The Koran Part 107

And no other protectors shall there be to succour them than G.o.d; and no pathway for him whom G.o.d shall cause to err.

Hearken then to your Lord ere the day come, which none can put back when G.o.d doth ordain its coming. No place of refuge for you on that day! no denying your own works!

But if they turn aside from thee, yet we have not sent thee to be their guardian. 'Tis thine but to preach. When we cause man to taste our gifts of mercy, he rejoiceth in it; but if for their by-gone handy-work evil betide them, then lo! is man ungrateful.

G.o.d's, the kingdom of the Heavens and of the Earth! He createth what He will!

and he giveth daughters to whom He will, and sons to whom He will:

Or He giveth them children of both s.e.xes, and He maketh whom He will to be childless; for He is Wise, Powerful!

It is not for man that G.o.d should speak with him but by vision, or from behind a veil:

Or, He sendeth a messenger to reveal, by his permission, what He will: for He is Exalted, Wise!

Thus have we sent the Spirit (Gabriel10) to thee with a revelation, by our command. Thou knewest not, ere this, what "the Book" was, or what the faith.

But we have ordained it for a light: by it will we guide whom we please of our servants. And thou shalt surely guide into the right way,

The way of G.o.d, whose is all that the Heaven and the Earth contain. Shall not all things return to G.o.d?

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1 See Sura lxviii. 1, p. 32.

2 Mecca.

3 Jews and Christians.

4 Or, nachdem ihm (Mohamed) die Lehre geworden. Ullm. Postquam responsum fuit illi (id est, Mahumeto de Religione manifestanda). Mar.

5 The law contained in the Koran.

6 Isai. v. 19.

7 Comp. Gal. vi. 7, 8.

8 That is, deprive thee of the Prophetic mission; or, fortify thee with patience against the calumny of forging lies of G.o.d. Thus Mar. If this latter interpretation be adopted, the remainder of the verse must be rendered: And G.o.d will abolish the lie and, etc.

9 Lit. he will increase them. Comp. Ps. cxv. 14.

10 Thus Beidhawi.

SURA X.-JONAH, PEACE BE ON HIM! [Lx.x.xIV.]

MECCA.-109 Verses

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

ELIF. LAM. RA.1 These are the signs of the wise Book!

A matter of wonderment is it to the men of Mecca, that to a person among themselves We revealed, "Bear warnings to the people: and, to those who believe, bear the good tidings that they shall have with their Lord the precedence merited by their sincerity." The unbelievers say, "Verily this is a manifest sorcerer."

Verily your Lord is G.o.d who hath made the Heavens and the Earth in six days- then mounted his throne to rule all things: None can intercede with him till after his permission: This is G.o.d your Lord: therefore serve him: Will ye not reflect?

Unto Him shall ye return, all together: the promise of G.o.d is sure: He produceth a creature, then causeth it to return again-that he may reward those who believe and do the things that are right, with equity: but as for the infidels!-for them the draught that boileth and an afflictive torment- because they have not believed.

It is He who hath appointed the sun for brightness, and the moon for a light, and hath ordained her stations that ye may learn the number of years and the reckoning of time. G.o.d hath not created all this but for the truth.2 He maketh his signs clear to those who understand.

Verily, in the alternations of night and of day, and in all that G.o.d hath created in the Heavens and in the Earth are signs to those who fear Him.

Verily, they who hope not to meet Us, and find their satisfaction in this world's life, and rest on it, and who of our signs are heedless;-

These! their abode the fire, in recompense of their deeds!

But they who believe and do the things that are right, shall their Lord direct aright because of their faith. Rivers shall flow at their feet in gardens of delight:

Their cry therein, "Glory be to thee, O G.o.d!" and their salutation therein, "Peace!"

And the close of their cry, "Praise be to G.o.d, Lord, of all creatures!"

Should G.o.d hasten evil on men as they fain would hasten their good, then were their end decreed! So leave we those who hope not to meet Us, bewildered in their error.

When trouble toucheth a man, he crieth to us, on his side, or sitting, or standing; and when we withdraw his trouble from him, he pa.s.seth on as though he had not called on us against the trouble which touched him! Thus are the deeds of transgressors pre-arranged for them.

And of old destroyed we generations before you, when they had acted wickedly, and their Apostles had come to them with clear tokens of their mission, and they would not believe:-thus reward we the wicked.

Then we caused you to succeed them on the earth, that we might see how ye would act.

But when our clear signs are recited to them, they who look not forward to meet Us, say, "Bring a different Koran from this, or make some change in it."

SAY: It is not for me to change it as mine own soul prompteth. I follow only what is revealed to me: verily, I fear, if I rebel against my Lord, the punishment of a great day.

SAY: Had G.o.d so pleased, I had not recited it to you, neither had I taught it to you. Already have I dwelt among you for years, ere it was revealed to me.

Understand ye not?

And who is more unjust than he who coineth a lie against G.o.d, or treateth his signs as lies? Surely the wicked shall not prosper!

And they worship beside G.o.d, what cannot hurt or help them; and say, "These are our advocates with G.o.d!" SAY: Will ye inform G.o.d of aught in the Heavens and in the Earth which he knoweth not? Praise be to Him! High be He exalted above the deities they join with Him!

Men were of one religion only:3 then they fell to variance: and had not a decree (of respite) previously gone forth from thy Lord, their differences had surely been decided between them!

They say: "Unless a sign be sent down to him from his Lord... ." But SAY: The hidden is only with G.o.d: wait therefore: I truly will be with you among those who wait.

And when after a trouble which you befallen them,4 we caused this people to taste of mercy, lo! a plot on their part against our signs! SAY: Swifter to plot is G.o.d! Verily, our messengers note down your plottings.

He it is who enableth you to travel by land and sea, so that ye go on board of ships-which sail on with them, with favouring breeze in which they rejoice. But if a tempestuous gale overtake them, and the billow come on them from every side, and they think that they are encompa.s.sed therewith, they call on G.o.d, professing sincere religion:-"Wouldst thou but rescue us from this, then will we indeed be of the thankful."

But when we have rescued them, lo! they commit unrighteous excesses on the earth! O men! a.s.suredly your self-injuring excess is only an enjoyment of this life present: soon ye return to us: and we will let you know what ye have done!