The Koran Part 78

Thou shalt not make the dead to hear; neither shalt thou make the deaf to hear the call, when they turn away backward;

Neither art thou the guide of the blind out of their errors: none truly shalt thou make to hear but those who believe our signs: and they are Muslims.

When the doom shall be ready to light upon them, we will cause a monster14 to come forth to them out of the earth, and cry to them "Verily men have not firmly believed our signs."

And on that day shall be gathered out of every nation a company of those who have gainsaid our signs, in separate bands;

Till they come before G.o.d, who will say, "Treated ye my signs as impostures, although ye embraced them not in your knowledge? or what is it that ye were doing?

And doom shall light upon them for their evil deeds, and nought shall they have to plead.

See they not that we have ordained the night that they may rest in it, and the day with its gift of light? Of a truth herein are signs to people who believe.

On that day there shall be a blast on the trumpet, and all that are in the heavens, and all that the on the earth shall be terror-stricken, save him whom G.o.d pleaseth to deliver; and all shall come to him in humble guise.

And thou shalt see the mountains, which thou thinkest so firm, pa.s.s away with the pa.s.sing of a cloud! 'Tis the work of G.o.d, who ordereth all things! of all that ye do is He well aware.

To him who shall present himself with good works, shall be a reward beyond their desert,15 and they shall be secure from the terror on that day;

And they who shall present themselves with evil shall be flung downward on their faces into the fire. Shall ye be rewarded but as ye have wrought?

SAY: Specially am I commanded to wors.h.i.+p the Lord of this land, which He hath sanctified. All things are His: and I am commanded to be one of those who surrender them to G.o.d (a Muslim)

And to recite the Koran: and whoever is rightly guided, a.s.suredly will be rightly guided to his own behoof.

And as to him who erreth, SAY, I truly am a warner only.And SAY, Praise be to G.o.d! He will shew you His signs, and ye shall acknowledge them: and of what ye do, thy Lord is not regardless.

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1 See Sura lxviii., p. 32, n.

2 Not really leprous.

3 Lit. when our visible signs came to them.

4 This tradition may be derived from 1 Kings iv. 33. Comp. Geiger, p. 185.

The legend of Solomon's power over the Genii originates in a mistranslation of Eccl. ii. 8. Comp. also for other points in this story Prov. vi. 6; 1 Kings x. 1-10.

5 "Demons obeyed him (Solomon) ... and evil spirits were subjected to him."

Targ. 2. on Esther 1, 2. From the same source Muhammad has adopted, with slight variations, the whole story of Solomon's intercourse with the Queen of Saba. Comp. also Tr. Gittin, fol. 68, and Midr. Jalkut on 1 Kings vi. ch.

182.

6 Lit. unless ye bear me witness.

7 That is, malignant. "The efreets are generally believed to differ from the other djinn in being very powerful and always malicious; but to be in other respects of a similar nature" (Lane's Modern Egyptians, i. 285). "The ghosts of dead persons are also called by this name" (ib. 289).

8 Or, before thy glance can be withdrawn from an object.

9 Lit. we have consulted the flight of birds: hence presage.

10 Lit. your bird, augury.

11 Comp. Sura [lxvi.] xxv. 55.

12 Lit. their knowledge attaineth to the next life.

13 Lit. art on clear truth.

14 Al Ja.s.saca, the Spy.

15 Or, shall derive advantage from them.

SURA XVIII.-THE CAVE [LXIX.]

MECCA.-110 Verses

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

PRAISE be to G.o.d, who hath sent down the Book to his servant, and hath not made it tortuous1

But direct; that it may warn of a grievous woe from him, and announce to the faithful who do the things that are right, that a goodly reward, wherein they shall abide for ever, awaiteth them;

And that it may warn those who say, "G.o.d hath begotten a Son."

No knowledge of this have either they or their fathers! A grievous saying to come out of their mouths! They speak no other than a lie!

And haply, if they believe not in this new revelation, thou wilt slay thyself, on their very footsteps, out of vexation.

Verily, we have made all that is on earth as its adornment, that we might make trial who among mankind would excel in works:

But we are surely about to reduce all that is thereon to dust!

Hast thou reflected that the Inmates of THE CAVE and of Al Rakim2 were on our wondrous signs?

When the youths betook them to the cave they said, "O our Lord! grant us mercy from before thee, and order for us our affair aright."

Then struck we upon their ears with deafness in the cave for many a year:

Then we awaked them that we might know which of the two parties could best reckon the s.p.a.ce of their abiding.

We will relate to thee their tale with truth. They were youths who had believed in their Lord, and in guidance had we increased them;

And we had made them stout of heart, when they stood up and said, "Our Lord is Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth: we will call on no other G.o.d than Him; for in that case we had said a thing outrageous.

These our people have taken other G.o.ds beside Him, though they bring no clear proof for them; but, who more iniquitous than he who forgeth a lie of G.o.d?

So when ye shall have separated you from them and from that which they wors.h.i.+p beside G.o.d, then betake you to the cave: Your Lord will unfold his mercy to you, and will order your affairs for you for the best."