Yusuf Ali 2

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THE HOLY QURAN

By Abdullah Yusuf Ali [1934]

# Sūra X.

Yūnus, or Jonah.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful
1. A. L. R.
These are the Āyats
Of the Book of Wisdom.
2. Is it a matter
Of wonderment to men
That We have sent
Our inspiration to a man
From among themselves?—
That he should warn mankind
(Of their danger), and give
The good news to the Believers
That they have before their Lord
The lofty rank of Truth.
(But) say the Unbelievers:
"This is indeed
An evident sorcerer!"
3. Verily your Lord is God,
Who created the heavens
And the earth in six Days,
p. 484
And is firmly established
On the Throne (of authority),
Regulating and governing all things.
No intercessor (can plead with Him)
Except after His leave
(Hath been obtained). This
Is God your Lord; Him therefore
Serve ye: will ye not
Receive admonition?
4. To Him will be your return—
Of all of you. The promise
Of God is true and sure.
It is He who beginneth
The process of creation,
And repeateth it, that He
May reward with justice
Those who believe
And work righteousness;
But those who reject Him
Will have draughts
Of boiling fluids,
And a Penalty grievous,
Because they did reject Him.
5. It is He who made the sun
To be a shining glory
p. 485
And the moon to be a light
(Of beauty), and measured out
Stages for her; that ye might
Know the number of years
And the count (of time).
Nowise did God create this
But in truth and righteousness.
(Thus) doth He explain His Signs
In detail, for those who understand.
6. Verily, in the alternation
Of the Night and the Day,
And in all that God
Hath created, in the heavens
And the earth, are Signs
For those who fear Him.
7. Those who rest not their hope
On their meeting with Us,
But are pleased and satisfied
With the life of the Present,
And those who heed not
Our Signs,—
8. Their abode is the Fire,
Because of the (evil)
They earned.
9. Those who believe,
And work righteousness,—
Their Lord will guide them
Because of their Faith:
p. 486
Beneath them will flow
Rivers in Gardens of Bliss.
10. (This will be) their cry therein:
"Glory to Thee, O God!"
And "Peace" will be their greeting therein!
And the close of their cry
Will be: "Praise be to God,
The Cherisher and Sustainer.
Of the Worlds!"

SECTION 2.

11. If God were to hasten for men
The ill (they have earned)
As they would fain hasten on
The good,—then would
Their respite be settled at once.
But We leave those
Who rest not their hope
On their meeting with Us,
In their trespasses, wandering
In distraction to and fro.
12. When trouble toucheth a man,
He crieth unto Us
(In all postures)—lying down
On his side, or sitting,
Or standing. But when We
Have solved his trouble,
He passeth on his way as if
He had never cried to Us
For a trouble that touched him!
Thus do the deeds of transgressors
Seem fair in their eyes!
p. 487
13. Generations before you
We destroyed when they
Did wrong: their Apostles
Came to them with Clear Signs,
But they would not believe!
Thus do We requite
Those who sin!
14. Then We made you heirs
In the land after them,
To see how ye would behave!
15. But when Our Clear Signs
Are rehearsed unto them,
Those who rest not their hope
On their meeting with Us,
Say: "Bring us a Reading
Other than this, or change this,"
Say: "It is not for me,
Of my own accord,
To change it: I follow
Naught but what is revealed
Unto me: if I were
To disobey my Lord,
I should myself fear the Penalty
Of a Great Day (to come)."
16. Say: "If God had so willed,
I should not have rehearsed it
To you, nor whould He
Have made it known to you.
A whole life-time before this
Have I tarried amongst you:
Will ye not then understand?
p. 488
17. Who doth more wrong
Than such as forge a lie
Against God, or deny
His Signs? But never
Will prosper those who sin.
18. They serve, besides God,
Things that hurt them not
Nor profit them, and they say:
"These are our intercessors
With God." Say: "Do ye
Indeed inform God of something
He knows not, in the heavens
Or on earth?—Glory to Him!
And far is He above the partners
They ascribe (to Him)!"
19. Mankind was but one nation,
But differed (later). Had it not
Been for a Word
That went forth before
From thy Lord, their differences
Would have been settled
Between them.
20. They say: "Why is not
A Sign sent down to him
From his Lord?" Say:
"The Unseen is only
For God (to know).
Then wait ye: I too
p. 489
Will wait with you.

SECTION 3.

21. When We make mankind
Taste of some mercy after
Adversity hath touched them,
Behold! they take to plotting
Against Our Signs! Say:
"Swifter to plan is God!"
Verily, Our messengers record
All the plots that ye make!
22. He it is who enableth you
To traverse through land
And sea; so that ye even board
Ships;—they sail with them
With a favourable wind,
And they rejoice thereat;
Then comes a stormy wind
And the waves come to them
From all sides, and they think
They are being overwhelmed:
They cry unto God, sincerely
Offering (their) duty unto Him,
Saying, "If Thou dost deliver us
From this, we shall truly
p. 490
Show our gratitude!"
23. But when he delivereth them,
Behold! they transgress
Insolently through the earth
In defiance of right!
O mankind! your insolence
Is against your own souls,—
An enjoyment of the life
Of the Present: in the end,
To Us is your return,
And We shall show you
The truth of all that ye did.
24. The likeness of the life
Of the Present is
As the rain which We
Send down from the skies:
By its mingling arises
The produce of the earth—
Which provides food
For men and animals:
(It grows) till the earth
Is clad with its golden
Ornaments and is decked out
(In beauty): the people to whom
It belongs think they have
All powers of disposal over it:
There reaches it Our command
By night or by day,
And We make it
Like a harvest clean-mown,
As if it had not flourished
p. 491
Only the day before!
Thus do We explain
The Signs in detail
For those who reflect.
25. But God doth call
To the Home of Peace:
He doth guide whom He pleaseth
To a Way that is straight.
26. To those who do right
Is a goodly (reward)—
Yea, more (than in measure)!
No darkness nor shame
Shall cover their faces!
They are Companions of the Garden;
They will abide therein
(For aye)!
27. But those who have earned
Evil will have a reward
Of like evil: ignominy
Will cover their (faces):
No defender will they have
From (the wrath of) God:
Their faces will be covered,
As it were, with pieces
From the depth of the darkness
Of Night: they are Companions
p. 492
Of the Fire: they will
Abide therein (for aye)!
28. One Day shall We gather them
All together. Then shall We say
To those who joined gods (with Us):
"To your place! ye and those
Ye joined as "partners"."
We shall separate them,
And their "partners" shall say:
"It was not us
That ye worshipped!
29. "Enough is God for a witness
Between us and you: we
Certainly knew nothing
Of your worship of us!"
30. There will every soul prove
(The fruits of) the deeds
It sent before : they will
Be brought back to God
Their rightful Lord,
And their invented falsehoods
Will leave them in the lurch.

SECTION 4.

31. Say: "Who is it that
Sustains you (in life)
From the sky and from the earth?
p. 493
Or who is it that
Has power over hearing
And sight? And who
Is it that brings out
The living from the dead
And the dead from the living?
And who is it that
Rules and regulates all affairs?"
They will soon say, "God".
Say, "Will ye not then
Show piety (to Him)?"
32. Such is God, your real
Cherisher and Sustainer:
Apart from Truth,
What (remains) but error?
How then are ye turned away?
33. Thus is the Word
Of thy Lord proved true
Against those who rebel:
Verily they will not believe.
34. Say: "Of your 'partners',
Can any originate creation
And repeat it?" Say:
"It is God Who originates
Creation and repeats it:
Then how are ye deluded
Away (from the truth)?"
p. 494
35. Say: "Of your "partners"
Is there any that
Can give any guidance
Towards Truth?" Say: "It is God
Who gives guidance
Towards Truth. Is then He
Who gives guidance to Truth
More worthy to be followed,
Or he who finds not guidance
(Himself) unless he is guided?
What then is the matter
With you? How judge ye?"
36. But most of them follow
Nothing but fancy: truly
Fancy can be of no avail
Against Truth. Verily God
Is well aware of all
That they do.
37. This Qur-ān is not such
As can be produced
By other than God;
On the contrary it is
A confirmation of (revelations)
That went before it,
And a fuller explanation
Of the Book—wherein
There is no doubt
From the Lord of the Worlds.
38. Or do they say,
"He forged it"?
Say: "Bring then
A Sūra like unto it,
And call (to your aid)
Anyone you can,
Besides God, if it be
Ye speak the truth!"
p. 495
39. Nay, they charge with falsehood
That whose knowledge they
Cannot compass, even before
The elucidation thereof"
Hath reached them: thus
Did those before them
Make charges of falsehood:
But see what was the end
Of those who did wrong!
40. Of them there are some
Who believe therein,
And some who do not:
And thy Lord knoweth best
Those who are out for mischief.

SECTION 5.

41. If they charge thee
With falsehood, say:
"My work to me,
And yours to you!
p. 496
Ye are free from responsibility
For what I do, and I
For what ye do!"
42. Among them are some who
(Pretend to) listen to thee:
But canst thou make the deaf
To hear,—even though
They are without understanding?
43. And among them are some
Who look at thee:
But canst thou guide
The blind,—even though
They will not see?
44. Verily God will not deal
Unjustly with man in aught:
It is man that wrongs
His own soul.
45. One day He will
Gather them together:
(It will be) as if
They had tarried
But an hour of a day:
They will recognise each other:
Assuredly those will be lost
Who denied the meeting
With God and refused
To receive true guidance.
46. Whether We show thee
(Realised in thy life-time)
Some part of what We
Promise them,—or We
p. 497
Take thy soul (to Our Mercy)
(Before that),—in any case,
To Us is their return:
Ultimately God is witness.
To all that they do.
47. To every people (was sent)
An Apostle: when their Apostle
Comes (before them), the matter
Will be judged between them
With justice, and they
Will not be wronged.
48. They say: "When
Will this promise
Come to pass,
If ye speak the truth?"
49. Say: "I have no power
Over any harm or profit
To myself except as God
Willeth. To every People
Is a term appointed:
When their term is reached,
Not an hour can they cause
Delay, nor (an hour) can they
Advance (it in anticipation)."
p. 498
50. Say: "Do ye see,
If His punishment should come
To you by night or by day,—
What portion of it
Would the Sinners
Wish to hasten?
51. "Would ye then believe in it
At last, when it actually cometh
To pass? (It will then be said:)
'Ah! now? and ye wanted
(Aforetime) to hasten it on!'
52. "At length will be said
To the wrong-doers: 'Taste ye
The enduring punishment!
Ye get but the recompense
Of what ye earned!'"
53. They seek to be informed
By thee: "Is that true?"
Say: "Aye! by my Lord!
It is the very truth!
And ye cannot frustrate it!"

SECTION 6.

54. Every soul that hath sinned,
If it possessed all
That is on earth,
Would fain give it in ransom:
p. 499
They would declare (their) repentance
When they see the Penalty:
But the judgment between them
Will be with justice,
And no wrong will be done
Unto them.
55. Is it not (the case) that to God
Belongeth whatever is
In the heavens and on earth?
Is it not (the case) that
God's promise is assuredly true?
Yet most of them understand not.
56. It is He who giveth life
And who taketh it,
And to Him shall ye
All be brought back.
57. O mankind! there hath come
To you a direction from your Lord
And a healing for the (diseases)
In your hearts,—and for those
Who believe, a Guidance
And a Mercy.
58. Say: "In the Bounty of God.
And in His Mercy,—in that
Let them rejoice": that is better
Than the (wealth) they hoard.
59. Say: "See ye what things
God hath sent down to you
p. 500
For sustenance? Yet ye
Hold forbidden some things
Thereof and (some things) lawful."
Say: "Hath God indeed
Permitted you, or do ye invent
(Things) to attribute to God?"
60. And what think those
Who invent lies against God,
Of the Day of Judgment?
Verily God is full of Bounty
To mankind, but most
Of them are ungrateful!"

SECTION 7.

61. In whatever business thou
Mayest be, and whatever portion
Thou mayest be reciting
From the Qur-ān,—and whatever
Deed ye (mankind) may be doing,—
We are Witnesses thereof
When ye are deeply engrossed
Therein. Nor is hidden
From thy Lord (so much as)
The weight of an atom
On the earth or in heaven.
And not the least
And not the greatest
Of these things but are recorded
In a clear Record.
62. Behold! verily on the friends
Of God there is no fear,
p. 501
Nor shall they grieve;
63. Those who believe
And (constantly) guard
Against evil;—
64. For them are Glad Tidings,
In the life of the Present
And in the Hereafter:
No change can there be
In the Words of God.
This is indeed
The supreme Felicity.
65. Let not their speech
Grieve thee: for all power
And honour belong to God:
It is He Who heareth
And knoweth (all things).
66. Behold! verily to God
Belong all creatures,
In the heavens and on earth.
What do they follow
Who worship as His "partners"
Other than God? They follow
Nothing but fancy, and
They do nothing but lie.
67. He it is that hath
Made you the Night
That ye may rest therein,
And the Day to make
Things visible (to you).
Verily in this are Signs
For those who listen
(To His Message).
p. 502
68. They say, "God hath begotten
A son!"—Glory be to Him!
He is Self-Sufficient! His
Are all things in the heavens
And on earth! No warrant
Have ye for this! Say ye
About God what ye know not?
69. Say: "Those who invent
A lie against God
Will never prosper."
70. A little enjoyment
In this world!—
And then, to Us
Will be their return.
Then shall We make them
Taste the severest Penalty
For their blasphemies.

SECTION 8.

71. Relate to them the story
Of Noah. Behold! he said
To his People: "O my People,
If it be hard on your (mind)
p. 503
That I should stay (with you)
And commemorate the Signs
Of God,—yet I put
My trust in God.
Get ye then an agreement
About your plan and among
Your Partners, so your plan
Be not to you dark and dubious.
Then pass your sentence on me,
And give me no respite.
72. "But if ye turn back, (consider):
No reward have I asked
Of you: my reward is only
Due from God, and I
Have been commanded to be
Of those who submit
To God's Will (in Islam)."
73. They rejected him,
But We delivered him,
And those with him,
In the Ark, and We made
Them inherit (the earth),
While We overwhelmed
In the Flood those
Who rejected Our Signs.
Then see what was the end
Of those who were warned
(But heeded not)!
74. Then after him We sent
(Many) apostles to their Peoples:
They brought them Clear Signs,
But they would not believe
What they had already rejected
p. 504
Beforehand. Thus do We seal
The hearts of the transgressors.
75. Then after them sent We
Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh
And his chiefs with Our Signs.
But they were arrogant:
They were a people in sin.
76. When the Truth did come
To them from Us, they said:
"This is indeed evident sorcery!"
77. Said Moses: "Say ye (this)
About the Truth when
It hath (actually) reached you?
Is sorcery (like) this?
But sorcerers will not prosper."
78. They said: "Hast thou
Come to us to turn us
Away from the ways
We found our fathers following,—
In order that thou and thy brother
May have greatness in the land?
But not we shall believe in you!"
79. Said Pharaoh: "Bring me
Every sorcerer well versed."
80. When the sorcerers came,
Moses said to them:
"Throw ye what ye (wish)
To throw!"
p. 505
81. When they had had their throw,
Moses said: "What ye
Have brought is sorcery:
God will surely make it
Of no effect: for God
Prospereth not the work
Of those who make mischief.
82. "And God by His Words
Doth prove and establish
His Truth, however much
The Sinners may hate it!"

SECTION 9.

83. But none believed in Moses
Except some children of his People,
Because of the fear of Pharaoh
And his chiefs, lest they
Should persecute them; and certainly
Pharaoh was mighty on the earth
And one who transgressed all bounds.
84. Moses said: "O my People!
If ye do (really) believe
In God, then in Him
Put your trust if ye
Submit (your will to His)."
85. They said: "In God
Do we put our trust.
p. 506
Our Lord! make us not
A trial for those
Who practise oppression;
86."And deliver us by Thy Mercy
From those who reject (Thee)."
87. We inspired Moses and his brother
With this Message: "Provide
Dwellings for your People
In Egypt, make your dwellings
Into places of worship,
And establish regular prayers:
And give Glad Tidings
To those who believe!"
88. Moses prayed: "Our Lord!
Thou hast indeed bestowed
On Pharaoh and his Chiefs
Splendour and wealth in the life
Of the Present, and so,
Our Lord, they mislead (men)
From Thy Path. Deface.
Our Lord, the features of their wealth,
And send hardness to their hearts,
So they will not believe
p. 507
Until they see
The grievous Penalty."
89. God said: "Accepted is
Your prayer (O Moses and Aaron)
So stand ye straight,
And follow not the path
Of those who know not.
90. We took the Children
Of Israel across the sea:
Pharaoh and his hosts followed them
In insolence and spite.
At length, when overwhelmed
With the flood, he said:
"I believe that there is no god
Except Him Whom the Children
Of Israel believe in:
I am of those who submit
(To God in Islām)."
91. (It was said to him:)
"Ah now!—But a little while
Before, wast thou in rebellion!—
And thou didst mischief (and violence)!
92. "This day shall We save thee
In thy body, that thou
Mayest be a Sign to those
Who come after thee!
But verily, many among mankind
Are heedless of Our Signs!"
p. 508

SECTION 10.

93. We settled the Children
Of Israel in a beautiful
Dwelling-place, and provided
For them sustenance of the best:
It was after knowledge had been
Granted to them, that they
Fell into schisms. Verily
God will judge between them
As to the schisms amongst them,
On the Day of Judgment.
94. If thou wert in doubt
As to what We have revealed
Unto thee, then ask those
Who have been reading
The Book from before thee:
The Truth hath indeed come
To thee from thy Lord:
So be in no wise
Of those in doubt.
95. Nor be of those who reject
The Signs of God,
Or thou shalt be of those
Who perish.
96. Whose against whom the Word
Of thy Lord hath been verified
p. 509
Would not believe—
97. Even if every Sign was brought
Unto them,—until they see
(For themselves) the Penalty Grievous.
98. Why was there not
A single township (among those
We warned), which believed,—
So its Faith should have
Profited it,—except the People
Of Jonah? When they believed,
We removed from them
The Penalty of Ignominy
In the life of the Present,
And permitted them to enjoy
(Their life) for a while.
99. If it had been thy Lord's Will,
They would all have believed,—
All who are on earth!
Wilt thou then compel mankind,
p. 510
Against their will, to believe!
100. No soul can believe, except
By the Will of God,
And He will place Doubt
(Or obscurity) on those
Who will not understand.
101. Say: "Behold all that is
In the heavens and on earth ";
But neither Signs nor Warners
Profit those who believe not.
102. Do they then expect
(Any thing) but (what happened
In) the days of the men
Who passed away before them?
Say: "Wait ye then:
For I, too, will wait with you."
p. 511
103. In the end We deliver
Our apostles and those who believe:
Thus is it fitting on Our part
That We should deliver
Those who believe!

SECTION 11.

104. Say: "O ye men!
If ye are in doubt
As to my religion, (behold!)
I worship not what ye
Worship, other than God!
But I worship God
Who will take your souls
(At death): I am commanded
To be (in the ranks)
Of the Believers,
105. "And further (thus), "set thy face
Towards Religion with true piety,
And never in any wise
Be of the Unbelievers;
106. "Nor call on any,
Other than God;—
Such will neither profit thee
Nor hurt thee: if thou dost,
Behold! thou shalt certainly
Be of those who do wrong."
107. If God do touch thee
With hurt, there is none
Can remove it but He:
If He do design some benefit
p. 512
For thee, there is none
Can keep back His favour:
He causeth it to reach
Whomsoever of His servants
He pleaseth. And He is
The Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
108. Say: "O ye men! Now
Truth hath reached you
From your Lord! Those who receive
Guidance, do so for the good
Of their own souls; those
Who stray, do so to their own loss:
And I am not (set) over you
To arrange your affairs."
109. Follow thou the inspiration
Sent unto thee, and be
Patient and constant, till God
Do decide: for He
Is the Best to decide.

# Sūra XI.

Hūd (The Prophet Hūd).

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. A. L. R.
(This is) a Book,
With verses basic or fundamental
(Of established meaning),
Further explained in detail,—
From One Who is Wise
And Well-Acquainted (with al] things):
2. (It teacheth) that ye should
Worship none but God.
(Say:) "Verily I am
(Sent) unto you from Him
To warn and to bring
Glad tidings:
3. "(And to preach thus), "Seek ye
The forgiveness of your Lord,
And turn to Him in repentance;
That He may grant you
Enjoyment, good (and true),
For a term appointed,
And bestow His abounding grace
On all who abound in merit!
But if ye turn away,
Then I fear for you
The Penalty of a Great Day:
4. "'To God is your return,
And He hath power
Over all things.'"
5. Behold! they fold up
Their hearts, that they may lie
Hid from Him! Ah! even
When they cover themselves
With their garments, He knoweth
What they conceal, and what
They reveal: for He knoweth
Well the (inmost secrets)
Of the hearts
p. 515
6. Where is no moving creature
On earth but its sustenance
Dependeth on God: He knoweth
The time and place of its
Definite abode and its
Temporary deposit:
All is in a clear Record.
7. He it is Who created
The heavens and the earth
In six Days—and His Throne
Was over the Waters—
That He might try you,
Which of you is best
In conduct. But if
Thou wert to say to them,
"Ye shall indeed be raised up
After death", the Unbelievers
Would be sure to say,
"This is nothing but
Obvious sorcery!"
8. If We delay the penalty
For them for a definite term,
They are sure to say,
"What keeps it back?"
p. 516
Ah! On the day it (actually)
Reaches them, nothing will.
Turn it away from them,
And they will be completely
Encircled by that which
They used to mock at!

SECTION 2.

9. If We give man a taste
Of Mercy from Ourselves,
And then withdraw it from him,
Behold! he is in despair
And (falls into) blasphemy.
10. But if We give hint a taste
Of (Our) favours after
Adversity hath touched him,
He is sure to say,
"All evil has departed from me:
Behold! he falls into exultation
And pride.
11. Not so do those who show
Patience and constancy, and work
Righteousness; for them
Is forgiveness (of sins)
And a great reward.
12. Perchance thou mayest (feel
The inclination) to give up
A part of what is revealed
Unto thee, and thy heart
p. 517
Feeleth straitened lest they say,
"Why is not a treasure sent down
Unto him, or why does not
An angel come down with him?"
But thou art there only to warn!
It is God that arrangeth
All affairs!
13. Or they may say, "He forged it."
Say, "Bring ye then ten Sūras
Forged, like unto it, and call
(To your aid) whomsoever
Ye can, other than God!—
If ye speak the truth!
14. "If then they (your false gods)
Answer not your (call),
Know ye that this Revelation
Is sent down (replete) with the knowledge
Of God, and that there is
No god but He! Will ye
Even then submit (to Islam)?"
15. Those who desire
The life of the Present
And its glitter,—to them
We shall pay (the price
Of) their deeds therein,—
Without diminution.
16. They are those for whom
There is nothing in the Hereafter
But the Fire: vain
Are the designs they frame therein,
And of no effect
Are the deeds that they do!
17. Can they be (like) those
Who accept a Clear (Sign)
From their Lord, and whom
A witness from Himself
p. 518
Doth teach, as did the Book
Of Moses before it,—a guide
And a mercy? They believe
Therein; but those of the Sects
That reject it,—the Fire
Will be their promised
Meeting-place. Be not then
In doubt thereon: for it is
The Truth from thy Lord:
Yet many among men
Do not believe!
18. Who doth more wrong
Than those who invent a lie
Against God? They will be
Turned back to the presence
Of their Lord, and the witnesses
Will say, "These are the ones
Who lied against their Lord!
Behold! the Curse of God
Is on those who do wrong!—
19. "Those who would hinder (men)
From the path of God
And would seek in it
Something crooked: these were
They who denied the Hereafter!"
20. They will in no wise
Frustrate (His design) on earth,
Nor have they protectors
Besides God! Their penalty
Will be doubled! They lost
The power to hear,
And they did not see!
21. They are the ones who
Have lost their own souls:
p. 519
And the (fancies) they invented
Have left them in the lurch!
22. Without a doubt, these
Are the very ones who
Will lose most in the Hereafter!
23. But those who believe
And work righteousness,
And humble themselves
Before their Lord,—
They will be Companions
Of the Garden, to dwell
Therein for aye!
24. These two kinds (of men)
May be compared to
The blind and deaf,
And those who can see
And hear well. Are they
Equal when compared?
Will ye not then take heed?

SECTION 3.

25. We sent Noah to his People
(With a mission): "I have come
To you with a Clear Warning:
26. "That ye serve none but God:
Verily I do fear for you
p. 520
The Penalty of a Grievous Day."
27. But the Chiefs of the Unbelievers
Among his People said:
"We see (in) thee nothing
But a man like ourselves:
Nor do we see that any
Follow thee but the meanest
Among us, in judgment immature:
Nor do we see in you (all)
Any merit above us:
In fact we think ye are liars!"
28. He said: "O my People!
See ye if (it be that)
I have a Clear Sign
From my Lord, and that He
Hath sent Mercy unto me
From His own Presence, but
That the Mercy hath been
Obscured from your sight?
Shall we compel you
To accept it when ye
Are averse to it?
29. "And O my People!
I ask you for no wealth
p. 521
In return: my reward
Is from none but God:
But I will not drive away
(In contempt) those who believe:
For verily they are
To meet their Lord, and ye
I see are the ignorant ones!
30. "And O my People!
Who would help me against God
If I drove them away?
Will ye not then take heed?
31. "I tell you not that
With me are the Treasures
Of God, nor do I know
What is hidden,
Nor claim I to be
An angel. Nor yet
Do I say, of those whom
Your eyes do despise
That God will not grant them
(All) that is good:
God knoweth best
What is in their souls:
I should, if I did,
Indeed be a wrong-doer."
32. They said: "O Noah!
Thou hast disputed with us,
p. 522
And (much) hast thou prolonged
The dispute with us: now
Bring upon us what thou
Threatenest us with, if thou
Speakest the truth!?"
33. He said: "Truly, God
Will bring it on you
If He wills,—and then,
Ye will not be able
To frustrate it!
34. "Of no profit will be
My counsel to you,
Much as I desire
To give you (good) counsel,
If it be that God
Willeth to leave you astray:
He is your Lord!
And to Him will ye return!"
35. Or do they say,
"He has forged it "? Say:
"If I had forged it,
On me were my sin!
And I am free
Of the sins of which
Ye are guilty!
p. 523

SECTION 4.

36. It was revealed to Noah:
"None of thy People will believe
Except those who have believed
Already! So grieve no longer
Over their (evil) deeds.
37. "But construct an Ark
Under Our eyes and Our
Inspiration, and address Me
No (further) on behalf
Of those who are in sin:
For they are about to be
Overwhelmed (in the Flood)."
38. Forthwith he (starts)
Constructing the Ark:
Every time that the Chiefs
Of his People passed by him,
They threw ridicule on him.
He said: "If ye ridicule
Us now, we (in our turn)
Can look down on you
With ridicule likewise!
39. "But soon will ye know
Who it is on whom
Will descend a Penalty
That will cover them
p. 524
With shame,—on whom will be
Unloosed a Penalty lasting:"
40. At length, behold!
There came Our Command,
And the fountains of the earth
Gushed forth! We said:
"Embark therein, of each kind
Two, male and female,
And your family—except
Those against whom the Word
Has already gone forth,—
And the Believers."
But only a few
Believed with him.
41. So he said: "Embark ye
On the Ark,
In the name of God,
Whether it move
Or be at rest!
For my Lord is, be sure,
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful!"
42. So the Ark floated
With them on the waves
(Towering) like mountains,
And Noah called out
To his son, who had
Separated himself (from the rest):
"O my son! embark
With us, and be not
With the Unbelievers!"
p. 525
43. The son replied: "I will
Betake myself to some mountain:
It will save me from
The water." Noah said:
"This day nothing can save,
From the Command of God,
Any but those on whom
He hath mercy!"—
And the waves came
Between them, and the son
Was among those
Overwhelmed in the Flood.
44. Then the word went forth:
"O earth! swallow up
Thy water, and O sky!
Withhold (thy rain)!"
And the water abated,
And the matter was ended.
The Ark rested on Mount
Jūdī, and the word
Went forth: "Away
With those who do wrong!"
p. 526
45. And Noah called upon
His Lord, and said:
"O my Lord! surely
My son is of my family!
And Thy promise is true,
And Thou art
The Justest of Judges!"
46. He said: "O Noah!
He is not of thy family:
For his conduct is unrighteous.
So ask not of Me
That of which thou
Hast no knowledge!
I give thee counsel, lest
Thou act like the ignorant!"
47. Noah said: "O my Lord!
I do seek refuge with Thee,
Lest I ask Thee for that
Of which I have no knowledge.
And unless Thou forgive me
And have Mercy on me,
I should indeed be lost!"
48. The word came: "O Noah!
Come down (from the Ark)
With Peace from Us,
And Blessing on thee
And on some of the Peoples
(Who will spring) from those
With thee: but (there will be
Other) Peoples to whom We
Shall grant their pleasures
(For a time), but in the end
Will a grievous Penalty
Reach them from Us."
p. 527
49. Such are some of the stories
Of the Unseen, which We
Have revealed unto thee:
Before this, neither thou
Nor thy People knew them.
So persevere patiently:
For the End is for those
Who are righteous.

SECTION 5.

50. To the ’Ād People
(We sent) Hūd, one
Of their own brethren.
He said: "O my people!
Worship God! ye have
No other god but Him.
(Your other gods) ye do nothing
But invent!
51. "O my people! I ask of you
No reward for this (Message).
My reward is from none
But Him who created me:
Will ye not then understand?
52. "And O my people! Ask
Forgiveness of your Lord,
p. 528
And turn to Him (in repentance):
He will send you the skies
Pouring abundant rain,
And add strength
To your strength:
So turn ye not back
In sin!"
53. They said: "O Hūd!
No Clear (Sign) hast thou
Brought us, and we are not
The ones to desert our gods
On thy word! Nor shall we
Believe in thee!
54. "We say nothing but that
(Perhaps) some of our gods
May have seized thee
With imbecility." He said:
"I call God to witness,
And do ye bear witness,
That I am free from the sin
Of ascribing, to Him,
p. 529
55. "Other gods as partners!
So scheme (your worst) against me,
All of you, and give me
No respite.
56. "I put my trust in God,
My Lord and your Lord!
There is not a moving
Creature, but He hath
Grasp of its fore-lock.
Verily, it is my Lord
That is on a straight Path.
57. "If ye turn away,—
I (at least) have conveyed
The Message with which I
Was sent to you. My Lord
Will make another People
To succeed you, and you
Will not harm Him
In the least. For my Lord
Hath care and watch
Over all things."
58. So when Our decree
Issued, We saved Hūd
And those who believed
With him, by (special) Grace
From Ourselves: We saved them
From a severe Penalty.
59. Such were the ’Ād People:
They rejected the Signs
p. 530
Of their Lord and Cherisher;
Disobeyed His Apostles;
And followed the command
Of every powerful, obstinate
Transgressor.
60. And they were pursued
By a Curse in this Life,
And on the Day of Judgment.
Ah! Behold! For the ’Ād
Rejected their Lord and Cherisher
Ah! Behold! Removed (from sight)
Were ’Ād the People of Hūd!

SECTION 6.

61. To the Thamūd People
(We sent) Sālih, one
Of their own brethren.
He said: "O my People!
Worship God: ye have
No other God but Him.
It is He Who hath produced you
From the earth and settled you
Therein: then ask forgiveness
Of Him, and turn to Him
(In repentance): for my Lord
Is (always) near, ready
To answer."
62. They said: "O Sālib!
Thou hast been of us!—
p. 531
A centre of our hopes
Hitherto! Dost thou (now)
Forbid us the worship
Of what our fathers worshipped?
But we are really
In suspicious (disquieting)
Doubt as to that to which
Thou invitest us."
63. He said: "O my people!
Do ye see?—If I have
A Clear (Sign) from my Lord
And He hath sent Mercy
Unto me from Himself,—who
Then can help me
Against God if I were
To disobey Him? What
Then would ye add
To my (portion) but perdition?
64. "And O my people!
This she-camel of God is
A symbol to you:
Leave her to feed
On God's (free) earth,
And inflict no harm
On her, or a swift Penalty
Will seize you!"
65. But they did ham-string her.
So he said: "Enjoy yourselves
In your homes for three days:
(Then will be your ruin):
p. 532
(Behold) there a promise
Not to be belied!"
66. When Our Decree issued,
We saved Sālib and those
Who believed with him,
By (special) Grace from
Ourselves—
And from the Ignominy
Of that Day. For thy Lord—
He is the Strong One, and Able
To enforce His Will.
67. The (mighty) Blast overtook
The wrong-doers, and they
Lay prostrate in their homes
Before the morning,—
68. As if they had never
Dwelt and flourished there.
Ah! Behold! For the Thamūd
Rejected their Lord and Cherisher!
Ah! Behold! Removed
(From sight) were the Thamūd!

SECTION 7.

69. There came Our Messengers
To Abraham with glad tidings.
p. 533
They said, "Peace!" He answered,
"Peace!" and hastened
To entertain them
With a roasted calf.
70. But when he saw
Their hands went not
Towards the (meal), he felt
Some mistrust of them,
And conceived a fear of them.
They said: "Fear not:
We have been sent
Against the people of Lūt."
71. And his wife was standing
(There), and she laughed:
But We gave her
Glad tidings of Isaac,
And after him, of Jacob.
p. 534
72. She said: "Alas for me!
Shall I bear a child,
Seeing I am an old woman,
And my husband here
Is an old man?
That would indeed
Be a wonderful thing!"
73. They said: "Dost thou
Wonder at God's decree?
The grace of God
And His blessings on you,
O ye people of the house!
For He is indeed
Worthy of all praise,
Full of all glory!"
74. When fear had passed
From (the mind of) Abraham
And the glad tidings
Had reached him, he
Began to plead with Us
For Lūt's people.
75. For Abraham was,
Without doubt, forbearing
(Of faults), compassionate,
And given to look to God.
76. O Abraham! Seek not this.
The decree of thy Lord
Hath gone forth: for them
There cometh a Penalty
p. 535
That cannot be turned back!
77. When Our Messengers
Came to Lūt, he was
Grieved on their account
And felt himself powerless
(To protect) them. He said:
"This is a distressful day."
78. And his people came
Rushing towards him,
And they had been long
In the habit of practising
Abominations. He said:
"O my people! Here are
My daughters: they are purer
For you (if ye marry)!
Now fear God, and cover me not
With shame about my guests!
Is there not among you
A single right-minded man?"
79. They said: "Well dost thou
Know we have no need
Of thy daughters: indeed
Thou knowest quite well
What we want!"
80. He said: "Would that I
Had power to suppress you
p. 536
Or that I could betake
Myself to some powerful support."
81. (The Messengers) said: "O Lūt
We are Messengers from thy Lord!
By no means shall they
Reach thee! Now travel
With thy family while yet
A part of the night remains,
And let not any of you
Look back: but thy wife
(Will remain behind):
To her will happen
What happens to the people.
Morning is their time appointed:
Is not the morning nigh?"
82. When Our decree issued,
We turned (the cities)
Upside down, and rained down
On them brimstones
Hard as baked clay,
Spread, layer on layer,—
83. Marked as from thy Lord:
p. 537
Nor are they ever far
From those who do wrong!

SECTION 8.

84. To the Madyan people
(We sent) Shu’aib, one
Of their own brethren: he said:
"O my people! worship God:
Ye have no other god
But Him. And give not
Short measure or weight:
I see you in prosperity,
But I fear for you
The Penalty of a Day
That will compass (you) all round.
85. "And O my people! give
Just measure and weight,
Nor withhold from the people
The things that are their due:
Commit not evil in the land
With intent to do mischief.
86. "That which is left you
By God is best for you,
p. 538
If ye (but) believed!
But I am not set
Over you to keep watch!"
87. They said: "O Shu’aib!
Does thy (religion of) prayer
Command thee that we
Leave off the worship which
Our fathers practised, or
That we leave off doing
What we like with our property?
Truly, thou art the one
That forbeareth with faults
And is right-minded!"
88. He said: "O my people!
See ye whether I hate
A Clear (Sign) from my Lord,
And He hath given me
Sustenance (pure and) good
As from Himself? I wish not,
In opposition to you, to do
That which I forbid you to do.
I only desire (your) betterment
To the best of my power;
And my success (in my task)
Can only come from God.
In Him I trust,
And unto Him I look.
89. "And O my people!
Let not my dissent (from you)
p. 539
Cause you to sin,
Lest ye suffer
A fate similar to that
Of the people of Noah
Or of Hūd or of Sālib,
Nor are the people of Lūt
Far off from you!
90. "But ask forgiveness
Of your Lord, and turn
Unto Him (in repentance):
For my Lord is indeed
Full of mercy and loving-kindness."
91. They said: "O Shu’aib!
Much of what thou sayest
We do not understand!
In fact among us we see
That thou hast no strength!
Were it not for thy family,
We should certainly
Have stoned thee!
For thou hast among us
No great position!"
92. He said: "O my people!
Is then my family
Of more consideration with you
Than God? For ye cast Him
Away behind your backs
(With contempt). But verily
My Lord encompasseth
On all sides
All that ye do!
93. "And O my people!
Do whatever ye can:
p. 540
I will do (my part):
Soon will ye know
Who it is on whom
Descends the Penalty
Of ignominy, and who
Is a liar!
And watch ye!
For I too am watching
With you!"
94. When Our decree issued,
We saved Shu’aib and those
Who believed with him,
By (special) Mercy from Ourselves
But the (mighty) Blast did seize
The wrong-doers, and they
Lay prostrate in their homes
By the morning,—
95. As if they had never
Dwelt and flourished there!
Ah! Behold! How the Madyan
Were removed (from sight)
As were removed the Thamūd!
p. 541

SECTION 9.

96. And we sent Moses,
With our Clear (signs)
And an authority manifest,
97. Unto Pharaoh and his Chiefs:
But they followed the command
Of Pharaoh, and the command
Of Pharaoh was no right (guide).
98. He will go before his people
On the Day of Judgment,
And lead them into the Fire
(As cattle are led to water):
But woeful indeed will be
The place to which they are led!
99. And they are followed
By a curse in this (life)
And on the Day of Judgment:
And woeful is the gift
Which shall be given
(Unto them)!
100. These are some of the stories
Of communities which We
Relate unto thee: of them
Some are standing, and some
p. 542
Have been mown down
(By the sickle of time.
101. It was not We that wronged them:
They wronged their own souls:
The deities, other than God,
Whom they invoked, profited them
No whit when there issued
The decree of thy Lord:
Nor did they add aught
(To their lot) but perdition!
102. Such is the chastisement
Of thy Lord when He chastises
Communities in the midst of
Their wrong: grievous, indeed,
And severe is His chastisement.
103. In that is a Sign
For those who fear
The Penalty of the Hereafter:
That is a Day for which mankind
Will be gathered together:
That will be a Day
Of Testimony.
104. Nor shall We delay it
But for a term appointed.
105. The day it arrives,
No soul shall speak
p. 543
Except by His leave:
Of those (gathered) some
Will be wretched and some
Will be blessed.
106. Those who are wretched
Shall be in the Fire:
There will be for them
Therein (nothing but) the heaving
Of sighs and sobs:
107. They will dwell therein
For all the time that
The heavens and the earth
Endure, except as thy Lord
Willeth: for thy Lord
Is the (sure) Accomplisher
Of what He planneth.
108. And those who are blessed
Shall be in the Garden:
They will dwell therein
For all the time that
The heavens and the earth
Endure, except as thy Lord
Willeth: a gift without break.
p. 544
109. Be not then in doubt
As to what these men
Worship. They worship nothing
But what their fathers worshipped
Before (them): but verily
We shall pay them back
(In full) their portion
Without (the least) abatement.

SECTION 10.

110. We certainly gave the Book
To Moses, but differences
Arose therein: had it not been
That a Word had gone forth
Before from thy Lord, the matter
Would have been decided
Between them: but they
Are in suspicious doubt
Concerning it.
111. And, of a surety, to all
Will your Lord pay back
(In full the recompense)
Of their deeds: for He
Knoweth well all that they do.
112. Therefore stand firm (in the straight
Path) as thou art commanded,—
p. 545
Thou and those who with thee
Turn (unto God); and transgress not
(From the Path): for He seeth
Well all that ye do.
113. And incline not to those
Who do wrong, or the Fire
Will seize you; and ye have
No protectors other than God,
Nor shall ye be helped.
114. And establish regular prayers
At the two ends of the day
And at the approaches of the night:
For those things that are good
Remove those that are evil:
Be that the word of remembrance
To those who remember (their Lord):
115. And be steadfast in patience;
For verily God will not suffer
The reward of the righteous
To perish.
116. Why were there not,
Among the generations before you,
Persons possessed of balanced
Good sense, prohibiting (men)
p. 546
From mischief in the earth—
Except a few among them
Whom We saved (from harm)?
But the wrong-doers pursued
The enjoyment of the good things
Of life which were given them,
And persisted in sin.
117. Nor would thy Lord be
The One to destroy
Communities for a single wrong-doing,
If its members were likely
To mend.
118. If thy Lord had so willed,
He could have made mankind
One People: but they
Will not cease to dispute,
119. Except those on whom thy Lord
Hath bestowed His Mercy:
And for this did He create
Them: and the Word
Of thy Lord shall be fulfilled:
"I will fill Hell with jinns
And men all together."
p. 547
120. All that we relate to thee
Of the stories of the apostles,—
With it We make firm
Thy heart: in them there cometh
To thee the Truth, as well as
An exhortation and a message
Of remembrance to those who believe.
121. Say to those who do not
Believe: "Do whatever ye can:
We shall do our part;
122. "And wait ye!
We too shall wait."
123. To God do belong
The unseen (secrets)
Of the heavens and the earth,
And to Him goeth back
Every affair (for decision)
Then worship Him,
And put thy trust in Him .
And thy Lord is not
Unmindful of aught
That ye do.

# Sūra XII.

Yūsuf, or Joseph.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. A. L. R. These are
The Symbols (or Verses)
Of the Perspicuous Book.
2. We have sent it down
As an Arabic Qur-ān,
In order that ye may
Learn wisdom.
3. We do relate unto thee
The most beautiful of stories,
In that We reveal to thee
This (portion of the) Qur-ān:
Before this, thou too
Was among those
Who knew it not.
4. Behold, Joseph said
To his father: "O my father!
p. 551
I did see eleven stars
And the sun and the moon:
I saw them prostrate themselves
To me!"
5. Said (the father):
"My (dear) little son!
Relate not thy vision
To thy brothers, lest they
Concoct a plot against thee:
For Satan is to man
An avowed enemy!
6. "Thus will thy Lord
Choose thee and teach thee
The interpretation of stories (and events)
And perfect His favour
To thee and to the posterity
Of Jacob—even as He
Perfected it to thy fathers
Abraham and Isaac aforetime!
For God is full of knowledge
And wisdom."

SECTION 2.

7. Verily in Joseph and his brethren
Are Signs (or Symbols)
p. 552
For Seekers (after Truth).
8. They said: "Truly Joseph
And his brother are loved
More by our father than we:
But we are a goodly body!
Really our father is obviously
Wandering (in his mind)!
9. "Slay ye Joseph or cast him out
To some (unknown) land,
That so the favour
Of your father may be
Given to you alone:
(There will be time enough)
For you to be righteous after that!"
10. Said one of them: "Slay not
Joseph, but if ye must
Do something, throw him down
To the bottom of the well:
He will be picked up
By some caravan of travellers."
p. 553
11. They said: "O our father!
Why dost thou not
Trust us with Joseph,
Seeing we are indeed
His sincere well-wishers?
12. "Send him with us tomorrow
To enjoy himself and play,
And we shall take
Every care of him."
13. (Jacob) said: "Really
It saddens me that ye
Should take him away:
I fear lest the wolf
Should devour him
While ye attend not
To him."
14. They said: "If the wolf
Were to devour him
While we are (so large) a party,
Then should we indeed
(First) have perished ourselves!"
15. So they did take him away,
And they all agreed
p. 554
To throw him down
To the bottom of the well:
And We put into his heart
(This Message): "Of a surety
Thou shalt (one day)
Tell them the truth
Of this their affair
While they know (thee) not"
16. Then they came
To their father
In the early part
Of the night,
Weeping.
17. They said: "O our father!
We went racing with one another,
And left Joseph with our things;
And the wolf devoured him.…
But thou wilt never believe us
Even though we tell the truth.
18. They stained his shirt
With false blood. He said:
p. 555
"Nay, but your minds
Have made up a tale
(That may pass) with you.
(For me) patience is most fitting:
Against that which ye assert,
It is God (alone)
Whose help can be sought"…
19. Then there came a caravan
Of travellers: they sent
Their water-carrier (for water),
And he let down his bucket
(Into the well)… He said:
"Ah there! Good news!
Here is a (fine) young man!"
So they concealed him
As a treasure! But God
Knoweth well all that they do!
20. The (Brethren) sold him
For a miserable price,—
p. 556
For a few dirhams counted out:
In such low estimation
Did they hold him!

SECTION 3.

21. The man in Egypt
Who bought him, said
p. 557
To his wife: "Make his stay
(Among us) honourable:
Maybe he will bring us
Much good, or we shall
Adopt him as a son."
Thus did We establish
Joseph in the land,
That We might teach him
The interpretation of stories
(And events). And God
Hath full power and control
Over His affairs; but most
Among mankind know it not.
22. When Joseph attained
His full manhood, We gave him
p. 558
Power and knowledge: thus do We
Reward those who do right.
23. But she in whose house
He was, sought to seduce him
From his (true) self: she fastened
The doors, and said:
"Now come, thou (dear one)!"
He said: "God forbid!
Truly (thy husband) is
My lord! he made
My sojourn agreeable!
Truly to no good
Come those who do wrong!"
24. And (with passion) did she
Desire him, and he would
Have desired her, but that
He saw the evidence
Of his Lord: thus
(Did We order) that We
Might turn away from him
(All) evil and shameful deeds:
p. 559
For he was one of Our servants,
Sincere and purified.
25. So they both raced each other
To the door, and she
Tore his shirt from the back:
They both found her lord
Near the door. She said:
"What is the (fitting) punishment
For one who formed
An evil design against
Thy wife, but prison
Or a grievous chastisement?"
26. He said: "It was she
That sought to seduce me—
From my (true) self." And one
Of her household saw (this)
And bore witness, (thus):—
"If it be that his shirt
Is rent from the front, then
Is her tale true,
And he is a liar!
27. "But if it be that his shirt
Is torn from the back,
p. 560
Then is she the liar,
And he is telling the truth!"
28. So when he saw his shirt,—
That it was torn at the back,
(Her husband) said: "Behold!
It is a snare of you women!
Truly, mighty is your snare!
29. "O Joseph, pass this over!
(O wife), ask forgiveness
For thy sin, for truly
Thou hast been at fault!"

SECTION 4.

30. Ladies said in the City:
"The wife of the (great) ’Aziz
Is seeking to seduce her slave
From his (true) self:
Truly hath he inspired her
With violent love: we see
She is evidently going astray."
p. 561
31. When she heard
Of their malicious talk,
She sent for them
And prepared a banquet
For them: she gave
Each of them a knife:
And she said (to Joseph),
"Come out before them."
When they saw him,
Thy did extol him,
And (in their amazement)
Cut their hands: they said,
"God preserve us! no mortal
Is this! This is none other
Than a noble angel!"
32. She said: "There before you
Is the man about whom
Ye did blame me!
I did seek to seduce him from
His (true) self but he did
Firmly save himself guiltless!…
And now, if he doth not
My bidding, he shall certainly
Be cast into prison,
And (what is more)
Be of the company of the vilest!"
p. 562
33. He said: "O my Lord!
The prison is more
To my liking than that
To which they invite me:
Unless Thou turn away
Their snare from me,
I should (in my youthful folly)
Feel inclined towards them
And join the ranks of the ignorant."
34. So his Lord hearkened to him
(In his prayer), and turned
Away from him their snare:
Verily He heareth and knoweth
(All things).
35. Then it occurred to the men,
After they had seen the Signs,
(That it was best)
To Imprison him
For a time.
p. 563

SECTION 5.

36. Now with him there came
Into the prison two young men.
Said one of them: "I see
Myself (in a dream)
Pressing wine." Said the other:
"I see myself (in a dream)
Carrying bread on my head,
And birds are eating thereof."
"Tell us" (they said) "the truth
And meaning thereof: for we
See thou art one
That doth good (to all)."
37. He said: "Before any food
Comes (in due course)
To feed either of you,
I will surely reveal
To you the truth
And meaning of this
Ere it befall you
That is part of the (Duty)
Which my Lord hath taught me.
I have (I assure you)
p. 564
Abandoned the ways
Of a people that believe not
In God and that (even)
Deny the Hereafter.
38. "And I follow the ways
Of my fathers,—Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob; and never
Could we attribute any partners
Whatever to God: that (comes)
Of the grace of God to us
And to mankind: yet
Most men are not grateful
39. "O my two companions.
Of the prison! (I ask you):
Are many lords differing
Among themselves better,
Or the One God,
Supreme and Irresistible?
40. "If not Him, ye worship nothing
But names which ye have named,—
Ye and your fathers,—
For which God hath sent down
No authority: the Command
Is for none but God: He
p. 565
Hath commanded that ye worship
None but Him: that is
The right religion, but
Most men understand not…
41. "O my two companions
Of the prison! As to one
Of you, he will pour out
The wine for his lord to drink:
As for the other, he will
Hang from the cross, and the birds
Will eat from off his head.
(So) hath been decreed
That matter whereof
Ye twain do enquire"…
42. And of the two,
To that one whom he considered
About to be saved, he said:
"Mention me to thy lord."
p. 566
But Satan made him forget
To mention him to his lord:
And (Joseph) lingered in prison
A few (more) years.

SECTION 6.

43. The king (of Egypt) said:
"I do see (in a vision)
Seven fat kine, whom seven
Lean ones devour,—and seven
Green ears of corn, and seven (others)
Withered. O ye chiefs!
Expound to me my vision
If it be that ye can
Interpret visions."
p. 567
44. They said: "A confused medley
Of dreams: and we are not
Skilled in the interpretation
Of dreams."
45. But the man who had been
Released, one of the two
(Who had been in prison)
And who now bethought him
After (so long) a space of time,
Said: "I will tell you
The truth of its interpretation:
Send ye me (therefor)."
46."O Joseph!" (he said).
"O man of truth! Expound
To us (the dream)
Of seven fat kine
Whom seven lean ones
Devour, and of seven
Green ears of corn
And (seven) others withered:
That I may return
To the people, and that
They may understand."
47. (Joseph) said: "For seven years
Shall ye diligently sow
p. 568
As is your wont:
And the harvests that ye reap,
Ye shall leave them in the ear,—
Except a little, of which
Ye shall eat.
48. "Then will come
After that (period)
Seven dreadful (years),
Which will devour
What ye shall have laid by
In advance for them,—
(All) except a little
Which ye shall have
(Specially) guarded.
49. "Then will come
After that (period) a year
In which the people will have
Abundant water, and in which
They will press (wine and oil)."
p. 569

SECTION 7.

50. So the king said:
"Bring ye him unto me."
But when the messenger
Came to him, (Joseph) said:
"Go thou back to thy lord,
And ask him, "What is
The state of mind
Of the ladies
Who cut their hands?"
For my Lord is
Certainly well aware
Of their snare."
51. (The king) said (to the ladies):
"What was your affair
When ye did seek to seduce
Joseph from his (true) self?"
The ladies said: "God
Preserve us! no evil
p. 570
Know we against him!"
Said the ’Azīz's wife:
"Now is the truth manifest
(To all): it was I
Who sought to seduce him
From his (true) self:
He is indeed of those
Who are (ever) true (and virtuous).
52. "This (say I), in order that
He may know that I
Have never been false
To him in his absence,
And that God will never
Guide the snare of the false ones.
p. 571
53. "Nor do I absolve my own self
(Of blame): the (human) soul
Is certainly prone to evil,
Unless my Lord do bestow
His Mercy: but surely
My Lord is Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful."
54. So the king said:
"Bring him unto me;
I will take him specially
To serve about my own person."
Therefore when he had spoken
To him, he said:
"Be assured this day,
Thou art, before our own Presence,
With rank firmly established,
And fidelity fully proved!
55. (Joseph) said: "Set me
Over the store-houses
Of the land: I will
Indeed guard them,
p. 572
As one that knows
(Their importance)."
56. "Thus did we give
Established power to Joseph
In the land, to take possession
Therein as, when, or where
He pleased. We bestow
Of Our mercy on whom
We please, and We suffer not,
To be lost, the reward
Of those who do good.
57. But verily the reward
Of the Hereafter
Is the best, for those
Who believe, and are constant
In righteousness.

SECTION 8.

58. Then came Joseph's brethren:
They entered his presence,
And he knew them,
But they knew him not.
p. 573
59. And when he had furnished
Them forth with provisions
(Suitable) for them, he said:
"Bring unto me a brother
Ye have, of the same father
As yourselves, (but a different mother):
See ye not that I pay out
Full measure, and that I
Do provide the best hospitality?
60. "Now if ye bring him not
To me, ye shall have
No measure (of corn) from me,
Nor shall ye (even) come
Near me."
61. They said: "We shall
Certainly seek to get
Our wish about him
From his father:
Indeed we shall do it."
62. And (Joseph) told his servants
To put their stock-in-trade
(With which they had bartered)
Into their saddle-bags,
So they should know it only
When they returned to their people,
p. 574
In order that they
Might come back.
63. Now when they returned
To their father, they said:
"O our father! No more
Measure of grain shall we get
(Unless we take our brother):
So send our brother with us,
That we may get our measure;
And we will indeed
Take every care of him."
64. He said: "Shall I trust you
With him with any result
Other than when I trusted you
With his brother aforetime?
But God is the best
To take care (of him),
And He is the Most Merciful
Of those who show mercy!"
65. Then when they opened
Their baggage, they found
Their stock-in-trade had been
Returned to them. They said:
"O our father! What (more)
Can we desire? This our
Stock-in-trade has been returned
To us: so we shall get
p. 575
(More) food for our family;
We shall take care of our brother;
And add (at the same time)
A full camel's load (of grain
To our provisions).
This is but a small quantity.
66. (Jacob) said: "Never will I
Send him with you until
Ye swear a solemn oath to me,
In God's name, that ye
Will be sure to bring him back
To me unless ye are yourselves
Hemmed in (and made powerless)."
And when they had sworn
Their solemn oath,
He said: "Over all
That we say, be God
The Witness and Guardian!"
67. Further he said:
"O my sons! enter not
All by one gate: enter ye
By different gates. Not that
p. 576
I can profit you aught
Against God (with my advice):
None can command except God:
On Him do I put my trust:
And let all that trust
Put their trust on Him."
68. And when they entered
In the manner their father
Had enjoined, it did not
Profit them in the least
Against (the Plan of) God:
It was but a necessity
Of Jacob's soul, which he
Discharged. For he was,
By Our instruction, full
Of knowledge (and experience):
But most men know not.
p. 577

SECTION 9.

69. Now when they came
Into Joseph's presence,
He received his (full) brother
To stay with him. He said
(To him): "Behold! I am thy (own)
Brother; so grieve not
At aught of their doings."
70. At length when he had furnished
Them forth with provisions
(Suitable) for them, he put
The drinking cup into
His brother's saddle-bag.
Then shouted out a Crier:
"O ye (in) the Caravan!
Behold! ye are thieves,
Without doubt!"
71. They said, turning towards them:
"What is it that ye miss?"
72. They said: "We miss
The great beaker of the king;
p. 578
For him who produces it,—
Is (the reward of)
A camel load; I
Will be bound by it."
73. (The brothers) said: "By God!
Well ye know that we
Came not to make mischief
In the land, and we are
No thieves!"
74. (The Egyptians) said: "What then
Shall be the penalty of this,
If ye are (proved) to have lied?"
75. They said: "The penalty
Should be that he
In whose saddle-bag
It is found, should be held
(As bondman) to atone
For the (crime). Thus it is
We punish the wrong-doers!"
76. So he began (the search)
With their baggage,
p. 579
Before (he came to) the baggage
Of his brother: at length
He brought it out of his
Brother's baggage. Thus did We
Plan for Joseph. He could not
Take his brother by the law
Of the king except that God
Willed it (so). We raise
To degrees (of wisdom) whom
We please: but over all
Endued with knowledge is One,
The All-Knowing.
77. They said: "If he steals,
There was a brother of his
Who did steal before (him)."
But these things did Joseph
Keep locked in his heart,
Revealing not the secrets to them.
p. 580
He (simply) said (to himself):
"Ye are the worse situated;
And God knoweth best
The truth of what ye assert!"
78. They said: "O exalted one!
Behold! he has a father,
Aged and venerable, (who will
Grieve for him); so take
One of us in his place;
For we see that thou art
(Gracious) in doing good."
79. He said: "God forbid
That we take other than him
With whom we found
Our property: indeed
(If we did so), we should
Be acting wrongfully.

SECTION 10.

80. Now when they saw
No hope of his (yielding),
They held a conference in private.
The leader among them said:
"Know ye not that your father
Did take an oath from you
In God's name, and how,
Before this, ye did fail
p. 581
In your duty with Joseph?
Therefore will I not leave
This land until my father
Permits me, or God
Commands me; and He
Is the best to command.
81. "Turn ye back to your father,
And say, "O our father!
Behold! thy son committed theft!
We bear witness only to what
We know, and we could not
Well guard against the unseen!
82. "Ask at the town where
We have been and the caravan
In which we returned,
And (you will find) we are
Indeed telling the truth."
83. Jacob said: "Nay, but ye
Have yourselves contrived
A story (good enough) for you.
So patience is most fitting
(For me). Maybe God will
Bring them (back) all
To me (in the end).
For He is indeed full
Of knowledge and wisdom.
p. 582
84. And he turned away from them,
And said: "How great
Is my grief for Joseph!"
And his eyes became white
With sorrow, and he fell
Into silent melancholy.
85. They said: "By God!
(Never) wilt thou cease
To remember Joseph
Until thou reach the last
Extremity of illness,
Or until thou die!"
86. He said: "I only complain
Of my distraction and anguish
To God, and I know from God
That which ye know not…
87. "O my sons! go ye
And enquire about Joseph
And his brother, and never
Give up hope of God's
Soothing Mercy: truly
No one despairs of God's
p. 583
Soothing Mercy, except
Those who have no faith."
88. Then, when they came
(Back) into (Joseph's) presence
They said: "O exalted one!
Distress has seized us
And our family: we have
(Now) brought but scanty capital:
So pay us full measure,
(We pray thee), and treat it
As charity to us: for God
Doth reward the charitable."
89. He said: "Know ye
How ye dealt with Joseph
And his brother, not knowing
(What ye were doing)?"
90. They said: "Art thou indeed
Joseph?" He said . "I am
Joseph, and this is my brother:
God has indeed been gracious
p. 584
To us (all): behold, he that is
Righteous and patient,—never
Will God suffer the reward
To be lost, of those
Who do right."
91. They said: "By God! Indeed
Has God preferred thee
Above us, and we certainly
Have been guilty of sin!"
92. He said: "This day
Let no reproach be (cast)
On you; God will forgive you,
And He is the Most Merciful
Of those who show mercy!
93. "Go with this my shirt,
And cast it over the face
Of my father: he will
Come to see (clearly). Then come
Ye (here) to me together
With all your family."
p. 585

SECTION 11.

94. When the Caravan left (Egypt),
Their father said: "I do indeed
Scent the presence of Joseph:
Nay, think me not a dotard."
95. They said: "By God!
Truly thou art in
Thine old wandering mind."
96. Then when the bearer
Of the good news came,
He cast (the shirt)
Over his face, and he
Forthwith regained clear sight.
He said: "Did I not say
To you, "I know from God
That which ye know not?"
p. 586
97. They said: "O our father!
Ask for us forgiveness
For our sins, for we
Were truly at fault."
98. He said: "Soon will I
Ask my Lord for forgiveness
For you: for He is indeed
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
99. Then when they entered
The presence of Joseph,
He provided a home
For his parents with himself,
And said: "Enter ye
Egypt (all) in safety
If it please God."
100. And he raised his parents
High on the throne (of dignity),
And they fell down in prostration,
(All) before him. He said:
"O my father! this is
The fulfilment of my vision
Of old! God hath made it
Come true! He was indeed
Good to me when He
Took me out of prison
p. 587
And brought you (all here)
Out of the desert,
(Even) after Satan had sown
Enmity between me and my brothers.
Verily my Lord understandeth
Best the mysteries of all
that He planneth to do.
For verily He is full
Of knowledge and wisdom.
101."O my Lord! Thou hast
Indeed bestowed on me
Some power, and taught me
Something of the interpretation
Of dreams and events,—O Thou
Creator of the heavens
And the earth! Thou art
My Protector in this world
And in the Hereafter.
Take Thou my soul (at death)
As one submitting to Thy Will
(As a Muslim), and unite me
With the righteous."
p. 588
102. Such is one of the stories
Of what happened unseen,
Which We reveal by inspiration
Unto thee: nor wast thou
(Present) with them when they
Concerted their plans together
In the process of weaving their plots.
103. Yet no faith will
The greater part of mankind
Have, however ardently
Thou dost desire it.
104. And no reward dost thou ask
Of them for this: it is
No less than a Message
For all creatures.

SECTION 12.

105. And how many Signs
In the heavens and the earth
p. 589
Do they pass by? Yet they
Turn (their faces) away from them!
106. And most of them
Believe not in God
Without associating (others
As partners) with Him!
107. Do they then feel secure
From the coming against them
Of the covering veil
Of the wrath of God,
Or of the coming against them
Of the (final) Hour
All of a sudden
While they perceive not?
108. Say thou: "This is my Way:
I do invite unto God,
On evidence clear as
The seeing with one's eyes,—
p. 590
I and whoever follows me.
Glory to God! and never
Will I join gods with God!"
109. Nor did We send before thee
(As apostles) any but men,
Whom We did inspire,—
(Men) living in human habitations.
Do they not travel
Through the earth, and see
What was the end
Of those before them?
But the home of the Hereafter
Is best, for those who do right.
Will ye not then understand?
110. (Respite will be granted)
Until, when the apostles
Give up hope (of their people)
And (come to) think that they
Were treated as liars,
There reaches them Our help,
And those whom We will
Are delivered into safety.
But never will be warded off
Our punishment from those
Who are in sin.
111. There is, in their stories,
Instruction for men endued
p. 591
With understanding. It is not
A tale invented, but a confirmation
Of what went before it,—
A detailed exposition
Of all things, and a Guide
And a Mercy to any such
As believe.

# Sūra XIII.

Ra’d, or Thunder.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. A. L. M. R. These are
The Signs (or Verses)
Of the Book: that which
Hath been revealed unto thee
From thy Lord is the Truth;
But most men believe not.
2. God is He Who raised
The heavens without any pillars
That ye can see; is firmly
Established on the Throne (of Authority);
He has subjected the sun
And the moon (to his Law)!
Each one runs (its course)
For a term appointed.
He doth regulate all affairs,
Explaining the Signs in detail,
p. 603
That ye may believe with certainty
In the meeting with your Lord.
3. And it is He Who spread out
The earth, and set thereon
Mountains standing firm,
And (flowing) rivers: and fruit
Of every kind He made
In pairs, two and two:
He draweth the Night as a veil
O'er the Day. Behold, verily
In these things there are Signs
For those who consider!
4. And in the earth are tracts
(Diverse though) neighbouring,
And gardens of vines
And fields sown with corn,
And palm trees—growing
Out of single roots or otherwise:
Watered with the same water,
Yet some of them We make
More excellent than others to eat.
Behold, verily in these things
p. 604
There are Signs for those
Who understand!
5. If thou dost marvel
(At their want of faith),
Strange is their saying:
"When we are (actually) dust,
Shall we indeed then be
In a creation renewed?" They are
Those who deny their Lord! They
Are those round whose necks
Will be yokes (of servitude):
They will be Companions
Of the Fire, to dwell therein
(For aye)!
6. They ask thee to hasten on
The evil in preference to the good:
Yet have come to pass,
Before them, (many) exemplary
Punishments! But verily
Thy Lord is full of forgiveness
For mankind for their wrong-doing,
And verily thy Lord
Is (also) strict in punishment.
7. And the Unbelievers say:
"Why is not a Sign sent down
To him from his Lord?
But thou art truly
p. 605
A warner, and to every people
A guide.

SECTION 2.

8. God doth know what
Every female (womb) doth bear,
By how much the wombs
Fall short (of their time
Or number) or do exceed.
Every single thing is before
His sight, in (due) proportion.
9. He knoweth the Unseen
And that which is open:
He is the Great,
The most High.
10. It is the same (to Him)
Whether any of you
Conceal his speech or
Declare it openly;
Whether he lie hid by night
Or walk forth freely by day.
11. For each (such person)
There are (angels) in succession,
Before and behind him:
They guard him by command
p. 606
Of God. Verily never
Will God change the condition
Of a people until they
Change it themselves
(With their own souls).
But when (once) God willeth
A people's punishment,
There can be no
Turning it back, nor
Will they find, besides Him,
Any to protect
12. It is He Who doth show you
The lightning, by way
Both of fear and of hope:
It is He Who doth raise up
The clouds, heavy
With (fertilising) rain!
13. Nay, thunder repeateth His praises,
And so do the angels, with awe:
He flingeth the loud-voiced
Thunder-bolts, and therewith
He striketh whomsoever He will…
Yet these (are the men)
Who (dare to) dispute
About God, with the strength
Of His power (supreme)!
p. 607
14. For Him (alone) is prayer
In Truth: any others that they
Call upon besides Him hear them
No more than if they were
To stretch forth their hands
For water to reach their mouths
But it reaches them not:
For the prayer of those
Without Faith is nothing
But (futile) wandering (in the mind).
15. Whatever beings there are
In the heavens and the earth
Do prostrate themselves to God
(Acknowledging subjection),—with good-will
Or in spite of themselves:
So do their shadows
In the mornings and evenings.
p. 608
16. Say: "Who is the Lord and Sustainer
Of the heavens and the earth?"
Say: "(It is) God."
Say: "Do ye then take
(For worship) protectors other
Than Him, such as have
No power either for good
Or for harm to themselves?"
Say: "Are the blind equal
With those who see?
Or the depths of darkness
Equal with Light?"
Or do they assign to God
Partners who have created
(Anything) as He has created,
So that the creation seemed
To them similar?
Say: "God is the Creator
Of all things: He is
The One, the Supreme and
Irresistible."
17. He sends down water
From the sides, and the channels
Flow, each according to its measure:
But the torrent bears away
The foam that mounts up
To the surface. Even so,
p. 609
Form that (ore) which they heat
In the fire, to make ornaments
Or utensils therewith,
There is a scum likewise.
Thus doth God (by parables)
Show forth Truth and Vanity.
For the scum disappears
Like froth cast out;
While that which is for the good
Of mankind remains
On the earth. Thus doth God
Set forth parables.
18. For those who respond
To their Lord, are (all)
Good things. But those
Who respond not to Him,
Even if they had all
That is in the heavens
And on earth, and as much more,
(In vain) would they offer it
For ransom. For them
Will the reckoning be terrible:
Their abode will be Hell,——
What a bed of misery!

SECTION 3.

19. Is then one who doth know
That that which hath been
p. 610
Revealed unto thee
From thy Lord is the Truth,
Like one who is blind?
It is those who are
Endued with understanding
That receive admonition;—
20. Those who fulfil the Covenant
Of God and fail not
In their plighted word;
21. Those who join together
Those things which God
Hath commanded to be joined,
Hold their Lord in awe,
And fear the terrible reckoning;
22. Those who patiently persevere,
Seeking the countenance of their Lord;
Establish regular prayers; spend,
Out of (the gifts) We have bestowed
For their sustenance, secretly
And openly; and turn off Evil
With good: for such there is
The final attainment
Of the (Eternal) Home,—
23. Gardens of perpetual bliss:
They shall enter there,
As well as the righteous
Among their fathers, their spouses,
p. 611
And their offspring:
And angels shall enter unto them
From every gate (with the salutation):
24. "Peace unto you for that ye
Persevered in patience! Now
How excellent is the final Home!"
25. But those who break
The Covenant of God, after
Having plighted their word thereto,
And cut asunder those things
Which God has commanded
To be joined, and work mischief
In the land;—on them
Is the Curse; for them
Is the terrible Home!
26. God doth enlarge, or grant
By (strict) measure, the Sustenance
(Which He giveth) to whomso
He pleaseth. (The worldly) rejoice
In the life of this world:
But the life of this world
Is but little comfort
In the Hereafter.
p. 612

SECTION 4.

27. The Unbelievers say: "Why
Is not a Sign sent down
To him from his Lord?"
Say: "Truly God leaveth,
To stray, whom He will;
But He guideth to Himself
Those who turn to Him
In penitence,—
28. "Those who believe, and whose hearts
Find satisfaction in the remembrance
Of God: for without doubt
In the remembrance of God
Do hearts find satisfaction.
29. "For those who believe
And work righteousness,
Is (every) blessedness,
And a beautiful place
Of (final) return."
30. Thus have We sent thee
Amongst a People before whom
(Long since) have (other) Peoples
(Gone and) passed away;
In order that thou mightest
Rehearse unto them what We
Send down unto thee by inspiration;
p. 613
Yet do they reject (Him),
The Most Gracious!
Say: "He is my Lord!
There is no god but He!
On Him is my trust,
And to Him do I turn!"
31. If there were a Qur-ān
With which mountains were moved,
Or the earth were cloven asunder,
Or the dead were made to speak,
(This would be the one!)
But, truly, the Command is
With God in all things!'
Do not the Believers know,
That, had God (so) willed,
He could have guided
All mankind (to the Right)?
But the Unbelievers,—never
Will disaster cease to seize
Them for their (ill) deeds,
Or to settle close to their homes,
Until the promise of God
Come to pass, for, verily,
God will not fail
In His promise.
p. 614

SECTION 5.

32. Mocked were (many) apostles
Before thee: but I granted
Respite to the Unbelievers,
And finally I punished them:
Then how (terrible) was My requital!
33. Is then He Who standeth
Over every soul (and knoweth)
All that it doth,
(Like any others)? And yet
They ascribe partners to God.
Say: "But name them!
Is it that ye will
Inform Him of something
He knoweth not on earth,
Or is it (just) a show
Of words?" Nay! to those
Who believe not, their pretence
seems pleasing, but they are
Kept back (thereby) from the Path.
And those whom God leaves
To stray, no one can guide.
34. For them is a Penalty
In the life of this world,
But harder, truly, is the Penalty
Of the Hereafter: and defender
Have they none against God.
35. The parable of the Garden
Which the righteous are promised!—
p. 615
Beneath it flow rivers:
Perpetual is the enjoyment thereof
And the shade therein:
Such is the End
Of the Righteous; and the End
Of Unbelievers is the Fire.
36. Those to whom We have
Given the Book rejoice
At what hath been revealed
Unto thee: but there are
Among the clans those who reject
A part thereof. Say:
"I am commanded to worship
God, and not to join partners
With Him. Unto him
Do I call, and
Unto Him is my return."
37. Thus have We revealed it
To be a judgment of authority
p. 616
In Arabic. Wert thou to follow
Their (vain) desires after the knowledge
Which hath reached thee,
Then wouldst thou find
Neither protector nor defender
Against God.

SECTION 6.

38. We did send apostles
Before thee, and appointed
For them wives and children:
And it was never the part
Of an apostle to bring a Sign
Except as God permitted
(Or commanded). For each period
Is a Book (revealed).
39. God doth blot out
Or confirm what He pleaseth:
With Him is
The Mother of the Book.
40. Whether We shall show thee
(Within thy life-time)
Part of what We promised them
Or take to ourselves thy soul
p. 617
(Before it is all accomplished),—
Thy duty is to make
(The Message) reach them:
It is Our part
To call them to account.
41. See they not that We
Gradually reduce the land
(In their control) from its
Outlying borders ? (Where) God
Commands, there is none
To put back His command:
And He is Swift
In calling to account.
42. Those before them did (also)
Devise plots; but in all things
The master-planning is God's.
He knoweth the doings
Of every soul: and soon
Will the Unbelievers know
Who gets home in the End.
43. The Unbelievers say: "No apostle
Art thou." Say: "Enough
For a witness between me
And you is God, and such
As have knowledge of the Book."

# Sūra XIV.

Ibrāhīm, or Abraham.

In the name of God, Most Gracious
Most Merciful.
1. A. L. R. A Book
Which We have revealed
Unto thee, in order that
Thou mightest lead mankind
Out of the depths of darkness
Into light—by the leave
Of their Lord—to the Way
Of (Him) the Exalted in Power,
Worthy of all Praise!—
2. Of God, to Whom do belong
All things in the heavens
And on earth!
But alas for the Unbelievers
For a terrible Penalty
(Their Unfaith will bring them)!—
3. Those who love the life
Of this world more than
The Hereafter, who hinder (men)
From the Path of God
And seek therein something crooked:
They are astray
By a long distance.
p. 620
4. We sent not an apostle
Except (to teach) in the language
Of his (own) people, in order
To make (things) clear to them.
Now God leaves straying
Those whom He pleases
And guides whom He pleases:
And He is Exalted in Power,
Full of Wisdom.
5. We sent Moses with Our Signs
(And the command). "Bring out
Thy people from the depths
Of darkness into light,
And teach them to remember
The Days of God." Verily
In this there are Signs
For such as are firmly patient
And constant,—grateful and appreciative.
6. Remember! Moses said
To his people: "Call to mind
The favour of God to you
When He delivered you
p. 621
From the people of Pharaoh:
They set you hard tasks
And punishments, slaughtered
Your sons, and let your women-folk
Live: therein was
A tremendous trial from your Lord."

SECTION 2.

7. And remember! your Lord
Caused to be declared (publicly):
"If ye are grateful, I will
Add more (favours) unto you;
But if ye show ingratitude,
Truly my punishment
Is terrible indeed."
8. And Moses said: "If ye
Show ingratitude, ye and all
On earth together,—yet
Is God Free of all wants,
Worthy of all praise.
9. Has not the story
Reached you, (O people!), of those
Who (went) before you?—
Of the People of Noah,
And ’Ād, and Thamūd?—
And of those who (came)
After them? None knows them
But God. To them came
p. 622
Apostles with Clear (Signs);
But they put their hands
Up to their mouths, and said:
"We do deny (the mission)
On which ye have been sent,
And we are really
In suspicious (disquieting) doubt
As to that to which
Ye invite us."
10. Their apostles said: "Is there
A doubt about God,
The Creator of the heavens
And the earth? It is He
Who invites you, in order
That He may forgive you
Your sins and give you
Respite for a term appointed!"
They said: "Ah! ye are
No more than human,
Like ourselves! Ye wish
To turn us away from
The (gods) our fathers
Used to worship: then
Bring us some clear authority."
11. Their apostles said to them:
"True, we are human
Like yourselves, but God
Doth grant His grace
p. 623
To such of His servants
As He pleases. It is not
For us to bring you
An authority except as God
Permits. And on God
Let all men of faith
Put their trust.
12. "No reason have we why
We should not put our trust
On God. Indeed He
Has guided us to the Ways
We (follow). We shall certainly
Bear with patience all
The hurt you may cause us.
For those who put their trust
Should put their trust on God."

SECTION 3.

13. And the Unbelievers said
To their apostles: "Be sure
We shall drive you out
Of our land, or ye shall
Return to our religion."
But their Lord inspired
(This Message) to them:
"Verily We shall cause
The wrong-doers to perish!
14. "And verily We shall
Cause you to abide
In the land, and succeed them.
This for such as fear
The Time when they shall stand
Before My tribunal,—such
As fear the Punishment denounced."
p. 624
15. But they sought victory and decision
(There and then), and frustration
Was the lot of every
Powerful obstinate transgressor.
16. In front of such a one
Is Hell, and he is given,
For drink, boiling fetid water.
17. In gulps will he sip it,
But never will he be near
Swallowing it down his throat:
Death will come to him
From every quarter, yet
Will he not die: and
In front of him will be
A chastisement unrelenting.
18. The parable of those who
Reject their Lord is that
Their works are as ashes,
On which the wind blows
Furiously on a tempestuous day:
No power have they over
Aught that they have earned:
That is the straying
Far, far (from the goal).
p. 625
19. Seest thou not that God
Created the heavens and the earth
In Truth? If He so will,
He can remove you
And put (in your place)
A new Creation?
20. Nor is that for God
Any great matter.
21. They will all be marshalled
Before God together: then
Will the weak say to those
Who were arrogant, "For us,
We but followed you; can ye
Then avail us at all
Against the Wrath of God?"
They will reply, "If we
Had received the guidance
Of God, we should have
Given it to you: to us
It makes no difference (now)
Whether we rage, or bear
(These torments) with patience:
For ourselves there is no way
Of escape."

SECTION 4.

22. And Satan will say
When the matter is decided:
"It was God Who gave you
A promise of Truth: I too
Promised, but I failed
In my promise to you.
p. 626
I had no authority over you
Except to call you, but ye
Listened to me: then
Reproach not me, but reproach
Your own souls. I cannot listen
To your cries, nor can ye
Listen to mine. I reject
Your former act in associating
Me with God.
For wrong-doers there must be
A grievous Penalty."
23. But those who believe
And work righteousness
Will be admitted to Gardens
Beneath which rivers flow,—
To dwell therein for aye
With the leave of their Lord.
Their greeting therein
Will be: "Peace!"
24. Seest thou not how
God sets forth a parable?—
A goodly Word
Like a goodly tree,
Whose root is firmly fixed,
And its branches (reach)
To the heavens,—
25. It brings forth its fruit
At all times, by the leave
p. 627
Of its Lord.
So God sets forth parables
For men, in order that
They may receive admonition.
26. And the parable
Of an evil Word
Is that of an evil tree:
It is torn up by the root
From the surface of the earth:
It has no stability.
27. God will establish in strength
Those who believe, with the Word
That stands firm, in this world
And in the Hereafter; but God
Will leave, to stray, those
Who do wrong: God doeth
What He willeth.
p. 628

SECTION 5.

28, Hast thou not turned
Thy vision to those who
Have changed the favour of God.
Into blasphemy and caused
Their people to descend
To the House of Perdition?—
29. Into Hell? They will burn
Therein,—an evil place
To stay in!
30. And they set up (idols)
As equal to God, to mislead
(Men) from the Path! Say:
"Enjoy (your brief power)!
But verily ye are making
Straightway for Hell!"
31. Speak to my servants
Who have believed,
That they may establish
Regular prayers, and spend
(In charity) out of the Sustenance
p. 629
We have given them,
Secretly and openly, before
The coming of a Day
In which there will be
Neither mutual bargaining
Nor befriending.
32. It is God Who hath created
The heavens and the earth
And sendeth down rain
From the skies, and with it
Bringeth out fruits wherewith
To feed you; it is He
Who hath made the ships subject
To you, that they may sail
Through the sea by His Command;
And the rivers (also)
Hath He made subject to you.
33. And He hath made subject
To you the sun and the moon,
Both diligently pursuing
Their courses; and the Night
And the Day hath He (also)
Made subject to you.
p. 630
34. And He giveth you
Of all that ye ask for.
But if ye count the favours
Of God, never will ye
Be able to number them.
Verily, man is given up
To injustice and ingratitude.

SECTION 6.

35. Remember Abraham said:
"O my Lord! make this city
One of peace and security:
And preserve me and my sons
From worshipping idols.
36. "O my Lord! they have indeed
Led astray many among mankind;
He then who follows my (ways)
Is of me, and he that
Disobeys me,—but Thou
Art indeed Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful.
37. "O our Lord! I have made
Some of my offspring to dwell
In a valley without cultivation,
By Thy Sacred House;
p. 631
In order, O our Lord, that they
May establish regular Prayer:
So till the hearts of some
Among men with love towards them,
And feed them with Fruits:
So that they may give thanks.
38. "O our Lord! truly Thou
Dost know what we conceal
And what we reveal:
For nothing whatever is hidden
From God, whether on earth
Or in heaven.
39. "Praise be to God, Who hath
Granted unto me in old age
Ismā’īl and Isaac: for truly
My Lord is He, the Hearer
Of Prayer!
40. "O my Lord! make me
One who establishes regular Prayer,
And also (raise such)
Among my offspring
O our Lord!
And accept Thou my Prayer.
41. "O our Lord! cover (us)
With Thy Forgiveness—me,
p. 632
My parents, and (all) Believers,
On the Day that the Reckoning
Will be established!

SECTION 7.

42. Think not that God
Doth not heed the deeds
Of those who do wrong.
He but giveth them respite
Against a Day when
The eyes will fixedly stare
In horror,—
43. They running forward
With necks outstretched,
Their heads uplifted, their gaze
Returning not towards them,
And their hearts a (gaping) void!
44. So warn mankind
Of the Day when the Wrath
Will reach them: then will
The wrong-doers say: "Our Lord!
Respite us (if only)
For a short Term: we will
Answer Thy Call, and follow
The apostles!"
"What! were ye not wont
To swear aforetime that ye
Should suffer no decline?
p. 633
45. "And ye dwelt in the dwellings
Of men who wronged their own
Souls; ye were clearly shown
How We dealt with them;
And We put forth (many) Parables
In your behoof!"
46. Mighty indeed were the plots
Which they made, but their plots
Were (well) within the sight
Of God, even though they were
Such as to shake the hills!
47. Never think that God would fail
His apostles in His promise:
For God is Exalted in Power,—
The Lord of Retribution.
48. One day the Earth will be
Changed to a different Earth,
And so will be the Heavens,
And (men) will be marshalled
Forth, before God, the One,
The Irresistible;
49. And thou wilt see
The Sinners that day
Bound together in fetters;—
50. Their garments of liquid pitch,
And their faces covered with Fire;
p. 634
51. That God may requite
Each soul according
To its deserts;
And verily God is Swift
In calling to account.
52. Here is a Message for mankind:
Let them take warning therefrom,
And let them know that He
Is (no other than) One God
Let men of understanding
Take heed.

# Sūra XV.

Al-Hijr, or The Rocky Tract.

In the name of God, Most Gracious;
Most Merciful
1. A. L. R. These are
The Āyats of Revelation,—
Of a Qur-ān
That makes things clear.
p. 637
2. Again and again will those
Who disbelieve, wish that they
Had bowed (to God's Will)
In Islam.
3. Leave them alone, to enjoy
(The good things of this life)
And to please themselves:
Let (false) Hope amuse them: soon
Will knowledge (undeceive them).
4. Never did We destroy
A population that had not
A term decreed and assigned
Beforehand.
5. Neither can a people anticipate
Its Term, nor delay it.
6. They say: "O thou to whom
The Message is being revealed!
Truly thou art mad (or possessed)!
p. 638
7. "Why bringest thou not
Angels to us if it be
That thou hast the Truth?"
8. We send not the angels
Down except for just cause:
If they came (to the ungodly),
Behold! no respite would they have!
9. We have, without doubt,
Sent down the Message;
And We will assuredly
Guard it (from corruption).
10. We did send apostles before thee
Amongst the religious sects
Of old:
11. But never came an apostle
To them but they mocked him.
12. Even so do we let it creep
Into the hearts of the sinners—
13. That they should not believe
In the (Message); but the ways
p. 639
Of the ancients have passed away.
14. Even if We opened out to them
A gate from heaven,
And they were to continue
(All day) ascending therein,
15. They would only say:
"Our eyes have been intoxicated:
Nay, we have been bewitched
By sorcery."

SECTION 2.

16. It is We Who have set out
The Zodiacal Signs in the heavens,
And made them fair-seeming
To (all) beholders;
17. And (moreover) We have guarded them
p. 640
From every evil spirit accursed:
18. But any that gains a hearing
By stealth, is pursued
By a flaming fire, bright (to see).
19. And the earth We have spread out
(Like a carpet); set thereon
Mountains firm and immovable;
And produced therein all kinds
Of things in due balance.
20. And We have provided therein
Means of subsistence,—for you
And for those for whose sustenance
Ye are not responsible.
21. And there is not a thing
But its (sources and) treasures
p. 641
(Inexhaustible) are with Us;
But We only send down
Thereof in due and ascertainable measures.
22. And We send the fecundating winds,
Then cause the rain to descend
From the sky, therewith providing
You with water (in abundance),
Though ye are not the guardians
Of its stores.
23. And verily, it is We
Who give life, and Who give
Death: it is We Who remain Inheritors
(After all else passes away).
p. 642
24. To Us are known those of you
Who hasten forward, and those
Who lag behind.
25. Assuredly it is thy Lord
Who will gather them together:
For He is Perfect in Wisdom
And Knowledge.

SECTION 3.

26. We created man from sounding clay,
From mud moulded into shape;
27. And the Jinn race, We had
Created before, from the fire
Of a scorching wind.
28. Behold! thy Lord said
To the angels: "I am about
To create man, from sounding clay
From mud moulded into shape;
p. 643
29. "When I have fashioned him
(In due proportion) and breathed
Into him of My spirit,
Fall ye down in obeisance
Unto him.
30. So the angels prostrated themselves,
All of them together:
31. Not so Iblīs: he refused to be
Among those who prostrated themselves.
32. (God) said: "O Iblīs!
What is your reason
For not being among those
Who prostrated themselves?"
33. (Iblīs) said: "I am not one
To prostrate myself to man,
Whom Thou didst create
From sounding clay, from mud
Moulded into shape."
34. (God) said: "Then get thee out
From here; for thou art
Rejected, accursed.
35. "And the Curse shall be
On thee till the Day of Judgment."
p. 644
36. (Iblīs) said: "O my Lord!
Give me then respite
Till the Day
The (dead) are raised."
37. (God) said: "Respite
Is granted thee—
38. "Till the Day
Of the Time Appointed."
39. (Iblīs) said: "O my Lord!
Because Thou hast put me
In the wrong, I will
Make (wrong) fair-seeming
To them on the earth,
And I will put them
All in the wrong,—
40. "Except Thy servants among them,
Sincere and purified
(By Thy grace)."
41. (God) said: "This (Way
Of My sincere servants) is
Indeed a Way that leads
Straight to Me.
p. 645
42. "For over My servants
No authority shalt thou
Have, except such as
Put themselves in the wrong
And follow thee."
43. And verily, Hell
Is the promised abode
For them all!
44. To it are seven Gates:
For each of those Gates
Is a (special) class
(Of sinners) assigned.

SECTION 4.

45. The righteous (will be)
Amid Gardens
And fountains
(Of clear-flowing water).
46. (Their greeting will be):
"Enter ye here
In Peace and Security."
47. And We shall remove
From their hearts any
Lurking sense of injury:
(They will be) brothers
(Joyfully) facing each other
On thrones (of dignity).
48. There no sense of fatigue
Shall touch them,
Nor shall they (ever)
Be asked to leave.
p. 646
49. Tell My servants
That I am indeed
The Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful;
50. And that My Penalty
Will be indeed
The most grievous Penalty.
51. Tell them about
The guests of Abraham.
52. When they entered his presence
And said, "Peace!"
He said, "We feel
Afraid of you!"
53. They said: "Fear not!
We give thee glad tidings
p. 647
Of a son endowed
With wisdom."
54. He said: "Do ye give me
Glad tidings that old age
Has seized me? Of what,
Then, is your good news?"
55. They said: "We give thee
Glad tidings in truth:
Be not then in despair!"
56. He said: "And who
Despairs of the mercy
Of his Lord, but such
As go astray?"
57. Abraham said: "What then
Is the business on which
Ye (have come), O ye
Messengers (of God)?"
58. They said: "We have been
Sent to a people
(Deep) in sin,
59. "Excepting the adherents
Of Lūt: them we are certainly
p. 648
(Charged) to save (from harm),—
All—
60. "Except his wife, who,
We have ascertained,
Will be among those
Who will lag behind."

SECTION 5.

61. At length when the messengers
Arrived among the adherents
Of Lūt,
62. He said: "Ye appear
To be uncommon folk."
63. They said: "Yea,
We have come to thee
To accomplish that
Of which they doubt.
64. "We have brought to thee
That which is inevitably
Due, and assuredly
We tell the truth.
65. "Then travel by night
With thy household,
When a portion of the night
(Yet remains), and do thou
p. 649
Bring up the rear:
Let no one amongst you
Look back, but pass on
Whither ye are ordered."
66. And We made known
This decree to him,
That the last remnants
Of those (sinners) should be
Cut off by the morning.
67. The inhabitants of the City
Came in (mad) joy
(At news of the young men).
68. Lūt said: "These are
My guests: disgrace me not:
69. "But fear God,
And shame me not."
70. They said: "Did we not
Forbid thee (to speak)
For all and sundry?"
71. He said: "There are
My daughters (to marry),
If ye must act (so)."
72. Verily, by thy life (O Prophet),
In their wild intoxication,
p. 650
They wander in distraction,
To and fro.
73. But the (mighty) Blast
Overtook them before morning;
74. And We turned (the Cities)
Upside down, and rained down
On them brimstones
Hard as baked clay.
75. Behold! in this are Signs
For those who by tokens
Do understand.
76. And the (Cities were)
Right on the high-road.
77. Behold! in this
Is a Sign
For those who believe!
78. And the Companions of the Wood
Were also wrong-doers;
p. 651
79. So We exacted retribution
From them. They were both
On an open highway,
Plain to see.

SECTION 6.

80. The Companions of the Rocky Tract
Also rejected the apostles:
81. We sent them Our Signs,
But they persisted
In turning away from them.
82. Out of the mountains
Did they hew (their) edifices,
(Feeling themselves) secure.
83. But the (mighty) Blast
Seized them of a morning,
84. And of no avail to them
Was all that they did
(With such art and care)!
85. We created not the heavens,
The earth, and all between them,
p. 652
But for just ends.
And the Hour is surely
Coming (when this will be manifest).
So overlook (any human faults)
With gracious forgiveness.
86. For verily it is thy Lord
Who is the Master-Creator,
Knowing all things.
87. And We have bestowed
Upon thee the Seven
Oft-repeated (Verses)
And the Grand Qur-ān.
88. Strain not thine eyes.
(Wistfully) at what We
Have bestowed on certain classes
Of them, nor grieve over them:
p. 653
But lower thy wing
(in gentleness)
To the Believers.
89. And say: "I am indeed he
That warneth openly
And without ambiguity,"—
90. (Of just such wrath)
As We sent down
On those who divided
(Scripture into arbitrary parts),—
91. (So also on such)
As have made Qur-ān
Into shreds (as they please).
92. Therefore, by the Lord,
We will, of a surety,
Call them to account,
93. For all their deeds.
94. Therefore expound openly
What thou art commanded,
And turn away from those
Who join false gods with God.
95. For sufficient are We
Unto thee against those
p. 654
Who scoff,—
96. Those who adopt, with God,
Another god: but soon
Will they come to know.
97. We do indeed know
How thy heart is distressed
At what they say.
98. But celebrate the praises
Of thy Lord, and be of those
Who prostrate themselves
In adoration.
99. And serve thy Lord
Until there come unto thee
The Hour that is Certain.

# Sūra XVI.

Naḥl or The Bee.

In the name of God Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. (Inevitable) cometh (to pass)
The Command of God:
Seek ye not then
To hasten it: glory to Him,
And far is He above
Having the partners
They ascribe unto Him!
2. He doth send down His angels
With inspiration of His Command,
To such of His servants
As He pleaseth, (saying):
"Warn (Man) that there is
No god but I: so do
Your duty unto Me."
3. He has created the heavens
And the earth for just ends:
Far is He above having
The partners they ascribe to Him!
4. He has created man
From a sperm-drop;
And behold this same (man)
Becomes an open disputer!
p. 657
5. And cattle He has created
For you (men): from them
Ye derive warmth,
And numerous benefits,
And of their (meat) ye eat.
6. And ye have a sense
Of pride and beauty in them
As ye drive them home
In the evening, and as ye
Lead them forth to pasture
In the morning.
7. And they carry your heavy loads
To lands that ye could not
(Otherwise) reach except with
Souls distressed: for your Lord
Is indeed Most Kind, Most Merciful
8. And (He has created) horses,
Mules, and donkeys, for you
To ride and use for show;
And He has created (other) things
Of which ye have no knowledge.
p. 658
9. and unto God leads straight
The Way, but there are ways
That turn aside: if God
Had willed, He could have
Guided all of you.

SECTION 2.

10. It is He Who sends down
Rain from the sky:
From it ye drink,
And out of it (grows)
The vegetation on which
Ye feed your cattle.
11. With it He produces
For you corn, olives,
Date-palms, grapes,
And every kind of fruit:
Verily in this is a Sign
For those who give thought.
12. He has made subject to you
The Night and the Day;
The Sun and the Moon;
And the Stars are in subjection
By His Command: verily
In this are Signs
For men who are wise.
p. 659
13. And the things on this earth
Which He has multiplied
In varying colours
(and qualities):
Verily in this is a Sign
For men who celebrate
The praises of God
(in gratitude).
14. It is He Who has made
The sea subject, that ye
May eat thereof flesh
That is fresh and tender,
And that ye may extract
Therefrom ornaments to wear;
And thou seest the ships
Therein that plough the waves,
That ye may seek (thus)
Of the bounty of God
And that ye may be grateful.
p. 660
15. And He has set up
On the earth mountains
Standing firm, lest it should
Shake with you; and rivers
And roads; that ye
May guide yourselves;
16. And marks and sign-posts;
And by the stars
(Men) guide themselves.
17. Is then He Who creates
Like one that creates not?
Will ye not receive admonition?
18. If ye would count up
The favours of God,
Never would ye be able
To number them: for God
Is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
p. 661
19. And God doth know
What ye conceal,
And what ye reveal.
20. Those whom they invoke
Besides God create nothing
And are themselves created.
21. (They are things) dead,
Lifeless: nor do they know
When they will be raised up.

SECTION 3.

22. Your God is One God:
As to those who believe not
In the Hereafter, their hearts
Refuse to know, and they
Are arrogant.
23. Undoubtedly God doth know
What they conceal,
And what they reveal:
Verily He loveth not the arrogant.
24. When it is said to them,
"What is it that your Lord
p. 662
Has revealed?" they say,
"Tales of the ancients!"
25. Let them bear, on the Day
Of Judgment, their own burdens
In full, and also (something)
Of the burdens of those
Without knowledge, whom they
Misled. Alas, how grievous
The burdens they will bear!

SECTION 4.

26. Those before them did also
Plot (against God's Way):
But God took their structures
From their foundations, and the roof
Fell down on them from above;
And the Wrath seized them
From directions they did not perceive.
27. Then, on the Day of Judgment,
He will cover them
p. 663
With shame, and say:
"Where are My "partners"
Concerning whom ye used
To dispute (with the godly)?"
Those endued with knowledge
Will say: "This Day, indeed,
Are the Unbelievers covered
With Shame and Misery,—
28. "(Namely) those whose lives the angels
Take in a state of wrong-doing
To their own souls."
Then would they offer submission
(With the pretence), "We did
No evil (knowingly)." (The angels
Will reply), "Nay, but verily
God knoweth all that ye did;
29. "So enter the gates of Hell,
To dwell therein.
Thus evil indeed
Is the abode of the arrogant."
30. To the righteous
(When) it is said, "What
Is it that your Lord
Has revealed?" they say,
"All that is good." To those
Who do good, there is good
In this world, and-the Home
Of the Hereafter is even better
p. 664
And excellent indeed is the Home
Of the righteous,—
31. Gardens of Eternity which they
Will enter: beneath them
Flow (pleasant) rivers: they
Will have therein all
That they wish: thus doth
God reward the righteous,—
32. (Namely) those whose lives
The angels take in a state
Of purity, saying (to them),
"Peace be on you; enter ye
The Garden, because of (the good)
Which ye did (in the world)."
33. Do the (ungodly) wait until
The angels come to them,
Or there comes the Command
Of thy Lord (for their doom)?
So did those who went
Before them. But God
Wronged them not: nay,
They wronged their own souls.
34. But the evil results
Of their deeds overtook them,
And that very (Wrath)
At which they had scoffed
Hemmed them in.

SECTION 5.

35. The worshippers of false gods
Say: "If God had so willed,
We should not have worshipped
Aught but Him—neither we
p. 665
Nor our fathers,—nor should
We have prescribed prohibitions
Other than His." So did those
Who went before them.
But what is the mission
Of apostles but to preach
The Clear Message?
36. For We assuredly sent
Amongst every People an apostle,
(With the Command), "Serve
God, and eschew Evil":
Of the people were some whom
God guided, and some
On whom Error became
Inevitably (established). So travel
Through the earth, and see
What was the end of those
Who denied (the Truth).
37. If thou art anxious
For their guidance, yet
God guideth not such
As He leaves to stray,
And there is none
To help them.
38. They swear their strongest oaths
By God, that God will not
p. 666
Raise up those who die
Nay, but it is a promise
(Binding) on Him in truth:
But most among mankind
Realise it not.
39. (They must be raised up),
In order that He may manifest
To them the truth of that
Wherein they differ, and that
The rejecters of Truth
May realise that they had
Indeed (surrendered to)
Falsehood.
40. For to anything which We
Have willed, We but say
The Word, "Be ", and it is.

SECTION 6.

41. To those who leave
Their homes in the cause
Of God, after suffering
oppression,—
We will assuredly give
A goodly home in this world;
But truly the reward
Of the Hereafter will be greater.
If they only realised (this)!
42. (They are) those who persevere
In patience, and put
Their trust on their Lord.
p. 667
43. And before thee also
The apostles We sent
Were but men, to whom
We granted inspiration: if ye
Realise this not, ask of those
Who possess the Message.
44. (We sent them) with Clear Signs
And Books of dark prophecies;
And We have sent down
Unto thee (also) the Message;
That thou mayest explain clearly
To men what is sent
For them, and that they
May give thought.
45. Do then those who devise
Evil (plots) feel secure
That God will not cause
the earth to swallow them up,
Or that the Wrath will not
Seize them from directions
They little perceive?—
46. Or that He may not
Call them to account
p. 668
In the midst of their goings
To and fro, without a chance
Of their frustrating Him?—
47. Or that He may not
Call them to account
By a process of slow wastage—
For thy Lord is indeed
Full of kindness and mercy.
48. Do they not look
At God's creation, (even)
Among (inanimate) things,—
How their (very) shadows
Turn round, from the right
And the left, prostrating
Themselves to God, and that
In the humblest manner?
49. And to God doth obeisance
All that is in the heavens
And on earth, whether
Moving (living) creatures
Or the angels: for none
Are arrogant (before their Lord).
p. 669
50. They all revere their Lord,
High above them, and they do
All that they are commanded.

SECTION 7.

51. God has said: "Take not
(For worship) two gods:
For He is just One God:
Then fear Me (and Me alone)."
52. To Him belongs whatever
Is in the heavens and on earth,
And to Him is duty due always:
Then will ye fear other
Than God?
53. And ye have no good thing
But is from God: and moreover,
When ye are touched by distress,
Unto Him ye cry with groans;
p. 670
54. Yet, when He removes
The distress from you, behold!
Some of you turn to other gods
To join with their Lord—
55. (As if) to show their ingratitude
For the favours We have
Bestowed on them! Then enjoy
(Your brief day); but soon
Will ye know (your folly)!
56. And they (even) assign,
To things they do not know,
A portion out of that
Which We have bestowed
For their sustenance!
By God, ye shall certainly
Be called to account
For your false inventions.
57. And they assign daughters
For God!—Glory be to Him!—
And for themselves (sons,
The issue) they desire!
58. When news is brought
To one of them, of (the birth
Of) a female (child), his face
Darkens, and he is filled
With inward grief!
59. With shame does he hide
Himself from his people,
p. 671
Because of the bad news
He has had!
Shall he retain it
On (sufferance and) contempt,
Or bury it in the dust?
Ah! what an evil (choice)
They decide on?
60. To those who believe not
In the Hereafter, applies
The similitude of evil:
To God applies the highest
Similitude: for He is
The Exalted in Power,
Full of Wisdom.

SECTION 8.

61. If God were to punish
Men for their wrong-doing,
He would not leave, on the (earth);
A single living creature:
But He gives them respite
For a stated Term:
When their Term expires,
They would not be able
To delay (the punishment)
For a single hour, just as
They would not be able
To anticipate it (for a single hour).
p. 672
62. They attribute to God
What they hate (for themselves),
And their tongues assert
The falsehood that all good things
Are for themselves: without doubt
For them is the Fire, and they
Will be the first to be
Hastened on into it!
63. By God, We (also) sent
(Our apostles) to Peoples
Before thee; but Satan
Made, (to the wicked),
Their own acts seem alluring:
He is also their patron to-day,
But they shall have
A most grievous penalty.
64. And We sent down the Book
To thee for the express purpose,
That thou shouldst make clear
To them those things in which
They differ, and that it should he
A guide and a mercy
To those who believe.
65. And God sends down rain
From the skies, and gives therewith
Life to the earth after its death:
Verily in this is a Sign
p. 673
For those who listen.

SECTION 9.

66. And verily in cattle (too)
Will ye find an instructive Sign.
From what is within their bodies,
Between excretions and blood,
We produce, for your drink,
Milk, pure and agreeable
To those who drink it.
67. And from the fruit
Of the date-palm and the vine,
Ye get out wholesome drink
And food: behold, in this
Also is a Sign
For those who are wise.
p. 674
68. And thy Lord taught the Bee
To build its cells in hills,
On trees, and in (men's) habitations;
69. Then to eat of all
The produce (of the earth),
And find with skill the spacious
Paths of its Lord: there issues
From within their bodies
A drink of varying colours,
Wherein is healing for men:
Verily in this is a Sign
For those who give thought.
70. It is God Who creates you
And takes your souls at death;
And of you there are
Some who are sent back
To a feeble age, so that
They know nothing after
Having known (much):
For God is All-Knowing,
All-Powerful.
p. 675

SECTION 10.

71. God has bestowed His gifts
Of sustenance more freely on some
Of you than on others: those
More favoured are not going
To throw back their gifts
To those whom their right hands
Possess, so as to be equal
In that respect. Will they then
Deny the favours of God?
72. And God has made for you
Mates (and Companions) of your own nature,
And made for you, out of them,
Sons and daughters and grandchildren,
And provided for you sustenance
Of the best: will they
Then believe in vain things,
And be ungrateful for God's favours?—
73. And worship others than God,—
Such as have no power
Of providing them, for sustenance,
p. 676
With anything in heavens or earth,
And cannot possibly have
Such power?
74. Invent not similitudes
For God: for God knoweth,
And ye know not.
75. God sets forth the Parable
(Of two men: one) a slave
Under the dominion of another;
He has no power of any sort;
And (the other) a man
On whom We have bestowed
Goodly favours from Ourselves,
And he spends thereof (freely),
Privately and publicly:
Are the two equal?
(By no means;)
Praise be to God. But
Most of them understand not.
76. God sets forth (another) Parable
Of two men: one of them
Dumb, with no power
Of any sort; a wearisome burden
Is he to his master;
Whichever way he directs him,
He brings no good:
Is such a man equal
With one who commands
p. 677
Justice, and is on
A Straight Way?

SECTION 11.

77. To God belongeth the Mystery
Of the heavens and the earth.
And the Decision of the Hour
(Of Judgment) is as
The twinkling of an eye,
Or even quicker:
For God hath power
Over all things.
78. It is He Who brought you
Forth from the wombs
Of your mothers when
Ye knew nothing; and He
Gave you hearing and sight
And intelligence and affections:
That ye may give thanks
(To God).
79. Do they not look at
The birds, held poised
In the midst of (the air
And) the sky? Nothing
Holds them up but (the power
Of) God. Verily in this
Are Signs for those who believe.
p. 678
80. It is God Who made your habitations
Homes of rest and quiet
For you; and made for you,
Out of the skins of animals,
(Tents for) dwellings, which
Ye find so light (and handy)
When ye travel and when
Ye stop (in your travels);
And out of their wool,
And their soft fibres
(Between wool and hair),
And their hair, rich stuff
And articles of convenience
(To serve you) for a time.
81. It is God Who made.
Out of the things He created,
Some things to give you shade;
Of the hills He made some
For your shelter; He made you
Garments to protect you
From heat, and coats of mail
To protect you from
Your (mutual) violence.
Thus does He complete
His favours on you, that
Ye may bow to His Will
(In Islām).
p. 679
82. But if they turn away,
Thy duty is only to preach
The Clear Message.
83. They recognise the favours
Of God; then they deny them;
And most of them
Are (creatures) ungrateful.

SECTION 12.

84. One Day We shall raise
From all Peoples a Witness:
Then will no excuse be accepted
From Unbelievers, nor will they
Receive any favours.
85. When the wrong-doers
(Actually) see the Penalty,
Then will it in no way
Be mitigated, nor will they
Then receive respite.
86. When those who gave partners
To God will see their "partners",
p. 680
They will say: "Our Lord!
These are our "partners," those
Whom we used to invoke
Besides Thee." But they will
Throw back their word at them
(And say): "Indeed ye are liars!"
87. That day shall they (openly) show
(Their) submission to God; and all
Their inventions shall leave
Them in the lurch.
88. Those who reject God
And hinder (men) from the Path
Of God—for them
Will We add Penalty
To Penalty; for that they
Used to spread mischief.
89. One day We shall raise
From all Peoples a witness
Against them, from amongst themselves:
And We shall bring thee
As a witness against these
(Thy people): and We have sent down
To thee the Book explaining
All things, a Guide, a Mercy,
And Glad Tidings to Muslims.

SECTION 13.

90. God commands justice, the doing
Of good, and liberality to kith
p. 681
And kin, and He forbids
All shameful deeds, and injustice
And rebellion: He instructs you,
That ye may receive admonition.
91. Fulfil the Covenant of God
When ye have entered into it,
And break not your oaths
After ye have confirmed them;
Indeed ye have made
God your surety; for God
Knoweth all that ye do.
92. And be not like a woman
Who breaks into untwisted strands
The yarn which she has spun,
After it has become strong
Nor take your oaths to practise
Deception between yourselves,
Lest one party should be
More numerous than another:
For God will test you by this;
And on the Day of Judgment
p. 682
He will certainly make clear
To you (the truth of) that
Wherein ye disagree.
93. If God so willed, He
Could make you all one People:
But He leaves straying
Whom He pleases, and He guides
Whom He pleases: but ye
Shall certainly be called to account
For all your actions.
94. And take not your oaths,
To practise deception between
yourselves,
With the result that someone's foot
May slip after it was
Firmly planted, and ye may
Have to taste the evil
(consequences)
Of having hindered (men)
From the Path of God,
And a mighty Wrath
Descend on you.
95. Nor sell the Covenant of God
For a miserable price:
For with God is (a prize)
Far better for you,
If ye only knew.
p. 683
96. What is with you must vanish:
What is with God will endure.
And We will certainly bestow,
On those who patiently persevere,
Their reward according to
The best of their actions.
97. Whoever works righteousness,
Man or woman, and has Faith,
Verily, to him will We give
A new Life, a life
That is good and pure, and We
Will bestow on such their reward
According to the best
Of their actions.
98. When thou dost read
The Qur-ān, seek God's protection
From Satan the Rejected One.
99. No authority has he over those
Who believe and put their trust
In their Lord.
100. His authority is over those
Only, who take him as patron
And who join partners with God.
p. 684

SECTION 14.

101. When We substitute one revelation
For another,—and God knows best
What He reveals (in stages),—
They say, "Thou art but a forger":
But most of them understand not.
102. Say, the Holy Spirit has brought
The revelation from thy Lord
In Truth, in order to strengthen
Those who believe, and as a Guide
And Glad Tidings to Muslims.
103. We know indeed that they
Say, "It is a man that.
Teaches him." The tongue
Of him they wickedly point to
Is notably foreign, while this
Is Arabic, pure and clear.
p. 685
104. Those who believe not
In the Signs of God,—
God will not guide them,
And theirs will be
A grievous Penalty.
105. It is those who believe not
In the Signs of God,
That forge falsehood:
It is they who lie!
106. Any one who, after accepting
Faith in God, utters Unbelief,—
Except under compulsion,
His heart remaining firm
In Faith—but such as
Open their breast to Unbelief,—
On them is Wrath from God,
And theirs will be
A dreadful Penalty.
107. This because they love
The life of this world
Better than the Hereafter:
And God will not guide
Those who reject Faith.
108. Those are they whose hearts,
Ears, and eyes God has sealed up
And they take no heed.
109. Without doubt, in the Hereafter
They will perish.
p. 686
110. But verily thy Lord,—
To those who leave their homes
After trials and persecutions,—
And who thereafter strive
And fight for the Faith
And patiently persevere,
Thy Lord, after all this
Is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

SECTION 15.

111. One Day every soul
Will come up struggling
For itself, and every soul
Will be recompensed (fully)
For all its actions, and none
Will be unjustly dealt with.
112. God sets forth a Parable:
A city enjoying security
And quiet, abundantly supplied
With sustenance from every place:
Yet was it ungrateful
For the favours of God:
So God made it taste
Of hunger and terror (in extremes)
(Closing in on it) like a garment
(From every side), because
p. 687
Of the (evil) which
(Its people) wrought.
113. And there came to them
An Apostle from among themselves,
But they falsely rejected him;
So the Wrath seized them
Even in the midst
Of their iniquities.
114. So eat of the sustenance
Which God has provided
For you, lawful and good;
And be grateful for the favours
Of God, if it is He
Whom ye serve.
115. He has only forbidden you
Dead meat, and blood,
And the flesh of swine,
And any (food) over which
The name of other than God
Has been invoked.
But if one is forced by necessity,
Without wilful disobedience,
Nor transgressing due limits,—
Then God is Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful.
116. But say not—for any false thing
That your tongues may put forth,—
"This is lawful, and this
Is forbidden," so as to ascribe
False things to God. For those
Who ascribe false things
To God, will never prosper.
p. 688
117. (In such falsehood)
Is but a paltry profit;
But they will have
A most grievous Penalty.
118. To the Jews We prohibited
Such things as We have
Mentioned to thee before:
We did them no wrong,
But they were used to
Doing wrong to themselves.
119. But verily thy Lord,—
To those who do wrong
In ignorance, but who
Thereafter repent and make amends,—
Thy Lord, after all this,
Is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful.

SECTION 16.

120. Abraham was indeed a model,
Devoutly obedient to God,
(And) true in faith, and he
Joined not gods with God:
121. He showed his gratitude
For the favours of God,
Who chose him, and guided him
To a Straight Way.
122. And We gave him Good
In this world, and he will be,
p. 689
In the Hereafter, in the ranks
Of the Righteous,''
123. So We have taught thee
The inspired (message),
"Follow the ways of Abraham
The True in Faith, and he
Joined not gods with God."
124. The Sabbath was only made
(Strict) for those who disagreed
(As to its observance);
But God will judge between them
On the Day of Judgment,
As to their differences,
125. Invite (all) to the Way
Of thy Lord with wisdom
And beautiful preaching;
And argue with them
In ways that are best
And most gracious:
For thy Lord knoweth best,
Who have strayed from His Path,
p. 690
And who receive guidance.
126. And if ye do catch them out,
Catch them out no worse
Than they catch you out:
But if ye show patience,
That is indeed the best (course)
For those who are patient.
127. And do thou be patient,
For thy patience is but
From God; nor grieve over them:
And distress not thyself
Because of their plots.
128. For God is with those
Who restrain themselves,
And those who do good.

# Sūra XVII.

Banī Isrā-īl, or the Children of Israel,

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Glory to (God)
Who did take His Servant
For a Journey by night
From the Sacred Mosque
To the Farthest Mosque,
Whose precincts We did
Bless,—in order that We
Might show him some
Of Our Signs: for He
Is the One Who heareth
And seeth (all things).
2. We gave Moses the Book,
And made it a Guide
p. 694
To the Children of Israel,
(Commanding): "Take not
Other than Me
As Disposer of (your) affairs."
3. O ye that are sprung
From those whom We carried
(In the Ark) with Noah!
Verily he was a devotee
Most grateful.
4. And We gave (clear) warning
To the Children of Israel
In the Book, that twice
Would they do mischief
On the earth and be elated
With mighty arrogance
(And twice would they be punished)!
5. When the first of the warnings
Came to pass, We sent
Against you Our servants
Given to terrible warfare:
They entered the very inmost
Parts of your homes;
And it was a warning
(Completely) fulfilled.
p. 695
6. Then did We grant you
The Return as against them:
We gave you increase
In resources and sons,
And made you
The more numerous
In man-power.
7. If ye did well,
Ye did well for yourselves;
If ye did evil,
(Ye did it) against yourselves?
So when the second
Of the warnings came to pass,
(We permitted your enemies)
To disfigure your faces,
And to enter your Temple
As they had entered it before,
And to visit with destruction
All that fell into their power.
8. It may be that your Lord
May (yet) show Mercy
p. 696
Unto you; but if ye
Revert (to your sins),
We shall revert
(To Our punishments):
And We have made Hell
A prison for those who
Reject (all Faith),
9. Verily this Qur-ān
Doth guide to that
Which is most right (or stable),
And giveth the glad tidings
To the Believers who work
Deeds of righteousness,
That they shall have
A magnificent reward;
10. And to those who believe not
In the Hereafter, (it announceth)
That We have prepared
For them a Penalty
Grievous (indeed).

SECTION 2.

11. The prayer that man
Should make for good,
He maketh for evil;
For man is given to
Hasty (deeds).
12. We have made the Night
And the Day as two
p. 697
(Of Our) Signs: the Sign
Of the Night have We obscured,
While the Sign of the Day
We have made to enlighten
You; that ye may seek
Bounty from your Lord,
And that ye may know
The number and count
Of the years: all things
Have We explained in detail.
13. Every man's fate
We have fastened
On his own neck:
On the Day of Judgment
We shall bring out
For him a scroll,
Which he will see
Spread open.
14. (It will be said to him:)
"Read thine (own) record:
Sufficient is thy soul
This day to make out
An account against thee."
p. 698
15. Who receiveth guidance,
Receiveth it for his own
Benefit: who goeth astray
Doth so to his own loss:
No bearer of burdens
Can bear the burden
Of another: nor would We
Visit with Our Wrath
Until We had sent
An apostle (to give warning).
16. When We decide to destroy
A population, We (first) send
A definite order to those
Among them who are given
The good things of this life
And yet transgress; so that
The word is proved true
Against them: then (it is)
We destroy them utterly.
17. How many generations
Have We destroyed. after Noah?
And enough is thy Lord
To note and see
The sins of His servants
p. 699
18. If any do wish
For the transitory things
(Of this life), We readily
Grant them—such things
As We will, to such persons
As We will: in the end
Have We provided Hell
For them: they will burn
Therein, disgraced and rejected.
19. Those who do wish
For the (things of) the
Hereafter,
And strive therefor
With all due striving,
And have Faith,—
They are the ones
Whose striving is acceptable
(To God).
20. Of the bounties of thy Lord
We bestow freely on all—
These as well as those:
The bounties of thy Lord
Are not closed (to anyone).
21. See how We have bestowed
More on some than on others;
But verily the Hereafter
Is more in rank and gradation
p. 700
And more in excellence.
22. Take not with God
Another object of worship;
Or thou (O man!) wilt sit
In disgrace and destitution.'

SECTION 3.

23. Why Lord hath decreed
That ye worship hone but Him,
And that ye be kind
To parents. Whether one
Or both of them attain
Old age in thy life,
Say not to them a word
Of contempt, nor repel them,
But address them
In terms of honour.
p. 701
24. And, out of kindness,
Lower to them the wing
Of humility, and say:
"My Lord! bestow on them
Thy Mercy even as they
Cherished me in childhood.
25. Your Lord knoweth best
What is in your hearts:
If ye do deeds of righteousness,
Verily He is Most Forgiving
To those who turn to Him
Again and again
(in true penitence).
26. And render to the kindred
Their due rights, as (also)
To those in want,
And to the wayfarer:
But squander not (your wealth)
In the manner of a spendthrift.
p. 702
27. Verily spendthrifts are brothers
Of the Evil Ones;
And the Evil One
Is to his Lord (Himself)
Ungrateful.
28. And even if thou hast
To turn away from them
In pursuit of the Mercy
From thy Lord which thou
Dost expect, yet speak
To them a word
Of easy kindness.
29. Make not thy hand tied
(Like a niggard's) to thy neck,
Nor stretch it forth
To its utmost reach,
So that thou become
Blameworthy and destitute.
30. Verily thy Lord doth provide
Sustenance in abundance
For whom He pleaseth, and He
Provideth in a just measure.
For He doth know
And regard all His servants.
p. 703

SECTION 4.

31. Kill not your children
For fear of want: We shall
Provide sustenance for them
As well as for you.
Verily the killing of them
Is a great sin.
32. Nor come nigh to adultery:
For it is a shameful (deed)
And an evil, opening the road
(To other evils).
33. Nor take life—which God
Has made sacred—except
For just cause. And if
Anyone is slain wrongfully,
We have given his heir
Authority (to demand Qiṣāṣ
Or to forgive): but let him
Not exceed bounds in the matter
Of taking life; for he
Is helped (by the Law).
34. Come not nigh
To the orphan's property
Except to improve it,
p. 704
Until he attains the age
Of full strength; and fulfil
(Every) engagement,
For (every) engagement
Will be enquired into
(On the Day of Reckoning).
35. Give full measure when ye
Measure, and weigh
With a balance that is straight:
That is the most fitting
And the most advantageous
In the final determination:
36. And pursue not that
Of which thou hast
No knowledge; for
Every act of hearing,
Or of seeing
Or of (feeling in) the heart
Will be enquired into
(On the Day of Reckoning).
37. Nor walk on the earth
With insolence: for thou
p. 705
Canst not rend the earth
Asunder, nor reach
The mountains in height.
38. Of all such things
The evil is hateful
In the sight of thy Lord.
39. These are among the (precepts
Of) wisdom, which thy Lord
Has revealed to thee.
Take not, with God,
Another object of worship,
Lest thou shouldst be thrown
Into Hell, blameworthy and rejected.
40. Has then your Lord,
(O Pagans!) preferred for you
Sons, and taken for Himself
Daughters among the angels?
Truly ye utter
A most dreadful saying!
p. 706

SECTION 5.

41. We have explained (things)
In various (ways) in this Qur-ān,
In order that they may receive
Admonition, but it only increases
Their flight (from the Truth)!
42. Say: if there had been
(Other) gods with Him,—
As they say,—behold,
They would certainly have
Sought out a way
To the Lord of the Throne!
43. Glory to Him! He is high
Above all that they say!—
Exalted and Great (beyond measure)!
44. The seven heavens and the earth,
And all beings therein,
Declare His glory:
There is not a thing
But celebrates His praise;
And yet ye understand not
How they declare His glory!
Verily He is Oft-Forbearing,
Most Forgiving!
45. When thou dost recite
The Qur-ān, We put,
p. 707
Between thee and those who
Believe not to the Hereafter,
A veil invisible:
46. And We put coverings
Over their hearts (and minds)
Lest they should understand
The Our-ān, and deafness
Into their ears: when thou
Dost commemorate thy Lord—
And Him alone—in the Qur-ān,
They turn on their backs,
Fleeing (from the Truth).
47. We know best why it is
They listen, when they listen
To thee; and when they
Meet in private conference,
Behold, the wicked say,
"Ye follow none other than
A man bewitched!"
48. See what similes they strike
For thee: but they have gone
Astray, and never can they
Find a way.
49. They say: "What!
When we are reduced
p. 708
To bones and dust,
Should we really be raised up
(To be) a new creation?
50. Say: "(Nay!) be ye
Stones or iron,
51. "Or created matter
Which, in your minds,
Is hardest (to be raised up),
(Yet shall ye be raised up)!"
Then will they say:
"Who will cause us
To return?" Say: "He
Who created you first!"
Then will they wag
Their heads towards thee,
And say, "When will
That be?" Say, "May be
It will be quite soon!
52. "It will be on a Day
When He will call you,
And ye will answer
(His call) with (words
Of) His praise, and ye
Will think that ye tarried
But a little while!
p. 709

SECTION 6.

53. Say to My servants
That they should (only) say
Those things that are best:
For Satan doth sow
Dissensions among them:
For Satan is to man
An avowed enemy.
54. It is your Lord
That knoweth you best:
If He please, He granteth
You mercy, or if He please,
Punishment: We have not sent
Thee to be a disposer
Of their affairs for them.
55. And it is your Lord
That knoweth best all beings
That are in the heavens
And on earth: We
Did bestow on some Prophets
More (and other) gifts
Than on others: and We gave
To David (the gift
Of) the Psalms.
p. 710
56. Say: "Call on those—
Besides Him—whom ye fancy:
They have neither the power
To remove your troubles
From you nor to change them."
57. Those whom they call upon
Do desire (for themselves) means
Of access to their Lord,—
Even those who are nearest:
They hope for His Mercy
And fear His Wrath:
For the Wrath of thy Lord
Is something to take heed of
58. There is not a population
But We shall destroy it
Before the Day of Judgment
Or punish it with
A dreadful Penalty:
That is written
In the (eternal) Record.
59. And We refrain from sending
The Signs, only because
The men of former generations
Treated them as false:
p. 711
We sent the She-camel
To the Thamūd to open
Their eyes, but they
Treated her wrongfully:
We only send the Signs
By way of terror
(And warning from evil).
60. Behold! We told thee
That thy Lord doth encompass
Mankind round about:
We granted the Vision
Which We showed thee,
But as a trial for men,—
As also the Cursed Tree
(Mentioned) in the Qur-ān:
We put terror (and warning)
Into them, but it only
Increases their inordinate
transgression!
p. 712

SECTION 7.

61. Behold! We said to the angels:
"Bow down unto Adam":
They bowed down except Iblīs
He said, "Shall I bow down
To one whom Thou didst create
From clay?"
62. He said, "Seest Thou? This is
The one whom Thou hast honoured
Above me! If Thou wilt but
Respite me to the Day
Of Judgment, I will surely
Bring his descendants
Under my sway
All but a few!"
63. (God) said: "Go thy way;
If any of them follow thee,
Verily Hell will be
The recompense of you (all)—
An ample recompense.
p. 713
64. "Lead to destruction those
Whom thou canst among them,
With thy (seductive) voice;
Make assaults on them
With thy cavalry and thy
Infantry; mutually share
With them wealth and children;
And make promises to them."
But Satan promises them
Nothing but deceit.
65. "As for My servants,
No authority shalt thou
Have over them:"
Enough is thy Lord
For a Disposer of affairs.
66. Your Lord is He
That maketh the Ship
Go smoothly for you
Through the sea, in order that
Ye may seek of His Bounty.
For He is unto you
Most Merciful.
67. When distress seizes you
At sea, those that ye
Call upon—besides Himself—
Leave you in the lurch!
But when He brings you back
Safe to land, ye turn
p. 714
Away (from Him). Most ungrateful
Is man!
68. Do ye then feel secure
That He will not cause you
To be swallowed up
Beneath the earth
When ye are on land,
Or that He will not send
Against you a violent tornado
(With showers of stones)
So that ye shall find
No one to carry out
Your affairs for you?
69. Or do ye feel secure
That He will not send you
Back a second time
To sea and send against you
A heavy gale to drown you
Because of your ingratitude,
So that ye find no helper
Therein against Us?
70. We have honoured the sons
Of Adam; provided them
With transport on land and sea;
Given them for sustenance things
Good and pure; and conferred
On them special favours,
Above a great part
Of Our Creation.
p. 715

SECTION 8.

71. One day We shall call
Together all human beings
With their (respective) Imāms:
Those who are given their record
In their right hand
Will read it (with pleasure),
And they will not be
Dealt with unjustly
In the least.
72. But those who were blind
In this world, will he
Blind in the Hereafter,
And most astray
From the Path.
73. And their purpose was
To tempt thee away
From that which We
Had revealed unto thee,
To substitute in Our name
Something quite different:
(In that case), behold!
They would certainly have
Made thee (their) friend!
74. And had We not
Given thee strength,
p. 716
Thou wouldst nearly
Have inclined to them
A little.
75. In that case We should
Have made thee taste
An equal portion (of punishment)
In this life, and an equal portion
In death: and moreover
Thou wouldst have found
None to help thee against Us!
76. Their purpose was to scare
Thee off the land,
In order to expel thee;
But in that case they
Would not have stayed
(Therein) after thee,
Except for a little while.
77. (This was Our) way
With the apostles We sent
Before thee: thou wilt find
No change in Our ways.

SECTION 9.

78. Establish regular prayers—
At the sun's decline
p. 717
Till the darkness of the night,
And the morning prayer
And reading: for the prayer
And reading in the morning
Carry their testimony.
79. And pray in the small watches
Of the morning: (it would be)
An additional prayer
(Or spiritual profit)
For thee: soon will thy Lord
Raise thee to a Station
Of Praise and Glory!
80. Say: "O my Lord!
Let my entry be
By the Gate of Truth
And Honour, and likewise
My exit by the Gate
Of Truth and Honour;
And grant me
From Thy Presence
An authority to aid (me).
p. 718
81. And say: "Truth has (now)
Arrived, and Falsehood perished:
For Falsehood is (by its nature)
Bound to perish."
82. We send down (stage by stage)
In the Qur-ān that which
Is a healing and a mercy
To those who believe:
To the unjust it causes
Nothing but loss after loss.
83. Yet when We bestow
Our favours on man,
He turns away and becomes
Remote on his side (instead
Of coming to Us), and when
Evil seizes him he
Gives himself up to despair!
84. Say: "Everyone acts
According to his own disposition:
But your Lord knows best
Who it is that is
Best guided on the Way."
p. 719

SECTION 10.

85. They ask thee concerning
The Spirit (of inspiration).
Say: "The Spirit (cometh)
By command of my Lord:
Of knowledge it is only
A little that is communicated
To you, (O men!)"
86. If it were Our Will,
We could take away
That which We have
Sent thee by inspiration
Then wouldst thou find
None to plead thy affair
In that matter as against Us,—
87. Except for Mercy from thy Lord:
For His Bounty is
To thee (indeed) great.
88. Say: "If the whole
Of mankind and Jinns
Were to gather together
To produce the like
Of this Qur-ān, they
Could not produce
The like thereof, even if
They backed up each other
p. 720
With help and support.
89. And We have explained
To man, in this Qur-ān,
Every kind of similitude:
Yet the greater part of men
Refuse (to receive it)
Except with ingratitude!
90. They say: "We shall not
Believe in thee, until thou
Cause a spring to gush
Forth for us from the earth,
91. "Or (until) thou have
A garden of date trees
And vines, and cause rivers
To gush forth in their midst,
Carrying abundant water;
92. "Or thou cause the sky
To fall in pieces, as thou
Sayest (will happen), against us;
p. 721
Or thou bring God
And the angels before (us)
Face to face;
93. "Or thou have a house
Adorned with gold,
Or thou mount a ladder
Right into the skies.
No, we shall not even believe
In thy mounting until thou
Send down to us a book
That we could read."
Say: "Glory to my Lord!
Am I aught but a man,—
An apostle?"

SECTION 11.

94. What kept men back
From Belief when Guidance
Came to them, was nothing
But this: they said,
"Has God sent a man
(Like us) to be (His) Apostle?"
95. Say, "If there were settled,
On earth, angels walking about
p. 722
In peace and quiet, We should
Certainly have sent them
Down from the heavens
An angel for an apostle."
96. Say: "Enough is God
For a witness between me
And you: for He is
Well acquainted with His servants,
And He sees (all things).
97. It is he whom God guides,
That is on true guidance;
But he whom He leaves
Astray—for such wilt thou
Find no protector besides Him.
On the Day of Judgment
We shall gather them together,
Prone on their faces,
Blind, dumb, and deaf:
Their abode will be Hell:
Every time it shows abatement,
We shall increase for them
The fierceness of the Fire.
98. That is their recompense,
Because they rejected Our Signs,
And said, "When we are reduced
To bones and broken dust,
Should we really be raised up
(To be) a new Creation?"
p. 723
99. See they not that God,
Who created the heavens
And the earth, has power
To create the like of them
(Anew)? Only He has
Decreed a term appointed,
Of which there is no doubt.
But the unjust refuse
(To receive it) except
With ingratitude.
100. Say: "If ye had
Control of the Treasures
Of the Mercy of my Lord,
Behold, ye would keep them
Back, for fear of spending
Them: for man
Is (ever) niggardly!"

SECTION 12

101. To Moses We did give
Nine Clear Signs:
Ask the Children of Israel:
When he came to them,
Pharaoh said to him:
"O Moses! I consider thee,
p. 724
Indeed, to have been
Worked upon by sorcery!
102. Moses said, "Thou knowest
Well that these things
Have been sent down by none
But the Lord of the heavens
And the earth as eye-opening
Evidence: and I consider thee
Indeed, O Pharaoh, to be
One doomed to destruction!"
103. So he resolved to remove them
From the face of the earth:
But We did drown him
And all who were with him.
104. And We said thereafter
To the Children of Israel,
"Dwell securely in the land
(Of promise)": but when
The second of the warnings came
To pass, We gathered you
Together in a mingled crowd
p. 725
105. We sent down the (Qur-ān)
In Truth, and in Truth
Has it descended: and We sent
Thee but to give Glad
Tidings and to warn (sinners).
106. (It is) a Qur-ān
Which We have divided
(Into parts from time to time),
In order that thou mightest
Recite it to men
At intervals: We have
Revealed it by stages.
107. Say: "Whether ye believe
In it or not, it is true
That those who were given
Knowledge beforehand, when
It it recited to them,
Fall down on their faces
In humble prostration,
108. "And they say, "Glory
To our Lord! Truly
Has the promise of our Lord
Been fulfilled!"
p. 726
109. They fall down on their faces
In tears, and it increases
Their (earnest) humility!
110. Say: "Call upon God, or
Call upon Raḥmān:
By whatever name ye call
Upon Him, (it is well):
For to Him belong
The Most Beautiful Names.
Neither speak thy Prayer aloud,
Nor speak it in a low tone,
But seek a middle course
Between."
111. Say: "Praise be to God,
Who begets no son,
And has no partner
In (His) dominion:
Nor (needs) He any
To protect Him from
humiliation:
Yea, magnify Him
For His greatness and glory!"

# Sūra XVIII.

Kahf, or the Cave.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Praise be to God,
Who hath sent to His Servant
The Book, and hath allowed
Therein no Crookedness:
2. (He hath made it) Straight
(And Clear) in order that
He may warn (the godless)
Of a terrible Punishment
From Him, and that He
May give Glad Tidings
To the Believers who work
Righteous deeds, that they
Shall have a goodly Reward,
3. Wherein they shall
Remain for ever:
4. Further; that He may warn
Those (also) who say,
p. 729
"God hath begotten a son"
5. No knowledge have they
Of such a thing, nor
Had their fathers. It is
A grievous thing that issues
From their mouths as a saying.
What they say is nothing
But falsehood!
6. Thou wouldst only, perchance,
Fret thyself to death,
Following after them, in grief,
If they believe not
In this Message.
7. That which is on earth
We have made but as
A glittering show for the earth,
In order that We may test
Them—as to which of them
Are best in conduct.
8. Verily what is on earth
We shall make but as
p. 730
Dust and dry soil
(Without growth or herbage).
9. Or dost thou reflect
That the Companions of the Cave
And of the Inscription
Were wonders among Our Signs?
10. Behold, the youths betook themselves
p. 731
To the Cave: they said,
"Our Lord! bestow on us
Mercy from Thyself,
And dispose of our affair
For us in the right way!"
11. Then We draw (a veil)
Over their ears, for a number
Of years, in the Cave,
(So that they heard not):
12. Then We roused them,
In order to test which
Of the two parties was best
At calculating the term
Of years they had tarried!

SECTION 2.

13. We relate to thee their story
In truth: they were youths
Who believed in their Lord,
And We advanced them In guidance:
14. We gave strength to their hearts:
p. 732
Behold, they stood up
And said: "Our Lord is
The Lord of the heavens
And of the earth: never
Shall we call upon any god
Other than Him: if we
Did, we should indeed
Have uttered an enormity!
15. "These our people have taken
For worship gods other
Than Him: why do they
Not bring forward an authority
Clear (and convincing)
For what they do?
Who doth more wrong
Than such as invent
A falsehood against God?
16. "When ye turn away
From them and the things
They worship other than God,
Betake yourselves to the Cave:
Your Lord will shower
His mercies on you
And dispose of your affair
Towards comfort and ease."
17. Thou wouldst have seen
The sun, when it rose,
Declining to the right
From their Cave, and when
p. 733
It set, turning away
From them to the left,
While they lay in the open
Space in the midst
Of the Cave. Such are
Among the Signs of God:
He whom God guides
Is rightly guided; but he
Whom God leaves to stray,—
For him wilt thou find
No protector to lead him
To the Right Way.

SECTION 3.

18. Thou wouldst have deemed them
Awake, whilst they were asleep,
And We turned them
On their right and on
Their left sides: their dog
Stretching forth his two fore-legs
On the threshold: if thou
Hadst come up on to them,
Thou wouldst have certainly
Turned back from them in flight,
And wouldst certainly have been
Filled with terror of them.
19. Such (being their state),
We raised them up (from sleep),
That they might question
Each other. Said one of them,
p. 734
"How long have ye stayed (here)?"
They said, "We have stayed
(Perhaps) a day, or part
Of a day." (At length)
They (all) said, "God (alone)
Knows best how long
Ye have stayed here…
Now send ye then one of you
With this money of yours
To the town: let him
Find out which is the best
Food (to be had) and bring some
To you, that (ye may)
Satisfy your hunger therewith:
And let him behave
With care and courtesy,
And let him not inform
Any one about you.
20. "For if they should
Come upon you, they would
Stone you or force you
To return to their cult,
And in that case ye would
Never attain prosperity."
21. Thus did We make
Their case known to the people,
p. 735
That they might know
That the promise of God
Is true, and that there can
Be no doubt about the Hour
Of Judgment. Behold,
They dispute among themselves
As to their affair. (Some) said,
"Construct a building over them":
Their Lord knows best
About them: those who prevailed
Over their affair said,
"Let us surely build a place
Of worship over them."
22. (Some) say they were three,
The dog being the fourth
Among them; (others) say
They were five, the dog
Being the sixth,—doubtfully
Guessing at the unknown;
(Yet others) say they were
Seven, the dog being the eighth.
Say thou: "My Lord
Knoweth best their number;
It is but few that know
Their (real case)." Enter not,
Therefore, into controversies
Concerning them, except
On a matter that is clear,
Nor consult any of them
About (the affair of) the Sleepers.
p. 736

SECTION 4.

23. Nor say of anything,
"I shall be sure to do
So and so to-morrow"—
24. Without adding, "So please God!"
And call thy Lord to mind
When thou forgettest, and say,
"I hope that my Lord
Will guide me ever closer
(Even) than this
To the right road."
25. So they stayed in their Cave
Three hundred years, and (some)
Add nine (more)
p. 737
26. Say: "God knows best
How long they stayed:
With Him is (the knowledge
Of) the secrets of the heavens
And the earth: how clearly
He sees, how finely He hears
(Everything)! They have no protector
Other than Him; nor does
He share His Command
With any person whatsoever.
27. And recite (and teach)
What has been revealed
To thee of the Book
Of thy Lord: none
Can change His Words,
And none wilt thou find
As a refuge other than Him.
28. And keep thy soul content
With those who call
On their Lord morning
And evening, seeking
His Face; and let not
Thine eyes pass beyond them,
Seeking the pomp and glitter
Of this Life; nor obey
Any whose heart We
Have permitted to neglect
The remembrance of Us,
One who follows his own
p. 738
Desires, whose case has
Gone beyond all bounds.
29. Say, "The Truth is
From your Lord":
Let him who will,
Believe, and let him
Who will, reject (it):
For the wrong-doers We
Have prepared a Fire
Whose (smoke and flames),
Like the walls and roof
Of a tent, will hem
Them in: if they implore
Relief they will be granted
Water like melted brass,
That will scald their faces.
How dreadful the drink!
How uncomfortable a couch
To recline on!
30. As to those who believe
And work righteousness,
Verily We shall not suffer
To perish the reward
Of any who do
A (single) righteous deed.
31. For them will be Gardens
Of Eternity; beneath them
Rivers will flow: they will
Be adorned therein
With bracelets of gold,
And they will wear
p. 739
Green garments of fine silk
And heavy brocade;
They will recline therein
On raised thrones.
How good the recompense!
How beautiful a couch
To recline on!

SECTION 5.

32. Set forth to them
The parable of two men:
For one of them We provided
Two gardens of grape-vines
And surrounded them
With date palms;
In between the two
We placed corn-fields.
33. Each of those gardens
Brought forth its produce,
And failed not in the least
Therein: in the midst
Of them We caused
A river to flow.
34. (Abundant) was the produce
This man had: he said
To his companion, in the course
Of a mutual argument:
"More wealth have I
Than you, and more honour
And power in (my following
Of) men."
p. 740
35. He went into his garden
In a state (of mind)
Unjust to his soul:
He said, "I deem not
That this will ever perish,
36. "Nor do I deem
That the Hour (of Judgment)
Will (ever) come:
Even if I am brought back
To my Lord, I shall
Surely find (there)
Something better in exchange."
37. His companion said to him,
In the course of the argument
With him: "Dost thou deny
Him Who created thee
Out of dust, then out of
A sperm-drop, then fashioned
Thee into a man?
38. "But (I think) for my part
That He is God,
My Lord, and none shall I
Associate with my Lord.
39. "Why didst thou not,
As thou wentest into
Thy garden, say, "God's Will
(Be done)! There is no power
But with God!" If thou
p. 741
Dost see me less than
Thee in wealth and sons,
40. "It may be that my Lord
Will give me something
Better than thy garden,
And that He will send
On thy garden thunderbolts
(By way of reckoning)
From heaven, making it
(But) slippery sand!—
41. "Or the water of the garden
Will run off underground
So that thou wilt never
Be able to find it."
42. So his fruits (and enjoyment)
Were encompassed (with ruin),
And he remained twisting
And turning his hands
Over what he had spent
On his property, which had
(Now) tumbled to pieces
To its very foundations,
And he could only say,
"Woe is me! Would I had
Never ascribed partners
To my Lord and Cherisher!"
43. Nor had he numbers
To help him against God,
Nor was he able
To deliver himself.
p. 742
44. There, the (only) protection comes
From God, the True One.
He is the Best to reward,
And the Best to give success.

SECTION 6.

45. Set forth to them
The similitude of the life
Of this world: it is like
The rain which We send
Down from the skies:
The earth's vegetation absorbs it,
But soon it becomes
Dry stubble, which the winds
Do scatter: it is (only) God
Who prevails over all things.
46. Wealth and sons are allurements
Of the life of this world:
But the things that endure,
Good Deeds, are best
In the sight of thy Lord,
As rewards, and best
As (the foundation for) hopes.
p. 743
47. One Day We shall
Remove the mountains, and thou
Wilt see the earth
As a level stretch,
And We shall gather them,
All together, nor shall We
Leave out any one of them.
48. And they will be marshalled
Before thy Lord in ranks,
(With the announcement),
"Now have ye come to Us
(Bare) as We created you
First: aye, ye thought
We shall not fulfil
The appointment made to you
To meet (Us)!":
49. And the Book (of Deeds)
Will be placed (before you);
And thou wilt see
The sinful in great terror
Because of what is (recorded)
Therein; they will say,
"Ah! woe to us!
What a book is this!
It leaves out nothing
Small or great, but
Takes account thereof!"
They will find all that they
Did, placed before them:
And not one will thy Lord
Treat with injustice.
p. 744

SECTION 7.

50. Behold! We said
To the angels, "Bow down
To Adam": they bowed down
Except Iblīs. He was
One of the Jinns, and he
Broke the Command
Of his Lord.
Will ye then take him
And his progeny as protectors
Rather than Me? And they
Are enemies to you!
Evil would be the exchange
For the wrong-doers!
51. I called them not
To witness the creation
Of the heavens and the earth,
Nor (even) their own creation:
Nor is it for Me
To take as helpers
Such as lead (men) astray!
52. One Day He will say,
"Call on those whom ye
Thought to be My partners,"
And they will call on them,
But they will not listen
To them; and We shall
Make for them a place
Of common perdition
p. 745
53. And the Sinful shall see
The Fire and apprehend
That they have to fall
Therein no means will they
Find to turn away therefrom.

SECTION 8.

54. We have explained
In detail in this Qur-ān,
For the benefit of mankind,
Every kind of similitude:
But man is, in most things,
Contentious.
55. And what is there
To keep back men
From believing, now that
Guidance has come to them,
Nor from praying for forgiveness
From their Lord, but that
(They ask that) the ways
Of the ancients be repeated
With them, or the Wrath
Be brought to them
Face to face?
56. We only send the apostles
To give glad tidings
And to give warnings
But the Unbelievers dispute
With vain argument, in order
Therewith to weaken the truth,
And they treat My Signs
As a jest, as also the fact
That they are warned!
p. 746
57. And who doth more wrong
Than one who is reminded
Of the Signs of his Lord,
But turns away from them,
Forgetting the (deeds) which his hands
Have sent forth? Verily We
Have set veils over their hearts
Lest they should understand this,
and over their ears, deafness.
If thou callest them
To guidance, even then
Will they never accept guidance.
58. But your Lord is most forgiving,
Full of Mercy. If he were
To call them (at once) to account
For what they have earned,
then surely He would
Have hastened their Punishment:
But they have their appointed
Time, beyond which they
Will find no refuge.
59. Such were the populations
We destroyed when they
Committed iniquities; but
We fixed an appointed time
For their destruction.
p. 747

Section 9.

60. Behold, Moses said
To his attendant, "I will not
Give up until I reach
The junction of the two
Seas or (until) I spend
Years and years in travel."
61. But when they reached
The Junction, they forgot
(About) their Fish, which took
Its course through the sea
(Straight) as in a tunnel.
p. 748
62. When they had passed on
(Some distance), Moses said
To his attendant: "Bring us
Our early meal; truly
We have suffered much fatigue
At this (stage of) our journey."
63. He replied: "Sawest thou
(What happened) when we
Betook ourselves to the rock?
I did indeed forget
(About) the Fish: none but
Satan made me forget
To tell (you) about it:
It took its course through
The sea in a marvellous way!"
64. Moses said: "That was what
We were seeking after:"
So they went back
On their footsteps, following
(The path they had come).
65. So they found one
Of Our servants,
p. 749
On whom We had bestowed
Mercy from Ourselves
And whom We had taught
Knowledge from Our own
Presence.
66. Moses said to him:
"May I follow thee,
On the footing that
Thou teach me something
Of the (Higher) Truth
Which thou hast been taught?"
67. (The other) said: "Verily
Thou wilt not be able
To have patience with me!
68. "And how canst thou
Have patience about things
About which thy understanding
Is not complete?"
69. Moses said: "Thou wilt
Find me, if God so will,
(Truly) patient: nor shall I
Disobey thee in aught."
p. 750
70. The other said: "If then
Thou wouldst follow me,
Ask me no questions
About anything until I
Myself speak to thee
Concerning it."

SECTION 10.

71. So they both proceeded:
Until, when they were
In the boat, he scuttled it.
Said Moses: "Hast thou
Scuttled it in order
To drown those in it?
Truly a strange thing
Hast thou done!"
72. He answered: "Did I not
Tell thee that thou canst
Have no patience with me?"
73. Moses said: "Rebuke me not
For forgetting, nor grieve me
By raising difficulties
In my case."
74. Then they proceeded:
Until, when they met
A young man, he slew him.
Moses said: "Hast thou
Slain an innocent person
Who had slain none?
Truly a foul (unheard-of) thing
Hast thou done!"
p. 751
75. He answered, "Did I not
Tell thee that thou canst
Have no patience with me?"
76. (Moses) said: "If ever I
Ask thee about anything
After this, keep me not
In thy company: then wouldst
Thou have received (full) excuse
From my side.
77. Then they proceeded:
Until, when they came
To the inhabitants of a town,
They asked them for food,
But they refused them
Hospitality. They found there
A wall on the point of
Falling down, but he
Set it up straight.
(Moses) said: "If thou
Hadst wished, surely thou
Couldst have exacted some
Recompense for it!"
78. He answered: "This is
The parting between me
And thee: now will I
Tell thee the interpretation
Of (those things) over which
Thou wast unable
To hold patience.
79. "As for the boat,
It belonged to certain
Men in dire want:
They plied on the water:
p. 752
I but wished to render it
Unserviceable, for there was
After them a certain king
Who seized on every boat
By force.
80. "As for the youth,
His parents were people
Of Faith, and we feared
That he would grieve them
By obstinate rebellion
And ingratitude (to God and man).
81. "So we desired that
Their Lord would give them
In exchange (a son)
Better in purity (of conduct)
And closer in affection.
82. "As for the wall,
It belonged to two youths,
Orphans, in the Town;
There was, beneath it,
A buried treasure, to which
They were entitled; their father
p. 753
Had been a righteous man:
So thy Lord desired that
They should attain their age
Of full strength and get out
Their treasure—a mercy
(And favour) from thy Lord.
I did it not of my own
Accord. Such is the interpretation
Of (those things) over which
Thou wast unable
To hold patience."

SECTION 11.

83. They ask thee concerning
Ẓul-qarnain. Say,
p. 754
"I will rehearse to you
Something of his story."
84. Verily We established his power
On earth, and We gave him
The ways and the means
To all ends.
85. One (such) way he followed,
86. Until, when he reached
The setting of the sun,
He found it set
In a spring of murky water:
Near it he found a People:
We said: "O Ẓul-qarnain!
(Thou hast authority,) either
To punish them, or
To treat them with kindness."
87. He said: "Whoever doth wrong,
Him shall we punish; then
Shall he be sent back
To his Lord; and He will
Punish him with a punishment
Unheard-of (before).
88. "But whoever believes,
And works righteousness,—
p. 755
He shall have a goodly
Reward, and easy will be
His task as we order it
By our command."
89. Then followed he (another) way,
90. Until, when he came
To the rising of the sun,
He found it rising
On a people for whom
We had provided
No covering protection
Against the sun.
91. (He left them) as they were:
We completely understood
What was before him.
92. Then followed he (another) way,
93. Until, when he reached
(A tract) between two mountains,
He found, beneath them, a people
Who scarcely understood a word.
p. 756
94. They said: "O Ẓul-qarnain!
The Gog and Magog (people)
Do great mischief on earth:
Shall we then render thee
Tribute in order that
Thou mightest erect a barrier
Between us and them?
95. He said: "(The power) in which
My Lord has established me
Is better (than tribute):
Help me therefore with strength
(And labour): I will
Erect a strong barrier
Between you and them:
96. "Bring me blocks of iron."
At length, when he had
Filled up the space between
The two steep mountain-sides,
He said, "Blow (with your bellows)"
Then, when he had made
It (red) as fire, he said:
"Bring me, that I may
Pour over it, molten lead."
p. 757
97. Thus were they made
Powerless to scale it
Or to dig through it.
98. He said: "This is
A mercy from my Lord:
But when the promise
Of my Lord comes to pass,
He will make it into dust;
And the promise of
My Lord is true."
99. On that day We shall
Leave them to surge
Like waves on one another
The trumpet will be blown,
And We shall collect them
All together.
100. And We shall present
Hell that day for Unbelievers
To see, all spread out,—
101. (Unbelievers) whose eyes
Had been under a veil
From Remembrance of Me,
And who had been unable
Even to hear.
p. 758

SECTION 12.

102. Do the Unbelievers think
That they can take
My servants as protectors
Besides Me? Verily We
Have prepared Hell
For the Unbelievers
For (their) entertainment.
103. Say: "Shall we tell you
Of those who lose most
In respect of their deeds?—
104. "Those whose efforts have
Been wasted in this life,
While they thought that
They were acquiring good
By their works?"
105. They are those who deny
The Signs of their Lord
And the fact of their
Having to meet Him
(In the Hereafter): vain
Will be their works,
Nor shall We, on the Day
Of Judgment, give them
Any weight.
106. That is their reward,
Hell; because they rejected
Faith, and took My Signs
And My Messengers
By way of jest.
p. 759
107. As to those who believe
And work righteous deeds,
They have, for their entertainment,
The Gardens of Paradise,
108. Wherein they shall dwell
(For aye): no change
Will they wish for from them.
109. Say: "If the ocean were
Ink (wherewith to write out)
The words of my Lord,
Sooner would the ocean be
Exhausted than would the words
Of my Lord, even if we
Added another ocean
Like it, for its aid."
110. Say: "I am but a man
Like yourselves, (but)
The inspiration has come
To me, that your God is
One God: whoever expects
To meet his Lord, let him
Work righteousness, and,
In the worship of his Lord,
Admit no one as partner.

# Sūra XIX.

Maryam, or Mary.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Kāf. Hā. Yā. ‘Ain Ṣād.
2. (This is) a recital
Of the Mercy of thy Lord
To His servant Zakarīya.
3. Behold! he cried
To his Lord in secret,
4. Praying: "O my Lord!
Infirm indeed are my bones,
And the hair of my head
Doth glisten with grey:
But never am I unblest,
O my Lord, in my prayer
To Thee!
p. 768
5. "Now I fear (what)
My relatives (and colleagues)
(Will do) after me:
But my wife is barren:
So give me an heir
As from Thyself,—
6. "(One that) will (truly)
"Represent me, and represent
The posterity of Jacob;
And make him, O my Lord!
One with whom Thou art
Well-pleased!"
7. (His prayer was answered):
"O Zakarīya! We give thee
Good news of a son:
His name shall be Yaḥyā:
On none by that name
Have We conferred distinction before."
8. He said: "O my Lord!
How shall I have a son,
When my wife is barren
And I have grown quite decrepit
From old age?"
p. 769
9. He said: "So (it will be):
Thy Lord saith, "That is
Easy for Me: I did
Indeed create thee before,
When thou hadst been nothing!"
10. (Zakarīya) said: "O my Lord!
Give me a Sign."
"Thy Sign," was the answer,
"Shall be that thou
Shalt speak to no man
For three nights,
Although thou art not dumb."
11. So Zakarīya came out
To his people
From his chamber:
He told them by signs
To celebrate God's praises
In the morning
And in the evening.
12. (To his son came the command):
"O Yaḥyā! take hold
p. 770
Of the Book with might":
And We gave him Wisdom
Even as a youth,
13. And pity (for all creatures)
As from us, and purity:
He was devout,
14. And kind to his parents,
And he was not overbearing
Or rebellious.
15. So Peace on him
The day he was born,
The day that he dies,
And the day that he
Will be raised up
To life (again)
p. 771

SECTION 2.

16. Relate in the Book
(The story of) Mary,
When she withdrew
From her family
To a place in the East.
17. She placed a screen
(To screen herself) from them;
Then We sent to her
Our angel, and he appeared
Before her as a man
In all respects.
18. She said: "I seek refuge
From thee to (God)
Most Gracious: (come not near)
If thou dost fear God."
19. He said: "Nay, I am only
A messenger from thy Lord,
(To announce) to thee
The gift of a holy son."
20. She said: "How shall I
Have a son, seeing that
No man has touched me,
And I am not unchaste?"
21. He said: "So (it will be):
Thy Lord saith, "That is
Easy for Me: and (We
Wish) to appoint him
As a Sign unto men
And a Mercy from Us":
p. 772
It is a matter
(So) decreed."
22. So she conceived him,
And she retired with him
To a remote place.
23. And the pains of childbirth
Drove her to the trunk
Of a palm-tree:
She cried (in her anguish):
"Ah! would that I had
Died before this! would that
I had been a thing
Forgotten and out of sight!"
24. But (a voice) cried to her
From beneath the (palm-tree):
"Grieve not! for thy Lord
Hath provided a rivulet
Beneath thee;
25. "And shake towards thyself
The trunk of the palm-tree:
It will let fall
Fresh ripe dates upon thee
26. "So eat and drink
And cool (thine) eye.
And if thou dost see
Any man, say, 'I have
p. 773
Vowed a fast to (God)
Most Gracious, and this day
Will I enter into no talk
With any human being'"
27. At length she brought
The (babe) to her people,
Carrying him (in her arms).
They said: "O Mary!
Truly an amazing thing
Hast thou brought!
28. "O sister of Aaron!
Thy father was not
A man of evil, nor thy
Mother a woman unchaste!"
29. But she pointed to the babe.
They said: "How can we
Talk to one who is
A child in the cradle?"
30. He said: "I am indeed
A servant of God:
He hath given me
Revelation and made me
A prophet;
31. "And He hath made me
Blessed wheresoever I be,
p. 774
And hath enjoined on me
Prayer and Charity as long
As I live;
32. "(He) hath made me kind
To my mother, and not
Overbearing or miserable;
33. "So Peace is on me
The day I was born,
The day that I die,
And the day that I
Shall be raised up
To life (again)"!
34. Such (was) Jesus the son
Of Mary: (it is) a statement
Of truth, about which
They (vainly) dispute.
35. It is not befitting
To (the majesty of) God
That He should beget
A son. Glory be to Him!
When He determines
A matter, He only says
To it, "Be", and it is.
36. Verily God is my Lord
And your Lord: Him
p. 775
Therefore serve ye: this is
A Way that is straight.
37. But the sects differ
Among themselves: and woe
To the Unbelievers because
Of the (coming) Judgment
Of a momentous Day!
38. How plainly will they see
And hear, the Day that
They will appear before Us!
But the unjust to-day
Are in error manifest!
39. But warn them of the Day
Of Distress, when
The matter will be determined:
For (behold,) they are negligent
And they do not believe!
40. It is We Who will inherit
The earth, and all beings
Thereon: to Us will they
All be returned.
p. 776

SECTION 3.

41. (Also) mention in the Book
(The story of) Abraham:
He was a man of Truth,
A prophet.
42. Behold, he said to his father:
"O my father! why
Worship that which heareth not
And seeth not, and can
Profit thee nothing?
43. "O my father! to me
Hath come knowledge which
Hath not reached thee:
So follow me: I will guide
Thee to a Way that
Is even and straight.
44. "O my father! serve not
Satan: for Satan is
A rebel against (God)
Most Gracious
45. "O my father! I fear
Lest a Penalty afflict thee
From (God) Most Gracious,
So that thou become
To Satan a friend."
p. 777
46. (The father) replied: "Dost thou
Hate my gods, O Abraham?
If thou forbear not, I will
Indeed stone thee:
Now get away from me
For a good long while!"
47. Abraham said: "Peace be
On thee: I will pray
To my Lord for thy
forgiveness:
For He is to me
Most Gracious.
48. "And I will turn away
From you (all) and from those
Whom ye invoke besides God:
I will call on my Lord:
Perhaps, by my prayer to my Lord,
I shall be not unblest."
49. When he had turned away
From them and from those
Whom they worshipped besides
God, We bestowed on him
Isaac and Jacob, and each one
Of them We made a prophet.
p. 778
50. And We bestowed
Of Our Mercy on them,
And We granted them
Lofty honour on the tongue
Of truth.

SECTION 4.

51. Also mention in the Book
(The story of) Moses:
For he was specially chosen,
And he was an apostle
(And) a prophet.
52. And We called him
From the right side
Of Mount (Sinai), and made
Him draw near to Us,
For mystic (converse).
53. And, out of Our Mercy,
We gave him his brother
Aaron, (also.) a prophet.
p. 779
54. Also mention in the Book
(The story of) Ismā‘īl
He was (strictly) true
To what he promised,
And he was an apostle
(And) a prophet.
55. He used to enjoin
On his people Prayer
And Charity, and he was
Most acceptable in the sight
Of his Lord.
56. Also mention in the Book
The case of Idrīs
He was a man of truth
(And sincerity), (and) a prophet:
57. And We raised him
To a lofty station.
58. Those were some
Of the prophets on whom
God did bestow His Grace,—
Of the posterity of Adam,
And of those whom We
Carried (in the Ark)
With Noah, and of
The posterity of Abraham
And Israel—of those
Whom We guided and chose.
p. 780
Whenever the Signs
Of (God) Most Gracious
Were rehearsed to them,
They would fall down
In prostrate adoration
And in tears.
59. But after them there followed
A posterity who missed
Prayers and followed after lusts
Soon, then, will they
Face Destruction,—
60. Except those who repent
And believe, and work
Righteousness: for these
Will enter the Garden
And will not be wronged
In the least,—
61. Gardens of Eternity, those
Which (God) Most Gracious
Has promised to His servants
In the Unseen: for His promise
Must (necessarily) come to pass.
62. They will not there hear
Any vain discourse, but
Only salutations of Peace:
And they will have therein
Their sustenance, morning
And evening.
p. 781
63. Such is the Garden which
We give as an inheritance
To those of Our servants
Who guard against evil.
64. (The angels say:)
"We descend not but
By command of thy Lord:
To Him belongeth what is
Before us and what is
Behind us, and what is
Between: and thy Lord
Never doth forget,—
65. "Lord of the heavens
And of the earth,
And of all that is
Between them: so worship Him,
And be constant and patient
In His worship: knowest thou
Of any who is worthy
Of the same Name as He?"

SECTION 5.

66. Man says: "What!
When I am dead, shall I
Then be raised up alive?"
p. 782
67. But does not man
Call to mind that We
Created him before
Out of nothing?
68. So, by thy Lord,
Without doubt, We shall gather
Them together, and (also)
The Evil Ones (with them);
Then shall We bring them
Forth on their knees
Round about Hell;
69. Then shall We certainly
Drag out from every sect
All those who were worst
In obstinate rebellion
Against (God) Most Gracious.
70. And certainly We know best
Those who are most worthy
Of being burned therein.
71. Not one of you but will
Pass over it: this is,
With thy Lord, a Decree
Which must be accomplished.
72. But We shall save those
Who guarded against evil,
And We shall leave
The wrong-doers therein,
(Humbled) to their knees.
p. 783
73. When Our Clear Signs
Are rehearsed to them,
The Unbelievers say to those
Who believe, "Which of the two
Sides is best in point of
Position? which makes the best
Show in Council?"
74. But how many (countless)
Generations before them
Have We destroyed,
Who were even better
In equipment and in glitter
To the eye?
75. Say: "If any men go
Astray, (God) Most Gracious
Extends (the rope) to them,
Until, when they see
The warning of God (being
Fulfilled)—either in punishment
Or in (the approach of)
The Hour,—they will
At length realise who is
Worst in position, and (who)
Weakest in forces!
76. "And God doth advance
In guidance those who seek
Guidance: and the things
That endure, Good Deeds,
Are best in the sight
Of thy Lord, as rewards,
And best in respect of
(Their) eventual returns."
p. 784
77. Hast thou then seen
The (sort of) man who
Rejects Our Signs, yet
Says: "I shall certainly
Be given wealth and children?"
78. Has he penetrated to
The Unseen, or has he
Taken a contract with
(God) Most Gracious?
79. Nay! We shall record
What he says, and We
Shall add and add
To his punishment.
80. To Us shall return
All that he talks of,
And he shall appear
Before Us bare and alone.
81. And they have taken
(For worship) gods other than
God, to give them
Power and glory!
82. Instead, they shall reject
Their worship, and become
Adversaries against them.
p. 785

SECTION 6.

83. Seest thou not that We
Have set the Evil Ones on
Against the Unbelievers,
To incite them with fury?
84. So make no haste
Against them, for We
But count out to them
A (limited) number (of days).
85. The day We shall gather
The righteous to (God)
Most Gracious, like a hand
Presented before a king for honours,
86. And We shall drive
The sinners to hell,
Like thirsty cattle
Driven down to water,—
87. None shall have the power
Of intercession, but such a one
As has received permission (or promise)
From (God) Most Gracious.
88. They say: "(God) Most Gracious
Has begotten a son!"
89. Indeed ye have put forth
A thing most monstrous!
p. 786
90. At it the skies are ready
To burst, the earth
To split asunder, and
The mountains to fall down
In utter ruin,
91. That they should invoke
A son for (God) Most Gracious.
92. For it is not consonant
With the majesty of (God)
Most Gracious that He
Should beget a son.
93. Not one of the beings
In the heavens and the earth
But must come to (God)
Most Gracious as a servant.
94. He does take an account
Of them (all), and hath
Numbered them (all) exactly.
95. And everyone of them
Will come to Him singly
On the Day of Judgment.
96. On those who believe
And work deeds of righteousness,
Will (God) Most Gracious
Bestow Love.
97. So have We made
The (Qur-ān) easy
In thine own tongue,
That with it thou mayest give
p. 787
Glad tidings to the righteous,
And warnings to people
Given to contention.
98. But how many (countless)
Generations before them
Have We destroyed? Canst thou
Find a single one of them
(Now) or hear. (so much
As) a whisper of them?

# Sūra XX.

Ṭā-Hā. (Mystic Letters, Ṭ. H.)

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Ṭā-Hā.
2. We have not sent down
The Qur-ān to thee to be
(An occasion) for thy distress,
3. But only as an admonition
To those who fear (God),—
4. A revelation from Him
Who created the earth
And the heavens on high.
5. (God) Most Gracious
Is firmly established
On the throne (of authority).
6. To Him belongs what is
In the heavens and on earth,
And all between them,
And all beneath the soil.
7. If thou pronounce the word
Aloud, (it is no matter):
p. 791
For verily He knoweth
What is secret and what
Is yet more hidden.
8. God! there is no god
But He! To Him belong
The Most Beautiful Names.
9. Has the story of Moses
Reached thee?
10. Behold, he saw a fire:
So he said to his family,
p. 792
"Tarry ye; I perceive
A fire; perhaps I can
Bring you some burning brand
Therefrom, or find some guidance
At the fire."
11. But when he came
To the fire, a voice
Was heard: "O Moses!
12. "Verily I am thy Lord!
Therefore (in My presence)
Put off thy shoes: thou art
In the sacred valley Ṭuwā
13. "I have chosen thee:
Listen, then, to the inspiration
(Sent to thee).
14. "Verily, I am God:
There is no god but I:
So serve thou Me (only),
And establish regular prayer
For celebrating My praise.
15. "Verily the Hour is coming—
My design is to keep it
p. 793
Hidden—for every soul
To receive its reward
By the measure of
Its Endeavour.
16. "Therefore let not such as
Believe not therein
But follow their own
Lusts, divert thee therefrom,
Lest thou perish!"…
17. "And what is that
In thy right hand,
O Moses?"
18. He said, "It is
My rod: on it
I lean; with it
I beat down fodder
For my flocks; and
In it I find
Other uses."
19. (God) said, "Throw it,
O Moses!"
20. He threw it, and behold!
It was a snake,
Active in motion.
p. 794
21. (God) said, "Seize it,
And fear not: We
Shall return it at once
To its former condition"…
22. "Now draw thy hand
Close to thy side:
It shall come forth white
(And shining), without harm
(Or stain),—as another Sign,—
23. "In order that We
May show thee
(Two) of our Greater Signs.
24. "Go thou to Pharaoh,
For he has indeed
Transgressed all bounds."

SECTION 2.

25. (Moses) said: "O my Lord!
Expand me my breast;
26. "Ease my task for me;
27. "And remove the impediment
From my speech,
28. "So they may understand
What I say:
p. 795
29. "And give me a Minister
From my family,
30. "Aaron, my brother;
31. "Add to my strength
Through him,
32. "And make him share
My task:
33. "That we may celebrate
Thy praise without stint,
34. "And remember Thee
Without stint:
35. "For Thou art He
That (ever) regardeth us."
36. (God) said: "Granted
Is thy prayer, O Moses!"
p. 796
37. "And indeed We conferred
A favour on thee
Another time (before).
38. "Behold! We sent
To thy mother, by inspiration,
The message:
39. "Throw (the child)
Into the chest, and throw
(The chest) into the river:
The river will cast him
Up on the bank, and he
Will be taken up by one
Who is an enemy to Me
And an enemy to him
But I cast (the garment
Of) love over thee from Me
And (this) in order that
Thou mayest be reared
Under Mine eye.
40. "Behold! thy sister goeth forth
And saith, "Shall I show you
p. 797
One who will nurse
And rear the (child)?
So We brought thee back
To thy mother, that her eye
Might be cooled and she
Should not grieve.
Then thou didst slay
A man, but We saved thee
From trouble, and We tried
Thee in various ways.
Then didst thou tarry
A number of years
With the people of Midian.
Then didst thou come hither
As ordained, O Moses!
41. "And I have prepared thee
For Myself (for service)"…
42. "Go, thou and thy brother,
With My Signs,
p. 798
And slacken not,
Either of you, in keeping
Me in remembrance.
43. "Go, both of you, to Pharaoh,
For he has indeed
Transgressed all bounds;
44. "But speak to him mildly;
Perchance he may take
Warning or fear (God)."
45. They (Moses and Aaron) said:
"Our Lord! We fear lest
He hasten with insolence
Against us, or lest he
Transgress all bounds."
46. He said: "Fear not:
For I am with you:
I hear and see (everything).
47. "So go ye both to him,
And say, "Verily we are
Apostles sent by thy Lord:
Send forth, therefore, the Children
Of Israel with us, and
Afflict them not:
With a Sign, indeed,
Have we come from thy Lord!
p. 799
And Peace to all
Who follow guidance!
48. "Verily it has been revealed
To us that the Penalty
(Awaits) those who reject
And turn away."
49. (When this message was delivered),
(Pharaoh) said: "Who, then,
O Moses, is the Lord
Of you two?"
50. He said: "Our Lord is
He Who gave to each
(Created) thing its form
And nature, and further,
Gave (it) guidance."
51. (Pharaoh) said: "What then
Is the condition
Of previous generations?"
p. 800
52. He replied: "The knowledge
Of that is with my Lord,
Duly recorded: my Lord
Never errs, nor forgets,—
53. "He Who has made for you
The earth like a carpet
Spread out; has enabled you
To go about therein by roads
(And channels); and has sent
Down water from the sky."
With it have We produced
Divers pairs of plants
Each separate front the others.
54. Eat (for yourselves) and pasture
Your cattle: verily, in this
Are Signs for men
Endued with understanding.

SECTION 3.

55. From the (earth) did We
Create you, and into it
Shall We return you,
And from it shall We
Bring you out once again"
56. And We showed Pharaoh
All Our Signs, but he
Did reject and refuse.
p. 80l
57. He said: "Hast thou come
To drive us out
Of our land with thy magic,
O Moses?
58. "But we can surely produce
Magic to match thine!
So make a tryst
Between us and thee,
Which we shall not fail
To keep—neither we nor thou—
In a place where both
Shall have even chances."
59. Moses said: "Your tryst
Is the Day of the Festival,
And let the people be assembled
When the sun is well up."
60. So Pharaoh withdrew:
He concerted his plan,
And then came (back).
61. Moses said to him:
Woe to you! Forge not
Ye a lie against God,
Lest He destroy you (at once)
p. 802
Utterly by chastisement:
The forger must suffer
Frustration!"
62. So they disputed, one with
Another, over their affair,
But they kept their talk secret.
63. They said: "These two
Are certainly (expert) magicians:
Their object is to drive you
Out from your land
With their magic, and
To do away with your
Most cherished institutions.
64. "Therefore concert your plan,
And then assemble
In (serried) ranks:
He wins (all along) to-day
Who gains the upper hand"
65. They said: "O Moses!
Whether wilt thou
That thou throw (first)
Or that we be the first
To throw?"
66. He said, "Nay, throw ye
First!" Then behold
p. 803
Their ropes and their rods—
So it seemed to him
On account of their magic—
Began to be in lively motion!
67. So Moses conceived
In his mind
A (sort of) fear.
68. We said: "Fear not!
For thou hast indeed
The upper hand:
69. "Throw that which is
In thy right hand:
Quickly will it swallow up
That which they have faked
What they have faked
Is but a magician's trick:
And the magician thrives not,
(No matter) where he goes."
70. So the magicians were
Thrown down to prostration:
They said, "We believe
In the Lord of Aaron and Moses".
71. (Pharaoh) said: "Believe ye
In Him before I give
You permission? Surely
This must be your leader,
Who has taught you magic!
Be sure I will cut off
p. 804
Your hands and feet
On opposite sides, and I
Will have you crucified
On trunks of palm-trees:
So shall ye know for certain,
Which of us can give
The more severe and the more
Lasting Punishment!"
72. They said: "Never shall we
Regard thee as more than
The Clear Signs that have
Come to us; or than
Him Who created us!
So decree whatever thou
Desirest to decree: for thou
Canst only decree (touching)
The life of this world.
73. "For us, we have believed
In our Lord: may He
Forgive us our faults,
And the magic to which
Thou didst compel us:
For God is Best
And Most Abiding."
74. Verily he who comes
To his Lord as a sinner
(At Judgment),—for him
Is Hell: therein shall he
Neither die nor live.
p. 805
75. But such as come
To Him as Believers
Who have worked righteous deeds,—
For them are ranks exalted,—
76. Gardens of Eternity,
Beneath which flow rivers:
They will dwell therein
For aye: such is the reward
Of those who purify
Themselves (from evil).

SECTION 4.

77. We sent an inspiration
To Moses: "Travel by night
With My servants, and strike
A dry path for them
Through the sea, without fear
Of being overtaken (by Pharaoh)
And without (any other) fear."
78. Then Pharaoh pursued them
With his forces, but
The waters completely overwhelmed
Them and covered them up.
79. Pharaoh led his people astray
Instead of leading them aright.
p. 806
80. O ye Children of Israel!
We delivered you from
Your enemy, and We
Made a Covenant with you
On the right side of
Mount (Sinai), and We sent
Down to you Manna
And quails:
81. (Saying): "Eat of the good
Things We have provided
For your sustenance, but
Commit no excess therein,
Lest My Wrath should justly
Descend on you: and those
On whom descends My Wrath
Do perish indeed!
82. "But, without doubt, I am
(Also) He that forgives
Again and again, to those
Who repent, believe,
And do right,—who,
In fine, are ready to receive
True guidance."
83. (When Moses was up on the Mount,
God said:) "What made thee
Hasten in advance of thy people,
O Moses?"
84. He replied: "Behold, they are
Close on my footsteps:
p. 807
I hastened to Thee.
O my Lord,
To please Thee."
85. (God) said: "We have tested
Thy people in thy absence:
The Sāmirī has led them
Astray."
86. So Moses returned to his people
In a state of indignation
And sorrow. He said:
"O my people! did not
Your Lord make a handsome
Promise to you? Did then
The promise seem to you
Long (in coming)? Or did ye
Desire that Wrath should
Descend from your Lord on you,
And so ye broke your promise
To me?"
87. They said: "We broke not
The promise to thee, as far
As lay in our power:
But we were made to carry
The weight of the ornaments
Of the (whole) people, and we
p. 808
Threw them (into the fire),
And that was what
The Sāmirī suggested.
88. "Then he brought out
(Of the fire) before the (people)
The image of a calf:
It seemed to low:
So they said, "This is
Your god, and the god
Of Moses, but (Moses)
Has forgotten!"
89. Could they not see that
It could not return them
A word (for answer), and that
It had no power either
To harm them or
To do them good?

SECTION 5.

90. Aaron had already, before this
Said to them: ."O my people!
Ye are being tested in this:
For verily your Lord is (God)
Most Gracious: so follow me
And obey my command."
p. 809
91. They had said: "We will not
Abandon this cult, but we
Will devote ourselves to it
Until Moses returns to us.
92. (Moses) said: "O Aaron!
What kept thee back, when
Thou sawest them going wrong,
93. "From following me? Didst thou
Then disobey my order?"
94. (Aaron) replied: "O son
Of my mother! Seize (me) not
By my beard nor by
(The hair of) my head!
Truly I feared lest thou
Shouldst say, "Thou hast caused
A division among the Children
Of Israel, and thou didst not
Respect my word!"
95. (Moses) said: "What then
Is thy case, O Sāmarī?"
96. He replied: "I saw what
They saw not: so I took
p. 810
A handful (of dust) from
The footprint of the Apostle,
And threw it (into the calf):
Thus did my soul suggest
To me."
97. (Moses) said: "Get thee gone!
But thy (punishment) in this life
Will be that thou wilt say,
'Touch me not'; and moreover
(For a future penalty) thou hast
A promise that will not fail:
Now look at thy god,
Of whom thou hast become
A devoted worshipper:
We will certainly (melt) it
In a blazing fire and scatter
It broadcast in the sea!"
p. 811
98. But the God of you all
Is the One God: there is
No god but He: all things
He comprehends in His knowledge.
99. Thus do We relate to thee
Some stories of what happened
Before: for We have sent
Thee a Message from
Our own Presence,
100. If any do turn away
Therefrom, verily they will
Bear a burden
On the Day of Judgment;
101. They will abide in this (state):
And grievous will the burden
Be to them on that Day,—
102. The Day when the Trumpet
Will be sounded: that Day,
We shall gather the sinful,
Blear-eyed (with terror).
103. In whispers will they consult
Each other: "Ye tarried not
Longer than ten (Days);"
104. We know best what they
Will say, when their leader
p. 812
Most eminent in Conduct
Will say: "Ye tarried not
Longer than a day!"

SECTION 6.

105. They ask thee concerning
The Mountains: say, "My Lord
Will uproot them and scatter
Them as dust;
106. "He will leave them as plains
Smooth and level;
107. "Nothing crooked or curved
Wilt thou see in their place."
108. On that Day will they follow
The Caller (straight): no crookedness
p. 813
(Can they show) him: all sounds
Shall humble themselves in
The Presence of (God) Most Gracious:
Nothing shalt thou hear
But the tramp of their feet
(As they march).
109. On that Day shall no
Intercession avail
Except for those for whom
Permission has been granted
By (God) Most Gracious
And whose word is
Acceptable to Him.
110. He knows what (appears
To His creatures as) before
Or after or behind them:
But they shall not compass it
With their knowledge.
111. (All) faces shall be humbled
Before (Him)—the Living,
The Self-Subsisting, Eternal:
Hopeless indeed will be
The man that carries
Iniquity (on his back).
p. 814
112. But he who works deeds
Of righteousness, and has faith,
Will have no fear of harm
Nor of any curtailment
(Of what is his due).
113. Thus have We sent this
Down—an Arabic Qur-ān—
And explained therein in detail
Some of the warnings,
In order that they may
Fear God, or that it may
Cause their remembrance (of Him).
114. High above all is God,
The King, the Truth!
Be not in haste
With the Qur-ān before
Its revelation to thee
Is completed, but say,
"O my Lord! advance me
In knowledge."
115. We had already, beforehand,
Taken the covenant of Adam,
p. 815
But he forgot: and We found
On his part no firm resolve.

SECTION 7.

116. When We said to the angels,
"Prostrate yourselves to Adam",
They prostrated themselves, but not
Iblīs: he refused.
117. Then We said: "O Adam!
Verily, this is an enemy
To thee and thy wife:
So let him not get you
Both out of the Garden,
So that thou art landed
In misery.''
118. "There is therein (enough provision)
For thee not to go hungry
Nor to go naked,
119. "Nor to suffer from thirst,
Nor from the sun's heat."
120. But Satan whispered evil
To him: he said, "O Adam!
Shall I lead thee to
The Tree of Eternity
And to a kingdom
That never decays?"
p. 816
121. In the result, they both
Ate of the tree, and so
Their nakedness appeared
To them: they began to sew
Together, for their covering,
Leaves from the Garden:
Thus did Adam disobey
His Lord, and allow himself
To be seduced.
122. But his Lord chose him
(For His Grace): He turned
To him, and gave him guidance.
123. He said: "Get ye down,
Both of you,—all together,
From the Garden, with enmity
One to another: but if,
As is sure, there comes to you
Guidance from Me, whosoever
Follows My guidance, will not
Lose his way, nor fall
Into misery.
124. "But whosoever turns away
From My Message, verily
For him is a life narrowed
Down, and We shall raise
p. 817
Him up blind on the Day
Of Judgment."
125. He will say: "O my Lord!
Why hast thou raised me
Up blind, while I had
Sight (before)?"
126. (God) will say: "Thus
Didst thou, when Our Signs
Came unto thee, disregard
Them: so wilt thou,
This day, be disregarded."
127. And thus do We recompense
Him who transgresses beyond bounds
And believes not in the Signs
Of his Lord: and the Penalty
Of the Hereafter is far more
Grievous and more enduring.
128. Is it not a warning to such
Men (to call to mind)
How many generations before them
We destroyed, in whose haunts
They (now) move? Verily,
In this are Signs for men
Endued with understanding.
p. 818

SECTION 8.

129. Had it not been
For a Word that went forth
Before from thy Lord,
(Their punishment) must necessarily
Have come; but there is
A term appointed (for respite).
130. Therefore be patient with what
They say, and celebrate (constantly)
The praises of thy Lord,
Before the rising of the sun,
And before its setting;
Yea, celebrate them
For part of the hours
Of the night, and at the sides
Of the day: that thou
Mayest have (spiritual) joy.
131. Nor strain thine eyes in longing
For the things We have given
For enjoyment to parties ,
Of them, the splendour
p. 819
Of the life of this world,
Through which We test them:
But the provision of thy Lord
Is better and more enduring.
132. Enjoin prayer on thy people,
And be constant therein.
We ask thee not to provide
Sustenance: We provide it
For thee. But the (fruit of)
The Hereafter is for Righteousness.
133. ''They say: "Why does he not
Bring us a Sign from
His Lord?" Has not
A Clear Sign come to them
Of all that was
In the former Books
Of revelation?
134. And if We had inflicted
On them a penalty before this,
They would have said:
"Our Lord! If only Thou
Hadst sent us an apostle,
We should certainly have followed
p. 820
Thy Signs before we were
Humbled and put to shame."
135. Say: "Each one (of us)
Is waiting: wait ye, therefore,
And soon shall ye know
Who it is that is
On the straight and even
Way, and who it is
That has received guidance."

# Sūra XXI.

Anbiyāa, or The Prophets

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Closer and closer to mankind
Comes their Reckoning: yet they
Heed not and they turn away.
2. Never comes (aught) to them
Of a renewed Message
From their Lord, but they
Listen to it as in jest,—
3. Their hearts toying as with
Trifles. The wrong-doers conceal
Their private counsels, (saying),
"Is this (one) more than
A man like yourselves?
Will ye go to witchcraft
With your eyes open?"
4. Say: "My Lord
Knoweth (every) word (spoken)
In the heavens and on earth:
He is the One that heareth
And knoweth (all things)."
p. 823
5. "Nay," they say, "(these are)
Medleys of dreams!—Nay,
He forged it!—Nay,
He is (but) a poet!
Let him then bring us
A Sign like the ones
That were sent to
(Prophets) of old!"
6. (As to those) before them,
Not one of the populations
Which We destroyed believed:
Will these believe?
7. Before thee, also, the apostles
We sent were but men,
To whom We granted inspiration:
If ye realise this not, ask
Of those who possess the Message.
8. Nor did We give them
Bodies that ate no food,
Nor were they exempt from death.
9. In the end We fulfilled
To them Our promise,
And We saved them
And those whom We pleased,
p. 824
But We destroyed those
Who transgressed beyond bounds.
10. We have revealed for you
(O men!) a book in which
Is a Message for you:
Will ye not then understand?

SECTION 2.

11. How many were the populations
We utterly destroyed because
Of their iniquities, setting up
In their places other peoples?
12. Yet, when they felt
Our Punishment (coming),
Behold, they (tried to) flee
From it.
13. Flee not, but return to
The good things of this life
Which were given you,
And to your homes,
In order that ye may
Be called to account
14. They said: "Ah! woe to us!
We were indeed wrong-doers!"
15. And that cry of theirs
Ceased not, till we made
p. 825
Them as a field
That is mown, as ashes
Silent and quenched.
16. Not for (idle) sport did We
Create the heavens and the earth
And all that is between!
17. If it had been Our wish
To take (just) a pastime,
We should surely have taken
It from the things nearest
To Us, if We would
Do (such a thing)!
18. Nay, We hurl the Truth
Against falsehood, and it knocks
Out its brain, and behold,
Falsehood doth perish!
Ah! woe be to you
For the (false) things
Ye ascribe (to Us).
19. To Him belong all (creatures)
In the heavens and on earth:
Even those who are in His
(Very) Presence are not
Too proud to serve Him,
Nor are they (ever) weary
(Of His service):
20. They celebrate His praises
Night and day, nor do they
Ever flag or intermit.
p. 826
21. Or have they taken
(For worship) gods from the earth
Who can raise (the dead)?
22. If there were, in the heavens
And the earth, other gods
Besides God, there would
Have been confusion in both!
But glory to God,
The Lord of the Throne:
(High is He) above
What they attribute to Him!
23. He cannot be questioned
For His acts, but they
Will be questioned (for theirs).
24. Or have they taken
For worship (other) gods
Besides him? Say, "Bring
Your convincing proof: this
Is the Message of those
With me and the Message
Of those before me."
But most of them know not
The Truth, and so turn away.
p. 827
25. Not an apostle did We
Send before thee without
This inspiration sent by Us
To him: that there is
No god but I; therefore
Worship and serve Me.
26. And they say: "(God)
Most Gracious has begotten
Offspring." Glory to Him!
They are (but) servants raised
To honour.
27. They speak not before
He speaks, and they act
(In all things) by His command.
28. He knows what is before them,
And what is behind them,
And they offer no intercession
Except for those who are
Acceptable, and they stand
In awe and reverence
Of His (glory).
29. If any of them should say,
"I am a god besides Him",
Such a one We should
Reward with Hell: thus
Do We reward those
Who do wrong.
p. 828

SECTION 3.

30. Do not the Unbelievers see
That the heavens and the earth
Were joined together (as one
Unit of Creation), before
We clove them asunder?
We made from water
Every living thing. Will they
Not then believe?
31. And We have set on the earth
Mountains standing firm,
p. 829
Lest it should shake with them,
And We have made therein
Broad highways
(between mountains)
For them to pass through:
That they may receive guidance.
32. And We have made
The heavens as a canopy
Well guarded: yet do they
Turn away from the Signs
Which these things (point to)!
33. It is He Who created
The Night and the Day,
And the sun and the moon:
All (the celestial bodies)
Swim along, each in its
Rounded course.
34. We granted not to any man
Before thee permanent life
(Here): If then thou shouldst die,
Would they live permanently?
35. Every soul shall have
A taste of death:
And We test you
By evil and by good
p. 830
By way of trial.
To Us must ye return.
36. When the Unbelievers see thee,
They treat thee not except
With ridicule. "Is this,"
(They say), "the one who talks
Of your gods?" And they
Blaspheme at the mention
Of (God) Most Gracious!
37. Man is a creature of haste:
Soon (enough) will I show
You My Signs; then
Ye will not ask Me
To hasten them!
38. They say: "When will this
Promise come to pass,
If ye are telling the truth?"
39. If only the Unbelievers
Knew (the time) when they
Will not be able
To ward off the Fire
From their faces, nor yet
From their backs, and (when)
No help can reach them!
40. Nay, it may come to them
All of a sudden and confound
Them: no power will they
Have then to avert it,
Nor will they (then)
Get respite.
p. 831
41. Mocked were (many)
Apostles before thee;
But their scoffers
Were hemmed in
By the thing that they mocked.

SECTION 4.

42. Say, "Who can keep
You safe by night and by day
From (the Wrath of) (God)
Most Gracious?" Yet they
Turn away from the mention
Of their Lord.
43. Or have they gods that
Can guard them from Us?
They have no power to aid
Themselves, nor can they
Be defended from Us.
44. Nay, We gave the good things
Of this life to these men
And their fathers until
The period grew long for them;
See they not that We
Gradually reduce the land
(In their control) from
Its outlying borders? Is it
Then they who will win?
p. 832
45. Say, "I do but warn you
According to revelation":
But the deaf will not hear
The call, (even) when
They are warned!
46. If but a breath of the Wrath
Of thy Lord do touch them,
They will then say, "Woe
To us! we did wrong indeed!"
47. We shall set up scales
Of justice for the day
Of Judgment, so that
Not a soul will be dealt with
Unjustly in the least.
And if there be
(No more than) the weight
Of a mustard seed,
We will bring it (to account):
And enough are We
To take account.
48. In the past We granted
To Moses and Aaron
p. 833
The Criterion (for judgment),
And a Light and a Message
For those who would do right,—
49. Those who fear their Lord
In their most secret thoughts,
And who hold the Hour
(Of Judgment) in awe.
50. And this is a blessed
Message which We have
Sent down: will ye then
Reject it?
p. 834
51. We bestowed aforetime
On Abraham his rectitude
Of conduct, and well were we
Acquainted with him.
52. Behold! he said
To his father and his people
"What are these images,
To which ye are
(So assiduously) devoted?"
53. They said, "We found
Our fathers worshipping them."
54. He said, "Indeed ye
Have been made in manifest
Error—ye and your fathers."
55. They said, "Have you
Brought us the Truth,
Or are you one
Of those who jest?"
56. He said, "Nay, your Lord
Is the Lord of the heavens
And the earth, He Who
Created them (from nothing):
And I am a witness
To this (truth).
p. 835
57. "And by god, I have
A plan for your idols—
After ye go away
And turn your backs"…
58. So he broke them to pieces,
(All) but the biggest of them,
That they might turn
(And address themselves) to it.
59. They said, "Who has
Done this to our gods?
He must indeed be
Some man of impiety!"
60. They said, "We heard
A youth talk of them:
He is called Abraham."
61. They said, "Then bring him
Before the eyes of the people,
That they may bear witness:"
62. They said, "Art thou
The one that did this
With our gods, O Abraham?"
p. 836
63. He said: "Nay, this
Was done by —
This is their biggest one!
Ask them, if they
Can speak intelligently!"
64. So they turned to themselves
And said, "Surely ye
Are the ones in the wrong!
65. Then were they confounded
With shame: (they said),
"Thou knowest full well that
These (idols) do not speak!"
66. (Abraham) said, "Do ye then
Worship, besides God,
Things that can neither
Be of any good to you
Nor do you harm?
67. "Fie upon you, and upon
The things that ye worship
Besides God! Have ye
No sense?"…
68. They said, "Burn him
And protect your gods,
If ye do (anything at all)!"
p. 837
69. We said, "O Fire!
Be thou cool,
And (a means of) safety
For Abraham!"
70. Then they sought a stratagem
Against him: but We
Made them the ones
That lost most!
71. But We delivered him
And (his nephew) Lūt
(And directed them) to the land
Which We have blessed
For the nations.
72. And We bestowed on him Isaac
p. 838
And, as an additional gift,
(A grandson), Jacob, and We
Made righteous men of every one
(Of them).
73. And We made them
Leaders, guiding (men) by
Our Command, and We
Sent them inspiration
To do good deeds,
To establish regular prayers,
And to practise regular charity;
And they constantly served
Us (and Us only).
74. And to Lūt, too,
We gave Judgment and Knowledge,
And We saved him
From the town which practised
Abominations: truly they were
A people given to Evil,
A rebellious people.
75. And We admitted him
To Our Mercy: for he
Was one of the Righteous.

SECTION 6.

76. (Remember) Noah, when
He cried (to Us) aforetime:
We listened to his (prayer)
And delivered him and his
Family from great distress.
p. 839
77. We helped him against
People who rejected Our Signs:
Truly they were a people
Given to Evil: so We
Drowned them (in the Flood)
All together.
78. And remember David
And Solomon, when they
Gave judgment in the matter
Of the field into which
The sheep of certain people
Had strayed by night:
We did witness their judgment.
79. To Solomon We inspired
The (right) understanding
Of the matter: to each
(Of them) We gave Judgment
And Knowledge; it was
Our power that made
The hills and the birds
Celebrate Our praises,
With David: it was We
Who did (all these things).
80. It was We Who taught him
The making of coats of mail
p. 840
For your benefit, to guard
You from each other's violence:
Will ye then be grateful?
81. (It was Our power that
Made) the violent (unruly)
Wind flow (tamely) for Solomon,
To his order, to the land
Which We had blessed:
For We do know all things.
82. And of the evil ones,
Were some who dived
For him, and did other work
Besides; and it was We
Who guarded them.
83. And (remember) Job, when
He cried to his Lord,
"Truly distress has seized me,
But Thou art the Most
p. 841
Merciful of those that are
Merciful."
84. So We listened to him:
We removed the distress
That was on him,
And We restored his people
To him, and doubled
Their number,—as a Grace
From Ourselves, and a thing
For commemoration, for all
Who serve Us.
85. And (remember) Ismā‘īl,
Idrīs, and Ẓul-kifl, all
(Men) of constancy and patience;
86. We admitted them to
Our Mercy: for they
Were of the Righteous ones.
p. 842
87. And remember Ẓun-nūn,
When he departed in wrath:
He imagined that We
Had no power over him!
But he cried through the depths
Of darkness, "There is
No god but Thou:
Glory to Thee: I was
Indeed wrong!"
88. So We listened to him:
And delivered him from
Distress: and thus do We
Deliver those who have faith.
89. And (remember) Zakarīyā,
When he cried to his Lord:
"O my Lord! leave me not
Without offspring, though Thou
Art the best of inheritors."
90. So We listened to him:
And We granted him
p. 843
Yabya: We cured his wife's
(Barrenness) for him. These (three)
Were ever quick in emulation
In good works: they used
To call on Us with love
And reverence, and humble themselves
Before Us.
91. And (remember) her who
Guarded her chastity:
We breathed into her
Of Our Spirit, and We
Made her and her son
A Sign for all peoples.
92. Verily, this Brotherhood
Of yours is a single Brotherhood,
And I am your Lord
And Cherisher: therefore
Serve Me (and no other).
93. But (later generations) cut off
Their affair (of unity),
One from another: (yet)
Will they all return to Us.
p. 844

SECTION 7.

94. Whoever works any act
Of Righteousness and has Faith,—
His endeavour will not
Be rejected: We shall
Record it in his favour.
95. But there is a ban
On any population which
We have destroyed: that they
Shall not return,
96. Until the Gog and Magog (people)
Are let through (their barrier),
And they swiftly swarm
From every hill.
97. Then will the True Promise
Draw nigh (of fulfilment):
Then behold! the eyes
Of the Unbelievers will
Fixedly stare in horror: "Ah!
Woe to us! we were indeed
Heedless of this; nay, we
Truly did wrong!"
p. 845
98. Verily ye, (Unbelievers),
And the (false) gods that
Ye worship besides God,
Are (but) fuel for Hell!
To it will ye (surely) come!
99. If these had been gods,
They would not have got there!
But each one will abide
Therein.
100. There, sobbing will be
Their lot, nor will they
There hear (aught else).
101. Whose hose for whom
The Good (Record) from Us
Has gone before, will be
Removed far therefrom.
102. Not the slightest sound
Will they hear of Hell:
What their souls desired,
In that will they dwell.
103. The Great Terror will
Bring them no grief:
But the angels will meet them
(With mutual greetings):
"This is your Day,—
(The Day) that ye were promised."
p. 846
104. The Day that We roll up
The heavens like a scroll
Rolled up for books (completed),—
Even as We produced
The first Creation, so
Shall We produce
A new one: a promise
We have undertaken:
Truly shall We fulfil it.
105. Before this We wrote
In the Psalms, after the Message
(Given to Moses): "My servants,
The righteous, shall inherit
The earth."
106. Verily in this (Qur-ān)
Is a Message for people
Who would (truly) worship God.
107. We sent thee not, but
As a Mercy for all creatures.
p. 847
108. Say: "What has come to me
By inspiration is that
Your God is One God:
Will ye therefore bow
To His Will (in Islām)?"
109. But if they turn back,
Say: "I have proclaimed
The Message to you all alike
And in truth; but I
Know not whether that
Which ye are promised
Is near or far.
110. "It is He Who knows
What is open in speech
And what ye hide
(In your hearts).
111. "I know not but that
It may be a trial
For you, and a grant
Of (worldly) livelihood
(To you) for a time."
p. 848
112. Say: "O my Lord!
Judge Thou in truth!
"Our Lord Most Gracious
Is the One Whose assistance
Should be sought against
The blasphemies ye utter!

# Sūra XXII.

Ḥajj, or The Pilgrimage.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. O mankind! Fear your Lord!
For the convulsion of the Hour
(Of Judgment) will be
A thing terrible!
2. The Day ye shall see it,
Every mother giving suck
Shall forget her suckling-babe,
And every pregnant female
Shall drop her load (unformed):
Thou shalt see mankind
As in a drunken riot,
Yet not drunk: but dreadful
Will be the Wrath of God.
3. And yet among men
There are such as dispute
About God, without knowledge,
And follow every evil one
Obstinate in rebellion!
4. About the (Evil One)
It is decreed that whoever
Turns to him for friendship,
Him will he lead astray,
And he will guide him
To the Penalty of the Fire.
p. 851
5. O mankind! if ye have
A doubt about the Resurrection,
(Consider) that We created you
Out of dust, then out of
Sperm, then out of a leech-like
Clot, then out of a morsel
Of flesh, partly formed
And partly unformed, in order
That We may manifest
(Our power) to you;
And We cause whom We will
To rest in the wombs
For an appointed term,
Then do We bring you out
As babes, then (foster you)
That ye may reach your age
Of full strength; and some
Of you are called to die,
And some are sent back
To the feeblest old age,
So that they know nothing
After having known (much),
And (further), thou seest
The earth barren and lifeless,
But when We pour down
Rain on it, it is stirred
(To life), it swells,
And it puts forth every kind
Of beautiful growth (in pairs).
p. 852
6. This is so, because God
Is the Reality: it is He
Who gives life to the dead,
And it is He Who has
Power over all things.
7. And verily the Hour will come:
There can be no doubt
About it, or about (the fact)
That God will raise up
All who are in the graves.
8. Yet there is among men
Such a one as disputes
About God, without knowledge,
Without guidance, and without
A Book of Enlightenment,—
9. (Disdainfully) bending his side,
In order to lead (men) astray
From the Path of God:
For him there is disgrace
In this life, and on the Day
Of Judgment We shall
Make him taste the Penalty
Of burning (Fire).
10. (It will be said): "This is
Because of the deeds which
Thy hands sent forth,
For verily God is not
Unjust to His servants."
p. 853

SECTION 2.

11. There are among men
Some who serve God,
As it were, on the verge:
If good befalls them, they are,
Therewith, well content; but
If a trial comes to them,
They turn on their faces:
They lose both this world
And the Hereafter: that
Is loss for all to see!
12. They call on such deities:
Besides God, as can neither
Hurt nor profit them:
That is straying far indeed
(From the Way)!
13. (Perhaps) they call on one
Whose hurt is nearer
Than his profit: evil, indeed,
Is the patron, and evil
The companion (for help)!
14. Verily God will admit
Those who believe and work
Righteous deeds, to Gardens,
Beneath which rivers flow:
For God carries out
All that He plans,
p. 854
15. If any think that God
Will not help him
(His Apostle) in this world
And the Hereafter, let him
Stretch out a rope
To the ceiling and cut (himself)
Off: then let him see
Whether his plan will remove
That which enrages (him)!
16. Thus have We sent down
Clear Signs; and verily
God Both guide whom
He will!
17. Those who believe (in the Qur-ān),
Those who follow the Jewish (scriptures),
And the Sabians, Christians,
Magians, and Polytheists,—
God will judge between them
p. 855
On the Day of Judgment:
For God is witness
Of all things.
18. Seest thou not that
To God bow down in worship
All things that are
In the heavens and on earth,—
The sun, the moon, the stars;
The hills, the trees, the animals;
And a great number among
Mankind? But a great number
Are (also) such as are
Fit for Punishment: and such
As God shall disgrace,
None can raise to honour:
For God carries out
All that He wills.
19. These two antagonists dispute
With each other about their Lord:
But those who deny (their Lord),—
For them will be cut out
A garment of Fire:
Over their heads will be
Poured out boiling water.
20. With it will be scalded
What is within their bodies,
As well as (their) skins.
21. In addition there will be
Maces of iron (to punish) them.
p. 856
22. Every time they wish
To get away therefrom,
From anguish, they will be
Forced back therein, and
(It will be said), "Taste ye
The Penalty of Burning!"

SECTION 3.

23. God will admit those
Who believe and work righteous deeds,
To Gardens beneath which
Rivers flow: they shall be
Adorned therein with bracelets
Of gold and pearls; and
Their garments there
Will be of silk.
24. For they have been guided
(In this life) to the purest
Of speeches; they have been
Guided to the Path of Him
Who is Worthy of (all) Praise.
25. As to those who have rejected
(God), and would keep back (men)
From the Way of God, and
From the Sacred Mosque, which
We have made (open) to (all) men—
Equal is the dweller there
And the visitor from the country
And any whose purpose therein
Is profanity or wrong-doing—
Them will We cause to taste
Of a most grievous Penalty.
p. 857

SECTION 4.

26. Behold! We gave the site,
To Abraham, of the (Sacred) House,
(Saying): "Associate not anything
(In worship) with Me;
And sanctify My House
For those who compass it round,
Or stand up,
Or bow, or prostrate themselves
(Therein in prayer).
27. "And proclaim the Pilgrimage
Among men: they will come
To thee on foot and (mounted)
On every kind of camel,
Lean on accout of journeys
Through deep and distant
Mountain highways;
28. "That they may witness
The benefits (provided) for them,
p. 858
And celebrate the name
Of God, through the Days
Appointed, over the cattle
Which He has provided for them
(For sacrifice): then eat ye
Thereof and feed the distressed
Ones in want.
29. "Then let them complete
The rites prescribed
For them, perform their vows,
And (again) circumambulate
The Ancient House."
30. Such (is the Pilgrimage):
Whoever honours the sacred
Rites of God, for him
It is good in the sight
Of his Lord. Lawful to you
(For food in Pilgrimage) are cattle,
Except those mentioned to you
(As exceptions): but shun
The abomination of idols,
And shun the word
That is false,—
31. Being true in faith to God,
And never assigning partners
p. 859
To Him: if anyone assigns
Partners to God, he is
As if he had fallen
From heaven and been snatched up
By birds, or the wind
Had swooped (like a bird
On its prey) and thrown him
Into a far-distant place.
32. Such (is his state): and
Whoever holds in honour
The Symbols of God,
(In the sacrifice of animals),
Such (honour) should come truly
From piety of heart.
33. In them ye have benefits
For a term appointed:
In the end their place
Of sacrifice is near
The Ancient House.

SECTION 5.

34. To every people did We
Appoint rites (of sacrifice),
That they might celebrate
The name of God over
p. 860
The sustenance He gave them
From animals (fit for food).
But your god is One God:
Submit then your wills to him
(In Islām): and give thou
The good news to those
Who humble themselves,—
35. To those whose hearts,
When God is mentioned,
Are filled with fear,
Who show patient perseverance
Over their afflictions, keep up
Regular prayer, and spend
(In charity) out of what
We have bestowed upon them.
36. The sacrificial camels
We have made for you
As among the symbols from
God: in them is (much)
Good for you: then pronounce
The name of God over them
As they line up (for sacrifice):
When they are down
On their sides (after slaughter),
Eat ye thereof, and feed
Such as (beg not but)
Live in contentment,
And such as beg
With due humility: thus have
p. 861
We made animals subject
To you, that ye
May be grateful.
37. It is not their meat
Nor their blood, that reaches
God: it is your piety
That reaches Him: He
Has thus made them subject
To you, that ye may glorify
God for his guidance to you:
And proclaim the Good News
To all who do right.
38. Verily God will defend
(From ill) those who believe:
Verily, God loveth not
Any that is a traitor
To faith, or shows ingratitude.

SECTION 6.

39. To those against whom
War is made, permission
Is given (to fight), because
They are wronged;—and verily,
God is most Powerful
For their aid;—
40. (They are) those who have
Been expelled from their homes
p. 862
In defiance of right,
(For no cause) except
That they say," Lord
Is God". Did not God
Check one set of people
By means of another,
There would surely have been
Pulled down monasteries, churches,
Synagogues, and mosques, in which
The name of God is commemorated
In abundant measure. God will
Certainly aid those who
Aid His (cause);—for verily
God is Full of Strength,
Exalted in Might,
(Able to enforce His Will).
41. (They are) those who,
If We establish them
In the land, establish
Regular prayer and give
Regular charity, enjoin
The right and forbid wrong:
With God rests the end
(And decision) of (all) affairs.
42. If they treat thy (mission)
As false, so did the Peoples
p. 863
Before them (with their Prophets),—
The People of Noah,
And ’Ad and Thamūd;
43. Those of Abraham and Lūt;
44. And the Companions
Of the Madyan people;
And Moses was rejected
(In the same way). But I
Granted respite to the Unbelievers,
And (only) after that
Did I punish them:
But how (terrible) was
My rejection (of them)!
45. How many populations have We
Destroyed, which were given
To wrong-doing? They tumbled down
On their roofs. And how many
Wells are lying idle and neglected,
And castles lofty and well-built?
46. Do they not travel
Through the land, so that
Their hearts (and minds)
May thus learn wisdom
p. 864
And their ears may
Thus learn to hear?
Truly it is not their eyes
That are blind, but their
Hearts which are
In their breasts.
47. Yet they ask thee
To hasten on the Punishment!
But God will not fail
In His promise. Verily
A Day in the sight of thy Lord
Is like a thousand years
Of your reckoning.
48. And to how many populations
Did I give respite, which
Were given to wrong-doing?
In the end I punished them.
To Me is the destination (of all).

SECTION 7.

49. Say: "O men! I am
(Sent) to you only to give
p. 865
A clear warning:
50. "Those who believe and work
Righteousness, for them
Is forgiveness and a sustenance
Most generous.
51. "But those who strive
Against Our Signs, to frustrate
Them,—they will be
Companions of the Fire."
52. Never did We send
An apostle or a prophet
Before thee, but, when he
Framed a desire, Satan
Threw some (vanity)
Into his desire: but God
Will cancel anything (vain)
That Satan throws in,
And God will confirm
(And establish) His Signs:
For God is full of knowledge
And wisdom:
53. That He may make
The suggestions thrown in
By Satan, but a trial
For those in whose hearts
p. 866
Is a disease and who are
Hardened of heart: verily
The wrong-doers are in a schism
Far (from the Truth):
54. And that those on whom
Knowledge has been bestowed may learn
That the (Qur-ān) is the Truth
From thy Lord, and that they
May believe therein, and their hearts
May be made humbly (open)
To it: for verily God is
The Guide of those who believe,
To the Straight Way.
55. Those who reject Faith
Will not cease to be
In doubt concerning (Revelation)
Until the Hour (of Judgment)
Comes suddenly upon them,
Or there comes to them
The Penalty of a Day of Disaster.
56. On that Day the Dominion
Will be that of God:
He will judge between them:
So those who believe
And work righteous deeds will be
In Gardens of Delight.
57. And for those who reject Faith
And deny Our Signs,
There will be a humiliating
Punishment.
p. 867

SECTION 8.

58. Those who leave their homes
In the cause of God,
And are then slain or die,
On them will God bestow verily
A goodly Provision:
Truly God is He Who
Bestows the best Provision.
59. Verily He will admit then
To a place with which
They shall be well pleased:
For God is All-Knowing,
Most Forbearing.
60. That (is so). And if one
Has retaliated to no greater
Extent than the injury he received,
And is again set upon
Inordinately, God will help
Him: for God is One
That blots out (sins)
And forgives (again and again).
61. What is because God merges
Night into Day, and He
Merges Day into Night, and
Verily it is God Who hears
p. 868
And sees (all things).
62. That is because God—He
Is the Reality; and those
Besides Him whom they invoke,—
They are but vain Falsehood:
Verily God is He, Most High,
Most Great.
63. Seest thou not that God
Sends down rain from the sky,
And forthwith the earth
Becomes clothed with green?
For God is He Who understands
The finest mysteries, and
Is well-acquainted (with them).
64. To Him belongs all that is
In the heavens and on earth:
For verily God,—He is
Free of all wants,
Worthy of all praise.
p. 869

SECTION 9.

65. Seest thou not that God
Has made subject to you (men)
All that is on the earth,
And the ships that sail
Through the sea by His command?
He withholds the sky (rain)
From falling on the earth
Except by His leave:
For God is Most Kind
And Most Merciful to man.
66. It is He Who gave you life,
Will cause you to die,
And will again give you
Life: truly man is
A most ungrateful creature!
67. To every People have We
Appointed rites and ceremonies
Which they must follow:
Let them not then dispute
With thee on the matter,
But do thou invite (them)
To thy Lord: for thou art
Assuredly on the Right Way.
68. If they do wrangle with thee,
Say, "God knows best
What it is ye are doing."
p. 870
69. "God will judge between you
On the Day of Judgment
Concerning the matters in which
Ye differ."
70. Knowest thou not that
God knows all that is
In heaven and on earth?
Indeed it is all
In a record, and that
Is easy for God.
71. Yet they worship, besides God,
Things for which no authority
Has been sent down to them,
And of which they have
(Really) no knowledge:
For those that do wrong
There is no helper.
72. When Our Clear Signs
Are rehearsed to them,
Thou wilt notice a denial
On the faces of the Unbelievers!
They nearly attack with violence
Those who rehearse Our Signs
To them. Say, "Shall I
Tell you of something
(Far) worse than these Signs?
It is the Fire (of Hell)!
p. 871
God has promised it
To the Unbelievers!
And evil is that destination!"

SECTION 10.

73. O men! Here is
A parable set forth!
Listen to it! Those
On whom, besides God,
Ye call, cannot create
(Even) a fly, if they all
Met together for the purpose!
And if the fly should snatch
Away anything from them,
They would have no power
To release it from the fly.
Feeble are those who petition
And those whom they petition!
74. No just estimate have they
Made of God: for God
Is He Who is strong
And able to carry out
His Will.
75. God chooses Messengers
From angels and from men
For God is He Who hears
And sees (all things).
76. He knows what is before them
And what is behind them:
p. 872
And to God go back
All questions (for decision).
77. O ye who believe!
Bow down, prostrate yourselves,
And adore your Lord;
And do good;
That ye may prosper.
78. And strive in His cause
As ye ought to strive,
(With sincerity and under discipline).
He has chosen you, and has
Imposed no difficulties on you
In religion; it is the cult
Of your father Abraham.
It is He Who has named
You Muslims, both before
And in this (Revelation);
That the Apostle may be
A witness for you, and ye
Be witnesses for mankind!
So establish regular Prayer,
Give regular Charity,
And hold fast to God!
He is your Protector—
The best to protect
And the Best to help!

# Sūra XXIII.

Mu-minūn, or The Believers.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. The Believers must
(Eventually) win through,—
2. Those who humble themselves
In their prayers;
3. Who avoid vain talk;
4. Who are active in deeds
Of charity;
5. Who abstain from sex,
6. Except with those joined
To them in the marriage bond,
Or (the captives) whom
Their right hands possess,—
For (in their case) they are
Free from blame,
7. But those whose desires exceed
Those limits are transgressors;—
p. 875
8. Those who faithfully observe
Their trusts and their covenants;
9. And who (strictly) guard
Their prayers;—
10. These will be the heirs,
11. Who will inherit Paradise:
They will dwell therein
(For ever).
12. Man We did create
From a quintessence (of clay);
13. Then We placed him
As (a drop of) sperm
p. 876
In a place of rest,
Firmly fixed;
14. Then We made the sperm
Into a clot of congealed blood;
Then of that clot We made
A (fœtus) lump; then We
Made out of that lump
Bones and clothed the bones
With flesh; then We developed
Out of it another creature.
So blessed be God,
The Best to create!
15. After that, at length
Ye will die.
16. Again, on the Day
Of Judgment, will ye be
Raised up.
17. And We have made, above you,
Seven tracts; and We
Are never unmindful
Of (Our) Creation,
p. 877
18. And We send down water
From the sky according to
(Due) measure, and We cause it
To soak in the soil;
And We certainly are able
To drain it off (with ease).
19. With it We grow for you
Gardens of date-palms
And vines: in them have ye
Abundant fruits: and of them
Ye eat (and have enjoyment),—
20. Also a tree springing
Out of Mount Sinai,
Which produces oil,
And relish for those
Who use it for food.
21. And in cattle (too) ye
Have an instructive example:
From within their bodies
We produce (milk) for you
p. 878
To drink; there art, in them,
(Besides), numerous (other)
Benefits for you;
And of their (meat) ye eat;
22. And on them, as well as
In ships, ye ride.

SECTION 2.

23. (Further, We sent a long line
Of prophets for your instruction).
We sent Noah to his people:
He said, "O my people!
Worship God! Ye have
No other god but Him.
Will ye not fear (Him)?"
24. The chiefs of the Unbelievers
Among his people said:
"He is no more than a man
Like yourselves: his wish is
To assert his superiority
Over you: if God had wished
(To send messengers),
He could have sent down
Angels: never did we hear
Such a thing (as he says),
Among our ancestors of old."
25. (And some said): "He is
Only a man possessed:
Wait (and have patience)
With him for a time."
p. 879
26. (Noah) said: "O my Lord!
Help me: for that they
Accuse me of falsehood!"
27. So We inspired him
(With this message): "Construct
The Ark within Our sight
And under Our guidance: then
When comes Our command,
And the fountains of the earth
Gush forth, take thou on board
Pairs of every species, male
And female, and thy family—
Except those of them
Against whom the Word
Has already gone forth:
And address Me not
In favour of the wrong-doers;
For they shall be drowned
(In the Flood).
28. And when thou hast embarked
On the Ark—thou and those
With thee,—say: "Praise be
To God, Who has saved us
From the people who do wrong."
29. And say: "O my Lord!
Enable me to disembark
With Thy blessing: for Thou
Art the Best to enable (us)
To disembark."
30. Verily in this there are
Signs (for men to understand);
(Thus) do We try (men)."
p. 880
31. Then We raised after them
Another generation.
32. And We sent to them
An apostle from among themselves,
(Saying), "Worship God!
Ye have no other god
But Him. Will ye not
Fear (Him)?"

SECTION 3.

33. And the chiefs
Of his people, who disbelieved
And denied the Meeting
In the Hereafter, and on whom
We had bestowed the good things
Of this life, said: "He is
No more than a man
Like yourselves: he eats
Of that of which ye eat,
And drinks of what ye drink.
34. "If ye obey a man
Like yourselves, behold,
It is certain ye will be lost.
35. "Does he promise that
When ye die and become dust
And bones, ye shall be
Brought forth (again)?
36. "Far, very far is that
Which ye are promised!
p. 881
37. "There is nothing but
Our life in this world!
We shall die and we live!
But we shall never
Be raised up again!
38. "He is only a man
Who invents a lie
Against God, but we
Are not the ones
To believe in him!"
39. (The prophet) said:
"O my Lord! help me:
For that they accuse me
Of falsehood."
40. (God) said: "In but
A little while, they
Are sure to be sorry!"
41. Then the Blast overtook them
With justice, and We made them
As rubbish of dead leaves
(Floating on the stream of Time)!
So away with the people
Who do wrong!
42. Then We raised after them
Other generations.
43. No people can hasten
Their term, nor can they
Delay (it).
p. 882
44. Then sent We Our apostles
In succession: every time
There came to a people
Their apostle, they accused him
Of falsehood: so We made
Them follow each other
(In punishment): We made them
As a tale (that is told):
So away with a people
That will not believe!
45. When We sent Moses
And his brother Aaron,
With Our Signs and
Authority manifest,
46. To Pharaoh and his Chiefs:
But these behaved insolently:
They were an arrogant people.
47. They said: "Shall we believe
In two men like ourselves?
And their people are subject
To us!"
48. So they accused them
Of falsehood, and they became
Of those who were destroyed.
49. And We gave Moses
The Book, in order that
They might receive guidance.
p. 883
50. And We made
The son of Mary
And his mother
As a Sign:
We gave them both
Shelter on high ground,
Affording rest and security
And furnished with springs.

SECTION 4.

51. O ye apostles! enjoy
(All) things good and pure,
And work righteousness:
For I am well-acquainted
With (all) that ye do.
52. And verily this Brotherhood
Of yours is a single Brotherhood,
And I am your Lord
And Cherisher: therefore
Fear Me (and no other).
p. 884
53. But people have cut off
Their affair (of unity),
Between them, into sects:
Each party rejoices in that
Which is with itself.
54. But leave them
In their confused ignorance
For a time.
55. Do they think that because
We have granted them abundance
Of wealth and sons,
56. We would hasten them
On in every good? Nay,
They do not understand.
57. Verily those who live
In awe for fear of their Lord;
58. Those who believe
In the Signs of their Lord;
59. Those who join not (in worship)
Partners with their Lord;
60. And those who dispense
Their charity with their hearts
Full of fear, because
They will return to their Lord;—
61. It is these who hasten
In every good work,
And these who are
Foremost in them.
p. 885
62. On no soul do We
Place a burden greater
Than it can bear:
Before Us is a record
Which clearly shows the truth:
They will never be wronged.
63. But their hearts are
In confused ignorance
Of this; and there are,
Besides that, deeds of theirs,
Which they will (continue)
To do,—
64. Until, when We seize
In Punishment those of them
Who received the good things
Of this world, behold,
They will groan in supplication!
65. (It will be said):
"Groan not in supplication
This day; for ye shall
Certainly not be helped by Us.
66. "My Signs used to be
Rehearsed to you, but ye
Used to turn back
On your heels—
67. "In arrogance: talking nonsense
About the (Qur-ān), like one
Telling fables by night."
p. 886
68. Do they not ponder over
The Word (of God), or
Has anything (new) come
To them that did not
Come to their fathers of old?
69. Or do they not recognise
Their Apostle, that they
Deny him?
70. Or do they say, "he is
Possessed"? Nay, he has
Brought them the Truth,
But most of them
Hate the Truth.
71. If the Truth had been
In accord with their desires,
Truly the heavens and the earth,
And all beings therein
Would have been in confusion
And corruption! Nay, We
Have sent them their admonition,
But they turn away
From their admonition.
72. Or is it that thou
Askest them for some
Recompense? But the recompense
Of thy Lord is best:
He is the Best of those
Who give sustenance.
73. But verily thou callest them
To the Straight Way;
p. 887
74. And verily those who
Believe not in the Hereafter
Are deviating from that Way.
75. If We had mercy on them
And removed the distress
Which is on them, they
Would obstinately persist
In their transgression,
Wandering in distraction
To and fro.
76. We inflicted Punishment
On them, but they
Humbled not themselves
To their Lord, nor do they
Submissively entreat (Him)!—
77. Until We open on them
A gate leading to
A severe Punishment: then
Lo! they will be plunged
In despair therein!

SECTION 5.

78. It is He Who has created
For you (the faculties of)
Hearing, sight, feeling
And understanding: little thanks
It is ye give!
p. 888
79. And He Has multiplied you
Through the earth, and to Him
Shall ye be gathered back.
80. It is He Who gives
Life and death, and to Him
(Is due) the alternation
Of Night and Day:
Will ye not then understand?
81. On the contrary they say
Things similar to what
The ancients said.
82. They say: "What! When we
Die and become dust and bones,
Could we really be
Raised up again?
83. "Such things have been promised
To us and to our fathers
Before! They are nothing
But tales of the ancients!"
84. Say: "To whom belong
The earth and all beings therein?
(Say) if ye know!"
85. They will say, "To God!"
Say: "Yet will ye not
Receive admonition?"
86. Say: "Who is the Lord
Of the seven heavens,
And the Lord of the Throne
(Of Glory) Supreme?"
p. 889
87. They will say, "(They belong)
To God." Say: "Will ye not
Then be filled with awe?"
88. Say: "Who is it in whose
Hands is the governance
Of all things,—who protects
(All), but is not protected
(Of any)? (Say) if ye know."
89. They will say, "(It belongs)
To God." Say: "Then how
Are ye deluded?"
90. We have sent them the Truth:
But they indeed practise Falsehood!
91. No son did God beget,
Nor is there any god
Along with Him: (if there were
Many gods), behold, each god
Would have taken away
What he had created,
And some would have
Lorded it over others!
Glory to God! (He is free)
From the (sort of) things
They attribute to Him!
92. He knows what is hidden
And what is open: too high
Is He for the partners
They attribute to Him!
p. 890

SECTION 6.

93. Say: "O my Lord!
If Thou wilt show me
(In my lifetime) that which
They are warned against,—
94. "Then, O my Lord! put me not
Amongst the people
Who do wrong!"
95. And We are certainly able
To show thee (in fulfilment)
That against which they are warned.
96. Repel evil with that'
Which is best: We are
Well acquainted with
The things they say.
97. And say "O my Lord!
I seek refuge with Thee
p. 891
From the suggestions
Of the Evil Ones.
98. "And I seek refuge with Thee
O my Lord! lest they
Should come near me."
99. (In Falsehood will they be)
Until, when death comes
To one of them, he says:
"O my Lord! send me back
(To life),—
100. "In order that I may
Work righteousness in the things
I neglected."—"By no means!
It is but a word he says."—
Before them is a Partition
Till the Day they are
Raised up.
101. When the Trumpet
Is blown, there will be
No more relationships
Between them that day,
Nor will one ask after another!
p. 892
102. Then those whose balance
(Of good deeds) is heavy,—
They will attain salvation:
103. But those whose balance
Is light, will be those
Who have lost their souls;
In Hell will they abide.
104. The Fire will burn their faces,
And they will therein
Grin, with their lips displaced.
105. "Were not My Signs rehearsed
To you, and ye did but
Treat them as falsehoods?"
106. They will say: "Our Lord!
Our misfortune overwhelmed us,
And we became a people
Astray!
107. "Our Lord! Bring us out
Of this: if ever we return
(To evil), then shall we be
Wrong-doers indeed!"
108. He will say: "Be ye
Driven into it (with ignominy)!
And speak ye not to Me!
109. "A part of My servants
There was, who used to pray,
p. 893
'Our Lord! we believe;
Then do Thou forgive us,
And have mercy upon us:
For Thou art the Best
Of those who show mercy!'
110. "But ye treated them
With ridicule, so much so
That (ridicule of) them made you
Forget My Message while
Ye were laughing at them!
111. "I have rewarded them
This day for their patience
And constancy: they are indeed
The ones that have achieved Bliss:.."
112. He will say: "What number
Of years did ye stay
On earth?"
113. They will say: "We stayed
A day or part of a day:
But ask those who
Keep account."
114. He will say: "Ye stayed
Not but a little,—
If ye had only known!
115. "Did ye then think
That We had created you
p. 894
In jest, and that ye
Would not be brought back
To Us (for account)?"
116. Therefore exalted be God,
The King, the Reality:
There is no god but He,
The Lord of the Throne
Of Honour!
117. If anyone invokes, besides God,
Any other god, he has
No authority therefor;
And his reckoning will be
Only with his Lord!
And verily the Unbelievers
Will fail to win through
118. So say: "O my Lord!
Grant Thou forgiveness and mercy!
For Thou art the Best
Of those who show mercy!"

# Sūra XXIV.

Nūr, or Light.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. A Sūra which We
Have sent down and
Which We have ordained:
In it have We sent down
Clear Signs, in order that
Ye may receive admonition.
2. The woman and the man
Guilty of adultery or fornication,—
Flog each of them
With a hundred stripes:
Let not compassion move you
In their case, in a matter
Prescribed by God, if ye believe
In God and the Last Day:
And let a party
Of the Believers
Witness their punishment.
3. Let no man guilty of
Adultery or fornication marry
Any but a woman
Similarly guilty, or an Unbeliever:
Nor let any but such a man
Or an Unbeliever
Marry such a woman:
To the Believers such a thing
Is forbidden.
p. 897
4. And those who launch
A charge against chaste women,
And produce not four witnesses
(To support their allegations),—
Flog them with eighty stripes;
And reject their evidence
Ever after: for such men
Are wicked transgressors;—
5. Unless they repent thereafter
And mend (their conduct);
For God is Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful.
6. And for those who launch
A charge against their spouses,
And have (in support)
No evidence but their own,—
p. 898
Their solitary evidence
(Can be received) if they
Bear witness four times
(With an oath) by God
That they are solemnly
Telling the truth;
7. And the fifth (oath)
(Should be) that they solemnly
Invoke the curse of God
On themselves if they
Tell a lie.
8. But it would avert
The punishment from the wife,
If she bears witness
Four times (with an oath)
By God, that (her husband)
Is telling a lie;
9. And the fifth (oath)
Should be that she solemnly
Invokes the wrath of God
On herself if (her accuser)
Is telling the truth.
10. If it were not
For God's grace and mercy
On you, and that God
Is Oft-Returning,
Full of wisdom,
(Ye would be ruined indeed).

SECTION 2.

11. Those who brought forward
The lie are a body
p. 899
Among yourselves: think it not
To be an evil to you;
On the contrary it is good
For you: to every man
Among them (will come
The punishment) of the sin
That he earned, and to him
Who took on himself the lead
Among them, will be
A Penalty grievous.
12. Why did not the Believers
Men and women—when ye
Heard of the affair,—put
The best construction on it
In their own minds
And say, "This (charge)
Is an obvious lie"?
13. Why did they not bring
Four witnesses to prove it?
When they have not brought
The witnesses, such men,
In the sight of God,
(Stand forth) themselves as liars!
14. Were it not for the grace
And mercy of God on you,
In this world and the Hereafter,
A grievous penalty would have
Seized you in that ye rushed
Glibly into this affair.
15. Behold, ye received it
On your tongues,
p. 900
And said out of your mouths
Things of which ye had
No knowledge; and ye thought
It to be a light matter,
While it was most serious
In the sight of God.
16. And why did ye not,
When ye heard it, say?—
"It is not right of us
To speak of this:
Glory to God! this is
A most serious slander!"
17. God doth admonish you,
That ye may never repeat
Such (conduct), if ye
Are (true) Believers.
18. And God makes the Signs
Plain to you: for God
Is full of knowledge and wisdom.
19. Those who love (to see)
Scandal published broadcast
Among the Believers, will have
A grievous Penalty in this life
And in the Hereafter: God
Knows, and ye know not.
20. Were it not for the grace
And mercy of God on you,
p. 901
And that God is
Full of kindness and mercy,
(Ye would be ruined indeed).

SECTION 3.

21. O ye who believe!
Follow not Satan's footsteps:
If any will follow the footsteps
Of Satan, he will (but) command
What is shameful and wrong:
And were it not for the grace
And mercy of God on you.
Not one of you would ever
Have been pure: but God
Doth purify whom He pleases:
And God is One Who
Hears and knows (all things).
22. Let not those among you
Who are endued with grace
And amplitude of means
Resolve by oath against helping
Their kinsmen, those in want,
And those who have left
p. 902
Their homes in God's cause:
Let them forgive and overlook,
Do you not wish
That God should forgive you?
For God is Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful.
23. Those who slander chaste women,
Indiscreet but believing,
Are cursed in this life
And in the Hereafter:
For them is a grievous Penalty,—
24. On the Day when their tongues,
Their hands, and their feet
Will bear witness against them
As to their actions.
25. On that Day God
Will pay them back
(All) their just dues,
And they will realise
That God is
The (very) Truth,
That makes all things manifest.
26. Women impure are for men impure
And men impure for women impure
And women of purity
Are for men of purity,
And men of purity
Are for women of purity:
These are not affected
p. 903
By what people say:
For them there is forgiveness,
And a provision honourable.

SECTION 4.

27. O ye who believe!
Enter not houses other than
Your own, until ye have
Asked permission and saluted
Those in them: that is
Best for you, in order that
Ye may heed (what is seemly).
28. If ye find no one
In the house, enter not
Until permission is given
To you: if ye are asked
To go back, go back:
That makes for greater purity
p. 904
For yourselves: and God
Knows well all that ye do.
29. It is no fault on your part
To enter houses not used
For living in, which serve
Some (other) use for you:
And God has knowledge
Of what ye reveal
And what ye conceal.
30. Say to the believing men
That they should lower
Their gaze and guard
Their modesty: that will make
For greater purity for them:
And God is well acquainted
With all that they do.
31. And say to the believing women
That they should lower
Their gaze and guard
Their modesty; that they
Should not display their
Beauty and ornaments except
What (must ordinarily) appear
Thereof; that they should
p. 905
Draw their veils over
Their bosoms and not display
Their beauty except
To their husbands, their fathers,
Their husbands’ fathers, their sons,
Their husbands’ sons,
Their brothers or their brothers’ sons,
Or their sisters’ sons,
Or their women, or the slaves
Whom their right hands
Possess, or male servants
Free of physical needs,
Or small children who
Have no sense of the shame
Of sex; and that they
Should not strike their feet
In order to draw attention
To their hidden ornaments.
And O ye Believers!
Turn ye all together
Towards God, that ye
May attain Bliss.
32. Marry those among you
Who are single, or
The virtuous ones among
Your slaves, male or female:
If they are in poverty,
God will give them
Means out of His grace:
For God encompasseth all,
And He knoweth all things.
p. 906
33. Let those who find not
The wherewithal for marriage
Keep themselves chaste, until
God gives them means
Out of His grace.
And if any of your slaves
Ask for a deed in writing
(To enable them to earn
Their freedom for a certain sum),
Give them such a deed
If ye know any good
In them; yea, give them
Something yourselves
Out of the means which
God has given to you.
But force not your maids
To prostitution when they desire
Chastity, in order that ye
May make a gain
In the goods of this life.
But if anyone compels them,
Yet, after such compulsion,
Is God Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful (to them).
34. We have already sent down
To you verses making things
Clear, an illustration from (the story
Of) people who passed away
Before you, and an admonition
For those who fear (God).
p. 907

SECTION 5.

35. God is the Light
Of the heavens and the earth.
The parable of His Light
Is as if there were a Niche
And within it a Lamp:
The Lamp enclosed in Glass:
p. 908
The glass as it were
A brilliant star:
Lit from a blessed Tree,
An Olive, neither of the East
Nor of the West,
Whose Oil is well-nigh
Luminous,
Though fire scarce touched it
Light upon Light!
God doth guide
Whom He will
To His Light:
God doth set forth Parables
For men: and God
Doth know all things.
36. (Lit is such a Light)
In houses, which God
Hath permitted to be raised
To honour; for the celebration,
p. 909
In them, of His name:
In them is He glorified
In the mornings and
In the evenings, (again and again),
37. By men whom neither
Traffic nor merchandise
Can divert from the Remembrance
Of God, nor from regular Prayer,
Nor from the practice
Of regular Charity:
Their (only) fear is
For the Day when
Hearts and eyes
Will be transformed
(In a world wholly new),—
38. That God may reward them
According to the best
Of their deeds, and add
Even more for them
Out of His Grace:
For God doth provide
For those whom He will,
Without measure.
39. but the Unbelievers,—
Their deeds are like a mirage
p. 910
In sandy deserts, which
The man parched with thirst
Mistakes for water; until
When he comes up to it,
He finds it to be nothing:
But he finds God
(Ever) with him, and God
Will pay him his account:
And God is swift
In taking account.
40. Or (the Unbelievers’ state)
Is like the depths of darkness
In a vast deep ocean,
Overwhelmed with billow
Topped by billow,
Topped by (dark) clouds:
Depths of darkness, one
Above another: if a man
Stretches out his hand,
He can hardly see it!
For any to whom God
Giveth not light,
There is no light!

SECTION 6.

41. Seest thou not that it is
God Whose praises all beings
In the heavens and on earth
Do celebrate, and the birds
p. 911
(Of the air) with wings
Outspread? Each one knows
Its own (mode of) prayer
And praise. And God
Knows well all that they do.
42. Yea, to God belongs
The dominion of the heavens
And the earth; and to God
Is the final goal (of all).
43. Seest thou not that God
Makes the clouds move
Gently, then joins them
Together, then makes them
Into a heap?—then wilt thou
See rain issue forth
From their midst. And He
Sends down from the sky
Mountain masses (of clouds)
Wherein is hail: He strikes
Therewith whom He pleases
And He turns it away
From whom He pleases.
The vivid flash of His lightning
Well-nigh blinds the sight.
44. It is God Who alternates
The Night and the Day:
p. 912
Verily in these things
Is an instructive example
For those who have vision!
45. And God has created
Every animal from water: sort
Of them there are some
That creep on their bellies;
Some that walk on two legs;
And some that walk on four.
God creates what He wills;
For verily God has power
Over all things.
46. We have indeed sent down
Signs that make things manifest:
And God guides whom He wills
To a Way that is straight.
47. They say, "We believe
In God and in the Apostle,
And we obey": but
Even after that, some of them
Turn away: they are not
(Really) Believers.
48. When they are summoned
To God and His Apostle,
In order that he may judge
Between them, behold, some
Of them decline (to come).
p. 913
49. But if the right is
On their side, they come
To him with all submission
50. Is it that there is
A disease in their hearts
Or do they doubt,
Or are they in fear,
That God and His Apostle
Will deal unjustly with them?
Nay, it is they themselves
Who do wrong.

SECTION 7.

51. The answer of the Believers,
When summoned to God
And His Apostle, in order
That he may judge between them,
Is no other than this:
They say, "We hear and we obey":
It is such as these
That will attain felicity.
52. It is such as obey
God and His Apostle,
And fear God and do
Right, that will win
(In the end).
53. They swear their strongest oaths
By God that, if only thou
p. 914
Wouldst command them, they
Would leave (their homes).
Say: "Swear ye not;
Obedience is (more) reasonable;
Verily, God is well acquainted
With all that ye do."
54. Say: "Obey God, and obey
The Apostle: but if ye turn
Away, he is only responsible
For the duty placed on him
And ye for that placed
On you. If ye obey him,
Ye shall be on right guidance.
The Apostle's duty is only
To preach the clear (Message).
55. God has promised, to those
Among you who believe
And work righteous deeds, that He
Will, of a surety, grant them
In the land, inheritance
(Of power), as He granted it
To those before them; that
He will establish in authority
Their religion—the one
Which He has chosen for them;
And that He will change
(Their state), after the fear
In which they (lived), to one
p. 915
Of security and peace:
'They will worship Me (alone)
And not associate aught with Me.'
If any do reject Faith
After this, they are
Rebellious and wicked.
56. So establish regular Prayer
And give regular Charity;
And obey the Apostle;
That ye may receive mercy.
57. Never think thou
That the Unbelievers
Are going to frustrate
(God's Plan) on earth:
Their abode is the Fire,—
And it is indeed
An evil refuge!

SECTION 8.

58. O ye who believe!
Let those whom your right hands
Possess, and the (children) among you
p. 916
Who have not come of age
Ask your permission (before
They come to your presence),
On three occasions: before
Morning prayer; the while
Ye doff your clothes
For the noonday heat;
And after the late-night prayer:
These are your three times
Of undress: outside those times
It is not wrong for you
Or for them to move about
Attending to each other:
Thus does God make clear
The Signs to you: for God
Is full of knowledge and wisdom.
59. But when the children among you
Come of age, let them (also)
Ask for permission, as do those
Senior to them (in age):
Thus does God make clear
His Signs to you: for God
Is full of knowledge and wisdom.
60. Such elderly women as are
Past the prospect of marriage,—
There is no blame on them
If they lay aside
p. 917
Their (outer) garments, provided
They make not a wanton display
Of their beauty: but
It is best for them
To be modest: and God
Is One Who sees and knows
All things.
61. It is no fault in the blind
Nor in one born lame, nor
In one afflicted with illness,
Nor in yourselves, that ye
Should eat in your own houses,
Or those of your fathers,
Or your mothers, or your brothers,
Or your sisters, or your father's brothers
Or your father's sisters,
Or your mother's brothers,
Or your mother's sisters,
Or in houses of which
The keys are in your possession,
Or in the house of a sincere
Friend of yours: there is
No blame on you, whether
Ye eat in company or
Separately. But if ye
Enter houses, salute each other—
A greeting of blessing
And purity as from God.
p. 918
Thus does God make clear
The Signs to you: that ye
May understand.

SECTION 9.

62. Only those are Believers,
Who believe in God and
His Apostle: when they are
With him on a matter
Requiring collective action,
They do not depart until
They have asked for his leave;
Those who ask for thy leave
Are those who believe in God
And His Apostle; so when
They ask for thy leave,
For some business of theirs,
Give leave to those of them
Whom thou wilt, and ask
God for their forgiveness:
For God is Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful.
63. Deem not the summons
Of the Apostle among yourselves
Like the summons of one
Of you to another: God
Doth know those of you
Who slip away under shelter
Of some excuse: then
Let those beware who
p. 919
Withstand the Apostle's order,
Lest some trial befall them,
Or a grievous Penalty
Be inflicted on them.
64. Be quite sure that
To God doth belong
Whatever is in the heavens
And on earth. Well doth He
Know what ye are intent upon:
And one day they will be
Brought back to Him, and He
Will tell them the truth
Of what they did:
For God doth know
All things.

# Sūra XXV.

Furqān, or The Criterion.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Blessed is He Who
Sent down the Criterion
To His Servant, that
May be an admonition
To all creatures;—
2. He to Whom belongs
The dominion of the heavens
And the earth: no son
Has He begotten, nor has He
A partner in His dominion:
It is He Who created
All things, and ordered them
In due proportions.
3. Yet have they taken,
Besides Him, gods that can
Create nothing but are themselves
Created; that have no control
Of hurt or good to themselves;
Nor can they control Death
Nor Life nor Resurrection.
p. 927
4. But the Misbelievers say:
"Naught is this but a lie
Which he has forged,
And others have helped him
At it." In truth it is they
Who have put forward
An iniquity and a falsehood.
5. And they say: "Tales of
The ancients, which he has caused
To be written: and they
Are dictated before him
Morning and evening."
6. Say: "The (Qur-ān) was sent down
By Him Who knows
The Mystery (that is) in the heavens
And the earth: verily He
Is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
7. find they say: "What sort
Of an apostle is this,
Who eats food, and walks
Through the streets? Why
Has not an angel
Been sent down to him
To give admonition with him?
p. 928
8. "Or (why) has not a treasure
Been bestowed on him, or
Why has he (not) a garden
For enjoyment?" The wicked
Say: "Ye follow none other
Than a man bewitched."
9. See what kinds of comparisons
They make for thee!
But they have gone astray,
And never a way will they
Be able to find!

SECTION 2.

10. Blessed is He Who,
If that were His Will,
Could give thee better (things)
Than those,—Gardens beneath which
Rivers flow; and He could
Give thee Palaces (secure
To dwell in).
11. Nay, they deny the Hour
(Of the Judgment to come):
But We have prepared
A Blazing Fire for such
As deny the Hour:
p. 929
12. When it sees them
From a place far off,
They will hear its fury
And its raging sigh.
13. And when they are cast,
Bound together, into a
Constricted place therein, they
Will plead for destruction
There and then!
14. "This day plead not
For a single destruction:
Plead for destruction oft-repeated!"
15. Say: "Is that best, or
The eternal Garden, promised
To the righteous? For them,
That is a reward as well
As a goal (of attainment).
16. "For them there will be
Therein all that they wish for:
They will dwell (there) for aye:
A promise to be prayed for
From thy Lord."
17. The Day He will gather
Them together as well as
Those whom they worship
Besides God, He will ask;
p. 930
"Was it ye who led
These My servants astray,
Or did they stray
From the Path themselves?"
18. They will say: "Glory to Thee!
Not meet was it for us
That we should take
For protectors others besides Thee:
But Thou didst bestow,
On them and their fathers,
Good things (in life), until
They forgot the Message:
For they were a people
(Worthless and) lost."
19. (God will say): "Now
Have they proved you liars
In what ye say: so
Ye cannot avert (your penalty)
Nor (get) help." And whoever
Among you does wrong,
Him shall We cause to taste
Of a grievous Penalty.
20. And the apostles whom We
Sent before thee were all
(Men) who ate food
And walked through the streets:
We have made some of you
As a trial for others:
Will ye have patience?
For God is One Who
Sees (all things).
p. 931

SECTION 3.

21. Such as fear not
The meeting with Us
(For Judgment) say:
"Why are not the angels
Sent down to us, or
(Why) do we not see
Our Lord?" Indeed they
Have an arrogant conceit
Of themselves, and mighty
Is the insolence of their impiety!
22. The Day they see the angels,—
No joy will there be
To the sinners that Day:
The (angels) will say:
"There is a barrier
Forbidden (to you) altogether!
23: And We shall turn
To whatever deeds they did
(In this life), and We shall
Make such deeds as floating dust
Scattered about.
p. 932
24. The Companions of the Garden
Will be well, that Day,
In their abode, and have
The fairest of places for repose:
25. The Day the heaven shall be
Rent asunder with clouds,
And angels shall be sent down,
Descending (in ranks),—
26. That Day, the dominion
As of right and truth,
Shall be (wholly) for (God)
Most Merciful: it will be
A Day of dire difficulty
For the Misbelievers.
27. I the Day that the wrong-doer
Will bite at his hands,
He will say, "Oh! would that
I had taken a (straight) path
With the Apostle!
28. "Ah! woe is me!
Would that I had never
Taken such a one
For a friend!
29. "He did lead me astray
From the Message (of God)
After it had come to me!
Ah! the Evil One is
But a traitor to man!
p. 933
Then the Apostle will say:
30 "O my Lord! Truly
My people took this Qur-ān
For just foolish nonsense."
31. Thus have We made
For every prophet an enemy
Among the sinners: but enough
Is thy Lord to guide
And to help.
32. Whose who reject Faith
Say: "Why is not the Qur-ān
Revealed to him all at once?
Thus (is it revealed), that We
May strengthen thy heart
Thereby, and We have
Rehearsed it to thee in slow,
Well-arranged stages, gradually.
33. And no question do they
Bring to thee but We
Reveal to thee the truth
And the best explanation (thereof),
p. 934
34. Whose who will be gathered
To Hell (prone) on their faces,—
They will be in an evil
Plight, and, as to Path,
Most astray.

SECTION 4.

35. (Before this,) We sent Moses
The Book, and appointed
His brother Aaron with him
As Minister;
36. And We commanded: "Go ye
Both, to the people who
Have rejected our Signs:"
And those (people) We destroyed
With utter destruction.
37. And the people of Noah,—
When they rejected the apostles,
We drowned them,
And We made them
As a Sign for mankind;
And We have prepared
For (all) wrong-doers
A grievous Penalty;—
38. As also ’Ad and Thamūd,
And the Companions
p. 935
Of the Rass, and many
A generation between them.
39. To each one We set forth
Parables and examples;
And each one We broke
To utter annihilation
(For their sins).
40. And the (Unbelievers) must indeed
Have passed by the town
On which was rained
A shower of evil: did they not
Then see it (with their own
Eyes)? But they fear not
The Resurrection.
41. When they see thee,
They treat thee no otherwise
Than in mockery: "Is this
The one whom God has sent
As an apostle?"
42. "He indeed would well-nigh
Have misled us from
Our gods, had it not been
That we were constant
To them!"—Soon will they
Know, when they see
The Penalty, who it is
That is most misled
In Path!
43. Seest thou such a one
As taketh for his god
His own passion (or impulse)?
Couldst thou be a disposer
Of affairs for him?
p. 936
44. Or thinkest thou that most
Of them listen or understand?
They are only like cattle;—
Nay, they are worse astray
In Path.

SECTION 5.

45. Hast thou not turned
Thy vision to thy Lord?—
How He doth prolong
The Shadow! If He willed,
He could make it stationary!
Then do We make
The sun its guide;
p. 937
46. Then We draw it in
Towards Ourselves,
A contraction by easy stages.
47. And He it is Who makes
The Night as a Robe
For you, and Sleep as Repose,
And makes the Day
(As it were) a Resurrection.
48. And He it is Who sends
The Winds as heralds
Of glad tidings, going before
His Mercy, and We send down
p. 938
Pure water from the sky,—
49. That with it We may give
Life to a dead land,
And slake the thirst
Of things We have created,—
Cattle and men in great numbers.
50. And We have distributed
The (water) amongst them, in order
That they may celebrate
(Our) praises, but most men
Are averse (to aught) but
(Rank) ingratitude.
51. Had it been Our Will,
We could have sent
A warner to every centre
Of population.
52. Therefore listen not
To the Unbelievers, but strive
p. 939
Against them with the utmost
Strenuousness, with the (Qur-ān).
53. It is He Who has
Let free the two bodies
Of flowing water:
One palatable and sweet,
And the other salt
And hitter; yet has He
Made a barrier between them,
A partition that is forbidden
To be passed.
54. It is He Who has
Created man from water:
Then has He established
Relationships of lineage
p. 940
And marriage: for thy Lord
Has power (over all things).
55. Yet do they worship,
Besides God, things that can
Neither profit them nor
Harm them: and the Misbeliever
Is a helper (of Evil),
Against his own Lord!
56. But thee We only sent
To give glad tidings
And admonition.
57. Say: "No reward do I
Ask of you for it but this:
That each one who will
May take a (straight) Path
To his Lord."
58. And put thy trust
In Him Who lives
And dies not; and celebrate
His praise; and enough is He
To be acquainted with
The faults of His servants;—
59. He Who created the heavens
And the earth and all
That is between, in six days,
And is firmly established
On the Throne (of authority):
God Most Gracious:
Ask thou, then, about Him
Of any acquainted (with such things).
p. 941
60. When it is said to them,
"Adore ye (God) Most Gracious!",
They say, "And what is (God)
Most Gracious? Shall we adore
That which thou commandest us?"
And it increases their flight
(From the Truth).

SECTION 6

61. Blessed is He Who made
Constellations in the skies,
And placed therein a Lamp
And a Moon giving light;
62. And it is He Who made
The Night and the Day
To follow each other:
For such as have the will
To celebrate His praises
Or to show their gratitude.
63. And the servants of (God)
Most Gracious are those
Who walk on the earth
In humility, and when the ignorant
Address them, they say,
"Peace!";
p. 942
64. Those who spend the night
In adoration of their Lord
Prostrate and standing;
65. Those who say, "Our Lord!
Avert from us the Wrath
Of Hell, for its Wrath
Is indeed an affliction grievous,—
66. "Evil indeed is it
As an abode, and as
A place to rest in";
67. Those who, when they spend,
Are not extravagant and not
Niggardly, but hold a just (balance)
Between those (extremes);
68. Those who invoke not,
With God, any other god,
Nor slay such life as God
Has made sacred, except
For just cause, nor commit
Fornication;—and any that does
This (not only) meets punishment
p. 943
69. (But) the Penalty on the Day
Of Judgment will be doubled
To him, and he will dwell
Therein in ignominy,—
70. Unless he repents, believes,
And works righteous deeds,
For God will change
The evil of such persons
Into good, and God is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful,
71. And whoever repents and does good
Has truly turned to God
With an (acceptable) conversion;—
72. Those who witness no falsehood;
And, if they pass by futility,
They pass by it
With honourable (avoidance);
73. Those who, when they are
Admonished with the Signs
Of their Lord, droop not down
At them as if they were
Deaf or blind;
74. And these who pray,
"Our Lord! Grant unto us
Wives and offspring who will be
The comfort of our eyes,
p. 944
And give us (the grace)
To lead the righteous."
75. Those are the ones who
Will be rewarded with
The highest place in heaven,
Because of their patient constancy:
Therein shall they be met
With salutations and peace,
76. Dwelling therein;—how beautiful
An abode and place of rest!
77. Say (to the Rejecters):
"My Lord is not uneasy
Because of you if ye call not on Him
But ye have indeed rejected
(Him), and soon will come
The inevitable (punishment)!"

# Sūra XXVI.

Shu‘arāa, or The Poets.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Tā. Sīn. Mīm.
2. These are Verses of the Book
That makes (things) clear.
3. It may be thou frettest
Thy soul with grief, that they
Do not become Believers.
4. If (such) were Our Will,
We could send down to them
From the sky a Sign,
To which they would bend
Their necks in humility.
5. But there comes not
To them a newly-revealed
Message from (God) Most Gracious,
But they turn away therefrom.
p. 947
6. They have indeed rejected
(The Message): so they will
Know soon (enough) the truth
Of what they mocked at!
7. Do they not look
At the earth,—how many
Noble things of all kinds
We have produced therein?
8. Verily, in this is a Sign:
But most of them
Do not believe.
9. And verily, thy Lord
Is He, the Exalted in Might,
Most Merciful.

SECTION 2.

10. Behold, thy Lord called
Moses: "Go to the people
Of iniquity,—
11. "The people of Pharaoh:
Will they not fear God?"
12. He said: "O my Lord!
I do fear that they
Will charge me with falsehood:
p. 948
13. "My breast will be straitened?'
And my speech may not go
(Smoothly): so send unto Aaron.
14. "And (further), they have
A charge of crime against me;
And I fear they may
Slay me."
15. God said: "By no means!
Proceed then, both of you,
With Our Signs; We
Are with you, and will
Listen (to your call).
16. "So go forth, both of you,
To Pharaoh, and say:
'We have been sent
By the Lord and Cherisher
Of the Worlds;
17. "'Send thou with us
The Children of Israel.'"
18. (Pharaoh) said: "Did we not
Cherish thee as a child
Among us, and didst thou not
Stay in our midst
Many years of thy life?
p. 949
19. "And thou didst a deed
Of thine which (thou knowest)
Thou didst, and thou art
An ungrateful (wretch)!"
20. Moses said: "I did it
Then, when I was
In error.
21. "So I fled from you (all)
When I feared you;
But my Lord has (since)
Invested me with judgment
(And wisdom) and appointed me
As one of the apostles.
22. "And this is the favour
With which thou dost
Reproach me,—that thou
Hast enslaved the Children
Of Israel!"
23. Pharaoh said: "And what
Is the 'Lord and Cherisher
Of the Worlds'?
p. 950
24. (Moses) said: "The Lord
And Cherisher of the heavens
And the earth, and all between,
If ye want to be
Quite sure."
25. (Pharaoh) said to those
Around: "Do ye not listen
(To what he says)?
26. (Moses) said: "Your Lord
And the Lord of your fathers
From the beginning!"
27. (Pharaoh) said: "Truly
Your apostle who has been
Sent to you is
A veritable madman!"
28. (Moses) said: "Lord of the East
And the West, and all between!
If ye only had sense!"
29. (Pharaoh) said: "If thou
Dost put forward any god
Other than me, I will
Certainly put thee in prison!"
30. (Moses) said: "Even if I
Showed you something
Clear (and) convincing?"
p. 951
31. (Pharaoh) said: "Show it then,
If thou tellest the truth!"
32. So (Moses) threw his rod,
And behold, it was
A serpent, plain (for all to see)!
33. And he drew out his hand,
And behold, it was white
To all beholders!

SECTION 3.

34. (Pharaoh) said to the Chiefs
Around him: "This is indeed
A sorcerer well-versed:
35. "His plan is to get you out
Of your land by his sorcery;
Then what is it ye counsel?"
36. They said: "Keep him
And his brother in suspense
(For a while), and dispatch
To the Cities heralds to collect—
37. "And bring up to thee
All (our) sorcerers well-versed."
38. So the sorcerers were got
Together for the appointment
Of a day well-known,
39. And the people were told:
"Are ye (now) assembled?—
40. "That we may follow
The sorcerers (in religion)
If they win?"
p. 952
41. So when the sorcerers arrived,
They said to Pharaoh:
"Of course—shall we have
A (suitable) reward
If we win?"
42. He said: "Yea, (and more),—
For ye shall in that case
Be (raised to posts)
Nearest (to my person)."
43. Moses said to them:
"Throw ye—that which
Ye are about to throw!"
44. So they threw their ropes
And their rods, and said:
"By the might of Pharaoh,
It is we who will
Certainly win!"
45. Then Moses threw his rod,
When, behold, it straightway
Swallows up all
The falsehoods which they fake!
46. When did the sorcerers
Fall down, prostrate in adoration,
47. Saying: "We believe
In the Lord of the Worlds,
48. "The Lord of Moses and Aaron."
p. 953
49. Said (Pharaoh): "Believe ye
In Him before I give
You permission? Surely he
Is your leader, who has
Taught you sorcery!
But soon shall ye know!
50. "Be sure I will cut off
Your hands and your feet
On opposite sides, and I
Will cause you all
To die on the cross!"
51. They said: "No matter!
For us, we shall but
Return to our Lord!
52. "Only, our desire is
That our Lord will
Forgive us our faults,
That we may become
Foremost among the Believers!"

SECTION 4.

53. By inspiration We told Moses:
"Travel by night with
My servants; for surely
Ye shall be pursued."
54. Then Pharaoh sent heralds
To (all) the Cities,
p. 954
55. (Saying): "These (Israelites)
Are but a small band,
56. "And they are raging
Furiously against us;
57. "But we are a multitude
Amply fore-warned."
58. So We expelled them
From gardens, springs,
59. Treasures, and every kind
Of honourable position;
60. Thus it was, but
We made the Children
Of Israel inheritors
Of such things.
61. So they pursued them
At sunrise.
62. And when the two bodies
Saw each other, the people
Of Moses said: "We are
Sure to be overtaken."
63. (Moses) said: "By no means!
My Lord is with me!
Soon will He guide me!"
p. 955
64. Then We told Moses
By inspiration: "Strike
The sea with thy rod."
So it divided, and each
Separate part became
Like the huge, firm mass
Of a mountain.
65. And We made the other
Party approach thither.
66. We delivered Moses and all
Who were with him;
67. But We drowned the others.
68. Verily in this is a Sign:
But most of them
Do not believe.
69. And verily thy Lord
Is He, the Exalted in Might,
Most Merciful.

SECTION 5.

70. And rehearse to them
(Something of) Abraham's story.
p. 956
71. Behold, he said
To his father and his people:
"What worship ye?"
72. They said: "We worship
Idols, and we remain constantly
In attendance on them."
73. He said: "Do they listen
To you when ye call (on them),
Or do you good or harm?"
74. They said: "Nay, but we
Found our fathers doing
Thus (what we do)."
75. He said: "Do ye then
See whom ye have been
Worshipping,—
76. "Ye and your fathers before you?—
77. "For they are enemies to me;
Not so the Lord and Cherisher
Of the Worlds;
78. "Who created me, and
It is He who guides me;
79. "Who gives me food and drink,
80. "And when I am ill,
It is He who cures me;
81. "Who will cause me to die,
And then to live (again);
p. 957
82. "And who, I hope,
Will forgive me my faults
On the Day of Judgment.
83. "O my Lord! bestow wisdom
On me, and join me
With the righteous;
84. "Grant me honourable mention
On the tongue of truth
Among the latest (generations);
85. "Make me one of the inheritors
Of the Garden of Bliss;
86. "Forgive my father, for that
He is among those astray;
87. "And let me not be
In disgrace on the Day
When (men) will be raised up;—
88. "The Day whereon neither
Wealth nor sons will avail,
89. "But only he (will prosper)
That brings to God
A sound heart;
90. "To the righteous, the Garden
Will be brought near,
p. 958
91. "And to those straying in Evil,
The Fire will be placed
In full view;
92. "And it shall be said
To them, 'Where are
The (gods) ye worshipped—
93. "'Besides God? Can they
Help you or help themselves?'
94. "Then they will be thrown
Headlong into the (Fire),—
They and those straying
In Evil,
95. "And the whole hosts
Of Iblīs together.
96. "They will say there
In their mutual bickerings:
97. "'By God, we were truly
In an error manifest,
98. "'When we held you as equals
With the Lord of the Worlds;
99. "'And our seducers were
Only those who were
Steeped in guilt.
100. "'Now, then, we have none
To intercede (for us),
p. 959
101. "'Nor a single friend
To feel (for us).
102. "'Now if we only had
A chance of return,
We shall truly be
Of those who believe!'"
103. Verily in this is a Sign
But most of them
Do not believe.
104. And verily thy Lord
Is He, the Exalted in Might,
Most Merciful.

SECTION 6.

105. The people of Noah rejected
The apostles.
106. Behold, their brother Noah
Said to them: "Will ye not
Fear (God)?
107. "I am to you an apostle
Worthy of all trust:
108. "So fear God, and obey me.
109. "No reward do I ask
Of you for it: my reward
Is only from the Lord
Of the Worlds:
p. 960
110. "So fear God, and obey me."
111. They said: "Shall we
Believe in thee when it is
The meanest that follow thee?"
112. He said: "And what
Do I know as to
What they do?
113. "Their account is only
With my Lord, if ye
Could (but) understand.
114. "I am not one to drive away
Those who believe.
115. "I am sent only
To warn plainly in public."
116. They said: "If thou
Desist not, O Noah!
Thou shalt be stoned
(to death)."
117. He said: "O my Lord!
Truly my people have
Rejected me.
118. "Judge thou, then, between me
And them openly, and deliver
p. 961
Me and those of the Believers
Who are with me."
119. So We delivered him
And those with him,
In the Ark filled
(With all creatures).
120. Thereafter We drowned those
Who remained behind.
121. Verily in this is a Sign:
But most of them
Do not believe.
122. And verily thy Lord
Is He, the Exalted in Might,
Most Merciful.

SECTION 7.

123. The ’Ad (people) rejected'
The apostles.
124. Behold, their brother Hūd
Said to them: "Will ye not
Fear (God)?
p. 962
125. "I am to you an apostle
Worthy of all trust:
126. "So fear God and obey me.
127. "No reward do I ask
Of you for it my reward
Is only from the Lord
Of the Worlds.
128. "Do ye build a landmark
On every high place
To amuse yourselves?
129. "And do ye get for yourselves
Fine buildings in the hope
Of living therein (for ever)?
130. "And when ye exert
Your strong hand,
Do ye do it like men
Of absolute power?
131. "Now fear God, and obey me.
132. "Yea, fear Him Who
Has bestowed on you
Freely all that ye know.
133. "Freely has He bestowed
On you cattle and sons,—
p. 963
134. "And Gardens and Springs.
135. "Truly I fear for you
The Penalty of a Great Day."
136. They said: "It is the same
To us whether thou
Admonish us or be not
Among (our) admonishers!
137. "This is no other than
A customary device
Of the ancients,
138. "And we are not the ones
To receive Pains and Penalties!"
139. So they rejected him,
And We destroyed them.
Verily in this is a Sign:
But most of them
Do not believe.
140. And verily thy Lord
Is He, the Exalted in Might,
Most Merciful.

SECTION 8.

141. The Thamūd (people) rejected
The apostles.
p. 964
142. Behold, their brother Ṣāliḥ
Said to them: "Will you not
Fear (God)?
143. "I am to you an apostle
Worthy of all trust.
144. "So fear God, and obey me.
145. "No reward do I ask
Of you for it: my reward
Is only from the Lord
Of the Worlds.
146. "Will ye be left secure,
In (the enjoyment of) all
That ye have here?—
147. "Gardens and Springs,
148. "And corn-fields and date palms
With spathes near breaking
(With the weight of fruit)?
149. "And ye carve houses
Out of (rocky) mountains
With great skill.
150. "But fear God and obey me;
151. "And follow not the bidding
Of those who are extravagant,—
152. "Who make mischief in the land,
And mend not (their ways)."
153. Whey said: "Thou art only
One of those bewitched!'
p. 965
154. "Thou art no more than
A mortal like us:
Then bring us a Sign,
If thou tellest the truth!"
155. He said: "Here is
A she-camel: she has
A right of watering,
And ye have a right
Of watering, (severally)
On a day appointed.
156. "Touch her not with harm,
Lest the Penalty
Of a Great Day
Seize you."
157. But they ham-strung her:
Then did they become
Full of regrets.
158. But the Penalty seized them.
Verily in this is a Sign:
But most of them
Do not believe.
159. And verily thy Lord
Is He, the Exalted in Might,
Most Merciful.
p. 966

SECTION 9

160. The people of Lūt rejected'
The apostles.
161. Behold, their brother Lūt
Said to them: "Will ye not
Fear (God)?
162. "I am to you an apostle
Worthy of all trust.
163. "So fear God and obey me.
164. "No reward do I ask
Of you for it my reward
Is only from the Lord
Of the Worlds.
165. "Of all the creatures
In the world, will ye
Approach males,
166. "And leave those whom God
Has created for you
To be your mates?
Nay, ye are a people
Transgressing (all limits)!"
167. Whey said: "If thou desist not,
O Lūt! thou wilt assuredly
Be cast out!"
168. He said: "I do detest
Your doings:"
p. 967
169. "O my Lord! deliver me
And my family from
Such things as they do!"
170. So We delivered him
And his family,—all
171. Except an old woman
Who lingered behind.
172. But the rest We destroyed Utterly.
173. We rained down on them
A shower (of brimstone):
And evil was the shower
On those who were admonished
(But heeded not)!
174. Verily in this is a Sign
But most of them
Do not believe.
175. And verily thy Lord
Is He, the Exalted in Might
Most Merciful.

SECTION 10.

176. The Companions of the Wood
Rejected the apostles.
177. Behold, Shu‘aib said to them:
Will ye not fear (God)?
178. "I am to you an apostle
Worthy of all trust.
p. 968
179. "So fear God and obey me.
180. "No reward do I ask
Of you for it: my, reward
Is only from the Lord
Of the Worlds.
181. "Give just measure,''
And cause no loss
(To others by fraud).
182. "And weigh with scales
True and upright.
183. "And withhold not things
Justly due to men,
Nor do evil in the land,
Working mischief.
184. "And fear Him Who created
You and (Who created)
The generations before (you)"
185. Whey said: "Thou art only
One of those bewitched!
186. "Thou art no more than
A mortal like us,
And indeed we think
Thou art a liar!
187. "Now cause a piece
Of the sky to fall on us,
If thou art truthful!"
188. He said: "My Lord
Knows best what ye do."
p. 969
189. But they rejected him.
Then the punishment
Of a day of overshadowing gloom
Seized them, and that was
The Penalty of a Great Day.
190. Verily in that is a Sign:
But most of them
Do not believe.
191. And verily thy Lord
Is He, the Exalted in Might,
Most Merciful.

SECTION 11.

192. Verily this is a Revelation
From the Lord of the Worlds:
193. With it came down
The Spirit of Faith and Truth—
p. 970
194. To thy heart and mind,
That thou mayest admonish
195. In the perspicuous
Arabic tongue.
196. Without doubt it is (announced)
In the mystic Book
Of former peoples.
197. Is it not a Sign
To them that the Learned
Of the Children of Israel
Knew it (as true)?
198. Had We revealed it
To any of the non Arabs,
199. And had he recited it
To them, they would not
Have believed in it.
200. Thus have We caused it
To enter the hearts
Of the Sinners.
p. 971
201. They will not believe
In it until they see
The grievous Penalty;
202. But the (Penalty) will come
To them of a sudden,
While they preceive it not;
203. Then they will say:
"Shall we be respited?"
204. Do they then ask
For Our Penalty to be
Hastened on?
205. Seest thou? If We do
Let them enjoy (this life)
For a few years,
206. Yet there comes to them
At length the (Punishment)
Which they were promised!
207. It will profit them not
That they enjoyed (this life)!
208. Never did We destroy
A population, but had
Its warners—
209. By way of reminder;
And We never are unjust.
210. No evil ones have brought
Down this (Revelation):
p. 972
211. It would neither suit them
Nor would they be able
(To produce it).
212. Indeed they have been removed
Far from even (a chance of)
Hearing it.
213. So call not on any
Other god with God,
Or thou wilt be among
Those under the Penalty.
214. And admonish thy nearest
Kinsmen,
215. And lower thy wing
To the Believers who
Follow thee.
216. Then if they disobey thee,
Say: "I am free (of responsibility)
For what ye do!"
217. And put thy trust
On the Exalted in Might,
The Merciful,—
218. Who seeth thee standing
Forth (in prayer),
219. And thy movements among
Those who prostrate themselves.
p. 973
220. For it is He
Who heareth and knoweth
All things.
221. Shall I inform you.
(O people!), on whom it is
That the evil ones descend?
222. They descend on every
Lying, wicked person,
223. (Into whose ears) they pour
Hearsay vanities, and most
Of them are liars.
224. And the Poets,—
It is those straying in Evil,
Who follow them:
225. Seest thou not that they
Wander distracted in every
Valley?—
226. And that they say
What they practise not?—
227. Except those who believe,
Work righteousness, engage much
p. 974
In the remembrance of God,
And defend themselves only after
They are unjustly attacked.
And soon will the unjust'
Assailants know what vicissitudes
Their affairs will take!

# Sūra XXVII.

Naml, or the Ants.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Tā. Sīn.
These are verses
Of the Qur-ān,—a Book
That makes (things) clear;
2. A Guide; and Glad Tidings
For the Relievers,—
3. Those who establish regular prayers
And give in regular charity,
And also have (full) assurance
Of the Hereafter.
4. As to those who believe not
In the Hereafter, We have
Made their deeds pleasing
In their eyes; and so they
Wander about in distraction.
5. Such are they for whom
A grievous Penalty is (waiting):
And in the Hereafter theirs
Will be the greatest loss.
6. As to thee, the Qur-ān
Is bestowed upon thee
From the presence of One
Who is Wise and All-Knowing.
p. 979
7. Behold! Moses said
To his family "I perceive
A fire; soon will I bring you
From there some information,
Or I will bring you
A burning brand to light
Our fuel, that ye may
Warm yourselves.
8. But when he came
To the (Fire), a voice
Was heard: "Blessed are those
In the Fire and those around:
And Glory to God,
The Lord of the Worlds.
9. "O Moses! Verily,
I am God, the Exalted
In Might, the Wise!...
10. "Now do thou throw thy rod!"
But when he saw it
Moving (of its own accord)
As if it had been a snake,
He turned back in retreat,
And retraced not his steps:
"O Moses!" (it was said),
"Fear not: truly, in My presence,
Those called as apostles
Have no fear,—
p. 980
11. "But if any have done wrong
And have thereafter substituted
Good to take the place of evil,
Truly, I am Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful.
12. "Now put thy hand into
Thy bosom, and it will
Come forth white without stain
(Or harm): (these are) among
The nine Signs (thou wilt take)
To Pharaoh and his people:
For they are a people
Rebellious in transgression."
13. But when Our Signs came
To them, that should have""
Opened their eyes, they said:
"This is sorcery manifest!"
14. And they rejected those Signs
In iniquity and arrogance,
Though their souls were convinced
Thereof: so see what was
The end of those
Who acted corruptly!
p. 981

SECTION 2.

15. We gave (in the past)
Knowledge to David and Solomon
And they both said:
"Praise be to God, Who
Has favoured us above many
Of His servants who believe!
16. And Solomon was David's heir.
He said: "O ye people!
We have been taught the speech"
Of Birds, and on us
Has been bestowed (a little)
Of all things: this is
Indeed Grace manifest (from God.)"
17. And before Solomon were marshalled
p. 982
His hosts,—of Jinns and men
And birds, and they were all
Kept in order and ranks.
18. At length, when they came
To a (lowly) valley of ants,
One of the ants said:
"O ye ants, get into
Your habitations, lest Solomon
And his hosts crush you
(Under foot) without knowing it."
19. So he smiled, amused
At her speech; and he said:
"O my Lord! so order me
That I may be grateful
For Thy favours, which Thou
Hast bestowed on me and
On my parents, and that
I may work the righteousness
That will please Thee:
And admit me, by Thy Grace,
To the ranks of Thy
Righteous Servants."
p. 983
20. And he took a muster
Of the Birds; and he said:
"Why is it I see not
The Hoopoe? Or is he
Among the absentees?"
21. "I will certainly punish him
With a severe penalty,
Or execute him, unless he
Bring me a clear reason
(For absence)."
22. But the Hoopoe tarried not
Far: he (came up and) said:
"I have compassed (territory)
Which thou hast not compassed,
And I have come to thee
From Saba with tidings true.
23. "I found (there) a woman
Ruling over them and provided
With every requisite; and she
Has a magnificent throne.
p. 984
24. "I found her and her people
Worshipping the sun besides God:
Satan has made their deeds
Seem pleasing in their eyes,
And has kept them away
From the Path,—so
They receive no guidance,—
25. "(Kept them away from the Path),
That they should not worship
God, Who brings to light
What is hidden in the heavens
And the earth, and knows
What ye hide and what
Ye reveal.
26. "God!—there is no god
But He!—Lord of the Throne's
Supreme!"
27. (Solomon) said: "Soon shall we
See whether thou hast told
The truth or lied!
p. 985
28. "Go thou, with this letter
Of mine, and deliver it
To them: then draw back
From them, and (wait to) see
What answer they return"...
29. (The Queen) said: "Ye chiefs!
Here is—delivered to me—
A letter worthy of respect.
30. "It is from Solomon, and is
(As follows), 'In the name
Of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful:
31. "'Be ye not arrogant
Against me, but come
To me in submission
(To the true Religion).'"

SECTION 3.

32. the said: "Ye chiefs!
Advise me in (this)
My affair: no affair
Have I decided
Except in your presence."
33. They said: "We are endued
With strength, and given
To vehement war:
But the command is
With thee; so consider
What thou wilt command."
34. She said: "Kings, when they
Enter a country, despoil it,
p. 986
And make the noblest
Of its people its meanest
Thus do they behave.
35. "But I am going to send
Him a present, and (wait)
To see with what (answer)
Return (my) ambassadors."
36. Now when (the embassy) came
To Solomon, he said:
"Will ye give me abundance
In wealth? But that which
God has given me is better
Than that which He has
Given you! Nay it is ye
Who rejoice in your gift!
37. "Go back to them, and be sure
We shall come to them
With such hosts as they
Will never be able to meet:
We shall expel them
From there in disgrace,
And they will feel
Humbled (indeed)."
38. He said (to his own men):
"Ye Chiefs! which of you
Can bring me her throne
Before they come to me
In submission?"
39. Said an ‘Ifrit, of the Jinns:
"I will bring it to thee
p. 987
Before thou rise from thy
Council: indeed I have
Full strength for the purpose,
And may he trusted."
40. Said one who had knowledge
Of the Book: "I will
Bring it to thee within
The twinkling of an eye!"
Then when (Solomon) saw it
Placed firmly before him,
He said: "This is
By the grace of my Lord!
To test me whether I am
Grateful or ungrateful!
And if any is grateful,
Truly his gratitude is (a gain)
For his own soul; hut if
Any is ungrateful, truly
My Lord is Free of all Needs,
Supreme in Honour!"
41. He said: "Transform her throne
Out of all recognition by her:
Let us see whether she
Is guided (to the truth)
p. 988
Or is one of those who
Receive no guidance."
42. So when she arrived,
She was asked, "Is this
Thy throne?" She said,
"It was just like this;
And knowledge was bestowed
On us in advance of this,
And we have submitted
To God (in Islam)."
43. And he diverted her
From the worship of others
Besides God: for she was
(Sprung) of a people
That had no faith.
44. She was asked to enter
The lofty Palace: but
When she saw it, she
Thought it was a lake
Of water, and she (tucked up
Her skirts), uncovering her legs.
He said: "This is
But a palace paved
p. 989
Smooth with slabs of glass."
She said: "O my Lord!
I have indeed wronged"
My soul: I do (now)
Submit (in Islam), with Solomon,
To the Lord of the Worlds."

SECTION 4.

45. We sent (aforetime),
To the Thamūd, their brother
Ṣaliḥ, saying, "Serve God":
But behold, they became
Two factions quarrelling
With each other.
46. He said: "O my people!
Why ask ye to hasten on
p. 990
The evil in preference to the good?
If only ye ask God for forgiveness,
Ye may hope to receive mercy.
47. They said: "Ill omen
Do we augur from thee
And those that are with thee".
He said: "Your ill omen
Is with God; yea, ye are
A people under trial."
48. There were in the City
Nine men of a family,
Who made mischief in the land,
And would not reform.
49. They said: "Swear
A mutual oath by God
That we shall make
A secret night attack
On him and his people,
And that we shall then
Say to his heir (when he
Seeks vengeance), 'We were not
Present at the slaughter
Of his people, and we are
Positively telling the truth'."
p. 991
50. They plotted and planned,
But We too planned,
Even while they perceived it not.
51. Then see what was the end
Of their plot!—this,
That We destroyed them
And their people, all (of them).
52. Now such were their houses,—
In utter ruin,—because
They practised wrong-doing.
Verily in this is a Sign
For people of knowledge.
53. And We saved those
Who believed and practised
Righteousness.
54. (We also sent) Lūt
(As an apostle): behold,
He said to his people,
"Do ye do what is shameful
Though ye see (its iniquity)?
55. Would ye really approach men
In your lusts rather than
Women? Nay, ye are
A people (grossly) ignorant!
56. But his people gave
No other answer but this:
They said, "Drive out
p. 992
The followers of Lūt from
Your city: these are
Indeed men who want
To be clean and pure!"
57. But We saved him
And his family, except
His wife: her We destined
To be of those
Who lagged behind.
58. And We rained down on them
A shower (of brimstone):
And evil was the shower
On those who were admonished
(But heeded not)!

SECTION 5.

59. Say: Praise be to God,
And Peace on His servants
Whom He has chosen
(For His Message). (Who)
Is better?—God or
The false gods they associate
(With Him)?
p. 993
60. Or, who has created
The heavens and the earth,
And who sends you down
Rain from the sky?
Yea, with it We cause
To grow well-planted orchards
Full of beauty and delight:
It is not in your power
To cause the growth
Of the trees in them. (Can there be
Another) god besides God?
Nay, they are a people
Who swerve from justice.
61. Or, who has made the earth
Firm to live in; made
Rivers in its midst; set
Thereon mountains immovable;
And made a separating bar
Between the two bodies
Of flowing water?
(Can there be another) god
Besides God? Nay, most
Of them know not.
62. Or, who listens to the (soul)
Distressed when it calls
On Him, and who relieves
Its suffering, and makes you
p. 994
(Mankind) inheritors of the earth?'
(Can there be another) god
Besides God? Little it is
That ye heed!
63. Or, who guides you
Through the depths of darkness
On land and sea, and who
Sends the winds as heralds
Of glad tidings, going before
His Mercy? (Can there be
Another) god besides God?—
High is God above what
They associate with Him!
64. Or, who originates Creation,
Then repeats it,
And who gives you sustenance
From heaven and earth?
(Can there be another) god
Besides God? Say, "Bring forth
Your argument, if ye
Are telling the truth!"
65. Say: None in the heavens
Or on earth, except God,
Knows what is hidden:
Nor can they perceive
When they shall be raised
Up (for Judgment).
66. Still less can their knowledge
Comprehend the Hereafter: nay,
p. 995
They are in doubt and uncertainty
Thereanent; nay, they are blind
Thereunto!

SECTION 6.

67. The Unbelievers say: "What!
When we become dust,
We and our fathers,—shall we
Really be raised (from the dead)?
68. "It is true we were promised
This,—we and our fathers
Before (us): these are nothing
But tales of the ancients."
69. Say: "Go ye through the earth
And see what has been
The end of those guilty
(Of sin)."
70. But grieve not over them,
Nor distress thyself
Because of their plots.
71. They also say: "When will
This promise (come to pass)?
(Say) if ye are truthful."
72. Say: "It may be that
Some of the events which
Ye wish to hasten on
May be (close) in your pursuit!"
p. 996
73. But verily thy Lord is
Full of grace to mankind:
Yet most of them are ungrateful.
74. And verily thy Lord knoweth
All that their hearts do hide,
As well as all that
They reveal.
75. Nor is there aught
Of the Unseen, in heaven
Or earth, but is (recorded)
In a clear record.
76. Verily this Qur-ān doth explain
To the Children of Israel
Most of the matters
In which they disagree.
77. And it certainly is
A Guide and a Mercy
To those who believe.
78. Verily thy Lord will decide
Between them by His Decree:
And He is Exalted in Might,
All-Knowing.
79. So put thy trust in God:
For thou art on (the Path
Of) manifest Truth.
p. 997
80. Truly thou canst not cause
The Dead to listen, nor
Canst thou cause the Deaf
To hear the call,
(Especially) when they
Turn back in retreat.
81. Nor canst thou be a guide
To the Blind, (to prevent them)
From straying: only those
Wilt thou get to listen
Who believe in Our Signs,
And they will bow in Islam.
82. And when the Word is
Fulfilled against them (the unjust),
We shall produce from the earth
A Beast to (face) them:
He will speak to them,
For that mankind did not
Believe with assurance
In Our Signs.

SECTION 7.

83. One Day We shall gather
Together from every people
A troop of those who reject
Our Signs, and they shall
Be kept in ranks,—
84. Until, when they come
(Before the Judgment-seat),
(God) will say: "Did ye
Reject My Signs, though ye
p. 998
Comprehended them not
In knowledge, or what
Was it ye did?"
85. And the Word will be
Fulfilled against them, because
Of their wrong-doing, and they
Will be unable to speak
(In plea).
86. See they not that We
Have made the Night
For them to rest in
And the Day to give
Them light? Verily in this
Are Signs for any people
That believe!
87. And the Day that the Trumpet
Will be sounded—then will be
Smitten with terror those
Who are in the heavens,
And those who are on earth,
Except such as God will please
(To exempt): and all shall come
To His (Presence) as beings
Conscious of their lowliness.
88. Thou seest the mountains
And thinkest them firmly fixed:
But they shall pass away
As the clouds pass away:
p. 999
(Such is) the artistry of God,
Who disposes of all things
In perfect order: for He is
Well acquainted with all that ye do.
89. If any do good, good will
(Accrue) to them therefrom;
And they will be secure
From terror that Day.
90. And if any do evil,
Their faces will be thrown
Headlong into the Fire:
"Do ye receive a reward
Other than that which ye
Have earned by your deeds?"
91. For me, I have been
Commanded to serve the Lord
Of this City, Him Who has
Sanctified it and to Whom
(Belong) all things:
And I am commanded
To be of those who bow
In Islam to God's Will,—
92. And to rehearse the Qur-ān:
And if any accept guidance,
p. 1000
They do it for the good
Of their own souls,
And if any stray, say:
"I am only a Warner".
93. And say: "Praise be to God,
Who will soon show you
His Signs, so that ye
Shall know them"; and thy Lord
Is not unmindful
Of all that ye do.

# Sūra XXVIII.

Qaṣaṣ, or the Narration.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Tā. Sīn. Mīm.
2. These are Verses of the Book
That makes (things) clear.
3. We rehearse to thee some
Of the story of Moses
And Pharaoh in Truth,
For people who believe.
4. Truly Pharaoh elated himself
In the land and broke up
Its people into sections,
Depressing a small group
Among them: their sons he slew,
But he kept alive their females:
For he was indeed
A maker of mischief.
5. And We wished to be
Gracious to those who were
Being depressed in the land,
To make them leaders (in faith)
And make them heirs,
p. 1003
6. To establish a firm place
For them in the land,
And to show Pharaoh, Haman,
And their hosts, at their hands,
The very things against which
They were taking precautions.
7. So We sent this inspiration
To the mother of Moses:
"Suckle (thy child), but when
Thou hast fears about him,
Cast him into the river,
But fear not nor grieve:
For We shall restore him
To thee, and We shall make
Him one of Our apostles."
8. Then the people of Pharaoh
Picked him up (from the river):
(It was intended) that (Moses)
Should be to them an adversary
And a cause of sorrow:
For Pharaoh and Haman
And (all) their hosts were
Men of sin.
9. The wife of Pharaoh said:
"(Here is) a joy of the eye,'
For me and for thee:
Slay him not. It may be
p. 1004
That he will be of use
To us, or we may adopt
Him as a son." And they
Perceived not (what they
Were doing)!
10. But there came to be
A void in the heart
Of the mother of Moses:
She was going almost to
Disclose his (case), had We
Not strengthened her heart
(With faith), so that she
Might remain a (firm) believer.
11. And she said to the sister
Of (Moses), "Follow him".
So she (the sister) watched him
In the character of a stranger.
And they knew not.
12. And We ordained that he
Refused suck at first, until
(His sister came up
And) said: "Shall I
Point out to you the people
Of a house that will nourish
And bring him up for you'"
And be sincerely attached
To him?"...
13. Thus did We restore him
To his mother, that her eye
Might be comforted, that she
Might not grieve, and that
She might know that the promise
Of God is true: but
Most of them do not understand.
p. 1005

SECTION 2.

14. When he reached full age,
And was firmly established
(In life), We bestowed on him
Wisdom and knowledge: for thus
Do We reward those
Who do good.
15. And he entered the City
At a time when its people
Were not watching: and he
Found there two men fighting,—
One of his own religion,
And the other, of his foes.
Now the man of his own
Religion appealed to him
Against his foe, and Moses
Struck him with his fist
And made an end of him.
He said: "This is a work
Of Evil (Satan): for he is
An enemy that manifestly
Misleads!"
16. He prayed: "O my Lord!
I have indeed wronged my soul!
Do Thou then forgive me!"
So (God) forgave him: for He
Is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
p. 1006
17. He said: "O my Lord!
For that Thou hast bestowed
Thy Grace on me, never
Shall I be a help
To those who sin!"
18. So he saw the morning
In the City, looking about,
In a state of fear, when
Behold, the man who had,
The day before, sought his help
Called aloud for his help
(Again). Moses said to him:
"Thou art truly, it is clear,
A quarrelsome fellow!"
19. Then, when he decided to lay
Hold of the man who was
An enemy to both of them,
That man said: "O Moses!
Is it thy intention to slay me
As thou slewest a man
Yesterday? Thy intention is
None other than to become
A powerful violent man
In the land, and not to be
One who sets things right!
p. 1007
20. And there came a man,
Running, from the furthest end
Of the City. He said:
"O Moses! the Chiefs
Are taking counsel together
About thee, to slay thee:
So get thee away, for I
Do give thee sincere advice."
21. He therefore got away therefrom,
Looking about, in a state
Of fear. He prayed:
"O my Lord! save me
From people given to wrong-doing."

SECTION 3.

22. When, when he turned his face
Towards (the land of) Madyan,
He said: "I do hope
That my Lord will show me
The smooth and straight Path."
23. And when he arrived at
The watering (place) in Madyan;
He found there a group
Of men watering (their flocks),
And besides them he found
Two women who were keeping
p. 1008
Back (their flocks). He said:
"What is the matter with you?"
They said: "We cannot water
(Our flocks) until the shepherds
Take back (their flocks):
And our father is
A very old man."
24. So he watered (their flocks)
For them; then he turned back
To the shade, and said:
"O my Lord!
Truly am I
In (desperate) need
Of any good
That Thou dost send me!"
25. Afterwards one of the (damsels)
Came (back) to him, walking
Bashfully. She said: "My father
Invites thee that he may
Reward thee for having watered
(Our flocks) for us." So when
He came to him and narrated
The story, he said:
p. 1009
"Fear thou not: (well) hast thou
Escaped from unjust people."
26. Said one of the (damsels):
"O my (dear) father! engage
Him on wages: truly the best
Of men for thee to employ is
The (man) who is strong and trusty"…
27. He said: "I intend to wed
One of these my daughters
To thee, on, condition that
Thou serve me for eight years;
But if thou complete ten years,
It will be (grace) from thee.
But I intend not to place
Thee under a difficulty:
p. 1010
Thou wilt find me,
Indeed, if God wills,
One of the righteous."
28. He said: "Be that (the agreement)
Between me and thee:
Whichever of the two terms
I fulfil, let there be
No ill-will to me.
Be God a witness
To what we say."

SECTION 4.

29. Now when Moses had fulfilled
The term, and was travelling
With his family, he perceived
A fire in the direction
Of Mount Ṭūr. He said
To his family: "Tarry ye;
I perceive a fire; I hope
To bring you from there
Some information, or a burning
Firebrand, that ye may
Warm yourselves."
30. But when he came
To the (Fire), a voice
p. 1011
Was heard from the right bank
Of the valley, from a tree
In hallowed ground:
"O Moses! Verily
I am God, the Lord
Of the Worlds…
31. "Now do thou throw thy rod!"
But when he saw it
Moving (of its own accord)
As if it had been a snake,
He turned back in retreat,
And retraced not his steps:
"O Moses!" (it was said),
"Draw near, and fear not:
For thou art of those
Who are secure.
32. "Move thy hand into
Thy bosom, and it will
Come forth white without stain
(Or harm), and draw thy hand
Close to thy side
(To guard) against fear.
Those are the two credentials
From thy Lord to Pharaoh
And his Chiefs: for truly
They are a people
Rebellious and wicked."
33. He said: "O my Lord!
I have slain a man
p. 1012
Among them, and I fear
Lest they slay me.
34. "And my brother Aaron—
He is more eloquent in speech
Than I: so send him
With me as a helper,
To confirm (and strengthen) me:
For I fear that they may
Accuse me of falsehood."
35. He said: "We will certainly
Strengthen thy arm through
Thy brother, and invest you both
With authority, so they
Shall not be able to
Touch you: with Our Signs
Shall ye triumph,—you two
As well as those
Who follow you."
36. When Moses came to them
With Our Clear Signs, they said:
"This is nothing but sorcery
Faked up: never did we
Hear the like among our fathers
Of old!"
p. 1013
37. Moses said: "My Lord
Knows best who it is
That comes with guidance
From Him and whose End
Will be best in the Hereafter:
Certain it is that
The wrong-doers will not prosper."
38. Pharaoh said: "O Chiefs!
No god do I know for you
But myself: therefore,
O Haman! light me a (kiln
To bake bricks) out of clay,
And build me a lofty
Palace, that I may mount up
To the god of Moses:
But as far as I am concerned,
I think (Moses) is a liar!"
39. And he was arrogant and insolent
In the land, beyond reason,—
He and his hosts: they thought
That they would not have
To return to Us!"
40. So We seized him
And his hosts, and We
Flung them into the sea:
Now behold what was the End
Of those who did wrong!
p. 1014
41. And We made them (but)
Leaders inviting to the Fire;
And on the Day of Judgment
No help shall they find.
42. In this world We made
A Curse to follow them:
And on the Day of Judgment
They will be among
The loathed (and despised).

SECTION 5.

43. We did reveal to Moses
The Book after We had
Destroyed the earlier generations,
(To give) Insight to men,
And Guidance and Mercy,
That they might receive admonition.
p. 1015
44. Thou wast not on the Western
Side when We decreed
The Commission to Moses,
Nor wast thou a witness
(Of those events).
45. But We raised up (new)
Generations, and long were the ages
That passed over them;
But thou vast not a dweller
Among the people of Madyan,
Rehearsing Our Signs to them;
But it is We Who send
Apostles (with inspiration).
46. Nor wast thou at the side
Of (the Mountain of) Ṭūr
When We called (to Moses).
Yet (art thou sent)
As a Mercy from thy Lord,
To give warning to a people
To whom no warner had come
Before thee: in order that
They may receive admonition.
47. If (We had) not (sent thee
To the Quraish),—in case
A calamity should seize them
For (the deeds) that their hands
Have sent forth, they might say:
"Our Lord! why didst Thou not
p. 1016
Send us an apostle? We
Should then have followed
Thy Signs and been amongst
Those who believe!"
48. But (now), when the Truth
Has come to them from Ourselves,
They say, "Why are not
(Signs) sent to him, like
Those which were sent to Moses?"
Do they not then reject
(The Signs) which were formerly
Sent to Moses? They say:
"Two kinds of sorcery,
Each assisting the other .
And they say: "For us,
We reject all (such things)!"
49. Say: "Then bring ye
A Book from God,
Which is a better Guide
Than either of them,
That I may follow it!
(Do), if ye are truthful!"
50. But if they hearken not
To thee, know that they
Only follow their own lusts:
And who is more astray
Than one who follows his own
Lusts, devoid of guidance
From God? For God guides not
People given to wrong-doing.
p. 1017

SECTION 6.

51. Now have We caused
The Word to reach them
Themselves, in order that
They may receive admonition.
52. Those to whom We sent
The Book before this,—they
Do believe in this (Revelation);
53. And when it is recited
To them, they say: "We
Believe therein, for it is
The Truth from our Lord:
Indeed we have been Muslims
(Bowing to God's Will)
From before this.
54. Twice will they be given
Their reward, for that they
Have persevered, that they avert
Evil with Good, and that
They spend (in charity) out of
What We have given them.
55. And when they hear vain talk,
They turn away therefrom
And say: "To us our deeds,
And to you yours;
p. 1018
Peace be to you: we
Seek not the ignorant."
56. It is true thou wilt not
Be able to guide every one;
Whom thou lowest; but God
Guides those whom He will.
And He knows best those
Who receive guidance.
57. They say: "If we were
To follow the guidance with thee,
We should be snatched away
From our land." Have We not
Established for them a secure
Sanctuary, to which are brought
As tribute fruits of all kinds,—
A provision from Ourselves?
But most of them understand not.
58. And how many populations
We destroyed, which exulted
In their life (of ease and plenty)!
Now those habitations of theirs,
After them, are deserted,—
All but a (miserable) few!
And We are their heirs!"
p. 1019
59. Nor was thy Lord the one
To destroy a population until
He had sent to its Centre
An apostle, rehearsing to them
Our Signs; nor are We
Going to destroy a population
Except when its members
Practise iniquity.
60. The (material) things which
Ye are given are but
The conveniences of this life
And the glitter thereof;
But that which is with God
Is better and more enduring:
Will ye not then be wise?

SECTION 7.

61. Are (these two) alike?—
One to whom We have made
A goodly promise, and who
Is going to reach its (fulfilment),
And one to whom We have
Given the good things of this
Life, but who, on the Day
Of Judgment, is to be among
Those brought up (for punishment)?
p. 1020
62. That Day (God) will
Call to them, and say:
"Where are My 'partners'?—
Whom ye imagined (to be such)?"
63. Those against whom the charge
Will be proved, will say:
"Our Lord! These are the ones
Whom we led astray:
We led them astray, as we
Were astray ourselves: we free
Ourselves (from them) in Thy presence:
It was not us they worshipped."
64. It will be said (to them):
"Call upon your 'partners'
(For help)": they will call
Upon them, but they will not
Listen to them; and they
Will see the Penalty (before them);
(How they will wish)
'If only they had been
Open to guidance!'
65. That Day (God) will
Call to them, and say:
"What was the answer
Ye gave to the apostles?"
66. Then the (whole) story that day
Will seem obscure to them
(Like light to the blind)
And they will not be able
(Even) to question each other.
p. 1021
67. But any that (in this life)
Had repented, believed, and worked
Righteousness, will have hopes
To be among those who
Achieve salvation.
68. Why by Lord does create and choose
As He pleases: no choice
Have they (in the matter):
Glory to God! and far
Is He above the partners
They ascribe (to Him)!
69. And thy Lord knows all
That their hearts conceal
And all that they reveal.
70. And He is God: there is
No god. but He. To Him
Be praise, at the first
And at the last:
For Him is the Command,
And to Him shall ye
(All) be brought back.
71. Say: See ye? If God
Were to make the Night
p. 1022
Perpetual over you to the Day
Of Judgment, what god
Is there other than God,
Who can give you enlightenment?
Will ye not then hearken?
72. Say: See ye? If God
Were to make the Day
Perpetual over you to the Day
Of Judgment, what god
Is there other than God,
Who can give you a Night
In which ye can rest?
Will ye not then see?
73. It is out of His Mercy
That He has made for you
Night and Day,—that ye
May rest therein, and that
Ye may seek of His Grace;—
And in order that ye
May be grateful.
74. The Day that He will
Call on them, He will say:
"Where are My 'partners'?—
Whom ye imagined (to be such)?"
75. And from each people
Shall We draw a witness,
And We shall say: "Produce
Your Proof": then shall they
Know that the Truth is in
God (alone), and the (lies)
Which they invented will
Leave them in the lurch.
p. 1023

SECTION 8.

76. Qārūn was doubtless,
Of the people of Moses; but
He acted insolently towards them:
Such were the treasures We
Had bestowed on him, that
Their very keys would
Have been a burden to
A body of strong men.
Behold, his people said to him:
"Exult not, for God loveth not
Those who exult (in riches).
77. "But seek, with the (wealth)
Which God has bestowed on thee,
The Home of the Hereafter,
Nor forget thy portion in this
p. 1024
World: but do thou good,
As God has been good
To thee, and seek not
(Occasions for) mischief in the land:
For God loves not those
Who do mischief."
78. He said: "This has been given
To me because of a certain
Knowledge which I have."
Did he not know that God
Had destroyed, before him,
(Whole) generations,—which were
Superior to him in strength
And greater in the amount
(Of riches) they had collected?
But the wicked are not
Called (immediately) to account
For their sins.
79. So he went forth among
His people in the (pride
Of his worldly) glitter.
Said those whose aim is
The Life of this World:
"Oh! that we had the like
Of what Qārūn has got!
For he is truly a lord
Of mighty good fortune!"
80. But those who had been granted
(True) knowledge said: "Alas
For you! The reward of God
(In the Hereafter) is best
For those who believe
And work righteousness: but this
p. 1025
None shall attain, save those
Who steadfastly persevere
(in good)."
81. Then We caused the earth
To swallow up him and
His house; and he had not
(The least little) party
To help him against God,
Nor could he defend himself.
82. And those who had envied
His position the day before
Began to say on the morrow:
"Ah! It is indeed God
Who enlarges the provision"'
Or restricts it, to any
Of His servants He pleases!
Had it not been that God
Was gracious to us, He
Could have caused the earth
To swallow us up! Ah!
Those who reject God
Will assuredly never prosper."

SECTION 9.

83. What Home of the Hereafter
We shall give to those
Who intend not high-handedness
Or mischief on earth:
p. 1026
And the End is (best)
For the righteous.
84. If any does good, the reward
To him is better than
His deed; but if any
Does evil, the doers of evil
Are only punished (to the extent)
Of their deeds.
85. Verily He Who ordained
The Qur-ān for thee, will bring
Thee back to the Place
Of Return. Say: "My Lord
Knows best who it is
That brings true guidance,
And who is in manifest error."
86. And thou hadst not expected
That the Book would be
Sent to thee except as
A Mercy from thy Lord:
Therefore lend not thou support
In any way to those
p. 1027
Who reject (God's Message).
87. And let nothing keep thee
Back from the Signs of God
After they have been revealed
To thee: and invite (men)
To thy Lord, and be not
Of the company of those
Who join gods with God.
88. And call not, besides God,
On another god. There is
No god but He. Everything
(That exists) will perish
Except His own Face
To Him belongs the Command,
And to Him will ye
(All) be brought back.

# Sūra XXIX.

‘Ankabūt, or the Spider

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. A. L. M.
2. Do men think that
They will he left alone
On saying, "We believe",
And that they will not
Be tested?
3. We did test those
Before them, and God will
Certainly know those who are
True from those who are false.
4. Do those who practise
Evil think that they
Will get the better of us?
Evil is their judgment!
5. For those whose hopes are
in the meeting with God
(In the Hereafter, let them strive);
For the Term (appointed)
p. 1030
By God is surely coming:
And He hears and knows
(All things).
6. And if any strive (with might
And main), they do so
For their own souls:
For God is free of all
Needs from all creation.
7. Whose who believe and work
Righteous deeds,—from them
Shall We blot out all evil
(That may be) in them,
And We shall reward
Them according to
The best of their deeds.
8. We have enjoined on man
Kindness to parents: but if
They (either of them) strive
(To force) thee to join
With Me (in worship)
Anything of which thou hast
No knowledge, obey them not.
Ye have (all) to return
To Me, and I will
Tell you (the truth)
Of all that ye did.
p. 1031
9. And those who believe
And work righteous deeds,—
Them shall We admit
To the company of the Righteous.
10. Then there are among men
Such as say, "We believe
In God"; but when they suffer
Affliction in (the cause of) God,
They treat men's oppression
As if it were the Wrath
Of God! And if help
Comes (to thee) from thy Lord,
They are sure to say,'
"We have (always) been
With you!" Does not God
Know best all that is
In the hearts of all Creation?
11. And God most certainly knows
Those who believe, and as certainly
Those who are Hypocrites.
12. And the Unbelievers say
To those who believe:
"Follow our path, and we
Will bear (the consequences)"
Of your faults." Never
In the least will they
Bear their faults: in fact
They are liars!
p. 1032
13. They will bear their own
Burdens, and (other) burdens
Along with their own,
And on the Day of Judgment.
They will be called to account
For their falsehoods.

SECTION 2.

14. We (once) sent Noah
To his people, and he tarried
Among them a thousand years
Less fifty: but the Deluge
Overwhelmed them while they
(Persisted in) sin.
15. But We saved him
And the Companions
Of the Ark, and We made
The (Ark) a Sign
For all Peoples!
16. And (We also saved)
Abraham: behold, he said
To his people, "Serve God
And fear Him: that
Will be best for you
If ye understand!
17. "For ye do worship idols
Besides God, and ye invent
Falsehood. The things that ye
Worship besides God have
No power to give you sustenance:
p. 1033
Then seek ye sustenance
From God, serve Him,
And be grateful to Him:
To Him will be your return.
18. "And if ye reject (the Message),
So did generations before you:
And the duty of the apostle
Is only to preach publicly
(And clearly)."
19. See they not how God
Originates creation, then
Repeats it: truly that
Is easy for God.
20. Say: "Travel through the earth
And see how God did
Originate creation; so will
God produce a later creation:
For God has power
Over all things.
21. "He punishes whom He pleases,
And He grants mercy to whom
p. 1034
He pleases, and towards Him
Are ye turned.
22. "Not on earth nor in heaven
Will ye be able (fleeing)
To frustrate (His Plan),
Nor have ye, besides God,
Any protector or helper."

SECTION 3.

23. Those who reject the Signs
Of God and the Meeting
With Him (in the Hereafter),
It is they who shall despair
Of My mercy: it is they
Who will (suffer)
A most grievous Penalty.
24. So naught was the answer
Of (Abraham's) people except
That they said: "Slay him
Or burn him." But God
Did save him from the Fire
Verily in this are Signs
For people who believe.
25. And he said: "For you,
Ye have taken (for worship)
Idols besides God, out of
Mutual love and regard
p. 1035
Between yourselves in this life;
But on the Day of Judgment
Ye shall disown each other
And curse each other:
And your abode will be
The Fire, and ye shall have
None to help."
26. But Lūṭ had faith in Him:
He said: "I will leave
Home for the sake of
My Lord: for He is
Exalted in Might, and Wise."
27. And We gave (Abraham)
Isaac and Jacob, and ordained
Among his progeny Prophethood
And Revelation, and We
Granted him his reward
In this life; and he was
In the Hereafter (of the company)
Of the Righteous.
28. And (remember) Lūṭ: behold,
He said to his people:
p. 1036
"Ye do commit lewdness,
Such as no people in Creation
(Ever) committed before you.
29. "Do ye indeed approach men,
And cut off the highway?
And practise wickedness
(Even) in your councils?"
But his people gave no answer
But this: they said:
"Bring us the Wrath of God
If thou tellest the truth."
30. He said: "O my Lord!
Help Thou me against people
Who do mischief!"

SECTION 4.

31. When Our Messengers came
To Abraham with the good news,
They said: "We are indeed
Going to destroy the people
Of this township: for truly
They are (addicted to) crime."
p. 1037
32. He said: "But there is
Lūṭ there." They said:
"Well do we know who
Is there: we will certainly
Save him and his following,—
Except his wife: she is
Of those who lag behind!"
33. And when Our Messengers
Came to Lūṭ, he was
Grieved on their account,
And felt himself powerless
(To protect) them: but they said:
"Fear thou not, nor grieve:
We are (here) to save thee
And thy following, except
Thy wife: she is
Of those who lag behind.
34. "For we are going to
Bring down on the people
Of this township a Punishment
From heaven, because they
Have been wickedly rebellious."
35. And We have left thereof
An evident Sign,
For any people who
(Care to) understand.
p. 1038
36. To the Madyan (people)
(We sent) their brother Shu‘aib.
Then he said: "O my people!
Serve God, and fear the Last
Day: nor commit evil
On the earth, with intent
To do mischief."
37. But they rejected him:
Then the mighty Blast
Seized them, and they lay
Prostrate in their homes
By the morning.
38. (Remember also) the ’Ad
And the Thamūd (people):
Clearly will appear to you
From (the traces) of their buildings
(Their fate): the Evil One
Made their deeds alluring
To them, and kept them hack
From the Path, though they
Were gifted with Intelligence
And Skill.
p. 1039
39. (Remember also) Qārūn,
Pharaoh, and Haman: there came
To them Moses with Clear Signs,
But they behaved with insolence
On the earth; yet they
Could not overreach (Us).
40. Each one of them We seized
For his crime: of them,
Against some We sent
A violent tornado (with showers
Of stones); some were caught
By a (mighty) Blast; some
We caused the earth
To swallow up; and some
We drowned (in the waters):
It was net God Who
Injured (or oppressed) them:
They injured (and oppressed)
Their own souls.
41. The parable of those who
Take protectors other than God
Is that of the Spider,
Who builds (to itself)
p. 1040
A house; but truly
The flimsiest of houses
Is the Spider's house;—
If they but knew.
42. Verily God doth know
Of (every thing) whatever
That they call upon
Besides Him: and He is
Exalted (in power), Wise.
43. And such are the Parables
We set forth for mankind,
But only those understand them
Who have Knowledge.
44. God created the heavens
And the earth in true (proportions):
Verily in that is a Sign
For those who believe.
p. 1041

SECTION 5.

45. Recite what is sent
Of the Book by inspiration
To thee, and establish
Regular Prayer: for Prayer
Restrains from shameful
And unjust deeds;
And remembrance of God
Is the greatest (thing in life)
Without doubt. And God knows
The (deeds) that ye do.
46. And dispute ye not
With the People of the Book,
Except with means better
(Than mere disputation), unless
It be with those of them
Who inflict wrong (and injury):
But say, "We believe
In the Revelation which has
Come down to us and in that
Which came down to you;
p. 1042
Our God and your God
Is One; and it is to Him
We bow (in Islam)."
47. And thus (it is) that We
Have sent down the Book
To thee. So the People
Of the Book believe therein,
As also do some of these
(Pagan Arabs): and none
But Unbelievers reject Our Signs.
48. And thou vast not (able)
To recite a Book before
This (Book came), nor art thou
(Able) to transcribe it
With thy right hand:
In that case, indeed, would
p. 1043
The talkers of vanities
Have doubted.
49. Nay, here are Signs
Self-evident in the hearts
Of those endowed with
knowledge:
And none but the unjust
Reject Our Signs.
50. Yet they say: "Why
Are not Signs sent down
To him from his Lord?"
Say: "The Signs are indeed
With God: and I am
Indeed a clear Warner.
51. And is it not enough
For them that We have
Sent down to thee
The Book which is rehearsed
To them? Verily, in it
Is Mercy and a Reminder
To those who believe.

SECTION 6.

52. Say: "Enough is God
For a Witness between me
p. 1044
And you: He knows
What is in the heavens
And on earth. And it is
Those who believe in vanities
And reject God, that
Will perish (in the end).
53. They ask thee
To hasten on the Punishment
(For them): had it not been
For a term (of respite)
Appointed, the Punishment
Would certainly have come
To them: and it will
Certainly reach them,—
Of a sudden, while they
Perceive not!
54. They ask thee
To hasten on the Punishment:
But, of a surety,
Hell will encompass
The rejecters of Faith!—
55. On the Day that
The Punishment shall cover them
From above them and
From below them,
And (a Voice) shall say:
"Taste ye (the fruits)
Of your deeds!
p. 1045
56. O My servants who believe!
Truly, spacious is My Earth:
Therefore serve ye Me—
(And Me alone)!
57. Every soul shall have
A taste of death:
In the end to Us
Shall ye be brought back.
58. But those who believe
And work deeds of righteousness—
To them shall We give
A Home in Heaven,—
Lofty mansions beneath which
Flow rivers,—to dwell therein
For aye;—an excellent reward
For those who do (good)!—
59. Those who persevere in patience,
And put their trust
In their Lord and Cherisher.
60. How many are the creatures
That carry not their own
p. 1046
Sustenance? It is God
Who feeds (both) them and you:
For He hears and knows
(All things).
61. If indeed thou ask them
Who has created the heavens
And the earth and subjected
The sun and the moon
(To His Law), they will
Certainly reply, "God".
How are they then deluded
Away (from the truth)?
62. God enlarges the sustenance
(Which He gives) to whichever
Of His servants He pleases;
And He (similarly) grants
By (strict) measure, (as He pleases):
For God has full knowledge
Of all things.
63. And if indeed thou ask them
Who it is that sends down
Rain from the sky,
And gives life therewith
To the earth after its death,
They will certainly reply,
"God!" Say, "Praise be
To God!" But most
Of them understand not.
p. 1047

SECTION 7.

64. What is the life of this world
But amusement and play?
But verily the Home
In the Hereafter,—that is
Life indeed, if they but knew.
65. Now, if they embark
On a boat, they call
On God, making their devotion
Sincerely (and exclusively) to Him;
But when He has delivered
Them safely to (dry) land,
Behold, they give a share
(Of their worship to others)!—
66. Disdaining ungratefully Our gifts,
And giving themselves up
To (worldly) enjoyment! But soon
Will they know.
67. Do they not then see
That We have made
A Sanctuary secure, and that
Men are being snatched away
From all around them?
Then, do they believe in that
p. 1048
Which is vain, and reject
The Grace of God?
68. And who does more wrong
Than he who invents
A lie against God
Or rejects the Truth
When it reaches him?
Is there not a home
In Hell for those who
Reject Faith?
69. And those who strive
In Our (Cause),—We will
Certainly guide them
To Our Paths:
For verily God
Is with those
Who do right.

# Sūra XXX.

Rūm, or The Roman Empire.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. A. L. M.
2. The Roman Empire
Has been defeated—
3. In a land close by;
But they, (even) after
(This) defeat of theirs,
Will soon be victorious—
4. Within a few years.
With God is the Decision,
In the Past
And in the Future:
On that Day shall
The Believers rejoice—
p. 1052
5. With the help of God.
He helps whom He will,
And He is Exalted in Might,
Most Merciful.
6. (It is) the promise of God.
Never does God depart
From His promise:
But most men understand not.
7. They know but the outer
(Things) in the life
Of this world: but
Of the End of things
They are heedless.
8. Do they not reflect
In their own minds?
Not but for just ends
And for a term appointed,
Did God create the heavens
And the earth, and all
Between them: yet are there
Truly many among men
Who deny the meeting
With their Lord
(At the Resurrection)!
p. 1053
9. Do they not travel
Through the earth, and see
What was the End
Of those before them?
They were superior to them
In strength: they tilled
The soil and populated it
In greater numbers than these
Have done: there came to them
Their apostles with Clear (Signs),
(Which they rejected, to their
Own destruction): it was not
God who wronged them, but
They wronged their own souls.
10. In the long run
Evil in the extreme
Will be the End of those
Who do evil; for that
They rejected the Signs
Of God, and held them up
To ridicule.

SECTION 2.

11. It is God Who begins
(The process of) creation;
Then repeats it; then
Shall ye be brought back
To Him.
p. 1054
12. On the Day that
The Hour will be established,
The guilty will be
Struck dumb with despair.
13. No intercessor will they have
Among their "Partners",
And they will (themselves)
Reject their "Partners".
14. On the Day that
The Hour will he established,—
That Day shall (all men)
Be sorted out.
15. Then those who have believed
And worked righteous deeds,
Shall be made happy
In a Mead of Delight.
16. And those who have rejected
Faith and falsely denied
Our Signs and the meeting
Of the Hereafter,—such
Shall be brought forth to
Punishment.
17. So (give) glory to God,
When ye reach eventide
p. 1055
And when ye rise
In the morning;
18. Yea, To Him be praise,
In the heavens and on earth;
And in the late afternoon
And when the day
Begins to decline.
19. It is He Who brings out
The living from the dead,
And brings out the dead
From the living, and Who
Gives life to the earth
After it is dead:
And thus shall ye be
Brought out (from the dead).

SECTION 3.

20. Among His Signs is this,
That He created you
p. 1056
From dust; and then,—
Behold, ye are men
Scattered (far and wide)!
21. And among His Signs
Is this, that He created
For you mates from among
Yourselves, that ye may
Dwell in tranquillity with them,
And He has put love
And mercy between your (hearts):
Verily in that are Signs
For those who reflect.
22. And among His Signs
Is the creation of the heavens
And the earth, and the variations
In your languages
And your colours: verily
In that are Signs
For those who know.
23. And among His Signs
Is the sleep that ye take
By night and by day,
And the quest that ye
p. 1057
(Make for livelihood)
Out of His Bounty: verily
In that are Signs
For those who hearken.
24. And among His Signs,
He shows you the lightning,
By way both of fear
And of hope, and He sends
Down rain from the sky
And with it gives life to
The earth after it is dead:
Verily in that are Signs
For those who are wise.
25. And among His Signs is this,
That heaven and earth
Stand by His Command:
Then when He calls you,
By a single call, from the earth,
Behold, ye (straightway) come forth.
p. 1058
26. To Him belongs every being
That is in the heavens
And on earth: all are
Devoutly obedient to Him.
27. It is He Who begins
(The process of) creation;
Then repeats it; and
For Him it is most easy.
To Him belongs the loftiest
Similitude (we can think of)
In the heavens and the earth:
For He is Exalted in Might,
Full of wisdom.

SECTION 4.

28. He does propound
To you a similitude
From your own (experience):
Do ye have partners
Among those whom your right hands
Possess, to share as equals
In the wealth We have
p. 1059
Bestowed on you? Do ye
Fear them as ye fear
Each other? Thus do We
Explain the Signs in detail
To a people that understand.
29. Nay, the wrong-doers (merely)
Follow their own lusts,
Being devoid of knowledge.
But who will guide those
Whom God leaves astray?
To them there will be
No helpers.
30. So set thou thy face
Steadily and truly to the Faith:
(Establish) God's handiwork according
To the pattern on which
He has made mankind:
No change (let there be)
In the work (wrought)
p. 1060
By God: that is
The standard Religion
But most among mankind
Understand not.
31. Turn ye back in repentance
To Him, and fear Him:
Establish regular prayers,
And be not ye among those
Who join gods with God,—
32. Those who split up
Their Religion, and become
(Mere) Sects,—each party
Rejoicing in that which
Is with itself!
33. When trouble touches men,
They cry to their Lord,
Turning back to Him
In repentance: but when
He gives them a taste
Of Mercy as from Himself,
Behold, some of them
Pay part-worship to
Other god's besides their Lord,—
34. (As if) to show their ingratitude
For the (favours) We have
Bestowed on them! Then enjoy
(Your brief day); but soon
p. 1061
Will ye know (your folly).
35. Or have We sent down
Authority to them, which
Points out to them
The things to which
They pay part-worship?
36. When We give men
A taste of Mercy,
They exult thereat:
And when-some evil
Afflicts them because of
What their (own) hands
Have sent forth, behold,
They are in despair!
37. See they not that God
Enlarges the provision and
Restricts it, to whomsoever
He pleases? Verily in that
Are Signs for those who believe.
38. So give what is due
To kindred, the needy,
And the wayfarer.
That is best for those
p. 1062
Who seek the Countenance,
Of God, and it is they
Who will prosper.
39. That which ye lay out
For increase through the property
Of (other) people, will have
No increase with God:
But that which ye lay out
For charity, seeking
The Countenance of God,
(Will increase): it is
These who twill get
A recompense multiplied.
40. It is God Who has
Created you: further, He has
Provided for your sustenance;
Then He will cause you
To die; and again He will
Give you life. Are there
Any of your (false) "Partners"
Who can do any single
One of these things?
Glory to Him! and High
Is He above the partners
They attribute (to Him)!
p. 1063

SECTION 5.

41. Mischief has appeared
On land and sea because
Of (the meed) that the hands
Of men have earned,
That (God) may give them
A taste of some of their
Deeds: in order that the
May turn back (from Evil).
42. Say: "Travel through the earth
And see what was the End
Of those before (you):
Most of them worshipped
Others besides God."
43. But set thou thy face
To the right Religion,
Before there come from God
The Day which there is
p. 1064
No chance of averting:
On that Day shall men
Be divided (in two).
44. Those who reject Faith
Will suffer from that rejection:
And those who work righteousness
Will spread their couch
(Of repose) for themselves
(In heaven):
45. That He may reward those
Who believe and work righteous
Deeds, out of His Bounty.
For He loves not those
Who reject Faith.
46. Among His Signs is this,
That He sends the Winds,
As heralds of Glad Tidings,
Giving you a taste
Of His (Grace and) Mercy,—
That the ships may sail
(Majestically) by His Command
And that ye may seek
p. 1065
Of His Bounty: in order
That ye may be grateful.
47. We did indeed send,
Before thee, apostles
To their (respective) peoples,
And they came to them
With Clear Signs: then,
To those who transgressed,
We meted out Retribution:
And it was due from us
To aid those who believed.
48. It is God Who sends
The Winds, and they raise
The Clouds: then does He
Spread them in the sky
As He wills, and break them
Into fragments, until thou seest
Rain-drops issue from the midst
Thereof: then when He has
Made them reach such
His servants as He wills,
Behold, they do rejoice!—
49. Even though, before they received
(The rain)—just before this—
They were dumb with despair!
50. Then contemplate (O man!)
The memorials of God's Mercy!—
How He gives life
To the earth after
Its death: verily the Same
Will give life to the men
p. 1066
Who are dead: for He
Has power over all things.
51. And if We (but) send
A Wind from which
They see (their tilth)
Turn yellow,—behold,
They become, thereafter,
Ungrateful (Unbelievers)!
52. So verily thou canst not
Make the dead to hear,
Nor canst thou make
The deaf to hear
The call, when they show
Their backs and turn away.
53. Nor canst thou lead back
The blind from their straying:
Only those wilt thou make
To hear, who believe
In Our Signs and submit
(Their wills in Islam).

SECTION 6.

54. It is God Who
Created you in a state
Of (helpless) weakness, then
Gave (you) strength after weakness,
p. 1067
Then, after strength, gave (you)
Weakness and a hoary head:
He creates as He wills,
And it is He Who has
All knowledge and power.
55. On the Day that
The Hour (of reckoning)
Will be established,
The transgressors will swear
That they tarried not
But an hour: thus were
They used to being deluded!
56. But those endued with knowledge
And faith will say:
"Indeed ye did tarry,
Within God's Decree,
To the Day of Resurrection,
And this is the Day
Of Resurrection: but ye—
Ye were not aware!"
57. So on that Day no excuse
Of theirs will
Avail the Transgressors,
Nor will they be invited (then)
To seek grace (by repentance).
p. 1068
58. Verily We have propounded
For men, in this Qur-ān.
Every kind of Parable:
But if thou bring to them
Any Sign, the Unbelievers
Are sure to say, "Ye
Do nothing but talk vanities."
59. Thus does God seal up
The hearts of those
Who understand not.
60. So patiently persevere: for
Verily the promise of God
Is true: nor let those
Shake thy firmness, who have
(Themselves) no certainty of faith.

# Sūra XXXI.

Luqmān (the Wise).

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. A. L. M.
2. These are Verses
Of the Wise Book,—
3. A Guide and a Mercy
To the Doers of Good,—
4. Those who establish regular Prayer,
And give regular Charity,
And have (in their hearts)
The assurance of the Hereafter.
5. These are on (true) guidance
From their Lord; and these
Are the ones who will prosper.
6. But there are, among men,
Those who purchase idle tales,'
p. 1081
Without knowledge (or meaning),
To mislead (men) from the Path
Of God and throw ridicule
(On the Path): for such
There will be a humiliating
Penalty.
7. When Our Signs are rehearsed
To such a one, he turns
Away in arrogance, as if
He heard them not, as if
There were deafness in both
His ears: announce to him
A grievous Penalty.
8. For those who believe
And work righteous deeds,
There will be Gardens
Of Bliss,—
9. To dwell therein. The promise
Of God is true: and He
Is Exalted in power, Wise.
10. He created the heavens
Without any pillars that ye
Can see; He set
On the earth mountains
Standing firm, lest it
Should shake with you;
And He scattered through it
Beasts of all kinds.
We send down rain
From the sky, and produce
p. 1082
On the earth every kind.
Of noble creature, in pairs.
11. Such is the Creation of God:
Now show Me what is there
That others besides Him
Have created: nay, but
The Transgressors are
In manifest error.

SECTION 2.

12. We bestowed (in the past)
Wisdom on Luqmān:
"Show (thy) gratitude to God."
Any who is (so) grateful
Does so to the profit
Of his own soul: but if
Any is ungrateful, verily
God is free of all wants,
Worthy of all praise.
13. Behold, Luqmān said
To his son by way of
p. 1083
Instruction: "O my son!
Join not in worship
(Others) with God: for
False worship is indeed
The highest wrong-doing."
14. And We have enjoined on man
(To be good) to his parents:
In travail upon travail
Did his mother bear him,
And in years twain
Was his weaning: (hear
The command), "Show gratitude
To Me and to thy parents:
To Me is (thy final) Goal.
15. "But if they strive
To make thee join
In worship with Me
Things of which thou hast
No knowledge, obey them not;
Yet bear them company
In this life with justice
(And consideration), and follow
The way of those who
Turn to Me (in love):
In the End the return
Of you all is to Me,
And I will tell you
The truth (and meaning)
Of all that ye did."
p. 1084
16. "O my son!" (said Luqmān),
"If there be (but) the weight
Of a mustard-seed and
It were (hidden) in a rock,'
Or (anywhere) in the heavens or
On earth, God will bring it
Forth: for God understands'
The finest mysteries, (and)
Is well-acquainted (with them).
17. "O my son! establish
Regular prayer, enjoin what is
Just, and forbid what is wrong:
And bear with patient constancy
Whate’er betide thee; for this
Is firmness (of purpose)
In (the conduct of) affairs.
18. "And swell not thy cheek
(For pride) at men,
Nor walk in insolence
Through the earth;
For God loveth not
Any arrogant boaster.
19. "And be moderate
In thy pace, and lower
p. 1085
Thy voice; for the harshest
Of sounds without doubt
Is the braying of the ass."

SECTION 3.

20. Do ye not see
That God has subjected
To your (use) all things
In the heavens and on earth,
And has made His bounties
Flow to you in exceeding
Measure, (both) seen and unseen?
Yet there are among men
Those who dispute about God,
Without knowledge and without
Guidance, and without a Book
To enlighten them!
21. When they are told to follow
The (Revelation) that God
Has sent down, they say:
"Nay, we shall follow
The ways that we found
Our fathers (following)."
p. 1086
What! even if it is
Satan beckoning them
To the Penalty
Of the (Blazing) Fire?
22. Whoever submits
His whole self to God,
And is a doer of good,
Has grasped indeed
The most trustworthy hand-hold
And with God rests the End
And Decision of (all) affairs.
23. But if any reject Faith,
Let not his rejection
Grieve thee: to Us
Is their Return, and We
Shall tell them the truth
Of their deeds: for God
Knows well all that is
In (men's) hearts.
24. We grant them their pleasure
For a little while
In the end shall We
Drive them to
A chastisement unrelenting.
25. If thou ask them,
Who it is that created
The heavens and the earth.
They will certainly say,
p. 1087
"God". Say: "Praise be to God!"
But most of them
Understand not.
26. To God belong all things
In heaven and earth: verily
God is He (that is)
Free of all wants,
Worthy of all praise.
27. And if all the trees
On earth were pens
And the Ocean (were ink),
With seven Oceans behind it
To add to its (supply),
Yet would not the Words
Of God be exhausted
(In the writing): for God
Is Exalted in power,
Full of Wisdom.
28. And your creation
Or your resurrection
Is in no wise but
As an individual soul:
For God is He Who
Hears and sees (all things).
p. 1088
29. Seest thou not that
God merges Night into Day
And He merges Day into Night;
That He has subjected the sun,
And the moon (to His Law),
Each running its course
For a term appointed; and
That God is well acquainted
With all that ye do?
30. That is because God is
The (only) Reality, and because
Whatever else they invoke
Besides Him is Falsehood;
And because God,—He is
The Most High, Most Great.

SECTION 4.

31. Seest thou not that
The ships sail through
The Ocean by the grace
Of God?—that He may
Show you of His Signs?
Verily in this are Signs
For all who constantly persevere
And give thanks.
32. When a wave covers them
Like the canopy (of clouds),
They call to God
Offering Him sincere devotion.
p. 1089
But when He has delivered them
Safely to land, there are
Among them those that halt
Between (right and wrong).
But none reject Our Signs
Except only a perfidious
Ungrateful (wretch)!
33. O mankind! do your duty
To your Lord, and fear
(The coming of) a Day
When no father can avail
Aught for his son, nor
A son avail aught
For his father.
Verily, the promise of God
Is true: let not then
This present life deceive you,
Nor let the Chief Deceiver
Deceive you about God.
34, Verily the knowledge
Of the Hour is
With God (alone).
It is He Who sends down
Rain, and He Who knows
What is in the wombs.
p. 1090
Nor does any one know
What it is that he will
Earn on the morrow:
Nor does any one know
In what land he is
To die. Verily with God
Is full knowledge and He
Is acquainted (with all things)

# Sūra XXXII

Sajda, or Adoration.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. A. L. M.
2. (This is) the revelation
Of the Book in which
There is no doubt,—
From the Lord of the Worlds.
3. Or do they say,
"He has forged it"?
Nay, it is the Truth
From thy Lord, that thou
Mayest admonish a people
To whom no warner
Has come before thee:
In order that they
May receive guidance.
4. It is God Who has
Created the heavens
And the earth, and all
Between them, in six Days,
p. 1093
And is firmly established
On the Throne (of authority):
Ye have none, besides Him,
To protect or intercede (for you):
Will ye not then
Receive admonition?
5. He rules (all) affairs
From the heavens
To the earth: in the end
Will (all affairs) go up
To Him, on a Day,
The space whereof will be
(As) a thousand years
Of your reckoning.
6. Such is He, the Knower
Of all things, hidden
And open, the Exalted
(In power), the Merciful;—
7. He Who has made
Everything which He has created
Most Good: He began
The creation of man
With (nothing more than) clay,
p. 1094
8. And made his progeny
From a quintessence
Of the nature of
A fluid despised:
9. But He fashioned him
In due proportion, and breathed
Into him something of
His spirit. And He gave
You (the faculties of) hearing
And sight and feeling
(And understanding):
Little thanks do ye give!
10. And they say: "What!
When we lie, hidden
And lost, in the earth,
Shall we indeed be
In a Creation renewed?
Nay, they deny the Meeting
With their Lord!"
11. Say: "The Angel of Death,
Put in charge of you,
Will (duly) take your souls:
Then shall ye be brought
Back to your Lord."
p. 1095

SECTION 2.

12. If only thou couldst see
When the guilty ones
Will bend low their heads
Before their Lord, (saying:)
"Our Lord! We have seen
And we have heard:
Now then send us back
(To the world): we will
Work righteousness: for we
Do indeed (now) believe."
13. If We had so willed,
We could certainly have brought
Every soul its true guidance:
But the Word from Me
Will come true, "I will
Fill Hell with Jinns
And men all together."
14. "Taste ye then—for ye
Forgot the Meeting
Of this Day of yours,
And We too will
Forget you—taste ye
The Penalty of Eternity
For your (evil) deeds!"
15. Only those believe
In Our Signs, who, when
p. 1096
They are recited to them,
Fall down in adoration,
And celebrate the praises
Of their Lord, nor are they
(Ever) puffed up with pride.
16. Their limbs do forsake
Their beds of sleep, the while
They call on their Lord,
In Fear and Hope:
And they spend (in charity)
Out of the sustenance which
We have bestowed on them.
17. Now no person knows
What delights of the eye
Are kept hidden (in reserve)
For them—as a reward
For their (good) Deeds.
18. Is then the man
Who believes no better
Than the man who is
Rebellious and wicked?
Not equal are they.
19. For those who believe
And do righteous deeds,
Are Gardens as hospitable
Homes, for their (good) deeds.
p. 1097
20. As to those who are
Rebellious and wicked, their abode
Will be the Fire: every time
They wish to get away
Therefrom, they will be forced
Thereinto, and it will be said
To them: "Taste ye
The Penalty of the Fire,
The which ye were wont
To reject as false."
21. And indeed We will make
Them taste of the Penalty
Of this (life) prior to
The supreme Penalty, in order
That they may (repent and) return.
22. And who does more wrong
Than one to whom are recited
The Signs of his Lord,
And who then turns away
Therefrom? Verily from those
Who transgress We shall exact
(Due) Retribution.

SECTION 3.

23. We did indeed aforetime
Give the Book to Moses:
p. 1098
Be not then in doubt
Of its reaching (thee):
And We made it
A guide to the Children
Of Israel.
24. And We appointed, from among
Them, Leaders, giving guidance
Under Our command, so long
As they persevered with patience
And continued to have faith
In Our Signs.
25. Verily thy Lord will judge
Between them on the Day
Of Judgment, in the matters
Wherein they differ
(among themselves)
26. Does it not teach them
A lesson, how many generations
We destroyed before them,
In whose dwellings they
(Now) go to and fro?
Verily in that are Signs:
Do they not then listen?
p. 1099
27. And do they not see
That We do drive Rain
To parched soil (bare
Of herbage), and produce therewith
Crops, providing food
For their cattle and themselves?
Have they not the vision?
28. They say: "When will
This Decision be, if ye
Are telling the truth?"
29. Say: "On the Day
Of Decision, no profit
Will it he to Unbelievers
If they (then) believe!
Nor Will they he granted
A respite."
30. So turn away from them,
And wait: they too
Are waiting.

# Sūra XXXIII.

Aḥzāb, or The Confederates.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. O Prophet! Fear God,
And hearken not
To the Unbelievers
And the Hypocrites:
Verily god is full
Of knowledge and wisdom.
2. But follow that which
Comes to thee by inspiration
From thy Lord: for God
Is well acquainted
With (all) that ye do.
3. And put thy trust
In God, and enough is God
As a Disposer of affairs.
4. God has not made
For any man two hearts
p. 1103
In his (one) body: nor has
He made your wives whom
Ye divorce by Ẓihār
Your mothers: nor has He
Made your adopted sons
Your sons. Such is (only)
Your (manner of) speech
By your mouths. but God
Tells (you) the Truth, and He
Shows the (right) Way.
5. Call them by (the names
Of) their fathers: that is
Juster in the sight of God.
But if ye know not
Their father's (names, call
Them) your Brothers in faith,
Or your Maulās.But there is no blame
On you if ye make
A mistake therein:
(What counts is)
The intention of your hearts:
And god is Oft-Returning,
Most Merciful.
p. 1104
6. The Prophet is closer
To the Believers than
Their own selves,
And his wives are
Their mothers. Blood-relations
Among each other have
Closer personal ties,
In the Decree of God.
Than (the Brotherhood of)
Believers and Muhājirs:
Nevertheless do ye
What is just to your
Closest friends: such is
The writing in the Decree
(Of God).
7. And remember We took
From the Prophets their
Covenant:
As (We did) from thee:
From Noah, Abraham, Moses,
And Jesus the son of Mary:
We took from them
A solemn Covenant:
p. 1105
8. That (God) may question
The (Custodians) of Truth concerning
The Truth they (were charged with):
And He has prepared
For the Unbelievers
A grievous Penalty.

SECTION 2.

9. O ye who believe!
Remember the Grace of God,
(Bestowed) on you, when
There came down on you
Hosts (to overwhelm you):
But We sent against them
p. 1106
A hurricane and forces
That ye saw not:
But God sees (clearly)
All that ye do.
10. Behold! they came on you
From above you and from
Below you, and behold,
The eyes became dim
And the hearts gaped
Up to the throats,
And ye imagined various
(Vain) thoughts about God!
11. In that situation
Were the Believers tried:
They were shaken as by
A tremendous shaking.
12. Find behold! The Hypocrites
And those in whose hearts
Is a disease (even) say: "God
And His Apostle promised us
Nothing but delusions!"
13. Behold! A party among them
Said: "Ye men of Yathrib!
Ye cannot stand (the attack)!
Therefore go back!"
And a band of them
Ask for leave of the Prophet,
p. 1107
Saying, "Truly our houses
Are bare and exposed," though
They were not exposed:
They intended nothing but
To run away.
14. And if an entry had
Been effected to them
From the sides of the (City),
And they had been
Incited to sedition.
They would certainly have
Brought it to pass, with
None but a brief delay!
15. And yet they had already
Covenanted with God not to turn
Their backs, and a covenant
With God must (surely)
Be answered for.
16. Say: "Running away will not
Profit you if ye are
Running away from death
Or slaughter; and even if
(Ye do escape), no more
Than a brief (respite)
Will ye be allowed to enjoy!"
p. 1108
17. Say: "Who is it that can
Screen you from God
If it be His wish
To give you Punishment
Or to give you Mercy?"
Nor will they find for themselves,
Besides God, any protector
Or helper.
18. Verily God knows those
Among you who keep back
(Men) and those who say
To their brethren, "Come along
To us", but come not
To the fight except
For just a little while,
19. Covetous over you
Then when fear comes,
Thou wilt see them looking
To thee, their eyes revolving,
Like (those of) one over whom
Hovers death: but when
The fear is past,
They will smite you
With sharp tongues, covetous
Of goods. Such men have
No faith, and so God
Has made their deeds
Of none effect: and that
Is easy for God.
p. 1109
20. They think that the Confederates
Have not withdrawn; and if
The Confederates should come (again),
They would wish they were
In the deserts (wandering)
Among the Bedouins, and
Seeking news about you
(From a safe distance);
And if they were
In your midst, they
Would fight but little.

SECTION 3.

21. Ye have indeed
In the Apostle of God
A beautiful pattern (of conduct)
For any one whose hope is
In God and the Final Day,
And who engages much
In the praise of God.
p. 1110
22. When the Believers saw
The Confederate forces,
They said: "This is
What God and His Apostle is
Had promised us, and God
And His Apostle told us
What was true." And it
Only added to their faith
And their zeal in obedience.
23. Among the Believers are then
Who have been true to
Their Covenant with God:
Of them some have completed
Their vow (to the extreme),
And some (still) wait:
But they have never changed
(Their determination) in the least:
24. That God may reward
The men of Truth for
Their Truth, and punish
The Hypocrites if that be
p. 1111
His Will, or turn to them
In Mercy: for God is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
25. And God turned back
The Unbelievers for (all)
Their fury: no advantage
Did they gain; and enough
Is God for the Believers
In their fight. And God
Is full of Strength, Able
To enforce His Will.
26. And those of the people
Of the Book who aided
Them—God did take them
Down from their strongholds
p. 1112
And cast terror into
Their hearts, (so that)
Some ye slew, and some
Ye made prisoners,
27. And He made you heirs
Of their lands, their houses,
And their goods,
And of a land which
p. 1113
Ye had not frequented
(Before). And God has
Power over all things.

SECTION 4.

28. O Prophet! say
To thy Consorts:
"If it be that ye desire
The life of this world,
And its glitter,—then come!
I will provide for your
p. 1114
Enjoyment and set you free
In a handsome manner.
29. But if ye seek God
And His Apostle, and
The Home of the Hereafter,
Verily God has prepared
For the well-doers amongst you
A great reward.
30. O Consorts of the Prophet
If any of you were guilty
Of evident unseemly conduct,
The Punishment would be
Doubled to her, and that
Is easy for God
p. 1115
31. But any of you that is
Devout in the service of
God and His Apostle,
And works righteousness,—
To her shall We grant
Her reward twice: and We
Have prepared for her
A generous Sustenance.
32. O Consorts of the Prophet!
Ye are not like any
Of the (other) women:
If ye do fear (God),
Be not too complaisant
Of speech, lest one
In whose heart is
A disease should be moved
With desire: but speak ye
A speech (that is) just.
33. And stay quietly in
Your houses, and make not
A dazzling display, like
That of the former Times
Of Ignorance; and establish
Regular Prayer, and give
Regular Charity; and obey
God and His Apostle.
And God only wishes
To remove all abomination
p. 1116
From you, ye Members
Of the Family, and to make
You pure and spotless.
34. And recite what is
Rehearsed to you in your
Homes, of the Signs of God
And His Wisdom:
For God understands
The finest mysteries and
Is well-acquainted (with them).

SECTION 5.

35. For Muslim men and women,—
For believing men and women,
For devout men and women,
For true men and women,
For men and women who are
Patient and constant, for men
And women who humble themselves
For men and women who give
In charity, for men and women
Who fast (and deny themselves),
For men and women who
Guard their chastity, and
For men and women who
p. 1117
Engage much in God's praise,—
For them has God prepared
Forgiveness and great reward.
36. It is not fitting
For a Believer, man or woman.
When a matter has been decided
By God and His Apostle,
To have any option
About their decision:
If any one disobeys God
And His Apostle, he is indeed
On a clearly wrong Path.
37. Behold! thou didst say
To one who had received
The grace of God
And thy favour: "Retain thou
(In wedlock) thy wife,
And fear God." But thou
Didst hide in thy heart
That which God was about
To make manifest: thou didst
Fear the people, but it is
p. 1118
More fitting that thou shouldst
Fear God. Then when Zaid
Had dissolved (his marriage)
With her, with the necessary
(Formality), We joined her
In marriage to thee:
In order that (in future)
There may be no difficulty
To the Believers in (the matter
Of) marriage with the vives
Of their adopted sons, when
The latter have dissolved
With the necessary (formality)
(Their marriage) with them.
And God's command must
Be fulfilled.
38. There can be no difficulty
To the Prophet in what
God has indicated to him
As a duty. It was
The practice (approved) of God
Amongst those of old
That have passed away.
And the command of God
Is a decree determined.
39. (It is the practice of those)
Who preach the Messages
Of God, and fear Him,
And fear none but God.
p. 1119
And enough is God
To call (men) to account.
40. Muhammad is not
The father of any
Of your men, but (he is)
The Apostle of God,
And the Seal of the Prophets:
And God has full knowledge
Of all things.

SECTION 6.

41. O ye who believe!
Celebrate the praises of God,
And do this often;
42. And glorify Him
Morning and evening.
43. He it is Who sends
Blessings on you, as do
His angels, that He may
Bring you out from the depths
Of Darkness into Light:
And He is Full of Mercy
To the Believers.
44. Their salutation on the Day
They meet Him will be
"Peace!"; and He has
Prepared for them
A generous Reward.
45. O Prophet! Truly We
Have sent thee as
p. 1120
A Witness, a Bearer
Of Glad Tidings,
And a Warner,—
46. And as one who invites
To God's (Grace) by His leave,
And as a Lamp
Spreading Light.
47. Then give the glad tidings
To the Believers, that
They shall have from God
A very great Bounty.
48. And obey not (the behests)
Of the Unbelievers
And the Hypocrites,
And heed not their annoyances,
But put thy trust in God.
For enough is God
As a Disposer of affairs.
49. O ye who believe!
When ye marry believing women,
And then divorce them
Before ye have touched them,
p. 1121
No period of ’Iddat
Have ye to count
In respect of them:
So give them a present,
And set them free
In a handsome manner.
50. O Prophet! We have
Made lawful to thee
Thy wives to whom thou
Hast paid their dowers;
And those whom thy
Right hand possesses out of
The prisoners of war whom
God has assigned to thee;
And daughters of thy paternal
Uncles and aunts, and daughters
Of thy maternal uncles
And aunts, who migrated
(From Mecca) with thee;
And any believing woman
Who dedicates her soul
p. 1122
To the Prophet if the Prophet
Wishes to wed her;—this
Only for thee, and not
For the Believers (at large);
We know what We have
Appointed for them as to
Their wives and the captives
Whom their right hands
Possess;—in order that
There should be no difficulty
For thee. And God is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
51. Thou mayest defer (the turn
Of) any of them that thou
Pleasest, and thou mayest receive
Any thou pleasest: and there
Is no blame on thee if
Thou invite one whose (turn)
p. 1123
Thou hadst set aside.
This were nigher to
The cooling of their eyes,
The prevention of their grief,
And their satisfaction—
That of all of them—
With that which thou
Hast to give them:
And God knows (all)
That is in your hearts:
And God is All-Knowing,
Most Forbearing.
52. It is not lawful for thee
(To marry more) women
After this, nor to change
Them for (other) wives,
Even though their beauty
Attract thee, except any
Thy right hand should
Possess (as handmaidens):
And God doth watch
Over all things.
p. 1124

SECTION 7.

53. O ye who believe!
Enter not the Prophet's houses,—
Until leave is given you,
For a meal, (and then)
Not (so early as) to wait
For its preparation: but when
Ye are invited, enter;
And when ye have taken
Your meal, disperse,
Without seeking familiar talk.
Such (behaviour) annoys
The Prophet: he is ashamed
To dismiss you, but
God is not ashamed
(To tell you) the truth.
And when ye
Ask (his ladies)
For anything ye want,
Ask them from before
A screen: that makes
For greater purity for
Your hearts and for theirs.
Nor is it right for you
p. 1125
That ye should annoy
God's Apostle, or that
Ye should marry his widows
After him at any time.
Truly such a thing is
In God's sight an enormity.
54. Whether ye reveal anything
Or conceal it, verily
God has full knowledge
Of all things.
55. There is no blame
(On these ladies if they
Appear) before their fathers
Or their sons, their brothers,
Or their brothers’ sons,
Or their sisters’ sons,
Or their women,
Or the (slaves) whom
Their right hands possess.
And, (ladies), fear God;
For God is Witness
To all things.
56. God and His Angels
Send blessings on the Prophet:
p. 1126
O ye that believe!
Send ye blessings on him,
And salute him
With all respect.
57. Those who annoy
God and His Apostle—
God has cursed them
In this world and
In the Hereafter,
And has prepared for them
A humiliating Punishment.
58. And those who annoy
Believing men and women
Undeservedly, bear
(on themselves)
A calumny and a glaring sin.

SECTION 8.

59. O Prophet! Tell
Thy wives and daughters,
And the believing women,
That they should cast
Their outer garments over
Their persons (when abroad):
That is most convenient,
That they should be known
p. 1127
(As such) and not molested.
And God is Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful.
60. Truly, if the Hypocrites,
And those in whose hearts
Is a disease, and those who
Stir up sedition in the City,
Desist not, We shall certainly
Stir thee up against them:
Then will they not be
Able to stay in it
As thy neighbours
For any length of time:
61. They shall have a curse
On them: wherever they
Are found, they shall be
Seized and slain
(Without mercy).
62. (Such was) the practice
(Approved) of God among those
Who lived aforetime:
No change wilt thou find
In the practice (approved)
Of God.
p. 1128
63. Men ask thee concerning
The Hour: say, "The knowledge
Thereof is with God (alone)":
And what will make thee
Understand?—perchance
The Hour is nigh!
64. Verily God has cursed
The Unbelievers and prepared
For them a Blazing Fire,—
65. To dwell therein for ever:
No protector will they find,
Nor helper.
66. The Day that their faces
Will be turned upside down
In the Fire, they will say:
"Woe to us! would that
We had obeyed God
And obeyed the Apostle!"
67. And they would say:
"Our Lord! We obeyed
Our chiefs and our great ones,
And they misled us
As to the (right) path.
68. "Our Lord! Give them
Double Penalty
And curse them
With a very great Curse!"
p. 1129

SECTION 9.

69. O ye who believe!
Be ye not like those
Who vexed and insulted Moses,
But God cleared him
Of the (calumnies) they
Had uttered: and he
Was honourable in God's sight.
70. O ye who believe!
Fear God, and (always) say
A word directed to the Right:
71. That He may make
Your conduct whole and sound
And forgive you your sins:
He that obeys God
And His Apostle, has already
Attained the highest
Achievement.
72. We did indeed offer
The Trust to the Heavens
p. 1130
And the Earth
And the Mountains;
But they refused
To undertake it,
Being afraid thereof:
But man undertook it;—
He was indeed unjust
And foolish;—
p. 1131
73. (With the result (that
God has to punish
The Hypocrites, men and women,
And the Unbelievers, men
And women, and God turns
In Mercy to the Believers,
Men and women: for God
Is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

# Sūra XXXIV.

Sabā, or the City of Sabā

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Praise be to God,
To Whom belong all things
In the heavens and on earth:
To Him be Praise
In the Hereafter:
And He is Full of Wisdom,
Acquainted with all things.
2. He knows all that goes
Into the earth, and all that
Comes out thereof; all that
Comes down from the sky
And all that ascends thereto
And He is the Most Merciful,
The Oft-Forgiving.
3. The Unbelievers say,
"Never to us will come
p. 1134
The Hour": say, "Nay!
But most surely,
By my Lord, it will come
Upon you;—by Him
Who knows the unseen,—
From Whom is not hidden
The least little atom
In the Heavens or on earth:
Nor is there anything less
Than that, or greater, but
Is in the Record Perspicuous:
4. That He may reward
Those who believe and work
Deeds of righteousness: for such
Is Forgiveness and a Sustenance
Most Generous."
5. But those who strive
Against Our Signs, to frustrate
Them,—for such will be
A Penalty,—a Punishment
Most humiliating.
6. And those to whom
Knowledge has come see
That the (Revelation) sent down
To thee from thy Lord—
That is the Truth,
And that it guides
p. 1135
To the Path of the Exalted
(In Might), Worthy
Of all praise.
7. The Unbelievers say
(In ridicule): "Shall we
Point out to you a man
That will tell you,
When ye are all scattered
To pieces in disintegration,
That ye shall (then be
Raised) in a New Creation?
8. "Has he invented a falsehood
Against God, or has
A spirit (seized) him?"—
Nay, it is those who
Believe not in the Hereafter,
That are in (real) Penalty,
And in farthest Error.
9. See they not what is
Before them and behind them,
Of the sky and the earth
If We wished, We could
Cause the earth to swallow
Them up, or cause a piece
Of the sky to fall upon them.
Verily in this is a Sign
For every devotee that
Turns to God (in repentance).
p. 1136

SECTION 2.

10. We bestowed Grace aforetime
On David from Ourselves:
"O ye Mountains! sing ye
Back the Praises of God
With him! and ye birds
(Also)! And We made
The iron soft for him;—
11. (Commanding), "Make thou
Coats of mail, balancing well
The rings of chain armour,
And work ye righteousness;
For be sure I see
(Clearly) all that ye do."
12. And to Solomon (We
Made) the Wind (obedient):
Its early morning (stride)
Was a month's (journey),
And its evening (stride)
Was a month's (journey);
And We made a Font
Of molten brass to flow
p. 1137
For him; and there were
Jinns that worked in front
Of him, by the leave
Of his Lord, and if any
Of them turned aside
From Our command, We
Made him taste
Of the Penalty
Of the Blazing Fire.
13. They worked for him
As he desired, (making) Arches,
Images, Basons
As large as Reservoirs,
And (cooking) Cauldrons fixed
(In their places): "Work ye,
Sons of David, with thanks!
But few of My servants
Are grateful!"
14. Then, when We decreed
(Solomon's) death, nothing showed them
His death except a little
Worm of the earth, which
p. 1138
Kept (slowly) gnawing away
At his staff: so when he
Fell down, the Jinns saw
Plainly that if they had
Known the unseen, they
Would not have tarried
In the humiliating Penalty
(Of their Task).
15. There was, for Sabā,
Aforetime, a Sign in their
Home-land—two Gardens
To the right and to the left.
"Eat of the Sustenance (provided)
By your Lord, and be grateful
To Him: a territory fair and happy,
And a Lord Oft-Forgiving!
16. But they turned away
(From God), and We sent
Against them the flood
(Released) from the Dams,
p. 1139
And We converted their two
Garden (rows) into "gardens"
Producing bitter fruit,
And tamarisks, and some few
(Stunted) Lote-trees.
17. That was the Requital
We gave them because
They ungratefully rejected Faith:
And never do We give
(Such) requital except to such
As are ungrateful rejecters.
18. Between them and the Cities
On which We had poured
Our blessings, We had placed
Cities in prominent positions,
And between them We had
Appointed stages of journey
In due proportion: "Travel therein,
Secure, by night and by day."
19. But they said: "Our Lord!
Place longer distances
p. 1140
Between our journey-stages":
But they wronged themselves (therein).
At length We made them
As a tale (that is told),
And We dispersed them
All in scattered fragments.
Verily in this are Signs
For every (soul that is)
Patiently constant and grateful.
20. And on them did Satan
Prove true his idea,
And they followed him, all
But a Party that believed.
21. But he had no authority
Over them,—except that We
Might test the man who
Believes in the Hereafter
From him who is in doubt
Concerning it: and thy Lord
Doth watch over all things.
p. 1141

SECTION 3.

22. Say: "Call upon other (gods)
Whom ye fancy, besides God:
They have no power,
Not the weight of an atom,—
In the heavens or on earth:
No (sort of) share have they
Therein, nor is any of them
A helper to God.
23. "No intercession can avail
In His Presence, except for those
For whom He has granted
Permission. So far (is this
The case) that, when terror
Is removed from their hearts
(At the Day of Judgment, then)
Will they say, "What is it
That your Lord commanded?"
They will say, "That which is
True and just; and He is
The Most High, Most Great."
24. Say: "Who gives you
Sustenance, from the heavens
p. 1142
And the earth?" Say:
"It is God; and certain it is
That either we or ye
Are on right guidance
Or in manifest error!"
25. Say: "Ye shall not be
Questioned as to our sins,
Nor shall we be questioned
As to what ye do."
26. Say: "Our Lord will gather us
Together and will in the end
Decide the matter between us
(And you) in truth and justice:
And He is the One to decide,
The One Who knows all."
27. Say: "Show me those whom
Ye have joined with Him
As partners: by no means
(Can ye). Nay, He is God,
The Exalted in Power,
The Wise."
28. We have not sent thee
But as a universal (Messenger)
p. 1143
To men, giving them
Glad tidings, and warning them
(Against sin), but most men
Understand not.
29. They say: "When will this
Promise (come to pass)
If ye are telling the truth?"
30. Say: "The appointment to you
Is for a Day, which ye
Cannot put back for an hour
Nor put forward."

SECTION 4.

31. The Unbelievers say:
"We shall neither believe
In this scripture nor in (any)
That (came) before it."
Couldst thou but see when
The wrong-doers will be made
To stand before their Lord,
Throwing back the word (of blame)
p. 1144
On one another! Those who
Had been despised will say
To the arrogant ones:
"Had it not been for you,
We should certainly
Have been believers!"
32. The arrogant ones will say
To those who had been despised:
"Was it we who kept you
Back from Guidance after
It reached you? Nay, rather,
It was ye who transgressed.
33. Those who had been despised
Will say to the arrogant ones:
"Nay! it was a plot
(Of yours) by day and by night:
Behold! ye (constantly) ordered us
To be ungrateful to God
And to attribute equals to Him!
They will declare (their) repentance
When they see the Penalty:
We shall put yokes
p. 1145
On the necks of the Unbelievers:
It would only be a requital
For their (ill) Deeds.
34. Never did We send
A Warner to a population,
But the wealthy ones among them
Said: "We believe not
In the (Message) with which
Ye have been sent."
35. They said: "We have more
In wealth and in sons
And we cannot be punished."
36. Say: "Verily my Lord enlarges
And restricts the Provision
To whom He pleases, but
Most men understand not."

SECTION 5.

37. It is not your wealth
Nor your sons, that will
Bring you nearer to Us
In degree: but only
Those who believe and work
Righteousness—these are
The ones for whom there is
A multiplied Reward
p. 1146
For their deeds, while
Secure they (reside)
In the dwellings on high!
38. Those who strive against
Our Signs, to frustrate them,
Will be given over
Into Punishment.
39. Say: "Verily my Lord enlarges
And restricts the Sustenance
To such of His servants
As He pleases: and nothing
Do ye spend in the least
(In His Cause) but He
Replaces it: for He is
The Best of those who
Grant Sustenance.
40. One Day He will
Gather them all together,
And say to the angels,
"Was it you that these
Men used to worship?"
41. They will say, "Glory to Thee!
Our (tie) is with Thee
As Protector—not with them.
Nay, but they worshipped
p. 1147
The Jinns: most of them
Believed in them."
42. So on that Day
No power shall they have
Over each other, for profit
Or harm: and We shall
Say to the wrong-doers,
"Taste ye the Penalty's
Of the Fire,—the which
Ye were wont to deny!"
43. When Our Clear Signs
Are rehearsed to them,
They say, "This is only
A man who wishes
To hinder you from the (worship)
Which your fathers practised."
And they say, "This is
Only a falsehood invented!"
And the Unbelievers say
Of the Truth when it comes
To them, "This is nothing
But evident magic!"
44. But We had not given
Them Books which they could
Study, nor sent apostles
To them before thee
As Warners.
p. 1148
45. And their predecessors rejected
(The Truth); these have
Not received a tenth
Of what We had granted
To those: yet when they rejected
My apostles, how (terrible)
Was My rejection (of them)!

SECTION 6.

46. Say: "I do admonish you
On one point: that ye
Do stand up before God,—
(It may be) in pairs,
Or (it may be) singly,—
And reflect (within yourselves):
Your Companion is not
Possessed: he is no less
Than a Warner to you,
In face of a terrible
Penalty."
47. Say: "No reward do I
Ask of you: it is (all)
In your interest: my reward
Is only due from God:
And He is Witness
To all things."
48. Say: "Verily my Lord
Doth cast the (mantle
p. 1149
Of) Truth (over His servants),—
He that has full knowledge
Of (all) that is hidden."
49. Say: "The Truth has arrived,
And Falsehood neither creates
Anything new, nor restores
Anything."
50. Say: "If I am astray,
I only stray to the loss
Of my own soul: but if
I receive guidance, it is seen
Because of the inspiration
Of my Lord to me:
It is He Who hears
All things, and is (ever) near."
51. If thou couldst but see
When they will quake
With terror; but then
There will be no escape
(For them), and they will he
Seized from a position
(Quite) near.
p. 1150
52. And they will say,
"We do believe (now)
In the (Truth)"; but how
Could they receive (Faith)
From a position (so) far off,—
53. Seeing that they did reject
Faith (entirely) before, and
That they (continually) cast
(Slanders) on the Unseen
From a position far off?
54. And between them
And their desires,
Is placed a barrier,
As was done in the past
With their partisans:
For they were indeed
In suspicious (disquieting) doubt.

# Sūra XXXV.

Fāṭir, or The Originator of Creation; or Malāïka, or The Angels.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Praise be to God,
Who created (out of nothing)
The heavens and the earth,
Who made the angels
Messengers with wings,—
Two, or three, or four (Pairs):
He adds to Creation
As He pleases: for God
Has power over all things.
2. What God out of His Mercy
Doth bestow on mankind
There is none can withhold:
What He doth withhold,
p. 1153
There is none can grant,
Apart from Him:
And He is the Exalted
In Power, Full of Wisdom.
3. O men! call to mind
The grace of God unto you!
Is there a Creator, other
Than God, to give you
Sustenance from heaven
Or earth? There is
No god but He: how
Then are ye deluded
Away from the Truth?
4. And if they reject thee,
So were apostles rejected
Before thee: to God
Go back for decision
All affairs.
5. O men! certainly
The promise of God
Is true. Let not then
This present life deceive you,
p. 1154
Nor let the Chief Deceiver
Deceive you about God.
6. Verily Satan is an enemy
To you: so treat him
As an enemy. He only
Invites his adherents,
That they may become
Companions of the Blazing Fire.
7. For those who reject God,
Is a terrible Penalty: but
For those who believe
And work righteous deeds,
Is Forgiveness, and
A magnificent Reward.

SECTION 2.

8. Is he, then, to whom
The evil of his conduct
Is made alluring, so
That he looks upon it
As good, (equal to one
Who is rightly guided)?
For God leaves to stray
Whom He wills, and guides
Whom He wills. So
Let not thy soul go out
In (vainly) sighing after them:
For God knows well
All that they do!
9. It is God Who sends
Forth the Winds, so that
p. 1155
They raise up the Clouds,
And We drive them
To a land that is dead,
And revive the earth therewith
After its death: even so
(Will be) the Resurrection!
10. If any do seek
For glory and power,—
To God belong
All glory and power.
To Him mount up
(All) Words of Purity:
It is He Who exalts
Each Deed of Righteousness.
Those that lay Plots
Of Evil,—for them
Is a Penalty terrible;
And the plotting of such
Will be void (of result).
11. And God did create
You from dust;
Then from a sperm-drop;
Then He made you
In pairs. And no female
Conceives, or lays down
(Her load), but with His
Knowledge. Nor is a man
p. 1156
Long-lived granted length
Of days, nor is a part
Cut off from his life,
But is in a Decree
(Ordained). All this
Is easy to God.
12. Nor are the two bodies
Of flowing water alike,—
The one palatable, sweet,
And pleasant to drink,
And the other, salt
And bitter. Yet from each
(Kind of water) do ye
Eat flesh fresh and tender,
And ye extract ornaments
To wear; and thou seest
The ships therein that plough
The waves, that ye may
Seek (thus) of the Bounty
Of God that ye
May be grateful.
13. He merges Night into Day,
And He merges Day
p. 1157
Into Night, and He has
Subjected the sun and
The moon (to His Law):
Each one runs its course
For a term appointed.
Such is God your Lord:
To Him belongs all Dominion.
And those whom ye invoke
Besides Him have not
The least power.
14. If ye invoke them,
They will not listen
To your call, and if
They were to listen,
They cannot answer
Your (prayer). On the Day
Of Judgment they will reject
Your "Partnership". And none,
(O man!) can tell thee
(The Truth) like the One
Who is acquainted with all things.

SECTION 3.

15. O ye men! It is
Ye that have need
p. 1158
Of God: but God is
The One Free of all wants,
Worthy of all praise.
16. If He so pleased, He
Could blot you out
And bring in
A New Creation.
17. Nor is that (at all)
Difficult for God.
18. Nor can a bearer of burdens
Bear another's burden.
If one heavily laden should
Call another to (bear) his load,
Not the least portion of it
Can be carried (by the other),
Even though he be nearly
Related. Thou canst but
Admonish such as fear
Their Lord unseen
And establish regular Prayer.
And whoever purifies himself
p. 1159
Does so for the benefit
Of his own soul; and
The destination (of all)
Is to God.
19. The blind and the seeing
Are not alike;
20. Nor are the depths
Of Darkness and the Light;
21. Nor are the (chilly) shade
And the (genial) heat of the sun:
22. Nor are alike those
That are living and those
That are dead. God can
Make any that He wills
To hear; but thou
Canst not make those
To hear who are
(Buried) in graves.
23. Thou art no other
Than a warner.
24. Verily We have sent thee
In truth, as a bearer
Of glad tidings,
And as a warner:
p. 1160
And there never was
A people, without a warner
Having lived among them
(In the past).
25. And if they reject thee,
So did their predecessors,
To whom came their apostles
With Clear Signs, Books
Of dark prophecies,
And the Book
Of Enlightenment.
26. In the end did I
Punish those who rejected
Faith: and how (terrible)
Was My rejection (of them)!

SECTION 4.

27. Seest thou not that
God sends down rain
From the sky? With it
We then bring out produce
Of various colours
And in the mountains
p. 1161
Are tracts white and red,
Of various shades of colour,
And black intense in hue.
28. And so amongst men
And crawling creatures and cattle,
Are they of various colours.
Those truly fear God,
Among His Servants,
Who have knowledge:
For God is Exalted in Might,
Oft-Forgiving.
29. Those who rehearse the Book
Of God, establish regular Prayer,
And spend (in Charity)
Out of what We have provided
For them, secretly and openly,
Hope for a Commerce
That will never fail:
p. 1162
30. For He will pay them
Their meed, nay, He will
Give them (even) more
Out of His Bounty:
For He is Oft-Forgiving,
Most Ready to appreciate (service).
31. That which We have revealed
To thee of the Book
Is the Truth,—confirming
What was (revealed) before it:
For God is assuredly—
With respect to His servants—
Well acquainted and
Fully Observant.
32. Then We have given
The Book for inheritance
To such of Our servants
As We have chosen:
But there are among them
Some who wrong their own
p. 1163
Souls; some who follow
A middle course; and some
Who are, by God's leave,
Foremost in good deeds;
That is the highest Grace.
33. Gardens of Eternity will they
Enter: therein will they
Be adorned with bracelets
Of gold and pearls;
And their garments there
Will be of silk.
34. And they will say:
"Praise be to God,
Who has removed from us
(All) sorrow: for our Lord
Is indeed Oft-Forgiving
Ready to appreciate (service):
35. "Who has, out of His Bounty,
Settled us in a Home
That will last: no toil
Nor sense of weariness
Shall touch us therein."
36. But those who reject (God)—
For them will be
The Fire of Hell:
No term shall be determined
p. 1164
For them, so they should die,
Nor shall its Penalty
Be lightened for them.
Thus do We reward
Every ungrateful one!
37. Therein will they cry
Aloud (for assistance):
"Our Lord! Bring us out:
We shall work righteousness,
Not the (deeds) we used
To do"—"Did We not
Give you long enough life
So that he that would
Should receive admonition?
And (moreover) the warner
Came to you. So taste ye
(The fruits of your deeds):
For the Wrong-doers
There is no helper."

SECTION 5.

38. Verily God knows
(All) the hidden things
Of the heavens and the earth:
Verily He has full knowledge
Of all that is
In (men's) hearts.
39. He it is that has made
You inheritors in the earth:
p. 1165
If, then, any do reject
(God), their rejection (works)
Against themselves: their rejection
But adds to the odium
For the Unbelievers
In the sight of their Lord:
Their rejection but adds
To (their own) undoing.
40. Say: "Have ye seen
(These) "Partners" of yours
Whom ye call upon
Besides God? Show me
What it is they have created
In the (wide) earth.
Or have they a share
In the heavens? Or
Have We given them a Book
From which they (can derive)
Clear (evidence)?—Nay,
The wrong-doers promise
Each other nothing but delusions.
41. It is God Who sustains
The heavens and the earth,
Lest they cease (to function):
And if they should fail,
There is none—not one—
Can sustain them thereafter:
p. 1166
Verily He is Most Forbearing,
Oft-Forgiving.
42. They swore their strongest oaths
By God that if a warner
Came to them, they would
Follow his guidance better
Than any (other) of the Peoples:
But when a warner came
To them, it has only
Increased their flight
(From righteousness),—
43. On account of their arrogance
In the land and their
Plotting of Evil.
But the plotting of Evil
Will hem in only
The authors thereof. Now
Are they but looking for
The way the ancients
Were dealt with? But
No change wilt thou find
In God's way (of dealing):
No turning off wilt thou
Find in God's way (of dealing).
p. 1167
44. Do they not travel
Through the earth, and see.
What was the End
Of those before them,
Though they were superior
To them in strength?
Nor is God to be frustrated
By anything whatever
In the heavens
Or on earth: for He
Is All-Knowing, All-Powerful.
45. If God were to punish
Men according to what
They deserve, He would not
Leave on the back
Of the (earth) a single
Living creature: but He
Gives them respite
For a stated Term:
When their Term expires,
Verily God has in His sight
All His servants.

# Sūra XXXVI.

Yā-Sīn.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Yā Sīn.
2. By the Qur-ān
Full of Wisdom,—
3. Thou art indeed
One of the apostles,
4. On a Straight Way.
5. It is a Revelation
Sent down by (Him),
The Exalted in Might,
Most Merciful,
6. In order that thou mayest
Admonish a people,
Whose fathers had received
No admonition, and who
Therefore remain heedless
(Of the Signs of God).
p. 1170
7. The Word is proved true
Against the greater part of them:
For they do not believe.
8. We have put yokes
Round their necks
Right up to their chins,
So that their heads are
Forced up (and they cannot see).
9. And We have put
A bar in front of them
And a bar behind them,
And further, We have
Covered them up; so that
They cannot see.
10. The same is it to them
Whether thou admonish them
Or thou do not admonish
Them: they will not believe.
p. 1171
11. Thou canst but admonish
Such a one as follows
The Message and fears
The (Lord) Most Gracious, unseen:
Give such a one, therefore,
Good tidings, of Forgiveness
And a reward most generous.
12. Verily We shall give life
To the dead, and We record
That which they send before
And that which they leave
Behind, and of all things
Have We taken account
p. 1172
In a clear Book
(Of evidence).

SECTION 2.

13. Set forth to them,
By way of a parable,
The (story of) the Companions
Of the City. Behold,
There came apostles to it.
14. When We (first) sent
To them two apostles,
They rejected them:
But We strengthened them
With a third: they said,
"Truly, we have been sent
On a mission to you."
p. 1173
15. The (people) said: "Ye are
Only men like ourselves
And (God) Most Gracious
Sends no sort of revelation:
Ye do nothing but lie."
16. They said: "Our Lord doth
Know that we have been sent
On a mission to you:
17. "And our duty is only
To proclaim the clear Message.
18. The (people) said: "For us,
We augur an evil omen
p. 1174
From you: if ye desist not,
We will certainly stone you.
And a grievous punishment
Indeed will be inflicted
On you by us."
19. They said: "Your evil omens
Are with yourselves:
(Deem ye this an evil omen).
If ye are admonished?
Nay, but ye are a people
Transgressing all bounds!
20. Then there came running,
From the farthest part
Of the City, a man,
Saying, "O my People!
Obey the apostles:
21. "Obey those who ask
No reward of you
(For themselves), and who have
Themselves received Guidance
p. 1175
22, "It would not be reasonable
In me if I did not
Serve Him Who created me,
And to Whom ye shall
(All) be brought back.
23. "Shall I take (other) gods
Besides Him? If (God)
Most Gracious should
Intend some adversity for me,
Of no use whatever
Will be their intercession
For me, nor can they
Deliver me.
24."I would indeed,
If I were to do so,
Be in manifest Error.
25. "For me, I have faith
In the Lord of you (all):
Listen, then, to me!"
26. It was said: "Enter thou
The Garden." He said:
"Ah me! Would that
My People knew (what I know)!—
p. 1176
27. "For that my Lord
Has granted me Forgiveness
And has enrolled me
Among those held in honour!"
28. And We sent not down
Against his People, after him,
Any hosts from heaven,
Nor was it needful
For Us so to do.
29. It was no more than
A single mighty Blast,
And behold! they were (like ashes)
Quenched and silent.
30. Ah! alas for (My) servants!
There comes not an apostle
To them but they mock him!
31. See they not how many
Generations before them
We destroyed? Not to them
Will they return:
p. 1177
32. But each one of them
All—will be brought
Before Us (for judgment).

SECTION 3.

33. A Sign for them
Is the earth that is dead:
We do give it life,
And produce grain therefrom,
Of which ye do eat.
34. And We produce therein
Orchards with date-palms
And vines, and We cause
Springs to gush forth therein:
35. That they may enjoy
The fruits of this (artistry):
It was not their hands
That made this:
Will they not then give thanks?
p. 1178
36. Glory to God, Who created
In pairs all things that
The earth produces, as well as
Their own (human) kind
And (other) things of which
They have no knowledge.
37. And a Sign for them
Is the Night: We withdraw
Therefrom the Day, and behold
They are plunged in darkness;
38. And the Sun
Runs his course
For a period determined
For him: that is
The decree of (Him),
The Exalted in Might,
The All-Knowing.
39. And the Moon,
We have measured for her
Mansions (to traverse)
Till she returns
Like the old (and withered)
Lower part of a date-stalk.
p. 1179
40. It is not permitted
To the Sun to catch up
The Moon, nor can
The Night outstrip the Day:
Each (just) swims along (its own) orbit
(According to Law).
41. And a Sign for them
Is that We bore
Their race (through the Flood)
In the loaded Ark;
42. And We have created
For them similar (vessels)
On which they ride.
43. If it were Our Will,
We could drown them:
Then would there be
No helper (to hear
Their cry), nor could
They be delivered,
p. 1180
44. Except by way of Mercy
From Us, and by way
Of (worldly) convenience
(To serve them) for a time.
45. When they are told,
"Fear ye that which is
Before you and that which
Will be after you, in order
That ye may receive Mercy,"
(They turn back).
46. Not a Sign comes to them
From among the Signs
Of their Lord, but they
Turn away therefrom.
47. And when they are told,
"Spend ye of (the bounties)
With which God
Has provided you," the Unbelievers
Say to those who believe:
"Shall we then feed those
Whom, if God had so willed,
He would have fed, (Himself)?—
p. 1181
Ye are in nothing
But manifest error."
48. Further, they say, "When
Will this promise (come to pass),
If what ye say is true?"
49. They will not (have
To) wait for aught
But a single Blast:
It will seize them while
They are yet disputing
Among themselves!
50. No (chance) will they then
Have, by will, to dispose
(Of their affairs), nor
To return to their own people!

SECTION 4.

51. The trumpet shall be
Sounded, when behold!
From the sepulchres (men)
Will rush forth
To their Lord!
p. 1182
52. They will say: "Ah!
Woe unto us! Who
Hath raised us up
From our beds of repose?"
(A voice will say:)
"This is what (God)
Most Gracious had promised.
And true was the word
Of the apostles!"
53. It will be no more
Than a single Blast,
When to! they will all
Be brought up before Us!
54. Then, on that Day,
Not a soul will be
Wronged in the least,
And ye shall but
Be repaid the meeds
Of your past Deeds.
55. Verily the Companions
Of the Garden shall
That Day have joy
In all that they do:
p. 1183
56. They and their associates
Will be in groves
Of (cool) shade, reclining
On Thrones (of dignity);
57. (Every) fruit (enjoyment)
Will be there for them;
They shall have whatever
They call for;
58. "Peace!"—a Word
(Of salutation) from a Lord
Most Merciful!
59. "And O ye in sin!
Get ye apart this Day!
60. "Did I not enjoin
On you, O ye children
p. 1184
Of Adam, that ye
Should not worship Satan;
For that he was to you
An enemy avowed?—
61. "And that ye should
Worship Me, (for that) this
Was the Straight Way?
62. "But he did lead astray
A great multitude of you.
Did ye not, then, understand?
63. "This is the Hell
Of which ye were
(Repeatedly) warned!
64. "Embrace ye the (Fire)
This Day, for that ye
(Persistently) rejected (Truth)."
65. That Day shall We set
A seal on their mouths.
But their hands will speak
To Us, and their feet
Bear witness, to all
That they did.
p. 1185
66. If it had been Our Will,
We could surely have
Blotted out their eyes;
Then should they have
Run about groping for the Path,
But how could they have seen?
67. And if it had been
Our Will, We could
Have transformed them
(To remain) in their places;
Then should they have been
Unable to move about,
Nor could they have returned
(After error).

SECTION 5.

68. If We grant long life
To any, We cause him
To be reversed in nature:
Will they not then understand?
69. We have not instructed
The (Prophet) in Poetry,
Nor is it meet for him:
This is no less than
p. 1186
A Message and a Qur-ān
Making things clear:
70. That it may give admonition
To any (who are) alive,
And that the charge
May be proved against those
Who reject (Truth).
71. See they not that it is
We Who have created
For them—among the things
Which our hands have fashioned—
Cattle, which are under
Their dominion?—
72. And that We have
Subjected them to their (use)?
Of them some do carry them
And some they eat:
73. And they have (other) profits
From them (besides), and they
Get (milk) to drink.
Will they not then
Be grateful?
74. Yet they take (for worship)
Gods other than God,
p. 1187
(Hoping) that they might
Be helped!
75. They have not the power
To help them: but they
Will be brought up
(Before Our Judgment-seat)
As a troop (to be condemned).
76. Let not their speech, then,
Grieve thee. Verily We know
What they hide as well as
What they disclose.
77. Doth not man see
That it is We Who
Created him from sperm?
Yet behold! he (stands forth)
As an open adversary!
78. And he makes comparisons
For Us, and forgets his own
(Origin and) Creation:
He says, "Who can give
Life to (dry) bones
And decomposed ones (at that)?"
p. 1188
79. Say, "He will give them
Life Who created them
For the first time!
For He is well-versed
In every kind of creation!
80. "The same Who produces
For you fire out of
The green tree, when behold!
Ye kindle therewith
(Your own fires)!
81. "Is not He Who created
The heavens and the earth
Able to create the like
Thereof?"—Yea, indeed!
For he is the Creator Supreme,
Of skill and knowledge (infinite)!
82. Verily, when He intends
A thing, His Command is,
"Be", and it is!
83. So glory to Him
In Whose hands is
The dominion of all things:
And to Him will
Be all brought back.

# Sūra XXXVII.

Ṣāffāt, or Those Ranged in Ranks.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. By those who range
Themselves in ranks,
2. And so are strong
In repelling (evil),
3. And thus proclaim
The Message (of God)!
4. Verily, verily, your God
Is One!—
5. Lord of the heavens
And of the earth,
p. 1191
And all between them,
And Lord of every point
At the rising of the sun!
6. We have indeed decked
The lower heaven with beauty
(In) the stars,—
7. (For beauty) and for guard
Against all obstinate
Rebellious evil spirits,
8. (So) they should not strain
Their ears in the direction
Of the Exalted Assembly
p. 1192
But be cast away
From every side,
9. Repulsed, for they are
Under a perpetual penalty,
10. Except such as snatch away
Something by stealth, and they
Are pursued by a flaming
Fire, of piercing brightness.
11. Just ask their opinion:
Are they the more difficult
To create, or the (other) beings
We have created?
Them have We created
Out of a sticky clay!
12. Truly dost thou marvel,
While they ridicule,
13. And, when they are
Admonished, pay no heed,—
14. And, when they see
A Sign, turn it
To mockery,
15. And say, "This is nothing
But evident sorcery!
16. "What! when we die,
And become dust and bones,
p. 1193
Shall we (then) be
Raised up (again)?
17. "And also our fathers
Of old?"
18. Say thou: "Yea, and ye shall
Then be humiliated
(On account of your evil).
19. Then it will be a single
(Compelling) cry;
And behold, they will
Begin to see!
20. They will say, "Ah!
Woe to us! this is
The Day of Judgment!"
21. (A voice will say,)
"This is the Day
Of Sorting Out, whose
Truth ye (once) denied!"

SECTION 2.

22. "Bring ye up",
It shall be said,
p. 1194
"The wrong-doers
And their wives,
And the things they worshipped—
23. "Besides God,
And lead them to the Way
To the (Fierce) Fire!
24. "But stop them,
For they must be asked:
25. "What is the matter
With you that ye
Help not each other?"
26. Nay, but that day they
Shall submit (to judgment);
27. And they will turn to
One another, and question
One another.
28. They will say: "It was ye
Who used to come to us
From the right hand
(Of power and authority)!"
p. 1195
29. They will reply: "Nay, ye
Yourselves had no Faith!
30. "Nor had we any authority
Over you. Nay, it was
Ye who were a people
In obstinate rebellion!
31. "So now has been proved true,
Against us, the Word
Of our Lord that we
Shall indeed (have to) taste
(The punishment of our sins).
32. "We led you astray: for truly
We were ourselves astray."
33. Truly, that Day, they will
(All) share in the Penalty.
34. Verily that is how We
Shall deal with Sinners.
35. For they, when they were
Told that there is
No god except God, would
Puff themselves up with Pride,
p. 1196
36. And say: "What! Shall we
Give up our gods.
For the sake of
A Poet possessed?"
37. Nay! he has come
With the (very) Truth,
And he confirms (the Message
Of) the apostles (before him).
38. Ye shall indeed taste
Of the Grievous Penalty;—
39. But it will be no more
Than the retribution
Of (the Evil) that ye
Have wrought;—
40. But the sincere (and devoted)
Servants of God,—
41. For them is a Sustenance
Determined,
42. Fruits (Delights); and they
(Shall enjoy) honour and dignity,
43. In Gardens of Felicity,
p. 1197
44. Facing each other
On Thrones (of dignity):
45. Round will be passed
To them a Cup
From a clear-flowing fountain,
46. Crystal-white, of a taste
Delicious to those
Who drink (thereof),
47. Free from headiness;
Nor will they suffer
Intoxication therefrom.
48. And besides them will be
Chaste women, restraining
Their glances, with big eyes
(Of wonder and beauty).
49. As if they were
(Delicate) eggs closely guarded.
50. When they will turn to
One another and question
One another.
51. One of them will start
The talk and say:
"I had an intimate
Companion (on the earth),
p. 1198
52. "Who used to say,
"What! art thou amongst those
Who bear witness to
The truth (of the Message)?
53. "When we die and become
Dust and bones, shall we
Indeed receive rewards
And punishments?"
54. (A voice) said: "Would ye
Like to look down?"
55. He looked down
And saw him
In the midst of the Fire.
56. He said: "By God!
Thou wast little short
Of bringing me to perdition!
57. "Had it not been for
The Grace of my Lord,
I should certainly have been
Among those brought (there)!
58. "Is it (the case) that
We shall not die,
59. "Except our first death,
And that we
Shall not be punished?"
60. Verily this is
The supreme achievement!
p. 1199
61. For the like of this
Let all strive,
Who wish to strive.
62. Is that the better entertainment
Or the Tree of Zaqqūm?
63. For We have truly
Made it (as) a trial
For the wrong-doers.
64. For it is a tree
That springs out
Of the bottom of Hell-fire:
65. The shoots of its fruit-stalks
Are like the heads
Of devils:
66. Truly they will eat thereof
And fill their bellies therewith.
67. Then on top of that
They will be given
A mixture made of
Boiling water.
68. Then shall their return
Be to the (Blazing) Fire.
p. 1200
69. Truly they found their fathers
On the wrong Path;
70. So they (too) were rushed
Down on their footsteps!
71. And truly before them,
Many of the ancients
Went astray;—
72. But We sent aforetime,
Among them, (apostles)
To admonish them;—
73. Then see what was
The End of those who
Were admonished (but heeded not),—
74. Except the sincere (and devoted)
Servants of God.
p. 1201

SECTION 3.

75. (In the days of old),
Noah cried to Us,
And We are the Best
To hear prayer.
76. And We delivered him
And his people from
The Great Calamity,
77. And made his progeny
To endure (on this earth);
78. And We left (this blessing)
For him among generations
To come in later times:
79. "Peace and salutation to Noah
Among the nations!"
80. Thus indeed do We reward
Those who do right.
81. For he was one
Of Our believing Servants.
p. 1202
82. Then the rest We overwhelmed
In the Flood.
83. Verily among those
Who followed his Way
Was Abraham.
84. Behold, he approached his Lord
With a sound heart.
85. Behold, he said to his father
And to his people, "What
Is that which ye worship?
86. "Is it a Falsehood—
Gods other than God—
That ye desire?
87. "Then what is your idea
About the Lord of the
Worlds?"
88. Then did he cast
A glance at the Stars,
89. And he said, "I am
Indeed sick (at heart)!"
p. 1203
90. So they turned away
From him, and departed.
91. When did he turn
To their gods and said,
"Will ye not eat
(Of the offerings before you)?…
92. "What is the matter
With you that ye
Speak not (intelligently)?"
93. Then did he turn
Upon them, striking (them)
With the right hand.
94. Then came (the worshippers)
With hurried steps,
And faced (him).
95. He said: "Worship ye
That which ye have
(Yourselves) carved?
96. "But God has created you
And your handiwork!"
97. They said, "Build him
A furnace, and throw him
Into the blazing fire!"
98. (This failing), they then
Sought a stratagem against him,
p. 1204
But We made them the ones
Most humiliated!
99. He said: "I will go
To my Lord! He
Will surely guide me!
100. "O my Lord! grant me
A righteous (son)!"
101. So We gave him
The good news
Of a boy ready
To suffer and forbear.
102. Then, when (the son)
Reached (the age of)
(Serious) work with him,
He said: "O my son
I see in vision
That I offer thee in sacrifice:
Now see what is
Thy view!" (The son) said:
"O my father! Do
As thou art commanded:
p. 1205
Thou will find me,
If God so wills one
Practising Patience and Constancy!"
103. So when they had both
Submitted their wills (to God),
And he had laid him
Prostrate on his forehead
(For sacrifice),
104. We called out to him,
"O Abraham!
105. "Thou hast already fulfilled
The vision!"—thus indeed
Do We reward
Those who do right.
106. For this was obviously
A trial—
p. 1206
107. And We ransomed him
With a momentous sacrifice:
108. And We left (this blessing)
For him among generations
(To come) in later times:
109. "Peace and salutation
To Abraham!"
110. Thus indeed do We reward
Those who do right
111. For he was one
Of Our believing Servants.
112. And We gave him
The good news
Of Isaac—a prophet,—
One of the Righteous.
113. We blessed him and Isaac:
But of their progeny
Are (some) that do right,
And (some) that obviously
Do wrong, to their own souls.

SECTION 4.

114. Again, (of old,)
We bestowed Our favour
p. 1207
On Moses and Aaron,
115. And We delivered them
And their people from
(Their) Great Calamity;
116. And We helped them,
So they overcame
(their troubles);
117. And We gave them
The Book which helps
To make things clear;
118. And We guided them
To the Straight Way.
119. And We left (this blessing)
For them among generations
(To come) in later times:
120. "Peace and salutation
To Moses and Aaron!"
121. Thus indeed do We reward
Those who do right.
122. For they were two
Of Our believing Servants.
p. 1208
123. So also was Elias
Among those sent (by Us).
124. Behold, he said
To his people,
"Will ye not fear (God)?
125. "Will ye call upon Baal
And forsake the Best
Of Creators,—
126. "God, your Lord and Cherisher
And the Lord and Cherisher
Of your fathers of old?"
127. But they rejected him,
And they will certainly
Be called up (for punishment),—
128. Except the sincere and devoted
Servants of God (among them).
129. And We left (this blessing)
For him among generations
(To come) in later times:
130. "Peace and salutation
To such as Elias!"
p. 1209
131. Thus indeed do We reward
Those who do right.
132. For he was one
Of Our believing Servants.
133. So also was Lot
Among those sent (by Us).
134. Behold, We delivered him
And his adherents, all
135. Except an old woman
Who was among those
Who lagged behind:
136. Then We destroyed
The rest.
137. Verily, ye pass
By their (sites),
By day—
138. And by night:
Will ye not understand?
p. 1210

SECTION 5.

139. So also was Jonah
Among those sent (by Us).
140. When he ran away
(Like a slave from captivity)
To the ship (fully) laden,
141. He (agreed to) cast lots,
And he was condemned:
142. Then the big Fish
Did swallow him,
And he had done
Acts worthy of blame.
143. Had it not been
That he (repented and)
Glorified God,
144. He would certainly have
Remained inside the Fish
Till the Day of Resurrection.
p. 1211
145. But We cast him forth
On the naked shore
In a state of sickness,
146. And We caused to grow,
Over him, a spreading plant
Of the Gourd kind.
147. And We sent him
(On a mission)
To a hundred thousand
(Men) or more.
148. And they believed;
So We permitted them
To enjoy (their life)
For a while.
149. Now ask them their opinion:
Is it that thy Lord
Has (only) daughters, and they
Have sons?—
150. Or that We created
The angels female, and they
Are witnesses (thereto)?
151. Is it not that they
Say, from their own invention,
p. 1212
152. "God has begotten children"?
But they are liars!
153. Did He (then) choose
Daughters rather than sons?
154. What is the matter
With you? How judge ye?
155. Will ye not then
Receive admonition?
156. Or have ye
An authority manifest?
157. Then bring ye your Book
(Of authority) if ye be
Truthful!
158. And they have invented
A blood-relationship
Between Him and the Jinns:
But the Jinns know
(Quite well) that they
Have indeed to appear
(Before His Judgment-seat)!
159. Glory to God! (He is free)
From the things they ascribe
(To Him)!
160. Not (so do) the Servants
Of God, sincere and devoted.
p. 1213
161. For, verily, neither ye
Nor those ye worship—
162. Can lead (any)
Into temptation
Concerning God,
163. Except such as are
(Themselves) going to
The blazing Fire!
164. (Those ranged in ranks say):
"Not one of us but has
A place appointed;
165. "And we are verily
Ranged in ranks (for service);
166. "And we are verily those
Who declare (God's) glory!"
167. And there were those
Who said,
168. "If only we had had
Before us a Message
From those of old,
169. "We should certainly have
Been Servants of God,
Sincere (and devoted)!"
p. 1214
170. But (now that the Qur-ān
Has come), they reject it:
But soon will they know!
171. Already has Our Word
Been passed before (this)
To Our Servants sent (by Us),
172. That they would certainly
Be assisted,
173. And that Our forces,—
They surely must conquer.
174. So turn thou away
From them for a little while,
175. And watch them (how
They fare), and they soon
Shall see (how thou farest)!
176. Do they wish (indeed)
To hurry on our Punishment?
177. But when it descends
Into the open space
Before them, evil will be
The morning for those who
Were warned (and heeded not)!
p. 1215
178. So turn thou away
From them for a little while,
179. And watch (how they fare)
And they soon shall see
(How thou farest)!
180. Glory to thy Lord,
The Lord of Honour
And Power! (He is free)
From what they ascribe
(To Him)!
181. And Peace on the apostles!
182. And Praise to God,
The Lord and Cherisher
Of the Worlds.

# Sūra XXXVIII.

Ṣād.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Ṣād:
By the Qur-ān,
Full of Admonition:
(This is the Truth).
2. But the Unbelievers
(Are steeped) in Self-glory
And Separatism.
3. How many generations
Before them did We destroy?
In the end they cried
(For mercy)—when
There was no longer time
For being saved!
4. So they wonder
That a Warner has come
p. 1218
To them from among themselves!
And the Unbelievers say,
"This is a sorcerer
Telling lies!
5. "Has he made the gods
(All) into one God?
Truly this is
A wonderful thing!"
6. And the leaders among them
Go away (impatiently), (saying),
"Walk ye away, and remain
Constant to your gods!
For this is truly
A thing designed (against you)!
7. "We never heard (the like)
Of this among the people
Of these latter days:
This is nothing but
A made-up tale!"
8. "What! Has the Message
Been sent to him—
p. 1219
(Of all persons) among us?"…
But they are in doubt
Concerning My (own) Message!
Nay, they have not yet
Tasted My Punishment!
9. Or have they the Treasures
Of the Mercy of thy Lord,—
The Exalted in Power,
The Grantor of Bounties
Without measure?
10. Or have they the dominion
Of the heavens and the earth
And all between? If so,
Let them mount up
With the ropes and means
(To reach that end)!
11. But there—will be
Put to flight even a host
Of confederates.
12. Before them (were many
Who) rejected apostles,—
The People of Noah,
And ‘Ād, and Pharaoh
The Lord of Stakes,
p. 1220
13. And Thamūd, and the People
Of Lūṭ, and the Companions
Of the Wood;—such were
The Confederates.
14. Not one (of them) but
Rejected the apostles,
But My Punishment
Came justly and inevitably
(On them).

SECTION 2.

15. These (to-day) only wait
For a single mighty Blast,
Which (when it comes)
Will brook no delay.
16. They say: "Our Lord!
Hasten to us our sentence
(Even) before the Day
Of Account!"
17. Have patience at what they
Say, and remember Our Servant
David, the man of strength:
For he ever turned (to God).
p. 1221
18. It was We that made
The hills declare,
In unison with him,
Our Praises, at eventide
And at break of day,
19. And the birds gathered
(In assemblies): all with him
Did turn (to God).
20. We strengthened his kingdom,
And gave him wisdom
And sound judgment
In speech and decision.
21. Has the Story of
The Disputants reached thee?
Behold, they climbed over
The wall of the private chamber;
22. When they entered
The presence of David,
And he was terrified
Of them, they said:
"Fear not: we are two
Disputants, one of whom
Has wronged the other:
Decide now between us
With truth, and treat us not
With unjustice, but guide us
To the even Path.
p. 1222
23. "This man is my brother:
He has nine and ninety
Ewes, and I have (but) one:
Yet he says, "Commit her
To my care," and is (moreover)
Harsh to me in speech."
24. (David) said: "He has
Undoubtedly wronged thee
In demanding thy (single) ewe
To be added to his (flock
Of) ewes: truly many
Are the Partners (in business)
Who wrong each other:
Not so do those who believe
And work deeds of righteousness,
And how few are they?"…
And David gathered that we
Had tried him: he asked
Forgiveness of his Lord,
Fell down, bowing
(In prostration), and turned
(To God in repentance).
25. So We forgave him
This (lapse): he enjoyed,
Indeed, a Near Approach to Us,
And a beautiful Place
Of (final) Return.
p. 1223
26, O David! We did indeed
Make thee a vicegerent
On earth: so judge thou
Between men in truth (and justice):
Nor follow thou the lusts
(Of thy heart), for they will
Mislead thee from the Path
Of God: for those who
Wander astray from the Path
Of God, is a Penalty Grievous,
For that they forget
The Day of Account.

SECTION 3.

27. Not without purpose did We
Create heaven and earth
And all between! That
Were the thought of Unbelievers!
But woe to the Unbelievers
Because of the Fire (of Hell)!
p. 1224
28. Shall We treat those
Who believe and work deeds
Of righteousness, the same
As those who do mischief
On earth? Shall We treat
Those who guard against evil,
The same as those who
Turn aside from the right?
29. (Here is) a Book which
We have sent down
Unto thee, full of blessings,
That they may meditate
On its Signs, and that
Men of understanding may
Receive admonition.
30. To David We gave
Solomon (for a son),—
How excellent in Our service!
Ever did he turn (to Us)!
31. Behold, there were brought
Before him, at eventide,
Coursers of the highest breeding,
And swift of foot;
p. 1225
32. And he said, "Truly
Do I love the love
Of Good, with a view
To the glory of my Lord,"—
Until (the sun) was hidden
In the veil (of Night):
33. "Bring them back to me."
Then began he to pass
His hand over (their) legs
And their necks.
34. And We did try
Solomon: We placed
On his throne a body
(Without life): but he did turn
(To Us in true devotion):
35. He said, "O my Lord!
Forgive me, and grant me
p. 1226
A Kingdom which,
(It may be), suits not
Another after me:
For Thou art the Grantor
Of Bounties (without measure).
36. Then We subjected the Wind
To his power, to flow
Gently to his order,
Whithersoever he willed,—
37. As also the evil ones,
(Including) every kind
Of builder and diver,—
38. As also others bound
Together in fetters.
39. "Such are Our Bounties:
Whether thou bestow them
(On others) or withhold them,
No account will be asked."
40. And he enjoyed, indeed,
A Near Approach to Us,
And a beautiful Place
Of (final) Return.

SECTION 4.

41. Commemorate Our Servant Job.
p. 1227
Behold he cried to his Lord:
"The Evil One has afflicted
Me with distress and suffering!"
42. (The command was given:)
"Strike with thy foot:
Here is (water) wherein
To wash, coal and refreshing,
And (water) to drink."
43. And We gave him (back)
His people, and doubled
Their number,—as a Grace
From Ourselves, and a thing
For commemoration, for all
Who have Understanding.
44. "And take in thy hand
A little grass, and strike
Therewith: and break not
(Thy oath)." Truly We found
Him full of patience and constancy.
How excellent in Our service!
Ever did he turn (to Us)!
45. And commemorate Our Servants
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
Possessors of Power and Vision.
p. 1228
46. Verily We did choose them
For a special (purpose)—
Proclaiming the Message
Of the Hereafter.
47. They were, in Our sight,
Truly, of the company
Of the Elect and the Good.
48. And commemorate Ismā‘īl,
Elisha, and Ẓul-Kifl:
Each of them was
Of the company of the Good.
49. This is a Message
(Of admonition): and verily,
For the Righteous,
Is a beautiful place
Of (final) Return,—
50. Gardens of Eternity,
Whose doors will (ever)
Be open to them;
51. Therein will they
Recline (at ease);
Therein can they
Call (at pleasure)
For fruit in abundance,
And (delicious) drink;
p. 1229
52. And beside them will be
Chaste women restraining
Their glances, (companions)
Of equal age.
53. Such is the Promise
Made to you
For the Day of Account!
54. Truly such will be
Our Bounty (to you);
It will never fail;—
55. ''Yea, such! But
For the wrong-doers
Will be an evil place
Of (final) Return!—
56. Hell!—they will burn
Therein,—an evil bed
(Indeed, to lie on)!—
57. Yea, such!—Then
Shall they taste it,
A boiling fluid, and a fluid
Dark, murky, intensely cold!—
58. And other Penalties
Of a similar kind,
To match them!
p. 1230
59. Here is a troop
Rushing headlong with you!
No welcome for them!
Truly, they shall burn
In the Fire!
60. (The followers shall cry
To the misleaders:)
"Nay, ye (too)! No welcome
For you! It is ye who
Have brought this upon us!
Now evil is (this) place
To stay in!"
61. They will say: "Our Lord!
Whoever brought this upon us,—
Add to him a double
Penalty in the Fire!"
62. And they will say:
"What has happened to us
That we see not men
Whom we used to number
Among the bad ones?
63. "Did we treat them
(As such) in ridicule,
Or have (our) eyes
Failed to perceive them?"
64. Truly that is just and fitting,—
The mutual recriminations
Of the People of the Fire!
p. 1231

SECTION 5.

65. Say: "Truly am I
A Warner: no god
Is there but the One
God, Supreme and Irresistible,—
66. "The Lord of the heavens
And the earth, and all
Between,—Exalted in Might,
Able to enforce His Will,
Forgiving again and again."
67. Say: "That is a Message
Supreme (above all),—
68. "From which ye
Do turn away!
69. "No knowledge have I
Of the Chiefs on high,
When they discuss
(Matters) among themselves.
p. 1232
70. "Only this has been revealed
To me: that I am
To give warning
Plainly and publicly."
71. Behold, thy Lord said
To the angels: "I am
About to create man
From clay:
72. "When I have fashioned him
(In due proportion) and breathed
Into him of My spirit,
Fall ye down in obeisance
Unto him."
73. So the angels prostrated themselves,
All of them together:
74. Not so Iblīs: he
Was haughty, and became
One of those who reject Faith.
75. (God) said: "O Iblīs!
What prevents thee from
Prostrating thyself to one
Whom I have created
With My hands?
Art thou haughty?
p. 1233
Or art thou one
Of the high (and mighty) ones?"
76. (Iblīs) said: "I am better
Than he: Thou createdst
Me from fire, and him
Thou createdst from clay."
77. (God) said: "Then get thee
Out from here: for thou
Art rejected, accursed.
78. "And My Curse shall be
On thee till the Day
Of Judgment."
79. (Iblīs) said: "O my Lord!
Give me then respite
Till the Day
The (dead) are raised."
80. (God) said: "Respite then
Is granted thee—
81. "Till the Day
Of the Time Appointed."
82. (Iblīs) said: "Then,
By Thy Power, I will
Put them all in the wrong,—
p. 1234
83. "Except Thy Servants
Amongst them, sincere
And purified (by Thy grace)."
84. (God) said: "Then
It is just and fitting—
And I say what is
Just and fitting—
85. "That I will certainly fill
Hell with thee
And those that follow thee,—
Every one."
86. Say: "No reward do I ask
Of you for this (Qur-ān),
Nor am I a pretender.
87. "This is no less than
A Message to (all)
The Worlds.
88. "And ye shall certainly
Know the truth of it (all)
After a while."

# Sūra XXXIX.

Zumar, or the Crowds.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. The revelation
Of this Book
Is from God,
The Exalted in Power,
Full of Wisdom.
2. Verily it is We Who have
Revealed the Book to thee
In Truth: so serve God,
Offering Him sincere devotion.
3. Is it not to God
That sincere devotion
Is due? But those who
Take for protectors others
Than God (say): "We only
Serve them in order that
They may bring us nearer
To God." Truly God
Will judge between them
In that wherein they differ.
But God guides not
Such as are false
And ungrateful.
p. 1237
4. Had God wished
To take to Himself
A son, He could have
Chosen whom He pleased
Out of those whom He
Doth create: but Glory
Be to Him! (He is above
Such things.) He is God,
The One, the Irresistible.
5. He created the heavens
And the earth
In true (proportions):
He makes the Night
Overlap the Day, and the Day
Overlap the Night:
He has subjected
The sun and the moon
(To His law):
Each one follows a course
For a time appointed.
Is not He the Exalted
In Power—He Who forgives
Again and again?
6. He created you (all)
From a single Person:
Then created, of like nature,
His mate; and He
Sent down for you eight head
Of cattle in pairs:
He makes you,
In the wombs
p. 1238
Of your mothers,
In stages, one after another,
In three veils of darkness.
Such is God, your Lord
And Cherisher: to Him belongs
(All) dominion. There is
No god but He: then
How are ye turned away
(From your true Centre)?
7. If ye reject (God),
Truly God hath no need
Of you; but He liketh not
Ingratitude from His servants:
If ye are grateful, He
Is pleased with you.
No bearer of burdens
Can bear the burden
Of another. In the End,
To your Lord is your Return,
When He will tell you
The truth of all
That ye did (in this life).
For He knoweth well
All that is in (men's) hearts.
8. When some trouble toucheth man,
He crieth unto his Lord,
p. 1239
Turning to Him in repentance:
But when He bestoweth
A favour upon him
As from Himself, (man)
Doth forget what he cried
And prayed for before,
And he doth set up
Rivals unto God,
Thus misleading others
From God's Path.
Say, "Enjoy thy blasphemy
For a little while:
Verily thou art (one)
Of the Companions of the Fire!"
9. Is one who worships devoutly
During the hours of the night
Prostrating himself or standing
(In adoration), who takes heed
Of the Hereafter, and who
Places his hope in the Mercy
Of his Lord—(like one
Who does not)? Say:
"Are those equal, those who know
And those who do not know?
It is those who are
Endued with understanding
That receive admonition.

SECTION 2.

10. Say: "O ye
My servants who believe!
Fear your Lord.
Good is (the reward)
For those who do good
In this world.
p. 1240
Spacious is God's earth!
Those who patiently persevere
Will truly receive
A reward without measure!"
11. Say: "Verily, I am commanded
To serve God
With sincere devotion;
12. "And I am commanded
To be the first
Of those who bow
To God in Islam."
13. Say: "I would, if I
Disobeyed my Lord,
Indeed have fear
Of the Penalty
Of a Mighty Day."
14. Say: "It is God I serve,
With my sincere
(And exclusive) devotion:
15. "Serve ye what ye will
Besides Him." Say:
"Truly, those in loss
Are those who lose
Their own souls
And their People
On the Day of Judgment:
Ah! that is indeed
The (real and) evident Loss!
p. 1241
16. They shall have Layers
Of Fire above them,
And Layers (of Fire)
Below them: with this
Doth God warn off
His Servants: "O My Servants!
Then fear ye Me!"
17. Those who eschew Evil,
And fall not into
Its worship,—and turn
To God (in repentance),—
For them is Good News:
So announce the Good News
To My Servants,—
18. Those who listen
To the Word,
And follow
The best (meaning) in it:
Those are the ones
Whom God has guided, and those
Are the ones endued
With understanding.
19. Is, then, one against whom
The decree of Punishment
p. 1242
Is justly due (equal
To one who eschews evil)?
Wouldst thou, then, deliver
One (who is) in the Fire?
20. But it is for those
Who fear their Lord,
That lofty mansions,
One above another,
Have been built:
Beneath them flow
Rivers (of delight): (such is)
The Promise of God:
Never doth God fail in
(His) promise.
21. Seest thou not that God
Sends down rain from
The sky, and leads it
Through springs in the earth.?
Then He causes to grow,
Therewith, produce of various
Colours: then it withers;
Thou wilt see it grow yellow;
Then He makes it
Dry up and crumble away.
Truly, in this, is
A Message of remembrance to
Men of understanding.
p. 1243

SECTION 3.

22. Is one whose heart
God has opened to Islam,
So that he has received
Enlightenment from God,
(No better than one hard-hearted)?
Woe to those whose hearts
Are hardened against celebrating
The praises of God! They
Are manifestly wandering
(In error)!
23. God has revealed
(From time to time)
The most beautiful Message
In the form of a Book,
Consistent with itself,
(Yet) repeating (its teaching
p. 1244
In various aspects):
The skins of those who
Fear their Lord tremble
Thereat; then their skins
And their hearts do soften
To the celebration of
God's praises. Such is
The guidance of God:
He guides therewith
Whom He pleases, but such
As God leaves to stray,
Can have none to guide.
24. Is, then, one who
Has to fear the brunt
Of the Penalty on the Day
Of Judgment (and receive it)
On his face, (like one
Guarded therefrom)? It will
p. 1245
Be said to the wrong-doers:
"Taste ye (the fruits
Of) what ye earned!
25. Those before them (also)
Rejected (revelation), and so
The Punishment came to them
From directions they did not
Perceive.
26. So God gave them
A taste of humiliation
In the present life,
But greater is the Punishment
Of the Hereafter,
If they only knew!
27. We have put forth
For men, in this Qur-ān
Every kind of Parable,
In order that they
May receive admonition.
28. (It is) a Qur-ān
In Arabic, without any
p. 1246
Crookedness (therein):
In order that they
May guard against Evil.
29. God puts forth a Parable—
A man belonging to many
Partners at variance with each other,
And a man belonging entirely
To one master: are those two
Equal in comparison?
Praise be to God!
But most of them
Have no knowledge.
30. Truly thou wilt die
(One day), and truly they
(Too) will die (one day).
31. In the End will ye
(All), on the Day
Of Judgment, settle your disputes
In the presence of your Lord.
p. 1247

SECTION 4.

32. Who, then, doth more wrong
Than one who utters
A lie concerning God,
And rejects the Truth
When it comes to him
Is there not in Hell
An abode for blasphemers?
33. And he who brings the Truth
And he who confirms
(And supports) it—such are
The men who do right.
34. They shall have all
That they wish for,
In the presence of their Lord:
Such is the reward
Of those who do good:
35. So that God will
Turn off from them
(Even) the worst in their deeds
And give them their reward
According to the best
Of what they have done.
p. 1248
36. Is not God enough
For His servant? But
They try to frighten thee
With other (gods) besides Him!
For such as God leaves
To stray, there can be
No guide.
37. And such as God doth
Guide there can be
None to lead astray.
Is not God Exalted
In Power, (Able to enforce
His Will), Lord of Retribution?
38. If indeed thou ask them
Who it is that created
The heavens and the earth,
They would be sure to say.
"God ". Say: "See ye then?
The things that ye invoke
Besides God,—can they,
If God wills some Penalty
For me, remove His Penalty?—
Or if He wills some Grace
For me, can they keep back
p. 1249
His Grace?" Say: "Sufficient
Is God for me!
In Him trust those
Who put their trust."
39. Say: "O my people!
Do whatever ye can:
I will do (my part):
But soon will ye know—
40. "Who it is to whom
Comes a Penalty
Of ignominy, and on whom
Descends a Penalty that abides."
41. Verily We have revealed
The Book to thee
In Truth, for (instructing)
mankind.
He, then, that receives guidance
Benefits his own soul:
But he that strays
Injures his own soul.
Nor art thou set
Over them to dispose
Of their affairs.

SECTION 5.

42. It is God that takes
The souls (of men) at death;
p. 1250
And those that die not
(He takes) during their sleep:
Those on whom He
Has passed the decree
Of death, He keeps back
(From returning to life),
But the rest He sends
(To their bodies)
For a term appointed.
Verily in this are Signs
For those who reflect.
43. What! Do they take
For intercessors others
Besides God? Say: "Even if
They have no power whatever
And no intelligence?"
44. Say: "To God belongs
Exclusively (the right
p. 1251
To grant) Intercession:
To Him belongs the dominion
Of the heavens and the earth:
In the End, it is to Him
That ye shall be
Brought back."
45. When God, the One and Only,
Is mentioned, the hearts
Of those who believe not
In the Hereafter are filled
With disgust and horror;
But when (gods) other than He
Are mentioned, behold,
They are filled with joy!
46. Say: "O God!
Creator of the heavens
And the earth!
Knower of all that is
Hidden and open!
It is Thou that wilt
Judge between Thy Servants
In those matters about which
They have differed."
47. Even if the wrong-doers
Had all that there is
On earth, and as much more,
(In vain) would they offer it
p. 1252
For ransom from the pain
Of the Penalty on the Day
Of Judgment: but something
Will confront them from God,
Which they could never
Have counted upon!
48. For the evils of their Deeds
Will confront them,
And they will be (completely)
Encircled by that which
They used to mock at!
49. Now, when trouble touches man,
He cries to Us:
But when We bestow
A favour upon him
As from Ourselves,
He says, "This has been
Given to me because of
A certain knowledge (I have)!"
Nay, but this is
But a trial, but most
Of them understand not!
50. Thus did the (generations)
Before them say! But
All that they did
Was of no profit to them.
51. Nay, the evil results
Of their deeds overtook them.
And the wrong-doers
Of this (generation)
The evil results of their deeds
Will soon overtake them (too),
p. 1253
And they will never be
Able to frustrate (Our Plan)!
52. Know they not that
God enlarges the provision
Or restricts it, for any
He pleases? Verily, in this are
Signs for those who believe!

SECTION 6.

53. Say: "O my Servants who
Have transgressed against their souls
Despair not of the Mercy
Of God: for God forgives
All sins: for He is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
54. "Turn ye to your Lord
(In repentance) and bow
To His (Will), before
The Penalty comes on you:
After that ye shall not
Be helped.
p. 1254
55. "And follow the Best
Of (the courses) revealed
To you from your Lord,
Before the Penalty comes
On you—of a sudden,
While ye perceive not!—
56. "Lest the soul should (then)
Say: "Ah! woe is me!—
In that I neglected
(My Duty) towards God,
And was but among those
Who mocked!"—
57. "Or (lest) it should say:
"If only God had guided
Me, I should certainly
Have been among the righteous!"—
58. "Or (lest) it should say
When it (actually) sees
The Penalty, "If only
I had another chance,
I should certainly be
Among those who do good!"
59. "(The reply will be:) "Nay,
But there came to thee
p. 1255
My Signs, and thou didst
Reject them: thou vast
Haughty, and became one
Of those who reject Faith!
60. (On the Day of Judgment
Wilt thou see those
Who told lies against God;—
Their faces will be turned
Black; is there not
In Hell an abode
For the Haughty?
61. But God will deliver
The righteous to their place
Of salvation: no evil
Shall touch them,
Nor shall they grieve.
62. God is the Creator
Of all things, and He
Is the Guardian and Disposer
Of all affairs.
63. To Him belong the keys
Of the heavens
And the earth:
And those who reject
The Signs of God,—
It is they who will
Be in loss.
p. 1256

SECTION 7.

64. Say: "Is it
Some one other than God
That ye order me
To worship, O ye
Ignorant ones?"
65. But it has already
Been revealed to thee,—
As it was to those
Before thee,—"If thou
Wert to join (gods
With God), truly fruitless
Will be thy work (in life),
And thou wilt surely
Be in the ranks of those
Who lose (all spiritual good)".
66. Nay, but worship God,
And be of those who
Give thanks.
67. No just estimate
Have they made of God,
Such as is due to Him:
On the Day of Judgment
The whole of the earth
Will be but His handful,
And the heavens will be
p. 1257
Rolled up in His right hand:
Glory to Him!
High is He above
The Partners they attribute
To Him!
68. The Trumpet will (just)
Be sounded, when all
That are in the heavens
And on earth will swoon,
Except such as it will
Please God (to exempt).
Then will a second one
Be sounded, when, behold,
They will be standing
And looking on!
69. And the Earth will shine
With the glory of its Lord:
The Record (of Deeds)
Will be placed (open);
The prophets and the witnesses
Will be brought forward;
And a just decision
Pronounced between them;
And they will not
Be wronged (in the least).
70. And to every soul will be
Paid in full (the fruit)
p. 1258
Of its deeds; and (God)
Knoweth best all that
They do.

SECTION 8.

71. The Unbelievers will be
Led to Hell in crowd:
Until, when they arrive there,
Its gates will be opened.
And its Keepers will say,
"Did not apostles come
To you from among yourselves,
Rehearsing to you the Signs
Of your Lord, and warning you
Of the Meeting of this Day
Of yours?" The answer
Will be: "True: but
The Decree of Punishment
Has been proved true
Against the Unbelievers!"
72. (To them) will be said:
"Enter ye the gates of Hell,
To dwell therein:
And evil is (this)
Abode of the arrogant!"
73. And those who feared
Their Lord will be led
To the Garden in crowds:
Until behold, they arrive there;
p. 1259
Its gates will be opened;
And its Keepers will say:
"Peace be upon you!
Well have ye done!"
Enter ye here,
To dwell therein."
74. They will say: "Praise be
To God, Who has
Truly fulfilled His promise
To us, and has given us
(This) land in heritage:
We can dwell in the Garden
As we will: how excellent
A reward for those
Who work (righteousness)!"
75. And thou wilt see
The angels surrounding
The Throne (Divine)
On all sides, singing Glory
And Praise to their Lord.
The Decision between them
(At Judgment) will be
In (perfect) justice,
And the cry (on all sides)
Will be, "Praise be to God,
The Lord of the Worlds!"

# Sūra XL.

Mū-min, or The Believer.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Hā-Mīm.
2. The revelation
Of this Book
Is from God,
Exalted in Power,
Full of Knowledge,—
3. Who forgiveth Sin,
Accepteth Repentance,
Is Strict in Punishment,
And hath a Long Reach
(In all things).
There is no god
But He: to Him
Is the Final Goal.
4. None can dispute
About the Signs of God
But the Unbelievers.
Let not, then,
Their strutting about
Through the land
Deceive thee!
p. 1263
5. But (there were people) before them,
Who denied (the Signs),—
The People of Noah,
And the Confederates
(Of Evil) after them;
And every People plotted
Against their prophet,
To seize him, and disputed
By means of vanities,
Therewith to condemn
The Truth: but it was I
That seized them!
And how (terrible)
Was My Requital!
6. Thus was the Decree
Of thy Lord proved true
Against the Unbelievers
That truly they are
Companions of the Fire!
7. Those who sustain
The Throne (of God)
And those around it
Sing Glory and Praise
To their Lord; believe
In Him; and implore Forgiveness
For those who believe:
"Our Lord! Thy Reach
p. 1264
Is over all things,
In Mercy and Knowledge.
Forgive, then, those who
Turn in Repentance, and follow
Thy Path; and preserve them
From the Penalty
Of the Blazing Fire!
8. "And grant, our Lord!
That they enter
The Gardens of Eternity,
Which Thou hast promised
To them, and to the righteous
Among their fathers,
Their wives, and their posterity!
For Thou art (He),
The Exalted in Might,
Full of Wisdom.
9. "And preserve them
From (all) ills;
And any whom Thou
Dost preserve from ills
That Day,—on them
Wilt Thou have bestowed
Mercy indeed: and that
Will be truly (for them)
The highest Achievement".

SECTION 2.

10. The Unbelievers will be
Addressed: "Greater was
The aversion of God to you
Than (is), your aversion
p. 1265
To yourselves, seeing that ye
Were called to the Faith
And ye used to refuse."
11. They will say: "Our Lord!
Twice hast Thou made us
Without life, and twice
Hast Thou given us Life!
Now have we recognised
Our sins: is there
Any way out (of this)?"
12. (The answer will be:)
"This is because, when
God was invoked as
The Only (object of worship),
Ye did reject Faith,
But when partners were
Joined to Him, ye believed!
The Command is with God,
Most High, Most Great!"
13. He it is Who showeth
You His Signs, and sendeth
Down Sustenance for you
From the sky: but only
Those receive admonition
Who turn (to God).
14. Call ye, then, upon God
With sincere devotion to Him,
p. 1266
Even though the Unbelievers
May detest it.
15. Raised high above ranks
(Or degrees),
(He is) the Lord
Of the Throne (of authority):
By His Command doth He
Send the spirit (of inspiration)
To any of His servants
He pleases, that it may
Warn (men) of the Day
Of Mutual Meeting,—
16. The Day whereon
They will (all) come forth:
Not a single thing
Concerning them is hidden
From God. Whose will be
The Dominion that Day?
That of God, the One,
The Irresistible!
17. That Day will every soul
Be requited for what
It earned; no injustice
Will there be that Day,
For God is Swift
In taking account.
p. 1267
18. Warn them of the Day
That is (ever) drawing near,
When the Hearts will
(Come) right up to the Throats
To choke (them);
No intimate friend
Nor intercessor will the
wrong-doers
Have, who could be
Listened to.
19. (God) knows of (the tricks)
That deceive with the eyes,
And all that the hearts
(Of men) conceal.
20. And God will judge
With (Justice and) Truth:
But those whom (men)
Invoke besides Him, will
Not (be in a position)
To judge at all.
Verily it is God (alone)
Who hears and sees
(All things).
p. 1268

SECTION 3.

21. Do they not travel
Through the earth and see
What was the End
Of those before them
They were even superior
To them in strength,
And in the traces (they
Have left) in the land:
But God did call them
To account for their sins,
And none had they
To defend them against God.
22. That was because there came
To them their apostles
With Clear (Signs),
But they rejected them:
So God called them
To account: for He is
Full of Strength,
Strict in Punishment.
23. Of old We sent Moses,
With Our Signs
And an Authority manifest,
p. 1269
24. To Pharaoh, Hāmān,
And Qārūn; but they
Called (him) "a sorcerer
Telling lies!"…
25. Now, when he came to them
In Truth, from Us,
They said, "Slay the sons
Of those who believe a
With him, and keep alive
Their females," but the plots
Of Unbelievers (end) in nothing
But errors (and delusions)!…
26. Said Pharaoh: "Leave me
To slay Moses; and let him
Call on his Lord!
What I fear is lest
He should change your religion,
Or lest he should cause
Mischief to appear
In the land!"
p. 1270
27. Moses said: "I have indeed
Called upon my Lord
And your Lord
(For protection) from every
Arrogant one who believes not
In the Day of Account!"

SECTION 4.

28. A Believer, a man
From among the people
Of Pharaoh, who had concealed
His faith, said: "Will ye
Slay a man because he
Says, "My Lord is God"?—
When he has indeed come
To you with Clear (Signs)
From your Lord? And if
He be a liar, on him
Is (the sin of) his lie;
But, if he is telling
The Truth, then will
Fall on you something
Of the (calamity) of which
He warns you: truly
God guides not one
Who transgresses and lies!
29. "O my People! yours
Is the dominion this day:
p. 1271
Ye have the upper hand
In the land: but who
Will help us from
The Punishment of God,
Should it befall us?"
Pharaoh said: "I but
Point out to you that
Which I see (myself);
Nor do I guide you
But to the Path of Right!"
30. Then said the man
Who believed: "O my People!
Truly I do fear
For you something like
The Day (of disaster)
Of the Confederates (in sin)!—
31. "Something like the fate
Of the People of Noah,
The ‘Ād, and the Thamūd,
And those who came
After them: but God
Never wishes injustice
To His Servants.
32. "And O my People!
I fear for you a Day
When there will be
Mutual calling (and wailing),—
p. 1272
33. "A Day when ye
Shall turn your backs
And flee: no defender
Shall ye have from God:
Any whom God leaves
To stray, there is none
To guide…
34. "And to you there came
Joseph in times gone by,
With Clear Signs, but
Ye ceased not to doubt
Of the (mission) for which
He had come: at length,
When he died, ye said:
"No apostle will God send
After him." Thus doth God
Leave to stray such as
Transgress and live in doubt,—
35. "(Such) as dispute about
The Signs of God,
Without any authority
That hath reached them.
Grievous and odious
(Is such conduct)
In the sight of God
And of the Believers.
Thus doth God seal up
Every heart—of arrogant
And obstinate transgressors."
p. 1273
36. Pharaoh said: "O Hāmān!
Build me a lofty palace,
That I may attain
The ways and means—
37. "The ways and means
Of (reaching) the heavens,
And that I may mount up
To the God of Moses:
But as far as I am concerned,
I think (Moses) is a liar!"
Thus was made alluring,
In Pharaoh's eyes,
The evil of his deeds,
And he was hindered
From the Path; and the plot
Of Pharaoh led to nothing
But perdition (for him).

SECTION 5.

38. The man who believed said
Further: "O my People!
Follow me: I will lead
You to the Path of Right.
39. "O my People! This life
Of the present is nothing
But (temporary) convenience:
It is the Hereafter
p. 1274
That is the Home
That will last.
40. "He that works evil
Will not be requited
But by the like thereof:
And he that works
A righteous deed—whether
Man or woman—and is
A Believer—such will enter
The Garden (of Bliss): therein
Will they have abundance
Without measure.
41. "And O my People!
How (strange) it is
For me to call you
To Salvation while ye
Call me to the Fire!
42. "Ye do call upon me
To blaspheme against God,
And to join with Him
Partners of whom I have
No knowledge; and I
Call you to the Exalted
In Power, Who forgives
Again and again!"
43. "Without doubt ye do call
Me to one who is not
Fit to be called to,
Whether in this world,
p. 1275
Or in the Hereafter;
Our Return will be
To God; and the Transgressors
Will be Companions
Of the Fire!
44. "Soon will ye remember
What I say to you (now).
My (own) affair I commit
To God: for God (ever)
Watches over His Servants."
45. Then God saved him
From (every) ill that they
Plotted (against him),
But the brunt of the Penalty
Encompassed on all sides
The People of Pharaoh.
46. In front of the Fire
Will they be brought,
Morning and evening:
And (the Sentence will be)
On the Day that
Judgment will be established:
"Cast ye the People
Of Pharaoh into
The severest Penalty!"
47. Behold, they will dispute
With each other in the Fire!
The weak ones (who followed)
Will say to those who
Had been arrogant, "We but
Followed you: can ye then
p. 1276
Take (on yourselves) from us
Some share of the Fire?"
48. Those who had been arrogant
Will say: "We are all
In this (Fire)! Truly,
God has judged
Between (His) Servants!"
49. Those in the Fire will say
To the Keepers of Hell:
"Pray to your Lord
To lighten us the Penalty
For a Day (at least)!"
50. They will say: "Did there
Not come to you
Your apostles with Clear Signs?"
They will say, "Yes".
They will reply, "Then
Pray (as ye like)! But
The Prayer of those
Without Faith is nothing
But (futile wandering)
In (mazes of) error!"
p. 1277

SECTION 6.

51. We will, without doubt,
Help Our apostles and those
Who believe, (both)
In this world's life
And on the Day
When the Witnesses
Will stand forth,—
52. The Day when no profit
Will it be to Wrong-doers
To present their excuses,
But they will (only) have
The Curse and the Home
Of Misery.
53. We did aforetime give Moses
The (Book of) Guidance,
And We gave the Book
In inheritance to the Children
Of Israel,—
54. A Guide and a Message
To men of understanding.
55. Patiently, then, persevere:
For the Promise of God
Is true: and ask forgiveness
For thy fault, and celebrate
p. 1278
The Praises of thy Lord
In the evening
And in the morning.
56. Those who dispute
About the Signs of God
Without any authority
Bestowed on them,—there is
Nothing in their breasts
But (the quest of) greatness,
Which they shall never
Attain to: seek refuge,
Then, in God: it is He
Who hears and sees (all things).
57. Assuredly the creation
Of the heavens
And the earth
Is a greater (matter)
Than the creation of men:
Yet most men understand not.
58. Not equal are the blind
And those who (clearly) see:
Nor are (equal) those
Who believe and work
Deeds of righteousness, and
Those who do evil.
Little do ye learn
By admonition!
59. The Hour will certainly come:
Therein is no doubt:
Yet most men believe not.
p. 1279
60. And your Lord says:
"Call on Me; I
Will answer your (Prayer):
But those who are
Too arrogant to serve Me
Will surely find themselves
In Hell—in humiliation!"

SECTION 7.

61. It is God Who has
Made the Night for you,
That ye may rest therein,
And the Day, as that
Which helps (you) to see.
Verily God is Full of
Grace and Bounty to men:
Yet most men give
No thanks.
62. Such is God, your Lord,
The Creator of all things.
There is no god but He:
Then how ye are delude
Away from the Truth!
63. Thus are deluded those
Who are wont to reject
The Signs of God.
64. It is God Who has
Made for you the earth
p. 1280
As a resting place,
And the sky as a canopy,
And has given you shape—
And made your shapes
Beautiful,—and has provided
For you Sustenance,
Of things pure and good;—
Such is God your Lord.
So Glory to God,
The Lord of the Worlds!
65. He is the Living (One):
There is no god but He:
Call upon Him, giving Him
Sincere devotion. Praise he
To God, Lord of the Worlds!
66. Say: "I have been forbidden
To invoke those whom ye
Invoke besides God,—seeing that
The Clear Signs have come
To me from my Lord;
And I have been commanded
To bow (in Islām)
To the Lord of the Worlds."
67. It is He Who has
Created you from dust,
p. 1281
Then from a sperm-drop,
Then from a leech-like clot;
Then does He get you
Out (into the light)
As a child: then lets you
(Grow and) reach your age
Of full strength; then
Lets you become old,—
Though of you there are
Some who die before;—
And lets you reach
A Term appointed;
In order that ye
May learn wisdom.
68. It is He Who gives Life
And Death; and when He
Decides upon an affair,
He says to it, "Be",
And it is.

SECTION 8.

69. Seest thou not those
That dispute concerning
The Signs of God?
How are they turned away
(From Reality)?—
70. Those who reject the Book
And the (revelations) with which
We sent Our apostles:
But soon shall they know,—
p. 1282
71. When the yokes (shall be)
Round their necks,
And the chains;
They shall be dragged along—
72. In the boiling fetid fluid
Then in the Fire
Shall they be burned;
73. Then shall it be said
To them: "Where are
The (deities) to which
Ye gave part-worship—
74. "In derogation of God?"
They will reply: "They have
Left us in the lurch:
Nay, we invoked not,
Of old, anything (that had
Real existence)." Thus
Does God leave
The Unbelievers to stray.
75. "That was because
Ye were wont to rejoice
On the earth in things
Other than the Truth,
And that ye were wont
To be insolent.
76. "Enter ye the gates
Of Hell, to dwell therein:
And evil is (this) abode
Of the arrogant!"
p. 1283
77. So persevere in patience;
For the Promise of God
Is true: and whether
We show thee (in this life)
Some part of what We
Promise them,—or We
Take thy soul (to Our Mercy)
(Before that),—(in any case)
It is to Us that
They shall (all) return.
78. We did aforetime send
Apostles before thee: of them
There are some whose story
We have related to thee,
And some whose story
We have not related
To thee. It was not
(Possible) for any apostle
To bring a Sign except
By the leave of God:
But when the Command
Of God issued,
The matter was decided
In truth and justice,
And there perished,
There and then, those
Who stood on Falsehoods.

SECTION 9.

79. It is God who made
Cattle for you, that ye
p. 1284
May use some for riding
And some for food;
80. And there are (other) advantages
In them for you (besides);
That ye may through them
Attain to any need
(There may be) in your hearts;
And on them and on ships
Ye are carried.
81. And He shows you (always)
His Signs: then which
Of the Signs of God
Will ye deny?
82. Do they not travel through
The earth and see what
Was the End of those
Before them? They were
More numerous than these
And superior in strength
And in the traces
(They have left) in the land:
Yet all that they accomplished
Was of no profit to them.
83. For when their apostles
Came to them
With Clear Signs, they exulted
In such knowledge (and skill)
p. 1285
As they had; but
That very (Wrath) at which
They were wont to scoff
Hemmed them in.
84. But when they saw
Our Punishment, they said:
"We believe in God,—
The One God—and we
Reject the partners we used
To join with Him."
85. But their professing the Faith
When they (actually) saw
Our Punishment was not going
To profit them.
(Such has been) God's way
Of dealing with His servants
(From the most ancient times).
And even thus did
The rejecters of God
Perish (utterly)!

# Sūra XLI.

Ḥā-mīm, or Ḥā-Mīm Sajda, or Fuṣṣilat

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Ḥā-Mīm:
2. A revelation from (God).
Most Gracious, Most Merciful—
3. A Book, whereof the verses
Are explained in detail;—
A Qur-ān in Arabic,
For people who understand;—
4. Giving Good News
And Admonition: yet most
Of them turn away
And so they hear not.
5. They say: "Our hearts are
Under veils, (concealed)
From that to which thou
Dost invite us, and
In our ears is a deafness,
And between us and thee
Is a screen: so do
Thou (what thou wilt);
p. 1288
For us, we shall do
(What we will!)"
6. Say thou: "I am
But a man like you:
It is revealed to me
By inspiration, that your God
Is One God: so stand
True to Him, and ask
For His forgiveness."
And woe to those who
Join gods with God,—
7. Those who practise not
Regular Charity, and who
Even deny the Hereafter.
8. For those who believe
And work deeds of righteousness
Is a reward that will
Never fail.

SECTION 2.

9. Say: Is it that ye
Deny Him Who created
The earth in two Days?
And do ye join equals
With Him? He is
The Lord of (all)
The Worlds.
p. 1289
10. He set on the (earth),
Mountains standing firm,
High above it,
And bestowed blessings on
The earth, and measured therein
All things to give them
Nourishment in due proportion,
In four Days, in accordance
With (the needs of)
Those who seek (sustenance).
11. Moreover He comprehended
In His design the sky,
And it had been (as) smoke:
He said to it
And to the earth:
"Come ye together,
Willingly or unwillingly."
They said: "We do come
(Together), in willing obedience."
12. So he completed them
As seven firmaments
p. 1290
In two Days, and He
Assigned to each heaven
Its duty and command.
And We adorned
The lower heaven
With lights, and (provided it)
With guard. Such
Is the Decree of (Him)
The Exalted in Might,
Full of knowledge.
13. But if they turn away,
Say thou: "I have warned
You of a stunning Punishment
(As of thunder and lightning)
Like that which (overtook)
The ‘Ād and the Thamūd!"
14. Behold, the apostles came
To them, from before them
And behind them, (preaching):
"Serve none but God."
They said, "If our Lord
Had so pleased, He would
p. 1291
Certainly have sent down angels
(To preach): now we reject
Your mission (altogether)."
15. Now the ‘Ād behaved
Arrogantly through the land,
Against (all) truth and reason,
And said: "Who is superior
To us in strength?" What!
Did they not see that
God, Who created them,
Was superior to them
In strength? But they
Continued to reject Our Signs!
16. So We sent against them
A furious Wind through days
Of disaster, that We might
Give them a taste
Of a Penalty of humiliation
In this Life; but the Penalty
Of a Hereafter will be
More humiliating still:
And they will find
No help.
17. As to the Thamūd,
We gave them guidance,
But they preferred blindness
(Of heart) to Guidance:
So the stunning Punishment
Of humiliation seized them,
Because of what they had earned.
p. 1292
18. But We delivered those
Who believed and practised righteousness.

SECTION 3.

19. On the Day that
The enemies of God
Will be gathered together
To the Fire, they will
Be marched in ranks.
20. At length, when they reach
The (Fire), their hearing,
Their sight, and their skins
Will bear witness against them,
As to (all) their deeds.
21. They will say to their skins:
"Why bear ye witness
Against us?" They will say:
"God hath given us speech,—
(He) Who giveth speech
To everything: He created
You for the first time,
And unto Him were ye
To return.
22. "Ye did not seek
To hide yourselves, lest
p. 1293
Your hearing, your sight,
And your skins should bear
Witness against you! But
Ye did think that God
Knew not many of the things
That ye used to do!
23. "But this thought of yours
Which ye did entertain
Concerning your Lord, hath
Brought you to destruction,
And (now) have ye become
Of those utterly lost!"
24. If, then, they have patience,
The Fire will be
A Home for them!
And if they beg
To be received into favour,
Into favour will they not
(Then) be received.
25. And We have destined
For them intimate companions
(Of like nature), who made
Alluring to them what was
Before them and behind them;
And the sentence among
The previous generations of Jinns
And men; who have passed away,
p. 1294
Is proved against them;
For they are utterly lost.

SECTION 4.

26. The Unbelievers say
"Listen not to this Qur-ān,
But talk at random
In the midst
Of its (reading), that ye
May gain the upper hand!"
27. But We will certainly
Give the Unbelievers a taste
Of a severe Penalty,
And We will requite them
For the worst of their deeds.
28. Such is the requital
Of the enemies of God,—
The Fire: therein will be
For them the Eternal Home:
A (fit) requital, for
That they were wont
To reject Our Signs.
29. And the Unbelievers will say:
"Our Lord! Show us those,
Among Jinns and men,
Who misled us: we shall
Crush them beneath our feet,
So that they become
The vilest (before all)."
30. In the case of those
Who say, "Our Lord
p. 1295
Is God", and, further,
Stand straight and steadfast,
The angels descend on them.
(From time to time):
"Fear ye not!" (they suggest),
"Nor grieve! But receive
The Glad Tidings
Of the Garden (of Bliss),
The which ye were promised!
31. "We are your protectors
In this life and
In the Hereafter:
Therein shall ye have
All that your souls
Shall desire; therein
Shall ye have all
That ye ask for!—
32. "A hospitable gift from One
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful!"
p. 1296

SECTION 5.

33. Who is better in speech
Than one who calls (men)
To God, works righteousness,
And says, "I am of those
Who bow in Islam"?
34. Nor can Goodness and Evil
Be equal. Repel (Evil)
With what is better:
Then will he between whom
And thee was hatred
Become as it were
Thy friend and intimate!
35. And no one will be
Granted such goodness
Except those who exercise
Patience and self-restraint,—
None but persons of
The greatest good fortune.
p. 1297
36. And if (at any time)
An incitement to discord
Is made to thee
By the Evil One,
Seek refuge in God.
He is the One
Who hears and knows
All things.
37. Among His Signs are
The Night and the Day,
And the Sun and the Moon.
Adore not the sun
And the moon, but adore
God, Who created them,
If it is. Him ye wish
To serve.
38. But if the (Unbelievers)
Are arrogant, (no matter):
For in the presence
Of thy Lord are those
Who celebrate His praises
By night and by day.
And they never flag
(Nor feel themselves
Above it).
p. 1298
39. And among His Signs
In this: thou seest
The earth barren and desolate;
But when We send down
Rain to it, it is stirred
To life and yields increase.
Truly, He Who gives life
To the (dead) earth
Can surely give life
To (men) who are dead.
For He has power
Over all things.
40. Those who pervert
The Truth in Our Signs
Are not hidden from Us.
Which is better?—he that
Is cast into the Fire,
Or he that comes safe through,
On the Day of Judgment?
Do what ye will:
Verily He seeth (clearly)
All that ye do.
41. Those who reject the Message
When it comes to them
p. 1299
(Are not hidden from Us).
And indeed it is a Book
Of exalted power.
42. No falsehood can approach it
From before or behind it:
It is sent down
By One Full of Wisdom,
Worthy of all Praise.
43. Nothing is said to thee
That was not said
To the apostles before thee:
That thy Lord has
At His command (all) Forgiveness
As well as a most
Grievous Penalty.
44. Had We sent this as
A Qur-ān (in a language)
Other than Arabic, they would
Have said: "Why are not
Its verses explained in detail?
What! (a Book) not in Arabic
And (a Messenger) an Arab?"
Say: "It is a guide
p. 1300
And a healing to those
Who believe; and for those
Who believe not, there is
A deafness in their ears,
And it is blindness in their (eyes):
They are (as it were)
Being called from a place
Far distant!"

SECTION 6.

45. We certainly gave Moses
The Book aforetime: but disputes
Arose therein. Had it not
Been for a Word
That went forth before
From thy Lord, (their differences)
Would have been settled
Between them: but they
Remained in suspicious
Disquieting doubt thereon.
46. Whoever works righteousness
Benefits his own soul;
Whoever works evil, it is
Against his own soul:
Nor is thy Lord ever
Unjust (in the least)
To His servants.
p. 1301
47. To Him is referred
The Knowledge of the Hour
(Of Judgment: He knows all):
No date-fruit comes out
Of its sheath, nor does
A female conceive (within
Her womb) nor bring forth
(Young), but by His Knowledge.
The Day that (God) will propound
To them the (question),
"Where are the Partners
(Ye attributed) to Me?"
They will say, "We do
Assure Thee not one
Of us can bear witness!"
48. The (deities) they used to invoke
Aforetime will leave them
In the lurch, and they
Will perceive that they
Have no way of escape.
49. Man does not weary
Of asking for good (things),
But if ill touches him,
He gives up all hope
(And) is lost in despair.
50. When We give him a taste
Of some mercy from Ourselves.
p. 1302
After some adversity has
Touched him, he is sure
To say, "This is due
To my (merit): I think not
That the Hour (of Judgment)
Will (ever) be established;
But if I am brought back
To my Lord, I have
(Much) good (stored) in His sight!"
But We will show
The Unbelievers the truth
Of all that they did,
And We shall give them
The taste of a severe
Penalty.
51. When We bestow favours
On man, he turns away,
And gets himself remote
On his side (instead of'
Coming to Us); and when
Evil seizes him, (he comes)
Full of prolonged prayer!
52. Say: "See ye if
The (Revelation) is (really)
From God, and yet do ye
Reject it? Who is more
Astray than one who
Is in a schism
Far (from any purpose)?"
53. Soon will We show them
Our Signs in the (furthest)
p. 1303
Regions (of the earth), and
In their own souls, until
It becomes manifest to them
That this is the Truth.
Is it not enough that
Thy Lord doth witness
All things?
54. Ah indeed! are they
In doubt concerning
The Meeting with their Lord?
Ah indeed! it is He
That doth encompass
All things!

# Sūra XLII.

Shūrā, or Consultation.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Hā-Mīm;
2. ‘Ain. Sīn. Kāf.
3. Thus doth (He) send
Inspiration to thee
As (He did) to those before thee,—
God, Exalted in Power,
Full of Wisdom.
4. To Him belongs all
That is in the heavens
And on earth: and He
Is Most High, Most Great.
5. The heavens are almost
Rent asunder from above them
(By His Glory):
And the angels celebrate
The Praises of their Lord,
And pray for forgiveness
For (all) beings on earth:
Behold! Verily God is He,
p. 1306
The Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful.
6. And those who take
As protectors others besides
Him,—
God doth watch over them;
And thou art not
The disposer of their affairs.
7. Thus have We sent
By inspiration to thee
An Arabic Qur-ān:
That thou mayest warn
The Mother of Cities
And all around her,—
And warn (them) of
The Day of Assembly,
Of which there is no doubt:
(When) some will be
In the Garden, and some
In the Blazing Fire.
8. If God had so willed,
He could have made them
A single people; but He
Admits whom He will
To His Mercy;
And the wrong-doers
Will have no protector
Nor helper.
9. What! Have they taken
(For worship) protectors
p. 1307
Besides Him? But it is
God,—He is the Protector,
And it is He Who
Gives life to the dead:
It is He Who has power
Over all things.

SECTION 2.

10. Whatever it be wherein
Ye differ, the decision
Thereof is with God:
Such is God my Lord:
In Him I trust,
And to Him I turn.
11. (He is) the Creator
Of the heavens and
The earth: He has made
For you pairs
From among yourselves,
And pairs among cattle:
By this means does He
Multiply you: there is nothing
Whatever like unto Him,
And He is the One
That hears and sees (all things).
12. To Him belong the keys
Of the heavens and the earth:
p. 1308
He enlarges and restricts.
The Sustenance to whom
He will: for He knows
Full well all things.
13. The same religion has He
Established for you as that
Which He enjoined on Noah—
The which We have sent
By inspiration to thee—
And that which We enjoined
On Abraham, Moses, and Jesus:
Namely, that ye should remain
Steadfast in Religion, and make
No divisions therein:
To those who worship
Other things than God,
Hard is the (way)
To which thou callest them,
God chooses to Himself
Those whom He pleases,
And guides to Himself
Those who turn (to Him).
14. And they became divided
Only after knowledge
Reached them,—through selfish
Envy as between themselves.
Had it not been
For a Word that
p. 1309
Went forth before
From thy Lord,
(Tending) to a Term appointed,
The matter would have
Been settled between them:
But truly those who have
Inherited the Book after them
Are in suspicious (disquieting)
Doubt concerning it.
15. Now then, for that (reason),
Call (them to the Faith),
And stand steadfast
As thou art commanded,
Nor follow thou their vain
Desires; but say: "I believe
In the Book which
God has sent down;
And I am commanded
To judge justly between you.
God is our Lord
And your Lord. For us
(Is the responsibility for)
Our deeds, and for you
For your deeds. There is
No contention between us
And you. God will
Bring us together,
And to Him is
(Our) final goal.
p. 1310
16. But those who dispute
Concerning God after He
Has been accepted,—
Futile is their dispute
In the sight of
Their Lord: on them
Is Wrath, and for them
Will be a Penalty
Terrible.
17. It is God Who has
Sent down the Book in truth,
And the Balance
(By which to weigh conduct).
And what will make thee
Realise that perhaps the Hour
Is close at hand?
18. Only those wish to
Hasten it who believe not
In it: those who believe
Hold it in awe,
And know that it is
The Truth. Behold, verily
Those that dispute concerning
The Hour are far astray.
19. Gracious is God
To His servants:
p. 1311
He gives Sustenance
To whom He pleases:
And He has Power
And can carry out
His Will.

SECTION 3.

20. To any that desires
The tilth of the Hereafter,
We give increase
In his tilth; and to any
That desires the tilth
Of this world, We grant
Somewhat thereof, but he
Has no share or lot
In the Hereafter.
21. What! Have they partners
(In godhead), who have
Established for them some
Religion without the permission
Of God? Had it not
Been for the Decree
Of Judgment, the matter
Would have been decided
Between them (at once).
But verily the wrong-doers
Will have a grievous Penalty.
22. Thou wilt see the wrong-doers
In fear on account of what
p. 1312
They have earned, and (the burden
Of) that must (necessarily)
Fall on them. But those
Who believe and work
Righteous deeds will be
In the luxuriant meads
Of the Gardens: they shall
Have, before their Lord,
All that they wish for.
That will indeed be
The magnificent Bounty
(Of God).
23. That is (the Bounty) whereof
God gives Glad Tidings
To His Servants who
Believe and do righteous deeds.
Say: "No reward do I
Ask of you for this
Except the love
Of those near of kin."
And if any one earns
Any good, We shall give
Him an increase of good
In respect thereof: for God
Is Oft-Forgiving, Most Ready
To appreciate (service).
24. What! Do they say,
"He has forged a falsehood
Against God"? But if God
Willed, He could seal up
p. 1313
Thy heart. And God
Blots out Vanity, and proves
The Truth by His Words.
For He knows well
The secrets of all hearts.
25. He is the One that accepts
Repentance from His Servants
And forgives sins:
And He knows all
That ye do.
26. And He listens to
Those who believe and
Do deeds of righteousness,
And gives them increase
Of His Bounty: but
For the Unbelievers there is
A terrible Penalty.
27. If God were to enlarge
The provision for His Servants,
They would indeed transgress
Beyond all bounds
Through the earth;
But He sends (it) down
In due measure
As He pleases.
For He is with His Servants
Well-acquainted, Watchful.
28. He is the One that sends down
Rain (even) after (men) have
p. 1314
Given up all hope,
And scatters His Mercy
(Far and wide). And He
Is the Protector, Worthy
Of all Praise.
29. And among His Signs
Is the creation of
The heavens and the earth,
And the living creatures
That He has scattered
Through them: and He
Has power to gather them
Together when He wills.

SECTION 4.

30. Whatever misfortune
Happens to you, is because
p. 1315
Of the things your hands
Have wrought, and for many
(Of them) He grants forgiveness.
31. Nor can ye frustrate (aught),
(Fleeing) through the earth;
Nor have ye, besides God,
Any one to protect
Or to help.
32. And among His Signs
Are the ships, smooth-running
Through the ocean, (tall)
As mountains.
33. If it be His Will,
He can still the Wind:
Then would they become
Motionless on the back
Of the (ocean). Verily
In this are Signs
For everyone who patiently
Perseveres and is grateful.
34. Or He can cause them
To perish because of
The (evil) which (the men)
Have earned; but much
Doth He forgive.
p. 1316
35. But let those know, who
Dispute about Our Signs,
That there is for them
No way of escape.
36. Whatever ye are given (here)
Is (but) a convenience
Of this Life: but that
Which is with God
Is better and more lasting:
(It is) for those who believe
And put their trust
In their Lord;
37. Those who avoid the greater
Crimes and shameful deeds,
And, when they are angry
Even then forgive;
38. Those who hearken
To their Lord, and establish
p. 1317
Regular prayer; who (conduct)
Their affairs by mutual
Consultation;
Who spend out of what
We bestow on them
For Sustenance;
39. And those who, when
An oppressive wrong is inflicted
On them, (are not cowed
But) help and defend themselves.
40. The recompense for an injury
Is an injury equal thereto
(In degree): but if a person
Forgives and makes reconciliation,
p. 1318
His reward is due
From God: for (God)
Loveth not those who
Do wrong.
41. But indeed if any do help
And defend themselves
After a wrong (done)
To them, against such
There is no cause
Of blame.
42. The blame is only
Against those who oppress
Men with wrong-doing
And insolently transgress
Beyond bounds through the land,
Defying right and justice:
For such there will be
A Penalty grievous.
43. But indeed if any
Show patience and forgive,
That would truly be
An exercise of courageous will
And resolution in the conduct
Of affairs.
p. 1319

SECTION 5.

44. For any whom God
Leaves astray, there is
No protector thereafter.
And thou wilt see
The wrong-doers, when
In sight of the Penalty,
Say: "Is there any way
(To effect) a return?"
45. And thou wilt see them
Brought forward to the (Penalty),
In a humble frame of mind
Because of (their) disgrace,
(And) looking with a stealthy
Glance. And the Believers
Will say: "Those are indeed.
In loss. who have given
To perdition their own selves
And those belonging to them
On the Day of Judgment.
Behold! Truly the wrong-doers
Are in a lasting Penalty!"
46. And no protectors have they
To help them,
Other than God.
And for any whom God
Leaves to stray, there is
No way (to the Goal).
p. 1320
47. Hearken ye to your Lord,
Before there come a Day
Which there will be
No putting back, because
Of (the ordainment of) God!
That Day there will be
For you no place of refuge
Nor will there be for you
Any room for denial
(Of your sins)!
48. If then they turn away,
We have not sent thee
As a guard over them.
Thy duty is but to convey
(The Message). And truly,
When We give man
A taste of a Mercy
From ourselves, he doth
Exult thereat, but
When some ill happens
To him, on account
Of the deeds which
His hands have sent forth,
Truly then is man ungrateful!
49. To God belongs the dominion
Of the heavens and the earth.
He creates what He wills
(And plans). He bestows
p. 1321
(Children) male or female
According to His Will (and Plan),
50. Or He bestows both males
And females, and He leaves
Barren whom He will:
For He is full
Of knowledge and power.
51. It is not fitting
For a man that God
Should speak to him
Except by inspiration,
Or from behind a veil,
Or by the sending
Of a Messenger
To reveal, with God's permission,
What God wills: for He
Is Most High, Most Wise.
52. And thus have We,
By Our command, sent
p. 1322
Inspiration to thee:
Thou knewest not (before)
What was Revelation, and
What was Faith; but We
Have made the (Qur-ān)
A Light, wherewith We
Guide such of Our servants
As We will; and verily
Thou dost guide (men)
To the Straight Way,—
53. The Way of God,
To Whom belongs
Whatever is in the heavens
And whatever is on earth.
Behold (how) all affairs
Tend towards God!

# Sūra XLIII.

Zukhruf, or Gold Adornments.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Ha-Mīm
2. By the Book that
Makes things clear,—
3. We have made it
A Qur-ān in: Arabic,
That ye may be able
To understand (and learn wisdom).
4. And verily, it is
In the Mother of the Book,
In Our Presence, high
(In dignity), full of wisdom.
5. Shall We then
Take away the Message
From you and repel (you),
For that ye are a people
Transgressing beyond bounds?
6. But how many were
The prophets We sent
Amongst the peoples of old?
p. 1325
7. And never came there
A prophet to them
But they mocked him.
8. So We destroyed (them)—
Stronger in power than these;—
And (thus) has passed on
The Parable of the peoples
Of old.
9. If thou wert
To question them, "Who created
The heavens and the earth?''
They would be sure to reply,
"They were created by (Him),
The Exalted in Power,
Full of Knowledge";—
10. (Yea, the same that)
Has made for you
The earth (like a carpet)
Spread out, and has made
For you roads (and channels)
Therein, in order that ye
May find guidance (on the way);
11. That sends down
(From time to time)
p. 1326
Rain from the sky
In due measure;—
And We raise to life
Therewith a land that is
Dead; even so will ye
Be raised (from the dead);—
12. That has created pairs
In all things, and has made
For you ships and cattle
On which ye ride,
13. In order that ye may
Sit firm and square
On their backs, and when
So seated, ye may
Celebrate the (kind) favour
Of your Lord, and say,
"Glory to Him Who
Has subjected these
To our (use), for we
Could never have accomplished
This (by ourselves),
14. "And to our Lord, surely,
Must we turn back!"
p. 1327
15. Yet they attribute
To some of His servants
A share with Him
(In His godhead)!
Truly is man a blasphemous
Ingrate avowed!

SECTION 2.

16. What! Has He taken
Daughters out of what He
Himself creates, and granted
To you sons for choice?
17. When news is brought
To one of them of (the birth
Of) what he sets up
As a likeness to (God)
Most Gracious, his face
Darkens, and he is filled
With inward grief!
18. Is then one brought up
Among trinkets, and unable
To give a clear account
In a dispute (to be
Associated with God)?
19. And they make into females
Angels who themselves serve
p. 1328
God. Did they witness
Their creation? Their evidence
Will be recorded, and they
Will be called to account!
20. ("Ah!") they say, "If
It had been the Will
Of (God) Most Gracious,
We should not have
Worshipped such (deities)!"
Of that they have
No knowledge! They
Do nothing but lie!
21. What! have We given them
A Book before this,
To which they are
Holding fast?
22. Nay! they say: "We found
Our fathers following
A certain religion,
And we do guide ourselves
By their footsteps."
23. Just in the same way,
Whenever We sent a Warner
Before thee to any people,
The wealthy ones among them
Said: "We found our fathers
Following a certain religion,
And we will certainly
Follow in their footsteps."
p. 1329
24. He said: "What!
Even if I brought you
Better guidance than that
Which ye found
Your fathers following?"
They said: "For us,
We deny that ye (prophets)
Are sent (on a mission
At all)."
25. So We exacted retribution
From them: now see
What was the end
Of those who rejected (Truth)!

SECTION 3.

26. Behold! Abraham said
To his father and his people:
"I do indeed clear myself
Of what ye worship:
27. "(I worship) only Him
Who made me, and He
Will certainly guide me."
p. 1330
28. And he left it
As a Word
To endure among those
Who came after him,
That they may turn back
(To God).
29. Yea, I have given
The good things of this life
To these (men) and
Their fathers, until the Truth
Has come to them,
And an Apostle
Making things clear.
30. But when the Truth came
To them, they said:
"This is sorcery, and we
Do reject it."
31. Also, they say: "Why
Is not this Qur-ān sent
Down to some leading man
In either of the two
(Chief) cities?"
32. Is it they who would portion out
The Mercy of thy Lord?
It is We Who portion out
Between them their livelihood
p. 1331
In the life of this world:
And We raise some of them
Above others in ranks,
So that some may command
Work from others.
But the Mercy of thy Lord
Is better than the (wealth)
Which they amass.
33. And were it not that
(All) men might become
Of one (evil) way of life,
We would provide,
For everyone that blasphemes
Against (God) Most Gracious,
Silver roofs for their houses,
And (silver) stair-ways
On which to go up,
34. And (silver) doors
To their houses, and thrones
(Of silver) on which
They could recline,
35. And also adornments
Of gold. But all this
Were nothing but conveniences
Of the present life:
The Hereafter, in the sight
Of thy Lord, is
For the Righteous.

SECTION 4.

36. If anyone withdraws himself
From remembrance
p. 1332
Of (God) Most Gracious,
We appoint for him
An evil one, to be
An intimate companion to him.
37. Such (evil ones) really
Hinder them from the Path,
But they think that they
Are being guided aright!
38. At length, when (such a one)
Comes to Us, he says
(To his evil companion):
"Would that between me
And thee were the distance
Of East and West!" Ah!
Evil is the companion (indeed)!
39. When ye have done wrong,
It will avail you nothing,
That day, that ye shall be
Partners in punishment!
40. Canst thou then make
The deaf to hear, or give
Direction to the blind
Or to such as (wander)
In manifest error?
p. 1333
41. Even if We take thee
Away, We shall be sure
To exact retribution from them,
42. Or We shall show thee
That (accomplished) which We
Have promised them:
For verily We shall
Prevail over them.
43. So hold thou fast
To the Revelation sent down
To thee: verily thou
Art on a Straight Way.
44. The (Qur-ān) is indeed
The Message, for thee
And for thy people;
And soon shall ye
(All) be brought to account.
45. And question thou our apostles
Whom We sent before thee;
Did We appoint any deities
Other than (God) Most Gracious,
To be worshipped?

SECTION 5.

46. We did send Moses
Aforetime, with Our Signs,
p. 1334
To Pharaoh and his Chiefs:
He said, "I am an apostle
Of the Lord of the Worlds."
47. But when he came to them
With Our Signs, behold,
They ridiculed them.
48. We showed them Sign
After Sign, each greater
Than, its fellow, and We
Seized them with Punishment,
In order that they
Might turn (to Us).
49. And they said, "O thou
Sorcerer! Invoke thy Lord
For us according to
His covenant with thee;
For we shall truly
Accept guidance."
50. But when We removed
The Penalty from them,
Behold, they broke their word.
51. And Pharaoh proclaimed
Among his people, saying:
"O my people! Does not
The dominion of Egypt
Belong to me, (witness)
These streams flowing
Underneath my (palace)? What!
See ye not then?
p. 1335
52. "Am I not better
Than this (Moses), who
Is a contemptible wretch
And can scarcely
Express himself clearly?
53. "Then why are not
Gold bracelets bestowed
On him, or (why)
Come (not) with him
Angels accompanying him
In procession?"
54. Thus did he make
Fools of his people,
And they obeyed him:
Truly were they a people
Rebellious (against God).
55. When at length they
Provoked Us, We exacted
Retribution from them, and
We drowned them all.
56. And We made them
(A people) of the Past
And an Example
To later ages.
p. 1336

SECTION 6.

57. When (Jesus) the son
Of Mary is held up
As an example, behold,
Thy people raise a clamour
Thereat (in ridicule)!
58. And they say, "Are
Our gods best, or he?"
This they set forth
To thee, only by way
Of disputation: yea, they
Are a contentious people.
59. He was no more than
A servant: We granted
Our favour to him,
And We made him
An example to the Children
Of Israel.
p. 1337
60. And if it were Our Will,
We could make angels
From amongst you, succeeding
Each other on the earth.
61. And (Jesus) shall be
A Sign (for the coming
Of) the Hour (of Judgment):
Therefore have no doubt
About the (Hour), but
Follow ye Me: this
Is a Straight Way.
62. Let not the Evil One
Hinder you: for he is
To you an enemy avowed.
63. When Jesus came
With Clear Signs, he said:
"Now have I come
To you with Wisdom,
And in order to make
Clear to you some
Of the (points) on which
Ye dispute: therefore fear God
And obey me.
64. "For God, He is my Lord
And your Lord: so worship
Ye Him: this is
A Straight Way."
p. 1338
65. But sects from among
Themselves fell into disagreement:
Then woe to the wrong-doers,
From the Penalty
Of a Grievous Day!
66. Do they only wait
For the Hour—that it
Should come on them
All of a sudden,
While they perceive not?
67. Friends on that Day
Will be foes, one
To another,—except
The Righteous.

SECTION 7.

68. My devotees
No fear shall be
On you that Day,
Nor shall ye grieve,—
69. (Being) those who have believed
In Our Signs and bowed
(Their wills to Ours) in Islam.
70. Enter ye the Garden,
Ye and your wives,
In (beauty and) rejoicing.
p. 1339
71. To them will be passed
Round, dishes and goblets
Of gold: there will be
There all that the souls
Could desire, all that
The eyes could delight in:
And ye shall abide
Therein (for aye).
72. Such will be the Garden
Of which ye are made
Heirs for your (good) deeds
(In life).
73. Ye shall have therein
Abundance of fruit, from which
Ye shall have satisfaction.
74. The Sinners will be
In the Punishment of Hell,
To dwell therein (for aye):
75. Nowise will the (punishment)
Be lightened for them,
And in despair will they
Be there overwhelmed.
76. Nowise shall We
Be unjust to them:
p. 1340
But it is they who
Have been unjust themselves.
77. They will cry: "O Mālik!
Would that thy Lord
Put an end to us!"
He will say, "Nay, but
Ye shall abide!"
78. Verily We have brought
The Truth to you:
But most of you
Have a hatred for Truth.
79. What! Have they settled
Some Plan (among themselves)?
But it is We Who
Settle things.
80. Or do they think
That We hear not
Their secrets and their
Private counsels? Indeed
(We do), and Our Messengers
Are by them, to record.
81. Say: If (God) Most Gracious
Had a son, I would
Be the first to worship."
82. Glory to the Lord
Of the heavens and the earth,
p. 1341
The Lord of the Throne
(Of Authority)! (He is
Free) from the things
They attribute (to Him)!
83. So leave them to babble
And play (with vanities)
Until they meet that Day,
Of theirs, which they
Have been promised.
84. It is He Who is God
In heaven and God on earth;
And He is Full
Of Wisdom and Knowledge.
85. And blessed is He
To Whom belongs the dominion
Of the heavens and the earth,
And all between them:
With Him is the knowledge
Of the Hour (of Judgment):
And to Him shall ye
Be brought back.
86. And those whom they invoke
Besides God have no power
Of intercession;—only he
Who bears witness to the Truth,
And they know (him).
p. 1342
87. If thou ask them, Who
Created them, they will
Certainly say, God: how
Then are they deluded
Away (from the Truth)?
88. (God has knowledge)
Of the (Prophet's) cry,
"O my Lord! Truly
These are a people
Who will not believe!"
89. But turn away from them,
And say "Peace!"
But soon shall they know!

# Sūra XLIV.

Dukhān, or Smoke (or Mist.)

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Hā-Mīm.
2. By the Book that
Makes things clear;—
3. We sent it down
During a blessed night:
For We (ever) wish
To warn (against Evil).
4. In that (night) is made
Distinct every affair
Of wisdom,
5. By command, from Our
Presence. For We (ever)
Send (revelations),
6. As a Mercy
From thy Lord:
For He hears and knows
(All things);
7. The Lord of the heavens
And the earth and all
p. 1345
Between them, if ye (but)
Have an assured faith.
8. There is no god but He:
It is He Who gives life
And gives death,
The Lord and Cherisher
To you and your earliest
Ancestors.
9. Yet they play about
In doubt.
10. Then watch thou
For the Day
That the sky will
Bring forth a kind
Of smoke (or mist)
Plainly visible,
11. Enveloping the people:
This will be a Penalty
Grievous.
p. 1346
12. (They will say:)
"Our Lord! Remove
The Penalty from us,
For we do really believe!"
13. How shall the Message
Be (effectual) for them,
Seeing that an Apostle
Explaining things clearly
Has (already) come to them,—
14. Yet they turn away
From him and say: "Tutored
(By others), a man possessed!"
15. We shall indeed remove
The Penalty for a while,
(But) truly ye will revert
(To your ways).
16. One day We shall seize
You with a mighty onslaught:
We will indeed (then)
Exact Retribution!
17. We did, before them,
Try the people of Pharaoh:
p. 1347
There came to them
An apostle most honourable,
18. Saying: "Restore to me
The servants of God:
I am to you an apostle
Worthy of all trust;
19. "And be not arrogant
As against God:
For I come to you
With authority manifest.
20. "For me, I have sought
Safety with my Lord
And your Lord, against
Your injuring me.
21. "If ye believe me not,
At least keep yourselves
Away from me."
22. (But they were aggressive:)
Then he cried
p. 1348
To his Lord:
"These are indeed
A people given to sin."
23. (The reply came:)
"March forth with my servants
By night: for ye are
Sure to be pursued.
24. "And leave the sea
As a furrow (divided):
For they are a host
(Destined) to be drowned."
25. How many were the gardens
And springs they left behind,
26. And corn-fields
And noble buildings,
27. And wealth (and conveniences
Of life), wherein they
Had taken such delight!
28. Thus (was their end)!
And We made other people
Inherit (those things)!
29. And neither heaven
Nor earth shed a tear
Over them: nor were
They given a respite (again).
p. 1349

SECTION 2.

30. We did deliver aforetime
The Children of Israel
From humiliating Punishment,
31. Inflicted by Pharaoh, for he
Was arrogant (even) among
Inordinate transgressors.
32. And We chose them aforetime
Above the nations, knowingly,
33. And granted them Signs
In which there was
A manifest trial.
34. As to these (Quraish),
They say forsooth:
p. 1350
35. "There is nothing beyond
Our first death,
And we shall not
Be raised again.
36. "Then bring (back)
Our forefathers, if what
Ye say is true!"
37. What! are they better
Than the people of Tubba‘
And those who were
Before them? We destroyed
Them because they were
Guilty of sin.
38. We created not
The heavens, the earth,
And all between them,
Merely in (idle) sport:
39. We created them not
Except for just ends:
But most of them
Do not understand.
40. Verily the Day of
Sorting Out is the time
Appointed for all of them,—
p. 1351
41. The Day when no protector
Can avail his client
In aught, and no help
Can they receive,
42. Except such as receive
God's Mercy: for He is
Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.

SECTION 3.

43. Verily the tree
Of  Zaqqūm
44. Will be the food
Of the Sinful,—
45. Like molten brass;
It will boil
In their insides,
46. Like the boiling
Of scalding water.
47. (A voice will cry:
"Seize ye him
And drag him
Into the midst
Of the Blazing Fire!
48. "Then pour over his head
The Penalty of Boiling Water
p. 1352
49. "Taste thou (this)!
Truly wast thou
Mighty, full of honour!
50. "Truly this is what
Ye used to doubt!"
51. As to the Righteous
(They will be) in
A position of Security,
52. Among Gardens and Springs;
53. Dressed in fine silk
And in rich brocade,
They will face each other;
54. So; and We shall
Join them to Companions
With beautiful, big,
And lustrous eyes.
55. There can they call
For every kind of fruit
In peace and security;
p. 1353
56. Nor will they there
Taste Death, except the first
Death; and He will preserve
Them from the Penalty
Of the Blazing Fire,—
57. As a Bounty from thy Lord!
That will be
The supreme achievement!
58. Verily, We have made
This (Qur-ān) easy,
In thy tongue,
In order that they
May give heed.
59. So wait thou and watch;
For they (too) are waiting.

# Sūra XLV.

Jathiya, or Bowing the Knee.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Ḥā-Mīm.
2. The revelation
Of the Book
Is from God
The Exalted in Power,
Full of Wisdom.
3. Verily in the heavens
And the earth, are Signs
For those who believe.
4. And in the creation
Of yourselves and the fact
That animals are scattered
(Through the earth), are Signs
For those of assured Faith.
5. And in the alternation
Of Night and Day,
And the fact that God
Sends down Sustenance from
The sky, and revives therewith
The earth after its death,
p. 1356
And in the change
Of the winds,—are Signs
For those that are wise.
6. Such are the Signs
Of God, which We rehearse to thee
In truth: then in what
Exposition will they believe
After (rejecting) God
And His Signs?
7. Woe to each sinful
Dealer in Falsehoods:
8. He hears the Signs
Of God rehearsed to him,
Yet is obstinate and lofty,
As if he had not
Heard them: then announce
To him a Penalty Grievous!
9. And when he learns
Something of Our Signs,
He takes them in jest:
For such there will be
A humiliating Penalty.
10. In front of them is
Hell: and of no profit
To them is anything
They may have earned,
Nor any protectors they
May have taken to themselves
Besides God: for them
Is a tremendous Penalty.
p. 1357
11. This is (true) Guidance:
And for those who reject
The Signs of their Lord,
Is a grievous Penalty
Of abomination.

SECTION 2.

12. It is God Who has
Subjected the sea to you,
That ships may sail
Through it by His command,
That ye may seek
Of His Bounty, and that
Ye may be grateful.
13. And He has subjected
To you, as from Him,
All that is in the heavens
And on earth: behold,
In that are Signs indeed
For those who reflect.
14. Tell those who believe,
To forgive those who
Do not look forward
To the Days of God:
p. 1358
It is for Him to recompense
(For good or ill) each People
According to what
They have earned.
15. If any one does
A righteous deed,
It enures to the benefit
Of his own soul;
If he does evil,
It works against
(His own soul).
In the end will ye
(All) be brought back
To your Lord.
16. We did aforetime
Grant to the Children
Of Israel the Book,
The Power of Command,
And Prophethood; We gave
Them, for Sustenance, things
Good and pure; and We
Favoured them above the nations.
17. And We granted them
Clear Signs in affairs
p. 1359
(Of Religion): it was only
After knowledge had been
Granted to them that they
Fell into schisms, through
Insolent envy among themselves
Verily thy Lord will judge
Between them on the Day
Of Judgment as to those
Matters in which they
Set up differences.
18. Then we put thee
On the (right) Way
Of Religion: so follow
Thou that (Way),
And follow not the desires
Of those who know not.
19. They will be of no
Use to thee in the sight
Of God: it is only
Wrong-doers (that stand as)
Protectors, one to another:
But God is the Protector
Of the Righteous.
20. These are clear evidences
To men, and a Guidance
And Mercy to those
Of assured Faith.
p. 1360
21. What! do those who
Seek after evil ways
Think that We shall
Hold them equal with
Those who believe and
Do righteous deeds,—that
Equal will be their
Life and their death?
Ill is the judgment
That they make.

SECTION 3.

22. God created the heavens
And the earth for
Just ends, and in order
That each soul may find
The recompense of what
It has earned, and none
Of them be wronged.
23. Then seest thou such
A one as takes
As his god his own
Vain desire? God has,
Knowing (him as such),
Left him astray, and sealed
His hearing and his heart
(And understanding), and put
p. 1361
A cover on his sight.
Who, then, will guide him
After God (has withdrawn
Guidance)? Will ye not
Then receive admonition?
24. And they say: "What is
There but our life
In this world?
We shall die and we live,
And nothing but Time
Can destroy us." But
Of that they have no
Knowledge: they merely conjecture:
25. And when Our Clear
Signs are rehearsed to them,
Their argument is nothing
But this: they say, "Bring
(Back) our forefathers, if
What ye say is true!"
26. Say: "It is God Who
Gives you life, then
Gives you death; then
He will gather you together
For the Day of Judgment
About which there is
No doubt": but most
Men do not understand.

SECTION 4.

27. To God belongs
The dominion of the heavens
And the earth, and
The Day that the Hour
p. 1362
Of Judgment is established,—
That Day will the dealers
In Falsehood perish!
28. And thou wilt see
Every sect bowing the knee:
Every sect will be called
To its Record: "This Day
Shall ye be recompensed
For all that ye did!
29. "This Our Record speaks
About you with truth:
For We were wont
To put on record
All that ye did."
30. Then, as to those who
Believed and did righteous
Deeds, their Lord will
Admit them to His Mercy:
That will be the Achievement's
For all to see.
31. But as to those who
Rejected God, (to them
Will be said): "Were not
Our Signs rehearsed to you?
But ye were arrogant,
And were a people
Given to sin!
p. 1363
32. "And when it was said
That the promise of God
Was true, and that the Hour—
There was no doubt
About its (coming), ye
Used to say, "We
Know not what is
The Hour: we only think
It is an idea, and we
Have no firm assurance."
33. Then will appear to them
The evil (fruits) of what
They did, and they will be
Completely encircled by that
Which they used to mock at!
34. It will also be said:
"This Day We will forget
You as ye forgot
The meeting of this Day
Of yours! And your
Abode is the Fire, and
No helpers have ye!
35. "This, because ye used
To take the Signs of God
In jest, and the life
Of the world deceived you:
(From) that Day, therefore,
They shall not be taken out
Thence, nor shall they be
Received into Grace.
p. 1364
36. Then Praise be to God,
Lord of the heavens
And Lord of the earth,—
Lord and Cherisher
Of all the worlds!
37. To Him be Glory
Throughout the heavens
And the earth: and He
Is Exalted in Power,
Full of Wisdom!

# Sūra XLVI.

Aḥqāf, or Winding Sand-tracts.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Hā-Mīm.
2. The revelation
Of the Book
Is from God
The Exalted in Power,
Full of Wisdom.
3. We created not
The heavens and the earth
And all between them
But for just ends, and
For a term appointed:
But those who reject Faith
Turn away from that
Whereof they are warned.
4. Say: "Do ye see
What it is ye invoke
Besides God? Show me
What it is they
Have created on earth,
Or have they a share
In the heavens?
Bring me a Book
p. 1367
(Revealed) before this,
Or any remnant of knowledge
(Ye may have), if ye
Are telling the truth!
5. And who is more astray
Than one who invokes,
Besides God, such as will
Not answer him to the Day
Of Judgment, and who
(In fact) are unconscious
Of their call (to them)?
6. And when mankind
Are gathered together
(At the Resurrection),
They will be hostile
To them and reject
Their worship (altogether)!
7. When Our Clear Signs
Are rehearsed to them,
The Unbelievers say,
Of the Truth
When it comes to them:
"This is evident sorcery!"
8. Or do they say,
"He has forged it"?
Say: "Had I forged it,
Then can ye obtain
No single (blessing) for me
From God. He knows best
Of that whereof ye talk
(So glibly)! Enough is He
p. 1368
For a witness between me
And you! And He is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
9. Say: "I am no bringer
Of new-fangled doctrine
Among the apostles, nor
Do I know what will
Be done with me or
With you. I follow
But that which is revealed
To me by inspiration;
I am but a Warner
Open and clear."
10. Say: "See ye?
If (this teaching) be
From God, and ye reject it,
And a witness from among
The Children of Israel testifies
To its similarity
(With earlier scripture),
And has believed
While ye are arrogant,
(How unjust ye are!)
Truly, God guides not
A people unjust."

SECTION 2.

11. The Unbelievers say
Of those who believe:
p. 1369
"If (this Message) were
A good thing, (such men)
Would not have gone
To it first, before us!"
And seeing that they
Guide not themselves thereby,
They will say, "This is
An (old,) old falsehood!"
12. And before this, was
The Book of Moses
As a guide and a mercy:
And this Book confirms (it)
In the Arabic tongue;
To admonish the unjust,
And as Glad Tidings.
To those who do right.
13. Verily those who say,
"Our Lord is God,"
And remain firm
(On that Path),
On them shall be no fear,
Nor shall they grieve.
14. Such shall be Companions
Of the Garden, dwelling
Therein (for aye): a recompense
For their (good) deeds.
p. 1370
15. We have enjoined on man
Kindness to his parents:
In pain did his mother
Bear him, and in pain
Did she give him birth.
The carrying of the (child)
To his weaning is
(A period of) thirty months.
At length, when he reaches
The age of full strength
And attains forty years,
He says, "O my Lord!
Grant me that I may be
Grateful for Thy favour
Which Thou hast bestowed
Upon me, and upon both
My parents, and that I
May work righteousness
Such as Thou mayest approve;
And be gracious to me
In my issue. Truly
Have I turned to Thee
And truly do I bow
(To Thee) in Islām."
16. Such are they from whom
We shall accept the best
Of their deeds and pass by
Their ill deeds: (they shall
p. 1371
Be) among the Companions
Of the Garden: a promise!
Of truth, which was
Made to them
(In this life).
17. But (there is one)
Who says to his parents,
"Fie on you! Do ye
Hold out the promise
To me that I
Shall be raised up,
Even though generations
Have passed before me
(Without rising again)?"
And they two seek
God's aid, (and rebuke
The son): "Woe to thee!
Have Faith! For the promise
Of God is true."
But he says, "This is
Nothing but tales
Of the ancients!"
18. Such are they against whom
Is proved the Sentence
Among the previous generations
Of Jinns and men, that have
Passed away; for they will
Be (utterly) lost.
19. And to all
Are (assigned) degrees
p. 1372
According to the deeds
Which they (have done),
And in order that (God)
May recompense their deeds,
And no injustice be done
To them.
20. And on the Day that
The Unbelievers will be
Placed before the Fire,
(It will be said to them):
"Ye received your good things
In the life of the world,
And ye took your pleasure
Out of them: but to-day
Shall ye be recompensed
With a Penalty of humiliation:
For that ye were arrogant
On earth without just cause,
And that ye (ever) transgressed."

SECTION 3.

21. Mention (Hūd)
One of ‘Ād's (own) brethren:
Behold, he warned his people
About the winding Sand-tracts:
But there have been Warners
Before him and after him:
"Worship ye none other
Than God: truly I fear
For you the Penalty
Of a Mighty Day."
22. They said: "Hast thou come
In order to turn us aside
p. 1373
From our gods? Then bring
Upon us the (calamity)
With which thou dost
Threaten us, if thou
Art telling the truth!"
23. He said: "The Knowledge
(Of when it will come)
Is only with God: I
Proclaim to you the mission
On which I have been sent:
But I see that ye
Are a people in ignorance!"…
24. Then, when they saw
The (Penalty in the shape of)
A cloud traversing the sky,
Corning to meet their valleys,
They said, "This cloud
Will give us rain!"
"Nay, it is the (calamity)
Ye were asking to be
Hastened!—a wind
Wherein is a Grievous Penalty!
25. "Everything will it destroy
By the command of its Lord!"
Then by the morning they—
Nothing was to be seen
But (the ruins of) their houses!
Thus do We recompense
Those given to sin!
p. 1374
26. And We had firmly established
Them in a (prosperity and) power
Which We have not given
To you (ye Quraish!)
And We had endowed them
With (faculties of)
Hearing, seeing, heart and intellect
But of no profit to them
Were their (faculties of)
Hearing, sight, and heart
And intellect, when they
Went on rejecting the Signs
Of God; and they were
(Completely) encircled
By that which they
Used to mock at!

SECTION 4.

27. We destroyed aforetime
Populations round about you;
And We have shown
The Signs in various ways,
That they may turn (to Us).
28. Why then was no help
Forthcoming to them from those
Whom they worshipped as gods,
Besides God, as a means
Of access (to God)? Nay,
They left them in the lurch:
But that was their
Falsehood and their invention.
p. 1375
29, Behold, We turned
Towards thee a company
Of Jinns (quietly) listening
To the Qur-ān: when they
Stood in the presence
Thereof, they said, "Listen
In silence!" When the (reading)
Was finished, they returned
To their people, to warn
(Them of their sins).
30. They said, "O our people!
We have heard a Book
Revealed after Moses,
Confirming what came
Before it: it guides (men)
To the Truth and
To a Straight Path.
31. "O our people, hearken
To the one who invites
(You) to God, and believe
In him: He will forgive
You your faults,
And deliver you from
A Penalty Grievous.
32. "If any does not hearken
To the one who invites
(Us) to God, he cannot
Frustrate (God's Plan) on earth,
And no protectors can he have
Besides God: such men
(Wander) in manifest error."
p. 1376
33. See they not that
God, Who created the heavens
And the earth, and never
Wearied with their creation,
Is able to give life
To the dead? Yea, verily
He has power over all things.
34. And on the Day that
The Unbelievers will be
Placed before the Fire,
(They will be asked,)
Is this not the Truth?"
They will say, "Yea,
By our Lord!"
(One will say:)
"Then taste ye
The Penalty, for that ye
Were wont to deny (Truth)!"
35. Therefore patiently persevere,
As did (all) apostles
Of inflexible purpose;
And be in no haste
About the (Unbelievers). On the Day
That they see the (Punishment)
Promised them, (it will be)
As if they had not
Tarried more than an hour
In a single day. (Thine
But) to proclaim the Message:
But shall any be destroyed
Except those who transgress?

# Sūra XLVII.

Muḥammad (the Prophet).

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Those who reject God
And hinder (men) from
The Path of God,
Their deeds will God
Render astray
(From their mark).
2. But those who believe
And work deeds of
Righteousness, and believe
In the (Revelation) sent down
To Muhammad—for it is
The Truth from their Lord,
He will remove from them
Their ills and improve
Their condition.
3. This because those who
Reject God follow vanities,
While those who believe follow
The Truth from their Lord:
Thus does God set forth
For men their lessons
By similitudes.
4. Therefore, when ye meet
The Unbelievers (in fight),
p. 1379
Smite at their necks;
At length, when ye have
Thoroughly subdued them,
Bind a bond
Firmly (on them): thereafter
(Is the time for) either
Generosity or ransom:
Until the war lays down
Its burdens. Thus (are ye
Commanded): but if it
Had been God's Will,
He could certainly have exacted
Retribution from them (Himself);
But (He lets you fight)
In order to test you,
Some with others.
But those who are slain
In the way of God,
He will never let
Their deeds be lost.
5. Soon will He guide them
And improve their condition,
6. And admit them to
The Garden which He
Has announced for them.
p. 1380
7. O ye who believe!
If ye will aid
(The cause of) God,
He will aid you,
And plant your feet firmly.
8. But those who reject (God),
For them is destruction,
And (God) will render
Their deeds astray
(From their mark).
9. That is because they
Hate the Revelation of God;
So He has made
Their deeds fruitless.
10. Do they not travel
Through the earth, and see
What was the End
Of those before them
(Who did evil)?
God brought utter destruction
On them, and similar
(Fates await) those who
Reject God.
11. That is because God
Is the Protector of those
Who believe, but
Those who reject God
Have no protector.

SECTION 2.

12. Verily God will admit
Those who believe and do
Righteous deeds, to Gardens
Beneath which rivers flow;
p. 1381
While those who reject God
Will enjoy (this world)
And eat as cattle eat;
And the Fire will
Be their abode.
13. And how many cities,
With more power than
Thy city which has
Driven thee out,
Have We destroyed
(For their sins)?
And there was none
To aid them.
14. Is then one who is
On a clear (Path)
From his Lord,
No better than one
To whom the evil
Of his conduct seems pleasing,
And such as follow
Their own lusts?
15. (Here is) a Parable
Of the Garden which
The righteous are promised:
In it are rivers
Of water incorruptible;
Rivers of milk
Of which the taste
Never changes; rivers
p. 1382
Of wine, a joy
To those who drink;
And rivers of honey
Pure and clear. In it
There are for them
All kinds of fruits;
And Grace from their Lord.
(Can those in such Bliss)
Be compared to such as
Shall dwell for ever
In the Fire, and be given,
To drink, boiling water,
So that it cuts up
Their bowels (to pieces)?
16. And among them are men
Who listen to thee,
But in the end, when they
Go out from thee,
They say to those who
Have received Knowledge,
"What is it he said
Just then?" Such are
Men whose hearts God
Has sealed, and who
Follow their own lusts.
17. But to those who receive
Guidance, He increases
The (light of) Guidance,
And bestows on them
Their Piety and Restraint
(From evil).
p. 1383
18. Do they then only wait
For the Hour,—that it
Should come on them
Of a sudden? But already
Have come some tokens
Thereof, and when it
(Actually) is on them,
How can they benefit
Then by their admonition?
19. Know, therefore, that
There is no god
But God, and ask
Forgiveness for thy fault,
And for the men
And women who believe:
For God knows how ye
Move about and how
Ye dwell in your homes.
p. 1384

SECTION 3.

20. Those who believe say,
"Why is not a Sūra
Sent down (for us)?"
But when a Sūra
Of basic or categorical
Meaning is revealed,
And fighting is mentioned
Therein, thou wilt see those
In whose hearts is a disease
Looking at thee with a look
Of one in swoon at
The approach of death.
But more fitting for them—
21. Were it to obey
And say what is just,
And when a matter
Is resolved on, it were
Best for them if they
Were true to God.
22. Then, is it
To be expected of you,
If ye were put in authority,
That ye will do mischief
In the land, and break
Your ties of kith and kin?
p. 1385
23, Such are the men
Whom God has cursed
For He has made them
Deaf and blinded their sight.
24. Do they not then
Earnestly seek to understand
The Qur-ān, or are
Their hearts locked up
By them?
25. Those who turn back
As apostates after Guidance
Was clearly shown to them,—
The Evil One has instigated
Them and buoyed them up
With false hopes.
26. This, because they said
To those who hate what
God has revealed, "We
Will obey you in part
Of (this) matter"; but God
Knows their (inner) secrets.
27. But how (will it be)
When the angels take
Their souls at death,
And smite their faces
And their backs?
p. 1386
28. This because they followed
That which called forth
The Wrath of God, and
They hated God's good pleasure;
So He made their deeds
Of no effect.

SECTION 4.

29. Or do those in whose
Hearts is a disease, think
That God will not bring
To light all their rancour?
30. Had We so willed,
We could have shown them
Up to thee, and thou
Shouldst have known them
By their marks: but surely
Thou wilt know them
By the tone of their speech!
And God knows
All that ye do.
31. And We shall try you
Until We test those
Among you who strive
Their utmost and persevere
In patience; and We shall
Try your reported (mettle).
32. Those who reject God,
Hinder (men) from
The Path of God, and resist
The Apostle, after Guidance
p. 1387
Has been clearly shown to them,
Will not injure God
In the least, but He
Will make their deeds
Of no effect.
33. O ye who believe!
Obey God, and obey
The Apostle, and make
Not vain your deeds!
34. Those who reject God,
And hinder (men) from the Path
Of God, then die rejecting God,—
God will not forgive them.
35. Be not weary and
Faint-hearted, crying for peace,
When ye should be
Uppermost: for God is
With you, and will never
Put you in loss
For your (good) deeds.
36. The life of this world
Is but play and amusement:
And if ye believe
And guard against evil,
He will grant you
Your recompense, and will not
p. 1388
Ask you (to give up)
Your possessions.
37. If He were to ask you
For all of them, and
Press you, ye would
Covetously withhold, and He would
Bring out all your ill-feeling.
38. Behold, ye are those
Invited to spend
(Of your substance)
In the Way of God:
But among you are some
That are niggardly. But any
Who are niggardly are so
At the expense of
Their own souls.
But God is free
Of all wants,
And it is ye that are needy.
If ye turn back
(From the Path), He will
Substitute in your stead
Another people; then they
Would not be like you!

# Sūra XLVIII.

Fat-ḥ or Victory.

In  the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. Verily We have granted
Thee a manifest Victory:
2. That God may forgive thee
Thy faults of the past
And those to follow;
Fulfil His favour to thee;
And guide thee
On the Straight Way;
3. And that God may help
Thee with powerful help.
4. It is He Who sent
Down Tranquillity
Into the hearts of
The Believers, that they may
Add Faith to their Faith;—
For to God belong
p. 1392
The Forces of the heavens
And the earth; and God is
Full of Knowledge and Wisdom;—
5. That He may admit
The men and women
Who believe, to Gardens
Beneath which rivers flow,
To dwell therein for aye,
And remove their ills
From them;—and that is,
In the sight of God,
The highest achievement
(For man),—
6. And that He may punish
The Hypocrites, men and
Women, and the Polytheists,
Men and women, who imagine
An evil opinion of God.
On them is a round
Of Evil: the Wrath of God
Is on them: He has cursed
Them and got Hell ready
For them: and evil
Is it for a destination.
7. For to God belong
The Forces of the heavens
And the earth; and God is
Exalted in Power,
Full of Wisdom.
p. 1393
8. We have truly sent thee
As a witness, as a
Bringer of Glad Tidings,
And as a Warner:
9. In order that ye
(O men) may believe
In God and His Apostle,
That ye may assist
And honour Him,
And celebrate His praises
Morning and evening.
10. Verily those who plight
Their fealty to thee
Do no less than plight
Their fealty to God:
The Hand of God is
Over their hands:
Then any one who violates
His oath, does so
To the harm of his own
Soul, and any one who
Fulfils what he has
Covenanted with God,—
God will soon grant him
A great Reward.

SECTION 2.

11. The desert Arabs who
Lagged behind will
p. 1394
Say to thee:
"We were engaged in
(Looking after) our flocks
And herds, and our families:
Do thou then ask
Forgiveness for us.
They say with their tongues
What is not in their hearts.
Say: "Who then has
Any power at all
(To intervene) on your behalf
With God, if His Will
Is to give you some loss
Or to give you some profit?
But God is well acquainted
With all that ye do.
12. "Nay, ye thought that
The Apostle and the Believers
Would never return to
Their families; this seemed
Pleasing in your hearts, and
Ye conceived an evil thought,
For ye are a people
Lost (in wickedness)."
13. And if any believe not
In God and His Apostle,
We have prepared,
For those who reject God,
A Blazing Fire!
14. To God belongs the dominion
Of the heavens and the earth:
He forgives whom He wills,
And He punishes whom He
p. 1395
Wills: but God is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
15. Those who lagged behind
(Will say), when ye (are
Free to) march and take
Booty (in war): "Permit us
To follow you." They wish
To change God's decree:
Say: "Not thus
Will ye follow us:
God has already declared
(This) beforehand": then they
Will say, "But ye are
Jealous of us." Nay,
But little do they understand
(Such things).
16. Say to the desert Arabs
Who lagged behind: "Ye
Shall be summoned (to fight)
Against a people given to
Vehement war: then shall ye
Fight, or they shall submit.
Then if ye show obedience,
God will grant you
A goodly reward, but if
Ye turn back as ye
p. 1396
Did before, He will punish
You with a grievous Penalty."
17. No blame is there
On the blind, nor is
There blame on the lame,
Nor on one ill (if he
Joins not the war):
But he that obeys God
And His Apostle,—(God)
Will admit him to Gardens
Beneath which rivers flow;
And he who turns back,
(God) will punish him
With a grievous Penalty.

SECTION 3.

18. God's Good Pleasure
Was on the Believers
When they swore Fealty
To thee under the Tree:
He knew what was
In their hearts, and He
Sent down Tranquillity
To them; and He rewarded
Them with a speedy Victory;
19. And many gains will they
Acquire (besides): and God
Is Exalted in Power,
Full of Wisdom.
p. 1397
20. God has promised you
Many gains that ye shall
Acquire, and He has given
You these beforehand; and
He has restrained the hands
Of men from you; that it
May be a Sign for
The Believers, and that
He may guide you
To a Straight Path;
21. And other gains (there are),
Which are not within
Your power, but which
God has compassed: and God
Has power over all things.
22. If the Unbelievers
Should fight you, they would
Certainly turn their backs;
Then would they find
Neither protector nor helper.
23. (Such has been) the practice
(Approved) of God already
In the past: no change
Wilt thou find in
The practice (approved) of God.
24. And it is He Who
Has restrained their hands
p. 1398
From you and your hands
From them in the midst
Of Mecca, after that He
Gave you the victory
Over them. And God sees
Well all that ye do.
25. They are the ones who
Denied revelation and hindered you
From the Sacred Mosque
And the sacrificial animals,
Detained from reaching their
Place of sacrifice. Had there
Not been believing men
And believing women whom
Ye did not know that
Ye were trampling down
And on whose account
A crime would have accrued
To you without (your) knowledge,
(God would have allowed you
To force your way, but
He held back your hands)
That He may admit
To His Mercy whom He will.
If they had been
Apart, We should
p. 1399
Certainly have punished
The Unbelievers among them
With a grievous punishment.
26. While the Unbelievers
Got up in their hearts
Heat and cant—the heat
And cant of Ignorance,—
God sent down His Tranquillity
To his Apostle and to
The Believers, and made them
Stick close to the command
Of self-restraint; and well
Were they entitled to it
And worthy of it.
And God has full knowledge
Of all things.

SECTION 4.

27. Truly did God fulfil
The vision for His Apostle:
Ye shall enter the Sacred
Mosque, if God wills,
With minds secure, heads shaved,
Hair cut short, and without fear.
For He knew what ye
Knew not, and He granted,
Besides this, a speedy victory.
28. It is He Who has sent
His Apostle with Guidance
And the Religion of Truth,
To proclaim it over
p. 1400
All religion: and enough
Is God for a Witness.
29. Muhammad is the Apostle
Of God; and those who are
With him are strong
Against Unbelievers, (but)
Compassionate amongst each other.
Thou wilt see them bow
And prostrate themselves
(In prayer), seeking Grace
From God and (His) Good
Pleasure.
On their faces are their
Marks, (being) the traces
Of their prostration.
This is their similitude
In the Taurāt;
And their similitude
In the Gospel is:
Like a seed which sends
Forth its blade, then
Makes it strong; it then
Becomes thick, and it stands
p. 1401
On its own stem, (filling)
The sowers with wonder
And delight. As a result,
It fills the Unbelievers
With rage at them.
God has promised those
Among them who believe
And do righteous deeds
Forgiveness,
And a great Reward.

# Sūra XLIX.

Ḥujurāt, or the Inner Apartments.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. O ye who believe!
Put not yourselves forward
Before God and His Apostle;
But fear God: for God
Is He Who hears
And knows all things.
2. O ye who believe!
Raise not your voices!
Above the voice of the Prophet,
Nor speak aloud to him
In talk, as ye may
Speak aloud to one another,
Lest your deeds become!
Vain and ye perceive not.
3. Those that lower their voice
In the presence of
God's Apostle,—their hearts
Has God tested for piety:
For them is Forgiveness
And a great Reward.
4. Those who shout out
To thee from without
p. 1404
The Inner Apartments—
Most of them lack understanding.
5. If only they had patience
Until thou couldst
Come out to them,
It would be best
For them: but God is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
6. O ye who believe!
If a wicked person comes
To you with any news,
Ascertain the truth, lest
Ye harm people unwittingly,
And afterwards become
Full of repentance for
What ye have done.
7. And know that among you
Is God's Apostle: were he,
In many matters, to follow
Your (wishes), ye would
Certainly fall into misfortune:
But God has endeared
The Faith to you, and
Has made it beautiful
In your hearts, and He
Has made hateful to you
Unbelief, wickedness, and
Rebellion: such indeed are
Those who walk in righteousness;—
8. A grace and favour
From God; and God
Is full of Knowledge
And Wisdom.
p. 1405
9. If two parties among
The Believers fall into
A quarrel, make ye peace
Between them: but if
One of them transgresses
Beyond bounds against the other,
Then fight ye (all) against
The one that transgresses
Until it complies with
The command of God;
But if it complies, then
Make peace between them
With justice, and be fair:
For God loves those
Who are fair (and just).
10. The Believers are but
A single Brotherhood:
So make peace and
Reconciliation between your
Two (contending) brothers;
And fear God, that ye
May receive Mercy.

SECTION 2.

11. O ye who believe!
Let not some men
Among you laugh at others:
It may be that
The (latter) are better
Than the (former):
Nor let some women
Laugh at others:
p. 1406
It may be that
The (latter) are better
Than the (former):
Nor defame nor be
Sarcastic to each other,
Nor call each other
By (offensive) nicknames:
Ill-seeming is a name
Connoting wickedness,
(To be used of one)
After he has believed:
And those who
Do not desist are
(Indeed) doing wrong.
12. O ye who believe!
Avoid suspicion as much
(As possible): for suspicion
In some cases is a sin:
And spy not on each other,
Nor speak ill of each other
Behind their backs. Would any
Of you like to eat
The flesh of his dead
Brother? Nay, ye would
Abhor it… But fear God:
For God is Oft-Returning,
Most Merciful.
p. 1407
13. O mankind! We created
You from a single (pair)
Of a male and a female,
And made you into
Nations and tribes, that
Ye may know each other
(Not that ye may despise
(Each other). Verily
The most honoured of you
In the sight of God
Is (he who is) the most
Righteous of you.
And God has full knowledge
And is well acquainted
(With all things).
14. The desert Arabs say,
"We believe." Say, ''Ye
Have no faith; but ye
(Only) say, "We have submitted
Our wills to God,"
For not yet has Faith
Entered your hearts.
But if ye obey God
And His Apostle, He
Will not belittle aught
Of your deeds: for God
Is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
15. Only those are Believers
Who have believed in God
And His Apostle, and have
Never since doubted, but
Have striven with their
Belongings and their persons
In the Cause of God:
Such are the sincere ones.
p. 1408
16. Say: "What! Will ye
Instruct God about your
Religion? But God knows
All that is in the heavens
And on earth: He has
Full knowledge of all things.
17. They impress on thee
As favour that they
Have embraced Islam.
Say, "Count not your Islam
As a favour upon me:
Nay, God has conferred
A favour upon you
That He has guided you
To the Faith, if ye
Be true and sincere.
18. "Verily God knows
The secrets of the heavens
And the earth: and God
Sees well all
That ye do."

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