Those of Antioch said, Verily we presage evil from you: if ye desist not from preaching, we will surely stone you, and a painful punishment shall be inflicted on you by us.

The apostles answered, Your evil presage is with yourselves: although ye be warned, will ye persist in yours errors? Verily ye are a people who transgress exceedingly.

20 And a certain man came hastily from the farther parts of the city, and said, O my people, follow the messengers of G.o.d; follow him who demandeth not any reward of you: for these are rightly directed.

What reason have I that I should not worship him who hath created me? for unto him shall ye return.

Shall I take other G.o.ds besides him? If the Merciful be pleased to afflict me, their intercession will not avail me at all, neither can they deliver me: then should I be in a manifest error.

Verily I believe in your LORD; wherefore hearken unto me.

But they stoned him: and as he died, it was said unto him, Enter thou into paradise. And he said, O that my people knew how merciful G.o.d hath been unto me! for he hath highly honoured me.

And we sent not down against his people, after they had slain him, an army from heaven, nor the other instruments of destruction which we sent down on unbelievers in former days: there was only one cry of Gabriel from heaven, and behold, they became utterly extinct.

30 Oh the misery of men! No apostle cometh unto them, but they laugh him to scorn.

Do they not consider how many generations we have destroyed before them?

Verily they shall not return unto them: but all of them in general shall be a.s.sembled before us.

One sign of the resurrection unto them is the dead earth: we quicken the same by the rain, and produce thereout various sorts of grain, of which they eat.

And we make therein gardens of palm-trees, and vines; and we cause springs to gush forth in the same: that they may eat of the fruits thereof, and of the labor of their hands.

Will they not therefore give thanks?

Praise be unto him who hath created all the different kinds, both of vegetables, which the earth bringeth forth, and of their own species, by forming the two s.e.xes, and also the various sorts of things which they know not.

The night also is a sign unto them: we withdraw the day from the same, and behold, they are covered with darkness: and the sun hasteneth to his place of rest. This is the disposition of the mighty, the wise G.o.d.

and for the moon have we appointed certain mansions, until she change and return to be like the old branch of a palm-tree.

40 It is not expedient that the sun should overtake the moon in her course: neither doth the night outstrip the day: but each of these luminaries moving in a peculiar orbit.

It is a sign also unto them, that they carry their offspring in the ship filled with merchandise; and that we have made for them other conveniences like unto it, whereon they ride.

If we please, we drown them, and there is none to help them; neither are they delivered, unless through our mercy, and that they may enjoy life for a season.

When it is said unto them, Fear that which is before you, and that which is behind you, that ye may obtain mercy: they withdraw from thee: and thou dost not bring them one sign, of the signs of their LORD, but they turn aside from the same.

And when it is said unto them, Give alms of that which G.o.d hath bestowed on you; the unbelievers say unto those who believe, by way of mockery, Shall we feed him whom G.o.d can feed, if he pleaseth? Verily ye are in no other than a manifest error.

And they say, When will this promise of the resurrection be fulfilled, if ye speak truth?

They only wait for one sounding of the trumpet, which shall overtake them while they are disputing together; 50 and they shall not have time to make any disposition of their effects, neither shall they return to their family.

And the trumpet shall be sounded again; and behold they shall come forth from their graves, and hasten unto their LORD.

They shall say, Alas for us! who hath awakened us from our bed? This is what the Merciful promised us; and his apostles spoke the truth.

It shall be but one sound of the trumpet, and behold, they shall be all a.s.sembled before us.

On this day no soul shall be unjustly treated in the least; neither shall ye be rewarded, but according to what ye shall have wrought.

On this day the inhabitants of paradise shall be wholly taken up with joy: they and their wives shall rest in shady groves, leaning on magnificent couches.

There shall they have fruit, and they shall obtain whatever they shall desire.

Peace shall be the word spoken unto the righteous, by a merciful LORD: but he shall say unto the wicked, Be ye separated this day, O ye wicked, from the righteous.

60 Did I not command you, O sons of Adam, that ye should not worship Satan; because he was an open enemy unto you?

And did I not say, Worship me; this is the right way?

But now hath he seduced a great mult.i.tude of you: did ye not therefore understand?

This is h.e.l.l, with which ye were threatened: be ye cast into the same this day to be burned; for that ye have been unbelievers.

On this day we will seal up their mouths, that they shall not open them in their own defence; and their hands shall speak unto us, and their feet shall bear witness of that which they have committed.

If we pleased we could put out their eyes, and they might run with emulation in the way they use to take; and how should they see their error?

And if we pleased we could transform them into other shapes, in their places when they should be found; and they should not be able to depart; neither should they repent.

Unto whomsoever we grant a long life, him do we cause to bow down his body through age. Will they not therefore understand?

We have not taught Mohammed the art of poetry; nor is it expedient for him to be a poet. This book is no other than an admonition from G.o.d, and a perspicuous Koran; 70 that he may warn him who is living: and the sentence of condemnation will be justly executed on the unbelievers.

Do they not consider that we have created for them, among the things which our hands have wrought, cattle of several kinds, of which they are possessors; and that we have put the same in subjection under them? Some of them are for their riding; and on some of them do they feed: and they receive other advantages therefrom; and of their milk do they drink. Will they not, therefore, be thankful?

They have taken other G.o.ds, besides G.o.d, in hopes that they may be a.s.sisted by them; but they are not able to give them any a.s.sistance: yet are they a party of troops ready to defend them.

Let not their speech, therefore, grieve thee: we know that which they privately conceal, and that which they publicly discover.

Doth not man know that we have created him of seed? yet behold, he is an open disputer against the resurrection; and he propoundeth unto us a comparison, and forgetteth his creation. He saith, Who shall restore bones to life, when they are rotten?

Answer, He shall restore them to life, who produced them the first time: for he is skilled in every kind of creation: 80 who giveth you fire out of the green tree, and behold, ye kindle your fuel from thence.

Is not he who hath created the heavens and the earth able to create new creatures like unto them? Yea certainly: for he is the wise Creator.

His command, when he willeth a thing, is only that he saith unto it, Be; and it is.

Wherefore praise be unto him, in whose hand is the kingdom of all things, and unto whom ye shall return at the last day.

CHAPTER x.x.xVII.

ENt.i.tLED, THOSE WHO RANK THEMSELVES IN ORDER; REVEALED AT MECCA.

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

BY the angels who rank themselves in order; and by those who drive forward and dispel the clouds; and by those who read the Koran for an admonition; verily your G.o.d is one: the LORD of heaven and earth, and of whatever is between them, and the LORD of the east.

We have adorned the lower heaven with the ornament of the stars: and we have placed therein a guard against every rebellious devil; that they may not listen to the discourse of the exalted princes (for they are darted at from every side, to repel them, and a lasting torment is prepared for them); 10 except him who catcheth a word by stealth, and is pursued by a shining flame.

Ask the Meccans, therefore, whether they be stronger by nature, or the angels, whom we have created? We have surely created them of stiff clay.

Thou wonderest at G.o.d's power and their obstinacy; but they mock at the arguments urged to convince them: when they are warned, they do not take warning; and when they see any sign, they scoff thereat, and say, This is no other than manifest sorcery: after we shall be dead, and become dust and bones, shall we really be raised to life, and our forefathers also?

Answer, Yea: and ye shall then be despicable.

There shall be but one blast of the trumpet, and they shall see themselves raised: 20 and they shall say, Alas for us! this is the day of judgment, this is the day of distinction between the righteous and the wicked, which ye rejected as a falsehood.

Gather together those who have acted unjustly, and their comrades, and the idols which they worshipped besides G.o.d, and direct them in the way to h.e.l.l; and set them before G.o.d's tribunal; for they shall be called to account.

What aileth you that ye defend not one another?

But on this day they shall submit themselves to the judgment of G.o.d: and they shall draw nigh unto one another, and shall dispute among themselves.

And the seduced shall say unto those who seduced them, Verily ye came unto us with presages of prosperity; and the seducers shall answer, Nay, rather ye were not true believers: 30 for we had no power over you to compel you; but ye were people who voluntarily transgressed: wherefore the sentence of our LORD hath been justly p.r.o.nounced against us, and we shall surely taste his vengeance.

We seduced you; but we also erred ourselves.

They shall both therefore be made partakers of the same punishment on that day.

Thus will we deal with the wicked: because, when it is said unto them, There is no G.o.d besides the true G.o.d, they swell with arrogance, and say, Shall we abandon our G.o.ds for a distracted poet?

Nay: he cometh with the truth, and beareth witness to the former apostles.

Ye shall surely taste the painful torment of h.e.l.l; and ye shall not be rewarded, but according to your works.

40 But as for the sincere servants of G.o.d, they shall have a certain provision in paradise, namely, delicious fruits: and they shall be honoured: they shall be placed in gardens of pleasure, leaning on couches, opposite to one another: a cup shall be carried round unto them, filled from a limpid fountain, for the delight of those who drink: it shall not oppress the understanding, neither shall they be inebriated therewith.

And near them shall lie the virgins of paradise, refraining their looks from beholding any besides their spouses, having large black eyes, and resembling the eggs of an ostrich covered with feathers from the dust.

50 And they shall turn the one unto the other, and shall ask one another questions.

And one of them shall say, Verily I had an intimate friend while I lived in the world, who said unto me, Art thou one of those who a.s.sertest the truth of the resurrection?

After we shall be dead, and reduced to dust and bones, shall we surely be judged?

Then he shall say to his companions, Will ye look down?

And he shall look down, and shall see him in the midst of h.e.l.l: and he shall say unto him, By G.o.d, it wanted little but thou hadst drawn me into ruin: and had it not been for the grace of my LORD, I had surely been one of those who have been delivered up to eternal torment.

Shall we die any other than our first death; or do we suffer any punishment?

60 Verily this is great felicity: for the obtaining a felicity like this let the laborers labor.

Is this a better entertainment, or the tree of al Zakk.u.m?

Verily we have designed the same for an occasion of dispute unto the unjust.

It is a tree which issueth from the bottom of h.e.l.l: the fruit thereof resembleth the heads of devils; and the d.a.m.ned shall eat of the same, and shall fill their bellies therewith; and there shall be given them thereon a mixture of filthy and boiling water to drink: afterwards shall they return into h.e.l.l.

They found their fathers going astray, 70 and they trod hastily in their footsteps: for the greater part of the ancients erred before them.

And we sent warners unto them heretofore: and see how miserable was the end of those who were warned; except the sincere servants of G.o.d.

Noah called on us in former days: and we heard him graciously: and we delivered him and his family out of the great distress; and we caused his offspring to be those who survived to people the earth: and we left the following salutation to be bestowed on him by the latest posterity, namely, Peace be on Noah among all creatures!

80 Thus do we reward the righteous; for he was one of our servants the true believers.

Afterwards we drowned the others.

Abraham also was of his religion: when he came unto his LORD with a perfect heart.

When he said unto his father and his people, What do ye worship?

Do ye choose false G.o.ds preferably to the true G.o.d?

What therefore is your opinion of the LORD of all creatures?

And he looked and observed the stars, and said, Verily I shall be sick, and shall not a.s.sist at your sacrifices: 90 and they turned their backs and departed from him.

And Abraham went privately to their G.o.ds, and said, scoffingly unto them, Do ye not eat of the meat which is set before you?

What aileth you that ye speak not?

And he turned upon them, and struck them with his right hand, and demolished them.