The Koran
CHAPTER XXIII.
ENTITLED, THE TRUE BELIEVERS; REVEALED AT MECCA.
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.
(XVIII.) Now are the true believers happy: who humble themselves in their
prayer, and who eschew all vain discourse, and who are doers of alms-deeds;
and who keep themselves from carnal knowledge of any women except their
wives, or the captives which their right hands possess; (for as to them
they shall be blameless: but whoever coveteth any woman beyond these, they
are transgressors; and who acquit themselves faithfully of their trust,
and justly perform their covenant; and who observe their appointed times
of prayer:) these shall be the heirs, who shall inherit paradise; they
shall continue therein for ever. We formerly created man of a finer sort
of clay; afterwards we placed him in the form of seed in a sure receptacle:
afterwards we made the seed coagulated blood; and we formed the coagulated
blood into a piece of flesh: then we formed the piece of flesh into bones;
and we clothed those bones with flesh: then we produced the same by another
creation. Wherefore blessed be God, the most excellent Creator! After this
shall ye die: and afterwards shall ye be restored to life, on the day of
resurrection. And we have created over you seven heavens: and we are not
negligent of what we have created. And we send down rain from heaven, by
measure; and we cause it to remain on the earth; and we are also certainly
able to deprive you of the same. And we cause gardens of palm-trees, and
vineyards, to spring forth for you by means thereof; wherein ye have many
fruits, and whereof ye eat. And we also raise for you a tree springing
from Mount Sinai; which produceth oil, and a sauce for those who eat. Ye
have likewise an instruction in the cattle: we give you to drink of the
milk which is in their bellies, and ye receive many advantages from them;
and of them do ye eat; and on them, and on ships, are ye carried. We sent
Noah heretofore unto his people, and he said, O my people, serve God: ye
have no God besides him; will ye not therefore fear the consequence of
your worshipping other gods? And the chiefs of his people, who believed
not, said, This is no other than a man, as ye are: he seeketh to raise
himself to a superiority over you. If God had pleased to have sent a messenger
unto you, he would surely have sent angels: we have not heard this of our
forefathers. Verily he is no other than a man disturbed with frenzy: wherefore
wait concerning him for a time. Noah said, O Lord, do thou protect me;
for that they accuse me of falsehood. And we revealed our orders unto him,
saying, Make the ark in our sight; and according to our revelation. And
when our decree cometh to be executed, and the oven shall boil and pour
forth water, carry into it of every species of animals one pair; and also
thy family, except such of them on whom a previous sentence of destruction
hath passed: and speak not unto me in behalf of those who have been unjust;
for they shall be drowned. And when thou and they who shall be with thee,
shall go up into the ark, say, Praise be unto God, who hath delivered us
from the ungodly people! And say, O Lord, cause me to come down from this
ark with a blessed descent; for thou art best able to bring me down from
the same with safety. Verily herein were signs of our omnipotence; and
we proved mankind thereby. Afterwards we raised up another generation after
them; and we sent unto them an apostle from among them, who said, Worship
God: ye have no God besides him; will ye not therefore fear his vengeance?
And the chiefs of his people, who believed not, and who denied the meeting
of the life to come, and on whom we had bestowed affluence in this present
life, said, This is no other than a man, as ye are; he eateth of that whereof
ye eat, and he drinketh of that whereof ye drink: and if ye obey a man
like unto yourselves, ye will surely be sufferers. Doth he threaten you
that after ye shall be dead, and shall become dust and bones, ye shall
be brought forth alive from your graves? Away, away with that ye are threatened
with! There is no other life besides our present life: we die and we live;
and we shall not be raised again. This is no other than a man, who deviseth
a lie concerning God: but we will not believe him. Their apostles said,
O Lord, defend me; for that they have accused me of imposture. God answered,
After a little while they shall surely repent their obstinacy. Wherefore
a severe punishment was justly inflicted on them, and we rendered them
like the refuse which is carried down by a stream. Away therefore with
the ungodly people! Afterwards we raised up other generations after them.
No nation shall be punished before their determined time; neither shall
they be respited after. Afterwards we sent our apostles, one after another.
So often as their apostle came unto any nation, they charged him with imposture:
and we caused them successively to follow one another to destruction; and
we made them only subjects of traditional stories. Away therefore with
the unbelieving nations! Afterwards we sent Moses, and Aaron his brother,
with our signs and manifest power, unto Pharaoh and his princes: but they
proudly refused to believe on him; for they were a haughty people. And
they said, Shall we believe on two men like unto ourselves, whose people
are our servants? And they accused them of imposture, wherefore they became
of the number of those who were destroyed. And we heretofore gave the book
of the law unto Moses, that the children of Israel might be directed thereby.
And we appointed the son of Mary, and his mother, for a sign: and we prepared
an abode for them in an elevated part of the earth, being a place of quiet
and security, and watered with running springs. O apostles, eat of those
things which are good, and work righteousness: for I well know that which
ye do. This your religion is one religion; and I am your Lord: wherefore
fear me. But men have rent the affair of their religion into various sects:
every party rejoiceth in that which they follow. Wherefore leave them in
their confusion, until a certain time. Do they think that we hasten unto
them the wealth and children which we have abundantly bestowed on them,
for their good? But they do not understand. Verily they who stand in awe,
for fear of their Lord, and who believe in the signs of their Lord, and
who attribute not companions unto their Lord; and who give that which they
give in alms, their hearts being struck with dread, for that they must
return unto their Lord: these hasten unto good, and are foremost to obtain
the same. We will not impose any difficulty on a soul, except according
to its ability; with us is a book, which speaketh the truth; and they shall
not be injured. But their hearts are drowned in negligence, as to this
matter; and they have works different from those we have mentioned; which
they will continue to do, until, when we chastise such of them as enjoy
an affluence of fortune, by a severe punishment, behold they cry aloud
for help: but it shall be answered them, Cry not for help to-day: for ye
shall not be assisted by us. My signs were read unto you, but ye turned
back on your heels: proudly elating yourselves because of your possessing
the holy temple; discoursing together by night, and talking foolishly.
Do they not therefore attentively consider that which is spoken unto them;
whether a revelation is come unto them which came not unto their forefathers?
Or do they not know their apostle; and therefore reject him? Or do they
say, He is a madman? Nay, he hath come unto them with the truth; but the
greater part of them detest the truth. If the truth had followed their
desires, verily the heavens and the earth, and whoever therein is, had
been corrupted, But we have brought them their admonition; and they turn
aside from their admonition. Dost thou ask of them any maintenance for
thy preaching? since the maintenance of thy Lord is better; for he is the
most bounteous provider. Thou certainly invitest them to the right way:
and they who believe not in the life to come, do surely deviate from that
way. If we had had compassion on them, and had taken off from them the
calamity which had befallen them, they would surely have more obstinately
persisted in their error, wandering in confusion. We formerly chastised
them with a punishment: yet they did not humble themselves before their
Lord, neither did they make supplications unto him; until, when we have
opened upon them a door, from which a severe punishment hath issued, behold,
they are driven to despair thereat. It is God who hath created in you the
senses of hearing and of sight, that ye may perceive our judgments, and
hearts, that ye may seriously consider them; yet how few of you give thanks!
It is he who hath produced you in the earth; and before him shall ye be
assembled. It is he who giveth life, and putteth to death; and to him is
to be attributed the vicissitude of night and day: do ye not therefore
understand? But the unbelieving Meccans say as their predecessors said;
they say, When we shall be dead, and shall have become dust and bones,
shall we really be raised to life ? We have already been threatened with
this, and our fathers also heretofore: this is nothing but fables of the
ancients. Say, Whose is the earth, and whoever therein is; if ye know ?
They will answer, God's. Say, Will ye not therefore consider? Say, Who
is the Lord of the seven heavens, and the Lord of the magnificent throne?
They will answer, They are God’s. Say, Will ye not therefore fear him?
Say, In whose hand is the kingdom of all things; who protecteth whom he
pleaseth, but is himself protected of none; if ye know? They will answer,
In God’s. Say, How therefore are ye bewitched? Yea, we have brought them
the truth; and they are certainly liars in denying the same. God hath not
begotten issue; neither is there other god with him: otherwise every god
had surely taken away that which he had created; and some of them had exalted
themselves above the others. Far be that from God, which they affirm of
him! He knoweth that which is concealed, and that which is made public:
wherefore far be it from him to have those sharers in his honor, which
they attribute to him! Say, O Lord, if thou wilt surely cause me to see
the vengeance with which they have been threatened; O Lord, set me not
among the ungodly people: for we are surely to make thee to see that with
which we have threatened them. Turn aside evil with that which is better:
we well know the calumnies which they utter against thee. And say, O Lord,
I fly unto thee for refuge, against the suggestions of the devils: and
I have recourse unto thee, O Lord, to drive them away, that they be not
present with me. The gainsaying of the unbelievers ceaseth not until, when
death overtaketh any of them, he saith, O Lord, suffer me to return to
life, that I may do that which is right: in professing the true faith which
I have neglected. By no means. Verily these are the words which he shall
speak: but behind them there shall be a bar, until the day of resurrection.
When therefore the trumpet shall be sounded, there shall be no relation
between them which shall be regarded on that day; neither shall they ask
assistance of each other. They whose balances shall be heavy with good
works, shall be happy: but they whose balances shall be light, are those
who shall lose their souls, and shall remain in hell for ever. The fire
shall scorch their faces, and they shall writhe their mouths therein for
anguish: and it shall be said unto them, Were not my signs rehearsed unto
you; and did ye not charge them with falsehood? They shall answer, O Lord,
our unhappiness prevailed over us, and we were people who went astray.
O Lord, take us forth from this fire: if we return to our former wickedness,
we shall surely be unjust. God will say unto them, Be ye driven away with
ignominy thereinto: and speak not unto me to deliver you. Verily there
were a party of my servants, who said, O Lord, we believe: wherefore forgive
us, and be merciful unto us; for thou art the best of those who show mercy.
But ye received them with scoffs, so that they suffered you to forget my
admonition, and ye laughed them to scorn. I have this day rewarded them,
for that they suffered the injuries ye offered them with patience: verily
they enjoy great felicity. God will say, What number of years have ye continued
on earth? They will answer, We have continued there a day, or part of a
day: but ask those who keep account. God will say, Ye have tarried but
a little, if ye knew it. Did ye think that we had created you in sport,
and that ye should not be brought again before us? Wherefore let God be
exalted, the King, the Truth! There is no God besides him, the Lord of
the honorable throne. Whoever together with the true God shall invoke another
god, concerning whom he hath no demonstrative proof, shall surely be brought
to an account for the same before his Lord. Verily the infidels shall not
prosper. Say, O Lord, pardon, and show mercy; for thou art the best of
those who show mercy.
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