hinder God from bringing on.11 On that day shall they be parted in twain:
Unbelievers on whom shall be their unbelief; and they who have wrought
righteousness, and prepared for themselves couches of repose:
That of his bounty He may reward those who have believed and wrought
righteousness; for the unbelievers He loveth not.
And one of his signs is that He sendeth the winds with glad tidings of rain,
both that He may cause you to taste his mercy, and that ships may sail at his
command, that out of his bounties ye may seek wealth, and that haply ye may
render thanks.
We have sent apostles before thee to their peoples, and they presented
themselves to them with clear proofs of their mission; and while it behoved
us to succour the faithful, we took vengeance on the guilty.
It is God who sendeth the winds and uplifteth the clouds, and, as He
pleaseth, spreadeth them on high, and breaketh them up; and thou mayest see
the rain issuing from their midst; and when He poureth it down on such of his
servants as He pleaseth, lo! they are filled with joy,
Even they who before it was sent down to them, were in mute despair.
Look then at the traces of God's mercy-how after its death he quickeneth the
earth! This same God will surely quicken the dead, for to all things His
might is equal.
Yet should we send a blast, and should they see their harvest turn yellow,
they would afterwards shew themselves ungrateful.
Thou canst not make the dead to hear, neither canst thou make the deaf to
hear the call, when they withdraw and turn their backs:
Neither canst thou guide the blind out of their error: in sooth, none shalt
thou make to hear, save him who shall believe in our signs: for they are
resigned to our will (Muslims).
It is God who hath created you in weakness, then after weakness hath given
you strength: then after strength, weakness and grey hairs: He createth what
He will; and He is the Wise, the Powerful.
And on the day whereon the Hour shall arrive, the wicked will swear
That not above an hour have they waited: Even so did they utter lies on
earth:
But they to whom knowledge and faith have been given will say, "Ye have
waited, in accordance with the book of God, till the day of Resurrection: for
this is the day of the Resurrection-but ye knew it not."
On that day their plea shall not avail the wicked, neither shall they again
be bidden to seek acceptance with God.
And now have we set before men, in this Koran, every kind of parable: yet if
thou bring them a single verse of it, the infidels will surely say, "Ye are
only utterers of vain things."
It is thus that God hath sealed up the hearts of those who are devoid of
knowledge.
But do thou, Muhammad, bear with patience, for true is the promise of God;
and let not those who have no firm belief, unsettle thee.
_______________________
1 See Sura lxviii. 1, p. 32.
2 By the Persians; probably in Palestine in the 6th year before the Hejira,
under Khosrou Parviz. (Ann. 615. See Gibbon's Decline and Fall, ch. xlvi.)
The sympathies of Muhammad would naturally be enlisted on the side of the
Christians rather than on that of the idolatrous fire-worshippers, with whom
Islam had nothing in common.
3 This alludes to the defeat of the Persians by Heraclius, ann. 625. The
Muhammadans appeal to this passage as a clear proof of the inspiration of
their prophet. But it should be borne in mind that the vowel points of the
consonants of the Arabic word for defeated in verse 1, not being originally
written, and depending entirely on the speaker or reader, would make the
prophecy true in either event, according as the verb received an active or
passive sense in pronunciation. The whole passage was probably constructed
with the view of its proving true in any event.
4 Comp. Psalm xc. 30, in the Arabic version.
5 The Talmudists apply the description of God of the sender of the rain to
the divine command which shall cause the dead to arise. Taanith (init.).
6 Lit. from yourselves, i.e. either from the side of Adam or of human, and of
no other kind of being. Beidh.
7 By worshipping idols conjointly with God.
8 Lit. as a Hanyf. See note on the preceding Sura, 121, p. 209.
9 Peculiar to and distinctive of themselves. Muhammad had a just appreciation
of that narrowness of mind which is the characteristic of sectarians in every
age, who seize upon some one point of truth, through inability to grasp the
whole in its due proportions and bearing, and glory in it, as if the fragment
were the whole.
10 Comp. Ps. xv. 5.
11 Lit. which none can put back from God.
SURA XI.-HOUD [LXXV.]
MECCA.-123 Verses
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
ELIF. LAM. RA.1 A book whose verses are stablished in wisdom and then set
forth with clearness from the Wise, the All-informed-
That ye worship none other than God-Verily I come to you from Him charged
with warnings, announcements;
And that ye seek pardon of your Lord, and then be turned unto Him! Goodly
enjoyments will He give you to enjoy until a destined time, and His favours
will He bestow on every one who deserves his favours.2 But if ye turn away,
then verily I fear for you the chastisement of the great day.
Unto God shall ye return, and over all things is he Potent.
Do they not doubly fold up their breasts, that they may hide themselves from
Him?
But when they enshroud themselves in their garments, doth He not know alike
what they conceal and what they shew?
For He knoweth the very inmost of their breast.
There is no moving thing on earth whose nourishment dependeth not on God; he
knoweth its haunts and final resting place: all is in the clear Book.
And He it is who hath made the Heavens and the Earth in six days: His throne
had stood ere this upon the waters,3 that He might make proof which of you4
would excel in works.
And if thou say, "After death ye shall surely be raised again," the infidels
will certainly exclaim, "This is nothing but pure sorcery."
And if we defer their chastisement to some definite time, they will exclaim,
"What keepeth it back?" What! will it not come upon them on a day when there
shall be none to avert it from them? And that at which they scoffed shall
enclose them in on every side.
And if we cause man to taste our mercy, and then deprive him of it, verily,
he is despairing, ungrateful.
And if after trouble hath befallen him we cause him to taste our favour, he
will surely exclaim, "The evils are passed away from me." Verily, he is
joyous, boastful.
Except those who endure with patience and do the things that are right: these
doth pardon await and a great reward.
Perhaps thou wilt suppress a part of what hath been revealed to thee, and
wilt be distress at heart lest they say, "If a treasure be not sent down to
him, or an angel come with him. . . ." But thou art only a warner, and God
hath all things in his charge.
If they shall say, "The Koran is his own device," SAY: Then bring ten Suras
like it5 of your devising, and call whom ye can to your aid beside God, if ye
are men of truth.
But if they answer you not, then know that it hath been sent down to you in
the wisdom of God only, and that there is no God but He. Are ye then Muslims?
Those who choose this present life and its braveries, we will recompense for
their works therein: they shall have nothing less therein than their deserts.
These are they for whom there is nothing in the next world but the Fire: all
that they have wrought in this life shall come to nought, and vain shall be
all their doings.
With such can they be compared who rest upon clear proofs from their Lord? to
whom a witness from him reciteth the Koran, and who is preceded by the Book
of Moses, a guide and mercy? These have faith in it: but the partisans of
idolatry, who believe not in it, are menaced with the fire! Have thou no
doubts about that Book, for it is the very truth from thy Lord. But most men
will not believe.
Who is guilty of a greater injustice than he who inventeth a lie concerning
God? They shall be set before their Lord, and the witnesses shall say, "These
are they who made their Lord a liar." Shall not the malison of God be on
these unjust doers,
Who pervert others from the way of God, and seek to make it crooked, and
believe not in a life to come? God's power on earth they shall not weaken;
and beside God they have no protector! Doubled shall be their punishment!
They were not able to hearken, and they could not see.
These are they who have lost their own souls, and the deities of their own
devising have vanished from them:
There is no doubt but that in the next world they shall be the lost ones.
But they who shall have believed and done the things that are right, and
humbled them before their Lord, shall be the inmates of Paradise; therein
shall they abide for ever.
These two sorts of persons resemble the blind and deaf, and the seeing and
hearing: shall these be compared as alike? Ah! do ye not comprehend?
We sent Noah of old unto his people:-"Verily I come to you a plain
admonisher,
That ye worship none but God. Verily I fear for you the punishment of a
grievous day."
Then said the chiefs of his people who believed not, "We see in thee but a
man like ourselves; and we see not who have followed thee except our meanest
ones of hasty judgment, nor see we any excellence in you above ourselves:
nay, we deem you liars."
He said: "O my people! how think you? If I am upon a clear revelation from my
Lord, who hath bestowed on me mercy from Himself to which ye are blind, can
we force it on you, if ye are averse from it?
And, O my people! I ask you not for riches: my reward is of God alone: and I
will not drive away those who believe that they shall meet their Lord:-but I
see that ye are an ignorant people.
And, O my people! were I to drive them away, who shall help me against God?
Will ye not therefore consider?
And I tell you not that with me are the treasures of God: nor do I say, 'I
know the things unseen;' nor do I say, 'I am an angel;' nor do I say of those
whom you eye with scorn, No good thing will God bestow on them:-God best
knoweth what is in their minds-for then should I be one of those who act
unjustly."
They said: "O Noah! already hast thou disputed with us, and multiplied
disputes with us: Bring then upon us what thou hast threatened, if thou be of
those who speak truth."
He said, "God will bring it on you at His sole pleasure, and it is not you
who can weaken him;
Nor, if God desire to mislead you, shall my counsel profit you, though I fain
would counsel you aright. He is your Lord, and unto Him shall ye be brought
back.
Do they say, "This Koran is of his own devising?" Say: On me be my own guilt,
if I have devised it, but I am clear of that whereof ye are guilty.
And it was revealed unto Noah. Verily, none of thy people shall believe, save
they who have believed already; therefore be not thou grieved at their
doings.
But build the Ark under our eye and after our revelation: and plead not with
me for the evil doers, for they are to be drowned.
So he built the Ark; and whenever the chiefs of his people passed by they
laughed him to scorn:6 said he, "Though ye laugh at us, we truly shall laugh
at you, even as ye laugh at us; and in the end ye shall know
On whom a punishment shall come that shall shame him, and on whom shall light
a lasting punishment."
Thus was it until our sentence came to pass, and the earth's surface7 boiled
up. We said, "Carry into it one pair of every kind, and thy family, except
him on whom sentence hath before been passed, and those who have believed."
But there believed not with him except a few.
And he said, "Embark ye therein. In the name of God be its course and its
riding at anchor! Truly my Lord is right Gracious, Merciful."
And the Ark moved on with them amid waves like mountains: and Noah called to
his son-for he was apart-"Embark with us, O my child! and be not with the
unbelievers."
He said, "I will betake me to a mountain that shall secure me from the
water." He said, "None shall be secure this day from the decree of God, save
him on whom He shall have mercy." And a wave passed between them, and he was
among the drowned.
And it was said, "O Earth! swallow up thy water;" and "cease, O Heaven!" And
the water abated, and the decree was fulfilled, and the Ark rested upon Al-
Djoudi;8 and it was said, "Avaunt! ye tribe of the wicked!"
And Noah called on his Lord and said, "O Lord! verily my son is of my family:
and thy promise is true, and thou art the most just of judges."
He said, "O Noah! verily, he is not of thy family: in this thou actest not
aright.9 Ask not of me that whereof thou knowest nought: I warn thee that
thou become not of the ignorant.
He said, "To thee verily, O my Lord, do I repair lest I ask that of thee
wherein I have no knowledge: unless thou forgive me and be merciful to me I
shall be one of the lost.
It was said to him, "O Noah! debark with peace from Us, and with blessings on
thee and on peoples to be born from those who are with thee; but as for other
and unbelieving peoples, we will give them their good things in this world,
but hereafter shall a grievous punishment light on them from us.
This is one of the secret Histories: we reveal it unto thee: neither thou nor
thy people knew it ere this: be patient thou: verily, there is a prosperous
issue to the God-fearing.
And unto Ad we sent their Brother HOUD. He said, "O my people, worship God.
You have no God beside Him. Ye only devise a lie.
O my people! I ask of you no recompense for this: my recompense is with Him
only who hath made me. Will ye not then understand?
O my people! ask pardon of your Lord; then be turned unto Him: He will send
down the heavens upon you with copious rains:
And with strength on strength will He increase you: only turn not back with
deeds of evil."
They said, "O Houd, thou hast not brought us proofs of thy mission: we will
not abandon our gods at thy word, and we believe thee not.
We can only say that some of our gods have smitten thee with evil." Said he,
"Now take I God to witness, and do ye also witness, that I am clear of your
joining other gods
To God. Conspire then against me all of you, and delay me not.
For I trust in God, my Lord and yours. No single beast is there which he
holdeth not by its forelock. Right, truly, is the way in which my Lord goeth.
But if ye turn back, I have already declared to you my message. And my Lord
will put another people in your place, nor shall ye at all hurt Him; verily,
my Lord keepeth watch over all things."
And when our doom came to be inflicted, we rescued Houd and those who had
like faith with Him, by our special mercy: we rescued them from the rigorous
chastisement.
These men of Ad gainsaid the signs of their Lord, and rebelled against his
messengers, and followed the bidding of every proud contumacious person.
Followed therefore were they in this world by a curse; and in the day of the
Resurrection it shall be said to them, "What! Did not Ad disbelieve their
Lord?" Was not Ad, the people of Houd, cast far away?
And unto Themoud we sent their Brother Saleh:10-"O my people! said he,
worship God: you have no other god than Him. He hath raised you up out of the
earth, and hath given you to dwell therein. Ask pardon of him then, and be
turned unto him; for thy Lord is nigh, ready to answer."
They said, "O Saleh! our hopes were fixed on thee till now:11 forbiddest thou
us to worship what our fathers worshipped? Truly we misdoubt the faith to
which thou callest us, as suspicious."
He said, "O my people! what think ye? If I have a revelation from my Lord to
support me, and if He hath shewed his mercy on me, who could protect me from
God if I rebel against him? Ye would only confer on me increase of ruin.
O my people! this is the she-Camel of God, and a sign unto you. Let her go at
large and feed in God's earth, and do her no harm, lest a speedy punishment
overtake you."
Yet they hamstrung her: then said he, "Yet three days more enjoy yourselves
in your dwellings: this menace will not prove untrue."
And when our sentence came to pass, we rescued Saleh and those who had a like
faith with him, by our mercy, from ignominy on that day. Verily, thy Lord is
the Strong, the Mighty!
And a violent tempest overtook the wicked, and they were found in the morning
prostrate in their dwellings,
As though they had never abode in them. What! Did not Themoud disbelieve his
Lord? Was not Themoud utterly cast off?
And our messengers came formerly to Abraham with glad tidings. "Peace," said
they. He said, "Peace," and he tarried not, but brought a roasted calf.
And when he saw that their hands touched it not,12 he misliked them, and grew
fearful of them. They said, "Fear not, for we are sent to the people of Lot."
His wife was standing by and laughed;13 and we announced Isaac to her; and
after Isacc, Jacob.
She said, "Ah, woe is me! shall I bear a son when I am old, and when this my
husband is an old man? This truly would be a marvellous thing."
They said, "Marvellest thou at the command of God? God's mercy and blessing
be upon you, O people of this house; praise and glory are His due!"
And when Abraham's fear had passed away, and these glad tidings had reached
him, he pleaded with us for the people of Lot. Verily, Abraham was right
kind, pitiful, relenting.
"O Abraham! desist from this; for already hath the command of thy God gone
forth; as for them, a punishment not to be averted is coming on them."
And when our messengers came to Lot, he was grieved for them; and he was too
weak to protect them,14 and he said, "This is a day of difficulty."
And his people came rushing on towards him, for aforetime had they wrought
this wickedness. He said, "O my people! these my daughters will be purer for
you: fear God, and put me not to shame in my guests. Is there no rightminded
man among you?"
They said, "Thou knowest now that we need not thy daughters; and thou well
knowest what we require."
He said, "Would that I had strength to resist you, or that I could find
refuge with some powerful chieftain."15
The Angels said, "O Lot! verily, we are the messengers of thy Lord: they
shall not touch thee: depart with thy family in the dead of night, and let
not one of you turn back: as for thy wife, on her shall light what shall
light on them. Verily, that with which they are threatened is for the
morning. Is not the morning near?"
And when our decree came to be executed we turned those cities upside down,
and we rained down upon them blocks of claystone one after another, marked16
by thy Lord himself. Nor are they far distant from the wicked Meccans.
And we sent to Madian17 their brother Shoaib. He said, "O my people! worship
God: no other God have you than He: give not short weight and measure: I see
indeed that ye revel in good things; but I fear for you the punishment of the
all-encompassing day.
O my people! give weight and measure with fairness; purloin not other men's
goods; and perpetrate not injustice on the earth with corrupt practices:
A residue,18 the gift of God, will be best for you if ye are believers:
But I am not a guardian over you."
They said to him, "O Shoaib! is it thy prayers which enjoin that we should
leave what our fathers worshipped, or that we should not do with our
substance as pleaseth us? Thou forsooth art the mild, the right director!"
He said, "O my people! How think ye? If I have a clear revelation from my
Lord, and if from Himself He hath supplied me with goodly supplies, and if I
will not follow you in that which I myself forbid you, do I seek aught but
your amendment so far as in me lieth? My sole help is in God. In Him do I
trust, and to Him do I turn me.
O my people! let not your opposition to me draw down upon you the like of
that which befel the people of Noah, or the people of Houd, or the people of
Saleh: and the abodes of the people of Lot are not far distant from you!
Seek pardon of your Lord and be turned unto Him: verily, my Lord is Merciful,
Loving.
They said, "O Shoaib! we understand not much of what thou sayest, and we
clearly see that thou art powerless among us: were it not for thy family we
would have surely stoned thee, nor couldest thou have prevailed against us."
He said, "O my people! think ye more highly of my family than of God? Cast ye
Him behind your back, with neglect? Verily, my Lord is round about your
actions.
And, O my people! act with what power ye can for my hurt: I verily will act:
and ye shall know
On whom shall light a punishment that shall disgrace him, and who is the
liar. Await ye; verily I will await with you."
And when our decree came to pass, we delivered Shoaib and his companions in
faith, by our mercy: And a violent tempest overtook the wicked, and in the
morning they were found prostrate in their houses
As if they had never dwelt in them. Was not Madian swept off even as Themoud
had been swept off?
Of old sent we Moses with our signs and with incontestable power to Pharaoh,
and to his nobles-who followed the behests of Pharaoh, and, unrighteous were
Pharaoh's behests.
He shall head his people on the day of the Resurrection and cause them to
descend into the fire: and wretched the descent by which they shall descend!
They were followed by a curse in this world; and in the day of the
Resurrection, wretched the gift that shall be given them!
Such, the histories of the cities which we relate to thee. Some of them are
standing, others mown down:
We dealt not unfairly by them, but they dealt not fairly by themselves: and
their gods on whom they called beside God availed them not at all when thy
Lord's behest came to pass. They did but increase their ruin.
Such was thy Lord's grasp19 when he laid that grasp on the cities that had
been wicked. Verily his grasp is afflictive, terrible!
Herein truly is a sign for him who feareth the punishment of the latter day.
That shall be a day unto which mankind shall be gathered together; that shall
be a day witnessed by all creatures.
Nor do we delay it, but until a time appointed.
When that day shall come no one shall speak a word but by His leave, and some
shall be miserable and others blessed.
And as for those who shall be consigned to misery-their place the Fire!
therein shall they sigh and bemoan them-
Therein shall they abide while the Heavens and the Earth shall last, unless
thy Lord shall will it otherwise; verily thy Lord doth what He chooseth.
And as for the blessed ones-their place the Garden! therein shall they abide
while the Heavens and the Earth endure, with whatever imperishable boon thy
Lord may please to add.
Have thou no doubts therefore concerning that which they worship: they
worship but what their fathers worshipped before them: we will surely assign
them their portion with nothing lacking.
Of old gave we Moses the Book, and they fell to variance about it. If a
decree of respite had not gone forth from thy Lord, there had surely been a
decision between them. Thy people also are in suspicious doubts about the
Koran.
And truly thy Lord will repay every one according to their works! for He is
well aware of what they do.
Go straight on then as thou hast been commanded, and he also who hath turned
to God with thee, and let him transgress no more. He beholdeth what ye do.
Lean not on the evil doers lest the Fire lay hold on you. Ye have no
protector, save God, and ye shall not be helped against Him.
And observe prayer at early morning, at the close of the day, and at the
approach of night; for the good deeds drive away the evil deeds. This is a
warning for those who reflect:
And persevere steadfastly, for verily God will not suffer the reward of the
righteous to perish.
Were the generations before you, endued with virtue, and who forbad corrupt
doings on the earth, more than a few of those whom we delivered? but the evil
doers followed their selfish pleasures, and became transgressors.
And thy Lord was not one who would destroy those cities unjustly, when its
inhabitants were righteous.
Had thy Lord pleased he would have made mankind of one religion: but those
only to whom thy Lord hath granted his mercy will cease to differ. And unto
this hath He created them; for the word of thy Lord shall be fulfilled, "I
will wholly fill hell with Djinn and men."
And all that we have related to thee of the histories of these Apostles, is
to confirm thy heart thereby. By these hath the truth reached thee, and a
monition and warning to those who believe.
But say to those who believe not, "Act as ye may and can: we will act our
part: and wait ye; we verily will wait."
To God belong the secret things of the Heavens and of the Earth: all things
return to him: worship him then and put thy trust in Him: thy Lord is not
regardless of your doings.20
_______________________
1 See Sura lxviii. p. 32.