The Koran Part 125

Deaf, dumb, blind: therefore they shall not retrace their steps from error!

Or like those who, when there cometh a storm-cloud out of the Heaven, big with darkness thunder and lightning, thrust their fingers into their ears because of the thunder-clap, for fear of death! G.o.d is round about the infidels.

The lightning almost s.n.a.t.c.heth away their eyes! So oft as it gleameth on them they walk on in it, but when darkness closeth upon them, they stop! And if G.o.d pleased, of their ears and of their eyes would he surely deprive them: verily G.o.d is Almighty! O men of Mecca7 adore your Lord, who hath created you and those who were before you: haply ye will fear Him

Who hath made the earth a bed for you, and the heaven a covering, and hath caused water to come down from heaven, and by it hath brought forth fruits for your sustenance! Do not then wittingly give peers to G.o.d.

And if ye be in doubt as to that which we have sent down to our servant, then produce a Sura like it, and summon your witnesses, beside G.o.d, if ye are men of truth:

But if ye do it not, and never shall ye do it, then fear the fire prepared for the infidels, whose fuel is men and stones:8

But announce to those who believe and do the things that are right, that for them are gardens 'neath which the rivers flow! So oft as they are fed therefrom with fruit for sustenance, they shall say, "This same was our sustenance of old:" And they shall have its like given to them.9 Therein shall they have wives of perfect purity, and therein shall they abide for ever.

Verily G.o.d is not ashamed to set forth as well the instance of a gnat10 as of any n.o.bler object: for as to those who have believed, they know it to be the truth from their Lord; but as to the unbelievers, they will say, "What meaneth G.o.d by this comparison?" Many will He mislead by such parables and many guide: but none will He mislead thereby except the wicked,

Who, after its establishment, violate the covenant of G.o.d,11 and cut in sunder what G.o.d hath bidden to be joined, and act disorderly on the Earth.

These are they who shall suffer loss!

How can ye withhold faith from G.o.d? Ye were dead and He gave you life; next He will cause you to die; next He will restore you to life: next shall ye return to Him!

He it is who created for you all that is on Earth, then proceeded to the Heaven, and into seven12 Heavens did He fas.h.i.+on it: and He knoweth all things.

When thy Lord said to the angels, "Verily, I am about to place one in my stead on earth,"13 they said, "Wilt thou place there one who will do ill therein and shed blood, when we celebrate thy praise and extol thy holiness?"

G.o.d said, "Verily, I know what ye know not."

And he taught Adam the names of all things, and then set them before the angels,14 and said, "Tell me the names of these, if ye are endued with wisdom."15

They said, "Praise be to Thee! We have no knowledge but what Thou hast given us to know. Thou! Thou art the Knowing, the Wise."

He said, "O Adam, inform them of their names." And when he had informed them of their names, He said, "Did I not say to you that I know the hidden things of the Heavens and of the Earth, and that I know what ye bring to light, and what ye hide?"

And when we said to the angels, "Bow down and wors.h.i.+p Adam," then wors.h.i.+pped they all, save Eblis.16 He refused and swelled with pride, and became one of the unbelievers.

And we said, "O Adam! dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden, and eat ye plentifully therefrom wherever ye list; but to this tree come not nigh, lest ye become of the transgressors."

But Satan17 made them slip from it, and caused their banishment from the place in which they were. And we said, "Get ye down, the one of you an enemy to the other: and there shall be for you in the earth a dwelling-place, and a provision for a time."

And words of prayer learned Adam from his Lord: and G.o.d turned to him; for He loveth to turn, the Merciful.

We said, "Get ye down from it, all together: and if

Guidance shall come to you from me, whoso shall follow my guidance, on them shall come no fear, neither shall they be grieved:

But they who shall not believe, and treat our signs as false-hoods, these shall be inmates of the fire; in it shall they remain for ever."

O children of Israel! remember my favour wherewith I shewed favour upon you, and be true to your covenant with me; I will be true to my covenant with you; me therefore, revere me! and believe in what I have sent down confirming your Scriptures, and be not the first to disbelieve it, neither for a mean price barter my signs: me therefore, fear ye me!

And clothe not the truth with falsehood, and hide not the truth when ye know it:18

And observe prayer and pay the legal impost, and bow down with those who bow.

Will ye enjoin what is right upon others, and forget yourselves? Yet ye read the Book: will ye not understand?

And seek help with patience and prayer: a hard duty indeed is this, but not to the humble,

Who bear in mind that they shall meet their Lord, and that unto Him shall they return.

O children of Israel! remember my favour wherewith I shewed favour upon you; for verily to you above all human beings have I been bounteous.

And fear ye the day when soul shall not satisfy for soul at all, nor shall any intercession be accepted from them, nor shall any ransom be taken, neither shall they be helped.

And remember when we rescued you from the people of Pharaoh, who had laid on you a cruel chastis.e.m.e.nt. They slew your male children, and let only your females live: and in this was a great trial from your Lord:

And when we parted the sea for you, and saved you, and drowned the people of Pharaoh, while ye were looking on:

And when we were in treaty with Moses forty nights: then during his absence took ye the calf and acted wickedly:

Yet after this we forgave you, that ye might be grateful:

And when we gave Moses the Book and the Illumination19 in order to your guidance:

And remember when Moses said to his people, "O my people! verily ye - have sinned to your own hurt, by your taking the calf to wors.h.i.+p it: Be turned then to your creator, and slay the guilty among you;20 this will be best for you with your creator:" Then turned He unto you, for He is the one who turneth, the Merciful:

And when ye said, "O Moses! we will not believe thee until we see G.o.d plainly;" the thunderbolt fell upon you while ye were looking on:

Then we raised you to life after ye had been dead,21 that haply ye might give thanks:

And we caused the clouds to overshadow you, and we sent down manna and quails upon you;-"Eat of the good things we have give you for sustenance;"-and they injured not us but they injured themselves.22

And when we said, "Enter this city,23 and eat therefrom plentifully, at your will, and enter the gate with prostrations, and say, 'Forgiveness;' and we will pardon you your sins, and give an increase to the doers of good:"-

But the evil-doers changed that word into another than that spoken to them,24 and we sent down upon those evil-doers wrath from heaven, for that they had done amiss:

And when Moses asked drink for his people, we said, "Strike the rock with thy rod;" and from it there gushed twelve fountains: each tribe25 knew their drinking-place:-"Eat and drink," said we, "of what G.o.d hath supplied, and do no wrong on the earth by licentious deeds:"

And when ye said, "O Moses! we will not put up with one sort of food: pray, therefore, thy Lord for us, that He would bring forth for us of that which the earth groweth, its herbs and its cuc.u.mbers and its garlic and its lentils and its onions:" He said, "What! will ye exchange that which is worse for what is better? Get ye down into Egypt;-for ye shall have what ye have asked:" Vileness and poverty were stamped upon them, and they returned with wrath from G.o.d: This, for that they disbelieved the signs of G.o.d, and slew the Prophets26 unjustly: this, for that they rebelled and transgressed!

Verily, they who believe (Muslims), and they who follow the Jewish religion, and the Christians, and the Sabeites27-whoever of these believeth in G.o.d and the last day, and doeth that which is right, shall have their reward with their Lord: fear shall not come upon them, neither shall they be grieved.

Call to mind also when we entered into a covenant with you, and lifted up the mountain28 over you:-"Take hold," said we, "on what we have revealed to you, with resolution, and remember what is therein, that ye may fear:"

But after this ye turned back, and but for G.o.d's grace and mercy toward you, ye had surely been of the lost! Ye know too those of you who transgressed on the Sabbath, and to whom we said, "Be changed into scouted apes:"29

And we made them a warning to those of their day, and to those who came after them, and a caution to the G.o.d-fearing:

And when Moses said to his people, "Verily, G.o.d bids you sacrifice a COW;"30 they said, "Makest thou a jest of us?" He said, "G.o.d keep me from being one of the foolish." They said, "Call on thy Lord for us that He would make plain to us what she is." He said, "G.o.d saith, 'She is a cow neither old nor young, but of the middle age between the two:' do therefore what ye are bidden."

They said, "Call on your Lord for us, that he would make plain to us what is her colour." He said, "G.o.d saith, 'She is a fawn-coloured cow; her colour is very bright; she rejoiceth the beholders.' "