Sura XXIII (23)
The Believers
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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."