The Koran Part 91

And our messengers came formerly to Abraham with glad tidings. "Peace," said they. He said, "Peace," and he tarried not, but brought a roasted calf.

And when he saw that their hands touched it not,12 he misliked them, and grew fearful of them. They said, "Fear not, for we are sent to the people of Lot."

His wife was standing by and laughed;13 and we announced Isaac to her; and after Isacc, Jacob.

She said, "Ah, woe is me! shall I bear a son when I am old, and when this my husband is an old man? This truly would be a marvellous thing."

They said, "Marvellest thou at the command of G.o.d? G.o.d's mercy and blessing be upon you, O people of this house; praise and glory are His due!"

And when Abraham's fear had pa.s.sed away, and these glad tidings had reached him, he pleaded with us for the people of Lot. Verily, Abraham was right kind, pitiful, relenting.

"O Abraham! desist from this; for already hath the command of thy G.o.d gone forth; as for them, a punishment not to be averted is coming on them."

And when our messengers came to Lot, he was grieved for them; and he was too weak to protect them,14 and he said, "This is a day of difficulty."

And his people came rus.h.i.+ng on towards him, for aforetime had they wrought this wickedness. He said, "O my people! these my daughters will be purer for you: fear G.o.d, and put me not to shame in my guests. Is there no rightminded man among you?"

They said, "Thou knowest now that we need not thy daughters; and thou well knowest what we require."

He said, "Would that I had strength to resist you, or that I could find refuge with some powerful chieftain."15

The Angels said, "O Lot! verily, we are the messengers of thy Lord: they shall not touch thee: depart with thy family in the dead of night, and let not one of you turn back: as for thy wife, on her shall light what shall light on them. Verily, that with which they are threatened is for the morning. Is not the morning near?"

And when our decree came to be executed we turned those cities upside down, and we rained down upon them blocks of claystone one after another, marked16 by thy Lord himself. Nor are they far distant from the wicked Meccans.

And we sent to Madian17 their brother Shoaib. He said, "O my people! wors.h.i.+p G.o.d: no other G.o.d have you than He: give not short weight and measure: I see indeed that ye revel in good things; but I fear for you the punishment of the all-encompa.s.sing day.

O my people! give weight and measure with fairness; purloin not other men's goods; and perpetrate not injustice on the earth with corrupt practices:

A residue,18 the gift of G.o.d, will be best for you if ye are believers:

But I am not a guardian over you."

They said to him, "O Shoaib! is it thy prayers which enjoin that we should leave what our fathers wors.h.i.+pped, or that we should not do with our substance as pleaseth us? Thou forsooth art the mild, the right director!"

He said, "O my people! How think ye? If I have a clear revelation from my Lord, and if from Himself He hath supplied me with goodly supplies, and if I will not follow you in that which I myself forbid you, do I seek aught but your amendment so far as in me lieth? My sole help is in G.o.d. In Him do I trust, and to Him do I turn me.

O my people! let not your opposition to me draw down upon you the like of that which befel the people of Noah, or the people of Houd, or the people of Saleh: and the abodes of the people of Lot are not far distant from you!

Seek pardon of your Lord and be turned unto Him: verily, my Lord is Merciful, Loving.

They said, "O Shoaib! we understand not much of what thou sayest, and we clearly see that thou art powerless among us: were it not for thy family we would have surely stoned thee, nor couldest thou have prevailed against us."

He said, "O my people! think ye more highly of my family than of G.o.d? Cast ye Him behind your back, with neglect? Verily, my Lord is round about your actions.

And, O my people! act with what power ye can for my hurt: I verily will act: and ye shall know

On whom shall light a punishment that shall disgrace him, and who is the liar. Await ye; verily I will await with you."

And when our decree came to pa.s.s, we delivered Shoaib and his companions in faith, by our mercy: And a violent tempest overtook the wicked, and in the morning they were found prostrate in their houses

As if they had never dwelt in them. Was not Madian swept off even as Themoud had been swept off?

Of old sent we Moses with our signs and with incontestable power to Pharaoh, and to his n.o.bles-who followed the behests of Pharaoh, and, unrighteous were Pharaoh's behests.

He shall head his people on the day of the Resurrection and cause them to descend into the fire: and wretched the descent by which they shall descend!

They were followed by a curse in this world; and in the day of the Resurrection, wretched the gift that shall be given them!

Such, the histories of the cities which we relate to thee. Some of them are standing, others mown down:

We dealt not unfairly by them, but they dealt not fairly by themselves: and their G.o.ds on whom they called beside G.o.d availed them not at all when thy Lord's behest came to pa.s.s. They did but increase their ruin.

Such was thy Lord's grasp19 when he laid that grasp on the cities that had been wicked. Verily his grasp is afflictive, terrible!

Herein truly is a sign for him who feareth the punishment of the latter day.

That shall be a day unto which mankind shall be gathered together; that shall be a day witnessed by all creatures.

Nor do we delay it, but until a time appointed.

When that day shall come no one shall speak a word but by His leave, and some shall be miserable and others blessed.

And as for those who shall be consigned to misery-their place the Fire!

therein shall they sigh and bemoan them-

Therein shall they abide while the Heavens and the Earth shall last, unless thy Lord shall will it otherwise; verily thy Lord doth what He chooseth.

And as for the blessed ones-their place the Garden! therein shall they abide while the Heavens and the Earth endure, with whatever imperishable boon thy Lord may please to add.

Have thou no doubts therefore concerning that which they wors.h.i.+p: they wors.h.i.+p but what their fathers wors.h.i.+pped before them: we will surely a.s.sign them their portion with nothing lacking.

Of old gave we Moses the Book, and they fell to variance about it. If a decree of respite had not gone forth from thy Lord, there had surely been a decision between them. Thy people also are in suspicious doubts about the Koran.

And truly thy Lord will repay every one according to their works! for He is well aware of what they do.

Go straight on then as thou hast been commanded, and he also who hath turned to G.o.d with thee, and let him transgress no more. He beholdeth what ye do.

Lean not on the evil doers lest the Fire lay hold on you. Ye have no protector, save G.o.d, and ye shall not be helped against Him.

And observe prayer at early morning, at the close of the day, and at the approach of night; for the good deeds drive away the evil deeds. This is a warning for those who reflect:

And persevere steadfastly, for verily G.o.d will not suffer the reward of the righteous to perish.

Were the generations before you, endued with virtue, and who forbad corrupt doings on the earth, more than a few of those whom we delivered? but the evil doers followed their selfish pleasures, and became transgressors.

And thy Lord was not one who would destroy those cities unjustly, when its inhabitants were righteous.

Had thy Lord pleased he would have made mankind of one religion: but those only to whom thy Lord hath granted his mercy will cease to differ. And unto this hath He created them; for the word of thy Lord shall be fulfilled, "I will wholly fill h.e.l.l with Djinn and men."