Susanna Moodie - "Roughing it in the Bush"

T.S. Arthur - "Lessons in Life, For All Who Will Read Them"

Sir Edwin Arnold - "The Light of Asia"

C. K. Ober - "Out of the Fog"

New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)

Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

FlatSigned Press Alleges Don Imus Remarks Damage Legacy of President Gerald R. Ford
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: The Koran (without footnotes)

U >> Unknown >> The Koran (without footnotes)






________


CHAPTER XVII.

ENTITLED, THE NIGHT JOURNEY; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

PRAISE be unto him who transported his servant by night, from the sacred
temple of Mecca to the farther temple of Jerusalem, the circuit of which we
have blessed, that we might show some of our signs; for God is he who heareth,
and seeth.
And we gave unto Moses the book of the law, and appointed the same to be
a direction unto the children of Israel, commanding them, saying, Beware that
ye take not any other patron besides me.
O posterity of those whom we carried in the ark with Noah: verily he was
a grateful servant.
And we expressly declared unto the children of Israel in the book of the
law, saying, Ye will surely commit evil in the earth twice, and ye will be
elated with great insolence.
And when the punishment threatened for the first of those transgressions
came to be executed, we sent against you our servants, endued with exceeding
strength in war, and they searched the inner apartments of your houses; and
the prediction became accomplished.
Afterwards we gave you the victory over them, in your turn, and we
granted you increase of wealth and children, and we made you a more numerous
people,
saying, If ye do well, ye will do well to your own souls; and if ye do
evil, ye will do it unto the same. And when the punishment threatened for
your latter transgression came to be executed, we sent enemies against you to
afflict you, and to enter the temple, as they entered it the first time, and
utterly to destroy that which they had conquered.
Peradventure your LORD will have mercy on you hereafter: but if ye return
to transgress a third time, we also will return to chastise you; and we have
appointed hell to be the prison of the unbelievers.
Verily this Koran directeth unto the way which is most right, and
declareth unto the faithful, who do good works, that they shall receive a great
reward;
10 and that for those who believe not in the life to come, we have prepared
a grievous punishment.
Man prayeth for evil, as he prayeth for good; for man is hasty.
We have ordained the night and the day for two signs of our power:
afterwards we blot out the sign of the night, and we cause the sign of the day
to shine forth, that ye may endeavour to obtain plenty from your LORD by doing
your business therein, and that ye may know the number of years, and the
computation of time; and everything necessary have we explained by a
perspicuous explication.
The fate of every man have we bound about his neck; and we will produce
unto him, on the day of resurrection, a book wherein his actions shall be
recorded: it shall be offered him open,
and the angels shall say unto him, Read thy book; thine own soul will be
a sufficient accountant against thee, this day.
He who shall be rightly directed, shall be directed to the advantage only
of his own soul; and he who shall err shall err only against the same: neither
shall any laden soul be charged with the burden of another. We did not punish
any people, until we had first sent an apostle to warn them.
And when we resolved to destroy a city, we commanded the inhabitants
thereof, who lived in affluence, to obey our apostle; but they acted corruptly
therein: wherefore the sentence was justly pronounced against that city; and
we destroyed it with an utter destruction.
And how many generations have we consumed since Noah? for thy LORD
sufficiently knoweth and seeth the sins of his servants.
Whosoever chooseth this transitory life, we will bestow on him therein
beforehand that which we please; on him, namely, whom we please: afterwards
will we appoint him hell for his abode; he shall be thrown into the same to be
scorched, covered with ignominy, and utterly rejected from mercy.
But whosoever chooseth the life to come, and directeth his endeavour
towards the same, being also a true believer; the endeavour of these shall be
acceptable unto God.
20 On all will we bestow the blessings of this life, both on these and on
those, of the gift of thy LORD; for the gift of thy LORD shall not be denied
unto any.
Behold, how we have caused some of them to surpass others in wealth and
dignity: but the next life shall be more considerable in degrees of honour,
and greater in excellence.
Set not up another god with the true GOD, lest thou sit down in disgrace,
and destitute.
Thy LORD hath commanded that ye worship none besides him; and that ye
show kindness unto your parents, whether the one of them, or both of them
attain to old age with thee. Wherefore, say not unto them, Fie on you!
neither reproach them, but speak respectfully unto them
and submit to behave humbly towards them, out of tender affection and
say, O LORD, have mercy on them both, as they nursed me when I was little.
Your LORD well knoweth that which is in your souls; whether ye be men of
integrity: and he will be gracious unto those who sincerely return unto him.
And give unto him who is of kin to you his due, and also unto the poor,
and the traveller. And waste not thy substance profusely:
for the profuse are brethren of the devils: and the devil was ungrateful
unto his LORD.
But if thou turn from them, in expectation of the mercy which thou
hopest from thy LORD; at least, speak kindly unto them.
And let not thy hand be tied up to thy neck; neither open it with an
unbounded expansion, lest thou become worthy of reprehension, and be reduced
to poverty.
30 Verily thy LORD will enlarge the store of whom he pleaseth, and will be
sparing unto whom he pleaseth; for he knoweth and regardeth his servants.
Kill not your children for fear of being brought to want; we will provide
for them and for you; verily the killing them is a great sin.
Draw not near unto fornication; for it is wickedness, and an evil way.
Neither slay the soul which GOD hath forbidden you to slay, unless for a
just cause; and whosoever shall be slain unjustly, we have given his heir
power to demand satisfaction; but let him not exceed the bounds of moderation
in putting to death the murderer in too cruel a manner, or by revenging his
friend's blood on any other than the person who killed him; since he is
assisted by this law.
And meddle not with the substance of the orphan, unless it be to improve
it, until he attain his age of strength: and perform your covenant; for the
performance of your covenant shall be inquired into hereafter.
And give full measure, when you measure aught; and weigh with a just
balance. This will be better, and more easy for determining every man's due.
And follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge; for the hearing, and
the sight, and the heart, every of these shall be examined at the last day.
Walk not proudly in the land, for thou canst not cleave the earth,
neither shalt thou equal the mountains in stature.
All this is evil, and abominable in the sight of thy LORD.
These precepts are a part of the wisdom which they LORD hath revealed
unto thee. Set not up any other god as equal unto GOD, lest thou be cast into
hell, reproved and rejected.
40 Hath your LORD preferably granted unto you sons, and taken for himself
daughters from among the angels? Verily in asserting this ye utter a
grievous saying.
And now have we used various arguments and repetitions in this Koran,
that they may be warned: yet it only rendereth them more disposed to fly from
the truth.
Say unto the idolaters, If there were other gods with him, as ye say,
they would surely seek an occasion of making some attempt against the
possessor of the throne:
GOD forbid! and far, very far, be that from him which they utter!
The seven heavens praise him, and the earth, and all who are therein:
neither is there anything which doth not celebrate his praise; but ye
understand not their celebration thereof: he is gracious and merciful.
When thou readest the Koran, we place between thee and those who believe
not in the life to come a dark veil;
and we put coverings over their hearts, lest they should understand it,
and in their ears thickness of hearing. And when thou makest mention, in
repeating the Koran, of thy LORD only, they turn their backs, flying the doctrine
of his unity.
We well know with what design they hearken, when they hearken unto thee,
and when they privately discourse together: when the ungodly say, Ye follow no
other than a madman.
Behold! what epithets they bestow on thee. But they are deceived;
neither can they find any just occasion to reproach thee.
They also say, After we shall have become bones and dust, shall we surely
be raised a new creature?
50 Answer, Be ye stones, or iron,
or some creature more improbable in your opinions to be raised to life.
But they will say, Who shall restore us to life? Answer, He who created you
the first time: and they will wag their heads at thee, saying, When shall this
be? Answer, Peradventure it is nigh.
On that day shall GOD call you forth from your sepulchres, and ye shall
obey, with celebration of his praise; and ye shall think that ye tarried but
a little while.
Speak unto my servants, that they speak mildly unto the unbelievers, lest
ye exasperate them; for Satan soweth discord among them, and Satan is a
declared enemy unto man.
your LORD well knoweth you; if he pleaseth, he will have mercy on you,
or, if he pleaseth, he will punish you: and we have not sent thee to be a
steward over them.
Thy LORD well knoweth all persons in heaven and on earth. We have
bestowed peculiar favors on some of the prophets, preferably to others; and we
gave unto David the psalms.
Say, Call upon those whom ye imagine to be gods besides him; yet they
will not be able to free you from harm, or to turn it on others.
Those whom ye invoke, do themselves desire to be admitted to a near
conjunction with their LORD; striving which of them shall approach nearest
unto him: they also hope for his mercy, and dread his punishment; for the
punishment of thy LORD is terrible.
There is no city but we will destroy the same before the day of
resurrection, or we will punish it with a grievous punishment. This is
written in the book of our eternal decrees.
Nothing hindered us from sending thee with miracles, except that the
former nations have charged them with imposture. We gave unto the tribe of
Thamud, at their demand, the she-camel visible to their sight: yet they dealt
unjustly with her: and we send not a prophet with miracles, but to strike
terror.
60 Remember when we said unto thee, Verily thy LORD encompasseth men by his
knowledge and power. We have appointed the vision which we showed thee, and
also the tree cursed in the Koran, only for an occasion of dispute unto men,
and to strike them with terror; but it shall cause them to transgress only the
more enormously.
And remember when we said unto the angels, Worship Adam; and they all
worshipped him except Eblis, who said, Shall I worship him whom thou hast
created of clay?
And he said, What thinkest thou, as to this man whom thou hast honoured
above me? verily, if thou grant me respite until the day of resurrection, I
will extirpate his offspring, except a few.
God answered, Begone, I grant thee respite: but whosoever of them shall
follow thee, hell shall surely be your reward; an ample reward for your
demerits!
And entice to vanity such of them as thou canst, by thy voice; and
assault them on all sides with thy horsemen and thy footmen; and partake with
them in their riches, and their children; and make them promises; (but the
devil shall make them no other than deceitful promises:)
as to my servants, thou shalt have no power over them; for thy LORD is a
sufficient protector of those who trust in him.
It is your LORD who driveth forward the ships for you in the sea, that ye
may seek to enrich yourselves of his abundance by commerce; for he is merciful
towards you.
When a misfortune befalleth you at sea, the false deities whom ye invoke
are forgotten by you, except him alone: yet when he bringeth you safe to dry
land, ye retire afar off from him, and return to your idols; for man is
ungrateful.
Are ye therefore secure that he will not cause the dry land to swallow
you up, or that he will not send against you a whirlwind driving the sands to
overwhelm you? Then shall ye find none to protect you.
Or are ye secure that he will not cause you again to commit yourselves to
the sea another time, and send against you a tempestuous wind, and drown you;
for that ye have been ungrateful? then shall ye find none to defend you
against us, in that distress.
70 And now have we honoured the children of Adam by sundry peculiar
privileges and endowments; and we have given them conveniences of carriage by
land and by sea, and have provided food for them of good things; and we have
preferred them before many of our creatures which we have created, by granting
them great prerogatives.
On a certain day we will call all men to judgment with their respective
leader: and whosoever shall have his book given him into his right hand, they
shall read their book with joy and satisfaction; and they shall not be
wronged a hair.
And whoever hath been blind in this life shall be also blind in the next,
and shall wander more widely from the path of salvation.
It wanted little but the unbelievers had tempted thee to swerve from the
instructions which we had revealed unto thee, that thou shouldest devise
concerning us a different thing; and then would they have taken thee for
their friend:
and unless we had confirmed thee, thou hadst certainly been very near
inclining unto them a little.
Then would we surely have caused thee to taste the punishment of life,
and the punishment of death; and thou shouldest not have found any to protect
thee against us.
The unbelievers had likewise almost caused thee to depart the land, that
they might have expelled thee thence: but then should they not have tarried
therein after thee, except a little while.
This is the method of dealing which we have prescribed ourselves in
respect to our apostles, whom we have already sent before thee: and thou shalt
not find any change in our prescribed method.
Regularly perform thy prayer at the declension of the sun, at the first
darkness of the night, and the prayer of daybreak; for the prayer of
daybreak is borne witness unto by the angels.
And watch some part of the night in the same exercise, as a work of
supererogation for thee: peradventure thy LORD will raise thee to an
honourable station.
80 And say, O LORD, cause me to enter with a favorable entry, and cause me
to come forth with a favorable coming forth; and grant me from thee an
assisting power.
And say, Truth is come, and falsehood is vanished: for falsehood is of
short continuance.
We send down of the Koran that which is a medicine and mercy unto the
true believers; but it shall only increase the perdition of the unjust.
When we bestow favors on man, he retireth and withdraweth himself
ungratefully from us: but when evil toucheth him, he despaireth of our mercy.
Say, Every one acteth after his own manner: but your LORD best knoweth
who is most truly directed in his way.
They will ask thee concerning the spirit: answer, The spirit was created
at the command of my LORD: but ye have no knowledge given unto you, except a
little.
If we pleased, we should certainly take away that which we have revealed
unto thee; in such case thou couldst not find any to assist thee therein
against us,
unless through mercy from thy LORD; for his favor towards thee hath been
great.
Say, Verily if men and genii were purposely assembled, that they might
produce a book like this Koran, they could not produce one like unto it,
although the one of them assisted the other.
And we have variously propounded unto men in this Koran every kind of
figurative argument; but the greater part of men refuse to receive it, merely
out of infidelity.
90 And they say, We will by no means believe on thee, until thou cause a
spring of water to gush forth for us out of the earth;
or thou have a garden of palm-trees and vines, and thou cause rivers to
spring forth from the midst thereof in abundance;
or thou cause the heaven to fall down upon us, as thou hast given out, in
pieces; or thou bring down GOD and the angels to vouch for thee;
or thou have a house of gold; or thou ascend by a ladder to heaven:
neither will we believe thy ascending thither alone, until thou cause a book
to descend unto us, bearing witness of thee, which we may read. Answer My
LORD be praised! Am I other than a man, sent as an apostle?
And nothing hindereth men from believing, when a direction is come unto
them, except that they say, Hath GOD sent a man for his apostle?
Answer, If the angels had walked on earth as familiar inhabitants
thereof, we had surely sent down unto them from heaven an angel for our
apostle.
Say, GOD is a sufficient witness between me and you: for he knoweth and
regardeth his servants.
Whom GOD shall direct, he shall be the rightly directed; and whom he
shall cause to err, thou shalt find none to assist, besides him. And we will
gather them together on the day of resurrection, creeping on their faces,
blind, and dumb, and deaf: their abode shall be hell; so often as the fire
thereof shall be extinguished, we will rekindle a burning flame to torment
them.
This shall be their reward, because they disbelieve in our signs, and
say, When we shall have been reduced to bones and dust, shall we surely be
raised new creatures?
Do they not perceive that GOD, who created the heavens and the earth, is
able to create other bodies, like their present? And he hath appointed them a
limited term; there is no doubt thereof: but the ungodly reject the truth,
merely out of unbelief.
100 Say, If ye possessed the treasures of the mercy of my LORD, ye would
surely refrain from using them, for fear of spending them; for man is
covetous.
We heretofore gave unto Moses the power of working nine evident signs.
And do thou ask the children of Israel, as to the story of Moses; when he
came unto them, and Pharaoh said unto him, Verily I esteemed thee, O Moses, to
be deluded by sorcery.
Moses answered, Thou well knowest that none hath sent down these evident
signs except the LORD of heaven and earth; and I surely esteem thee, O
Pharaoh, a lost man.
Wherefore Pharaoh sought to drive them out of the land; but we drowned
him and all those who were with him.
And we said unto the children of Israel, after his destruction, Dwell ye
in the land: and when the promise of the next life shall come to be fulfilled,
we will bring you both promiscuously to judgment. We have sent down the Koran
with truth, and it hath descended with truth: and we have not sent thee
otherwise than to be a bearer of good tidings, and a denouncer of threats.
And we have divided the Koran, revealing it by parcels, that thou
mightest read it unto men with deliberation: and we have sent it down, causing
it to descend as occasion required.
Say, Whether ye believe therein, or do not believe, verily those who have
been favored with the knowledge of the scriptures which were revealed before
it, when the same is rehearsed unto them, fall down on their faces, worshipping,
and say, Our LORD be praised, for that the promise of our LORD is surely
fulfilled!
and they fall down on their faces, weeping; and the hearing thereof
increaseth their humility.
110 Say, call upon GOD, or call on the Merciful: by whichsoever of the two
names ye invoke him, it is equal; for he hath most excellent names.
Pronounce not thy prayer aloud, neither pronounce it with too low a voice,
but follow a middle way between these:
and say, Praise be unto GOD, who hath not begotten any child; who hath no
partner in the kingdom, nor hath any to protect him from contempt: and magnify
him by proclaiming his greatness.



________


CHAPTER XVIII.

ENTITLED, THE CAVE; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

PRAISE be unto GOD, who hath sent down unto his servant the book of the
Koran, and hath not inserted therein any crookedness,
but hath made it a straight rule: that he should threaten a grievous
punishment unto the unbelievers, from his presence; and should bear good
tidings unto the faithful, who work righteousness, that they should receive an
excellent reward, namely, paradise,
wherein they shall remain forever:
and that he should warn those who say, GOD hath begotten issue;
of which matter they have no knowledge, neither had their fathers. A
grievous saying it is, which proceedeth from their mouths: they speak no other
than a lie.
Peradventure thou wilt kill thyself with grief after them, out of thy
earnest zeal for their conversion, if they believe not in this new revelation
of the Koran.
Verily we have ordained whatsoever is on the earth for the ornament
thereof, that we might make trial of men, and see which of them excelleth in
works:
and we will surely reduce whatever is thereon to dry dust.
Dost thou consider that the companions of the cave, and Al Rakim, were
one of our signs, and a great miracle?
10 When the young men took refuge in the cave, they said, O LORD, grant us
mercy from before thee, and dispose our business for us to a right issue.
Wherefore we struck their ears with deafness, so that they slept without
disturbance in the cave for a great number of years:
then we awaked them, that we might know which of the two parties was
more exact in computing the space which they had remained there.
We will relate unto thee their history with truth. Verily they were
young men who had believed in their LORD: and we had abundantly directed them:
and we fortified their hearts with constancy when they stood before the
tyrant; and they said, Our LORD is the LORD of heaven and earth: we will by no
means call on any god besides him; for then should we surely utter an
extravagance.
These our fellow people have taken other gods, besides him; although they
bring no demonstrative argument for them: and who is more unjust than he who
deviseth a lie concerning GOD?
And they said the one to the other, When ye shall separate yourselves
from them, and from the deities which they worship, except GOD, fly into the
cave: your LORD will pour his mercy on you abundantly, and will dispose your
business for you to advantage.
And thou mightest have seen the sun, when it had risen, to decline from
their cave towards the right hand, and when it went down, to leave them on the
left hand: and they were in the spacious part of the cave. This was one of
the signs of GOD. Whomsoever GOD shall direct, he shall be rightly directed:
and whomsoever he shall cause to err, thou shalt not find any to defend, or to
direct.
And thou wouldest have judged them to have been awake, while they were
sleeping; and we caused them to turn themselves to the right hand, and to the
left. And their dog stretched forth his forelegs in the mouth of the cave:
if thou hadst come suddenly upon them, verily thou wouldest have turned thy
back and fled from them, and thou wouldest have been filled with fear at the
sight of them.
And so we awaked them from their sleep, that they might ask questions of
one another. One of them spake and said, How long have ye tarried here? They
answered, We have tarried a day, or part of a day. The others said, Your LORD
best knoweth the time ye have tarried: and now send one of you with this your
money into the city; and let him see which of its inhabitants hath the best
and cheapest food, and let him bring you provision from him; and let him
behave circumspectly, and not discover you to any one.
20 Verily if they come up against you, they will stone you, or force you to
return to their religion; and then shall ye not prosper forever.
And so we made their people acquainted with what had happened to them;
that they might know that the promise of GOD is true, and that there is no
doubt of the last hour; when they disputed among themselves concerning their
matter. And they said, Erect a building over them: their LORD best knoweth
their condition. Those who prevailed in their affair answered, We will surely
build a chapel over them.
Some say, The sleepers were three; and their dog was the fourth; and
others say, They were five; and their dog was the sixth; guessing at a secret
matter: and others say, They were seven; and their dog was the eighth. Say,
My LORD best knoweth their number: none shall know them, except a few.
Wherefore dispute not concerning them, except with a clear disputation,
according to what hath been revealed unto thee: and ask not any of the
Christians concerning them.
Say not of any matter, I will surely do this to-morrow;
unless thou add, If GOD please. And remember thy LORD, when thou
forgettest, and say, My LORD is able to direct me with ease, that I may draw
near unto the truth of this matter rightly.
And they remained in their cave three hundred years, and nine years
over.
Say, GOD best knoweth how long they continued there: unto him are the
secrets of heaven and earth known; do thou make him to see and to hear. The
inhabitants thereof have no protector besides him; neither doth he suffer any
one to have a share in the establishment or knowledge of his decree.
Read that which hath been revealed unto thee, of the book of thy LORD,
without presuming to make any change therein: there is none who hath power to
change his words; and thou shalt not find any to fly to, besides him, if thou
attempt it.
Behave thyself with constancy towards those who call upon their LORD
morning and evening, and who seek his favor; and let not thine eyes be turned
away from them, seeking the pomp of this life; neither obey him whose heart
we have caused to neglect the remembrance of us, and who followeth his lusts,
and leaveth the truth behind him.
And say, The truth is from your LORD; wherefore let him who will,
believe, and let him who will, be incredulous. We have surely prepared for
the unjust hell fire, the flame and smoke whereof shall surround him like a
pavilion: and if they beg relief, they shall be relieved with water like
molten brass, which shall scald their faces: O how miserable a potion, and how
unhappy a couch!
30 As to those who believe, and do good works, we will not suffer the reward
of him who shall work righteousness to perish;
for them are prepared gardens of eternal abode, which shall be watered
by rivers; they shall be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and they
shall be clothed in green garments of fine silk and brocades, reposing
themselves therein on thrones. O how happy a reward, and how easy a couch!
And propound unto them as a parable two men: on the one of whom we had
bestowed two vineyards, and had surrounded them with palm-trees, and had
caused corn to grow between them.
Each of the gardens brought forth its fruit every season, and failed not at
all; and we caused a river to flow in the midst thereof:
and he had great abundance. And he said unto his companion by way of
debate, I am superior to thee in wealth, and have a more powerful family.
And he went into his garden, being guilty of injustice against his own
soul, and said, I do not think that this garden will decay forever;
neither do I think that the last hour will come: and although I should
return unto my LORD, verily I shall find a better garden than this in
exchange.
And his companion said unto him, by way of debate, Dost thou not believe
in him who created thee of the dust, and afterwards of seed; and then
fashioned thee into a perfect man?
But as for me, GOD is my LORD; and I will not associate any other deity
with my LORD.
And when thou enterest thy garden, wilt thou not say, What GOD pleaseth
shall come to pass; there is no power but in GOD alone? Although thou seest
me to be inferior to thee in wealth and number of children,
40 my LORD is well able to bestow on me a better gift than thy garden, and
to shoot his arrows against the same from heaven, so that it shall become
barren dust;
or its water may sink deep into the earth, that thou canst not draw
thereof.
And his possessions were encompassed with destruction, as his companion
had forewarned him; wherefore he began to turn down the palms of his hands out
of sorrow and regret for that which he had expended thereon; for the vines
thereof were fallen down on their trails: and he said, Would to GOD that I had
not associated any other deity with my LORD!
And he had no party to assist him besides GOD, neither was he able to
defend himself against his vengeance.
In such case protection belongeth of right unto GOD alone; he is the best
rewarder, and the best giver of success.
And propound to them a similitude of the present life. It is like water
which we send down from heaven; and the herb of the earth is mixed therewith,
and after it hath been green and flourishing, in the morning it becometh dry
stubble, which the winds scatter abroad: and GOD is able to do all things.
Wealth and children are the ornament of this present life: but good
works, which are permanent, are better in the sight of thy LORD, with respect
to the reward, and better with respect to hope.
On a certain day we will cause the mountains to pass away, and thou
shalt see the earth appearing plain and even; and we will gather mankind
together, and we will not leave any one of them behind.
And they shall be set before thy LORD in distinct order, and he shall say
unto them, Now are ye come unto us naked, as we created you the first time:
but ye thought that we should not perform our promise unto you.
And the book wherein every one's actions are recorded shall be put into
his hand; and thou shalt see the wicked in great terror, because of that which
is written therein, and they shall say, Alas for us! what meaneth this book?
it omitteth neither a small action nor a great one, but it compriseth the
same; and they shall find that which they have wrought, present before their
eyes: and thy LORD will not deal unjustly with any one.
50 Remember when we said unto the angels, Worship ye Adam: and they all
worshipped him, except Eblis, who was one of the genii, and departed from
the command of his LORD. Will ye therefore take him and his offspring for
your patrons besides me, notwithstanding they are your enemies? Miserable
shall such a change be to the ungodly!
I called not them to be present at the creation of the heavens and of the
earth, nor at the creation of themselves, neither did I take those seducers
for my assistants.
On a certain day, God shall say unto the idolaters, Call those whom ye
imagined to be my companions, to protect you: and they shall call them, but
they shall not answer them; and we will place a valley of destruction between
them:
and the wicked shall see hell fire: and they shall know that they shall
be thrown into the same, and they shall find no way to avoid it.
And now have we variously propounded unto men, in this Koran, a parable
of every kind; but man cavilleth at most things therein.
Yet nothing hindereth men from believing, now a direction is come unto
them, and from asking pardon of their LORD, excepting that they wait until the
punishment of their predecessors come to be inflicted on them, or that the
chastisement of the next life come upon them publicly.
We send not our messengers, but to bear good tidings, and to denounce
threats. Those who believe not dispute with vain arguments, that they may
thereby render the truth of no effect; and they hold my signs, and the
admonitions which have been made them, in derision.
And who is more unjust than he who hath been acquainted with the signs of
his LORD, and retireth afar off from the same, and forgetteth that which his
hands have formerly committed? Verily we have cast veils over their hearts,
lest they should understand the Koran, and into their ears thickness of hearing:
if thou invite them to the true direction, yet will they not therefore be directed
forever.
Thy LORD is gracious, endued with mercy; if he would have punished them
for that which they have committed, he would doubtless have hastened their
punishment: but a threat hath been denounced against them, and they shall
find no refuge, besides him.
And those former cities did we destroy, when they acted unjustly; and we
gave them previous warning of their destruction.
60 And remember when Moses said unto his servant Joshua the son of Nun, I
will not cease to go forward, until I come to the place where the two seas
meet; or I will travel for a long space of time.
But when they were arrived at the meeting of the two seas, they forgot
their fish, which they had taken with them; and the fish took its way freely
in the sea.
And when they had passed beyond that place, Moses said unto his servant,
Bring us our dinner; for now are we fatigued with this our journey.
His servant answered, Dost thou know what has befallen me? When we took
up our lodging at the rock, verily I forgot the fish: and none made me to
forget it, except Satan, that I should not remind thee of it. And the fish
took its way into the sea, in a wonderful manner.
Moses said, This is what we sought after. And they both went back,
returning by the way they came.
And coming to the rock they found one of our servants, unto whom we had
granted mercy from us, and whom we had taught wisdom from before us.
And Moses said unto him, Shall I follow thee, that thou mayest teach me
part of that which thou hast been taught, for a direction unto me?
He answered, Verily thou canst not bear with me:
for how canst thou patiently suffer those things, the knowledge whereof
thou dost not comprehend?
Moses replied, Thou shalt find me patient, if GOD please; neither will I
be disobedient unto thee in anything.
70 He said, If thou follow me, therefore, ask me not concerning anything,
until I shall declare the meaning thereof unto thee.
So they both went on by the sea-shore, until they went up into a ship;
and he made a hole therein. And Moses said unto him, Hast thou made a hole
therein, that thou mightest drown those who are on board? now hast thou done a
strange thing.
He answered, Did I not tell thee that thou couldst not bear with me?
Moses said, Rebuke me not, because I did forget; and impose not on me a
difficulty in what I am commanded.
Wherefore they left the ship and proceeded, until they met with a youth;
and he slew him. Moses said, Hast thou slain an innocent person, without his
having killed another? now hast thou committed an unjust action.
He answered, Did I not tell thee that thou couldest not bear with me?
Moses said, If I ask thee concerning anything hereafter, suffer me not to
accompany thee: now hast thou received an excuse from me.
They went forwards, therefore, until they came to the inhabitants of a
certain city: and they asked food of the inhabitants thereof; but they
refused to receive them. And they found therein a wall, which was ready to
fall down; and he set it upright. Whereupon Moses said unto him, If thou
wouldest thou mightest doubtless have received a reward for it.
He answered, This shall be a separation between me and thee; but I will
first declare unto thee the signification of that which thou couldest not bear
with patience.
The vessel belonged to certain poor men, who did their business in the
sea: and I was minded to render it unserviceable, because there was a king
behind them, who took every sound ship by force.
80 As to the youth, his parents were true believers; and we feared, lest he,
being an unbeliever, should oblige them to suffer his perverseness and
ingratitude:
wherefore we desired that their LORD might give them a more righteous
child in exchange for him, and one more affectionate towards them.
And the wall belonged to two orphan youths in the city, and under it was
a treasure hidden which belonged to them; and their father was a righteous
man: and thy LORD was pleased that they should attain their full age, and take
forth their treasure, through the mercy of thy LORD, and I did not what thou
hast seen of mine own will, but by GOD's direction. This is the
interpretation of that which thou couldest not bear with patience.
The Jews will ask thee concerning Dhu'lkarnein. Answer I will rehearse
unto you an account of him.
We made him powerful in the earth, and we gave him means to accomplish
everything he pleased.
And he followed his way,
until he came to the place where the sun setteth; and he found it to set
in a spring of black mud; and he found near the same a certain people. And
we said, O Dhu'lkarnein, either punish this people, or use gentleness towards
them.
He answered, Whosoever of them shall commit injustice, we will surely
punish him in this world; afterwards shall he return unto his LORD, and he
shall punish him with a severe punishment.
But whosoever believeth, and doth that which is right, shall receive the
most excellent reward, and we will give him in command that which is easy.
Then he continued his way,
90 until he came to the place where the sun riseth; and he found it to rise
on certain people, unto whom we had not given anything wherewith to shelter
themselves therefrom.
Thus it was; and we comprehended with our knowledge the forces which
were with him.
And he prosecuted his journey from south to north,
until he came between the two mountains; beneath which he found certain
people, who could scarce understand what was said.
And they said, O Dhu'lkarnein, verily, Gog and Magog waste the land;
shall we therefore pay thee tribute, on condition that thou build a rampart
between us and them?
He answered, The power wherewith my LORD has strengthened me is better
than your tribute: but assist me strenuously, and I will set a strong wall
between you and them.
Bring me iron in large pieces, until it fill up the space between the two
sides of these mountains. And he said to the workmen, Blow with your bellows,
until it make the iron red hot as fire. And he said further, Bring me molten
brass, that I may pour upon it.
Wherefore, when this wall was finished, Gog and Magog could not scale it,
neither could they dig through it.
And Dhu'lkarnein said, This is a mercy from my LORD: but when the
prediction of my LORD shall come to be fulfilled, he shall reduce the wall to
dust; and the prediction of my LORD is true.
On that day we will suffer some of them to press tumultuously like waves
on others: and the trumpet shall be sounded, and we will gather them in a
body together.
100 And we will set hell on that day before the unbelievers;
whose eyes have been veiled from my remembrance, and who could not hear
my words.
Do the unbelievers think that I will not punish them, for that they take
my servants for their protectors besides me? Verily we have prepared hell for
the abode of the infidels.
Say, Shall we declare unto you those whose works are vain,
whose endeavour in the present life hath been wrongly directed, and who
think they do the work which is right?
These are they who believe not in the signs of their LORD, or that they
shall be assembled before him; wherefore their works are vain, and we will not
allow them any weight on the day of resurrection.
This shall be their reward, namely, hell; for that they have disbelieved,
and have held my signs and apostles in derision.
But as for those who believe and do good works, they shall have the
gardens of paradise for their abode:
they shall remain therein forever; they shall wish for no change therein.
Say, If the sea were ink to write the words of my LORD, verily the sea
would fail, before the words of my LORD would fail; although we added another
sea like unto it as a further supply.
110 Say, Verily I am only a man as ye are. It is revealed unto me that your
GOD is one only GOD: let him therefore who hopeth to meet his LORD work a
righteous work; and let him not make any other to partake in the worship of
his LORD.