The Koran
CHAPTER L.
ENTITLED, K; REVEALED AT MECCA.
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.
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 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 cause 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,
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 Rass, 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. 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 companion shall say, This is what is ready with me to be attested.
And God shall say, Cast into hell every unbeliever, and perverse person,
and every one who forbad good, and every transgressor, and doubter of the
faith; who set up another god with the true God; 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. God 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. On that day we will say unto hell, 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 God, 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? Pass, 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 the Lord before sunrise, and before sunset, 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 assembly easy for us to assemble. 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.
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