The Koran Part 58

And his rank also is high with Us, and an excellent retreat.

And remember our servant Job when he cried to his Lord, "Verily, Satan hath laid on me disease and pain."

"Stamp," said we, "with thy foot. This14 is to wash with; cool, and to drink."

And we gave him back his family, and as many more with them in our mercy; and for a monition to men of judgment.

And we said, "Take in thine hand a rod, and strike15 with it, nor break thine oath." Verily, we found him patient!

How excellent a servant, one who turned to Us was he!

And remember our servants Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, men of might and vision.16

With this cleansing did we cleanse them the remembrance of the abode of Paradise.

And verily, they were, in our sight, of the elect and of the good.

And remember Ishmael and Elisha and Dhoulkefl, for all these were of the just.

This is a monition: and verily, the pious shall have a goodly retreat:

Gardens of Eden, whose portals shall stand open to them:

Therein reclining, they shall there call for many a fruit and drink:

And with them shall be virgins of their own age, with modest retiring glances:

"This is what ye were promised at the day of reckoning."

"Yes! this is our provision: it shall never fail."

Even so. But for the evil doers is a wretched home-

h.e.l.l-wherein they shall be burned: how wretched a bed!

Even so. Let them then taste it-boiling water and gore,

And other things of kindred sort!

To their leaders it shall be said, "This company shall be thrown in headlong with you. No greetings shall await them, for they shall be burned in the fire."

They shall say: "But ye, too! there shall be no welcome for you. It was ye who prepared this for us, and wretched is the abode!"

They will say: "O our Lord! increase twofold in the fire, the punishment of him who hath brought this upon us."

And they will say: "Why see we not the men whom we numbered among the wicked-

Whom we used to treat with scorn? Have they escaped our eyes?"17

Verily this is truth-the wrangling together of the people of the fire.

SAY: I am but a warner; and there is no G.o.d but G.o.d the One, the Almighty!

Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth, and of all that is between them,18 the Potent, the Forgiving!

SAY: this is a weighty message,19

From which ye turn aside!

Yet had I no knowledge of what pa.s.sed among the celestial chiefs when they disputed,20

-Verily, it hath been revealed to me only because I am a public preacher-

When thy Lord said to the angels, "I am about to make man of clay,21

And when I have formed him and breathed my spirit into him, then wors.h.i.+pping fall down before him."

And the angels prostrated themselves, all of them with one accord,

Save Eblis. He swelled with pride, and became an unbeliever.

"O Eblis," said G.o.d, "what hindereth thee from prostrating thyself before him whom my hands have made?

Is it that thou are puffed up with pride? or art thou a being of lofty merit?"

He said: "I am more excellent than he; me hast thou created of fire:22 of clay hast thou created him."

He said: "Begone then hence: thou art accursed,23

And lo! my ban shall be on thee till the day of the reckoning."

He said: "O my Lord! respite me till the day of Resurrection."

He said, "One then of the respited shalt thou be,

Till the day of the time appointed."

He said: "I swear by thy might then that all of them will I seduce,

Save thy sincere servants among them."

He said: "It is truth, and the truth I speak. From thee will I surely fill h.e.l.l, and with such of them as shall follow thee, one and all.

Say: I ask no wage of you for this, nor am I one who intermeddleth.

Of a truth the Koran is no other than a warning to all creatures.

And after a time shall ye surely know its message.