The Koran Part 102

Is not G.o.d all-sufficient for his servant? Yet would they scare thee by their idols. But no guide shall there be for him whom G.o.d misleadeth:

And he whom G.o.d guideth shall have none to mislead him. Is not G.o.d, all- mighty, able to revenge?

And if thou ask them who hath created the Heavens and the Earth, they will surely answer, G.o.d. SAY: Think ye, then, that they7 on whom ye call beside G.o.d, if G.o.d choose to afflict me, could remove his affliction? or if he choose to show me mercy, could they withhold His mercy? SAY: G.o.d sufficeth me: in Him let the trusting trust.

SAY: O my people, act your part as best ye can, I too will act mine; and in the end ye shall know

On whom shall light a punishment that shall shame him, and on whom a lasting punishment shall fall.

a.s.suredly we have sent down the Book to thee for man and for the ends of truth. Whoso shall be guided by it-it will be for his own advantage, and whoso shall err, shall only err to his own loss. But not to thy keeping are they entrusted.

G.o.d taketh souls unto Himself at death; and during their sleep those who do not die:8 and he retaineth those on which he hath pa.s.sed a decree of death, but sendeth the others back till a time that is fixed. Herein are signs for the reflecting.

Have they taken aught beside G.o.d as intercessors? SAY: What! though they have no power over anything, neither do they understand?

SAY: Intercession is wholly with G.o.d:9 His the kingdom of the Heavens and of the Earth! To him shall ye be brought back hereafter!

But when the One G.o.d is named, the hearts of those who believe not in the life to come, shrivel up: but when the deities who are adored beside Him are named, lo! they are filled with joy.

SAY: O G.o.d, creator of the Heaven and of the Earth, who knowest the hidden and the manifest, thou shalt judge between thy servants as to the subject of their disputes.

If the wicked possessed all that is in the earth and as much again therewith, verily they would ransom themselves with it from the pain of the punishment on the day of the resurrection; and there shall appear to them, from G.o.d, things they had never reckoned on:

And their own ill deeds shall be clearly perceived by them, and that fire at which they mocked shall encircle them on every side.

When trouble befalleth a man he crieth to Us; afterwards, when we have vouchsafed favour to him, he saith, "G.o.d knew that I deserved it."10 Nay, it is a trial. But the greater part of them knew it not.

The same said those who flourished before them; but their deeds profited them not.

And their own ill deeds recoiled upon them. And whoso among these (Meccans) shall do wrong, on them likewise their own misdeeds shall light, neither shall they invalidate G.o.d.

Know they not that G.o.d giveth supplies with open hand, and that He is sparing to whom He will? Of a truth herein are signs to those who believe.

SAY: O my servants who have transgressed to your own hurt,11 despair not of G.o.d's mercy, for all sins doth G.o.d forgive. Gracious, Merciful is He!

And return ye to your Lord, and to Him resign yourselves, ere the punishment come on you, for then ye shall not be helped:

And follow that most excellent thing which hath been sent down to you from your Lord, ere the punishment come on you suddenly, and when ye look not for it:

So that a soul say, "Oh misery! for my failures in duty towards G.o.d! and verily I was of those who scoffed:"

Or say, "Had G.o.d guided me, I had surely been of those who feared Him:"

Or say, when it seeth the punishment, "Could I but return, then I would be of the righteous."

Nay! my signs had already come to thee, and thou didst treat them as untruths, and wast arrogant, and becamest of those who believed not.

And on the resurrection day, thou shalt see those who have lied of G.o.d, with their faces black. Is there not an abode in h.e.l.l for the arrogant?

But G.o.d shall rescue those who fear him into their safe retreat: no ill shall touch them, neither shall they be put to grief.

G.o.d is the creator of all things, and of all things is He the guardian! His the keys of the Heavens and of the Earth! and-who believe not in the signs of G.o.d-these! they shall peris.h.!.+

SAY: What! do ye then bid me wors.h.i.+p other than G.o.d, O ye ignorant ones?

But now hath it been revealed to thee and to those who flourished before thee,-"Verily, if thou join partners with G.o.d, vain shall be all thy work, and thyself shalt be of those who perish.

Nay, rather wors.h.i.+p G.o.d! and be of those who render thanks."

But they have not deemed of G.o.d as is His due;12 for on the resurrection day the whole Earth shall be but his handful, and in his right hand shall the Heavens be folded together. Praise be to Him! and high be He uplifted above the partners they join with Him!

And there shall be a blast on the trumpet, and all who are in the Heavens and all who are in the Earth shall expire, save those whom G.o.d shall vouchsafe to live. Then shall there be another blast on it, and lo! arising they shall gaze around them:

And the earth shall s.h.i.+ne with the light of her Lord, and the Book shall be set, and the prophets shall be brought up, and the witnesses; and judgment shall be given between them with equity; and none shall be wronged:

And every soul shall receive as it shall have wrought, for well knoweth He men's actions.

And by TROOPS shall the unbelievers be driven towards h.e.l.l, until when they reach it, its gates shall be opened, and its keepers shall say to them, "Came not apostles from among yourselves to you, reciting to you the signs of your Lord, and warning you of the meeting with Him on this your day?"13 They shall say, "Yes." But just is the sentence of punishment on the unbelievers.

It shall be said to them, "Enter ye the gates of h.e.l.l, therein to dwell for ever;" and wretched the abode of the arrogant!

But those who feared their Lord shall be driven on by troops to Paradise, until when they reach it, its gates shall be opened, and its keepers shall say to them, "All hail! virtuous have ye been: enter then in, to abide herein for ever."

And they shall say, "Praise be to G.o.d, who hath made good to us His promise, and hath given to us the earth as our heritage, that we may dwell in Paradise wherever we please!" And goodly is the reward of those who travailed virtuously.

And thou shalt see the Angels circling around the Throne with praises of their Lord: and judgment shall be p.r.o.nounced between them with equity: and it shall be said, "Glory be to G.o.d the Lord of the Worlds."

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1 Lit. the sending down, or revelation, of the Book is, etc.

2 Lit. in truth, i.e. for a serious and earnest purpose, and not as mere pastime.

3 That is, camels, oxen, sheep and goats.

4 The wording of this verse would seem to indicate a period when Muhammad was meditating flight from Mecca. Comp. [lx.x.xi.] xxix. 56.

5 See on the word Mathani, Sura xv. 87, p. 116. Or, by rhyming couplets.

6 The word a.s.sociates contains an implied allusion to the deities a.s.sociated with G.o.d, and who distract the idolaters in their wors.h.i.+p.

7 In the fem. gender in the Ar. This pa.s.sage was revealed shortly after the circ.u.mstances mentioned, liii. 20, n. p. 70.

8 See Sura [lx.x.xix.] vi. 60.

9 That is, none may intercede with Him but those whom He permits to do so.

10 Lit. It was only given to me on account of knowledge. Mar. Deus sciebat me esse dignum eo. Thus Sale.