The Koran Part 121

And this Book which we have sent down is blessed, confirming that which was before it; and in order that thou mightest warn the mother-city and those who dwell round about it. They who believe in the next life will believe in It, and will keep strictly to their Prayers.

But is any more wicked than he who deviseth a lie of G.o.d, or saith, "I have had a revelation," when nothing was revealed to him?25 And who saith, "I can bring down a book like that which G.o.d hath sent down"? But couldst thou see when the unG.o.dly are in the floods of death, and the angels reach forth their hands, saying, "Yield up your souls:-this day shall ye be recompensed with a humiliating punishment for your untrue sayings about G.o.d, and for proudly rejecting his signs!"

"And now are ye come back to us, alone, as we created you at first, and ye leave behind you the good things which we had given you, and we see not with you your intercessors whom ye regarded as the companions of G.o.d among you.

There is a severance between you now, and those whom ye regarded as partners with G.o.d have deserted you."

Verily G.o.d causeth the grain and the date stone to put forth: He bringeth forth the living from the dead, and the dead from the living! This is G.o.d!

Why, then, are ye turned aside from Him?

He causeth the dawn to appear, and hath ordained the night for rest, and the sun and the moon for computing time! The ordinance of the Mighty, the Wise!

And it is He who hath ordained the stars for you that ye may be guided thereby in the darknesses of the land and of the sea! clear have we made our signs to men of knowledge.

And it is He who hath produced you from one man, and hath provided for you an abode and resting-place!26 Clear have we made our signs for men of insight.

And it is He who sendeth down rain from Heaven: and we bring forth by it the buds of all the plants, and from them bring we forth the green foliage, and the close growing grain, and palm trees with sheaths of cl.u.s.tering dates, and gardens of grapes, and the olive and the pomegranate, like and unlike.27 Look ye on their fruits when they fruit and ripen. Truly herein are signs unto people who believe.

Yet have they a.s.signed the Djinn to G.o.d as his a.s.sociates, though He created them; and in their ignorance have they falsely ascribed to him sons and daughters. Glory be to Him! And high let Him be exalted above that which they attribute to Him!

Sole maker of the Heavens and of the Earth! how, when He hath no consort, should He have a son? He hath created everything, and He knoweth everything!

This is G.o.d your Lord. There is no G.o.d but He, the creator of all things: therefore worship Him alone;-and He watcheth over all things.

No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision:28 and He is the Subtile, the All-informed.

Now have proofs that may be seen, come to you from your Lord; whoso seeth them, the advantage will be his own: and whoso is blind to them, his own will be the loss: I am not made a keeper over you.

Thus variously do we apply our signs,29 that they may say, "Thou hast studied deep:" and that to people of understanding we may make them clear.

Follow thou that which hath been revealed to thee by thy Lord: there is no G.o.d but He! and withdraw from those who join other G.o.ds with Him.

Had G.o.d pleased, they had not joined other G.o.ds with Him: and we have not made thee keeper over them, neither art thou a guardian over them.

Revile not those whom they call on beside G.o.d,30 lest they, in their ignorance, despitefully revile Him. Thus have we planned out their actions for every people; then shall they return to their Lord, and He will declare to them what those actions have been.

With their most solemn oath have they sworn by G.o.d, that if a sign come unto them they will certainly believe it; SAY: Signs are in the power of G.o.d alone; and He teacheth you not thereby, only because when they were wrought, ye did not believe.31

And we will turn their hearts and their eyes away from the truth, because they did not believe therein at first, and we will leave them in their transgressions, wandering in perplexity.

And though we had sent down the angels to them, and the dead had spoken to them, and we had gathered all things about them in tribes, they had not believed, unless G.o.d had willed it! but most of them do not know it.

Thus have we given an enemy to every prophet Satans among men and among Djinn: tinsel discourses do they suggest the one to the other, in order to deceive: and had thy Lord willed it, they would not have done it. Therefore, leave them and their vain imaginings-

And let the hearts of those who believe not in the life to come incline thereto, and let them find their content in this, and let them gain what they are gaining.

What! shall I seek other judge than G.o.d, when it is He who hath sent down to you the distinguishing Book? They to whom we have given the Book know that it is sent down from thy Lord with truth. Be not thou then of those who doubt.

And the words of thy Lord are perfect in truth and in justice: none can change his words: He is the Hearing, Knowing.

But if thou obey most men in this land, from the path of G.o.d will they mislead thee: they follow but a conceit, and they are only liars.

Thy Lord! He best knoweth those who err from his path, and He knoweth the rightly guided.

Eat32 of that over which the name of G.o.d hath been p.r.o.nounced, if ye believe in his signs.

And why eat ye not of that over which the name of G.o.d hath been p.r.o.nounced, since He hath made plain to you what He hath forbidden you, save as to that which is forced upon you? But indeed many mislead others by their appet.i.tes, through lack of knowledge. Verily, thy Lord! He best knoweth the transgressors.

And abandon the semblance of wickedness, and wickedness itself.33 They, verily, whose only acquirement is iniquity, shall be rewarded for what they shall have gained.

Eat not therefore of that on which the name of G.o.d has not been named, for that is a.s.suredly a crime: the Satans will indeed suggest to their votaries to wrangle with you; but if ye obey them, ye will indeed be of those who join G.o.ds with G.o.d.

Shall the dead, whom we have quickened, and for whom we have ordained a light whereby he may walk among men, be like him, whose likeness is in the darkness, whence he will not come forth? Thus have the doings of the unbelievers been prepared for them.

Even so have we placed in every city, ringleaders of its wicked ones, to scheme therein: but only against themselves shall they scheme! and they know it not.

And when a sign cometh to them they say, "We will not believe, till the like of what was accorded to the apostles of G.o.d, be accorded to us." G.o.d best knoweth where to place his mission. Disgrace with G.o.d, and a vehement punishment shall come on the transgressors for their crafty plottings.

And whom G.o.d shall please to guide, that man's breast will He open to Islam; but whom He shall please to mislead, strait and narrow will He make his breast, as though he were mounting up into the very Heavens! Thus doth G.o.d inflict dire punishment on those who believe not.

And this is the right way of thy Lord. Now have we detailed our signs unto those who will consider.

For them is a dwelling of peace with their Lord! and in recompense for their works, shall he be their protector.

On the day whereon G.o.d shall gather them all together ... "O race of Djinn," will He say, "much did ye exact from mankind." And their votaries from among men shall say, "O our Lord! we rendered one another mutual services: but we have reached our set term, which thou hast set for us." He will say, "Your abode the fire! therein abide ye for ever: unless as G.o.d shall will." Verily, thy Lord is Wise, Knowing.

Even thus place we some of the wicked over others, as the meed of their doings.

O race of Djinn and men! came not apostles to you from among yourselves, rehearsing my signs to you, and warning you of the meeting of this your day?

They shall say, "We bear witness against ourselves." This world's life deceived them; and they shall bear witness against themselves that they were infidels:-

This,34 because thy Lord would not destroy the cities in their sin, while their people were yet careless.

And for all, are grades of recompense as the result of their deeds; and of what they do, thy Lord is not regardless.

And thy Lord is the Rich one, full of compa.s.sion! He can destroy you if He please, and cause whom He will to succeed you, as he raised you up from the offspring of other people:

Verily, that which is threatened you shall surely come to pa.s.s, neither shall ye weaken its might.

SAY: O my people! Act as ye best can: I verily will act my part, and hereafter shall ye know

Whose will be the recompense of the abode! Verily, the unG.o.dly shall not prosper.

Moreover, they set apart a portion of the fruits and cattle35 which he hath produced, and say, "This for G.o.d"-so deem they-"And this for his companions, whom we a.s.sociate with Him." But that which is for these companions of theirs, cometh not to G.o.d; yet that which is for G.o.d, cometh to the companions! Ill do they judge.

Thus have the companion-G.o.ds induced many of these, who join them with G.o.d, to slay their children, that they might ruin them, and throw the cloak of confusion over their religion. But if G.o.d had pleased, they had not done this. Therefore, leave them and their devices.

They also say, "These cattle and fruits are sacred: none may taste them but whom we please:" so deem they-"And there are cattle, whose backs should be exempt from labour." And there are cattle over which they do not p.r.o.nounce the name of G.o.d: inventing in all this a lie against Him. For their inventions shall He reward them.

And they say, "That which is in the wombs of these cattle is allowed to our males, and forbidden to our wives;" but if it prove abortive, both partake of it. G.o.d shall reward them for their distinctions! Knowing, Wise is He.