But the transgressors among them
Changed the word from that
Which had been given them
So we sent on them
A plague from heaven.
For that they repeatedly transgressed.
"And O my people! Ask
Forgiveness of your Lord,
And turn to Him (in repentance):
He will send you the skies
Pouring abundant rain,
And add strength
To your strength:
So turn ye not back
In sin!"
"If ye turn away,—
I (at least) have conveyed
The Message with which I
Was sent to you. My Lord
Will make another People
To succeed you, and you
Will not harm Him
In the least. For my Lord
Hath care and watch
Over all things."
But when he saw
Their hands went not
Towards the (meal), he felt
Some mistrust of them,
And conceived a fear of them.
They said: "Fear not:
We have been sent
Against the people of Lūt."
Then there came a caravan
Of travellers: they sent
Their water-carrier (for water),
And he let down his bucket
(Into the well)… He said:
"Ah there! Good news!
Here is a (fine) young man!"
So they concealed him
As a treasure! But God
Knoweth well all that they do!
When she heard
Of their malicious talk,
She sent for them
And prepared a banquet
For them: she gave
Each of them a knife:
And she said (to Joseph),
"Come out before them."
When they saw him,
They did extol him,
And (in their amazement)
Cut their hands: they said,
"God preserve us! no mortal
Is this! This is none other
Than a noble angel!"
But the man who had been
Released, one of the two
(Who had been in prison)
And who now bethought him
After (so long) a space of time,
Said: "I will tell you
The truth of its interpretation:
Send ye me (therefor)."
Now when they returned
To their father, they said:
"O our father! No more
Measure of grain shall we get
(Unless we take our brother):
So send our brother with us,
That we may get our measure;
And we will indeed
Take every care of him."
(Jacob) said: "Never will I
Send him with you until
Ye swear a solemn oath to me,
In God's name, that ye
Will be sure to bring him back
To me unless ye are yourselves
Hemmed in (and made powerless)."
And when they had sworn
Their solemn oath,
He said: "Over all
That we say, be God
The Witness and Guardian!"
Nor did We send before thee
(As apostles) any but men,
Whom We did inspire,—
(Men) living in human habitations.
Do they not travel
Through the earth, and see
What was the end
Of those before them?
But the home of the Hereafter
Is best, for those who do right.
Will ye not then understand?
Nay, thunder repeateth His praises,
And so do the angels, with awe:
He flingeth the loud-voiced
Thunder-bolts, and therewith
He striketh whomsoever He will…
Yet these (are the men)
Who (dare to) dispute
About God, with the strength
Of His power (supreme)!
Thus have We sent thee
Amongst a People before whom
(Long since) have (other) Peoples
(Gone and) passed away;
In order that thou mightest
Rehearse unto them what We
Send down unto thee by inspiration;
Yet do they reject (Him),
The Most Gracious!
Say: "He is my Lord!
There is no god but He!
On Him is my trust,
And to Him do I turn!"
We did send apostles
Before thee, and appointed
For them wives and children:
And it was never the part
Of an apostle to bring a Sign
Except as God permitted
(Or commanded). For each period
Is a Book (revealed).
We sent not an apostle
Except (to teach) in the language
Of his (own) people, in order
To make (things) clear to them.
Now God leaves straying
Those whom He pleases
And guides whom He pleases:
And He is Exalted in Power,
Full of Wisdom.
We sent Moses with Our Signs
(And the command). "Bring out
Thy people from the depths
Of darkness into light,
And teach them to remember
The Days of God." Verily
In this there are Signs
For such as are firmly patient
And constant,—grateful and appreciative.
Has not the story
Reached you, (O people!), of those
Who (went) before you?—
Of the People of Noah,
And ’Ād, and Thamūd?—
And of those who (came)
After them? None knows them
But God. To them came
Apostles with Clear (Signs);
But they put their hands
Up to their mouths, and said:
"We do deny (the mission)
On which ye have been sent,
And we are really
In suspicious (disquieting) doubt
As to that to which
Ye invite us."