The Koran Part 55

And shake the trunk of the palm-tree toward thee:13 it will drop fresh ripe dates upon thee.

Eat then and drink, and be of cheerful eye:14 and shouldst thou see a man,

Say,-Verily, I have vowed abstinence to the G.o.d of mercy.-To no one will I speak this day."

Then came she with the babe to her people, bearing him. They said, "O Mary!

now hast thou done a strange thing!

O sister of Aaron!15 Thy father was not a man of wickedness, nor unchaste thy mother."

And she made a sign to them, pointing towards the babe. They said, "How shall we speak with him who is in the cradle, an infant?"

It said,16 "Verily, I am the servant of G.o.d; He hath given me the Book, and He hath made me a prophet;

And He hath made me blessed wherever I may be, and hath enjoined me prayer and almsgiving so long as I shall live;

And to be duteous to her that bare me: and he hath not made me proud, depraved.

And the peace of G.o.d was on me the day I was born, and will be the day I shall die, and the day I shall be raised to life."

This is Jesus, the son of Mary; this is a statement of the truth concerning which they doubt.

It beseemeth not G.o.d to beget a son. Glory be to Him! when he decreeth a thing, He only saith to it, Be, and it Is.17

And verily, G.o.d is my Lord and your Lord; adore Him then. This is the right way.

But the Sects have fallen to variance among themselves about Jesus: but woe, because of the a.s.sembly of a great day, to those who believe not!

Make them hear, make them behold the day when they shall come before us! But the offenders this day are in a manifest error.

Warn them of the day of sighing when the decree shall be accomplished, while they are sunk in heedlessness and while they believe not.

Verily, we will inherit the earth and all who are upon it. To us shall they be brought back.

Make mention also in the Book of Abraham; for he was a man of truth, a Prophet.18

When he said to his Father, "O my Father! why dost thou wors.h.i.+p that which neither seeth nor heareth, nor profiteth thee aught?

O my Father! verily now hath knowledge come to me which hath not come to thee. Follow me therefore-I will guide thee into an even path.

O my Father! wors.h.i.+p not Satan, for Satan is a rebel against the G.o.d of Mercy.

O my Father! indeed I fear lest a chastis.e.m.e.nt from the G.o.d of Mercy light upon thee, and thou become Satan's va.s.sal."

He said, "Castest thou off my G.o.ds, O Abraham? If thou forbear not, I will surely stone thee. Begone from me for a length of time."

He said, "Peace be on thee! I will pray my Lord for thy forgiveness, for he is gracious to me:

But I will separate myself from you, and the G.o.ds ye call on beside G.o.d, and on my Lord will I call. Haply, my prayers to my Lord will not be with ill success."

And when he had separated himself from them and that which they wors.h.i.+pped beside G.o.d, we bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob, and each of them we made a prophet:

And we bestowed gifts on them in our mercy, and gave them the lofty tongue of truth."19

And commemorate Moses in "the Book;" for he was a man of purity: moreover he was an Apostle, a Prophet:

From the right side of the mountain we called to him, and caused him to draw nigh to us for secret converse:

And we bestowed on him in our mercy his brother Aaron, a Prophet.

And commemorate Ismael in "the Book;" for he was true to his promise, and was an Apostle, a Prophet;

And he enjoined prayer and almsgiving on his people, and was well pleasing to his Lord.

And commemorate Edris20 in "the Book;" for he was a man of truth, a Prophet:

And we uplifted him to a place on high.21

These are they among the prophets of the posterity of Adam, and among those whom we bare with Noah, and among the posterity of Abraham and Israel, and among those whom we have guided and chosen, to whom G.o.d hath shewed favour.

When the signs of the G.o.d of Mercy were rehea.r.s.ed to them, they bowed them down wors.h.i.+pping and weeping.

But others have come in their place after them: they have made an end of prayer, and have gone after their own l.u.s.ts; and in the end they shall meet with evil:-

Save those who turn and believe and do that which is right, these shall enter the Garden, and in nought shall they be wronged:

The Garden of Eden, which the G.o.d of Mercy hath promised to his servants, though yet unseen:22 for his promise shall come to pa.s.s:

No vain discourse shall they hear therein, but only "Peace;" and their food shall be given them at morn and even:

This is the Paradise which we will make the heritage of those our servants who fear us.

We23 come not down from Heaven but by thy Lord's command. His, whatever is before us and whatever is behind us, and whatever is between the two! And thy Lord is not forgetful,-

Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth, and of all that is between them!

Wors.h.i.+p Him, then, and abide thou steadfast in his wors.h.i.+p. Knowest thou any other of the same name?24

Man saith: "What! after I am dead, shall I in the end be brought forth alive?"

Doth not man bear in mind that we made him at first, when he was nought?

And I swear by thy Lord, we will surely gather together them and the Satans: then will we set them on their knees round h.e.l.l:

Then will we take forth from each band those of them who have been stoutest in rebellion against the G.o.d of Mercy:

Then shall we know right well to whom its burning is most due:

No one is there of you who shall not go down unto it25-This is a settled decree with thy Lord-