The Koran Part 119

9 Thus Ullm. als naheverwandte Gotter. But Wahl, denen sie sich mit gottesdienstlichen Opfer naherten. Ad appropinquandum (magis ipsi Deo), by intercession. Mar. Beidh.

SURA VI.-CATTLE [Lx.x.xIX.]

MECCA.-165 Verses

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

PRAISE be to G.o.d, who hath created the Heavens and the Earth, and ordained the darkness and the light! Yet unto their Lord do the infidels give peers!

He it is who created you of clay then decreed the term of your life: and with Him is another prefixed term for the resurrection. Yet have ye doubts thereof!

And He is G.o.d in the Heavens and on the Earth! He knoweth your secrets and your disclosures! and He knoweth what ye deserve.

Never did one single sign from among the signs of their Lord come to them, but they turned away from it;

And now, after it hath reached them, have they treated the truth itself as a lie. But in the end, a message as to that which they have mocked, shall reach them.

See they not how many generations we have destroyed before them? We had settled them on the earth as we have not settled you, and we sent down the very heavens upon them in copious rains, and we made the rivers to flow beneath their feet: yet we destroyed them in their sins, and raised up other generations to succeed them.

And had we sent down to thee a Book written on parchment, and they had touched it with their hands, the infidels had surely said, "This is nought but plain sorcery."

They say, too, "Unless an angel be sent down to him... ." But if we had sent down an angel, their judgment would have come on them at once,1 and they would have had no respite:

And if we had appointed an angel, we should certainly have appointed one in the form of a man, and we should have clothed him before them in garments like their own.2

Moreover, apostles before thee have been laughed to scorn: but that which they laughed to scorn encompa.s.sed the mockers among them!

SAY: Go through the land: then see what hath been the end of those who treated them as liars.

SAY: Whose is all that is in the Heavens and the Earth?

SAY: G.o.d's. He had imposed mercy on Himself as a law. He will surely a.s.semble you on the Resurrection day; there is no doubt of it. They who are the authors of their own ruin, are they who will not believe.

His, whatsoever hath its dwelling in the night and in the day! and He, the Hearing, the Knowing!

SAY: Other than G.o.d shall I take as Lord, maker of the Heavens and of the Earth, who nourisheth all, and of none is nourished? SAY: Verily, I am bidden to be the first of those who surrender them to G.o.d (profess Islam): and, be not thou of those who join G.o.ds with G.o.d.

SAY: Verily, I fear, should I rebel against my Lord, the punishment of the great day.

From whomsoever it shall be averted on that day, He will have had mercy on him: and this will be the manifest bliss.

If G.o.d touch thee with trouble, none can take it off but He: and if He visit thee with good-it is He whose power is over all things;

And He is the Supreme over his servants; and He is the Wise, the Cognisant!

SAY: What thing is weightiest in bearing witness? SAY: G.o.d is witness between me and you; and this Koran hath been revealed to me that I should warn you by it, and all whom it shall reach. What! will ye really bear witness that there are other G.o.ds with G.o.d? SAY: I bear no such witness. SAY: Verily, He is one G.o.d, and truly am guiltless of what ye join with Him.

They to whom we have given the Book, recognise him (Muhammad) as they do their own children:3 but they who are the authors of their own perdition are they who will not believe.

And who more wicked than he who inventeth a lie concerning G.o.d, or who treateth our signs as lies? Verily those wicked ones shall not prosper.4

And on "the Day" we will gather them all together: then will we say to those who joined G.o.ds with G.o.d, "Where are those companion-G.o.ds of yours, as ye supposed them?"

Then shall they find no other excuse than to say, "By G.o.d our Lord! we joined not companions with Him."

Behold! how they lie against themselves-and the G.o.ds of their own inventing desert them!

Some among them hearken unto thee: but we have cast veils over their hearts that they should not understand the Koran, and a weight into their ears: and though they should see all kinds of signs, they will refuse all faith in them, until when they come to thee, to dispute with thee, the infidels say, "Verily, this is nothing but fables of the ancients."

And they will forbid it, and depart from it:-but they are only the authors of their own perdition, and know it not.

If thou couldst see when they shall be set over the fire, and shall say, "Oh!

would we might be sent back! we would not treat the signs of our Lord as lies! we would be of the believers."

Aye! that hath become clear5 to them which they before concealed; but though they should return, they would surely go back to that which was forbidden them; for they are surely liars!

And they say, "There is no other than our life in this world, neither shall we be raised again."

But if thou couldest see when they shall be set before their Lord! He shall say to them, "Is not this it6 in truth?" They shall say, "Yea, by our Lord!"

"Taste then," saith He, "the torment, for that ye believed not!"

Lost are they who deny the meeting with G.o.d until "the Hour" cometh suddenly upon them! Then will they say, "Oh, our sighs for past negligence of this hour!" and they shall bear their burdens on their back! Will not that be evil with which they shall be burdened?

The life in this world is but a play and pastime; and better surely for men of G.o.dly fear will be the future mansion! Will ye not then comprehend?

Now know we that what they speak vexeth thee:7 But it is not merely thee whom they charge with falsehood, but the unG.o.dly gainsay the signs of G.o.d.

Before thee have apostles already been charged with falsehood: but they bore the charge and the wrong with constancy, till our help came to them;-for none can change the words of G.o.d. But this history of His Sent Ones hath already reached thee.

But if their estrangement be grievous to thee, and if thou art able to seek out an opening into the earth or a ladder into Heaven,8 that thou mightest bring them a sign... . Yes! But if G.o.d pleased, He would surely bring them, one and all, to the guidance! therefore be not thou one of the ignorant.

To those only who shall lend an ear will He make answer: as for the dead, G.o.d will raise them up; then unto Him shall they return.

They say, "Unless a sign be sent down to him from his Lord... ." SAY: Verily, G.o.d is able to send down a sign; but the greater part of them know it not.

No kind of beast is there on earth nor fowl that flieth with its wings, but is a folk9 like you: nothing have we pa.s.sed over in the Book:10 then unto their Lord shall they be gathered.

They who gainsay our signs are deaf, and dumb, in darkness: G.o.d will mislead whom He pleaseth, and whom He pleaseth He will place upon the straight path.

SAY: What think ye? If the punishment of G.o.d were to come upon you, or "the Hour" were to come upon you, will ye cry to any other than G.o.d? Tell me, if ye speak the truth?

Yes! to Him will ye cry: and if He please He will deliver you from that ye shall cry to Him to avert, and ye shall forget the partners ye joined with Him.

Already have we sent apostles to nations that were before thee, and we laid hold on them with troubles and with straits in order that they might humble themselves:

Yet, when our trouble came upon them, they did not humble themselves; but their hearts were hardened, and Satan pre-arranged for them11 their course of conduct.

And when they had forgotten their warnings, we set open to them the gates of all things, until, as they were rejoicing in our gifts, we suddenly laid hold upon them, and lo! they were plunged into despair,