The Persian Wars by Herodotus

The Qur'an, 83. at-Tatfif

83. at-Tatfif: The Defrauders

1 Woe unto the defrauders:
2 Those who when they take the measure from mankind demand it full,
3 But if they measure unto them or weight for them, they cause them loss.
4 Do such (men) not consider that they will be raised again
5 Unto an Awful Day,
6 The day when (all) mankind stand before the Lord of the Worlds ?
7 Nay, but the record of the vile is in Sijjin -
8 Ah! what will convey unto thee what Sijjin is! -
9 A written record.
10 Woe unto the repudiators on that day!
11 Those who deny the Day of Judgment
12 Which none denieth save each criminal transgressor,
13 Who, when thou readest unto him Our revelations, saith: (Mere) fables of the men of old.
14 Nay, but that which they have earned is rust upon their hearts.
15 Nay, but surely on that day they will be covered from (the mercy of) their Lord.
16 Then lo! they verily will burn in hell,
17 And it will be said (unto them): This is that which ye used to deny.
18 Nay, but the record of the righteous is in 'Illiyin -
19 Ah, what will convey unto thee what 'Illiyin is! -
20 A written record,
21 Attested by those who are brought near (unto their Lord).
22 Lo! the righteous verily are in delight,
23 On couches, gazing,
24 Thou wilt know in their faces the radiance of delight.
25 They are given to drink of a pure wine, sealed,
26 Whose seal is musk - for this let (all) those strive who strive for bliss -
27 And mixed with water of Tasnim,
28 A spring whence those brought near (to Allah) drink.
29 Lo! the guilty used to laugh at those who believed,
30 And wink one to another when they passed them;
31 And when they returned to their own folk, they returned jesting;
32 And when they saw them they said: Lo! these have gone astray.
33 Yet they were not sent as guardians over them.
34 This day it is those who believe who have the laugh of disbelievers,
35 On high couches, gazing.
36 Are not the disbelievers paid for what they used to do ?

September 23, 2011
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The Qur'an, 82. al-Infitar

82. al-Infitar: The Cleaving Asunder

1 When the heaven is cleft asunder,
2 When the planets are dispersed,
3 When the seas are poured forth,
4 And the sepulchres are overturned,
5 A soul will know what it hath sent before (it) and what left behind.
6 O man! What hath made thee careless concerning thy Lord, the Bountiful,
7 Who created thee, then fashioned, then proportioned thee ?
8 Into whatsoever form He will, He casteth thee.
9 Nay, but ye deny the Judgment.
10 Lo! there are above you guardians,
11 Generous and recording,
12 Who know (all) that ye do.
13 Lo! the righteous verily will be in delight.
14 And lo! the wicked verily will be in hell;
15 They will burn therein on the Day of Judgment,
16 And will not be absent thence.
17 Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Day of Judgment is!
18 Again, what will convey unto thee what the Day of Judgment is!
19 A day on which no soul hath power at all for any (other) soul. The (absolute) command on that day is Allah's.

September 23, 2011
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The Qur'an, 81. at-Takwir

81. at-Takwir: The Cessation

1 When the sun is overthrown,
2 And when the stars fall,
3 And when the hills are moved,
4 And when the camels big with young are abandoned,
5 And when the wild beasts are herded together,
6 And when the seas rise,
7 And when souls are reunited,
8 And when the girl-child that was buried alive is asked
9 For what sin she was slain,
10 And when the pages are laid open,
11 And when the sky is torn away,
12 And when hell is lighted,
13 And when the Garden is brought nigh,
14 (Then) every soul will know what it hath made ready.
15 Oh, but I call to witness the planets,
16 The stars which rise and set,
17 And the close of night,
18 And the breath of morning
19 That this is in truth the word of an honoured messenger,
20 Mighty, established in the presence of the Lord of the Throne,
21 (One) to be obeyed, and trustworthy;
22 And your comrade is not mad.
23 Surely he beheld Him on the clear horizon.
24 And he is not avid of the Unseen.
25 Nor is this the utterance of a devil worthy to be stoned.
26 Whither then go ye ?
27 This is naught else than a reminder unto creation,
28 Unto whomsoever of you willeth to walk straight.
29 And ye will not, unless (it be) that Allah willeth, the Lord of Creation.

September 23, 2011
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The Qur'an, 80. `Abasa

80. `Abasa: He Frowned

1 He frowned and turned away
2 Because the blind man came unto him.
3 What could inform thee but that he might grow (in grace)
4 Or take heed and so the reminder might avail him ?
5 As for him who thinketh himself independent,
6 Unto him thou payest regard.
7 Yet it is not thy concern if he grow not (in grace).
8 But as for him who cometh unto thee with earnest purpose
9 And hath fear,
10 From him thou art distracted.
11 Nay, but verily it is an Admonishment,
12 So let whosoever will pay heed to it,
13 On honoured leaves
14 Exalted, purified,
15 (Set down) by scribes
16 Noble and righteous.
17 Man is (self-)destroyed: how ungrateful!
18 From what thing doth He create him ?
19 From a drop of seed. He createth him and proportioneth him,
20 Then maketh the way easy for him,
21 Then causeth him to die, and burieth him;
22 Then, when He will, He bringeth him again to life.
23 Nay, but (man) hath not done what He commanded him.
24 Let man consider his food:
25 How We pour water in showers
26 Then split the earth in clefts
27 And cause the grain to grow therein
28 And grapes and green fodder
29 And olive-trees and palm-trees
30 And garden-closes of thick foliage
31 And fruits and grasses:
32 Provision for you and your cattle.
33 But when the Shout cometh
34 On the day when a man fleeth from his brother
35 And his mother and his father
36 And his wife and his children,
37 Every man that day will have concern enough to make him heedless (of others).
38 On that day faces will be bright as dawn,
39 Laughing, rejoicing at good news;
40 And other faces, on that day, with dust upon them,
41 Veiled in darkness,
42 Those are the disbelievers, the wicked.

September 23, 2011
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The Qur'an, 79. an-Nazi`at

79. an-Nazi`at: Those Who Pull Out

1 By those who drag forth to destruction,
2 By the meteors rushing,
3 By the lone stars floating,
4 By the angels hastening,
5 And those who govern the event,
6 On the day when the first trump resoundeth.
7 And the second followeth it,
8 On that day hearts beat painfully
9 While eyes are downcast
10 (Now) they are saying: Shall we really be restored to our first state
11 Even after we are crumbled bones ?
12 They say: Then that would be a vain proceeding.
13 Surely it will need but one shout,
14 And lo! they will be awakened.
15 Hath there come unto thee the history of Moses ?
16 How his Lord called him in the holy vale of Tuwa,
17 (Saying:) Go thou unto Pharaoh - Lo! he hath rebelled -
18 And say (unto him): Hast thou (will) to grow (in grace) ?
19 Then I will guide thee to thy Lord and thou shalt fear (Him).
20 And he showed him the tremendous token.
21 But he denied and disobeyed,
22 Then turned he away in haste,
23 Then gathered he and summoned
24 And proclaimed: "I (Pharaoh) am your Lord the Highest."
25 So Allah seized him (and made him) an example for the after (life) and for the former.
26 Lo! herein is indeed a lesson for him who feareth.
27 Are ye the harder to create, or is the heaven that He built ?
28 He raised the height thereof and ordered it;
29 And He made dark the night thereof, and He brought forth the morn thereof.
30 And after that He spread the earth,
31 And produced therefrom the water thereof and the pasture thereof,
32 And He made fast the hills,
33 A provision for you and for your cattle.
34 But when the great disaster cometh,
35 The day when man will call to mind his (whole) endeavour,
36 And hell will stand forth visible to him who seeth,
37 Then, as for him who rebelled
38 And chose the life of the world,
39 Lo! hell will be his home.
40 But as for him who feared to stand before his Lord and restrained his soul from lust,
41 Lo! the Garden will be his home.
42 They ask thee of the Hour: when will it come to port ?
43 Why (ask they) ? What hast thou to tell thereof ?
44 Unto thy Lord belongeth (knowledge of) the term thereof.
45 Thou art but a warner unto him who feareth it.
46 On the day when they behold it, it will be as if they had but tarried for an evening or the morn thereof.

September 23, 2011
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The Qur'an, 78. an-Naba'

78. an-Naba': The Tidings

1 Whereof do they question one another ?
2 (It is) of the awful tidings,
3 Concerning which they are in disagreement.
4 Nay, but they will come to know!
5 Nay, again, but they will come to know!
6 Have We not made the earth an expanse,
7 And the high hills bulwarks ?
8 And We have created you in pairs,
9 And have appointed your sleep for repose,
10 And have appointed the night as a cloak,
11 And have appointed the day for livelihood.
12 And We have built above you seven strong (heavens),
13 And have appointed a dazzling lamp,
14 And have sent down from the rainy clouds abundant water,
15 Thereby to produce grain and plant,
16 And gardens of thick foliage.
17 Lo! the Day of Decision is a fixed time,
18 A day when the trumpet is blown and ye come in multitudes,
19 And the heaven is opened and becometh as gates,
20 And the hills are set in motion and become as a mirage.
21 Lo! hell lurketh in ambush,
22 A home for the rebellious.
23 They will abide therein for ages.
24 Therein taste they neither coolness nor (any) drink
25 Save boiling water and a paralysing cold:
26 Reward proportioned (to their evil deeds).
27 For lo! they looked not for a reckoning;
28 They called Our revelations false with strong denial.
29 Everything have We recorded in a Book.
30 So taste (of that which ye have earned). No increase do We give you save of torment.
31 Lo! for the duteous is achievement -
32 Gardens enclosed and vineyards,
33 And maidens for companions,
34 And a full cup.
35 There hear they never vain discourse, nor lying -
36 Requital from thy Lord - a gift in payment -
37 Lord of the heavens and the earth, and (all) that is between them, the Beneficent; with Whom none can converse.
38 On the day when the angels and the Spirit stand arrayed, they speak not, saving him whom the Beneficent alloweth and who speaketh right.
39 That is the True Day. So whoso will should seek recourse unto his Lord.
40 Lo! We warn you of a doom at hand, a day whereon a man will look on that which his own hands have sent before, and the disbeliever will cry: "Would that I were dust!"

September 23, 2011
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The Qur'an, 77. al-Mursalat

77. al-Mursalat: The Emissaries

1 By the emissary winds, (sent) one after another
2 By the raging hurricanes,
3 By those which cause earth's vegetation to revive;
4 By those who winnow with a winnowing,
5 By those who bring down the Reminder,
6 To excuse or to warn,
7 Surely that which ye are promised will befall.
8 So when the stars are put out,
9 And when the sky is riven asunder,
10 And when the mountains are blown away,
11 And when the messengers are brought unto their time appointed -
12 For what day is the time appointed ?
13 For the Day of Decision.
14 And what will convey unto thee what the Day of Decision is! -
15 Woe unto the repudiators on that day!
16 Destroyed We not the former folk,
17 Then caused the latter folk to follow after ?
18 Thus deal We ever with the guilty.
19 Woe unto the repudiators on that day!
20 Did We not create you from a base fluid
21 Which We laid up in a safe abode
22 For a known term ?
23 Thus We arranged. How excellent is Our arranging!
24 Woe unto the repudiators on that day!
25 Have We not made the earth a receptacle
26 Both for the living and the dead,
27 And placed therein high mountains and given you to drink sweet water therein ?
28 Woe unto the repudiators on that day!
29 (It will be said unto them:) Depart unto that (doom) which ye used to deny;
30 Depart unto the shadow falling threefold,
31 (Which yet is) no relief nor shelter from the flame.
32 Lo! it throweth up sparks like the castles,
33 (Or) as it might be camels of bright yellow hue.
34 Woe unto the repudiators on that day!
35 This is a day wherein they speak not,
36 Nor are they suffered to put forth excuses.
37 Woe unto the repudiators on that day!
38 This is the Day of Decision, We have brought you and the men of old together.
39 If now ye have any wit, outwit Me.
40 Woe unto the repudiators on that day!
41 Lo! those who kept their duty are amid shade and fountains,
42 And fruits such as they desire.
43 (Unto them it is said:) Eat, drink and welcome, O ye blessed, in return for what ye did.
44 Thus do We reward the good.
45 Woe unto the repudiators on that day!
46 Eat and take your ease (on earth) a little. Lo! ye are guilty.
47 Woe unto the repudiators on that day!
48 When it is said unto them: Bow down, they bow not down!
49 Woe unto the repudiators on that day!
50 In what statement, after this, will they believe ?

September 23, 2011
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The Qur'an, 76. ad-Dahr

76. ad-Dahr: The Man

1 Hath there come upon man (ever) any period of time in which he was a thing unremembered ?
2 Lo! We create man from a drop of thickened fluid to test him; so We make him hearing, knowing.
3 Lo! We have shown him the way, whether he be grateful or disbelieving.
4 Lo! We have prepared for disbelievers manacles and carcans and a raging fire.
5 Lo! the righteous shall drink of a cup whereof the mixture is of Kafur,
6 A spring wherefrom the slaves of Allah drink, making it gush forth abundantly,
7 (Because) they perform the vow and fear a day whereof the evil is wide- spreading,
8 And feed with food the needy wretch, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Him,
9 (Saying): We feed you, for the sake of Allah only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you;
10 Lo! we fear from our Lord a day of frowning and of fate.
11 Therefor Allah hath warded off from them the evil of that day, and hath made them find brightness and joy;
12 And hath awarded them for all that they endured, a Garden and silk attire;
13 Reclining therein upon couches, they will find there neither (heat of) a sun nor bitter cold.
14 The shade thereof is close upon them and the clustered fruits thereof bow down.
15 Goblets of silver are brought round for them, and beakers (as) of glass
16 (Bright as) glass but (made) of silver, which they (themselves) have measured to the measure (of their deeds).
17 There are they watered with a cup whereof the mixture is of Zanjabil,
18 (The water of) a spring therein, named Salsabil.
19 There wait on them immortal youths, whom, when thou seest, thou wouldst take for scattered pearls.
20 When thou seest, thou wilt see there bliss and high estate.
21 Their raiment will be fine green silk and gold embroidery. Bracelets of silver will they wear. Their Lord will slake their thirst with a pure drink.
22 (And it will be said unto them): Lo! this is a reward for you. Your endeavour (upon earth) hath found acceptance.
23 Lo! We, even We, have revealed unto thee the Qur'an, a revelation;
24 So submit patiently to thy Lord's command, and obey not of them any guilty one or disbeliever.
25 Remember the name of thy Lord at morn and evening.
26 And worship Him (a portion) of the night. And glorify Him through the livelong night.
27 Lo! these love fleeting life, and put behind them (the remembrance of) a grievous day.
28 We, even We, created them, and strengthened their frame. And when We will, We can replace them, bringing others like them in their stead.
29 Lo! this is an Admonishment, that whosoever will may choose a way unto his Lord.
30 Yet ye will not, unless Allah willeth. Lo! Allah is Knower, Wise.
31 He maketh whom He will to enter His mercy, and for evil-doers hath prepared a painful doom.

September 23, 2011
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The Qur'an, 75. al-Qiyamah

75. al-Qiyamah: The Resurrection

1 Nay, I swear by the Day of Resurrection;
2 Nay, I swear by the accusing soul (that this Scripture is true).
3 Thinketh man that We shall not assemble his bones ?
4 Yea, verily. We are Able to restore his very fingers!
5 But man would fain deny what is before him.
6 He asketh: When will be this Day of Resurrection ?
7 But when sight is confounded
8 And the moon is eclipsed
9 And sun and moon are united,
10 On that day man will cry: Whither to flee!
11 Alas! No refuge!
12 Unto thy Lord is the recourse that day.
13 On that day man is told the tale of that which he hath sent before and left behind.
14 Oh, but man is a telling witness against himself,
15 Although he tender his excuses.
16 Stir not thy tongue herewith to hasten it.
17 Lo! upon Us (resteth) the putting together thereof and the reading thereof.
18 And when We read it, follow thou the reading;
19 Then lo! upon Us (resteth) the explanation thereof.
20 Nay, but ye do love the fleeting Now
21 And neglect the Hereafter.
22 That day will faces be resplendent,
23 Looking toward their Lord;
24 And that day will other faces be despondent,
25 Thou wilt know that some great disaster is about to fall on them.
26 Nay, but when the life cometh up to the throat
27 And men say: Where is the wizard (who can save him now) ?
28 And he knoweth that it is the parting;
29 And agony is heaped on agony;
30 Unto thy Lord that day will be the driving.
31 For he neither trusted, nor prayed.
32 But he denied and flouted.
33 Then went he to his folk with glee.
34 Nearer unto thee and nearer,
35 Again nearer unto thee and nearer (is the doom).
36 Thinketh man that he is to be left aimless ?
37 Was he not a drop of fluid which gushed forth ?
38 Then he became a clot; then (Allah) shaped and fashioned
39 And made of him a pair, the male and female.
40 Is not He (Who doeth so) Able to bring the dead to life ?

September 23, 2011
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The Qur'an, 74. al-Mudathir

74. al-Mudathir: The Clothed One

1 O thou enveloped in thy cloak,
2 Arise and warn!
3 Thy Lord magnify,
4 Thy raiment purify,
5 Pollution shun!
6 And show not favour, seeking wordly gain!
7 For the sake of thy Lord, be patient!
8 For when the trumpet shall sound,
9 Surely that day will be a day of anguish,
10 Not of ease, for disbelievers.
11 Leave Me (to deal) with him whom I created lonely,
12 And then bestowed upon him ample means,
13 And sons abiding in his presence
14 And made (life) smooth for him.
15 Yet he desireth that I should give more.
16 Nay! For lo! he hath been stubborn to Our revelations.
17 On him I shall impose a fearful doom.
18 For lo! he did consider; then he planned -
19 (Self-)destroyed is he, how he planned!
20 Again (self-)destroyed is he, how he planned! -
21 Then looked he,
22 Then frowned he and showed displeasure.
23 Then turned he away in pride
24 And said: This is naught else than magic from of old;
25 This is naught else than speech of mortal man.
26 Him shall I fling unto the burning.
27 - Ah, what will convey unto thee what that burning is! -
28 It leaveth naught; it spareth naught
29 It shrivelleth the man.
30 Above it are nineteen.
31 We have appointed only angels to be wardens of the Fire, and their number have We made to be a stumbling-block for those who disbelieve; that those to whom the Scripture hath been given may have certainty, and that believers may increase in faith; and that those to whom the Scripture hath been given and believers may not doubt; and that those in whose hearts there is disease, and disbelievers, may say: What meaneth Allah by this similitude ? Thus Allah sendeth astray whom He will, and whom He will He guideth. None knoweth the hosts of thy Lord save Him. This is naught else than a Reminder unto mortals.
32 Nay, by the Moon
33 And the night when it withdraweth
34 And the dawn when it shineth forth,
35 Lo! this is one of the greatest (portents)
36 As a warning unto men,
37 Unto him of you who will advance or hang back.
38 Every soul is a pledge for its own deeds;
39 Save those who will stand on the right hand.
40 In gardens they will ask one another
41 Concerning the guilty:
42 What hath brought you to this burning ?
43 They will answer: We were not of those who prayed
44 Nor did we feed the wretched.
45 We used to wade (in vain dispute) with (all) waders,
46 And we used to deny the Day of Judgment,
47 Till the Inevitable came unto us.
48 The mediation of no mediators will avail them then.
49 Why now turn they away from the Admonishment,
50 As they were frightened asses
51 Fleeing from a lion ?
52 Nay, but everyone of them desireth that he should be given open pages (from Allah).
53 Nay, verily. They fear not the Hereafter.
54 Nay, verily. Lo! this is an Admonishment.
55 So whosoever will may heed.
56 And they will not heed unless Allah willeth (it). He is the fount of fear. He is the fount of Mercy.

September 23, 2011
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The Qur'an, 73. al-Muzammil

73. al-Muzammil: The Mantled One

1 O thou wrapped up in thy raiment!
2 Keep vigil the night long, save a little -
3 A half thereof, or abate a little thereof
4 Or add (a little) thereto - and chant the Qur'an in measure,
5 For we shall charge thee with a word of weight.
6 Lo! the vigil of the night is (a time) when impression is more keen and speech more certain.
7 Lo! thou hast by day a chain of business.
8 So remember the name of thy Lord and devote thyself with a complete devotion -
9 Lord of the East and the West; there is no God save Him; so choose thou Him alone for thy defender -
10 And bear with patience what they utter, and part from them with a fair leave- taking.
11 Leave Me to deal with the deniers, lords of ease and comfort (in this life); and do thou respite them awhile.
12 Lo! with Us are heavy fetters and a raging fire,
13 And food which choketh (the partaker), and a painful doom
14 On the day when the earth and the hills rock, and the hills become a heap of running sand.
15 Lo! We have sent unto you a messenger as witness against you, even as We sent unto Pharaoh a messenger.
16 But Pharaoh rebelled against the messenger, whereupon We seized him with no gentle grip.
17 Then how, if ye disbelieve, will ye protect yourselves upon the day which will turn children grey,
18 The very heaven being then rent asunder. His promise is to be fulfilled.
19 Lo! This is a Reminder. Let him who will, then, choose a way unto his Lord.
20 Lo! thy Lord knoweth how thou keepest vigil sometimes nearly two-thirds of the night, or (sometimes) half or a third thereof, as do a party of those with thee. Allah measureth the night and the day. He knoweth that ye count it not, and turneth unto you in mercy. Recite, then, of the Qur'an that which is easy for you. He knoweth that there are sick folk among you, while others travel in the land in search of Allah's bounty, and others (still) are fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite of it that which is easy (for you), and establish worship and pay the poor-due, and (so) lend unto Allah a goodly loan. Whatsoever good ye send before you for your souls, ye will find it with Allah, better and greater in the recompense. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

September 23, 2011
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The Qur'an, 72. al-Jinn

72. al-Jinn: The Jinn

1 Say (O Muhammad): It is revealed unto me that a company of the Jinn gave ear, and they said: Lo! we have heard a marvellous Qur'an,
2 Which guideth unto righteousness, so we believe in it and we ascribe no partner unto our Lord.
3 And (we believe) that He - exalted be the glory of our Lord! - hath taken neither wife nor son,
4 And that the foolish one among us used to speak concerning Allah an atrocious lie.
5 And lo! we had supposed that humankind and jinn would not speak a lie concerning Allah -
6 And indeed (O Muhammad) individuals of humankind used to invoke the protection of individuals of the jinn, so that they increased them in revolt against Allah);
7 And indeed they supposed, even as ye suppose, that Allah would not raise anyone (from the dead) -
8 And (the Jinn who had listened to the Qur'an said): We had sought the heaven but had found it filled with strong warders and meteors.
9 And we used to sit on places (high) therein to listen. But he who listeneth now findeth a flame in wait for him;
10 And we know not whether harm is boded unto all who are in the earth, or whether their Lord intendeth guidance for them.
11 And among us there are righteous folk and among us there are far from that. We are sects having different rules.
12 And we know that we cannot escape from Allah in the earth, nor can we escape by flight.
13 And when we heard the guidance, we believed therein, and whoso believeth in his Lord, he feareth neither loss nor oppression.
14 And there are among us some who have surrendered (to Allah) and there are among us some who are unjust. And whoso hath surrendered to Allah, such have taken the right path purposefully.
15 And as for those who are unjust, they are firewood for hell.
16 If they (the idolaters) tread the right path, We shall give them to drink of water in abundance
17 That We may test them thereby, and whoso turneth away from the remembrance of his Lord; He will thrust him into ever-growing torment.
18 And the places of worship are only for Allah, so pray not unto anyone along with Allah.
19 And when the slave of Allah stood up in prayer to Him, they crowded on him, almost stifling.
20 Say (unto them, O Muhammad): I pray unto Allah only, and ascribe unto Him no partner.
21 Say: Lo! I control not hurt nor benefit for you.
22 Say: Lo! none can protect me from Allah, nor can I find any refuge beside Him
23 (Mine is) but conveyance (of the Truth) from Allah, and His messages; and whoso disobeyeth Allah and His messenger, lo! his is fire of hell, wherein such dwell for ever.
24 Till (the day) when they shall behold that which they are promised (they may doubt); but then they will know (for certain) who is weaker in allies and less in multitude.
25 Say (O Muhammad, unto the disbelievers): I know not whether that which ye are promised is nigh, or if my Lord hath set a distant term for it.
26 (He is) the Knower of the Unseen, and He revealeth unto none His secret,
27 Save unto every messenger whom He hath chosen, and then He maketh a guard to go before him and a guard behind him
28 That He may know that they have indeed conveyed the messages of their Lord. He surroundeth all their doings, and He keepeth count of all things.

September 23, 2011
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The Qur'an, 71. Nuh

71. Nuh: Noah

1 Lo! We sent Noah unto his people (saying): Warn thy people ere the painful doom come unto them.
2 He said: O my people! Lo! I am a plain warner unto you
3 (Bidding you): Serve Allah and keep your duty unto Him and obey me,
4 That He may forgive you somewhat of your sins and respite you to an appointed term. Lo! the term of Allah, when it cometh, cannot be delayed, if ye but knew.
5 He said: My Lord! Lo! I have called unto my people night and day
6 But all my calling doth but add to their repugnance;
7 And lo! whenever I call unto them that Thou mayst pardon them they thrust their fingers in their ears and cover themselves with their garments and persist (in their refusal) and magnify themselves in pride.
8 And lo! I have called unto them aloud,
9 And lo! I have made public proclamation unto them, and I have appealed to them in private.
10 And I have said: Seek pardon of your Lord. Lo! He was ever Forgiving.
11 He will let loose the sky for you in plenteous rain,
12 And will help you with wealth and sons, and will assign unto you Gardens and will assign unto you rivers.
13 What aileth you that ye hope not toward Allah for dignity
14 When He created you by (divers) stages ?
15 See ye not how Allah hath created seven heavens in harmony,
16 And hath made the moon a light therein, and made the sun a lamp ?
17 And Allah hath caused you to grow as a growth from the earth,
18 And afterward He maketh you return thereto, and He will bring you forth again, a (new) forthbringing.
19 And Allah hath made the earth a wide expanse for you
20 That ye may thread the valley-ways thereof.
21 Noah said: My Lord! Lo! they have disobeyed me and followed one whose wealth and children increase him in naught save ruin;
22 And they have plotted a mighty plot,
23 And they have said: Forsake not your gods. Forsake not Wadd, nor Suwa', nor Yaghuth and Ya'uq and Nasr.
24 And they have led many astray, and Thou increasest the wrong-doers in naught save error.
25 Because of their sins they were drowned, then made to enter a Fire. And they found they had no helpers in place of Allah.
26 And Noah said: My Lord! Leave not one of the disbelievers in the land.
27 If Thou shouldst leave them, they will mislead Thy slaves and will beget none save lewd ingrates.
28 My Lord! Forgive me and my parents and him who entereth my house believing, and believing men and believing women, and increase not the wrong-doers in aught save ruin.

September 23, 2011
0
Published in The Qur'an
Written by LC Geerts

The Qur'an, 70. al-Ma`arij

70. al-Ma`arij: The Ladders

1 A questioner questioned concerning the doom about to fall
2 Upon the disbelievers, which none can repel,
3 From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways
4 (Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years.
5 But be patient (O Muhammad) with a patience fair to see.
6 Lo! they behold it afar off
7 While we behold it nigh:
8 The day when the sky will become as molten copper,
9 And the hills become as flakes of wool,
10 And no familiar friend will ask a question of his friend
11 Though they will be given sight of them. The guilty man will long to be able to ransom himself from the punishment of that day at the price of his children
12 And his spouse and his brother
13 And his kin that harboured him
14 And all that are in the earth, if then it might deliver him.
15 But nay! for lo! it is the fire of hell
16 Eager to roast;
17 It calleth him who turned and fled (from truth),
18 And hoarded (wealth) and withheld it.
19 Lo! man was created anxious,
20 Fretful when evil befalleth him
21 And, when good befalleth him, grudging;
22 Save worshippers.
23 Who are constant at their worship
24 And in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged
25 For the beggar and the destitute;
26 And those who believe in the Day of Judgment,
27 And those who are fearful of their Lord's doom -
28 Lo! the doom of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure -
29 And those who preserve their chastity
30 Save with their wives and those whom their right hands possess, for thus they are not blameworthy;
31 But whoso seeketh more than that, those are they who are transgressors;
32 And those who keep their pledges and their covenant,
33 And those who stand by their testimony
34 And those who are attentive at their worship.
35 These will dwell in Gardens, honoured.
36 What aileth those who disbelieve, that they keep staring toward thee (O Muhammad), open-eyed,
37 On the right and on the left, in groups ?
38 Doth every man among them hope to enter the Garden of Delight ?
39 Nay, verily. Lo! We created them from what they know.
40 But nay! I swear by the Lord of the rising-places and the setting-places of the planets that We verily are Able
41 To replace them by (others) better than them. And we are not to be outrun.
42 So let them chat and play until they meet their Day which they are promised,
43 The day when they come forth from the graves in haste, as racing to a goal,
44 With eyes aghast, abasement stupefying them: Such is the Day which they are promised.

September 23, 2011
0
Published in The Qur'an
Written by LC Geerts