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!