Three Translations of The Koran (Al-Qur'an) side by side Part 135

P: Except if Allah will. And remember thy Lord when thou forgettest, and say: It may be that my Lord guideth me unto a nearer way of truth than this.

S: Unless Allah pleases; and remember your Lord when you forget and say: Maybe my Lord will guide me to a nearer course to the right than this.

018.025 Y: So they stayed in their Cave three hundred years, and (some) add nine (more)

P: And (it is said) they tarried in their Cave three hundred years and add nine.

S: And they remained in their cave three hundred years and (some) add (another) nine.

018.026 Y: Say: "Allah knows best how long they stayed: with Him is (the knowledge of) the secrets of the heavens and the earth: how clearly He sees, how finely He hears (everything)! They have no protector other than Him; nor does He share His Command with any person whatsoever."

P: Say: Allah is Best Aware how long they tarried. His is the Invisible of the heavens and the earth. How clear of sight is He and keen of hearing! They have no protecting friend beside Him, and He maketh none to share in His government.

S: Say: Allah knows best how long they remained; to Him are (known) the unseen things of the heavens and the earth; how clear His sight and how clear His hearing! There is none to be a guardian for them besides Him, and He does not make any one His a.s.sociate in His Judgment.

018.027 Y: And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord: none can change His Words, and none wilt thou find as a refuge other than Him.

P: And recite that which hath been revealed unto thee of the Scripture of thy Lord. There is none who can change His words, and thou wilt find no refuge beside Him.

S: And recite what has been revealed to you of the Book of your Lord, there is none who can alter His words; and you shall not find any refuge besides Him.

018.028 Y: And keep thy soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face; and let not thine eyes pa.s.s beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this Life; no obey any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds.

P: Restrain thyself along with those who cry unto their Lord at morn and evening, seeking His Countenance; and let not thine eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, who followeth his own l.u.s.t and whose case hath been abandoned.

S: And withhold yourself with those who call on their Lord morning and evening desiring His goodwill, and let not your eyes pa.s.s from them, desiring the beauties of this world's life; and do not follow him whose heart We have made unmindful to Our remembrance, and he follows his low desires and his case is one in which due bounds are exceeded.

018.029 Y: Say, "The truth is from your Lord": Let him who will believe, and let him who will, reject (it): for the wrong-doers We have prepared a Fire whose (smoke and flames), like the walls and roof of a tent, will hem them in: if they implore relief they will be granted water like melted bra.s.s, that will scald their faces, how dreadful the drink! How uncomfortable a couch to recline on!

P: Say: (It is) the truth from the Lord of you (all). Then whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever will, let him disbelieve. Lo! We have prepared for disbelievers Fire. Its tent encloseth them. If they ask for showers, they will be showered with water like to molten lead which burneth the faces. Calamitous the drink and ill the resting-place!

S: And say: The truth is from your Lord, so let him who please believe, and let him who please disbelieve; surely We have prepared for the iniquitous a fire, the curtains of which shall encompa.s.s them about; and if they cry for water, they shall be given water like molten bra.s.s which will scald their faces; evil the drink and ill the resting-place.

018.030 Y: As to those who believe and work righteousness, verily We shall not suffer to perish the reward of any who do a (single) righteous deed.

P: Lo! as for those who believe and do good works - Lo! We suffer not the reward of one whose work is goodly to be lost.

S: Surely (as for) those who believe and do good, We do not waste the reward of him who does a good work.

018.031 Y: For them will be Gardens of Eternity; beneath them rivers will flow; they will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and they will wear green garments of fine silk and heavy brocade: They will recline therein on raised thrones. How good the recompense! How beautiful a couch to recline on!

P: As for such, theirs will be Gardens of Eden, wherein rivers flow beneath them; therein they will be given armlets of gold and will wear green robes of finest silk and gold embroidery, reclining upon throne therein. Blest the reward, and fair the resting-place!

S: These it is for whom are gardens of perpetuity beneath which rivers flow, ornaments shall be given to them therein of bracelets of gold, and they shall wear green robes of fine silk and thick silk brocade interwoven with gold, reclining therein on raised couches; excellent the recompense and goodly the resting place.

018.032 Y: Set forth to them the parable of two men: for one of them We provided two gardens of grape-vines and surrounded them with date palms; in between the two We placed corn-fields.

P: Coin for them a similitude: Two men, unto one of whom We had a.s.signed two gardens of grapes, and We had surrounded both with date-palms and had put between them tillage.

S: And set forth to them a parable of two men; for one of them We made two gardens of grape vines, and We surrounded them both with palms, and in the midst of them We made cornfields.

018.033 Y: Each of those gardens brought forth its produce, and failed not in the least therein: in the midst of them We caused a river to flow.

P: Each of the gardens gave its fruit and withheld naught thereof. And We caused a river to gush forth therein.

S: Both these gardens yielded their fruits, and failed not aught thereof, and We caused a river to gush forth in their midst,

018.034 Y: (Abundant) was the produce this man had: he said to his companion, in the course of a mutual argument: "more wealth have I than you, and more honour and power in (my following of) men."

P: And he had fruit. And he said unto his comrade, when he spake with him: I am more than thee in wealth, and stronger in respect of men.

S: And he possessed much wealth; so he said to his companion, while he disputed with him: I have greater wealth than you, and am mightier in followers.

018.035 Y: He went into his garden in a state (of mind) unjust to his soul: He said, "I deem not that this will ever perish,"

P: And he went into his garden, while he (thus) wronged himself. He said: I think not that all this will ever perish.

S: And he entered his garden while he was unjust to himself. He said: I do not think that this will ever perish,

018.036 Y: "Nor do I deem that the Hour (of Judgment) will (ever) come: Even if I am brought back to my Lord, I shall surely find (there) something better in exchange."

P: I think not that the Hour will ever come, and if indeed I am brought back unto my Lord I surely shall find better than this as a resort.

S: And I do not think the hour will come, and even if I am returned to my Lord I will most certainly find a returning place better than this.

018.037 Y: His companion said to him, in the course of the argument with him: "Dost thou deny Him Who created thee out of dust, then out of a sperm-drop, then fas.h.i.+oned thee into a man?"

P: His comrade, when he (thus) spake with him, exclaimed: Disbelievest thou in Him Who created thee of dust, then of a drop (of seed), and then fas.h.i.+oned thee a man?

S: His companion said to him while disputing with him: Do you disbelieve in Him Who created you from dust, then from a small seed, then He made you a perfect man?

018.038 Y: "But (I think) for my part that He is Allah, My Lord, and none shall I a.s.sociate with my Lord."

P: But He is Allah, my Lord, and I ascribe unto my Lord no partner.

S: But as for me, He, Allah, is my Lord, and I do not a.s.sociate anyone with my Lord.

018.039 Y: "Why didst thou not, as thou wentest into thy garden, say: 'Allah's will (be done)! There is no power but with Allah!' If thou dost see me less than thee in wealth and sons,"

P: If only, when thou enteredst thy garden, thou hadst said: That which Allah willeth (will come to pa.s.s)! There is no strength save in Allah!

Though thou seest me as less than thee in wealth and children,

S: And wherefore did you not say when you entered your garden: It is as Allah has pleased, there is no power save in Allah? If you consider me to be inferior to you in wealth and children,

018.040 Y: "It may be that my Lord will give me something better than thy garden, and that He will send on thy garden thunderbolts (by way of reckoning) from heaven, making it (but) slippery sand!-"

P: Yet it may be that my Lord will give me better than thy garden, and will send on it a bolt from heaven, and some morning it will be a smooth hillside,