«Речи и застольные беседы пророка Мухаммеда»

They await but a single blast; it shall smite them whilst they are wrangling,

And they shall not be able to make their wills, and unto their families they shall not return.

And the trumpet shall be blown, and behold they shall hasten out of the graves to their Lord:

Saying, “Oh, woe is us! who hath roused us from our sleeping-place? This is what the Merciful threatened; and the apostles spake truth.”

There shall be but one blast, and, lo! all are arraigned before us;

And on that day no soul shall be wronged at all, nor shall ye be recompensed save for what ye have wrought.

Verily on that day the people of Paradise shall, be happy in their pursuits,

They and their wives reclining on couches in the shade;

They have fruit there and whatsoever they demand:

“Peace” is their greeting from a merciful Lord.

“Separate ye this day, O ye sinners!

Did I not charge you, O sons of Adam, not to serve the Devil,—surely he is your open enemy,—

But to worship Me: this is the straight way?

Yet he led away a great multitude of you: had ye no wits?

This is Hell, which ye were threatened with:

Roast there to-day, because ye did not believe.”

On that day will we set a seal on their mouths, but their hands shall speak to us, and their feet shall bear witness of what they have earned for themselves.

And if we pleased, we could put out their eyes, and still would they hasten on their way: but how would they see?

And if we pleased we could transform them as they stand so that they could not go on or turn back;

And him whom we make old, we bow down his body: have they no wits?

We have not taught [Mohammad] poetry, nor would it befit him. It is only a warning and a plain Korān,

To warn whosoever liveth: and the sentence shall be carried out upon the unbelievers.

Do they not see that we have created for them, of what our hands have made, the cattle which they possess?

And we have subdued them unto them, and some of them are for riding and of some they eat,

And they have in them profit and milk to drink: and will they not be thankful?

But they have taken other gods beside God, if haply they may be holpen:

They are not able to help them; yet they themselves are an army arrayed for their defence.

But let not their speech grieve thee: verily, we know what they hide and what they show!

Doth not man see that we created him from a germ? Yet, behold he is an open adversary,

And he putteth arguments to us, and forgetteth his creation, saying, “Who can quicken bones that are rotten?”

Say: He who first made them to be shall quicken them: for all creating He knoweth well;—

Who made for you fire from a green tree, and behold, ye kindle with it;

And is not He who created the Heavens and the Earth able to create their like? Yea! for He is the wise Creator.

His command, when he willeth a thing, is only to say to it “Be,” and it is!

Then extolled be the Perfection of Him in whose hand is the empire over all, and to whom ye must return.

(xxxvi.)

СЫНЫ ИСРАИЛА.

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Extolled be the glory of Him who conveyed his servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the furthest mosque, whose precincts we have blessed, to show him our signs! Verily, He it is who heareth and seeth!

And we gave the Book of the Law to Moses and made it a guide to the Children of Israel—“Take ye no guardian beside Me,

Seed of those whom we bare [in the ark] with Noah! Verily he was a grateful servant!”

And we ordained for the Children of Israel in the Book,—“Ye shall surely work iniquity in the earth twice, and ye shall be puffed up with a mighty arrogance.”

So when the threat came to pass for the first of the two sins, we sent upon you servants of ours armed with grievous punishment; and they went among your houses, and the threat was carried out.

Then in turn we gave you victory over them, and helped you with riches and sons, and made you a very numerous host.

If ye do well, ye will do well to your own souls, and if ye do ill, it will be to them also. And when the threat came to pass for the second sin,—[the enemy came] to afflict you, and to enter the mosque as they entered it the first time, and to utterly destroy what they had overpowered.

Haply your Lord will have mercy on you! and if ye turn, we will turn; but we have made Hell for a prison for the unbelievers.

Verily this Korān guideth to the right way and giveth good tidings to believers,

Who do that which is right, that for them is a great reward;

And that for those who believe not in the life to come, we have made ready an aching torment.

Man prayeth for evil as he prayeth for good: for man was ever hasty.

We have made the night and the day for two signs: then we blot out the sign of the night, and make the sign of the day manifest, that ye may seek bounty from your Lord, and may know the number of the years and the reckoning of time; and we have defined everything definitely.

And every man’s fate we have fastened about his neck. And we will bring to him on the day of Resurrection a book which shall be offered to him open:—

“Read thy Book: thou thyself art accountant enough against thyself this day.”

He who is guided, for his own good only shall he be guided, and he who erreth but to his own hurt; and one burthened soul shall not be burthened with another’s burthen.

And we did not punish until we had sent an apostle.

And when we resolved to destroy a city, we enjoined its men of wealth, but they disobeyed therein; so the sentence proved true, and we destroyed it utterly.

How many generations have we swept away since Noah! and thy Lord knoweth and seeth enough of the sins of His servants.

Whoso desireth the present life, we will present him with what we please therein, to whom we choose: finally, we will make Hell for him to roast in, disgraced and banished:

But whoso desireth the life to come, and striveth after it strenuously, and he a believer,—the endeavour of these shall be acceptable:

To all, to these and those, will we extend the gifts of thy Lord; and the gifts of thy Lord are not limited.

See how we have made some of them excellent above others! but the life to come is greater in degrees and greater in excellence.

Set no other god with God, lest thou sit down disgraced and defenceless.

Thy Lord hath ordained that ye worship none but Him; and kindness to your parents, whether one or both of them attain old age with thee: then say not to them, “Fie!” neither reproach them; but speak to them generous words,

And droop the wing of humility to them out of compassion, and say, “Lord, have compassion on them, like as they fostered me when I was little.”

(Your Lord knoweth perfectly what is in your souls, whether ye be well-doers;

And verily He is forgiving to the repentant.)

And render to thy kinsman his due, and to the poor and to the son of the road (but lavish not wastefully;

Truly the wasteful are brothers of the Devil, and the Devil is ungrateful to his Lord:)

But if thou turnest away from them, to seek the mercy which thou hopest from thy Lord, yet speak to them gentle words.

And let not thy hand be chained to thy neck; nor yet stretch it forth right open, or thou wilt sit down in reproach and destitution.

Verily thy Lord will be openhanded with provision for whom He pleaseth, or He will be sparing; He knoweth and seeth His servants.

And slay not your children for fear of want: we will provide for them. Beware! verily killing them is a great sin.

And draw not near to inchastity; verily it is a foul thing, and evil is the course.

And slay not the soul whom God hath forbidden you to slay, unless for a just cause: and whosoever shall be slain wrongfully, we give his heir the right [of retaliation]; but let him not exceed in slaying; verily he is protected.

And approach not the substance of the orphan, except to make it better, till he cometh to maturity: and observe your covenants; verily covenants shall be inquired of hereafter.

And give full measure when ye measure, weigh with an even balance; that is best and fairest in the end.

And follow not that of which thou hast no knowledge: verily the hearing, and the sight, and the heart,—all of them shall be inquired of.

And walk not proudly on the earth: verily thou shalt never cleave the earth, nor reach to the mountains in height!

All that is evil in thy Lord’s eye, an abomination.

That is part of the wisdom which thy Lord hath revealed to thee. And make no other god beside God, or thou wilt be thrown into Hell in reproach and banishment.

Hath then the Lord assigned to you sons, and shall He take for himself daughters from among the angels? verily ye do say a tremendous saying!

And we made variations in this Korān to warn them; yet it only increaseth their repulsion.

Say: If there were other gods with Him, as ye say, they would then seek occasion against the Lord of the throne.

Extolled be His glory, and be He greatly exalted far above what they say!

The seven heavens, and the earth, and all that is therein, magnify Him, and there is naught but magnifieth His praise; only ye understand not their worship. Verily He is forbearing, forgiving.

When thou declaimest the Korān, we put between thee and those who believe not in the life to come a close veil;

And we put coverings over their hearts, lest they should understand it, and deafness in their ears.

And when thou tellest of thy Lord in the Korān as One, they turn their backs in repulsion.

We know well what they listen for, when they listen to thee, and when they whisper apart, when the wicked say, “Ye do but follow a man enchanted.”

See what comparisons they make for thee! but they wander and cannot find the way.

They say, “What! when we have become bones and dust, shall we forsooth be raised as a new creature?”

Say: Yes! were ye stones, or iron, or any creature, the hardest [to raise again] that your minds can imagine. But they will say, “Who shall restore us?” Say: He who began you in the beginning! And they will wag their heads at thee and say, “When shall this be?” Say: Maybe it is nigh at hand.—

A day when God shall summon you and ye shall answer with His praise; and ye shall think that ye have tarried but a little while.

And say to my servants that they speak pleasantly: verily the Devil provoketh strife among them; verily the Devil is man’s open enemy.

Your Lord knoweth you well; if He please He will have mercy on you; or if He please He will torment you; and we have not sent thee to be our governor over them!

Thy Lord knoweth well who is in the heavens and in the earth. And we distinguished some of the prophets above others, and we gave to David the Psalms.

Say: Call ye upon those whom ye profess beside Him; but they will have no power to put away trouble from you or alter it.

Those whom they invoke do themselves strive for access to their Lord, which of them shall be nearest: and they hope for His mercy and fear His torment: verily the torment of thy Lord is to be dreaded.

There is no city but we will destroy it before the Day of Resurrection, or torment it with grievous torment. That is written in the Book.

Nothing hindered our sending thee with signs but that the people of yore called them lies. We gave Thamūd the she-camel before their very eyes, but they maltreated her; and we send not [a prophet] with signs except to terrify.

And when we said to thee, “Verily thy Lord encompasseth mankind;”—and we made the vision which we showed thee, and the accursed tree in the Korān, only to prove men; and we will terrify them; but it shall only add to their great disobedience.

And when we said to the angels, “Bow down to Adam:” and they all bowed down save Iblīs: who said, “What! shall I bow down to him whom thou hast created of clay?”

And said, “Dost thou consider this one whom thou hast honoured above me? Verily, if thou didst spare me till the day of Resurrection, I would utterly destroy his offspring, all but a few!”

God said, “Begone; but whosoever of them followeth thee, verily, Hell is to be your reward—reward enough!

And tempt whom thou canst of them by thy voice; and assail them with thy horsemen and thy footmen, and share with them in their riches and their children, and make them promises. (But the Devil’s promises are deceitful.)

Verily thou hast no power over my servants: and thy Lord sufficeth for a defender.”

It is your Lord who driveth your ships on the sea, that ye may seek of His abundance, verily He is merciful to you.

And when a harm befalleth you at sea, they whom ye call on beside Him are missing! Then when He bringeth you safe to land, ye stand aloof: for man was ever thankless.

Are ye sure that He will not swallow you up on the shore, or send a sand-storm against you? then ye would not find for you any defender.

Or are ye sure that He will not turn you back again to sea, and send against you a storm of wind and drown you, because ye were thankless? Then shall ye find for yourselves no helper against us.

And we have honoured the sons of Adam; and we have borne them on the land and on the sea, and have fed them with good things, and distinguished them above many of our creatures.

On a day we will summon all men with their scripture: then whoso is given his book into his right hand,—these shall read their book and not be wronged a whit.

And he who has been blind in this life shall be blind in the life to come, and miss the road yet more.

And verily they had well-nigh tempted thee from what we revealed to thee, to forge against us something false; and then they would have taken thee to friend;

And had we not prevented thee, thou hadst well-nigh inclined to them a little:

In that case we would have made thee to taste of torment double in life and double in death, then should’st thou find for thyself no helper against us.

And they well-nigh frightened thee from the land, to drive thee out of it; but if they had, they should only have tarried a little while behind thee.

[This was our] custom with our apostles whom we sent before thee, and thou shalt find no changing in our custom.

Perform prayer from the setting of the sun till the fall of night, and the recital at dawn,—verily the recital at dawn is witnessed:

And watch thou part of the night as a voluntary service; it may be that thy Lord will raise thee to a place of praise:

And say: O my Lord, cause me to enter with a right entry, and to come forth with a right forthcoming, and grant me from thyself a power of defence.

And say: Truth is come and falsehood is fled away: verily falsehood is a fleeting thing.

And we send down from the Korān healing and mercy to the faithful; but it shall only add to the ruin of the wicked.

And when we are gracious to man, he turneth away and standeth aloof; but when evil touches him he is in despair.

Say: Every one doeth after his own fashion, but your Lord knoweth perfectly who is best guided on the road.

And they will ask thee of the Spirit; Say: The Spirit cometh at my Lord’s behest, and ye are given but scant knowledge.

And assuredly, if we pleased we could take away what we have revealed to thee: then wouldst thou not find for thyself a defender against us,

Save in mercy from thy Lord; verily His bounty towards thee is great.

Say: Surely if mankind and the Jinn united in order to produce the like of this Korān, they could not produce its like, though they helped one another.

We have varied every kind of parable for men in this Korān, but most men consent only to discredit it.

And they say, “We will by no means believe in thee till thou makest a spring to gush forth for us from the earth;

Or till there cometh to thee a garden of palm-trees and grapes, and thou makest rivers to gush forth abundantly in its midst;

Or thou make the heaven to fall down in pieces upon us, as thou pretendest; or bring God and the angels before us;

Or thou have a house of gold; or thou ascend up into Heaven; and we will not believe in thy ascent until thou send down to us a book which we may read.” Say: Extolled be the glory of my Lord! Am I aught save a man, a messenger?

And nothing prevented men from believing, when the guidance came to them, but their saying, “Hath God sent a mere man as a messenger?”

Say: Had there been angels upon the earth walking at ease, we had surely sent them an angel from heaven as an apostle.

Say: God is witness enough between me and you: verily He knoweth and seeth His servants.

And whom God guideth, he is guided, and whom He misleadeth, thou shalt find him no protectors beside Him; and we will gather them on the day of Resurrection upon their faces, blind, and dumb, and deaf, hell is their abode; so oft as its fire dieth down, we will stir up the flame.

This is their reward, for that they believed not our signs, and said, “When we are become bones and dust, shall we indeed be raised a new creature?”

Do they not see that God, who created the heavens and the earth is able to create their likes? and He hath made an appointed term for them: there is no doubt of it; but the wicked consent only to deny it!

Say: If ye possessed the treasures of the mercy of thy Lord, ye would then assuredly keep them, in fear of spending: for man is niggardly.

Heretofore We brought to Moses nine evident signs: Ask then the Children of Israel [the story]—when he came unto them, and Pharaoh said unto him, “Verily I consider thee to be bewitched, O Moses.”

He said, “Thou knowest that none hath sent these down as proofs but the Lord of the heavens and the earth; and verily I consider thee, O Pharaoh, accursed.”

So he sought to drive them out of the land; but we drowned him and those with him, every one.

And after this we said to the Children of Israel, “Dwell ye in the land, and when the promise of the life to come befalleth, we will bring you in a troop to judgment.”

And in truth have we sent down [the Korān], and in truth came it down, and we have sent thee only to give good tidings and to warn.

And the Korān have we divided that thou mayest recite it unto men by degrees; and we have sent it down by [separate] sendings.

Say: Believe ye therein or believe ye not;—those verily to whom knowledge hath been given before, when it is told to them, fall down on their faces in adoration, and say, “Extolled be the glory of our Lord! verily the promise of our Lord is accomplished.”

And they fall down upon their faces weeping, and it increaseth their humility.

Say: Call upon God, or call upon the Merciful, whichever ye call Him by; for His are the goodliest names. And be not loud in thy prayer, nor yet mutter it low; but follow a course between.

And Say: Praise be to God who hath not taken a son, and who hath no partner in the Kingdom, and no protector hath He for abasement; and glorify Him gloriously.

(xvii.)

МЕККАНСКИЕ РЕЧИ III. АРГУМЕНТАТИВНЫЙ ПЕРИОД Возраст 46-53 года, 615-622 гг. н. э.

ВЕРУЮЩИЙ.

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

H. M. The revelation of the Book is from God the Mighty, the Wise,

Forgiver of sin, and accepter of repentance,—heavy in punishment,

Long-suffering: there is no God but He, to whom is your journeying.

None dispute about the signs of God save those who disbelieve; but let not their trafficking in the land deceive thee.

Before them the people of Noah, and the allies after them, denied, and every folk hath purposed against its apostle to overmaster him, and they argued with falsehood to rebut the truth therewith; but I did overmaster them and how great was my punishment!

And thus was the sentence of thy Lord accomplished upon those who disbelieved, that they should be inmates of the Fire!

They that bear the Throne and they that are round about it magnify the praise of their Lord and believe in Him and beg forgiveness for those who believe:—“O our Lord! thou embracest all things in mercy and knowledge, give pardon to those who repent and follow thy path, and keep them from the torment of hell,

O our Lord, and bring them into the gardens of eternity which thou hast promised to them and to the just among their fathers and their wives and their offspring; verily thou art the Mighty, the Wise;

And keep them from evil; for he whom thou keepest from evil on that day, on him hast thou had mercy—and that is the great prize!”

Verily to those who disbelieve shall come a voice, “Surely the hatred of God is greater than your hatred among yourselves, when ye are called to the faith, and disbelieve.”

They shall say, “O our Lord, twice hast thou given us death, and twice hast thou given us life: and we acknowledge our sins: is there then a way to escape?”—

“That hath befallen you because when one God was proclaimed, ye disbelieved: but when Partners were ascribed to Him, ye believed: but judgment belongeth unto God, the High, the Great.”

It is He who showeth you His signs, and sendeth down to you provision from heaven: but none mindeth except the repentant.

Then call on God with due obedience, though loth be the infidels;

Of high degree, Lord of the throne; He sendeth down the Spirit at His will upon whom He pleaseth of His servants to warn men of the day of the Tryst:—

The day when they shall come forth, and when nothing of theirs shall be hidden from God. Whose is the kingship on that day? It is God’s, the One, the Conqueror!

The day every soul shall be rewarded for what it hath earned: no injustice shall there be on that day! Verily God is swift to reckon.

And warn them of the approaching Day, when their hearts shall choke in their throats,

When the wicked have no friend nor intercessor to prevail.

He knoweth the deceitful of eye, and what the breast concealeth,

And God judgeth with truth; but those gods whom they call on beside Him cannot judge aught. Verily it is God that heareth and seeth!

Have they not journeyed in the earth, and seen what was the end of those who were before them? Those were mightier than they in strength, and in their footprints on the earth: but God overtook them in their sins, and there was none to keep them from God.

That was because apostles had come to them with manifestations, and they believed not: but God overtook them; verily He is strong and heavy in punishment.

We sent Moses of old with our signs and with plain authority,

To Pharaoh, and Haman, and Korah: and they said, “A lying wizard.”

And when he came to them with truth from us they said, “Slay the sons of those who believe with them, and spare their women;” but the plot of the unbelievers was at fault:

And Pharaoh said, “Let me alone to kill Moses; and let him call upon his Lord: verily I fear lest he change your religion, or cause iniquity in the earth.”

And Moses said, “Verily I take refuge with my Lord and your Lord from every one puffed up who believeth not in the day of reckoning.”

And there spake a man of the family of Pharaoh, a Believer, who concealed his faith, “Will ye kill a man because he saith my Lord is God, when he hath come unto you with manifestations from your Lord? for if he be a liar, upon him alone is his lie, but if he be a man of truth, somewhat of that which he threateneth will befall you. Verily God guideth not him who is an outrageous liar.

O my people, to-day is the kingdom yours who are uppermost in the earth! but who will defend us against the might of God if it come upon us?” Pharaoh said, “I will only show you what I think, and I will not guide you save in a right way.”

Then said he who believed, “O my people, verily I fear for you the like of the day of the allies,

The like of the state of the people of Noah, and Ad, and Thamūd,

And of those who came after them; and God willeth not injustice to His servants.

And, O my people! verily I fear for you the day of crying out:

The day when ye shall turn your backs in flight, ye shall have no protector against God; and he whom God misleads, no guide has he.

Moreover, Joseph came unto you before with manifestations; but ye ceased not to doubt about [the message] he brought you, until when he died ye said, ‘God will by no means send an apostle after him.’ Thus God misleadeth him who is an outrageous doubter.

They who dispute about the signs of God, and no proof coming to them, are very hateful to God and to those who believe. Thus God sealeth the heart of all who are puffed up and arrogant.”

And Pharaoh said, “O Haman, build me a tower, mayhap I shall reach the avenues,

The avenues of the heavens, and may ascend to the God of Moses: but verily I hold him a liar.”

And thus the wickedness of his deed seemed good to Pharaoh, and he was turned away from the right path; but the plot of Pharaoh only came to ruin.

And he who believed said, “O my people, follow me: I will guide you the right way.

O my people, the life of this world is but a passing joy; but the life to come, that is the abode imperishable.

Whosoever doeth evil shall not be rewarded save with its like; and whosoever doeth right, whether male or female, being a believer—these shall enter paradise; and be provided therein without count.

And O my people! how is it that I bid you to salvation, but that ye bid me to the Fire?

Ye call me to disbelieve in God and join to Him that of which I have no knowledge: and I call you to the Mighty, the Very Forgiving.

There is no doubt but that those ye call me to are not to be called on in this world or in the world to come, and that we shall return unto God, and the transgressors shall be inmates of the Fire.

Then shall ye call to mind what I said to you: and I commit my case to God: verily God regardeth His servants.”

So God kept him from the evil which they devised, and there encompassed the people of Pharaoh the woeful torment—

The Fire, to which they shall be exposed morning and evening; and on the day when the Hour cometh—“Enter, ye people of Pharaoh, into the sorest torment.”

And when they shall wrangle together in the fire, the feeble shall say to those who were puffed up, “Verily we followed you: will ye then remove from us aught of the Fire?”

And those who were puffed up will say, “Verily we are all in it. Behold! God hath judged between His servants.”

And they who are in the Fire shall say to the keepers of Hell, “Call on your Lord, that He remit us one day from the torment.”

The keepers shall say, “Did there not come to you your apostles with manifestations?” They shall say, “Yea.” The keepers shall say, “Call then,” but the cry of the unbelievers shall be vain.

Verily we will help our apostles and those who believe, both in the life of this world and on the day when the witness shall stand forth;—

A day whereon the excuse of the wicked shall not profit them; but they shall have the curse and the abode of woe.

And of old gave we Moses the guidance, and the Children of Israel made we heirs of the Book,—a guidance and a warning to those who have understanding.

Be patient, therefore; verily the promise of God is true; and seek pardon for thy sins, and magnify the praises of thy Lord at eve and early morn.

Verily those who dispute about the signs of God, without proof reaching them, there is naught in their breasts but pride: and they shall not win. But seek refuge with God; verily, He heareth and seeth.

Surely the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of man. But most men do not know.

Moreover the blind and the seeing are not equal, nor the sinner and they who believe and do the things that are right;—little do they mind!

Verily the Hour is assuredly coming: there is no doubt of it;—but most men do not believe.

And your Lord saith, “Call upon me;—I will hearken unto you: but as to those who are too puffed up for my service, they shall enter Hell in contempt.”

It is God who made you the night to rest in, and the day for seeing: verily God is bounteous to man, but most men are not thankful.

That is God your Lord, Creator of all things: there is no god but He: then why do ye turn away?

Thus do they turn away who gainsay the signs of God—

God, who made you the earth for a resting-place and the heaven for a tent, and formed you and made goodly your forms and provided you with good things—that is God, your Lord.

Then blessed be God, the Lord of the worlds!

He is the Living One. No god is there but He! then call upon Him, purifying your service to Him. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds!

Say: Verily I am forbidden to serve those whom ye call on beside God, since there came to me manifestations from my Lord, and I am bidden to resign myself to the Lord of the worlds.

He it is who created you of dust, then of a germ, then of blood; then bringeth you forth a babe: then ye come to your strength, then ye become old men (but some of you die before) and reach the appointed term: haply ye will understand!

It is He who giveth life and death; and when He decreeth a thing, He only saith to it, “Be,” and it is.

Hast thou not beheld those who cavil at the signs of God, how they are turned aside?

They who call the Book, and that with which we have sent our apostles, a lie: they shall soon know!

When the shackles shall be on their necks, and the chains, whilst they are dragged into Hell—then in the fire shall they be burned—

Then shall it be said to them, “Where is that which ye joined in worship beside God?” They shall say, “They are lost to us, Nay! we did not call before upon anything.” Thus God misleadeth the unbelievers.

“That is because ye exulted on earth in what was not true, and because ye were insolent.”

Enter the gates of Hell to abide therein for ever: and wretched is the abode of the proud!

But be thou patient: verily the promise of God is true: and whether we show thee part of what we threatened them, or whether we make thee to die; yet to us shall they return.

We have sent apostles before thee. Of some we have told thee and of some we have not told thee: but no apostle was able to bring a sign unless by the permission of God. But when God’s behest cometh, everything is decided with truth: and those perish who think it vain.

It is God who hath made for you the cattle, some to ride and some to eat,

(And ye have profit from them) and to attain by them the aims of your hearts, for on them and in ships are ye borne:

And He showeth you His signs: which then of the signs of God will ye deny?

Have they not journeyed in the earth, and seen what was the end of those who were before them? They were in number more than they, and mightier in strength, and in their footprints on the earth: but what they had earned availed them nothing;

And when their apostles came to them with manifestations, they exulted in what knowledge they had; but that which they had scoffed at encompassed them.

And when they beheld our might they said, “We believe in God alone, and we disbelieve in what we joined in worship with Him.”

And naught availed their faith, after they witnessed our might. Such the way of God which was reserved for his servants—and therein the unbelievers have lost.

(xl.)

ЙУНУС.

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

A. L. R. These are the signs of the wise Book!

Is it a matter of wonder to the people that we revealed to a man from among themselves, “Warn the people; and bring good tidings to those who believe, that the reward of their good faith is with their Lord?” The unbelievers say, “Lo! this is an evident sorcerer!”

Verily your Lord is God, who made the heavens and the earth in six days—then ascended the throne to govern all things: there is none to plead with Him save by His permission.—This is God, your Lord! then worship ye Him: will ye not mind?

Unto Him shall ye all return by the sure promise of God: behold! He produces a creature, then maketh it return again, that He may reward with equity those who believe and do the things that are right: but those who believe not, for them is the scalding drink, and an aching torment—because they did not believe.

It is He who hath made the sun for shining, and the moon for light, and ordained him mansions that ye may learn the number of years and the reckoning of time. God did not create that but in truth. He maketh His signs plain to a people who know.

Verily in the alterations of the night and the day, and in all that God created in the heavens and the earth, are signs to a godfearing folk.

Verily they who do not hope to meet us, and are satisfied with the life of this world, and are content with it, and they who are careless of our signs,—

Their dwelling-place is the Fire, for what they have earned.

Verily they who believe and do the things that are right, their Lord shall guide them because of their faith; beneath them rivers shall flow in gardens of delight:

Their cry therein shall be, “Extolled be thy glory, O God!” and their salutation therein shall be “Peace!”

And the end of their cry shall be, “Praise to God, Lord of the worlds!”

And if God should hasten woe upon men as they fain would hasten weal, verily their appointed term is decreed for them! therefore we leave those who hope not to meet us groping in their disobedience.

Moreover, when affliction toucheth man, he calleth us upon his side, sitting, or standing; and when we take away his affliction from him, he passeth on as though he had not called us in the affliction that touched him! Thus do the deeds of transgressors seem good to them!

We have destroyed generations before you, when they sinned and their apostles came to them with manifestations and they would not believe;—thus do we requite the sinful folk.

Then we made you their successors in the earth after them, to see how ye would act.

But when our manifest signs are recited to them, they who hope not to meet us say, “Bring a different Korān from this, or change it.” Say: It is not for me to change it of mine own will. I follow only what is revealed to me: verily I fear if I disobey my Lord the torment of the great Day.

Say: If God pleased, I had not recited it to you nor taught it you; and already I had dwelt a lifetime amongst you before that: have ye then no wits?

And who is more wicked than he who forgeth a lie against God, or saith His signs are lies? Surely the sinners shall not prosper!

And they worship beside God that which cannot hurt them or help them; and they say, “These shall be our pleaders with God.” Say: Will ye tell God of anything He doth not know in the heavens and in the earth? Extolled be His glory! and far be He above what they associate with Him!

Men were of only one religion: then they differed, and had not a decree gone forth from thy Lord, there had certainly been made a decision between them of that whereon they differed.

And they say, “Had a sign been sent down to him from his Lord ...”—but say: The unseen is with God alone: wait, therefore; verily I am waiting with you.

And when we caused men to taste of mercy after affliction had touched them, behold! they have a plot against our signs! Say: God is quick at plotting! verily our messengers write down what ye plot.

He it is who maketh you journey by land and sea, until, when ye are in ships—and they run with them before a fair wind, and they rejoice thereat, there cometh upon them a violent wind, and the waves come upon them from every side, and they suppose they are sore pressed therewith; they call on God, offering Him sincere religion:—“Do thou but deliver us from this, and we will indeed be of the thankful.”

But when we have delivered them, lo, they transgress unjustly on the earth! O ye people! ye wrong your own souls only for the enjoyment of the life of this world: then to us shall ye return; and we will tell you what ye have done.

The likeness of the life of this world is as the water which we send down from the heaven, and there mingleth with it the produce of the earth of which men and cattle eat, until when the earth hath put on its blazonry and is arrayed, and its inhabitants think it is they who ordain it, our command cometh to it by night or day, and we make it mown down, as if it had not teemed yesterday! Thus do we explain our signs to a reflecting folk.

And God calleth you unto the abode of peace: and guideth whom He will into the straight way:

To those who have done well, weal and to spare,

Neither blackness shall cover their faces nor shame! these are the inmates of Paradise, to abide therein for ever.

And as for those who have earned evil, the recompense of evil is its like; shame shall cover them—no defender shall they have against God—as though their faces were darkened with the gloom of night: these are the inmates of the Fire to abide therein for ever.

And on the day we will gather them all together, then will we say to those who made Partners with God, “To your place, ye and your Partners!” and we will separate between them; and their partners shall say, “Ye worshipped not us,

And God is witness enough between us and you that we were indifferent to your worship!”

Then shall every soul make proof of what it hath sent on before, and they shall be brought back to God their true Master, and what they devised shall vanish from them.

Say: Who provideth you from the heaven and the earth? who is king over hearing and sight? and who bringeth forth the living from the dead and bringeth forth the dead from the living? and who ruleth all things? And they shall say, “God:” then say: Do ye not fear?

So that is God your true Lord: and after the truth, what is there but error? How then are ye turned away?

Thus is the word of thy Lord fulfilled upon those who work iniquity: they shall not believe.

Say: Is there any of the Partners [of God] who can produce a creature, then bring it back again? Say: God produceth a creature then bringeth it back again: how then are ye deceived?

Say: Is there any of the Partners who guideth to the truth? Say: God guideth unto the truth. Is he who guideth to the truth the worthier to be followed, or he who guideth not except he be guided? What is in you so to judge?

And most of them only follow a fancy: but a fancy profiteth nothing against the truth! verily God knoweth what they do.

Moreover this Korān could not have been devised without God: but it confirmeth what preceded it, and explaineth the Scripture—there is no doubt therein—from the Lord of the worlds.

Do they say, “He hath devised it himself?” Say: Then bring a chapter like it: and call on whom ye can beside God, if ye be speakers of truth.

Nay, they call all that a lie, of which they compass not the knowledge, though the explanation of it hath not yet been given them; so did those who were before them call the Scriptures lies: but see what was the end of the wicked!

And some of them believe in it, and some of them believe not in it. But thy Lord knoweth best about the evildoers.

And if they call thee a liar, say, I have my work, and ye have your work: ye are clear of what I work, and I am clear of what ye work.

And some of them hearken to thee; but canst thou make the deaf hear if they have no wits?

And some of them regard thee; but canst thou guide the blind when they see not?

Verily God doth not wrong man a whit, but men wrong themselves.

And on a day He will gather them, as though they had tarried but an hour of the day: they shall know one another! They are lost who denied the meeting with God and were not guided!

Whether we show thee part of what we threatened against them, or whether we take thee to ourself [before], to us is their return—then shall God be witness of what they have done.

And every nation hath its apostle; and when their apostle is come, it is decided between them with equity, and they are not wronged.

Yet they say, “When will this promise be, if ye be speakers of truth?”

Say: I have no power for myself for woe or weal, except as God pleaseth. Every people hath its appointed term: when their term is come, they shall not put it off nor hasten it an hour.

Say: Bethink ye, if the torment of God come upon you by night or by day, what portion of it will the sinners willingly hasten on?

When it happeneth, will ye believe it then? Yet would ye fain hasten it on!

Then shall it be said to those who transgressed, “Taste ye the torment of eternity! Shall ye be rewarded save according to what ye have earned?”

They would fain know of thee if this is true. Say: Yea, by my Lord, it is indeed true, and ye cannot weaken Him.

And if every soul that transgressed owned all that is on earth, he would assuredly give it in ransom; and they will declare their repentance when they have seen the torment: and there shall be a decision between them with equity, and they shall not be wronged.

Is not indeed whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth God’s? Is not indeed the promise of God true? But most of them do not know!

He giveth life and death, and to Him shall ye return.

O ye people! now hath a warning come to you from your Lord, and a healing for what is in your breasts, and a guidance and a mercy to the believers.

Say: By the grace of God and his mercy! And in that let them therefore rejoice: this is better than what they heap up.

Say: Do ye consider what God hath sent down to you for provision: but ye made thereof unlawful and lawful? Say, did God permit you? or do ye forge against God?

But what will they think on the day of resurrection who forge a lie against God? Truly God is full of bounty towards man; but most of them are not thankful.

Thou shalt not be in any business, and thou shalt not read from the Korān, and ye shall not do any deed, but we are witness against you when ye are engaged therein; and there escapeth not thy Lord an ant’s weight in earth or in heaven: and there is nothing lesser or greater than that, but it is in the plain Book.

Are not they truly the friends of God on whom is no fear neither are they sorrowful—

They who believed and feared God,—

For them are good tidings in the life of this world, and in the life to come there is no changing in God’s sentences. That is the great prize!

And let not their discourse grieve thee: verily all power belongeth to God, He it is who heareth and knoweth.

Doth not whoever is in the heavens and whoever is in the earth belong to God? then what do they follow who call upon Partners beside God? verily they follow but a fancy; and verily they are naught but liars.

It is He who made you the night to rest in, and the day for seeing: verily in that are signs to a folk that can hear!

They say, “God hath taken him a son.” Extolled be his glory! He is the Self-sufficient, all that is in the heavens, and all that is in the earth is his! ye have no warranty for this! do ye say about God that which ye know not?

Say: Verily they who forge this lie against God shall not prosper:—

A passing joy in this world, then to us they return; and then we will make them taste the grievous torment, because they did not believe.

And tell them the story of Noah, when he said to his people,—“O my people! though my dwelling with you and my warning you of the signs of God hath been grievous to you, yet in God do I put my trust: so gather together your case and your Partners; then will not your case fall upon you in the dark: then decide about me and delay not.

And if ye turn, yet ask I no reward from you: my reward is with God alone, and I am commanded to be of those who are resigned.”

But they called him a liar, so we delivered him and those who were with him in the ship, and we made them to survive; and we drowned those who had called our signs lies: see then what was the end of those who were warned!

Then after him, we sent apostles to their people, and they came to them with manifestations: but they would not believe in what they had denied before: thus do we put a seal upon the hearts of the transgressors.

Then sent we, after them, Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh and his nobles with our signs; but they were puffed up and were a sinful folk.

And when the truth came to them from us, they said, “This is clear sorcery indeed.”

Moses said, “Say ye of the truth when it is come to you, Is this sorcery?—but sorcerers shall not prosper.”

They said, “Art thou come to us to hinder us from what we found our fathers in, and in order that for you twain there shall be majesty in the land? but we are not going to believe in you!”

And Pharaoh said, “Fetch me every wise sorcerer.” And when the sorcerers came, Moses said to them, “Cast down what ye have to cast.”

And when they had cast them down, Moses said, “What ye come with is sorcery: verily God will make it vain; aye, God doth not prosper the work of evildoers;

And God will establish the truth by his word, though loth be the sinners.”

And none believed in Moses but the children of his own folk, for fear of Pharaoh and his nobles, lest he should afflict them: for of a truth Pharaoh was mighty in the earth, and verily he was of the transgressors.

And Moses said, “O my people! if ye believe in God, put your trust in Him, if ye are resigned.”

And they said, “In God do we put our trust. O our Lord, make us not a trial to the folk of the wicked,

And deliver us in Thy mercy from the folk of the unbelievers.”

Then revealed we to Moses and to his brother: “Build houses for your people in Egypt, and make your houses with a Kibla, and perform prayer, and give good tidings to the believers.”

And Moses said, “O our Lord, thou hast indeed given to Pharaoh and his nobles adornments and riches in the life of this world: O our Lord! may they err from thy way; O our Lord, confound their riches, and harden their hearts, so shall they not believe until they see the aching torment.”

God said: “Your prayer is heard, then stand ye upright, and follow not the path of those who know not.”

And we brought the Children of Israel across the sea; and Pharaoh and his host followed them, eager and hostile, until when drowning overtook him he said, “I believe that there is no God but He in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am one of the resigned.”

“Now! thou hast been rebellious aforetime, and wast one of the evildoers,

This day will we raise thee in thy flesh, to be a sign to those who come after thee: but verily many men are heedless of our signs!”

Moreover we lodged the Children of Israel in a firm abode, and provided them with good things: and they did not differ until the knowledge came to them; verily thy Lord will decide between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that on which they differed.

And if thou art in doubt of what we have sent down to thee, inquire of those who read the Scriptures before thee. Now hath truth come unto thee from thy Lord: then be not thou of those who doubt,

Neither be of those who deny the signs of God lest thou be among the losers.

Verily they against whom the word of thy Lord is passed shall not believe,—

Though there came unto them every kind of sign,—till they behold the aching torment.

Else any city had believed, and its faith had benefited it:—save the people of Jonah; when they believed, we took away from them the torment of shame in the life of this world, and provided for them awhile.

But if thy Lord pleased, verily all who are in the earth had believed together. Then canst thou compel men to become believers?

It is not in a soul to believe but by the permission of God: and He shall lay His curse on those who have no wits.

Say: Look upon that which is in the heavens and in the earth: but signs and warners avail not a folk that will not believe!

What then can they expect but the like of the days of those who passed away before them? Say: Wait ye,—I too am waiting with you.

Then will we deliver our apostles and those who believe: thus is it binding on us to deliver the faithful.

Say: O ye people! if ye are in doubt of my religion, I do not worship those whom ye worship beside God; but I worship God, who taketh you away; and I am commanded to be of the faithful.

And set thy face towards religion as a Hanīf, and be not of those idolaters:

And invoke not beside God that which can neither help nor hurt; for if thou do, thou wilt certainly be of the wicked.

And if God touch thee with affliction, there is none to remove it but He. And if He desire thy good, there is none to hinder His bounty—He will confer it on whom He pleaseth of his servants: and He is the Forgiving, the Merciful!

Say: O ye people! now hath truth come unto you from your Lord; then he who is guided, is guided only for his own behoof: but he who erreth doth err only against himself; and I am no governor over you!

And follow what is revealed to thee: and be patient till God judgeth; and He is the best of judges.

(x.)

ГРОМ.

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

A. L. M. R. These are the Signs of the Book! and that which was sent down to thee from thy Lord is the truth: but most men do not believe.

It is God who raised the heavens without pillars that ye can see; then ascended the Throne, and subdued the sun and the moon: each runneth to its appointed goal, to rule every thing, to manifest signs. Haply ye will be convinced of meeting your Lord!

And it is He who spread out the earth, and put thereon firm mountains, and rivers; and of every fruit He hath made therein two kinds: He maketh the night to cover the day; verily in that are signs for reflecting folk.

And on the earth are neighbouring tracts, and gardens of grapes, and corn, and palms clustered and not clustered at the root; they are watered by the same water, yet we make some better than others for food: verily in that are signs for folk that have wits.

If ever thou dost wonder, wonderful is their saying, “What! when we have become dust, shall we indeed become a new creation?”

These are they who disbelieve in their Lord: and these shall have the shackles on their necks, and these shall be the inmates of the fire to abide therein for ever.

They will bid thee hasten evil rather than good: examples have passed away before them; and verily thy Lord is full of forgiveness unto men despite their iniquity; and verily thy Lord is heavy in punishing.

And they who disbelieve say, “Unless a sign be sent down to him from his Lord ...” Thou art but a warner, and to every people its guide.

God knoweth what every woman beareth, and the decrease of the wombs and the increase; for the pattern of all things is with Him,

Who knoweth the hidden and the seen, the Great, the Most High.

Equal is he of you who concealeth his words and he that proclaimeth them: he who hideth by night, and he who goeth abroad by day.

Each hath angels before him and behind him, who watch over him by God’s command. Verily God doth not change towards a people, till they change themselves; and when God willeth evil unto a people, there is no averting it, nor have they any protector beside Him.

It is He who showeth you the lightning for fear and hope [of rain], and gathereth the lowering clouds,

And the Thunder magnifieth His praise, and the angels, for awe of Him, and He sendeth His thunderbolts and smiteth therewith whom He pleaseth:—and they are wrangling about God! but strong is His might!

Unto Him is the true cry: but those whom they cry to beside Him shall answer them naught save as one who stretcheth forth his hands to the water that it may reach his mouth, but it doth not reach it! The cry of the unbelievers is but in error.

And unto God bow down all things in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and their shadows at morn and eve!

Say: Who is Lord of the heavens and the earth? Say: God. Say: Why then have ye taken beside Him Patrons who are powerless for weal or woe to themselves? Say: What! are the blind and the seeing alike? or are darkness and light the same? or have they made Partners for God, who create as He creates, so that they confuse the creation? Say: God is the Creator of all things, He is the One, the Conqueror.

He sendeth down water from heaven; and the valleys flow in their degree, and the torrent beareth along foaming froth, and from the [ore] which they burn in the fire, desiring ornaments or necessaries, a scum like it ariseth. So doth God liken truth and falsehood. As to the scum it passeth off as refuse, and as to what profiteth man it remaineth on the earth. Thus doth God frame parables. For those who respond to their Lord, good; but those who respond not to Him, had they all that the earth containeth and its like beside it, they would surely give it in ransom: these shall have an evil reckoning, and Hell shall be their home,—and wretched the bed!

Is he who knoweth that what hath been sent down to thee from thy Lord is naught but the truth, like to him who is blind? but men of understanding alone will mind,

Who fulfil their covenant with God and break not the compact;

And who join what God hath bidden to be joined, and who fear their Lord and dread the evil reckoning;

And who are patient, seeking the face of their Lord, and perform prayer and give alms secretly and openly of what we have provided them, and turn away evil with good: for these is the reward of the Abode,—

Gardens of eternity, into which they shall enter together with those who were just of their fathers and their wives and their offspring: and the angels shall go in unto them at every gate [saying]:—

“Peace be upon you! because ye were patient.” And pleasant is the reward of the Abode!

But those who break God’s covenant after they have pledged it, and cut asunder what God hath bidden to be joined, and work iniquity in the earth, for these is a curse and a sore abode!

God is lavish with provision to whom He pleaseth, or He stinteth it. And they rejoice in the life of this world; but the life of this world is but a passing joy to the life to come.

And they who disbelieve say, “Unless a sign be sent down to him from his Lord ...” Say: God truly misleadeth whom He will; and He guideth to himself those who repent,

Who believe, and whose hearts are at peace in the remembrance of God! yea, in the remembrance of God shall the hearts be at peace of those who believe and do the things that are right—good betide them, and happy be their goal!

Thus have we sent thee among a nation, before whom other nations have passed away, that thou mayest tell them what we have inspired thee with: yet they disbelieve in the Merciful! Say: He is my Lord—there is no God but Him. In Him do I put my trust, and unto Him is my return.

Though there were a Korān by which the mountains were removed or the earth cloven or the dead given speech—Nay! to God belongeth the rule in all: know not they who believe, that if God pleased, He would certainly have guided men in all?

And calamity shall not cease to befal the unbelievers for what they have done, or settle hard by their dwellings, until the promise of God shall come to pass. Verily God will not fail in what He promised.

Before thee apostles have been mocked at—and long I suffered those who disbelieved; then I took hold of them; and how great was my punishment!

Who then is he that is standing over every soul to mark what it hath earned? Yet they made Partners with God! Say: Name them! could ye inform him of what He knoweth not in the earth, or are they aught beyond words? Nay, their artifice commended itself to those who disbelieve; and they are turned aside from the road; and whom God misleadeth, he hath no guide.