will you not then reflect?
What think you? That which you
sow --
Is it you who cause its
upgrowth, or do we cause it to spring forth?
If we pleased we could so make
your harvest dry and brittle that you would ever marvel and say,
"Truly we have been at
cost, you are we forbidden harvest."
What think you of the water you
drink?
Is it you who send it down from
the clouds, or send we it down?
Brackish could we make it, if we
pleased: will you not then be thankful?
56:70 What
think you? The fire which you obtain by friction --
Is it you who rear its tree, or
do we rear it?
It is we who have made it for a
memorial and a benefit to the wayfarers of the desert,
Praise therefore the name of thy
Lord, the Great.
It needs not that I swear by the
setting of the stars,
And it is a great oath, if you
knew it,
That this is the honourable
Koran,
Written in the preserved Book:
Let none touch it but the
purified,
It is a revelation from the Lord
of the worlds.
56:80 Such
tidings as these will you disdain?
Will you make it your daily
bread to gainsay them?
Why, at the momwent when the
soul of a dying man shall come up into his throat,
And when you are gazing at him,
Though we are nearer to him that
you, although you see us not: --
Why do you not, if you are to
escape the judgment,
Cause that soul to return? Tell
me, if you speak the truth.
But as to him who shall enjoy
near access to God,
His shall be repose, and
pleasure, and a garden of delights.
Yea, for him who shall be of the
people of the right hand,
56:90 Shall
be the greeting from the people of the right hand -- "Peace be to
thee."
But for him who shall be of
those who treat the prophets as deceivers,
And of the erring,
His entertainment shall be of
scalding water,
And the broiling of hell-fire.
Verily this is a certain truth:
Praise therefore the name of thy
Lord, the Great.
Sura LVII (57)
Iron
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All that is in the Heavens and
in the Earth praiseth God, and He is the Mighty, the Wise!
His the Kingdom of the Heavens
and of the Earth; He maketh alive and killeth; and He hath power over all
things!
He is the first and the last;
the Seen and the Hidden; and He knoweth all things!
It is He who in six days created
the Heavens and the Earth, then ascended His throne. He knoweth that which
entereth the earth, and that which goeth forth from it, and what cometh down
from Heaven, and what mounteth up to it; and wherever you are, He is with you;
and God beholdeth all your actions!
His is the kingdom of the
Heavens and the Earth; and to God shall all things return!
He causeth the night to pass
into the day, and He causeth the day to pass into the night: and He knoweth the very secrets of the bosom!
Believe in God and his apostle,
and bestow in alms of that whereof God hath made you heirs: for whoever among you believe and give alms --
their's shall be a great recompense.
What hath come to you that you
believe not in God, although the apostle exhorteth you to believe in your Lord,
and He hath accepted your alliance -- if you are true believers?
He it is who hath sent down
clear tokens upon His servant, that He may bring you out of darkness into
light; and truly, Kind, Merciful to you is God.
57:10 And
what hath come to you that you expend not for the cause of God? since the
heritage of the Heavens and of the Earth is God's only! Those among you who
contributed before the victory, and fought, shall be differently treated from
certain others among you! Such shall have a nobler grade than those who
contributed and fought after it. But a goodly recompense hath God promised to
all; and God is fully informed of your actions.
Who is he that will lend a
generous loan to God? So will He double it to him, and he shall have a noble reward.
One day thou shalt see the
believers, men and women, with their light running before them, and on their
right hand. The angels shall say to them, "Good tidings for you this day
of gardens beneath whose shades the rivers flow, in which you shall abide for
ever!" This the great bliss!
On that day the hypocrites, both
men and women, shall say to those who believe, "Tarry for us, that we may
kindle our light at yours." It shall be said, "Return you back, and
seek light for yourselves." But between them shall be set a wall with a
gateway, within which shall be the Mercy, and in front, without it, the
Torment. They shall cry to them, "Were we not with you?" They shall
say, "Yes! but you led yourselves into temptation, and you delayed, and you
doubted, and the good things you craved deceived you, till the doom of God
arrived: -- and the deceiver deceived you in
regard to God."
On that day, therefore, no
ransom shall be taken from you or from those who believe not: -- your abode the fire! -- This shall be your
master! and wretched the journey thither!
Hath not the time come, for
those who believe, to humble their hearts at the warning of God and at the
truth which he hath sent down? and that they be not as those to whom the Scriptures
were given heretofore, whose lifetime was prolonged, but whose hearts were
hardened, and many of them were perverse?
Know that God quickeneth the
earth after its death! Now have we made these signs clear to you, that you may
understand.
Verily, they who give alms, both
men and women, and they who lend a generous loan to God, -- doubled shall it be
to them -- and they shall have a noble recompense.
And they who believed in God and
his apostle are the men of truth, and the witnesses in the presence of their
Lord. They shall have their recompense and their light:
But as for the infidels, and those who give the lie to our signs, these shall
be the inmates of Hell.
Know you that this world's life
is only a sport, and pastime, and show, and a cause of vainglory among among
you! And the multiplying of riches and children is like the plants which spring
up after rain -- Their growth rejoiceth the husbandman; then they wither away,
and thou seest them all yellow; then they become stubble. And in the next life
is a severe chastisement,
57:20 Or
else pardon from God and His satisfaction: and
this world's life is but a cheating fruition.
Vie in hasting after pardon from
your Lord, and Paradise -- whose outspread is as the outspread of the Heaven
and of the Earth: Prepared is it for those who
believe in God and His apostles: Such is the
bounty of God: to whom He will He giveth it: and of immense bounty is God!
No mischance chanceth either on
earth or in your own persons, but ere we created them, it was in the Book; --
for easy is this to God --
Lest you distress yourselves if
good things escape you, and be over joyous for what falleth to your share. God
loveth not the presumptuous, the boaster,
Who are covetous themselves and
incite others to covetousness. But whoso turneth away from almsgiving -- Ah!
God is the Rich, the Praiseworthy.
We have sent our apostles with
the clear tokens, and we have caused the Book and the balance to descend with
them, that men might observe fairness. And we have sent down iron. Dire evil
resideth in it, as well as advantage, to mankind! God would know who will
assist Him and his apostle in secret. Verily, God is Powerful, Strong.
And of old sent we Noah and
Abraham, and on their seed conferred the gift of prophecy, and the Book; and
some of them we guided aright; but many were evil doers.
Then we caused our apostles to
follow in their footsteps; and we caused Jesus the son of Mary to follow them;
and we gave him the Evangel, and we put into the hearts of those who followed him
kindness and compassion: but as to the
monastic life, they invented it themselves. The desire only of pleasing God did
we prescribe to them, and this they observed not as it ought to have been
observed: but to such of them as believed gave
we their reward, though many of them were perverse.
O you who believe! fear God and
believe in his apostle: two portions of his
mercy will He give you. He will bestow on you light to walk in, and He will
forgive you: for God is Forgiving, Merciful;
That the people of the Book may
know that they have no control over aught of the favours of God, and that these
gifts of grace are in the hands of God, and that He vouchsafeth them to whom he
will; for God is of immense bounty.
Part 28
Sura LVIII (58)
She Who Pleaded
(
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
God hath heard the words of her
who pleaded with thee against her God hath heard the words of her who pleaded
with thee against her husband, and made her plaint to God; and God hath heard
your mutual intercourse: for God Heareth,
Beholdeth.
As to those of you who put away
their wives by say, "Be thou to me as my mother's back" -- their
mothers they are not; they only are their mothers who gave them birth! they
certainly say a blameworthy thing and an untruth:
But truly, God is Forgiving,
Indulgent.
And those who thus put away
their wives, and afterwards would recall their words, must free a captive
before they can come together again. To this are you warned to confirm: and God is aware of what you do.
And he who findeth not a captive
to set free, shall fast two months in succession before they two come together.
And he who shall not be able to do so, shall feed sixty poor men. This, that he
may believe in God and His Apostle. These are the statutes of God: and for the unbelievers is an afflictive
chastisement!
Truly they who oppose God and
His Apostle shall be brought low, as those who were before them were brought
low. And now have we sent down demonstrative signs:
and, for the Infidels is a shameful chastisement.
On the day when God shall raise
them all to life, and shall tell them of their doings. God hath taken county of
them, though they have forgotten them! and God is witness over all things.
Dost thou not see that God
knoweth all that is in the Heavens and all that is in the Earth? Three persons
speak not privately together, but He is their fourth; nor five, but He is their
sixth; nor fewer nor more, but wherever they be He is with them. Then on the
day of resurrection He will tell them of their deeds:
for God knoweth all things.
Hast thou not marked those who
have been forbidden secret talk, and return to what they have been forbidden,
and talk privately together with wickedness, and hate, and disobedience towards
the Apostle? And when they come to thee, they greet thee not as God greeteth
thee: and they say among themselves, "Why
doth not God punish us for what we say?" Hell shall be their meed: they shall be burned at its fire: and a wretched passage thither!
58:10 O
Believers! when you hold private converse together, let it not be with
wickedness, and hate, and disobedience towards the Apostle; but let your
private talk be with justice and the fear of God:
aye, fear you God unto whom you shall be gathered!
Only of Satan is this
clandestine talk, that he may bring the faithful to grief: but, unless by God's permission, not aught shall
he harm them! in God then let the faithful trust.
O you who believe! when it is
said to you, "Make room in your assemblies," then make you room. God
will make room for you in Paradise! And when it is said to you, "Rise
up," then rise you up. God will uplift those of you who believe, and those
to whom "the Knowledge" is given, to lofty grades! and God is
cognisant of your actions.
O you who believe! when you go
to confer in private with the Apostle, give alms before such conference. Better
will this be for you, and more pure. But if you have not the means, then truly
God is Lenient, Merciful.
Do you hesitate to give alms
previously to your private conference? Then if you do it not (and God will
excuse it in you), at least observe prayer, and pay the stated impost, and obey
God and His Apostle: for God is cognisant of
your actions.
Hast thou not remarked those who
make friends of that people with whom God is angered? They are neither of your
party nor of theirs; and they sear to a lie, knowing it to be such.
God hath got ready for them a
severe torment: for, evil is that they do.
They make a cloak of their
faith, and turn others aside from the way of God:
wherefore a shameful torment awaiteth them.
Not at all shall their wealth or
their children avail them aught against God. Companions shall they be of the
fire: they shall abide therein for ever.
On the day when God shall raise
them all, they will swear to Him as they now swear to you, deeming that it will
avail them. Are they not -- yes they -- the liars?
58:20 Satan
hath gotten mastery over them, and made them forget the remembrance of God.
These are Satan's party. What! shall not verily the party of Satan be for ever
lost.
Verily, they who oppose God and
His Apostle shall be among the most vile. God hath written this decree: "I will surely prevail, and my Apostles
also." Truly God is Strong, Mighty.
Thou shalt not find that any of
those who believe in God, and in the last day, love him who opposeth God and
His Apostle, even though they be their fathers, or their sons, or their
brethren, or their nearest kin. On the hearts of these hath God graven the
Faith, and with His own Spirit hath He strengthened them; and He will bring
them into gardens, beneath whose shades
the rivers flow, to remain
therein eternally. God is well pleased in them, and they in Him. These are
God's party! Shall not, of a truth, a part of God be for ever blessed?
Sura LIX (59)
The Emigration
(
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All that is in the Heavens and all
that is on the Earth praiseth God! He, the Mighty, the Wise!
He it is who caused the
unbelievers among the people of the Book to quit their homes and join those who
had emigrated previously. You did not think that they would quit them; and they
on their part through that their fortresses would protect them against God: But God came upon them whence they looked not for
Him, and cast such fear into their hearts that by their own hands as well as by
the hands of the victorious believers they demolished their houses! Profit by
this example you who are men of insight!
And were it not that God had
decreed their exile, surely in this world would he have chastised them: but in the world to come the chastisement of the
fire awaiteth them.
This because they set them
against God and his apostle; and whoso setteth him against God....! God truly
is vehement in punishing.
Your cutting down some of their
palm trees and sparing others was by God's permission, and to put the wicked to
shame.
After the spoils of these Jews
which God hath assigned to his apostle, you pressed not with horse or camel.
But God giveth his apostles power over what he will. God is Almighty.
The spoil taken from the people
of the towns and assigned by God to his apostle, belongeth to God, and to the
apostle, and to his kindred, and to the orphan, and to the poor, and to the
wayfarer, that none of it may circulate among such of you only as are rich: What the apostle hath given you, take: What he hath refused you, refuse: And fear you God, for God is severe in punishing.
To the poor refugees
(Mohadjerin) also doth a part belong, who have been driven from their homes and
their substance, and who seek favour from God and his goodwill, and aid God and
his apostle. These are the men of genuine virtue.
They of Medina who had been in
possession of their abodes and embraced the faith before them, cherish those
who take refuge with them; and they find not in their breasts any desire for
what hath fallen to their share: they prefer
them before themselves, though poverty be their own lot. And with such as are
preserved from their own covetousness shall it be well.
59:10 And
they who have come after them into the faith say, "O our Lord! forgive us
and our brethren who have preceded us in the faith, and put not into our hearts
ill-will against those who believe. O our Lord! thou verily art Kind,
Merciful."
Hast thou not observed the
disaffected saying to their unbelieving brethren among the people of the Book,
"If you be driven forth, we will go forth with you; and in what concerneth
you, never will we obey any one; and if you be attacked we will certainly come
to your help." But God is witness that they are liars.
No! if they were driven forth,
they would not share their banishment; if they were attacked they would not
help them, or if they help them they will surely turn their backs: then would they remain unhelped.
Assuredly the fear of you is
more intense in their hearts than the fear of God! This because they are a
people devoid of discernment.
They (the Jews) will not fight
against you in a body except in fenced towns or from behind walls. Mighty is
their valour among themselves! thou thinkest them united -- but their hearts
are divided. This for that they are a people who understand not.
They act like those who lately
preceded them, who also tasted the result of their doings; and a grievous
chastisement awaiteth them --
Like Satan when he saith to a
man, "Be an infidel:" and when he
hath become an infidel, he saith, "I share not they guilt: verily, I fear God the Lord of the Worlds."
Of both, therefore, shall the
end be that they dwell for ever in the fire:
This is the recompense of the evil doers.
O you who believe! fear God. And
let every soul look well to what it sendeth on before for the morrow. And fear
you God: Verily, God is cognisant of what you
do.
And be you not like those who
forget God, and whom He hath therefore caused to forget their proper selves.
Such men are the evil doers.
59:20 The
inmates of the Fire and the inmates of Paradise are not to be held equal. The
inmates of Paradise only shall be the blissful.
Had we sent down this Koran on
some mountain, thou wouldst certainly have seen it humbling itself and cleaving
asunder for the fear of God. Such are the parables we propose to men in order
that they may reflect.
He is God beside whom there is
no god. He knoweth things visible and invisible:
He is the Compassionate, the Merciful.
He is God beside whom there is
no god: He is the King, the Holy, the
Peaceful, the Faithful, the Guardian, the Mighty, the Strong, the Most High!
Far be the Glory of God from that which they united with Him!
He is God, the Producer, the
Maker, the Fashioner! To Him are ascribed excellent titles. Whatever is in the
Heavens and in the Earth praiseth Him. He is the Mighty, the Wise!
Sura LX (60)
She Who is Tried
(
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
O you who believe! take not my foe
and your foe for friends, shewing them kindness, although they believe not that
truth which hath come to you: they drive forth
the Apostles and yourselves because you believe in God your Lord! If you go
forth to fight on my way, and from a desire to please me, and shew them
kindness in private, I well know what you conceal, and what you discover! Whoso
doth this hath already gone astray from the even way.
If they meet with you they will
prove your foes: hand and tongue will they put
forth for your hurt, and will desire that you become infidels again.
Neither your kindred nor your
children shall at all avail you on the day of resurrection. A severance between
you will it make! and your actions doth God behold.
A good example had you in
Abraham, and in those who followed him, when they said to their people,
"Verily, we are clear of you, and of what you worship beside God: we renounce you:
and between us and you hath hatred and enmity sprung up for ever, until you
believe in God alone." Yet imitate not the language of Abraham to his
Father, "I will pray for thy forgiveness, but not aught shall I obtain for
thee from God." O our Lord! in thee do we trust! to thee do we turn! to
thee we shall come back at the last.
O our Lord! expose us not for
trial to the unbelievers, and forgive us: for
thou art the Mighty, the Wise!
A good example had you in them,
for all who hope in God and in the last day. But let who will turn back, God
truly is the Rich, the Praiseworthy!
God will, perhaps, establish
good will between yourselves and those of them whom you take to be your enemies: God is Powerful:
and God is Gracious, Merciful.
God doth not forbid you to deal
with kindness and fairness towards those who have not made war upon you on
account of your religion, or driven you forth from your homes: for God loveth those who act with fairness.
Only doth God forbid you to make
friends of those who, on account of your religion, have warred against you, and
have driven you forth from your homes, and have aided those who drove you forth: and whosoever maketh friends of them are
wrong-doers.
60:10 O
Believers! when believing women come over to you as refugees (Mohadjers), then
make trial of them. God best knoweth their faith; but if you have also
ascertained their faith, let them not go back to the infidels; they are not
lawful for them, nor are the unbelievers lawful for these women. But give them
back what they have spent for their dowers. No crime shall it be in you to
marry them, provided you give them their dowers. Do not retain any right in the
infidel women, but demand back what you have spent for their dowers, and let
the unbelievers demand back what they have spent for their wives. This is the
ordinance of God which He ordaineth among you:
and God is Knowing, Wise.
And if any of your wives escape
from you to the Infidels from whom you afterwards take any spoil, then give to
those whose wives shall have fled away, the like of what they shall have spent
for their dowers; and fear God in whom you believe.
O Prophet! when believing women
come to thee, and pledge themselves that they will not associate aught with
God, and that they will not steal or commit adultery, nor kill their children,
nor bring scandalous charges, nor disobey thee in what is right, then plight
thou thy faith to them, and ask pardon for them of God:
for God is Indulgent, Merciful!
O Believers! enter not into
amity with those against whom God is angered; they despair of the life to come,
even as the Infidels despair of the inmates of the tombs.
Sura LXI (61)
(
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All that is in the Heavens and
all that is on the Earth praiseth God. He is the Mighty, the Wise!
Believers! why profess you that
which you practise not?
Most hateful is it to God they
you say that which you do not.
Verily God loveth those who, as
though they were a solid wall, do battle for his cause in serried lines!
And bear in mind when Moses said
to his people, "Why grieve you me, O my people, wehn you know that I am
God's apostle unto you?" And when they went astray, God led their hearts
astry; for God guideth not a perverse people:
And remember when Jesus the son
of Mary said, "O children of
But who more impious than he who
when called to Islam deviseth a falsehood concerning God? God guideth not the
wicked!
Fain would they put out the
light of God with their mouths! but though the Infidels hate it, God will
perfect his light.
He it is who hath sent his
apostle with guidance and the religion of truth, that, though they hate it who
join other gods with God, He may make it victorious over every other religion.
61:10 O you
who believe! shall I shew you a merchandise that shall deliver you from the
sore torment?
Believe in God and his apostle,
and do valiantly in the cause of God with your wealth and with your persons!
This, did you but know, will be best for you.
Your sins will He forgive you,
and He will bring you into gardens beneath whose shades the rivers flow -- into
charming abodes in the gardens of Eden: This
shall be the great bliss. --
And other things which you
desire will he bestow. Help from God and speedy conquest! Bear thou these
tidings to the faithful.
O you who believe! be helpers
(ansars) of God; as said Jesus the son of Mary to his apostles, "Who will
come to the help of God?" "We," said the apostles, "will be
helpers of God." And a part of the children of Israel believed, and a part
believed not. But to those who believed gave we the upper-hand over their foes,
and soon did they prove victorious.
Sura LXII (62)
The Assembly
(
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All that is in the Heavens, and
all that is on the Earth, uttered the Praise of God, the King! the Holy! the
Mighty! the Wise!
It is He who hath sent to the
pagan folk (Arabs) an Apostle from among themselves, to rehearse His signs to
them, and to purify them, and to impart to them a knowledge of "the
Book" and wisdom; for aforetime were they in manifest error.
And others among them have not
yet overtaken those who preceded them in the faith. But He is the Mighty, the
Wise!
This is the goodness of God: He bestoweth it on whom He will: God is of immense goodness!
They on whom the burden of the
law was laid, and would not bear it, are like an ass beneath a load of books. A
sorry likeness this, for the people who give the lie to the signs of God! God
guideth not the people who do this wrong!
Say:
O you Jews, if you profess that you rather than other men are the friends of
God, then wish for death if you are men of truth.
But never on account of their
previous handywork will they wish for it, and God knoweth the wrong doers.
Say:
Verily the death from which you flee will surely meet you. Then shall you be
brought back to Him who knoweth alike the things done in secret and openly: and He will tell you of your actions.
O you who believe! When you are
summoned to prayer on the day of the Assembly, haste to the commemoration of
God, and quit your traffic. This, if you knew it, will be best for you.
62:10 And
when the Prayer is ended, then disperse yourselves abroad and go in quest of
the bounties of God; and, that it may be well with you, oft remember God.
But when they get a sight of
merchandise or sport, they disperse after it, and leave thee standing alone.
Say: God hath in reserve what is better than
sport or wares. And God is the best provider!
Sura LXIII (63)
The Hypocrites
(
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
When the Hypocrites come to
thee, they say, "We bear witness that thou art the Sent One of God."
God knoweth that thou art His Sent One: but God
beareth witness that the Hypocrites do surely lie.
Their faith have they used as a
cloak, and they turn aside others from thew ay of God! Evil are all their
doings.
This, for that they believed,
then became unbelievers! Therefore hath a seal been set upon their hearts, and
they understand not.
When thou seest them, their
persons make thee marvel; and if they speak, thou listenest with pleasure to
their discourse. Like timbers are they leaning against a wall! They think that
every shout is against them. They are enemies - Beware of them then -- God do
battle with them! How false are they!
And when it is said to them,
"Come, the Apostle of God will ask pardon for you," they turn their
heads aside, and thou seest them withdraw in their pride.
Alike shall it be to them
whether thou ask forgiveness for them, or ask it not. By no means will God
forgive them: God hath no guidance for a
perverse people.
These are they who say to you of
They say:
"If we return to the city, the mightier will assuredly drive out the
weaker from it." But might is with God, and with the Apostle, and with the
Faithful! Yet the Hypocrites understand not.
O you who believe! let not your
wealth and your children delude you into forgetfulness of God., Whoever shall
act thus, shall surely suffer loss.
63:10 And
expend in the cause of God out of that with which we have supplied you, ere
death surprise each one of you, and he say, "O Lord! wilt thou not respite
me to a term not far distant, that I may give alms, and become one of the
just?"
And by no means will God respite
a soul when its hour hath come! And God is fully cognisant of what you do.
Sura LXIV (64)
Mutual Deceit
(
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All that is in the Heavens, and all
that is in the Earth, praiseth God: His the
Kingdom and His the Glory! And He hath power over all things!
It is He who hath created you
all; yet some of you are infidel and others believers:
but God beholdeth all your actions.
He hath created the Heavens and
the Earth in Truth; and He hath fashioned you and given you goodly forms; and
to Him must you all return.
He knoweth all that passeth in
the Heavens and in the Earth; and He knoweth what you hide and what you bring
to light; and God knoweth the very secrets of men's breasts.
Hath not the story reached you
of those who disbelieved of yore, and therefore tasted the evil consequences of
their doings? And a sore punishment doth await them.
This, for that when their
apostles came to them with the clear tokens, they said, "What! shall men
be our guides?" And they believed not and turned their backs. But God can
dispense with them: for God is the Rich, the
Praiseworthy!
The infidels pretend that they
shall not be raised from the dead. Say: Yea,
by my Lord, you shall surely be raised; then shall you surely be told of your
deeds! And easy is this for God.
Believe then in God and his
apostle and in the light which we have sent down; for God is fully aware of all
you do.
The day when He shall gather you
together for the day of mutual gathering, will be the day of Mutual Deceit, and
whoso shall have believed in God and done what is right, for him will He cancel
his deeds of evil; and He will bring him into the gardens beneath whose shades
the rivers flow, to abide therein for evermore. This will be the great bliss!
64:10 But
the unbelieving -- those who gave the lie to our signs -- shall be the inmates
of the fire, wherein they shall remain for ever. And a wretched passage
thither!
No mischance chanceth but by
God's permission; and whoso believeth in God, that man's heart will he guide: and God knoweth all things.
Obey God then and obey the
apostle: but if you turn away, our apostle is
not to blame, for he is only charged with plain preaching.
God! there is no God but He! On
God, then, let the faithful trust.
O you who believe! Verily, in
your wives and your children you have an enemy:
wherefore beware of them. But if you pass it over and pardon, and are lenient,
Then God too is Lenient, Merciful.
Your wealth and your children
are only a source of trial! but God! with Him is the great recompense.
Fear God, then, with all your
might, and hear and obey: and give alms for
your own weal; for such as are saved from their good greed, shall prosper.
If you lend God a generous loan,
He will double it to you and will forgive you, for God is Grateful,
Long-suffering.
He knoweth alike the Hidden and
the Manifest: the Mighty, the Wise!
Sura LXV (65)
Divorce
(
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
O Prophet! when you divorce
women, divorce them at their special times. And reckon those times exactly, and
fear God your Lord. Put them not forth from their houses, nor allow them to depart,
unless they have committed a proven adultery. This is the precept of God; and
whoso transgresseth the precept of God, assuredly imperilleth his own self.
Thou knowest not whether, after this, God may not cause something new to occur
which may bring you together again.
And when they have reached their
set time, then either keep them with kindness, or in kindness part from them.
And take upright witnesses from among you, and bear witness as unto God. This
is a caution for him who believeth in God and in the latter day. And whoso
feareth God, to him will He grant a prosperous issue, and will provide for him
whence he reckoned not upon it.
And for him who putteth his
trust in Him will God be all-sufficient. God truly will attain his purpose. For
everything hath God assigned a period.
As to such of your wives as have
no hope of the recurrence of their times, if you have doubts in regard to them,
then reckon three months, and let the same be the term of those who have not
yet had them. And as to those who are with child, their period shall be until
they are delivered of their burden. God will make His command easy to him who
feareth Him.
This is God's command which He
hath sent down to you: Whoso feareth God, his
evil deeds will He cancel and will increase his reward.
Lodge the divorced wherever you
lodge, according to your means; and distress them not by putting them to
straits. And if they are pregnant, then be at charges for them till they are
delivered of their burden; and if they suckler your children, then pay them
their hire and consult among yourselves, and act generously: And if herein you meet with obstacles, then let
another female suckle for him.
Let him who hath abundance give
of his abundance; let him, too, whose store is scanty, give of what God hath
vouchsafed to him. Good imposeth burdens only according to the means when He
hath given. God will cause east to succeed difficulties.
How many cities have turned
aside from the command of their Lord and of his apostles! Therefore did we
reckon with them in a severe reckoning, and chastised them with a stern
chastisement.
And they tasted the harmfulness
of their own conduct: and the end of their
conduct was ruin.
65:10 A
vehement chastisement hath God prepared for them! Fear God, then, O you mean of
understanding!
Believers! Now hath God sent
down to you a warning! a prophet, who reciteth to you the clear signs of God,
that he may bring those who believeth, and do the things that are right, out of
the darkness into the light. And whoso believeth in God, and doeth the things
that are right, God will cause them to enter the gardens beneath which the
rivers flow, to remain therein for aye! A goodly provision now hath God made
for him.
It is God who hath created seven
heavens and as many earths. The Divine command cometh down through them all,
that you may know that God hath power over all things, and that God in his
knowledge embraceth all things!
Sura LXVI (66)
The Forbidding
(
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Why, O Prophet! dost thou hold
that to be forbidden which God hath made lawful to thee, from a desire to
please thy wives, since God is Lenient, Merciful?
God hath allowed you release
from your oaths; and God is your master: and
He is the Knowing, the Wise.
When the prophet told a recent
occurrence as a secret to one of his wives, and when she divulged it and God
informed him of this, he acquainted her with part and withheld part. And when
he had told her of it, she said, "Who told thee this?" He said,
"The Knowing, the Sage hath told it me.
"If you both be turned to
God in penitence, for now have your hearts gone astray.... but if you conspire
against the Prophet, then know that God is his Protector, and Gabriel, and
every just man among the faithful; and the angels are his helpers besides.
"Haply if he put you both
away, his Lord will give him in exchange other wives better than you, Muslims,
believers, devout, penitent, obedient, observant of fasting, both known of men
and virgins."
O Believers! save yourselves and
your families from the fire whose fuel is men and stones, over which are set
angels fierce and mighty: they disobey not God
in what He hath commanded them, but execute His behests.
O you Infidels! make no excuses
for yourselves this day; you shall surely be recompensed according to your
works.
O Believers! turn to God with
the turning of true penitence; haply your Lord will cancel your evil deeds, and
will bring you into the gardens 'neath which the rivers flow, on the day when
God will not shame the Prophet, nor those who have shared his faith: their light shall run before them, and on their
rights hands! they shall say, "Lord perfect our light, and pardon us: for thou hat power over all things."
O Prophet! make war on the
infidels and hypocrites, and deal rigorously with them. Hell shall be their
abode! and wretched the passage to it!
66:10 God
setteth forth as an example to unbelievers the wife of Noah and the wife of
Lot; they were under two of our righteous servants, both of whom they deceived: but their husbands availed them nought against God: and it shall be said "Enter you into the fire
with those who enter."
God also holdeth forth to those
who believe the example of the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, "Lord,
build me an house with thee in
And Mary, the daughter of Imran,
who kept her maidenhood, and into whose womb we breathed of our spirit, and who
believed in the words of her Lord and His Scriptures, and was one of the
devout.
Part 29
Sura LXVII (67)
The Kingdom
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Blessed be He in whose hand is
the Kingdom! and over all things is He potent:
Who hath created death and life
to prove which of you will be most righteous in deed; and He is the Mighty, the
Forgiving!
Who hath created seven Heavens
one above another: No defect canst thou see in
the creation of the God of Mercy: Repeat the
gaze: seest thou a single flaw?
Then twice more repeat the gaze: thy gaze shall return to thee dulled and weary.
Moreover we have decked the
lowest heaven with lights, and have placed them there to be hurled at the
Satans, for whom we have prepared the torment of the flaming fire.
And for those who believe not in
their Lord is the torment of Hell; and horrid the journey thither!
When they shall be thrown into
it, they shall hear it braying: and it shall
boil --
Almost shall it burst for fury.
So oft as a crowd shall be thrown into it, its keepers shall ask them,
"Came not the warner to you?"
They shall say, Yes! there came
to us one charged with warnings; but we treated him as a liar, and said,
"Nothing hath God sent down: you are in
nothing but a vast delusion."
67:10 And
they shall say, "Had we but hearkened or understood, we had not been among
the dwellers in the flames;"
And their sin shall they
acknowledge: but, "Avaunt, you dwellers
in the flame."
But pardon and a great reward
for those who fear their Lord in secret!
Be your converse hidden or open,
He truly knoweth the inmost recess of your breasts!
What! shall He not know who hath
created? for He is the Subtil, the Cognizant.
It is He who hath made the earth
level for you: traverse then its broad sides,
and eat of what He hath provided. -- Unto Him shall be the resurrection.
What! are you sure that He who is
in Heaven will not cleave the Earth beneath you? And lo, it shall quake.
Or are you sure that He who is
in Heaven will not send against you a stone-charged whirlwind? Then shall you
know what my warning meant!
And verily, those who flourish
before you treated their prophets as liars:
and how grievous my wrath!
Behold they not the birds over
their heads, outstretching and drawing in their wings? None, save the God of
Mercy, upholdeth them: for he regardeth all
things.
67:20 Who
is he that can be as an army to you, to succour you, except the God of Mercy?
Truly, the infidels are in the merest delusion.
Or who is he that will furnish
you supplies, if He withhold His supplies? Yet do they persist in pride and in
fleeing from Him!
Is he who goeth along grovelling
on his face, better guided than he who goeth upright on a straight path?
Say:
It is He who hath brought you forth, and gifted you with hearing and sight and
heart: yet how few are grateful!
Say:
It is He who hath sown you in the earth, and to Him shall you be gathered.
And they say, "When shall
this threat be put in force, if you speak the truth?"
Say:
Nay truly, this knowledge is with God alone:
and I am only an open warner.
But when they shall see it nigh,
said shall wax the countenances of the infidels:
and it shall be said, "This is what you have been calling for."
Say:
What think you? Whether God destroy me or not, and those who follow me, or
whether he have mercy on us, yet who will protect the infidels from a woeful
torment?
Say:
He is the God of Mercy: in Him do we believe,
and in Him put we our trust; and you shall know hereafter who is in a manifest
error.
67:30 Say: What think you? If at early morn your waters shall
have sunk away, who then will give you clear running water?
Sura LXVIII (68)
The Pen
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Nun. By the Pen and by wht they
write,
Thou, O Prophet; by the grace of
Thy Lord art not possessed!
And truly a boundless recompense
doth await thee,
For thou art of a noble nature.
But thou shalt see and they
shall see
Which of you is the demented.
Now thy Lord! well knoweth He
the man who erreth from his path, and well doth he know those who have yielded
to Guidance;
Give not place, therefore, to
those who treat thee as a liar:
They desire thee to deal
smoothly with them: then would they be smooth
as oil with thee:
68:10 But
yield not to the man of oaths, a despicable person,
Defamer, going about with slander,
Hinderer of the good,
transgressor, criminal,
Harsh -- beside thee, impure by
birth,
Though a man of riches and
blessed with sons.
Who when our wondrous verses are
recited to him saith -- "Fables of the ancients."
We will brand him on the nostrils.
Verily, we have proved them (the
Meccans) as we proved the owners of the garden, when they swore that at morn
they would cut its fruits;
But added no reserve.
Wherefore an encircling
desolation from thy Lord swept round it while they slumbered,
68:20 And
in the morning it was like a garden whose fruits had all been cut.
Then at dawn they called to each
other,
"Go out early to your
field, if you would cut your dates."
So on they went whispering to
each other,
"No poor man shall set foot
this day within your garden;"
And they went out at daybreak
with this settled purpose.
But when they beheld it, they
said, "Truly we have been in fault:
Yes! we are forbidden our
fruits."
The most rightminded of them
said, "Did I not say to you, Will you not give praise to God?"
They said, "Glory to our
Lord! Truly we have done amiss."
68:30 And
they fell to blaming one another:
They said, "Oh woe to us!
we have indeed transgressed!
Haply our Lord will give us in
exchange a better garden then this: verily we
crave it of our Lord."
Such hath been our chastisement
-- but heavier shall be the chastisement of the next world. Ah! did they but
know it.
Verily, for the God-fearing are
gardens of delight in the presence of their Lord.
Shall we then deal with those
who have surrendered themselves to God, as with those who offend him?
What hath befallen you that you
thus judge?
Have you a Scripture wherein you
can search out
That you shall have the things
you choose?
Or have you received oaths which
shall bind Us even until the day of resurrection, that you shall have what
yourselves judge right?
68:40 As
them which of them will guarantee this?
Or is it that they have joined
gods with God? let them produce those associate-gods of theirs, if they speak
truth.
On the day when men's legs shall
be bared, and they shall be called upon to bow in adoration, they shall not be
able:
Their looks shall be downcast: shame shall cover them:
because, while yet in safety, they were invited to bow in worship, but would
not obey.
Leave me alone therefore with
him who chargeth this revelation with imposture. We will lead them by degrees
to their ruin; by ways which they know not;
Yet will I bear long with them;
for my plan is sure.
Askest thou any recompense from
them? But they are burdened with debt.
Are the secret things within
their ken? Do they copy them from the Book of God?
Patiently then await the
judgment of thy Lord, and be not like him who was in the fish, when in deep
distress he cried to God.
Had not favour from his Lord
reached him, cast forth would he have been on the naked shore, overwhelmed with
shame:
68:50 But
his Lord chose him and made him of the just .
Almost would the infidels strike
thee down with their very looks when they hear the warning of the Koran. And
they say, "he is certainly possessed."
Yet is is nothing less than a
warning for all creatures.
Sura LXIX -- 69
The Inevitable
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The Inevitable!
What is the Inevitable?
And who shall make thee
comprehend what the Inevitable is?
Themoud and Ad treated the day
of Terrors as a lie.
So as to Themoud, they were
destroyed by crashing thunder bolts;
And as to Ad, they were
destroyed by a roaring and furious blast.
It did the bidding of God
against them seven nights and eight days together, during which thou mightest
have seen the people laid low, as though they had been the trunks of hollow
palm;
And couldst thou have see one of
them surviving?
Pharaoh also, and those who
flourished before him, and the overthrown cities, committed sin, --
69-10 And disobeyed the Sent one of their Lord;
therefore did he chastise them with an accumulated chastisement.
When the Flood rose high, we bare
you in the
That we might make that event a
warning to you, and that the retaining ear might retain it.
But when one blast shall be
blown on the trumpet,
And the earth and the mountains
shall be upheaved, and shall both be crushed into dust at a single crushing,
On that day the woe that must
come suddenly shall suddenly come,
And the heaven shall cleave
asunder, for on that day it shall be fragile;
And the angels shall be on its
sides, and over them on that day eight shall bear up the throne of thy Lord.
On that day you shall be brought
before Him: none of your hidden deeds shall
remain hidden:
And he who shall have his book
given to him in his right hand, will say to his friend, "Take you it; read
you my book;
69:20 I
ever thought that to this my reckoning I should come."
And his shall be a life that
shall please him well,
In a lofty garden,
Whose clusters shall be near at
hand:
"Eat you and drink with
healthy relish, as the meed of what you sent on beforehand in the days which
are past."
But he who shall have his book
given into his left hand, will say, "O that my book had never been given
me!
And that I had never known by
reckoning!
O that death had made an end of
me!
My wealth hath not profited me!
My power hath perished from
me!"
69:30
"Lay you hold on him and chain him,
Then at the Hell-fire burn him,
Then into a chain whose length
is seventy cubits thrust him;
For he believed not in God, the
Great,
And was not careful to feed the
poor;
No friend therefore shall he
have here this day,
Nor food, but corrupt sores,
Which none shall eat but the
sinners."
It needs not that I swear by
what you see,
And by thst which you see not,
69:40 That
this verily is the word of an apostle worthy of all honour!
And that it is not the word of a
poet -- how little do you believe!
Neither is it the word of a
soothsayer (Kahin) how little do you receive warning!
It is a missive from the Lord of
the worlds.
But if Muhammad had fabricated
concerning us any sayings,
We had surely seized him by the
right hand,
And had cut through the vein of
his neck.
Nor would We have withheld any
one of you from him.
But, verily, It (the Koran) is a
warning for the God-fearing;
And we well know that there are
of you who treat it as a falsehood.
69:50 But
it shall be the despair of infidels,
For it is the very truth of sure
knowledge.
Praise, then, the name of thy
Lord, the Great.
Sura LXX (70)
The Steps or Ascents
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
A suitor sued for punishment to
light suddenly
On the infidels: None can hinder
God from inflicting it, the
master of those Ascents,
By which the angels and the
spirit ascend to him in a day, whose length is fifty thousand years.
Be thou patient therefore with
becoming patience;
They forsooth regard that day as
distant,
But we see it nigh:
The day when the heavens shall
become as molten brass,
And the mountains shall become
like flocks of wool:
70:10 And
friend shall not question of friend,
Though they look at one another.
Fain would the wicked redeem himself from punishment on that day at the price
of his children,
Of his spouse and his brother,
And of his kindred who shewed
affection for him,
And of all who are on the earth
that then it might deliver him.
But no. For the fire,
Dragging by the scalp,
Shall claim him who turned his
back and went away,
And amassed and hoarded.
Man truly is by creation hasty;
70:20 When
evil befalleth him, impatient;
But when good falleth to his
lot, tenacious.
No so the prayerful,
Who are ever constant at their
prayers;
And of whose substance there is
a due and stated portion
For him who asketh, and for him
who is ashamed to beg;
And who own the judgment-day a
truth,
And who thrill with dread at the
chastisement of their Lord --
For there is none safe from the
chastisement of their Lord --
And who control their desires,
70:30 (Save
with their wives or the slaves whom their right hands have won, for there they
shall be blameless;
But whoever indulge their
desires beyond this are transgressors);
And who are true to their trusts
and their engagements,
And who witness uprightly,
And who keep strictly the hours
of prayer:
These shall dwell, laden with
honours, amid gardens.
But what hath come to the
unbelievers that they run at full stretch around thee,
On the right hand and on the
left, in bands?
Is it that every man of them
would fain enter that garden of delights?
Not at all. We have created
them, they know of what.
70:40 It
needs not that I swear by the Lord of the East and of the West that we have
power
To replace them with better than
themselves: neither are we to be hindred.
Wherefore let them flounder on
and disport them, till they come face to face with their threatened day,
The day on which they shall
flock up out of their graves in haste like men who rally to a standard: --
Their eyes downcast; disgrace
shall cover them. Such their threatened day.
Sura LXXI (71)
Noah
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
We sent Noah to his people, and
said to him, "Warn thou thy people ere there come on them an afflictive
punishment."
He said, "O my people! I
come to you a plain-spoken warner:
Sere God and fear Him, and obey
me:
Your sins will He forgive you,
and respite you till the fixed Time; for when God's fixed Time hath come, it
shall not be put back. Would that you knew this!"
He said, "Lord I have cried
to my people night and day; and my cry doth but make them flee from me the
more.
So oft as I cry to them, that
thou mayest forgive them, they thrust their fingers into their ears, and wrap
themselves in their garments, and persist in their error, and are disdainfully
disdainful.
Then I cried aloud to them:
Then again spake I with
plainness, and in private did I secretly address them:
And I said, 'Beg forgiveness of
your Lord, for He is ready to forgive.
71:10 He
will send down the very Heaven upon you in plenteous rains;
And will increase you in wealth
and children; and will give you gardens, and will give you watercourses: --
What hath come to you that you
hope not for goodness from the hand of God?
For He it is who hath formed you
by successive steps.
See you not how God hath created
the seven heavens one over the other?
And He hath placed therein the
moon as a light, and hath placed there the sun as a torch;
And God hath caused you to
spring forth from the earth like a plant;
Hereafter will He turn you back
into again, and will bring you forth anew --
And God hath spread the earth
for you like a carper,
That you may walk therein along
spacious paths.'"
71:20 Said
Noah, "O my Lord! they rebel against me, and they follow those whose
riches and children do but aggravate their ruin."
And they plotted a great plot;
And they said, "Forsake not
your Gods; forsake not Wadd nor Sowah,
Nor Yaghuth and Yahuk and
Nesr;"
And they caused many to err; --
and thou, too, O Muhammad! shall be the means of increasing only error in the
wicked --
Because of their sins they were
drowned, and made to go into the Fire;
And they found that they had no
helper save God.
And Noah said, "Lord, leave
not only single family of Infidels on the Earth:
For if thou leave them they will
beguile thy servants and will beget only sinners, infidels.
O my Lord, forgive me, and my
parents, and every one who, being a believer, shall enter my house, and
believers men and women: and add to the wicked
nought by perdition."
Sura LXXII (72)
Djinn
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Say:
It hath been revealed to me that a company of Djinn listened, and said, --
"Verily, we have heard a marvellous discourse (Koran);
It guideth to the truth;
wherefore we believed in it, and we will not henceforth join any being with our
Lord;
And He, -- may the majesty of
our Lord be exalted! -- hath taken no spouse neither hath he any offspring.
But the foolish among us hath
spoken of God that which is unjust:
And we verily thought that no
one amongst men or Djinn would have uttered a lie against God.
There are indeed people among
men, who have sought for refuge unto people among Djinn:
but they only increased their folly:
And they thought, as you think,
that God would not raise any from the dead.
And the Heavens did we essay,
but found them filled with a mighty garrison, and with flaming darts;
And we sat on the some of the
seats to listen, but whoever listeneth findeth an ambush ready for him of
flaming darts.
72:10 And
truly we know not whether evil be meant for them that are on earth, or whether
their Lord meaneth guidance for them.
And there are among us good, and
others among us of another kind; -- we are of various sorts:
And verily we thought that no
one could weaken God on earth, neither could we escape from him by flight:
Wherefore as soon as we had
heard 'the guidance' we believed in it; and whoever believeth in his Lord, need
not fear either loss or wrong.
There are some among us who have
resigned themselves to God (the Muslims); and there are others of us who have
gone astray. And whoso resigneth himself to God pursueth the way of truth;
But they who go astray from it
shall be fuel for Hell."
Moreover, if they (the Meccans)
keep straight on in that way, we will surely give them to drink of abundant
waters,
That we may prove them thereby: but whoso withdraweth from the remembrance of his
Lord, him will He send into a severe torment.
It is unto God that the temples
are set apart: call not then on any other
therein with God.
When the servant of God stood up
to call upon Him, the djinn almost jostled him by their crowds.
72:20 Say: I call only upon my Lord, and I join no other
being with Him.
Say:
No control have I over what may hurt or benefit you.
Say:
Verily none can protect me against God;
Neither shall I find any refuge
beside Him.
My sole work is preaching from
God, and His message: and for such as shall
rebel against God and his apostle is the fire of Hell! they shall remain
therein alway, -- for ever!
Until they see their threatened
vengeance they will be perverse! but then shall they know which side was the
weakest in a protector and the fewest in number.
Say:
I know not whether that with which you are threatened be night, or whether my
Lord hath assigned it to a distant day: He
knoweth the secret, nor doth He divulge his secret to any,
Except to that Apostle who
pleaseth Him; and before him and behind him He maketh a guard to march:
That He may know if his Apostles
have verily delivered the messages of their Lord:
and He embraceth in his knowledge all their ways, and taketh count of all that
concerneth them.
Sura LXXIII (73)
The Enfolded
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
O Thou enfolded in thy mantle,
Stand up all night, except a
small port of it, for prayer:
Half or curtail the half a
little, --
Or add to it: And with measured tone intone the Koran,
For we shall devolve on thee
weighty words.
Verily, at the oncoming of night
are devout impressions strongest, and words are most collected;
But in the day time thou hast
continual employ --
And commemorate the name of thy
Lord, and devote thyself to Him with entire devotion.
Lord of the East and of the
West! No God is there but He! Take Him for thy protector,
73:10 And
endure what they say with patience, and depart from them with a decorous
departure.
And let Me alone with the
gainsayers, rich in the pleasures of this life; and bear thou with them yet a
little while:
For with Us are strong fetters,
and a flaming fire,
And food that choketh, and a
sore torment.
The day cometh when the earth
and the mountains shall be shaken; and the mountains shall become a loose sand
heap.
Verily, we have sent you an
Apostle to witness against you, even as we sent an Apostle to Pharaoh:
But Pharaoh rebelled against the
Apostle, and we therefore laid hold on him with a severe chastisement.
And how, if you believe not,
will you screen yourselves from the day that shall turn children greyheaded?
The very heaven shall be reft
asunder by it: this threat shall be carried
into effect.
Lo! this is a warning. Let him
then who will, take the way to his Lord.
73:20 Of a
truth, thy Lord knoweth that thou prayest almost two-thirds, or half, or a
third of the night, as do a part of thy followers. But God measureth the night
and the day: -- He knoweth that you cannot
count its hours aright, and therefore, turneth to you mercifully. Recite then
so much of the Koran as may be easy to you. He knoweth that there will be some
among you sick, while others travel through the earth in quest of the bounties
of God; and other do battle in his cause. Recite therefore so much of it as may
be easy. And observe the Prayers and pay the legal Alms, and lend God a liberal
loan: for whatever good works you send on
before for your own behoof, you shall find with God. This will be best and
richest in the recompense. And seek the forgiveness of God: verily, God is forgiving, Merciful.
Sura LXXIV (74)
The Enwrapped
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
O Thou, enwrapped in thy mantle!
Arise and warn!
Thy Lord -- magnify Him!
Thy raiment -- purify it!
The abomination -- flee it!
And bestow not favours that thou
mayest receive again with increase;
And for thy Lord wait thou
patiently.
For when there shall be a trump
on the trumpet,
That shall be a distressful day,
74:10 A
day, to the Infidels, devoid of ease.
Leave me alone to deal with him
whom I have created,
And on whom I have bestowed vast
riches,
And sons dwelling before him,
And for whom I have smoothed all
things smoothly down; --
Yet desireth he that I shall add
more!
But no! because to our signs he
is a foe
I will lay grievous woes upon
him.
For he plotted and he planned!
May he be cursed! How he
planned!
74:20
Again, may be be cursed! How he planned!
Then looked he around him,
Then frowned and scowled,
Then turned his back and swelled
with disdain,
And said, "This is merely
magic that will be wrought;
It is merely the word of a
mortal."
We will surely cast him in
Hell-fire.
And who shall teach thee what
Hell-fire is?
It leaveth nought, it spareth
nought,
Blackening the skin.
74:30 Over it
are nineteen angels.
None but angels have we made
guardians of the fire: nor have we made this
to be their number but to perplex the unbelievers, and that they who possess
the Scriptures may be certain of the truth of the Koran, and that they who
believe may increase their faith;
And that they to whom the
Scriptures have been given, and the believers,may not doubt;
And that the infirm of heart and
the unbelievers may say, What meaneth God by this parable?
Thus God misleadeth whom He
will, and whom He will doth He guide aright:
and none knoweth the armies of thy Lord but Himself:
and this is no other than a warning to mankind.
Nay, by the Moon!
By the Night when it retreateth!
By the Morn when it brighteneth!
Hell is one of the most grievous
woes,
Fraught with warning toman,
74:40 To
him among you who desireth to press forward, or to remain behind.
For its own works lieth every
soul in pledge. But they of God's right hand
In their gardens shall ask of
the wicked; --
"What hath cast you into
Hell-fire?"
They will say, "We were not
of those who prayed,
And we were not of those who fed
the poor,
And we plunged into vain
disputes with vain disputers,
And we rejected as a lie, the
day of reckoning,
Till the certainty came upon
us" --
And intercession of the
interceders shall not avail them.
74:50 Then
what hath come to them that they turn aside from the Warning
As if they affrighted asses
fleeing from a lion?
And every one of them would fain
have open pages given to him out of Heaven.
It shall not be. They fear not
the life to come.
It shall not be. For this Koran
is warning enough. And whoso will, it warneth him.
But not unless God please, shall
they be warned. Meet is He to be feared. Meet is forgiveness in Him.
Sura LXXV (75)
The Resurrection
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
It needeth not that I swear by
the day of the Resurrection,
Or that I swear by the
self-accusing soul.
Thinketh man that we shall not
re-unite his bones?
Aye! his very finger tips are we
able evenly to replace.
But man chooseth to deny what is
before him:
He asketh, "When this day
of Resurrection?"
But when the eye shall be
dazzled,
And when the moon shall be
darkened,
And the sun and the moon shall
be together
75:10 On
that day man shall cry, "Where is there a place to flee to?"
But in vain, -- there is no
refuge --
With thy Lord on that day shall
be the sole asylum.
On that day shall man be told of
all that he hath done first and last;
Yea, a man shall be the eye
witness against himself:
And even if he put forth his
plea. . . .
(Move not thy tongue in hast to
follow and master this revelation:
For we will see to the
collecting and the recital of it;
But when we have recited it,
then follow thou the recital,
And, verily, afterwards it shall
be ours to explain it to thee.)
75:20 Aye,
but you love the transitory,
And you neglect the life to
come.
On that day shall faces beam
with light,
Outlooking towards their Lord;
And faces on that day shall be
dismal,
As if they thought that some
great calamity would befal them.
Aye, when the soul shall come up
into the throat,
And there shall be a cry,
"Who hath a charm that can restore him?"
And the man feeleth that the
time of his departure is come,
And when one leg shall be laid
over the other,
75:30 To
thy Lord on that day shall he be driven on;
For he believed not, and he did
not pray,
But he called the truth a lie
and turned his back,
Then, walking with haughty men,
rejoined his people.
That Hour is nearer to thee and
hearer,
It is ever nearer to thee and
nearer still.
Thinketh man that he shall be
left supreme?
Was he not a mere embryo?
Then he become thick blood of
which God formed him and fashioned him;
And made him twain, male and
female.
75:40 Is
not He powerful enough to quicken the dead?
Sura LXXVII (77)
The Sent
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
By the train of The Sent ones,
And the swift in their
swiftness;
By the scatterers who scatter,
And the distinguishers who
distinguish;
And by those that give forth the
word
To excuse or warn;
Verily that which you are
promised is imminent.
When the stars, therefore, shall
be blotted out,
And when the heaven shall be
cleft,
77:10 And
when the mountains shall be scattered in dust,
And when the Apostles shall have
a time assigned them;
Until what day shall that time
be deferred?
To the day of severing!
And who shall teach thee what
the day of severing is?
Woe on that day to those who
charged with imposture!
Have we not destroyed them of
old?
We will next cause those of
later times to follow them.
Thus deal we with the evil
doers.
Woe on that day to those who
charged with imposture!
77:20 Have
we not created you of a sorry germ,
Which we laid up in a secure
place,
Till the term decreed for birth?
Such is our power! and how powerful
are We!
Woe on that day to those who
charged with imposture!
Have we not made the earth to
hold
The living and the dead?
And placed on it the tall firm
mountains, and given you to drink of sweet water.
Woe on that day to those who
charged with imposture!
Begone to that Hell which you
called a lie: --
77:30
Begone to the shadows that lie in triple masses;
"But not against the flame
shall they shade or help you:" --
The sparks which it casteth out
are like towers --
Like tawny camels.
Woe on that day to those who
charged with imposture!
On that day they shall not
speak,
Nor shall it be permitted them
to allege excuses.
Woe on that day to those who
charged with imposture!
This is the day of severing,
when we will assemble you and your ancestors.
If now you have any craft truly
your craft on me.
77:40 Woe
on that day to those who charged with imposture!
But the god-fearing shall be
placed amid shades and fountains,
And fruits, whatsoever they
shall desire:
"Eat and drink, with
health, as the meed of your toils."
Thus recompense we the good.
Woe on that day to those who
charged with imposture!
"Eat you and enjoy
yourselves a little while. Verily, you are doers. of evil."
Woe on that day to those who
charged with imposture!
For when it is said to them,
bend the knee, they bend it not.
Woe on that day to those who
charged with imposture!
77:50 In what other revelation after this will they believe?
Part 30
Sura LXXVIII (78)
The News
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Of what ask they of one another?
Of the great News.
The theme of their disputes.
Nay! they shall certainly know
its truth!
Again. Nay! they shall certainly
know it.
Have we not made the Earth a
couch?
And the mountains its
tent-stakes?
We have created you of two
sexes,
And ordained your sleep for
rest,
78:10 And
ordained the night as a mantle,
And ordained the day for gaining
livelihood,
And built above you seven solid
heavens,
And placed therein a burning
lamp;
And we send down water in
abundance from the rain-clouds,
That we may bring froth by it
corn and herbs,
And gardens thick with trees.
Lo! the day of Severance is
fixed;
The day when there shall be a
blast on the trumpet, and you shall come in crowds,
And the heaven shall be opened
and be full of portals,
78:20 And
the mountains shall be set in motion, and melt into thin vapour.
Hell truly shall be a place of
snares,
The home of transgressors,
To abide therein ages;
No coolness shall they taste
therein nor any drink,
Save boiling water and running
sores;
Meet recompense!
For they looked not forward to
their account;
And they gave the lie to our
signs, charging them with falsehood;
But we noted and wrote down all:
78:30
"Taste this then: and we will give you
increase of nought but torment."
But, for the God-fearing is a
blissful abode,
Enclosed gardens and vineyards;
And damsels with swelling breasts,
their peers in age,
And a full cup:
There shall they hear no vain
discourse nor any falsehood:P
A recompense from thy Lord --
sufficing gift! --
Lord of the heavens and of the
earth, and of all that between them lieth - the God of Mercy! But not a word
shall they obtain from Him.
On the day whereon the Spirit
and the Angels shall be ranged in order, they shall not speak: save he whom the God of Mercy shall permit, and
who shall say that which is right.
This is the sure day. Whoso then
will, let him take the path of return to his Lord.
78:40
Verily, we warn you of a chastisement close at hand:
The day on which a man shall see
the deeds which his hands have sent before him; and when the unbeliever shall
say, "Oh! would I were dust!"
Sura LXXIX (79)
Those Who Drag Forth
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
By those angels who drag forth
souls with violence,
And by those who with joyous
release release them;
By those who swim swimmingly
along;
By those who are foremost with
foremost speed;
By those who conduct the affairs
of the universe!
One day, the disturbing
trumpet-blast shall disturb it,
Which the second blast shall
follow:
Men's hearts on that day shall
quake: --
Their looks be downcast.
79:10 The
infidels will say, "Shall we indeed be restored as at first?
What! when we have become rotten
bones?"
"This then," say they,
"will be a return to loss."
Verily, it will be but a single
blast,
And lo! they are on the surface
of the earth.
Hath the story of Moses reached
thee?
When his lord called to him in
Towa's holy vale:
Go to Pharaoh, for he hath burst
all bounds:
And say:
"Wouldest thou become just?
Then I will guide thee to thy
Lord that thou mayest fear him."
79:20 And
he showed him a great miracle, --
But he treated him as an
impostor, and rebelled;
Then turned he his back all
hastily,
And gathered an assembly and
proclaimed,
And said, "I am your Lord
supreme."
So God visited on him the
punishment of this life and of the other.
Verily, herein is a lesson for
him who hath the fear of God.
Are you the harder to create, or
the heaven which he hath built?
He reared its height and
fashioned it,
And gave darkness to its night,
and brought out its light,
79:30 And
afterwards stretched forth the earth, --
He brought forth from it its
waters and its pastures;
And set the mountains firm
For you and your cattle to
enjoy.
But when the grand overthrow
shall come,
The day when a man shall reflect
on the pains that he hath taken,
And Hell shall be in full view
of all who are looking on;
Then, as for him who hath
transgressed
And hath chosen this present
life,
Verily, Hell -- that shall be
his dwelling-place:
79:40 But
as to him who shall have feared the majesty of his Lord, and shall have
refrained his soul form lust,
Verily,
They will ask thee of "the
Hour," when will be its fixed time?
But what knowledge hast thou of
it?
Its period is known only to thy
Lord;
And thou art only charged with
the warning of those who fear it.
On the day when they shall see
it, it shall seem to them as though they had not tarried in the tomb, longer
than its evening or its morn.
Sura LXXX (80)
He Frowned
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
He Frowned, and he turned his
back,
Because the blind man came to
him!
But what assured thee that he would
not be cleansed by the Faith,
Or be warned, and the warning
profit him?
As to him who is wealthy --
To him thou wast all attention:
Yet is it not thy concern if he
be not cleansed:
But as to him who cometh to thee
in earnest,
And full of fears --
80:10 Him
dost thou neglect.
Nay! but it (the Koran) is a
warning;
(And whoso is willing beareth it
in mind)
Written on honoured pages,
Exalted, purified,
By the hands of Scribes,
honoured, righteous.
Cursed be man! What hath made
him unbelieving?
Of what thing did God create
him,
80:20 Then
made him an easy passage from the womb,
Then caused him to die and
burieth him;
Then, when he pleaseth, will
raise him again to life.
Aye! but man hath not yet
fulfilled the bidding of his Lord.
Let man look at his food:
It was We who rained down the
copious rains,
Then cleft the earth with
clefts,
And caused the upgrowth of the
grain,
And grapes and healing herbs,
And the olive and the palm,
80:30 And
enclosed gardens thick with trees,
And fruits and herbage,
For the service of yourselves
and of your cattle.
But when the stunning
trumpet-blast shall arrive,
On that day shall a man fly from
his brother,
And his mother and his father,
And his wife and his children;
For every man of them on that
day his own concerns shall be enough.
There shall be faces on that day
radiant,
Laughing and joyous:
80:40 And
faces on that day with dust upon them:
Blackness shall cover them!
These are the Infidels, the
Impure.
Sura LXXXI (81)
The Folded Up
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
When the sun shall be Folded Up,
And when the stars shall fall,
And when the mountains shall be
set in motion,
And when the she-camels shall be
abandoned,
And when the wild beasts shall
be gathered together,
And when the seas shall boil,
And when the souls shall be
paired with their bodies,
And when the female child that
had been buried alive shall be asked
For what crime she was put to
death,
81:10 And
when the leaves of the Book shall be unrolled,
And when the Heavens shall be
stripped away,
And when Hell shall be made to
blaze,
And when
Every soul shall know what it
hath produced.
It needs not that I swear by the
stars of retrograde motions
Which move swiftly and hide
themselves away,
And by the night when it cometh
darkening on,
And by the dawn when it
brighteneth,
That this is the word of an
illustrious Messenger,
81:20
Endued with power, having influence with the Lord of the Throne,
Obeyed there by Angels, faithful
to his trust,
And your compatriot is not one
possessed by djinn;
For he saw him in the clear
horizon:
Nor doth he teach the doctrine
of a cursed Satan.
Whither then are you going?
Verily, this is no other than a
warning to all creatures;
To him among you who willeth to
walk in a straight path:
But will it you shall not,
unless as God willeth it, the Lord of the worlds.
Sura LXXXII (82)
The Cleaving
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
When the Heaven shall Cleave
asunder,
And when the stars shall
disperse,
And when the seas shall be
conmingled,
And when the graves shall be
turned upside down,
Each soul shall recognise its
earliest and its latest actions.
O man! what had misled thee
against thy generous Lord,
Who hath created thee and
moulded thee and shaped thee aright?
In the form which pleased Him
hath He fashioned thee.
Even so; but you treat the
Judgment as a lie.
82:10 Yet
truly there are guardians over you --
Illustrious recorders --
Cognisant of your actions.
Surely amid delights shall the
righteous dwell,
But verily the impure in
Hell-fire:
They shall be burned at it on
the day of doom,
And they shall not be able to
hide themselves from it.
Who shall teach thee what the
day of doom is?
Once more. Who shall teach thee
what the day of doom is?
It is a day when one soul shall be
powerless for another soul: all sovereignty on
that day shall be with God.
Sura LXXXIII (83)
Those Who Stint
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Woe to those who Stint the measure:
Who when they take by measure
from others, exact the full;
But when they mete to them or
weigh to them, minish --
What! have they no thought that
they shall be raised again
For the great day?
The day when mankind shall stand
before the Lord of the worlds.
Yes! the register of the wicked
is in Sidjin.
And who shall make thee
understand what Sidjin is?
It is a book distinctly written.
83:10 Woe,
on that day, to those who treated our signs as lies,
Who treated the day of judgment
as a lie!
None treat it as a lie, save the
transgressor, the criminal,
Who, when our signs are
rehearsed to him, saith, "Tales of the Ancients!"
Yes; but their own works have
got the mastery over their hearts.
Yes; they shall be shut out as
by a veil from their Lord on that day;
Then shall they be burned in
Hell-fire:
Then shall it be said to them,
"This is what you deemed a lie."
Even so. But the register of the
righteous is in Illiyoun.
And who shall make thee
understand what Illiyoun is?
83:20 A book
distinctly written;
The angels who draw nigh unto
God attest it.
Surely, among delights shall the
righteous dwell!
Seated on bridal couches they
will gaze around;
Thou shalt mark in their faces
the brightness of delight;
Choice sealed wine shall be
given them to quaff,
The seal of musk. For this let
those pant who pant for bliss --
Mingled therewith shall be the
waters of Tasnim --
Fount whereof they who draw nigh
to God shall drink.
The sinners indeed laugh the
faithful to scorn:
83:30 And when
they pass by them they wink at one another, --
And when they return to their
own people, they return jesting,
And when they see them they say,
"These are the erring ones."
And yet they have no mission to
be their guardians.
Therefore, on that day the
faithful shall laugh the infidels to scorn,
As reclining on bridal couches
they behold them.
Shall not the infidels be
recompensed according to their works?
Sura LXXXIV (84)
The Splitting Asunder
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
When the Heaven shall have Split
Asunder
And duteously obeyed its Lord;
And when Earth shall have been
stretched out as a plain,
And shall have cast forth what
was in her and become empty,
And duteously obeyed its Lord;
Then verily, O man, who desirest
to reach thy Lord, shalt thou meet him.
And he into whose right hand his
Book shall be given,
Shall be reckoned with in an
easy reckoning,
And shall turn, rejoicing, to
his kindred.
84:10 But
he whose Book shall be given him behind his back
Shall invoke destruction:
But in the fire shall he burn,
For that he lived joyously among
his kindred,
Without a thought that he should
return to God.
Yea, but his Lord beheld him.
It needs not therefore that I
swear by the sunset redness,
And by the night and its
gatherings,
And by the moon when at her
full,
That from state to state shall
you be surely carried onward.
84:20 What
then hath come to them that they believe not?
And that when the Koran is
recited to them they adore not?
Yea, the unbelievers treat it as
a lie.
But God knoweth their secret
hatreds:
Let their only tidings be those
of painful punishment;
Save to those who believe and do
the things that be right. An unfailing recompense shall be theirs.
Sura LXXXV (85)
The Starry
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
By the star-bespangled Heaven!
By the promised Day!
By the witness and the
witnessed!
Cursed the masters of the trench
Of the fuel-fed fire,
When they sat around it
Witnesses of what they inflicted
on the believers!
Nor did they torment them but
for their faith in God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy:
His the kingdom of the Heavens
and of the Earth; and God is the witness of everything.
85:10
Verily, those who vexed the believers, men and women, and repented not, doth
the torment of Hell, and the torment of the burning, await.
But for those who shall have
believed and done the things that be right, are the Gardens beneath whose
shades the rivers flow. This is the immense bliss!
Verily, right terrible will by
thy Lord's vengeance!
He it is who produceth all
things, and causeth them to return;
And is He the Indulgent, the
Loving;
Possessor of the Glorious
throne;
Worker of that he willeth.
Hath not the story reached thee
of the hosts
Of Pharaoh and Themoud?
Nay! the infidels are all for
denial:
85:20 But
God surroundeth them from behind.
Yet it is a glorious Koran,
Written on the preserved Table.
Sura
LXXXVI (86)
The
Night-Comer
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
By the heaven, and by the
Night-Comer!
But who shall teach thee what
the night-comer is?
'Tis the star of piercing
radiance.
Over every soul is set a
guardian.
Let man then reflect out of what
he was created.
He was created of the
poured-forth germs,
Which issue from the loins and
breastbones:
Well able then is God to restore
him to life, --
On the day when all secrets
shall be searched out,
86:10 And
he shall have no other might or helper.
I swear by the heaven which
accomplisheth its cycle,
And by the earth which openeth
her bosom,
That his Koran is a
discriminating discourse,
And that it is not frivolous.
They plot a plot against thee,
And I will plot a plot against
them.
Deal calmly therefore with the
infidels; leave them awhile alone.
Sura LXXXVII (87)
The Most High
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Praise the name of thy Lord The
Most High,
Who hath created and balanced
all things,
Who hath fixed their destinies
and guideth them,
Who bringeth forth the pasture,
And reduceth it to dusky
stubble.
We will teach thee to recite the
Koran, nor aught shalt thou forget,
Save what God pleaseth; for he
knoweth alike things manifest and hidden;
And we will make easy to thee
our easy ways.
Warn, therefore, for the warning
is profitable:
87:10 He
that feareth God will receive the warning, --
And the most reprobate only will
turn aside from it,
Who shall not be exposed to the
terrible fire,
In which he shall not die, and
shall not live.
Happy he who is purified by
Islam,
And who remembereth the name of
his Lord and prayeth.
But you prefer this present
life,
Though the life to come is
better and more enduring.
This truly is in the Books of
old,
The Books of Abraham and Moses.
Sura LXXXVIII (88)
The Overshadowing
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Hath the tidings of the day that
shall Overshadow, reached thee?
Downcast on that day shall be
the countenances of some,
Travailing and worn,
Burnt at the scorching fire,
Made to drink from a fountain
fiercely boiling.
No food shall they have but the
fruit of Darih,
Which shall not fatten, nor
appease their hunger.
Joyous too, on that day, the
countenances of others,
Well pleased with their labours
past,
88:10 In a
lofty garden:
No vain discourse shalt thou
hear therein:
Therein shall be a gushing
fountain,
Therein shall be raised couches,
And goblets ready placed,
And cushions laid in order,
And carpets spread forth.
Can they not look up to the
clouds, how they are created;
And to the heaven how it is
upraised;
And to the mountains how they
are rooted;
88:20 And
to the earth how it is outspread?
Warn thou then; for thou art a
warner only:
Thou hast no authority over them:
But whoever shall turn back and
disbelieve,
God shall punish him with the
greater punishment.
Verily to Us shall they return;
Then shall it be Our's to reckon
with them.
Sura LXXXIX (89)
The Daybreak
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
By the Daybreak and ten nights.
By that which is single,
By the night when it pursues its
course!
Is there not in this an oath
becoming a man of sense?
Hast thou not seen how thy Lord
dealt with Ad,
At Irem adorned with pillars,
Whose like have not been reared
in these lands!
And with Themoud who hewed out
the rocks in the valley;
And with Pharaoh the impaler;
89:10 Who
all committed excesses in the lands,
And multiplied wickedness
therein.
Wherefore thy Lord let loose on
them the scourge of chastisement,
For thy Lord standeth on a watch
tower.
As to man, when his Lord trieth
him and honoureth him and is bounteous to him,
Then saith he, "My Lord honoureth
me:"
But when he proveth him and
limiteth his gifts to him,
He saith, "My Lord
despiseth me."
Aye. But you honour not the
orphan,
Nor urge you one another to feed
the poor,
89:20 And
you devour heritages, devouring greedily,
And you love riches with
exceeding love.
Aye. But when the earth shall be
crushed with crushing, crushing,
And thy Lord shall come and the
angels rank on rank,
And Hell on that day shall be
moved up, -- Man shall on that day remember himself. But how shall remembrance
help him?
He shall say, Oh! would that I
had prepared for this my life! On that day none shall punish as God punisheth,
And none shall bind with such
bonds as He.
Oh, thou soul which art at rest,
Return to thy Lord, pleased, and
pleasing him:
Enter thou among my servants,
89:30 And
enter thou my
Sura XC (90)
The Soil
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
I need not to swear by this
Soil,
This soil on which thou dost
dwell,
Or by sire and offspring!
Surely in trouble have we
created man.
What! thinketh he that no one
hath power over him?
"I have wasted," saith
he, "enormous riches!
What! thinketh he that no one
regardeth him?
What! have we not made him eyes,
And tongue, and lips,
90:10 And
guided him to the two highways?
Yet he attempted not the steep.
And who shall teach thee what
the steep is?
It is to ransom the captive,
Or to feed in the day of famine,
The orphan who is near of kin,
or the poor that lieth in the dust;
Beside this, to be of those who
believe, and enjoin stedfastness on each other, and enjoin compassion on each
other.
These shall be the people of the
right hand:
While they who disbelieve our
signs,
Shall be the people of the left.
90:20
Around them the fire shall close.
Sura XCI (91)
The Sun
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
By the Sun and his noonday
brightness!
By the Moon when she followeth
him!
By the Day when it revealeth his
glory!
By the Night when it enshroudeth
him!
By the Heaven and Him who built
it!
By the Earth and Him who spread
it forth!
And breathed into it its
wickedness and its piety,
Blessed now is he who hath kept
it pure,
91:10 And
undone is he who hath corrupted it!
Themoud in his impiety rejected
the message of the Lord,
When the greatest wretch among
them rushed up: --
Said the Apostle of God to them
-- "The Camel of God! let her drink."
But they treated him as an
impostor and hamstrung her.
So their Lord destroyed them for
their crime, and visited all alike:
Nor feared he the issue.
Sura XCII (92)
The Night
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
By the Night when she spreads
her veil;
By the Day when it brightly
shineth;
By Him who made male and female;
At different ends truly do you
aim!
But as to him who giveth alms
and feareth God,
And yieldeth assent to the Good;
To him will we make easy the
path to happiness.
But as to him who is covetous
and bent on riches,
And calleth the Good a lie,
92:10 To
him will we make easy the path to misery:
And what shall his wealth avail
him when he goeth down?
Truly man's guidance is with Us
And Our's, the Future and the
Past.
I warn you therefore of the
flaming fire;
None shall be cast to it but the
most wretched, --
Who hath called the truth a lie
and turned his back.
But the God-fearing shall escape
it, --
Who giveth away his substance
that he may become pure;
And who offereth not favours to
any one for the sake of recompense,
92:20 But
only as seeking the face of his Lord the Most High.
And surely in the end he shall
be well content.
Sura XCIII (93)
The Brightness
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
By the noon-day Brightness,
And by the night when it
darkeneth!
Thy Lord hath not forsaken thee,
neither hath he been displeased.
And surely the Future shall be
better for thee than the Past,
And in the end shall thy Lord be
bounteous to thee and thou be satisfied.
Did he not find thee an orphan
and gave thee a home?
And found thee needy and
enriched thee.
As to the orphan therefore wrong
him not;
93:10 And
as to him that asketh of thee, chide him not away;
And as for the favours of thy
Lord tell them abroad.
Sura XCIV (94)
The Opening
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Have we not Opened thine heart
for thee?
And taken off from thee thy
burden,
Which galled thy back?
And have we not raised thy name
for thee?
Then verily along with trouble
cometh ease.
Verily along with trouble cometh
ease.
But when thou art set at
liberty, then prosecute thy toil.
And seek thy Lord with fervour.
Sura XCV (95)
The Fig
(
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
I swear by the Fig and by the
olive,
By
And by this inviolate soil!
That of goodliest fabric we
created man,
Then brought him down to be the
lowest of the low; --
Save who believe and do the
things that are right, for theirs shall be a reward that faileth not.
Then, who after this shall make
thee treat the Judgment as a lie?
What! is not God the most just
of judges?
Sura XCVI (96)
Thick Blood/Clots of Blood
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Recite thou, in the name of thy
Lord who created; --
Created man from Clots of Blood: --
Recite thou! For thy Lord is the
most Beneficent,
Who hath taught the use of the
pen; --
Hath taught Man that which he
knoweth not.
Nay, verily, Man is insolent,
Because he seeth himself
possessed of riches.
Verily, to thy Lord is the
return of all.
What thinkest thou of him that
holdeth back
96:10 A
servant of God when he prayeth?
What thinkest thou? Hath he followed
the true Guidance, or enjoined Piety?
What thinkest thou? Hath he
treated the truth as a lie and turned his back?
What! doth he not know how that
God seeth?
Nay, verily, if he desist not,
We shall seize him by the forelock,
The lying sinful forelock!
Then let him summon his
associates;
We too will summon the guards of
Hell:
Nay! obey him not; but adore,
and draw nigh to God.
Sura XCVII (97)
Power
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Verily, we have caused It to
descend on the night of Power.
And who shall teach thee what
the night of power is?
The night of power excelleth a
thousand months:
Therein descend the angels and
the spirit by permission of their Lord for every matter;
And all is peace till the
breaking of the morn.
Sura XCVIII (98)
Clear Evidence
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The unbelievers among the people
of the Book, and the Polytheists, did not waver, until the Clear Evidence had
come to them;
A messenger from God, reciting
to them the pure pages wherein are true Scriptures!
Neither were they to whom the Scriptures
were given divided into sects, till after this clear evidence had reached them!
Yet was not aught enjoined on
them but to worship God with sincere religion, sound in faith; and to observe
prayer and pay the stated alms. For this is true religion.
But the unbelievers among the
people of the Book, and among the Polytheists, shall go into the fire of
Gehenna to abide therein for aye. Of all creatures are they the worst!
But they who believe and do the
things that are right -- these of all creatures are the best!
Their recompense with their Lord
shall be gardens of
God is well pleased in them and
they in Him! This, for him who feareth his Lord.
Sura XCIX (99)
The Earthquake
(
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
When the Earth with her quaking
shall quake
And the Earth shall cast forth
her burdens,
And man shall say, What aileth
her?
On that day shall she tell out
her tidings,
Because thy Lord shall have
inspired her.
On that day shall men come
forward in throngs to behold their works,
And whosoever shall have wrought
an atom's weight of good shall behold it.
And whosoever shall have wrought
an atom's weight of evil shall behold it.
Sura C (100)
The Chargers
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
By the snorting Chargers!
And those that dash off sparks
of fire!
And those that scour to the
attack at morn!
And stir therein the dust aloft;
And cleave therein their midway
through a host!
Truly, Man is to his Lord
ungrateful.
And of this he is himself a
witness;
And truly, he is vehement in the
love of this world's good.
Ah! knoweth he not, that when
that which is in the graves shall be laid bare,
100:10 And
that which is in men's breasts shall be brought forth,
Verily their Lord shall on that
day be informed concerning them?
Sura CI (101)
The Blow
(
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The Blow! what is the Blow?
Who shall teach thee what the
Blow is?
The Day when men shall be like
scattered moths,
And the mountains shall be like
flocks of carded wool,
Then as to him whose balances
are heavy -- his shall be a life that shall please him well:
And as to him whose balances are
light -- his dwelling-place shall be the pit.
And who shall teach thee what
the pit (El-Hawiya) is?
A raging fire!
Sura CII (102)
Desire
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The Desire of increasing riches
occupieth you,
Till you come to the grave.
Nay! but in the end you shall
know --
Nay! once more, in the end you
shall know your folly.
Nay! would that you knew it with
knowledge of certainty!
Surely you shall see hell-fire.
Then shall you surely see it
with the eye of certainty;
Then shall you on that day be
taken to task concerning pleasures.
Sura CIII (103)
The Afternoon
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
I swear by the declining day!
Verily, man's lot is cast amid
destruction,
Save those who believe and do
the things which be right, and enjoin truth and enjoin stedfastness on each
other.
Sura CIV (104)
The Backbiter
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Woe to every Backbiter, Defamer!
Who amasseth wealth and storeth
it against the future!
He thinketh surely that his
wealth shall be with him for ever.
Nay! for verily he shall be
flung into the Crushing Fire;
And who shall teach thee what
the Crushing Fire is?
It is God's kindled fire,
Which shall mount above the
hearts of the damned;
It shall verily rise over them
like a vault,
On outstretched columns.
Sura CV (105)
The Elephant
(
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Hast thou not seen how thy Lord
dealt with the army of the Elephant?
Did he not cause their stratagem
to miscarry?
And he sent against them birds
in flocks (ababils),
Claystones did they hurl down
upon them,
And he made them like stubble
eaten down!
Sura CVI (106)
The Koreisch
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
For the union of the Koreisch: --
Their union in equipping
caravans winter and summer.
And let them worship the Lord of
this house, who hath provided them with food against hunger,
And secured them against alarm.
Sura CVII (107)
Religion
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
What thinkest thou of him who
treateth our Religion as a lie?
He it is who thrusteth away the
orphan,
And stirreth not others up to
the feeding the poor.
Woe to those who pray,
But in their prayer are
careless;
Who make a shew of devotion,
But refuse help to the needy.
Sura CVIII (108)
The Abundance
(
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Truly we have given thee an
Abundance;
Pray therefore to the Lord, and
slay the victims.
Verily whoso hateth thee shall
be childless.
Sura CIX (109)
Unbelievers
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Say:
O you Unbelievers!
I worship not that which you
worship,
And you do not worship that
which I worship;
I shall never worship that which
you worship,
Neither will you worship that
which I worship.
To you be your religion; to me
my religion.
Sura CX (110)
Help
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
When the Help of God and the
victory arrive,
And thou seest men entering the
religion of God by troops;
Then utter the praise of thy
Lord, implore His pardon; for He loveth to turn in mercy.
Sura CXI (111)
Abu Lahab
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Let the hands of Abu Lahab
perish, and let himself perish!
His wealth and his gains shall
avail him not.
Burned shall he be at the fiery
flame,
And his wife laden with fire
wood, --
On her neck a rope of palm
fibre.
Sura CXII (112)
The Unity
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Say:
He is God alone:
God the eternal!
He begetteth not, and He is not
begotten;
And there is none like unto Him.
Sura CXIII (113)
The Daybreak
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Say:
I betake me for refuge to the Lord of the Day Break
Against the mischiefs of his
creation;
And against the mischief of the night
when it overtaketh me;
And against the mischief of
weird women;
And against the mischief of the
envier when he envieth.
Sura CXIV (114)
Men
(
________________________________________
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Say:
I betake me for refuge to the Lord of Men,
The King of men,
The God of men,
Against the mischief of the
stealthily withdrawing whisperer,
Who whispereth in man's breast
--
Against djinn and men.
-- End