Books: The Koran (without footnotes)

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CHAPTER VII.

ENTITLED, AL ARAF; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

A.L.M.S.
A book hath been sent down unto thee: and therefore let there
be no doubt in thy breast concerning it; that thou mayest preach the same,
and that it may be an admonition unto the faithful.
Follow that which hath been sent down unto you from your LORD; and follow
no guides besides him: how little will ye be warned!
How many cities have we destroyed; which our vengeance overtook by
night, or while they were reposing themselves at noon-day!
And their supplication, when our punishment came upon them, was no other
than that they said, Verily we have been unjust.
We will surely call those to an account, unto whom a prophet hath been
sent; and we will also call those to account who have been sent unto them.
And we will declare their actions unto them with knowledge; for we are
not absent from them.
The weighing of men's actions on that day shall be just; and they whose
balances laden with their good works shall be heavy, are those who shall be
happy;
but they whose balances shall be light, are those who have lost their
souls, because they injured our signs.
10 And now have we placed you on the earth, and have provided you food
therein: but how little are ye thankful!
We created you, and afterwards formed you; and then said unto the
angels, Worship Adam; and they all worshipped him, except Eblis, who was not
one of those who worshipped.
God said unto him, What hindered thee from worshipping Adam, since I had
commanded thee? He answered, I am more excellent than he: thou hast created
me of fire, and hast created him of clay.
God said, Get thee down therefore from paradise; for it is not fit that
thou behave thyself proudly therein: get thee hence; thou shalt be one of the
contemptible.
He answered, Give me respite until the day of resurrection.
God said, Verily thou shalt be one of those who are respited.
The devil said, Because thou hast depraved me, I will lay wait for men in
thy strait way;
then will I come upon them from before, and from behind, and from their
right hands, and from their left; and thou shalt not find the greater part of
them thankful.
God said unto him, Get thee hence, despised, and driven far away: verily
whoever of them shall follow thee, I will surely fill hell with you all:
but as for thee, O Adam, dwell thou and thy wife in paradise; and eat of
the fruit thereof wherever ye will; but approach not this tree, lest ye become
of the number of the unjust.
20 And Satan suggested to them both, that he would discover unto them their
nakedness, which was hidden from them; and he said, Your LORD hath not
forbidden you this tree, for any other reason but lest ye should become
angels, or lest ye become immortal.
And he sware unto them, saying, Verily I am one of those who counsel you
aright.
And he caused them to fall through deceit. And when they had tasted of
the tree, their nakedness appeared unto them; and they began to join together
the leaves of paradise, to cover themselves. And their LORD called to them,
saying, Did I not forbid you this tree: and did I not say unto you, Verily
Satan is your declared enemy?
They answered, O LORD, we have dealt unjustly with our own souls; and if
thou forgive us not, and be not merciful unto us, we shall surely be of those
who perish.
God said, Get ye down, the one of you an enemy unto the other; and ye
shall have a dwelling-place upon the earth, and a provision for a season.
He said, Therein shall ye live, and therein shall ye die, and from thence
shall ye be taken forth at the resurrection.
O children of Adam, we have sent down unto you apparel, to conceal your
nakedness, and fair garments; but the clothing of piety is better. This is one
of the signs of God; that peradventure ye may consider.
O children of Adam, let not Satan seduce you, as he expelled your parents
out of paradise, by stripping them of their clothing, that he might show them
their nakedness: verily he seeth you, both he and his companions, whereas ye
see not them. We have appointed the devils to be patrons of those who believe
not:
and when they commit a filthy action, they say, We found our fathers
practising the same; and GOD hath commanded us to do it. Say, Verily GOD
commandeth not filthy actions. Do ye speak concerning GOD that which ye know
not?
Say, My LORD hath commanded me to observe justice; therefore set your
faces to pray at every place of worship, and call upon him, approving unto him
the sincerity of your religion. As he produced you at first, so unto him
shall ye return.
30 A part of mankind hath he directed; and a part hath been
justly led into error, because they have taken the devils for their patrons
besides GOD, and imagine they are rightly directed.
O children of Adam, take your decent apparel at every place of worship,
and eat and drink, but be not guilty of excess; for he loveth not those who
are guilty of excess.
Say, Who hath forbidden the decent apparel of GOD, which he hath
produced for his servants, and the good things which he hath provided for
food? Say, these things are for those who believe, in this present life, but
peculiarly on the day of resurrection. Thus do we distinctly explain our
signs unto people who understand.
Say, Verily my LORD hath forbidden filthy actions, both that which is
discovered thereof, and that which is concealed, and also iniquity, and unjust
violence; and hath forbidden you to associate with GOD that concerning which
he hath sent you down no authority, or to speak of GOD that which ye know not.
Unto every nation there is a prefixed term; therefore when their term is
expired, they shall not have respite for an hour, neither shall they be
anticipated.
O children of Adam, verily apostles from among you shall come unto you,
who shall expound my signs unto you: whosoever therefore shall fear God and
amend, there shall come no fear on them, neither shall they be grieved.
But they who shall accuse our signs of falsehood, and shall proudly
reject them, they shall be the companions of hell fire; they shall remain
therein forever.
And who is more unjust than he who deviseth a lie concerning GOD, or
accuseth his signs of imposture? Unto these shall be given their portion of
worldly happiness, according to what is written in the book of GOD's decrees,
until our messengers come unto them, and shall cause them to die; saying,
Where are the idols which ye called upon, besides GOD? They shall answer,
They have disappeared from us. And they shall bear witness against themselves
that they were unbelievers.
God shall say unto them at the resurrection, Enter ye with the nations
which have preceded you, of genii and of men, into hell fire; so often as one
nation shall enter, it shall curse its sister, until they shall all have
successively entered therein. The latter of them shall say of the former of
them: O LORD, these have seduced us; therefore inflict on them a double
punishment of the fire of hell. God shall answer, It shall be doubled unto
all: but ye know it not:
and the former of them shall say unto the latter of them, Ye have not
therefore any favor above us; taste the punishment for that which ye have
gained.
40 Verily they who shall charge our signs with falsehood, and shall proudly
reject them, the gates of heaven shall not be opened unto them, neither shall
they enter into paradise, until a camel pass through the eye of a needle, and
thus will we reward the wicked doers.
Their couch shall be in hell, and over them shall be coverings of fire;
and thus will we reward the unjust.
But they who believe, and do that which is right (we will not load any
soul but according to its ability,) they shall be the companions of paradise;
they shall remain therein forever.
And we will remove all grudges from their minds; rivers shall run at
their feet, and they shall say, Praised be GOD, who hath directed us unto this
felicity, for we should not have been rightly directed, if GOD had not
directed us; now are we convinced by demonstration that the Apostles of our
LORD came unto us with truth. And it shall be proclaimed unto them, This is
paradise, whereof ye are made heirs, as a reward for that which ye have
wrought.
And the inhabitants of paradise shall call out to the inhabitants of
hell fire, saying, Now have we found that which our LORD promised us to be
true: have ye also found that which your LORD promised you to be true? They
shall answer, Yea. And a crier shall proclaim between them, The curse of GOD
shall be on the wicked;
who turn men aside from the way of GOD, and seek to render it crooked,
and who deny the life to come.
And between the blessed and the damned there shall be a veil; and men
shall stand on Al Arâf who shall know every one of them by their marks; and
shall call unto the inhabitants of paradise, saying, Peace be upon you: yet
they shall not enter therein, although they earnestly desire it.
And when they shall turn their eyes towards the companions of hell fire,
they say, O LORD, place us not with the ungodly people!
And those who stand on Al Arâf shall call unto certain men, whom they
shall know by their marks, and shall say, What hath your gathering of riches
availed you, and that ye were puffed up with pride?
Are these the men on whom ye sware that GOD would not bestow mercy?
Enter ye into paradise; there shall come no fear on you, neither shall ye be
grieved.
50 And the inhabitants of hell fire shall call unto the inhabitants of
paradise, saying, Pour upon us some water, or of those refreshments which GOD
hath bestowed on you. They shall answer, Verily GOD hath forbidden them unto
the unbelievers;
who made a laughing-stock and a sport of their religion, and whom the
life of the world hath deceived: therefore this day will we forget them, as
they did forget the meeting of this day, and for that they denied our signs to
be from God.
And now have we brought unto those of Mecca a book of divine
revelations: we have explained it with knowledge; a direction and mercy unto
people who shall believe.
Do they wait for any other than the interpretation thereof? On the day
whereon the interpretation thereof shall come, they who had forgotten the same
before shall say, Now are we convinced by demonstration that the messengers of
our LORD came unto us with truth: shall we therefore have any intercessors,
who will intercede for us? or shall we be sent back into the world, that we
may do other works than what we did in our life-time? But now have they lost
their souls; and that which they impiously imagined hath fled from them.
Verily, your LORD is GOD, who created the heavens and the earth in six
days; and then ascended his throne: he causeth the night to cover the day; it
succeedeth the same swiftly: he also created the sun and the moon, and the
stars, which are absolutely subject unto his command. Is not the whole
creation, and the empire thereof, his? Blessed be GOD, the LORD of all
creatures!
Call upon your LORD humbly and in secret; for he loveth not those who
transgress.
And act not corruptly in the earth, after its reformation; and call upon
him with fear and desire: for the mercy of GOD is near unto the righteous.
It is he who sendeth the winds, spread abroad before his mercy, until
they bring a cloud heavy with rain, which we drive into a dead country; and
we cause water to descend thereon, by which we cause all sorts of fruits to
spring forth. Thus will we bring forth the dead from their graves; that
peradventure ye may consider.
From a good country shall its fruit spring forth abundantly, by the
permission of its LORD; but from the land which is bad, it shall not spring
forth otherwise than scarcely. Thus do we explain the signs of divine
providence unto people who are thankful.
We formerly sent Noah unto his people: and he said, O my people, worship
GOD: ye have no other GOD than him. Verily I fear for you the punishment of
the great day.
60 The chiefs of his people answered him, We surely perceive thee to be in a
manifest error.
He replied, O my people, there is no error in me; but I am a messenger
from the LORD of all creatures.
I bring unto you the messages of my LORD; and I counsel you aright: for
I know from GOD, that which ye know not.
Do ye wonder that an admonition hath come unto you from your LORD by a
man from among you, to warn you, that ye may take heed to yourselves, and
that peradventure ye may obtain mercy?
And they accused him of imposture: but we delivered him and those who
were with him in the ark, and we drowned those who charged our signs with
falsehood; for they were a blind people.
And unto the tribe of Ad we sent their brother Hud. He said, O my
people, worship GOD: ye have no other GOD than him; will ye not fear him?
The chiefs of those among his people who believed not, answered, Verily
we perceive that thou art guided by folly; and we certainly esteem thee to be
one of the liars.
He replied, O my people, I am not guided by folly; but I am a messenger
unto you from the LORD of all creatures:
I bring unto you the messages of my LORD; and I am a faithful counsellor
unto you.
Do ye wonder that an admonition hath come unto you from your LORD, by a
man from among you, that he may warn you? Call to mind how he hath appointed
you successors unto the people of Noah, and hath added unto you in stature
largely. Remember the benefits of GOD, that ye may prosper.
70 They said, Art thou come unto us, that we should worship GOD alone, and
leave the deities which our fathers worshipped? Now bring down that judgment
upon us, with which thou threatenest us, if thou speakest truth.
Hud answered, Now shall there suddenly fall upon you from your LORD
vengeance and indignation. Will ye dispute with me concerning the names which
ye have named, and your fathers; as to which GOD hath not revealed unto you
any authority? Do ye wait therefore, and I will be one of those who wait with
you.
And we delivered him, and them who believed with him by our mercy; and
we cut off the uttermost part of those who charged our signs with falsehood,
and were not believers.
And unto the tribe of Thamud we sent their brother Sâleh. He said, O
my people, worship GOD: ye have no GOD besides him. Now hath a manifest proof
come unto you from your LORD. This she-camel of GOD is a sign unto you:
therefore dismiss her freely, that she may feed in GOD's earth; and do her no
hurt, lest a painful punishment seize you.
And call to mind how he hath appointed you successors unto the tribe of
Ad, and hath given you a habitation on earth; ye build yourselves castles on
the plains thereof, and cut out the mountains into houses. Remember
therefore the benefits of GOD, and commit not violence in the earth, acting
corruptly.
The chiefs among his people who were puffed up with pride, said unto
those who were esteemed weak, namely unto those who believed among them, Do ye
know that Sâleh hath been sent from his LORD? They answered, We do surely
believe in that wherewith he hath been sent.
Those who were elated with pride replied, Verily we believe not in that
wherein ye believe.
And they cut off the feet of the camel, and insolently transgressed the
command of their LORD, and said, O Sâleh, cause that to come upon us which
thou hast threatened us, if thou art one of those who have been sent by God.
Whereupon a terrible noise from heaven assailed them; and in the morning
they were found in their dwellings prostrate on their breasts and dead.
And Sâleh departed from them, and said, O my people, now have I
delivered unto you the message of my LORD and I advised you well, but ye love
not those who advise you well.
80 And remember Lot, when he said unto his people, Do ye commit a
wickedness, wherein no creature hath set you an example?
Do ye approach lustfully unto men, leaving the women? Certainly ye are
people who transgress all modesty.
But the answer of his people was no other than that they said the one to
the other, Expel them your city; for they are men who preserve themselves
pure from the crimes which ye commit.
Therefore we delivered him and his family, except his wife; she was one
of those who stayed behind:
and we rained a shower of stones upon them. Behold therefore what was
the end of the wicked.
And unto Madian we sent their brother Shoaib. He said unto them, O my
people, worship GOD; ye have no GOD besides him. Now hath an evident
demonstration come unto you from your LORD. Therefore give full measure and
just weight, and diminish not unto men aught of their matters: neither act
corruptly in the earth, after its reformation. This will be better for you,
if ye believe.
And beset not every way, threatening the passenger; and turning aside
from the path of GOD him who believeth in him, and seeking to make it crooked.
And remember, when ye were few, and God multiplied you: and behold, what hath
been the end of those who acted corruptly.
And if part of you believe in that wherewith I am sent, and part believe
not, wait patiently until GOD judge between us; for he is the best judge.
The chiefs of his people, who were elated with pride, answered, We will
surely cast thee, O Shoaib, and those who believe with thee, out of our city:
or else thou shalt certainly return unto our religion. He said, What, though
we be averse thereto?
We shall surely imagine a lie against GOD, if we return unto your
religion, after that GOD hath delivered us from the same: and we have no
reason to return unto it, unless GOD our LORD shall please to abandon us. Our
LORD comprehendeth every thing by his knowledge. In GOD do we put our trust.
O LORD do thou judge between us and our nation with truth; for thou art the
best judge.
90 And the chiefs of his people who believed not said, If ye follow Shoaib,
ye shall surely perish.
Therefore a storm from heaven assailed them, and in the morning they
were found in their dwellings dead and prostrate.
They who accused Shoaib of imposture became as though they had never
dwelt therein; they who accused Shoaib of imposture perished themselves.
And he departed from them, and said, O my people, now have I performed
unto you the messages of my LORD; and I advised you aright: but why should I
be grieved for an unbelieving people.
We have never sent any prophet unto a city, but we afflicted the
inhabitants thereof with calamity and adversity, that they might humble
themselves.
Then we gave them in exchange good in lieu of evil, until they abounded,
and said, Adversity and prosperity formerly happened unto our fathers, as unto
us. Therefore we took vengeance on them suddenly, and they perceived it not
beforehand.
But if the inhabitants of those cities had believed and feared God, we
would surely have opened to them blessings both from heaven and earth. But
they charged our apostles with falsehood, wherefore we took vengeance on them,
for that which they had been guilty of.
Were the inhabitants therefore of those cities secure that our punishment
should not fall on them by night, while they slept?
Or were the inhabitants of those cities secure that our punishment should
not fall on them by day, while they sported?
Were they therefore secure from the stratagem of GOD? But none will
think himself secure from the stratagem of GOD, except the people who perish.
100 And hath it not manifestly appeared unto those who have inherited the
earth after the former inhabitants thereof, that if we please, we can afflict
them for their sins? But we will seal up their hearts; and they shall not
hearken.
We will relate unto thee some stories of these cities. Their apostles
had come unto them with evident miracles, but they were not disposed to
believe in that which they had before gainsaid. Thus will GOD seal up the
hearts of the unbelievers.
And we found not in the greater part of them any observance of their
covenant; but we found the greater part of them wicked doers.
Then we sent after the above named apostles, Moses with our signs unto
Pharaoh and his princes; who treated them unjustly: but behold what was the
end of the corrupt doers.
And Moses said, O Pharaoh, verily I am an apostle sent from the LORD of
all creatures.
It is just that I should not speak of GOD other than the truth. Now am I
come unto you with an evident sign from your LORD: send therefore the children
of Israel away with me.
Pharaoh answered, If thou comest with a sign, produce it, if thou speakest
truth.
Wherefore he cast down his rod; and behold, it became a visible serpent.
And he drew forth his hand out of his bosom; and behold, it appeared
white unto the spectators.
The chiefs of the people of Pharaoh said, This man is certainly an expert
magician:
110 he seeketh to dispossess you of your land; what therefore do ye direct?
They answered, Put off him and his brother by fair promises for some
time, and in the mean while send unto the cities persons who may assemble
and bring unto thee every expert magician.
So the magicians came unto Pharaoh; and they said, Shall we surely
receive a reward, if we do overcome?
He answered, Yea; and ye shall certainly be of those who approach near
unto my throne.
They said, O Moses, either do thou cast down thy rod first, or we will
cast down ours.
Moses answered, Do ye cast down your rods first. And when they had cast
them down, they enchanted the eyes of the men who were present, and terrified
them: and they performed a great enchantment.
And we spake by revelation unto Moses, saying, Throw down thy rod. And
behold, it swallowed up the rods which they had caused falsely to appear
changed into serpents.
Wherefore the truth was confirmed, and that which they had wrought
vanished.
And Pharaoh and his magicians were overcome there, and were rendered
contemptible.
120 And the magicians prostrated themselves, worshipping;
and they said, We believe in the LORD of all creatures,
the LORD of Moses and Aaron.
Pharaoh said, Have ye believed on him, before I have given you
permission? Verily this is a plot which ye have contrived in the city, that
ye might cast forth from thence the inhabitants thereof. But ye shall surely
know that I am your master;
for I will cause your hands and your feet to be cut off on the opposite
sides, then will I cause you all to be crucified.
The magicians answered, We shall certainly return unto our LORD, in the
next life;
for thou takest vengeance on us only because we have believed in the
signs of our LORD, when they have come unto us. O LORD, pour on us patience;
and cause us to die Moslems.
And the chiefs of Pharaoh's people said, Wilt thou let Moses and his
people go, that they may act corruptly in the earth, and leave thee and thy
gods? Pharaoh answered, We will cause their male children to be slain, and
we will suffer their females to live; and by that means we shall prevail over
them.
Moses said unto his people, Ask assistance of GOD, and suffer patiently:
for the earth is GOD's, he giveth it for an inheritance unto such of his
servants as he pleaseth; and the prosperous end shall be unto those who fear
him.
They answered, We have been afflicted by having our male children slain,
before thou camest unto us, and also since thou hast come unto us. Moses
said, Peradventure it may happen that our LORD will destroy your enemy, and
will cause you to succeed him in the earth, that he may see how ye will act
therein.
130 And we formerly punished the people of Pharaoh with dearth and scarcity
of fruits, that they might be warned.
Yet when good happened unto them, they said, This is owing unto us: but
if evil befell them, they attributed the same to the ill luck of Moses, and
those who were with him. Was not their ill luck with GOD? But most of them
knew it not.
And they said unto Moses, Whatever sign thou show unto us, to enchant us
therewith, we will not believe on thee.
Wherefore we sent upon them a flood and locusts, and lice, and frogs,
and blood; distinct miracles: but they behaved proudly, and became a wicked
people.
And when the plague fell on them, they said, O Moses, entreat thy LORD
for us, according to that which he hath covenanted with thee; verily if thou
take the plague from off us, we will surely believe thee, and we will let the
children of Israel go with thee.
But when we had taken the plague from off them until the term which God
had granted them was expired, behold they broke their promise.
Wherefore we took vengeance on them, and drowned them in the Red Sea;
because they charged our signs with falsehood, and neglected them.
And we caused the people who had been rendered weak to inherit the
eastern parts of the earth and the western parts thereof, which we blessed
with fertility; and the gracious word of thy LORD was fulfilled on the
children of Israel, for that they had endured with patience: and we destroyed
the structures which Pharaoh and his people had made, and that which they had
erected.
And we caused the children of Israel to pass through the sea, and they
came unto a people who gave themselves up to the worship of their idols, and
they said, O Moses, make us a god, in like manner as these people have gods.
Moses answered, Verily ye are an ignorant people: for the religion which
these follow will be destroyed, and that which they do is vain.
140 He said, Shall I seek for you any other god than GOD; since he hath
preferred you to the rest of the world?
And remember when we delivered you from the people of Pharaoh, who
grievously oppressed you; they slew your male children, and let your females
live: therein was a great trial from your LORD.
And we appointed unto Moses a fast of thirty nights before we gave him
the law, and we completed them by adding of ten more; and the stated time of
his LORD was fulfilled in forty nights. And Moses said unto his brother
Aaron, Be thou my deputy among my people during my absence; and behave
uprightly, and follow not the way of the corrupt doers.
And when Moses came at our appointed time, and his LORD spake unto him,
he said, O LORD, show me thy glory, that I may behold thee. God answereth,
Thou shalt in no wise behold me; but look towards the mountain, and if it
stand firm in its place, then thou shalt see me. But when his LORD appeared
with glory in the mount, he reduced it to dust. And Moses fell down in a
swoon. And when he came to himself, he said, Praise be unto thee! I turn unto
thee with repentence, and I am the first of true believers.
God said unto him, O Moses, I have chosen thee above all men, by
honouring thee with my commissions, and by my speaking unto thee: receive
therefore that which I have brought thee, and be one of those who give
thanks.
And we wrote for him on the tables an admonition concerning every
matter, and a decision in every case, and said, Receive this with reverence;
and command thy people that they live according to the most excellent precepts
thereof. I will show you the dwelling of the wicked.
I will turn aside from my signs those who behave themselves proudly in
the earth, without justice: and although they see every sign, yet they shall
not believe therein; and although they see the way of righteousness, yet they
shall not take that way; but if they see the way of error, they shall take
that way. This shall come to pass because they accuse our signs of imposture,
and neglect the same.
But as for them who deny the truth of our signs and the meeting of the
life to come, their works shall be vain: shall they be rewarded otherwise than
according to what they shall have wrought?
And the people of Moses, after his departure, took a corporeal calf,
made of their ornaments, which lowed. Did they not see that it spake not
unto them, neither directed them in the way? Yet they took it for their god,
and acted wickedly.
But when they repented with sorrow, and saw that they had gone astray,
they said, Verily if our LORD have not mercy upon us, and forgive us not, we
shall certainly become of the number of those who perish.
150 And when Moses returned unto his people, full of wrath and indignation,
he said, An evil thing is it that ye have committed after my departure; have
ye hastened the command of your LORD? And he threw down the tables, and
took his brother by the hair of the head, and dragged him unto him. And Aaron
said unto him, Son of my mother, verily the people prevailed against me, and
it wanted little but they had slain me: make not my enemies therefore to
rejoice over me, neither place me with the wicked people.
Moses said, O LORD, forgive me and my brother, and receive us into thy
mercy; for thou art the most merciful of those who exercise mercy.
Verily as for them who took the calf for their god, indignation shall
overtake them from their LORD, and ignominy in this life: thus will we reward
those who imagine falsehood.
But unto them who do evil, and afterwards repent, and believe in God,
verily thy LORD will thereafter be clement and merciful.
And when the anger of Moses was appeased, he took the tables; and in
what was written thereon was a direction and mercy, unto those who feared
their LORD.
And Moses chose out of his people seventy men, to go up with him to the
mountain at the time appointed by us: and when a storm of thunder and
lightning had taken them away, he said, O LORD, if thou hadst pleased, thou
hadst destroyed them before, and me also; wilt thou destroy us for that which
the foolish men among us have committed? This is only thy trial; thou wilt
thereby lead into error whom thou pleasest, and thou wilt direct whom thou
pleasest. Thou art our protector, therefore forgive us, and be merciful unto
us; for thou art the best of those who forgive.
And write down for us good in this world, and in the life to come; for
unto thee are we directed. God answered, I will inflict my punishment on whom
I please; and my mercy extendeth over all things; and I will write down good
unto those who shall fear me, and give alms, and who shall believe in our
signs;
who shall follow the apostle, the illiterate prophet, whom they shall
find written down with them in the law and the gospel: he will command them
that which is just, and will forbid them that which is evil; and will allow
them as lawful the good things which were before forbidden, and will prohibit
those which are bad; and he will ease them of their heavy burden, and of the
yokes which were upon them. And those who believe in him, and honour him,
and assist him, and follow the light, which hath been sent down with him,
shall be happy.
Say, O men, Verily I am the messenger of GOD unto you all: unto him
belongeth the kingdom of heaven and earth; there is no GOD but he: he giveth
life, and he causeth to die. Believe therefore in GOD and his apostle, the
illiterate prophet, who believeth in GOD and his word; and follow him, that
ye may be rightly directed.
Of the people of Moses there is a party who direct others with truth,
and act justly according to the same.
160 And we divided them into twelve tribes, as into so many nations. And
we spake by revelation unto Moses, when his people asked drink of him, and we
said, Strike the rock with thy rod; and there gushed thereout twelve
fountains, and men knew their respective drinking-place. And we caused
clouds to overshadow them, and manna and quailsto descend upon them, saying,
Eat of the good things which we have given you for food: and they injured not
us, but they injured their own souls.
And call to mind when it was said unto them, Dwell in this city, and eat
of the provisions thereof wherever ye will, and say, Forgiveness; and enter
the gate worshipping: we will pardon you your sins, and will give increase
unto the well-doers.
But they who were ungodly among them changed the expression into
another, which had not been spoken unto them. Wherefore we went down upon
them indignation from heaven, because they transgressed.
And ask them concerning the city, which was situate on the sea, when
they transgressed on the Sabbath-day: when their fish came unto them on their
Sabbath-day, appearing openly on the water: but on the day whereon they
celebrated no Sabbath, they came not unto them. Thus did we prove them,
because they were wicked-doers.
And when a party of them said unto the others, Why do ye warn a people
whom GOD will destroy, or will punish with a grievous punishment? They
answered, This is an excuse for us unto your LORD, and peradventure they will
beware.
But when they had forgotten the admonitions which had been given them,
we delivered those who forbade them to do evil; and we inflicted on those who
had transgressed a severe punishment, because they had acted wickedly.
And when they proudly refused to desist from what had been forbidden
them, we said unto them, Be ye transformed into apes, driven away from the
society of men.
And remember when thy LORD declared that he would surely send against
the Jews until the day of resurrection, some nation who should afflict them
with a grievous oppression: for thy LORD is swift in punishing, and he is also
ready to forgive, and merciful:
and we dispersed them among the nations in the earth. Some of them are
upright persons, and some of them are otherwise. And we proved them with
prosperity and with adversity, that they might return from their disobedience;
and a succession of their posterity hath succeeded after them, who have
inherited the book of the law, who receive the temporal goods of this world,
and say, It will surely be forgiven us: and if a temporal advantage like the
former be offered them, they accept it also. Is it not the covenant of the
book of the law established with them, that they should not speak of GOD aught
but the truth? Yet they diligently read that which is therein. But the
enjoyment of the next life will be better for those who fear God than the
wicked gains of these people: (Do ye not therefore understand?)
170 and for those who hold fast the book of the law, and are constant at
prayer: for we will by no means suffer the reward of the righteous to perish.
And when we shook the mountain of Sinai over them, as though it had
been a covering, and they imagined, that it was falling upon them; and we
said, Receive the law which we have brought you with reverence; and remember
that which is contained therein, that ye may take heed.
And when thy LORD drew forth their posterity from the loins of the sons
of Adam, and took them to witness against themselves, saying, Am not I your
LORD? They answered, Yea: we do bear witness. This was done lest ye should
say, at the day of resurrection, Verily we were negligent as to this matter,
because we were not apprised thereof:
or lest ye should say, Verily our fathers were formerly guilty of
idolatry, and we are their posterity who have succeeded them; wilt thou
therefore destroy us for that which vain men have committed?
Thus do we explain our signs, that they may return from their vanities.
And relate unto the Jews the history of him unto whom we brought our
signs, and the departed from them; wherefore Satan followed him, and he
became one of those who were seduced.
And if we had pleased, we had surely raised him thereby unto wisdom; but
he inclined unto the earth, and followed his own desire. Wherefore his
likeness as the likeness of a dog, which, if thou drive him away, putteth
forth his tongue, or, if thou let him alone, putteth forth his tongue also.
This is the likeness of the people, who accuse our signs of falsehood.
Rehearse therefore this history unto them, that they may consider.
Evil is the similitude of those people who accuse our signs of falsehood,
and injure their own souls.
Whomsoever GOD shall direct, he will be rightly directed; and whomsoever
he shall lead astray, they shall perish.
Moreover we have created for hell many of the genii and of men; they have
hearts by which they understand not, and they have eyes by which they see not:
and they have ears by which they hear not. These are like the brute beasts;
yea they go more astray: these are the negligent.
180 GOD hath most excellent names; therefore call on him by the same; and
withdraw from those who use his name perversely: they shall be rewarded for
that which they shall have wrought.
And of those whom we have created there are a people who direct others
with truth, and act justly according thereto.
But those who devise lies against our signs, we will suffer them to fall
gradually into ruin, by a method which they knew not:
and I will grant them to enjoy a long and prosperous life; for my
stratagem is effectual.
Do they not consider that there is no devil in their companion? He is
no other than a public preacher.
Or do they not contemplate the kingdom of heaven and earth, and the
things which GOD hath created; and consider that peradventure it may be that
their end draweth nigh? And in what new declaration will they believe, after
this?
He whom GOD shall cause to err, shall have no director; and he shall
leave them in their impiety, wandering in confusion.
They will ask thee concerning the last hour; at what time its coming is
fixed? Answer, Verily the knowledge thereof is with my LORD; none shall
declare the fixed time thereof, except he. The expectation thereof is
grievous in heaven and on earth: it shall come upon you no otherwise than
suddenly. They will ask thee, as though thou wast well acquainted therewith.
Answer, Verily the knowledge thereof is with GOD alone: but the greater part
of men know it not.
Say, I am able neither to procure advantage unto myself, nor to avert
mischief from me, but as GOD pleaseth. If I knew the secrets of God, I should
surely enjoy abundance of good, neither should evil befall me. Verily I am no
other than a denouncer of threats, and a messenger of good tidings unto people
who believe.
It is he who hath created you from one person, and out of him produced
his wife, that he might dwell with her: and when he had known her, she carried
a light burden for a time, wherefore she walked easily therewith. But when it
became more heavy, she called upon GOD their LORD, saying, If thou give us a
child rightly shaped, we will surely be thankful.
190 Yet when he had given them a child rightly shaped, they attributed
companions unto him, for that which he had given them. But far be that from
GOD, which they associated with him!
Will they associate with him false gods which create nothing but are
themselves created: and can neither give them assistance, nor help themselves?
And if ye invite them to the true direction, they will not follow you: it
will be equal unto you, whether ye invite them, or whether ye hold your peace.
Verily the false deities whom ye invoke besides GOD are servants like
unto you. Call therefore upon them, and let them give you an answer, if ye
speak truth.
Have they feet, to walk with? Or have they hands, to lay hold with? Or
have they eyes, to see with? Or have they ears, to hear with? Say, Call upon
your companions, and then lay a snare for me, and defer it not;
for GOD is my protector, who sent down the book of the Koran; and he
protecteth the righteous.
But they whom ye invoke besides him cannot assist you, neither do they
help themselves;
and if ye call on them to direct you, they will not hear. Thou seest
them look towards thee, but they see not.
Use indulgence, and command that which is just, and withdraw far from
the ignorant.
200 And if an evil suggestion from Satan be suggested unto thee, to divert
thee from thy duty, have recourse unto GOD: for he heareth and knoweth.
Verily they who fear God, when a temptation from Satan assaileth them,
remember the divine commands, and behold, they clearly see the danger of sin
and the wiles of the devil.
But as for the brethren of the devils, they shall continue them in error;
and afterwards they shall not preserve themselves therefrom.
And when thou bringest not a verse of the Koran unto them, they say, Hast
thou not put it together? Answer, I follow that only which is revealed unto
me from my LORD. This book containeth evident proofs from your LORD, and is a
direction and mercy unto people who believe.
And when the Koran is read, attend thereto, and keep silence; that ye may
obtain mercy.
And meditate on thy LORD in thine own mind, with humility and fear, and
without loud speaking, evening and morning; and be not one of the negligent.
Moreover the angels who are with my LORD do not proudly disdain his
service, but they celebrate his praise and worship him.

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