Verily they who lower their voices in the presence of the apostle of G.o.d are those whose hearts G.o.d hath disposed unto piety: they shall obtain pardon, and a great reward.

As to those who call unto thee from without the inner apartments; the greater part of them do not understand the respect due to thee.

If they wait with patience, until thou come forth unto them, it will certainly be better for them: but G.o.d is inclined to forgive, and merciful.

O true believers, if a wicked man come unto you with a tale, inquire strictly into the truth thereof; lest ye hurt people through ignorance, and afterwards repent of what ye have done; and know that the apostle of G.o.d is among you: if he should obey you in many things, ye would certainly be guilty of a crime, in leading him into a mistake. But G.o.d hath made the faith amiable unto you, and hath prepared the same in your hearts; and hath rendered infidelity, and iniquity, and disobedience hateful unto you. These are they who walk in the right way; through mercy from G.o.d, and grace: and G.o.d is knowing, and wise.

If two parties of the believers contend with one another, do ye endeavour to compose the matter between them: and if the one of them offer an insult unto the other, fight against that party which offered the insult, until they return unto the judgment of G.o.d; and if they do return, make peace between them with equity: and act with justice; for G.o.d loveth those who act justly.

10 Verily the true believers are brethren; wherefore reconcile your brethren; and fear G.o.d, that ye may obtain mercy.

O true believers, let not men laugh other men to scorn; who peradventure may be better than themselves: neither let women laugh other women to scorn; who may possibly be better than themselves. Neither defame one another; nor call one another by opprobrious appellations. An ill name it is to be charged with wickedness, after having embraced the faith: and whoso repenteth not, they will be the unjust doers.

O true believers, carefully avoid entertaining a suspicion of another: for some suspicions are a crime. Inquire not too curiously into other men's failings: neither let the one of you speak ill of another in his absence.

Would any of you desire to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Surely ye would abhor it. And fear G.o.d; for G.o.d is easy to be reconciled, and merciful.

O men, verily we have created you of a male and a female; and we have distributed you into nations and tribes, that ye might know one another.

Verily the most honourable of you, in the sight of G.o.d, is the most pious of you: and G.o.d is wise and knowing.

The Arabs of the desert say, We believe. Answer, Ye do by no means believe; but say, We have embraced Islam: for the faith hath not yet entered into your hearts. If ye obey G.o.d and his apostle, he will not defraud you of any part of the merit of your works: for G.o.d is inclined to forgive, and merciful.

Verily the true believers are those only who believe in G.o.d and his apostle, and afterwards doubt not; and who employ their substance and their persons in the defence of G.o.d'S true religion: these are they who speak sincerely.

Say, Will ye inform G.o.d concerning your religion? But G.o.d knoweth whatever is in heaven and in earth: for G.o.d is omniscient.

They upbraid thee that they have embraced Islam. Answer, Upbraid me not with your having embraced Islam: rather G.o.d upbraideth you, that he hath directed you to the faith; if ye speak sincerely.

Verily G.o.d knoweth the secrets of heaven and earth: and G.o.d beholdeth that which ye do.

CHAPTER L.

ENt.i.tLED, K; REVEALED AT MECCA.

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

K. BY the glorious Koran: verily they wonder that a preacher from among themselves is come unto them; and the unbelievers say, This is a wonderful thing: after we shall be dead, and become dust, shall we return to life? This is a return remote from thought.

Now we know what the earth consumeth of them; and with us is a book which keepeth an account thereof.

But they charge falsehood on the truth, after it hath come unto them: wherefore they are plunged in a confused business.

Do they not look up to the heaven above them, and consider how we have raised it and adorned it; and that there are no flaws therein?

We have also spread forth the earth, and thrown thereon mountains firmly rooted: and we caused every beautiful kind of vegetables to spring up therein; for a subject of meditation, and an admonition unto every man who turneth unto us.

And we send down rain as a blessing from heaven, whereby we cause gardens to spring forth, and the grain of harvest, 10 and tall palm-trees having branches laden with dates hanging one above another, as a provision for mankind; and we thereby quicken a dead country: so shall be the coming forth of the dead from their graves.

The people of Noah, and those who dwelt at Al Ra.s.s, and Thamud, and Ad, and Pharaoh, accused the prophets of imposture before the Meccans; and also the brethren of Lot, and the inhabitants of the wood near Midian, and the people of Tobba: all these accused the apostles of imposture; wherefore the judgments which I threatened were justly inflicted on them.

Is our power exhausted by the first creation? Yea; they are in a perplexity, because of a new creation which is foretold them, namely the raising of the dead.

We created man, and we know what his soul whispereth within him; and we are nearer unto him than his jugular vein.

When the two angels deputed to take account of a man's behavior, take an account thereof; one sitting on the right hand, and the other on the left: he uttereth not a word, but there is with him a watcher, ready to note it.

And the agony of death shall come in truth: this, O man, is what thou soughtest to avoid.

20 And the trumpet shall sound: this will be the day which hath been threatened.

And every soul shall come; and therewith shall be a driver and a witness.

And the former shall say unto the unbeliever, Thou wast negligent heretofore of this day: but we have removed thy veil from off thee; and thy sight is become piercing this day.

And his companions shall say, This is what is ready with me to be attested.

And G.o.d shall say, Cast into h.e.l.l every unbeliever, and perverse person, and every one who forbade good, and every transgressor, and doubter of the faith, who set up another G.o.d with the true G.o.d; and cast him into a grievous torment.

His companion shall say, O LORD, I did not seduce him; but he was in a wide error.

G.o.d shall say, Wrangle not in my presence: since I threatened you beforehand with the torments which ye now see prepared for you.

The sentence is not changed with me: neither do I treat my servants unjustly.

30 On that day we will say unto h.e.l.l, Art thou full? and it shall answer, Is there yet any addition?

And paradise shall be brought near unto the pious; and it shall be said unto them, This is what ye have been promised; unto every one who turned himself unto G.o.d, and kept his commandments; who feared the Merciful in secret, and came unto him with a converted heart: enter the same in peace: this is the day of eternity.

Therein shall they have whatever they shall desire; and there will be a superabundant addition of bliss with us.

How many generations have we destroyed before the Meccans, which were more mighty than they in strength? Pa.s.s, therefore, through the regions of the earth, and see whether there be any refuge from our vengeance.

Verily herein is an admonition unto him who hath a heart to understand, or giveth ear, and is present with an attentive mind.

We created the heavens and the earth, and whatever is between them, in six days, and no weariness affected us.

Wherefore patiently suffer what they say; and celebrate the praise of thy LORD before sunrise, and before sunset, 40 and praise him in some part of the night: and perform the additional parts of worship.

And hearken unto the day whereon the crier shall call men to judgment from a near place: the day whereon they shall hear the voice of the trumpet in truth: this will be the day of men's coming forth from their graves: we give life, and we cause to die; and unto us shall be the return of all creatures: the day whereon the earth shall suddenly cleave in sunder over them.

This will be an a.s.sembly easy for us to a.s.semble.

We well know what the unbelievers say; and thou art not sent to compel them forcibly to the faith. Wherefore warn, by the Koran, him who feareth my threatening.

CHAPTER LI.

ENt.i.tLED, THE DISPERSING; REVEALED AT MECCA.

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

BY the winds dispersing and scattering the dust; and by the clouds bearing a load of rain; by the ships running swiftly in the sea; and by the angels who distribute things necessary for the support of all creatures; verily that wherewith ye are threatened is certainly true; and the last judgment will surely come.

By the heaven furnished with paths; ye widely differ in what ye say.

He will be turned aside from the faith, who shall be turned aside by the divine decree.

10 Cursed be the liars; who wade in deep waters of ignorance, neglecting their salvation.

They ask, When will the day of judgment come?

On that day shall they be burned in h.e.l.l fire; and it shall be said unto them, Taste your punishment; this is what ye demanded to be hastened.

But the pious shall dwell among gardens and fountains, receiving that which their LORD shall give them; because they were righteous doers before this day.

They slept but a small part of the night; and early in the morning they asked pardon of G.o.d: and a due portion of their wealth was given unto him who asked, and unto him who was forbidden by shame to ask.

20 There are signs of the divine power and goodness in the earth, unto men of sound understanding; and also in your own selves: will ye not therefore consider?

Your sustenance is in the heaven; and also that which ye are promised.

Wherefore by the LORD of heaven and earth I swear that this is certainly the truth; according to what ye yourselves speak.

Hath not the story of Abraham's honoured guests come to thy knowledge?

When they went in unto him, and said, Peace: he answered Peace; saying within himself, These are unknown people.

And he went privately unto his family, and brought a fatted calf.

And he set it before them, and when he saw they touched it not, he said, Do ye not eat?

And he began to entertain a fear of them. They said, Fear not: and they declared unto him the promise of a wise youth.

And his wife drew near with exclamation, and she smote her face, and said, I am an old woman, and barren.

30 The angels answered, Thus saith thy LORD: verily he is the wise, the knowing.

And Abraham said unto them, What is your errand, therefore, O messengers of G.o.d?

They answered, Verily we are sent unto a wicked people: that we may send down upon them stones of baked clay, marked from thy LORD, for the destruction of transgressors.

And we brought forth the true believers who were in the city: but we found not therein more than one family of Moslems.

And we overthrew the same, and left a sign therein unto those who dread the severe chastis.e.m.e.nt of G.o.d.

In Moses also was a sign: when we sent him unto Pharaoh with manifest power.

But he turned back, with his princes, saying, This man is a sorceror, or a madman.

40 Wherefore we took him and his forces, and cast them into the sea: and he was one worthy of reprehension.

And in the tribe of Ad also was a sign: when we sent against them a destroying wind; it touched not aught whereon it came, but it rendered the same as a thing rotten, and reduced to dust.

In Thamud likewise was a sign: when it was said unto them, Enjoy yourselves for a time.

But they insolently transgressed the command of their LORD: wherefore a terrible noise from heaven a.s.sailed them, while they looked on; and they were not able to stand on their feet, neither did they save themselves from destruction.

And the people of Noah did we destroy before these: for they were a people who enormously transgressed.

We have built the heaven with might; and we have given it a large extent: and we have stretched forth the earth beneath; and how evenly have we spread the same!

And of everything have we created two kinds, that peradventure ye may consider.