And Noah said, LORD, leave not any families of the unbelievers on the earth: for if thou leave them, they will seduce thy servants, and will beget none but a wicked and unbelieving offspring.

LORD, forgive me and my parents, and every one who shall enter my house, being a true believer, and the true believers of both s.e.xes; and add unto the unjust doers nothing but destruction.

CHAPTER LXXII.

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

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

SAY, It hath been revealed unto me that a company of genii attentively heard me reading the Koran, and said, Verily we have heard an admirable discourse; which directeth unto the right inst.i.tution; wherefore we believe therein, and we will by no means a.s.sociate any other with our LORD.

He (may the majesty of our LORD be exalted!) hath taken no wife, nor hath he begotten any issue.

Yet the foolish among us hath spoken that which is extremely false of G.o.d; but we verily thought that neither man nor genius would by any means have uttered a lie concerning G.o.d.

And there are certain men who fly for refuge unto certain of the genii; but they increase their folly and transgression: and they also thought, as ye thought, that G.o.d would not raise any one to life.

And we formerly attempted to pry into what was transacting in heaven; but we found the same filled with a strong guard of angels, and with flaming darts: and we sat on some of the seats thereof to hear the discourse of its inhabitants; but whoever listeneth now, findeth a flame laid in ambush for him, to guard the celestial confines.

10 And we know not whether evil be hereby intended against those who are in the earth, or whether their LORD intendeth to direct them aright.

There are some among us who are upright; and there are some among us who are otherwise: we are of different ways.

And we verily thought that we could by no means frustrate G.o.d in the earth, neither could we escape him by flight: wherefore, when we had heard the direction contained in the Koran, we believed therein. And whoever believeth in his LORD, need not fear any diminution of his reward, nor any injustice.

There are some Moslems among us; and there are others of us who swerve from righteousness. And whoso embraceth Islam, they earnestly seek true direction: but those who swerve from righteousness shall be fuel for h.e.l.l.

If they tread in the way of truth, we will surely water them with abundant rain: that we may prove them thereby: but whoso turneth aside from the admonition of his LORD, him will he send into a severe torment.

Verily the places of worship are set apart unto G.o.d: wherefore invoke not any other therein together with G.o.d.

When the servant of G.o.d stood up to invoke him, it wanted little but that the genii had pressed on him in crowds, to hear him rehea.r.s.e the Koran.

20 Say, Verily I call upon my LORD only, and I a.s.sociate no other G.o.d with him.

Say, Verily I am not able, of myself, to procure you either hurt, or a right inst.i.tution.

Say, Verily none can protect me against G.o.d; neither shall I find any refuge besides him.

I can do no more than publish what hath been revealed unto me from G.o.d, and his messages. And whosoever shall be disobedient unto G.o.d, and his apostle, for him is the fire of h.e.l.l prepared; they shall remain therein forever.

Until they see the vengeance with which they are threatened, they will not cease their opposition: but then shall they know who were the weaker in a protector, and the fewer in number.

Say, I know not whether the punishment with which ye are threatened be nigh, or whether my LORD will appoint for it a distant term.

He knoweth the secrets of futurity; and he doth not communicate his secrets unto any, except an apostle in whom he is well pleased: and he causeth a guard of angels to march before him, and behind him; that he may know that they have executed the commissions of their LORD; he comprehendeth whatever is with them; and counteth all things by number.

CHAPTER LXXIII.

ENt.i.tLED, THE WRAPPED UP; REVEALED AT MECCA.

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

O THOU wrapped up, arise to prayer, and continue therein during the night, except a small part; that is to say, during one half thereof: or do thou lessen the same a little or add thereto. And repeat the Koran with a distinct and sonorous voice: for we will lay on thee a weighty word.

Verily the rising by night is more efficacious for steadfast continuance in devotion, and more conducive to decent p.r.o.nunciation: for in the day-time thou hast long employment.

And commemorate the name of thy LORD; and separate thyself unto him, renouncing worldly vanities.

He is the LORD of the east, and of the west; there is no G.o.d but he.

Wherefore take him for thy patron: 10 and patiently suffer the contumelies which the infidels utter against thee; and depart from them with a decent departure.

And let me alone with those who charge the Koran with falsehood, who enjoy the blessings of this life; and bear with them for a while: verily with us are heavy fetters, and a burning fire, and food ready to choke him who swalloweth it, and painful torment.

On a certain day the earth shall be shaken, and the mountains also, and the mountains shall become a heap of sand poured forth.

Verily we have sent unto you an apostle, to bear witness against you; as we sent an apostle unto Pharaoh; but Pharaoh was disobedient unto the apostle; wherefore we chastised him with a heavy chastis.e.m.e.nt.

How, therefore, will ye escape, if ye believe not, the day which shall make children become gray-headed through terror?

The heaven shall be rent in sunder thereby: the promise thereof shall surely be performed.

Verily this is an admonition; and whoever is willing to be admonished will take the way unto his LORD.

20 Thy LORD knoweth that thou continuest in prayer and meditation sometimes near two third parts of the night, and sometimes one half thereof, and at other times one third part thereof; and a part of thy companions, who are with thee, do the same. But G.o.d measureth the night and the day; he knoweth that ye cannot exactly compute the same: wherefore he turneth favourably unto you.

Read, therefore, so much of the Koran as may be easy unto you. He knoweth that there will be some infirm among you; and others travel through the earth, that they may obtain a competency of the bounty of G.o.d; and others fight in the defence of G.o.d'S faith. Read, therefore, so much of the same as may be easy. And observe the stated times of prayer, and pay the legal alms; and lend unto G.o.d an acceptable loan; for whatever good ye send before your souls, ye shall find the same with G.o.d. This will be better, and will merit a greater reward. And ask G.o.d forgiveness; for G.o.d is ready to forgive, and merciful.

CHAPTER LXXIV.

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

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

O THOU covered, arise and preach, and magnify thy LORD.

And cleanse thy garments: and fly every abomination: and be not liberal in hopes to receive more in return: and patiently wait for thy LORD.

When the trumpet shall sound, verily that day shall be a day of distress 10 and uneasiness unto the unbelievers.

Let me alone with him whom I have created, on whom I have bestowed abundant riches, and children dwelling in his presence, and for whom I have disposed affairs in a smooth and easy manner, and who desireth that I will yet add other blessings unto him.

By no means: because he is an adversary to our signs.

I will afflict him with grievous calamities: for he hath devised and prepared contumelious expressions to ridicule the Koran.

May he be cursed: how maliciously hath he prepared the same!

20 And again, may he be cursed: how maliciously hath he prepared the same!

Then he looked, and frowned, and put on an austere countenance: then he turned back, and was elated with pride; and he said, This is no other than a piece of magic, borrowed from others: these are only the words of a man.

I will cast him to be burned in h.e.l.l.

And what shall make thee to understand what h.e.l.l is?

It leaveth not anything unconsumed, neither doth it suffer anything to escape: it scorcheth men's flesh: 30 over the same are nineteen angels appointed.

We have appointed none but angels to preside over h.e.l.l fire: and we have expressed the number of them only for an occasion of discord to the unbelievers; that they to whom the scriptures have been given may be certain of the veracity of this book, and the true believers may increase in faith; and that those to whom the scriptures have been given, and the true believers, may not doubt hereafter; and that those in whose hearts there is an infirmity, and the unbelievers, may say, What mystery doth G.o.d intend by this number? Thus doth G.o.d cause to err whom he pleaseth; and he directeth whom he pleaseth. None knoweth the armies of thy LORD, besides him; and this is no other than a memento unto mankind.

a.s.suredly. By the moon, and the night when it retreateth, and the morning when it reddeneth, I swear that this is one of the most terrible calamities, giving warning unto men, as well as unto him among you who desireth to go forward, as unto him who chooseth to remain behind.

Every soul is given in pledge for that which it shall have wrought: except the companions of the right hand; 40 who shall dwell in gardens, and shall ask one another questions concerning the wicked, and shall also ask the wicked themselves, saying, What hath brought you into h.e.l.l?

They shall answer, We were not of those who were constant at prayer, neither did we feed the poor; and we waded in vain disputes with the fallacious reasoners; and we denied the day of judgment, until death overtook us: and the intercession of the interceders shall not avail them.

What aileth them, therefore, that they turn aside from the admonition of the Koran, 50 as though they were timorous a.s.ses flying from a lion?

But every man among them desireth that he may have expanded scrolls delivered to him from G.o.d.

By no means. They fear not the life to come.

By no means: verily this is a sufficient warning.

Whoso is willing to be warned, him shall it warn: but they shall not be warned, unless G.o.d shall please. He is worthy to be feared; and he is inclined to forgiveness.

CHAPTER LXXV.

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