The Koran (Al-Qur'an) Part 54

CHAPTER LIV.

ENt.i.tLED, THE MOON; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL G.o.d.

THE hour of judgment approacheth; and the moon hath been split in sunder: but if the unbelievers see a sign, they turn aside, saying, This is a powerful charm.

And they accuse thee, O Mohammed, of imposture, and follow their own l.u.s.ts: but everything will be immutably fixed.

And now hath a message come unto them, wherein is a determent from obstinate infidelity; the same being consummate wisdom: but warners profit them not; wherefore do thou withdraw from them. The day whereon the summoner shall summon mankind to an ungrateful business, they shall come forth from their graves with downcast looks: numerous as locusts scattered far abroad; hastening with terror unto the summoner. The unbelievers shall say, This is a day of distress.

The people of Noah accused that prophet of imposture, before thy people rejected thee: they accused our servant of imposture, saying, He is a madman; and he was rejected with reproach.

10 He called, therefore, upon his LORD, saying, Verily I am overpowered; wherefore avenge me.

So we opened the gates of heaven, with water pouring down, and we caused the earth to break forth into springs; so that the water of heaven and earth met, according to the decree which had been established.

And we bare him on a vessel composed of planks and nails; which moved forward under our eyes: as a recompense unto him who had been ungratefully rejected.

And we left the said vessel for a sign: but is any one warned thereby?

And how severe was my vengeance, and my threatening!

Now have we made the Koran easy for admonition: but is any one admonished thereby?

Ad charged their prophet with imposture: but how severe was my vengeance, and my threatening!

Verily we sent against them a roaring wind, on a day of continued ill luck; 20 it carried men away, as though they had been roots of palm-trees forcibly torn up.

And how severe was my vengeance and my threatening!

Now have we made the Koran easy for admonition: but is any one admonished thereby?

Thamud charged the admonitions of their prophet with falsehood, and said, Shall we follow a single man among us? verily we should then be guilty of error, and preposterous madness: is the office of admonition committed unto him preferably to the rest of us? Nay; he is a liar, and an insolent fellow.

But G.o.d said to Saleh, to-morrow shall they know who is the liar, and the insolent person: for we will surely send the she-camel for a trial of them: and do thou observe them, and bear their insults with patience: and prophesy unto them that the water shall be divided between them, and each portion shall be sat down to alternately.

And they called their companion: and he took a sword, and slew her.

30 But how severe was my vengeance, and my threatening!

For we sent against them one cry of the angel Gabriel; and they became like the dry sticks used by him who buildeth a fold for cattle.

And now have we made the Koran easy for admonition: but is any one admonished thereby?

The people of Lot charged his preaching with falsehood: but we sent against them a wind driving a shower of stones, which destroyed them all except the family of Lot; whom we delivered early in the morning, through favor from us. Thus do we reward those who are thankful.

And Lot had warned them of our severity in chastising; but they doubted of that warning.

And they demanded his guests of him, that they might abuse them: but we put out their eyes, saying, Taste my vengeance, and my threatening.

And early in the morning a lasting punishment surprised them.

Taste, therefore, my vengeance, and my threatening.

40 Now have we made the Koran easy for admonition: but is any one admonished thereby?

The warning of Moses also came unto the people of Pharaoh; but they charged every one of our signs with imposture: wherefore we chastised them with a mighty and irresistible chastis.e.m.e.nt.

Are your unbelievers, O Meccans, better than these? Is immunity from punishment promised unto you in the scriptures?

Do they say, We are a body of men able to prevail against our enemies?

The mult.i.tude shall surely be put to flight, and shall turn their back.

But the hour of judgment is their threatened time of punishment: and that hour shall be more grievous and more bitter than their afflictions in this life.

Verily the wicked wander in error, and shall be tormented hereafter in burning flames.

On that day they shall be dragged into the fire on their faces; and it shall be said unto them, Taste ye the touch of h.e.l.l.

All things have we created bound by a fixed decree: 50 and our command is no more than a single word, like the twinkling of an eye.

We have formerly destroyed nations like unto you; but is any of you warned by their example?

Everything which they do is recorded in the books kept by the guardian angels: and every action both small and great, is written down in the preserved table.

Moreover the pious shall dwell among gardens and rivers, in the a.s.sembly of truth, in the presence of a most potent king.

CHAPTER LV.

ENt.i.tLED, THE MERCIFUL; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL G.o.d.

THE Merciful hath taught his servant the Koran.

He created man: he hath taught him distinct speech.

The sun and the moon run their courses according to a certain rule: and the vegetables which creep on the ground, and the trees submit to his disposition.

He also raised the heaven; and he appointed the balance, that ye should not transgress in respect to the balance: wherefore observe a just weight; and diminish not the balance.

10 And the earth hath he prepared for living creatures: therein are various fruits, and palm-trees bearing sheaths of flowers; and grain having chaff, and leaves.

Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?

He created man of dried clay like an earthen vessel: but he created the genii of fire clear from smoke.

Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?

He is the LORD of the east, and the LORD of the west.

Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?

He hath let loose the two seas, that they meet each another: 20 between them is placed a bar which they cannot pa.s.s.

Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?

From them are taken forth unions and lesser pearls.

Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?

His also are the ships, carrying their sails aloft in the sea like mountains.

Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?

Every creature which liveth on the earth is subject to decay: but the glorious and honourable countenance of thy LORD shall remain forever.

Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?

Unto him do all creatures which are in heaven and earth make pet.i.tion: every day is he employed in some new work.

30 Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?

We will surely attend to judge you, O men and genii, at the last day.

Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?

O ye collective body of genii and men, if ye be able to pa.s.s out of the confines of heaven and earth, pa.s.s forth: ye shall not pa.s.s forth but by absolute power.

Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?

A flame of fire without smoke, and a smoke without flame shall be sent down upon you; and ye shall not be able to defend yourselves therefrom.

Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?

And when the heaven shall be rent in sunder, and shall become red as a rose, and shall melt like ointment.

(Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?) On that day neither man nor genius shall be asked concerning his sin.

40 Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?

The wicked shall be known by their marks; and they shall be taken by the forelocks, and the feet, and shall be cast into h.e.l.l.

Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?

This is h.e.l.l, which the wicked deny as a falsehood: they shall pa.s.s to and fro between the same and hot boiling water.

Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?

But for him who dreadeth the tribunal of his LORD are prepared two gardens: (Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?) planted with shady trees.

Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?

50 In each of them shall be two fountains flowing.

Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?

In each of them shall there be of every fruit two kinds.

Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?

They shall repose on couches, the linings whereof shall be of thick silk interwoven with gold: and the fruit of the two gardens shall be near at hand together.

Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?