The Koran (Al-Qur'an) Part 31

By no means. We will surely write down that which he saith; and increasing we will increase his punishment; 80 and we will be his heir as to that which he speaketh of, and on the last day he shall appear before us alone and naked.

They have taken other G.o.ds, besides G.o.d, that they may be a glory unto them.

By no means. Hereafter shall they deny their wors.h.i.+p; and they shall become adversaries unto them.

Dost thou not see that we send the devils against the infidels, to incite them to sin by their instigations?

Wherefore be not in haste to call down destruction upon them; for we number unto them a determined number of days of respite.

On a certain day we will a.s.semble the pious before the Merciful in an honourable manner, as amba.s.sadors come into the presence of a prince: but we will drive the wicked into h.e.l.l, as cattle are driven to water: they shall obtain no intercession, except he only who hath received a covenant from the Merciful.

They say, The Merciful hath begotten issue.

Now have ye uttered an impious thing: 90 it wanteth little but that on occasion thereof the heavens be rent, and the earth cleave in sunder, and the mountains be overthrown and fall, for that they attribute children unto the Merciful; whereas it becometh not G.o.d to beget children.

Verily there is none in heaven or on earth but shall approach the Merciful as his servant.

He encompa.s.seth them by his knowledge and power, and numbereth them with an exact computation: and they shall all come unto him on the day of resurrection, dest.i.tute both of helpers and followers.

But as for those who believe and do good works, the Merciful will bestow on them love.

Verily we have rendered the Koran easy for thy tongue, that thou mayest thereby declare our promises unto the pious, and mayest thereby denounce threats unto contentious people.

And how many generations have we destroyed before them? Dost thou find one of them remaining? Or dost thou hear so much as a whisper concerning them?

CHAPTER XX.

ENt.i.tLED, T.H.; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL G.o.d.

T.H.

WE have not sent down the Koran unto thee, that thou shouldest be unhappy; but for an admonition unto him who feareth G.o.d: being sent down from him who created the earth, and the lofty heavens.

The Merciful sitteth on his throne: unto him belongeth whatsoever is in heaven and on earth, and whatsoever is between them, and whatsoever is under the earth.

If thou p.r.o.nounce thy prayers with a loud voice, know that it is not necessary in respect to G.o.d; for he knoweth that which is secret, and what is yet more hidden.

G.o.d! there is no G.o.d but he, he hath most excellent names.

Hast thou been informed of the history of Moses?

10 When he saw fire, and said unto his family, Tarry ye here; for I perceive fire: peradventure I may bring you a brand thereout, or may find a direction in our way by the fire.

And when he was come near unto it, a voice called unto him, saying, O Moses, verily I am thy LORD: wherefore put off thy shoes; for thou art in the sacred valley Towa.

And I have chosen thee; therefore hearken with attention unto that which is revealed unto thee.

Verily I am G.o.d; there is no G.o.d besides me; wherefore wors.h.i.+p me, and perform thy prayer in remembrance of me.

Verily the hour cometh: I will surely manifest the same, that every soul may receive its reward for that which it hath deliberately done.

Let not him who believeth not therein, and who followeth his l.u.s.t, prevent thee from believing in the same, lest thou perish.

Now what is that in thy right hand, O Moses?

He answered, It is my rod whereon I lean, and with which I beat down leaves for my flock; and I have other uses for it.

G.o.d said unto him, Cast it down, O Moses.

20 And he cast it down, and behold, it became a serpent, which ran about.

G.o.d said, Take hold on it, and fear not: we will reduce it to its former condition.

And put thy right hand under thy left arm: it shall come forth white, without any hurt. This shall be another sign: that we may show thee some of our greatest signs.

Go unto Pharaoh: for he is exceedingly impious.

Moses answered, LORD, enlarge my breast, and make what thou hast commanded me easy unto me: and loose the knot of my tongue, that they may understand my speech.

And give me a counsellor of my family, 30 namely, Aaron my brother.

Gird up my loins by him, and make him my colleague in the business: that we may praise thee greatly, and may remember thee often; for thou regardest us.

G.o.d replied, Now hast thou obtained thy request, O Moses: and we have heretofore been gracious unto thee, another time; when we revealed unto thy mother that which was revealed unto her, saying, Put him into the ark, and cast him into the river and the river shall throw him on the sh.o.r.e; and my enemy and his enemy shall take him and bring him up; and I bestowed on thee love from me, that thou mightest be bred up under my eye.

40 When thy sister went and said, Shall I bring you unto one who will nurse the child? So we returned thee unto thy mother, that her mind might be set at ease, and that she might not be afflicted. And thou slewest a soul, and we delivered thee from trouble; and we proved thee by several trials: and afterwards thou didst dwell some years among the inhabitants of Madian.

Then thou camest hither according to our decree, O Moses; and I have chosen thee for myself; wherefore go thou and thy brother with my signs; and be not negligent in remembering me.

Go ye unto Pharaoh, for he is excessively impious: and speak mildly unto him; peradventure he will consider, or will fear our threats.

They answered, O LORD, verily we fear lest he be precipitately violent against us, or lest he transgress more exorbitantly.

G.o.d replied, Fear not; for I am with you: I will hear and will see.

Go ye therefore unto him, and say, Verily we are the messengers of thy LORD: wherefore send the children of Israel with us, and do not afflict them.

Now are we come unto thee with a sign from thy LORD: and peace be upon him who shall follow the true direction.

Verily it hath been revealed unto us, that a punishment shall be inflicted on him who shall charge us with imposture, and shall turn back.

And when they had delivered their message, Pharaoh said, Who is your LORD, O Moses?

50 He answered, Our LORD is he who giveth all things: he hath created them, and directeth them by his providence.

Pharaoh said, What therefore is the condition of the former generations?

Moses answered, The knowledge thereof is with my LORD, in the book of his decrees: my LORD erreth not, neither doth he forget.

It is he who hath spread the earth as a bed for you, and hath made you paths therein; and who sendeth down rain from heaven, whereby we cause various kinds of vegetables to spring forth: saying, Eat of part, and feed your cattle with other part thereof.

Verily herein are signs unto those who are endued with understanding.

Out of the ground have we created you; and to the same will we cause you to return, and we will bring you forth from thence another time.

And we showed Pharaoh all our signs which we had empowered Moses to perform: but he accused him of imposture, and refused to believe; and he said, Art thou come unto us that thou mayest dispossess us of our land by the enchantments, O Moses?

Verily we will meet thee with the like enchantments; wherefore fix an appointment between us and thee; we will not fail it, neither shalt thou, in an equal place.

Moses answered, Let your appointment be on the day of your solemn feast; and let the people be a.s.sembled in open day.

60 And Pharaoh turned away from Moses, and gathered together the most expert magicians to execute his stratagem; and then came to the appointment.

Moses said unto them, Woe be unto you! do not devise a lie against G.o.d, lest he utterly destroy you by some judgment: for he shall not prosper who deviseth lies.

And the magicians disputed concerning their affair among themselves, and discoursed in private: and they said, These two are certainly magicians: they seek to dispossess you of your land by their sorcery; and to lead away with them your chiefest and most considerable men.

Wherefore collect all your cunning, and then come in order: for he shall prosper this day, who shall be superior.

They said, O Moses, whether wilt thou cast down thy rod first, or shall we be the first who cast down our rods?

He answered, Do ye cast down your rods first. And behold, their cords and their rods appeared unto him, by their enchantment, to run about like serpents; wherefore Moses conceived fear in his heart.

But we said unto him, Fear not; for thou shalt be superior: therefore cast down the rod which is in thy right hand; and it shall swallow up the seeming serpents which they have made: for what they have made is only the deceit of an enchanter; and an enchanter shall not prosper, withersoever he cometh.

70 And the magicians, when they saw the miracle which Moses performed, fell down and wors.h.i.+pped, saying, We believe in the LORD of Aaron and of Moses.

Pharaoh said unto them, Do ye believe in him before I give you permission? Verily this is your master, who hath taught you magic. But I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on the opposite sides; and I will crucify you on trunks of palm-trees: and ye shall know which of us is more severe in punis.h.i.+ng, and can longer protract your pains.

They answered, We will by no means have greater regard unto thee than unto those evident miracles which have been shown us, or than unto him who hath created us. p.r.o.nounce therefore that sentence against us which thou art about to p.r.o.nounce: for thou canst only give sentence as to this present life.

Verily we believe in our LORD, that he may forgive us our sins, and the sorcery which thou hast forced us to exercise: for G.o.d is better to reward, and more able to prolong punishment than thou.

Verily whosoever shall appear before his LORD on the day of judgment, polluted with crimes, shall have h.e.l.l for his reward; he shall not die therein, neither shall he live.

But whoever shall appear before him, having been a true believer, and shall have worked righteousness, for these are prepared the highest degrees of happiness; namely, gardens of perpetual abode, which shall be watered by rivers; they shall remain therein forever: and this shall be the reward of him who shall be pure.

And we spake by revelation unto Moses, saying, Go forth with my servants out of Egypt by night; and smite the waters with thy rod, and make them a dry path through the sea: be not apprehensive of Pharaoh's overtaking thee; neither be thou afraid.

And when Moses had done so, Pharaoh followed them with his forces; and the waters of the sea overwhelmed them. And Pharaoh caused his people to err, neither did he direct them aright.

80 Thus, O children of Israel, we delivered you from your enemy; and we appointed you the right side of Mount Sinai to discourse with Moses and to give him the law; and we caused manna and quails to descend upon you, saying, Eat of the good things which we have given you for food; and transgress not therein, lest my indignation fall on you; and on whomsoever my indignation shall fall, he shall go down headlong into perdition.

But I will be gracious unto him who shall repent and believe, and shall do that which is right; and who shall be rightly directed.

What hath caused thee to hasten from thy people, O Moses, to receive the law?

He answered, These follow close on my footsteps; but I have hastened unto thee, O LORD, that thou mightest be well pleased with me.

G.o.d said, We have already made a trial of thy people, since thy departure; and al Sameri hath seduced them to idolatry.

Wherefore Moses returned unto his people in great wrath, and exceedingly afflicted. And he said, O my people, had not your LORD promised you a most excellent promise? Did the time of my absence seem long unto you? Or did ye desire that indignation from your LORD should fall on you, and therefore failed to keep the promise which ye made me?

They answered, We have not failed in what we promised thee of our own authority; but we were made to carry in several loads of gold and silver, of the ornaments of the people, and we cast them into the fire; and in like manner al Sameri also cast in what he had collected, and he produced unto them a corporeal calf, which lowed. And al Sameri and his companions said, This is your G.o.d, and the G.o.d of Moses; but he hath forgotten him, and is gone to seek some other.

Did they not therefore see that their idol returned them no answer, and was not able to cause them either hurt or profit?

90 And Aaron had said unto them before, O my people, verily ye are only proved by this calf; for your LORD is the Merciful: wherefore, follow me, and obey my command.

They answered, We will by no means cease to be devoted to its wors.h.i.+p, until Moses return unto us.

And when Moses was returned, he said, O Aaron, what hindered thee, when thou sawest that they went astray, that thou didst not follow me? Hast thou, therefore, been disobedient to my command?

Aaron answered, O son of my mother, drag me not by the beard, nor by the hair of my head. Verily I feared lest thou shouldest say, Thou hast made a division among the children of Israel, and thou hast not observed my saying.

Moses said unto al Sameri, What was thy design, O Sameri? He answered, I saw that which they saw not; wherefore I took a handful of dust from the footsteps of the messenger of G.o.d, and I cast it into the molten calf; for so did my mind direct me.

Moses said, Get thee gone; for thy punishment in this life shall be, that thou shalt say unto those who shall meet thee, Touch me not; and a threat is denounced against thee of more terrible pains, in the life to come, which thou shalt by no means escape. And behold now thy G.o.d, to whose wors.h.i.+p thou hast continued a.s.siduously devoted; verily we will burn it; and we will reduce it to powder, and scatter it in the sea.

Your G.o.d is the true G.o.d, besides whom there is no other G.o.d: he comprehendeth all things by his knowledge.

Thus do we recite unto thee, O Mohammed, relations of what hath pa.s.sed heretofore; and we have given thee an admonition from us.

100 He who shall turn aside from it shall surely carry a load of guilt on the day of resurrection: they shall continue thereunder forever; and a grievous burden shall it be unto them on the day of resurrection; On that day the trumpet shall be sounded; and we will gather the wicked together on that day, having grey eyes.

They shall speak with a low voice to one another, saying, Ye have not tarried above ten days.

We well know what they will say; when the most conspicuous among them for behavior shall say, Ye have not tarried above one day.