The Koran Part 111

They also flourished before them, treated our apostles as impostors in like sort: but not to the tenth part of what we bestowed on them,6 have these attained. And yet when they charged my apostles with deceit, how terrible was my vengeance:

SAY: One thing in sooth do I advise you:-that ye stand up before G.o.d two and two, or singly,7 and then reflect that in your fellow citizen is no djinn:8 he is no other than your warner before a severe punishment.

SAY: I ask not any wage from you: keep it for yourselves: my wage is from G.o.d alone. And He is witness over all things!

SAY: Truly my Lord sendeth forth the Truth:-Knower of things unseen!

SAY: Truth is come, and falsehood shall vanish and return no more.

SAY: If I err, verily to my own cost only shall I err: but if I have guidance, it will be of my Lord's revealing, for He is the Hearer, the near at hand.

Couldst thou see how they shall tremble and find no escape, and be taken forth from the place that is so near;9

And shall say, "We believe in Him!" But how, in their present distance, shall they receive the faith,

When they had before denied it, and aimed their shafts at the mysteries from afar?10

And a gulf shall be between them and that which they shall desire-

As was done unto their likes of old, who were lost in the questionings of doubt.

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1 In Arabia Felix, three days' journey from Sanaa.

2 The Talmud mentions the worm Shameer, used by Solomon to cut the stones for building the temple. Pirke Aboth. v. See Buxt. Lex. Talmud, p. 2456. Tr.

Gittin, fol. 68; and Midr. Jalkut on 1 Kings, vi. 7. This pa.s.sage of Scripture may have suggested the idea that Solomon built, etc., by the aid of Spirits. 3 That is, in their difficult toils.

4 See M. Caussin de Perceval Hist. des Arabes, vol. iii., who, as well as M.

de Sacy, fix this event in the second century of our era.

5 The Saba, of verse 14 formed an important branch of the trading population of Yemen. This whole pa.s.sage, 14-18, alludes to the cessation of traffic between them and Syria, which led to the desire to lengthen the stages and diminish the expense of the journey. See Muir's Life of Muhammad, i. p.

cx.x.xix. Muhammad attributes this desire to covetousness.

6 That is, of strength and material prosperity.

7 That is, so as to form a judgment free from the influence of others.

8 It is very remarkable, that when the power of Muhammad became firmly established, he never reverts to the insinuations against the soundness of his mind which in the earlier Suras he so often rebuts.

9 That is, their graves. Mar. So called because there is but a step into it from the surface of the earth. Ullm.

10 That is, when in this life.

SURA x.x.xV.-THE CREATOR, OR THE ANGELS [Lx.x.xVI.]

MECCA.-45 Verses

In the Name of G.o.d, the Compa.s.sionate, the Merciful

PRAISE be to G.o.d, Maker of the Heavens and of the Earth! Who employeth the ANGELS as envoys, with pairs of wings, two, three, and four: He addeth to his creature what He will! Truly G.o.d hath power for all things.

The mercy which G.o.d layeth open for man, no one can keep back; and what He shall keep back, none can afterwards send forth. And He is the Mighty, the Wise.

O men! bear in mind the favour of G.o.d towards you. Is there a creator other than G.o.d, who nourisheth you with the gifts of heaven and earth? There is no G.o.d but He! How then are ye turned aside from Him?

If they treat thee as an impostor, then before thee have apostles been treated as impostors. But to G.o.d shall all things return.

O men! a.s.suredly the promise of G.o.d is true: let not then the present life deceive you: and let not the Deceiver deceive you as to G.o.d.

Yes, Satan is your foe. For a foe then hold him. He calleth his followers to him that they may become inmates of the flame.

The unbelievers,-for them a terrible punishment!

But believers and doers of good works, for them is mercy, and a great reward!

Shall he, the evil of whose deeds are so tricked out to him that he deemeth them good, be treated like him who seeth things aright? Verily G.o.d misleadeth whom He will, and guideth whom He will. Spend not thy soul in sighs for them: G.o.d knoweth their doings.

It is G.o.d who sendeth forth the winds which raise the clouds aloft: then drive we them on to some land dead from drought,1 and give life thereby to the earth after its death. So shall be the resurrection.

If any one desireth greatness, all greatness is in G.o.d. The good word riseth up to Him, and the righteous deed will He exalt. But a severe punishment awaiteth the plotters of evil things; and the plots of such will He render vain.

Moreover, G.o.d created you of dust-then of the germs of life-then made you two s.e.xes: and no female conceiveth or bringeth forth without his knowledge; and the aged ageth not, nor is aught minished from man's age, but in accordance with the Book. An easy thing truly is this to G.o.d.

Nor are the two seas2 alike: the one fresh, sweet, pleasant for drink, and the other salt, bitter; yet from both ye eat fresh fish, and take forth for you ornaments to wear, and thou seest the s.h.i.+ps cleaving their waters that ye may go in quest of his bounties, and that ye may be thankful.

He causeth the night to enter in upon the day, and the day to enter in upon the night; and He hath given laws to the sun and to the moon, so that each journeyeth to its appointed goal: This is G.o.d your Lord: All power is His: But the G.o.ds whom ye call on beside Him have no power over the husk of a date stone!

If ye cry to them they will not hear your cry; and if they heard they would not answer you, and in the day of resurrection they will disown your joining them with G.o.d: and none can instruct thee like Him who is informed of all.

O men! ye are but paupers in need of G.o.d; but G.o.d is the Rich, the Praiseworthy!

If He please, He could sweep you away, and bring forth a new creation!

Nor will this be hard for G.o.d.

And the burdened soul shall not bear the burden of another: and if the heavy laden soul cry out for its burden to be carried, yet shall not aught of it be carried, even by the near of kin! Thou shalt warn those who fear their Lord in secret, and observe prayer. And whoever shall keep himself pure, he purifieth himself to his own behoof: for unto G.o.d shall be the final gathering.

And the blind and the seeing are not alike; neither darkness and light; nor the shade and the hot wind;

Nor are the living and the dead the same thing! G.o.d indeed shall make whom He will to hearken, but thou shalt not make those who are in their graves to hearken; for only with warning art thou charged.

Verily we have sent thee with the truth; a bearer of good tidings and a warner; nor hath there been a people unvisited by its warner.

And if they treat thee as a liar, so did those who were before them threat their Apostles who came to them with the proofs of their mission, and with the Scriptures and with the enlightening Book:3