Sura XIV (14)
Abraham, On Whom Be Peace
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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.