Part 26
When some trouble toucheth a man, he turneth to his Lord and calleth on him: yet no sooner hath He enriched him with his favour than he forgetteth Him on whom he before had called, and setteth up peers with God, that he may beguile others from His way. SAY: Enjoy thou thyself yet a little in thine ingratitude! but thou shalt surely be one of the inmates of the fire.
Shall he who observeth the hours of the night, prostrate or standing in devotion, heedful of the life to come, and hoping for the mercy of his Lord . . .? SAY: Shall they who have knowledge and they who have it not, be treated alike? In sooth, men of understanding only will take the warning.
SAY: O my believing servants, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world there is good: and broad is God's earth4-verily those who endure with patience shall be repaid: their reward shall not be by measure.
SAY: I am bidden to serve God with a sincere worship: and I am bidden to be the first of those who surrender themselves to him (Muslims).
SAY: Verily I fear if I rebel against my Lord the punishment of a great day.
SAY: God will I serve, presenting him with a sincere worship:
And serve ye what ye choose beside Him. SAY: The losers truly will they be who shall lose their own souls and their families on the day of resurrection: Is not this the clear ruin?
Canopies of fire shall be over them, and floors of fire beneath them. With this doth God alarm his servants: Fear ye me, then, O my servants!
But good tidings are there for those who shun the worship of Thagout and are turned to God. Cheer then with good tidings those my servants who hearken to my word and follow its excellence. These are they whom God guideth, and these are men of insight.
Him then on whom the sentence of punishment hath justly lighted-him who is doomed to the fire canst thou rescue?
But for those who fear their Lord are storied pavilions beneath which shall the rivers flow: it is the promise of God, and God will not fail in his promise.
Seest thou not that God sendeth down water from heaven, and guideth it along so as to form springs in the earth-then bringeth forth by it corn of varied sorts-then causeth he it to wither, and thou seest it become yellow-then crumbleth it away? Lo! herein is teaching for men of insight.
Shall he then whose breast God hath opened to Islam, and who hath light from his Lord . . .? But woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of God! They plainly err.
The best of recitals hath God sent down a book in unison with itself, and teaching by iteration.5 The very skins of those who fear their Lord do creep at it! Then do their skins and their hearts soften at the remembrance of their Lord! This is God's guidance: by it will He guide whom He pleaseth; and, whom God shall mislead, no guide shall there be for him.
Shall he who shall have nought but his own face to shelter him with from the torment of the punishment on the day of the resurrection . . .? Aye, to the evil doers it shall be said, "Taste what ye have earned."
They who were before them said it was a lie; but a punishment came upon them whence they looked not for it:
And God made them taste humiliation in this present life: but greater surely will be the punishment of the life to come. Did they but know it!
Now have we set before man in this Koran every kind of parable for their warning:
An Arabic Koran, free from tortuous wording, to the intent that they may fear God.
God setteth forth the comparison of a man with associates6 at variance among themselves, and of a man devoted wholly to a man. Are these to be held alike? No, praise be to God! But the greater part of them understand not.
Thou truly shall die, O Muhammad, and they too shall die:
Then, at the day of resurrection, ye shall wrangle with one another in the presence of your Lord.
And who acteth more unjustly than he who lieth of God, and treateth the truth when it cometh to him as a lie? Is there not a dwelling-place in Hell for the infidels?
But he who bringeth the truth, and he who believeth it to be the truth: these are the God-fearing.
Whatever they shall desire, awaiteth them with their Lord! This is the reward of the righteous;
That God may do away the guilt of their worst actions, and for their best actions render them their reward.
Is not God all-sufficient for his servant? Yet would they scare thee by their idols. But no guide shall there be for him whom God misleadeth:
And he whom God guideth shall have none to mislead him. Is not God, all- mighty, able to revenge?
And if thou ask them who hath created the Heavens and the Earth, they will surely answer, God. SAY: Think ye, then, that they7 on whom ye call beside God, if God choose to afflict me, could remove his affliction? or if he choose to show me mercy, could they withhold His mercy? SAY: God sufficeth me: in Him let the trusting trust.
SAY: O my people, act your part as best ye can, I too will act mine; and in the end ye shall know
On whom shall light a punishment that shall shame him, and on whom a lasting punishment shall fall.
Assuredly we have sent down the Book to thee for man and for the ends of truth. Whoso shall be guided by it-it will be for his own advantage, and whoso shall err, shall only err to his own loss. But not to thy keeping are they entrusted.
God taketh souls unto Himself at death; and during their sleep those who do not die:8 and he retaineth those on which he hath passed a decree of death, but sendeth the others back till a time that is fixed. Herein are signs for the reflecting.
Have they taken aught beside God as intercessors? SAY: What! though they have no power over anything, neither do they understand?
SAY: Intercession is wholly with God:9 His the kingdom of the Heavens and of the Earth! To him shall ye be brought back hereafter!
But when the One God is named, the hearts of those who believe not in the life to come, shrivel up: but when the deities who are adored beside Him are named, lo! they are filled with joy.
SAY: O God, creator of the Heaven and of the Earth, who knowest the hidden and the manifest, thou shalt judge between thy servants as to the subject of their disputes.
If the wicked possessed all that is in the earth and as much again therewith, verily they would ransom themselves with it from the pain of the punishment on the day of the resurrection; and there shall appear to them, from God, things they had never reckoned on:
And their own ill deeds shall be clearly perceived by them, and that fire at which they mocked shall encircle them on every side.
When trouble befalleth a man he crieth to Us; afterwards, when we have vouchsafed favour to him, he saith, "God knew that I deserved it."10 Nay, it is a trial. But the greater part of them knew it not.
The same said those who flourished before them; but their deeds profited them not.
And their own ill deeds recoiled upon them. And whoso among these (Meccans) shall do wrong, on them likewise their own misdeeds shall light, neither shall they invalidate God.
Know they not that God giveth supplies with open hand, and that He is sparing to whom He will? Of a truth herein are signs to those who believe.
SAY: O my servants who have transgressed to your own hurt,11 despair not of God's mercy, for all sins doth God forgive. Gracious, Merciful is He!
And return ye to your Lord, and to Him resign yourselves, ere the punishment come on you, for then ye shall not be helped:
And follow that most excellent thing which hath been sent down to you from your Lord, ere the punishment come on you suddenly, and when ye look not for it:
So that a soul say, "Oh misery! for my failures in duty towards God! and verily I was of those who scoffed:"
Or say, "Had God guided me, I had surely been of those who feared Him:"
Or say, when it seeth the punishment, "Could I but return, then I would be of the righteous."
Nay! my signs had already come to thee, and thou didst treat them as untruths, and wast arrogant, and becamest of those who believed not.
And on the resurrection day, thou shalt see those who have lied of God, with their faces black. Is there not an abode in Hell for the arrogant?
But God shall rescue those who fear him into their safe retreat: no ill shall touch them, neither shall they be put to grief.
God is the creator of all things, and of all things is He the guardian! His the keys of the Heavens and of the Earth! and-who believe not in the signs of God-these! they shall perish!
SAY: What! do ye then bid me worship other than God, O ye ignorant ones?
But now hath it been revealed to thee and to those who flourished before thee,-"Verily, if thou join partners with God, vain shall be all thy work, and thyself shalt be of those who perish.
Nay, rather worship God! and be of those who render thanks."
But they have not deemed of God as is His due;12 for on the resurrection day the whole Earth shall be but his handful, and in his right hand shall the Heavens be folded together. Praise be to Him! and high be He uplifted above the partners they join with Him!
And there shall be a blast on the trumpet, and all who are in the Heavens and all who are in the Earth shall expire, save those whom God shall vouchsafe to live. Then shall there be another blast on it, and lo! arising they shall gaze around them:
And the earth shall shine with the light of her Lord, and the Book shall be set, and the prophets shall be brought up, and the witnesses; and judgment shall be given between them with equity; and none shall be wronged:
And every soul shall receive as it shall have wrought, for well knoweth He men's actions.
And by TROOPS shall the unbelievers be driven towards Hell, until when they reach it, its gates shall be opened, and its keepers shall say to them, "Came not apostles from among yourselves to you, reciting to you the signs of your Lord, and warning you of the meeting with Him on this your day?"13 They shall say, "Yes." But just is the sentence of punishment on the unbelievers.
It shall be said to them, "Enter ye the gates of Hell, therein to dwell for ever;" and wretched the abode of the arrogant!
But those who feared their Lord shall be driven on by troops to Paradise, until when they reach it, its gates shall be opened, and its keepers shall say to them, "All hail! virtuous have ye been: enter then in, to abide herein for ever."
And they shall say, "Praise be to God, who hath made good to us His promise, and hath given to us the earth as our heritage, that we may dwell in Paradise wherever we please!" And goodly is the reward of those who travailed virtuously.
And thou shalt see the Angels circling around the Throne with praises of their Lord: and judgment shall be pronounced between them with equity: and it shall be said, "Glory be to God the Lord of the Worlds."
_______________________
1 Lit. the sending down, or revelation, of the Book is, etc.
2 Lit. in truth, i.e. for a serious and earnest purpose, and not as mere pastime.
3 That is, camels, oxen, sheep and goats.
4 The wording of this verse would seem to indicate a period when Muhammad was meditating flight from Mecca. Comp. [lxxxi.] xxix. 56.
5 See on the word Mathani, Sura xv. 87, p. 116. Or, by rhyming couplets.
6 The word associates contains an implied allusion to the deities associated with God, and who distract the idolaters in their worship.
7 In the fem. gender in the Ar. This passage was revealed shortly after the circumstances mentioned, liii. 20, n. p. 70.
8 See Sura [lxxxix.] vi. 60.
9 That is, none may intercede with Him but those whom He permits to do so.
10 Lit. It was only given to me on account of knowledge. Mar. Deus sciebat me esse dignum eo. Thus Sale.
11 By becoming apostates from Islam. Comp. Sura [lxxiii.] xvi. 108. This and the two following verses are said to have originated at Medina. His 230, Wah. Omar ben Muhammad. Beidh. Itq. 19.
12 Lit. they have not esteemed God according to the truth of His estimation.
13 Adventum diei hujus. Mar.
SURA XXIX.-THE SPIDER [LXXXI.]
MECCA-69 Verses
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
ELIF. LAM. MIM.1 Think men that when they say, "We believe," they shall be let alone and not be put to proof?
We put to proof those who lived before them; for God will surely take knowledge of those who are sincere, and will surely take knowledge of the liars.
Think they who work evil that they shall escape Us? Ill do they judge.
To him who hopeth to meet God, the set time of God will surely come. The Hearer, the Knower, He!
Whoso maketh efforts for the faith, maketh them for his own good only. Verily God is rich enough to dispense with all creatures.
And as to those who shall have believed and done the things that are right, their evil deeds will we surely blot out from them, and according to their best actions will we surely reward them.
Moreover we have enjoined on man to shew kindness to parents: but if they strive with thee that thou join that with Me of which thou hast no knowledge,2 obey them not. To me do ye return, and then will I tell you of your doings:
And those who shall have believed and done the things that are right, we will surely give them an entering in among the just.
But some men say, "We believe in God," yet when they meet with sufferings in the cause of God, they regard trouble from man as chastisement from God. Yet if a success come from thy Lord they are sure to say, "We were on your side!" Doth not God well know what is in the breasts of his creatures?
Yes, and God well knoweth those who believe, and He well knoweth the Hypocrites.
The unbelievers say to the faithful, "Follow ye our way, and we will surely bear your sins." But not aught of their sins will they bear-verily they are liars!
But their own burdens, and burdens beside their own burdens shall they surely bear: and inquisition shall be made of them on the day of Resurrection as to their false devices.
Of old sent we Noah to his people: a thousand years save fifty did he tarry among them; and the flood overtook them in their wrongful doings:
But we rescued him and those who were in the vessel; and we made it a sign to all men:
And Abraham; when he said to his people, "Worship God and fear Him. This will be best for you, if ye have knowledge;"
Ye only worship idols beside God, and are the authors of a lie. Those whom ye worship beside God can give you no supplies: seek, then, your supplies from God; and serve Him and give Him thanks. To Him shall ye return.
Suppose that ye treat me as a liar! nations before you have treated God's messenger as a liar; but open preaching is his only duty.
See they not how God bringeth forth creation? and then causeth it to return again? This truly is easy for God.
SAY,3 Go through the earth, and see how he hath brought forth created beings. Hereafter, with a second birth will God cause them to be born again; for God is Almighty.
Whom He pleaseth will He chastise, and on whom He pleaseth will He have mercy, and to Him shall ye be taken back.
And ye shall not invalidate his power either in the Earth or in the Heaven:4 and, save God, ye shall have neither patron nor helper.
As for those who believe not in the signs of God, or that they shall ever meet him, these of my mercy shall despair, and these doth a grievous chastisement await."
And the only answer of his people was to say, "Slay him or burn him." But from the fire did God save him! Verily, herein are signs to those who believe.
And Abraham said, "Of a truth ye have taken idols along with God as your bond of union5 in this life present;
But on the day of resurrection some of you shall deny the others, and some of you shall curse the others; and your abode shall be the fire, and ye shall have none to help."
But Lot believed on him,6 and said, "I betake me to my Lord, for He truly is the Mighty, the Wise."
And we bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob,7 and placed the gift of prophecy and the Scripture among his posterity; And we gave him his reward in this world, and in the next he shall be among the just.
We sent also Lot: when he said to his people, "Proceed ye to a filthiness in which no people in the world hath ever gone before you?
Proceed ye even to men? attack ye them on the highway? and proceed ye to the crime in your assemblies?" But the only answer of his people was to say, "Bring God's chastisement upon us, if thou art a man of truth."
He cried: My Lord! help me against this polluted people.
And when our messengers came to Abraham with the tidings of a son, they said, "Of a truth we will destroy the in-dwellers in this city, for its in-dwellers are evil doers."
He said, "Lot is therein." They said, "We know full well who therein is. Him and his family will we save, except his wife; she will be of those who linger.
And when our messengers came to Lot, he was troubled for them, and his arm was too weak8 to protect them; and they said, "Fear not, and distress not thyself, for thee and thy family will we save, except thy wife; she will be of those who linger.9
We will surely bring down upon the dwellers in this city vengeance from Heaven for the excesses they have committed."
And in what we have left of it is a clear sign to men of understanding.
And to Madian we sent their brother Shoaib. And he said, "Oh! my people! worship God, and expect the latter day, and enact not in the land deeds of harmful excess."
But they treated him as an impostor: so an earthquake assailed them; and at morn they were found prostrate and dead in their dwellings.
And we destroyed Ad and Themoud. Already is this made plain to you in the ruins of their dwellings. For Satan had made their own works fair seeming to them, and drew them from the right path, keen-sighted though they were.
And Corah and Pharaoh and Haman. With proofs of his mission did Moses come to them, and they behaved proudly on the earth; but us they could not outstrip;10
For, every one of them did we seize in his sin. Against some of them did wesend a stone-charged wind: Some of them did the terrible cry of Gabriel surprise: for some of them we cleaved the earth; and some of them we drowned. And it was not God who would deal wrongly by them, but they wronged themselves.
The likeness for those who take to themselves guardians instead of God is the likeness of the SPIDER who buildeth her a house: But verily, frailest of all houses surely is the house of the spider. Did they but know this!
God truly knoweth all that they call on beside Him; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.
These similitudes do we set forth to men: and none understand them except the wise.
God hath created the Heavens and the Earth for a serious end.11 Verily in this is a sign to those who believe.
Recite the portions of the Book which have been revealed to thee and discharge the duty of prayer: for prayer restraineth from the filthy and the blame-worthy. And the gravest duty is the remembrance of God; and God knoweth what ye do.
Dispute not, unless in kindly sort, with the people of the Book;12 save with such of them as have dealt wrongfully with you: And say ye, "We believe in what hath been sent down to us and hath been sent down to you. Our God and your God is one, and to him are we self-surrendered" (Muslims).
Thus have we sent down the Book of the Koran to thee: and they to whom we have given the Book of the law believe in it: and of these Arabians there are those who believe in it: and none, save the Infidels, reject our signs.
Thou didst not recite any book (of revelation) before it: with that right hand of thine thou didst not transcribe one: else might they who treat it as a vain thing have justly doubted:
But it is a clear sign in the hearts of those whom "the knowledge" hath reached. None except the wicked reject our signs.
And they say, "Unless a sign be sent down to him from his Lord. . . ." SAY: Signs are in the power of God alone. I am only a plain spoken warner.
Is it not enough for them that we have sent down to thee the Book to be recited to them? In this verily is a mercy and a warning to those who believe.
SAY: God is witness enough between me and you.
He knoweth all that is in the Heavens and the Earth, and they who believe in vain things13 and disbelieve in God-these shall be the lost ones.
They will challenge thee to hasten the punishment: but had there not been a season fixed for it, that punishment had already come upon them. But it shall overtake them suddenly when they look not for it.
They will challenge thee to hasten the punishment: but verily Hell shall be round about the infidels.
One day the punishment shall wrap them round, both from above them and from beneath their feet; and God will say, "Taste ye your own doings."
O my servants who have believed! Vast truly is my Earth:14 me, therefore! yea worship me.
Every soul shall taste of death. Then to us shall ye return.
But those who shall have believed and wrought righteousness will we lodge in gardens with palaces, beneath which the rivers flow. For ever shall they abide therein. How goodly the reward of those who labour,
Who patiently endure, and put their trust in their Lord!