created thee, and put thee together, and rightly disposed thee? In what form he pleased hath he fashioned thee. Assuredly. But ye deny the last judgment as a falsehood. Verily there are appointed over you guardian angels, honourable in the sight of God, writing down your actions; who know that which ye do. The just shall surely be in a place of delight: but the wicked shall surely be in hell; they shall be cast therein to be burned, on the day of judgment, and they shall not be absent therefrom for ever. What shall cause thee to understand what the day of judgment is? Again, What shall cause thee to understand what the day of judgment is? It is a day whereon one soul shall not be able to obtain anything in behalf of another soul: and the command on that day shall be God's.

CHAPTER LXXXIII.

ENTITLED, THOSE WHO GIVE SHORT MEASURE OR WEIGHT; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

By

WOE be unto those who give short measure or weight; who, when they receive by measure from other men, take the full; but when they measure unto them, or weigh unto them, defraud! Do not these think they shall be raised again at the great day; the day whereon mankind shall stand before the Lord of all creatures? no means. Verily the register of the actions of the wicked is surely in Sejjin. And what shall make thee to understand what Sejjin is? It is a book distinctly written. Woe be, on that day, unto those who accused the prophets of imposture; who denied the day of judgment as a falsehood! And none denieth the same as a falsehood, except every unjust and flagitious person: who, when our signs are rehearsed unto him, saith, They are fables of the ancients. By no means: but rather their lusts have cast a veil over their hearts. By no means. Verily They shall be shut out from their Lord on that day; and they shall be sent into hell to be burned: then shall it be said unto them, by the infernal guards, This is what ye denied as a falsehood. Assuredly. But the register of the actions of the righteous is in Illiyyûn: and what shall cause thee to understand what Illiyyûn is? It is a book distinctly written: those who approach near unto God are witnesses thereto. Verily the righteous shall dwell among delights: seated on couches they shall behold objects of pleasure; thou shalt see in their faces the brightness of joy. They shall be given to drink of pure wine, sealed; the seal whereof shall be musk; and to this let those aspire, who aspire to happiness: and the water mixed therewith shall be of Tasnim, a fountain whereof those shall drink who approach near unto the divine presence. They who act wickedly laugh the true believers to scorn; and when

they pass by them, they wink at one another: and when they turn aside to their people, they turn aside making scurrilous jests: and when they see them, they say, Verily these are mistaken men. But they are not sent to be keepers over them. Wherefore one day the true believers, in their turn, shall laugh the infidels to scorn: lying on couches, they shall look down upon them in hell. Shall not the infidels be rewarded for that which they have done?

CHAPTER LXXXIV.

ENTITLED, THE RENDING IN SUNDER; REVEALED AT MECCA. IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

WHEN the heaven shall be rent in sunder, and shall obey its Lord, and shall be capable thereof; and when the earth shall be stretched out, and shall cast forth that which is therein, and shall remain empty, and shall obey its Lord, and shall be capable thereof: O man, verily labouring thou labourest to meet thy Lord, and thou shalt meet him. And he who shall have his book given into his right hand, shall be called to an easy account, and shall turn unto his family with joy: but he who shall have his book given him behind his back, shall invoke destruction to fall upon him, and he shall be sent into hell to be burned; because he rejoiced insolently amidst his family on earth, Verily he thought that he should never return unto God: yea verily; but his Lord beheld him. Wherefore I swear by the redness of the sky after sunset, and by the night, and the animals which it driveth together, and by the moon when she is at the full; ye shall surely be transferred successively from state to state. What aileth them, therefore, that they believe not the resurrection; and that, when the Korân is read unto them, they worship not? Yea: the unbelievers accuse the same of imposture: but God well knoweth the malice which they keep hidden in their breasts. Wherefore denounce unto them a grievous punishment, except those who believe and do good works: for them is prepared a never-failing reward.

CHAPTER LXXXV.

ENTITLED, THE CELESTIAL SIGNS; REVEALED AT MECCA..

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

By the heaven adorned with signs; by the promised day of judg ment; by the witness, and the witnessed; cursed were the contrivers of the pit, of fire supplied with fuel; when they sat round the same, and were witnesses of what they did against the true believers: and they afflicted them for no other reason, but because they believed in

the mighty, the glorious God, unto whom belongeth the kingdom of heaven and earth: and God is witness of all things. Verily for those who prosecute the true believers of either sex, and afterwards repent not, is prepared the torment of hell; and they shall suffer the pain of burning. But for those who believe, and do that which is right, are destined gardens beneath which rivers flow: this shall be great felicity. Verily the vengeance of thy Lord is severe. He createth, and he restoreth to life: he is inclined to forgive, and gracious: the possessor of the glorious throne; who effecteth that which he pleaseth. Hath not the story of the hosts of Pharaoh, and of Thamud, reached thee? Yet the unbelievers cease not to accuse the divine revelations of falsehood: but God encompasseth them behind, that they cannot escape. Verily that which they reject is a glorious Korân; the original whereof is written in a table kept in heaven

CHAPTER LXXXVI.

ENTITLED, THE STAR WHICH APPEARETH BY NIGHT; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

By the heaven, and that which appeareth by night: but what shall cause thee to understand what that which appeareth by night is? it is the star of piercing brightness: every soul hath a guardian set over it. Let a man consider, therefore, of what he is created. He is created of seed poured forth, issuing from the loins, and the breastbones. Verily God is able to restore him to life, the day whereon all secret thoughts and actions shall be examined into; and he shall have no power to defend himself, nor any protector. By the heaven which returneth the rain; and by the earth which openeth to let forth vegetables and springs: verily this is a discourse distinguishing good from evil; and it is not composed with lightness. Verily the infidels are laying a plot to frustrate my designs: but I will lay a plot for their ruin. Wherefore, O prophet, bear with the unbelievers; let them alone a while.

CHAPTER LXXXVII.

ENTITLED, THE MOST HIGH; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

PRAISE the name of thy Lord, the most high; who hath created, and completely formed his creatures: and who determineth them to various ends, and directeth them to attain the same; and who produceth the pasture for cattle, and afterwards rendereth the same dry

stubble of a dusky hue. We will enable thee to rehearse our revelations; and thou shalt not forget any part thereof, except what God shall please; for he knoweth that which is manifest, and that which is hidden. And we will facilitate unto thee the most easy way. Wherefore admonish thy people, if thy admonition shall be profitable unto them. Whoso feareth God, he will be admonished: but the most wretched unbeliever will turn away therefrom: who shall be cast to be broiled in the greater fire of hell, wherein he shall not die, neither shall he live. Now hath he attained felicity who is purified by faith, and who remembereth the name of his Lord, and prayeth. But ye prefer this present life: yet the life to come is better, and more durable. Verily this is written in the ancient books, the books of Abraham and Moses.

CHAPTER LXXXVIII.

ENTITLED, THE OVERWHELMING; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

HATH the news of the overwhelming day of judgment reached thee? The countenances of some, on that day, shall be cast down; labouring and toiling: they shall be cast into scorching fire to be broiled: they shall be given to drink of a boiling fountain: they shall have no food, but of dry thorns and thistles; which shall not fatten, neither shall they satisfy hunger. But the countenances of others, on that day, shall be joyful; well pleased with their past endeavour; they shall be placed in a lofty garden, wherein thou shalt hear no vain discourse: therein shall be a running fountain: therein shall be raised beds, and goblets placed before them, and cushions laid in order, and carpets ready spread. Do they not consider the camels, how they are created; and the heaven, how it is raised; and the mountains, how they are fixed; and the earth, how it is extended? Wherefore warn thy people; for thou art a warner only: thou art not empowered to act with authority over them. But whoever shall turn back, and disbelieve, God shall punish him with the greater punishment of the life to come. Verily unto us shall they return: then shall it be our part to bring them to account.

CHAPTER LXXXIX.

ENTITLED, THE DAYBREAK; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

By the daybreak, and ten nights; by that which is doubled, and, that which is single; and by the night when it cometh on: is there not in this an oath formed with understanding? Hast thou not con

sidered how thy Lord dealt with Ad, the people of Irem, adorned with lofty buildings, the like whereof hath not been erected in the land; and with Thamud, who hewed the rocks in the valley into houses; and with Pharaoh, the contriver of the stakes: who had behaved insolently in the earth; and multiplied corruption therein? Wherefore thy Lord poured on them various kinds of chastisement: for thy Lord is surely in a watch-tower, whence he observeth the actions of men. Moreover man, when his Lord trieth him by prosperity, and honoureth him, and is bounteous unto him, saith, My Lord honoureth me: but when he proveth him by afflictions, and withholdeth his provisions from him, he saith, My Lord despiseth me. By no means: but ye honour not the orphan, neither do ye excite one another to feed the poor; and ye devour the inheritance of the weak, with undistinguishing greediness; and ye love riches, with much affection. By no means should ye do thus. When the earth shall be minutely ground to dust; and thy Lord shall come, and the angels rank by rank: and hell, on that day, shall be brought nigh: on that day shall man call to remembrance his evil deeds; but how shali remembrance avail him? He shall say, Would to God that I had heretofore done good works in my lifetime! On that day none shall punish with his punishment; nor shall any bind with his bonds. O thou soul which art at rest, return unto thy Lord, well pleased with thy reward, and well pleasing unto God: enter among my servants; and enter my paradise.

CHAPTER XC.

ENTITLED, THE TERRITORY; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

I SWEAR by this territory (and thou, O prophet, residest in this territory), and by the begetter, and that which he hath begotten; verily we have created man in misery. Doth he think that none shall prevail over him? He saith, I have wasted plenty of riches. Doth The think that none seeth him? Have we not made him two eyes. and a tongue, and two lips; and shown him the two highways of good and evil? Yet he attempteth not the cliff. What shall make thee to understand what the cliff is? It is to free the captive: or to feed, in the day of famine, the orphan who is of kin, or the poor man who lieth on the ground. Whoso doth this, and is one of those who believe, and recommend perseverance unto each other, and recommend mercy unto each other; these shall be the companions of the right hand. But they who shall disbelieve our signs, shall be the companions of the left hand: above them shall be arched fire.