Part 10

Verily God causeth the grain to come forth, and the date-stone: He bringeth forth the living from the dead,[43] and He bringeth forth the dead from the living:[44] This is God; then wherefore are ye turned away?

He causeth the dawn to appear, and hath ordained the night for rest, and the sun and the moon for reckoning _time_: this is the appointment of the Mighty, the Wise.

And it is He who hath ordained for you the stars, that ye may be guided by them in the darknesses of the land and of the sea: We have clearly shown the signs _of Our power_ unto the people who know.[45]

And it is He who hath produced you from one soul, and _there is_ a place of rest and of storing:[46] We have clearly shown the signs to the people who understand.

And it is He who hath sent down water from heaven, and We have produced thereby the germs of everything, and We have caused the green thing to come forth therefrom, from which We draw forth grains massed; and from the palm-tree, from its fruit-branch, clusters of dates heaped together:[47] and gardens of grapes, and the olive and the pomegranate, like one another[48] and not like.[49] Look ye at their fruits when they bear fruit, and their ripening. Verily therein are signs unto the people who believe.

Yet they have set up the Jinn[50] as partners of God, though He hath created them, and without knowledge have they falsely attributed to Him sons and daughters. Extolled be His purity, and high be He exalted above that which they attribute [to Him]!

_He is_ the Author of the heavens and the earth. How then should He have offspring, when He hath no consort, and hath created everything and knoweth everything?

This is God your Lord. There is no God but He, the Creator of everything: therefore worship ye Him;[51] and He is guardian over everything.

The eyes see Him not, but He seeth the eyes: and He is the Gracious, the Knowing.

(vi. 95-103.)

XI.

It is He who maketh the lightning to appear unto you, [causing] fear and hope _of rain_, and formeth the pregnant clouds.

And the thunder proclaimeth His perfection with His praise; and [likewise] the angels, in fear of Him. And He sendeth the thunderbolts, and striketh with them whom He pleaseth, whilst they dispute concerning God; for He is mighty in power.[52]

(xiii. 13, 14.)

XII.

With Him are the keys of the hidden things: none knoweth them but He: and He knoweth whatsoever is on the land and in the sea, and there falleth not a leaf but He knoweth it, nor a grain in the dark parts of the earth, nor a moist thing nor a dry thing, but [it is noted] in a distinct writing.[53]

And it is He who taketh your souls at night, and knoweth what ye have gained in the day; then He reviveth you therein,[54] that an appointed time[55] may be fulfilled. Then unto Him shall ye return: then will He declare unto you what ye have done.

And He is the Supreme[56] over His servants, and He sendeth watchers over you,[57] until when death cometh unto any one of you, Our messengers take his soul, and they fail not.

Then are they[58] returned unto God their Lord, the True.[59] Doth not judgment belong to Him? And He is the most quick of reckoners.

SAY,[60] Who delivereth you from the darknesses of the land and of the sea, _when_ ye supplicate Him humbly and in secret, _saying_, ‘If Thou deliver us from these _dangers_, we will assuredly be of [the number of] the thankful’?

SAY, God delivereth you from them and from every affliction.

(vi. 59-64.)

XIII.

Verily God will not forgive the associating with Him [any other being as a god], but will forgive other _sins_ unto whom He pleaseth; and whoso associateth [another] with God hath wrought a great wickedness.

(iv. 51.)

XIV.

They[61] say, ‘The Compassionate hath gotten offspring:’ Ye have done an impious thing.

It wanteth little but that the heavens be rent thereat, and that the earth cleave asunder, and that the mountains fall down in pieces.[62]

_For_ that they have attributed offspring to the Compassionate, when it beseemeth not the Compassionate to get offspring.

There is none of all that are in the heavens and the earth but he shall come unto the Compassionate as a servant.[63] He hath known them and numbered them with an _exact_ numbering.

And each of them shall come unto Him on the day of resurrection, alone.[64]

†Verily those who have believed and have done the things that are right, on them the Compassionate will bestow [His] love.

(xix. 91-96.)

XV.

O men _of Mekkeh_, a parable is propounded, wherefore hearken unto it. Verily, those _idols_ which ye invoke beside God can never create a fly, although they assembled for it: and if the fly carry off from them aught,[65] they cannot recover the same from it. Weak are the seeker and the sought!

(xxii. 72.)

XVI.

The likeness of those who take to themselves Tutelars[66] instead of God is as the likeness of the spider, which maketh for herself a dwelling; and the frailest of dwellings surely is the dwelling of the spider! If they knew[67]——!

Verily God knoweth whatever thing they invoke in His stead; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

And these parables[68] we propound unto men; but none understand them except the wise.

God hath created the heavens and the earth in truth: verily therein is a sign unto the believers.

(xxix. 40-43.)

_MOḤAMMAD AND THE ḲUR-ÁN._

XVII.

†O thou enwrapped _in thy mantle_,[69] Arise and warn! And thy Lord—magnify Him! And thy raiment—purify it! And the abomination[70]—flee it! And bestow not favours that thou mayest receive again with increase. And for thy Lord wait thou patiently.[71]

(lxxiv. 1-7.)

XVIII.

†By the morning-brightness, And by the still of night,[72] Thy Lord hath not forsaken thee, neither hath He hated thee. And surely the Future will be better for thee than the Present, And thy Lord will give to thee, and thou wilt be well-pleased. Did He not find thee an orphan, and sheltered thee? And He found thee erring, and guided thee, And found thee needy, and enriched thee. Then, as to the orphan, oppress him not; And as to him that asketh of thee, chide him not away; And as for the bounty of thy Lord, tell it then [abroad].

(xciii.)

XIX.

SAY, I do not say unto you, ‘With me[73] are the treasures of God,’ nor, ‘I know what is unseen,’ nor do I say unto you, ‘Verily I am an angel.’ I follow not [aught] but what is revealed unto me.

(vi. 50.)

XX.

†SAY, I am only a man like unto you. It is only revealed unto me that your God is One God. He then that hopeth to meet his Lord, let him work a righteous work, and in the worship of his Lord let him not associate any [other god].

(xviii. 110.)

XXI.

†SAY, If I err, only against myself shall I err, but if I am rightly-guided, it [is] of what my Lord hath revealed to me. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Near-at-hand!

(xxxiv. 49.)

XXII.

Moḥammad is nought but a Messenger.[74] The Messengers have passed away before him. If then he die or be slain, will ye turn round upon your heels?[75] But he who turneth round upon his heels will not injure God a whit;[76] and God will reward the thankful.

(iii. 138.)

XXIII.

Verily We have revealed unto thee as we revealed unto Noah and the prophets after him, and _as_ We revealed unto Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and Jesus, and Job, and Jonah, and Aaron, and Solomon; and We gave unto David the Psalms.

(iv. 161.)

XXIV.

[77] SAY _unto them_, Do ye argue with us concerning God, when He is our Lord and your Lord,[78] and when we have our works and ye have your works, and when we are sincere towards Him?

Nay, do ye say that Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes were Jews or Christians? SAY _unto them_, Are ye the more knowing, or is God?[79] And who is more unrighteous than they who conceal a testimony that they have from God?[80] But God is not heedless of that which ye do.

(ii. 133, 134.)

XXV.

_Remember_, when Jesus the son of Mary said, ‘O children of Israel, Verily I am the Messenger of God unto you, confirming the Law which [was] before me, and giving good tidings of a Messenger who shall come after me, whose name [shall be] Aḥmad.’[81] But when he (_Aḥmad_) came unto them with evident proofs, they said, ‘This is manifest magic!’

And who is more unrighteous than he who forgeth falsehood against God, when he is invited unto El-Islám? And God directeth not the unrighteous people.

They desire to put out the light of God with their mouths: but God will perfect His light, though the unbelievers be loth _thereto_.

It is He who hath sent His messenger with the direction and the religion of truth, that He may exalt above every religion, though the polytheists be loth _thereto_.

(lxi. 6-9.)

XXVI.

Those to whom We have given the Scripture know him (_Moḥammad_) as they know their children.[82] But a party of them do conceal the truth[83] while they know.

(ii. 141.)

XXVII.

_The Jews said unto Moḥammad_, ‘Verily God hath enjoined us[84] that we should not believe an apostle until he bring us a sacrifice which fire shall devour.’

SAY, Apostles have come unto you before me with manifest proofs,[85] and with that ye have mentioned:[86] then wherefore did ye slay them, if ye be speakers of truth?

(iii. 179, 180.)

XXVIII.

_The unbelievers of Mekkeh_ have sworn by God, with the mightiest of their oaths, that if a sign come unto them they will assuredly believe therein. SAY, Signs are only with God. And what will make you to know?[87] Verily if they come they will not believe.

And We will turn away their hearts and their eyes,[88] as they believed not therein the first time; and We will leave them in their transgression, wandering about in perplexity.

And though We had sent down unto them the angels, and the dead had spoken unto them, and We had gathered together about them everything in tribes, they had not believed unless God had pleased; but the greater number of them know not.

(vi. 109-111.)

XXIX.

And they have said, ‘O thou unto whom the Admonition[89] hath been sent down, thou art certainly possessed by a Jinnee.[90]

Why dost thou not come unto us with the angels, if thou be of those that speak truth?’

We send not down the angels save with justice,[91] nor would they then be respited.

Verily, We have sent down the Admonition, and We will surely preserve it.

And We have sent _Messengers_ before thee among the sects of the former generations;

And there came not unto them any Messenger but they had him in derision:

In like manner will We put it into the hearts of the sinners _of Mekkeh to do so_;

They shall not believe in him, and the punishment of the former generations hath passed.

And if We should open above them a gate in heaven, and they should pass the day mounting up to it,

They would say, ‘Our eyes are only intoxicated, or rather we are a people enchanted.’

(xv. 6-15.)

XXX.

†Verily, it is the excellent Ḳur-án, Written in the Preserved Book.[92] None shall touch it but they who are purified.[93] It is a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds.

(lvi. 76-79.)

XXXI.

SAY, Verily if mankind and the Jinn assembled together for the purpose of producing the like of this Ḳur-án,[94] they could not produce the like thereof, although they helped one another.[95]

And We have explained unto men in this Ḳur-án every _kind of_ parable,[96] but the greater number of men have refused [all else] save unbelief,

And have said, ‘We will by no means believe in thee until thou cause a fountain to gush forth for us from the earth,

_Or_ thou have a garden of palm-trees and grapes, and thou cause rivers to spring forth in the midst thereof in abundance,

_Or_ thou cause heaven to fall down upon us, as thou hast pretended, in pieces, or thou bring God and the angels before _us_,

_Or_ thou have a house of gold, or thou ascend into heaven, and we will not believe thy ascending until thou cause a book to descend unto us which we may read.’ SAY, Extolled be the perfection of my Lord! Am I [aught] save a man, [sent] as a Messenger?

And nothing hath hindered men from believing when the direction hath come unto them, but their saying, ‘Hath God sent a man as a Messenger?’[97]

SAY, If there were upon the earth angels walking at ease,[98] We had sent down unto them from heaven an angel as a Messenger.[99]

SAY, God is a sufficient witness between me and you: for He knoweth and seeth His servants.

(xvii. 90-98.)

XXXII.

And this Ḳur-án is not an invention[100] of one who is not God, but _it hath been sent down_ as a confirmation of those _books which have been_ before it, and an explanation of the Scripture—there is no doubt thereof—from the Lord of the Worlds.

Do they say, ‘He[101] hath forged it?’ SAY, Then bring ye a Soorah[102] like unto it and call whom ye can,[103] other than God, if ye speak truth.

Nay they have charged with falsehood that which they comprehend not, and the explanation thereof[104] hath not yet come unto them. In like manner did those who were before them charge _their Messengers_ with falsehood; but see how was the end of the offenders!

(x. 38-40.)

XXXIII.

If ye be in doubt concerning that which We have sent down unto Our servant _Moḥammad_,[105] bring ye a Soorah like unto it,[106] and invoke your witnesses,[107] other than God, if ye be speakers of truth.

But if ye do _it_ not (and do _it_ ye shall not), fear the fire whose fuel is men and stones: it is prepared for the unbelievers.

(ii. 21, 22.)

XXXIV.

Whatsoever[108] verse We abrogate or cause _thee_ to forget, We will produce one better than it or like unto it. Dost thou not know that God is all-powerful?

Dost thou not know that to God _belongeth_ the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and that beside God ye have no protector or defender?

(ii. 100, 101.)

XXXV.

When We substitute a verse in the stead of a verse (and God best knoweth what He revealeth), they say, ‘Thou art but a forger!’—but the greater number of them know not!

SAY, The Holy Spirit _Gabriel_ hath brought it down from thy Lord with truth, to stablish those who have believed, and as a direction and good tidings unto the Muslims.

And We well know that they say, ‘Only a man[109] teacheth him.’ The tongue of him to whom they incline is foreign, and this _is the_ perspicuous Arabic tongue.

(xvi. 103-105).

XXXVI.

SAY, If the sea were ink, for _writing_ the words of my Lord, the sea would be dried up or ever the words of my Lord were exhausted; and [so] if we brought its like in aid.[110]

(xviii. 109).

_THE RESURRECTION, PARADISE, AND HELL._

XXXVII.

†The Striking! what is the Striking? And what shall teach thee what the Striking is? _It is_ a day when men shall be like scattered moths, And the mountains like carded wool! Then as for him whose balances are heavy, his shall be a life well-pleasing. As for him whose balances are light, his abode shall be the Pit. And what shall teach thee what that is? A raging fire!

(ci.)

XXXVIII.

†When the earth is shaken with her shaking, And the earth hath cast forth her dead,[111] And man shall say, ‘What aileth her?’ On that day shall she tell out her tidings, Because thy Lord hath inspired her. On that day shall men come one by one to behold their works, And whosoever shall have wrought an ant’s weight of good shall behold it, And whosoever shall have wrought an ant’s weight of ill shall behold it.

(xcix.)

XXXIX.

†When the heaven shall be cloven asunder, And when the stars shall be scattered, And when the seas shall be let loose, And when the graves shall be turned upside-down, _Every_ soul shall know what it hath done and left undone. O man! what hath seduced thee from thy generous Lord, Who created thee and fashioned thee and disposed thee aright? In the form which pleased Him hath He fashioned thee. Nay, but ye treat the Judgment as a lie. Verily there are watchers over you, Worthy recorders, Knowing what ye do. Verily in delight shall the righteous dwell; And verily the wicked in Hell[-Fire]; They shall be burnt at it on the day of doom, And they shall not be hidden from it. And what shall teach thee what the Day of Judgment is? Again: What shall teach thee what is the Day of Judgment? _It is_ a day when one soul shall be powerless for another soul; and all on that day shall be in the hands of God.

(lxxxii.)

XL.

When the sun shall be wrapped up, And when the stars shall fall down, And when the mountains shall be made to pass away, And when the camels ten months gone with young[112] shall be neglected, And when the wild beasts shall be gathered together, And when the seas shall overflow,[113] And when the souls shall be joined _to their bodies_, And when the child[114] that hath been buried alive shall be asked For what crime she was put to death, And when the books[115] shall be laid open, And when the heaven shall be removed,[116] And when Hell shall be made to burn, And when Paradise shall be brought near,— _Then every_ soul shall know what it hath done.

(lxxxi. 1-14.)

XLI.

Hath the news of the Overwhelming reached thee? Countenances on that day [shall be] abased, Labouring, toiling: They shall feel the heat of scorching fire, They shall be given to drink from a fountain fiercely boiling, There shall be no food for them but of daree’,[117]— It shall not fatten nor satisfy hunger.

(lxxxviii. 1-7.)

XLII.

When one blast shall be blown on the trumpet, And the earth shall be raised and the mountains, and be broken to dust with one breaking, On that day the Calamity shall come to pass: And the heaven shall cleave asunder, being frail on that day, And the angels on the sides thereof; and over them on that day eight _of the angels_[118] shall bear the throne of thy Lord. On that day ye shall be presented _for the reckoning_; none of your secrets shall be hidden. And as to him who shall have his book given to him in his right hand, he shall say,[119] ‘Take ye, read my book; Verily I was sure I should come to my reckoning. And his [shall be] a pleasant life In a lofty garden, Whose clusters [shall be] near at hand. [120]‘Eat ye and drink with benefit on account of that which ye paid beforehand in the past days.’

But as to him who shall have his book given to him in his left hand, he shall say, ‘O would that I had not had my book given to me, Nor known what [was] my reckoning! O would that _my death_ had been the ending _of me_! My wealth hath not profited me! My power is passed away from me!’ ‘[121]Take him and chain him, Then cast him into hell to be burnt, Then in a chain of seventy cubits bind him: For he believed not in God, the Great, Nor urged to feed the poor; Therefore he shall not have here this day a friend, Nor any food save filth Which none but the sinners shall eat.’

(lxix. 13-37.)

XLIII.

When the Calamity shall come to pass There shall not be _a soul_ that will deny its happening,[122] [It will be] an abaser _of some_, an exalter _of others_; When the earth shall be shaken with a _violent_ shaking, And the mountains shall be crumbled with a [violent] crumbling, And shall become fine dust scattered abroad; And ye shall be three classes. And the people of the right hand,[123] what [shall be] the people of the right hand![124] And the people of the left hand, what the people of the left hand![125] And the Preceders,[126] the Preceders! These [shall be] the brought-nigh [unto God] In the gardens of delight,— A crowd of the former generations, And a few of the latter generations, Upon inwrought couches Reclining thereon, face to face. Youths ever-young[127] shall go unto them round about With goblets and ewers and a cup of flowing wine, Their [heads] shall ache not with it neither shall they be drunken; And with fruits of the [sorts] which they shall choose, And the flesh of birds of the [kinds] which they shall desire. And damsels[128] with eyes[129] like pearls laid up _We will give them_ as a reward for that which they have done. Therein shall they hear no vain discourse nor accusation of sin, But [only] the saying, ‘Peace! Peace!’

And the people of the right hand—what [shall be] the people of the right hand! [They shall dwell] among lote-trees without thorns And bananas loaded with fruit,[130] And a shade _ever_-spread, And water _ever_-flowing, And fruits abundant Unstayed and unforbidden, And couches raised. Verily we have created them[131] by a [peculiar] creation, And have made them virgins, Beloved of their husbands, of equal age [with them], For the people of the right hand, A crowd of the former generations And a crowd of the latter generations.

And the people of the left hand—what [shall be] the people of the left hand! [They shall dwell] amidst burning wind and scalding water, And a shade of blackest smoke, Not cool and not grateful. For before this they were blest with worldly goods, And they persisted in heinous sin,[132] And said, ‘When we shall have died and become dust and bones, shall we indeed be raised to life, And our fathers the former generations?’ SAY, Verily the former and the latter generations Shall be gathered together for the appointed time of a known day. Then ye, O ye erring, belying [people], Shall surely eat of the tree of Ez-Zaḳḳoom, And fill therewith [your] bellies, And drink thereon boiling water, And ye shall drink as thirsty camels drink.— This [shall be] their entertainment on the day of retribution.

(lvi. 1-56.)

XLIV.

Verily We have prepared for the offenders fire, the smoke of which shall encompass them; and if they ask relief, they shall be relieved with water like the dregs of oil, which shall scald _their_ faces. Miserable shall be the drink, and evil shall be the couch.

As for those who have believed and done the things that are right, verily We will not suffer the reward of him that hath done well to perish:

For these are gardens of perpetual abode, beneath them[133] shall rivers run; they shall be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and shall wear green garments of fine brocade and of thick brocade, reclining therein on the thrones. Excellent shall be the reward, and pleasant shall be the couch.

(xviii. 28-30.)

XLV.

_Call to mind_ the day when We will cause the mountains to pass away and thou shalt see the earth plain; and We will assemble them[134] and not leave of them any one.

And they shall be set before thy Lord in ranks: ‘Now are ye come unto Us as We created you the first time.[135] Nay, ye thought that We would not perform [Our] promise to you.’[136]

And the book shall be put [in every man’s hand], and thou shalt see the sinners fearful because of that which is [written] therein, and they shall say, ‘O woe is us! what meaneth this book? It leaveth neither a small _sin_ nor a great _sin_, but it enumerateth it!’ And they shall find that which they shall have wrought present;[137] and thy Lord will not deal unjustly with any one.

(xviii. 45-47.)

XLVI.

They have not esteemed God with the estimation due unto Him, since the whole earth [shall be] His handful on the day of resurrection, and the heavens [shall be] folded together by His right hand. Extolled be His perfection and high be He exalted above the [things] they associate _with Him_!

And the trumpet shall be blown, and they that are in the heavens and they that are in the earth shall die, except those whom God shall please. Then it shall be blown another time; and lo, they shall arise, waiting.