"This hath befallen you, for that when One G.o.d was proclaimed to you, ye believed not: but when partners had been united with him, ye believed: But judgment belongeth unto G.o.d, the High, the Great."
It is He who sheweth you his signs, and sendeth down supplies to you from Heaven: but none will receive warning save he who turneth to G.o.d.
Call then on G.o.d, offering him a pure worship, though the infidels abhor it.
Of exalted grade, of the throne possessed, He sendeth forth the Spirit at His own behest on whomsoever of His servants He pleaseth, that He may warn of the day of meeting,
The day when they shall come forth from their graves, when nought that concerneth them shall be hidden from G.o.d. With whom shall be the power supreme on that day? With G.o.d, the One, the Almighty.
On that day shall every soul be recompensed as it hath deserved: no injustice on that day! Verily, G.o.d will be swift to reckon.
Warn them, then, of the approaching day, when men"s hearts shall rise up, choking them, into their throats.
The evil-doers shall have no friend or intercessor who shall prevail.
G.o.d knoweth the deceitful of eye, and what men"s b.r.e.a.s.t.s conceal.
And everything will G.o.d decide with truth: But nothing shall those G.o.ds whom men call on beside him, decide. Verily, G.o.d! the Hearer, the Beholder, He!
Have they never journeyed in this land, and seen what hath been the end of those who flourished before them? Mightier were they in strength than these Meccans, and their traces remain in the land: Yet G.o.d took them in their sins, and there was none to defend them against G.o.d.
This, because their apostles had come to them with proofs of their mission, and they believed not: so G.o.d took them in hand; for He is mighty, vehement in punishing.
Moreover we had sent Moses of old with our signs and with clear authority.
To Pharaoh, and Haman, and Karun:4 and they said, "Sorcerer, impostor."
And when he came to them from our presence with the truth, they said, "Slay the sons of those who believe as he doth, and save their females alive;" but the stratagem of the unbelievers issued only in failure.
And Pharaoh said, "Let me alone, that I may kill Moses; and let him call upon his Lord: I fear lest he change your religion, or cause disorder to shew itself in the land."
And Moses said, "I take refuge with my Lord and your Lord from every proud one who believeth not in the day of reckoning."
And a man of the family of Pharaoh, who was a BELIEVER,5 but hid his faith, said, "Will ye slay a man because he saith my Lord is G.o.d, when he hath already come to you with proofs of his mission from your Lord? and if he be a liar, on him will be his lie:6 but if he be a man of truth, part at least of what he threateneth will fall upon you. Truly G.o.d guideth not him who is a transgressor, a liar.
O my people! this day is the kingdom yours, the eminent of the earth! but who shall defend us from the vengeance of G.o.d if it come on us?" Pharaoh said, "I would have you see only what I see; and in a right way only will I guide you."
Then said he who believed, "O my people! truly I fear for you the like of the day of the allies,7
The like of the state of the people of Noah and Ad and Themoud,
And of those who came after them; yet G.o.d willeth not injustice to his servants.
And, O my people! I indeed fear for you the day of mutual outcry-
The day when ye shall be turned back from the Judgment into h.e.l.l. No protector shall ye have then against G.o.d. And he whom G.o.d shall mislead no guide shall there be for him.
Moreover, Joseph had come to you before with clear tokens, but ye ceased not to doubt of the message with which he came to you, until when he died, ye said, "G.o.d will by no means raise up an apostle after him." " Thus G.o.d misleadeth him who is the transgressor, the doubter.
They who gainsay the signs of G.o.d without authority having come to them, are greatly hated by G.o.d and by those who believe. Thus G.o.d sealeth up every proud, contumacious heart.
And Pharaoh said, "O Haman,8 Build for me a tower that I may reach the avenues,
The avenues of the heavens, and may mount to the G.o.d of Moses, for I verily deem him a liar."
And thus the evil of his doings was made fair-seeming to Pharaoh, and he turned away from the path of truth; but the artifice of Pharaoh ended only in his ruin.
And he who believed said, "O my people! follow me: into the right way will I guide you.
O my people! this present life is only a pa.s.sing joy, but the life to come is the mansion that abideth.
Whoso shall have wrought evil shall not be recompensed but with its like; but whoso shall have done the things that are right, whether male or female, and is a believer-these shall enter paradise: good things unreckoned shall they enjoy therein.
And, O my people! how is it that I bid you to salvation, but that ye bid me to the fire?
Ye invite me to deny G.o.d, and to join with him G.o.ds of whom I know nothing; but I invite you to the Mighty, the Forgiving.
No doubt is there that they to whom ye invite me are not to be invoked either in this world or in the world to come: and that unto G.o.d is our return, and that the transgressors shall be the inmates of the fire.
Then shall ye remember what I am saying unto you: and to G.o.d commit I my case: Verily, G.o.d beholdeth his servants."
So G.o.d preserved him from the evils which they had planned, and the woe of the punishment encompa.s.sed the people of Pharaoh.
It is the fire to which they shall be exposed morning and evening, and on the day when "the Hour" shall arrive-"Bring in the people of Pharaoh into the severest punishment."
And when they shall wrangle together in the fire, the weak shall say to those who had borne themselves so proudly, "It is you we followed: will ye therefore relieve us from aught of the fire?"
And those proud ones shall say, "Verily we are all in it; for now hath G.o.d judged between his servants."
And they who are in the fire shall say to the keepers of h.e.l.l, "Implore your Lord that he would give us ease but for one day from this torment."
They shall say, "Came not your apostles to you with the tokens?" They shall say, "Yes." They shall say, "Cry ye then aloud for help:" but the cry of the unbelievers shall be only in vain.
a.s.suredly, in this present life will we succour our apostles and those who shall have believed, and on the day when the witnesses shall stand forth;
A day whereon the plea of the evil doers shall not avail them; but theirs shall be a curse, and theirs the woe of the abode in h.e.l.l.
And of old gave we Moses the guidance, and we made the children of Israel the heritors of the Book,-a guidance and warning to men endued with understanding.
Therefore be steadfast thou and patient; for true is the promise of G.o.d: and seek pardon for thy fault,9 and celebrate the praise of thy Lord at evening and at morning.
As to those who cavil at the signs of G.o.d without authority having reached them, nought is there but pride in their b.r.e.a.s.t.s: but they shall not succeed.
Fly thou for refuge then to G.o.d, for He is the Hearer, the Beholder.
Greater surely than the creation of man is the creation of the heavens and of the earth: but most men know it not.
Moreover, the blind and the seeing, and the evil doer and they who believe and do the things that are right, shall not be deemed equal. How few ponder this!
Aye, "the Hour" will surely come: there is no doubt of it: but most men believe it not.