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

VERILY I swear by the day of resurrection; and I swear by the soul which accuseth itself: doth man think that we will not gather his bones together?

Yea: we are able to put together the smallest bones of his fingers.

But man chooseth to be wicked, for the time which is before him.

He asketh, When will the day of resurrection be?

But when the sight shall be dazzled, and the moon shall be eclipsed, and the sun and the moon shall be in conjunction; 10 on that day man shall say, Where is a place of refuge?

By no means: there shall be no place to fly unto.

With thy LORD shall be the sure mansion of rest on that day: on that day shall a man be told that which he hath done first and last.

Yea; a man shall be an evidence against himself: and though he offer his excuses, they shall not be received.

Move not thy tongue, O Mohammed, in repeating the revelations brought thee by Gabriel, before he shall have finished the same, that thou mayest quickly commit them to memory: for the collecting the Koran in thy mind, and the teaching thee the true reading thereof, are inc.u.mbent on us.

But when we shall have read the same unto thee by the tongue of the angel, do thou follow the reading thereof: and afterwards it shall be our part to explain it unto thee.

20 By no means shalt thou be thus hasty for the future. But ye love that which hasteneth away, and neglect the life to come.

Some countenances on that day shall be bright, looking towards their LORD: and some countenances, on that day, shall be dismal: they shall think that a crushing calamity shall be brought upon them.

a.s.suredly. When a man's soul shall come up to his throat, in his last agony, and the standers-by shall say, Who bringeth a charm to recover him?

and shall think it to be his departure out of this world; and one leg shall be joined with the other leg: 30 on that day unto thy LORD shall he be driven.

For he believed not, neither did he pray; but he accused G.o.d's apostle of imposture, and turned back from obeying him: then he departed unto his family, walking with a haughty mien.

Wherefore, woe be unto thee; woe!

And again, woe be unto thee; woe!

Doth man think that he shall be left at full liberty, without control?

Was he not a drop of seed, which was emitted?

Afterwards he became a little coagulated blood, and G.o.d formed him, and fashioned him with just proportion; and made of him two s.e.xes, the male and the female.

40 Is not he who hath done this able to quicken the dead?

CHAPTER LXXVI.

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

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

DID there not pa.s.s over man a long s.p.a.ce of time; during which he was a thing not worthy of remembrance?

Verily we have created man of the mingled seed of both s.e.xes, that we might prove him: and we have made him to hear and to see.

We have surely directed him in the way; whether he be grateful, or ungrateful.

Verily we have prepared for the unbelievers chains, and collars, and burning fire.

But the just shall drink of a cup of wine, mixed with the water of Cafur, a fountain whereof the servants of G.o.d shall drink; they shall convey the same by channels whithersoever they please.

These fulfil their vow, and dread the day, the evil whereof will disperse itself far abroad; and give food unto the poor, and the orphan, and the bondman, for his sake, saying, We feed you for G.o.d'S sake only: we desire no recompense from you, nor any thanks: 10 verily we dread, from our LORD, a dismal and calamitous day.

Wherefore G.o.d shall deliver them from the evil of that day, and shall cast on them brightness of countenance, and joy; and shall reward them, for their patient persevering, with a garden and silk garments: therein shall they repose themselves on couches; they shall see therein neither sun nor moon; and the shades thereof shall be near spreading above them, and the fruits thereof shall hang low, so as to be easily gathered.

And their attendants shall go round about unto them, with vessels of silver, and goblets: the bottles shall be bottles of silver shining like gla.s.s; they shall determine the measure thereof by their wish.

And therein shall they be given to drink of a cup of wine, mixed with the water of Zenjebil, a fountain in paradise named Salsabil: and youths, which shall continue forever in their bloom, shall go round to attend them; when thou seest them, thou shalt think them to be scattered pearls: 20 and when thou lookest, there shalt thou behold delights, and a great kingdom.

Upon them shall be garments of fine green silk, and of brocades, and they shall be adorned with bracelets of silver: and their LORD shall give them to drink of a most pure liquor; and shall say unto them, Verily this is your reward: and your endeavour is gratefully accepted.

Verily we have sent down unto thee the Koran, by a gradual revelation.

Wherefore patiently wait the judgment of thy LORD; and obey not any wicked person or unbeliever among them.

And commemorate the name of thy LORD, in the morning, and in the evening: and during some part of the night worship him, and praise him a long part of the night.

Verily these men love the transitory life, and leave behind them the heavy day of judgment.

We have created them, and have strengthened their joints; and when we please, we will subst.i.tute others like unto them, in their stead.

Verily this is an admonition: and whoso willeth, taketh the way unto his LORD: 30 but ye shall not will, unless G.o.d willeth; for G.o.d is knowing and wise.

He leadeth whom he pleaseth into his mercy; but for the unjust hath he prepared a grievous punishment.

CHAPTER LXXVII.

ENt.i.tLED, THOSE WHICH ARE SENT; REVEALED AT MECCA.

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

BY the angels which are sent by G.o.d, following one another in a continual series; and those which move swiftly, with a rapid motion; and by those which disperse his commands, by divulging them through the earth; and by those which separate truth from falsehood, by distinguishing the same; and by those which communicate the divine admonitions, to excuse, or to threaten: verily that which ye are promised is inevitable.

When the stars, therefore, shall be put out, and when the heaven shall be cloven in sunder, 10 and when the mountains shall be winnowed, and when the apostles shall have a time a.s.signed to them to appear and bear testimony against their respective people; to what a day shall that appointment be deferred!

to the day of separation: and what shall cause thee to understand what the day of separation is?

On that day, woe be unto them who accused the prophets of imposture!

Have we not destroyed the obstinate unbelievers of old?

We will also cause those of the latter times to follow them.

Thus do we deal with the wicked.

Woe be, on that day, unto them who accused the prophets of imposture!

20 Have we not created you of a contemptible drop of seed, which we placed in a sure repository, until the fixed term of delivery?

And we were able to do this: for we are most powerful.

On that day, woe be unto those who accused the prophets of imposture: Have we not made the earth to contain the living and the dead, and placed therein stable and lofty mountains, and given you fresh water to drink?

Woe be, on that day, unto those who accused the prophets of imposture!

It shall be said unto them, Go ye to the punishment which ye denied as a falsehood: 30 go ye into the shadow of the smoke of h.e.l.l, which shall ascend in three columns, and shall not shade you from the heat, neither shall it be of service against the flame; but it shall cast forth sparks as big as towers, resembling yellow camels in colour.

Woe be, on that day, unto those who accused the prophets of imposture!

This shall be a day whereon they shall not speak to any purpose; neither shall they be permitted to excuse themselves.

Woe be, on that day, unto those who accused the prophets of imposture!

This shall be the day of separation: we will a.s.semble both you and your predecessors.

Wherefore, if ye have any cunning stratagem, employ stratagems against me.

40 Woe be, on that day, unto those who accused the prophets of imposture!

But the pious shall dwell amidst shades and fountains, and fruits of the kinds which they shall desire: and it shall be said unto them, Eat and drink with easy digestion, in recompense for that which ye have wrought; for thus do we reward the righteous doers.

Woe be, on that day, unto those who accused the prophets of imposture!

Eat, O unbelievers, and enjoy the pleasures of this life, for a little while: verily ye are wicked men.

Woe be, on that day, unto those who accused the prophets of imposture!

And when it is said unto them, Bow down; they do not bow down.

Woe be, on that day, unto those who accused the prophets of imposture!

50 In what new revelation will they believe, after this.

CHAPTER LXXVIII.

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