God disdains not to use
The similitude of things,
Lowest as well as highest.
Those who believe know
That it is truth from their Lord;
But those who reject Faith say:
"What means God by this similitude?"
By it He causes many to stray,
And many He leads into the right path;
But He causes not to stray,
Except those who forsake (the path),—
And remember, We delivered you
From the people of Pharaoh: they set you
Hard tasks and punishments, slaughtered
Your sons and let your women-folk live;
Therein was a tremendous trial from your Lord.
Said the chiefs of Pharaoh's
People: "Wilt thou leave
Moses and his people,
To spread mischief in the land,
And to abandon thee
And thy gods?" He said:
"Their male children will we
Slay; (only) their females
Will we save alive;
And we have over them
(Power) irresistible."
And remember We rescued you
From Pharaoh's people,
Who afflicted you with
The worst of penalties,
Who slew your male children
And saved alive your females:
In that was a momentous
Trial from your Lord.
Remember! Moses said
To his people: "Call to mind
The favour of God to you
When He delivered you
From the people of Pharaoh:
They set you hard tasks
And punishments, slaughtered
Your sons, and let your women-folk
Live: therein was
A tremendous trial from your Lord."
Truly Pharaoh elated himself
In the land and broke up
Its people into sections,
Depressing a small group
Among them: their sons he slew,
But he kept alive their females:
For he was indeed
A maker of mischief.
O ye who believe!
Enter not the Prophet's houses,—
Until leave is given you,
For a meal, (and then)
Not (so early as) to wait
For its preparation: but when
Ye are invited, enter;
And when ye have taken
Your meal, disperse,
Without seeking familiar talk.
Such (behaviour) annoys
The Prophet: he is ashamed
To dismiss you, but
God is not ashamed
(To tell you) the truth.
And when ye
Ask (his ladies)
For anything ye want,
Ask them from before
A screen: that makes
For greater purity for
Your hearts and for theirs.
Nor is it right for you
That ye should annoy
God's Apostle, or that
Ye should marry his widows
After him at any time.
Truly such a thing is
In God's sight an enormity.
Now, when he came to them
In Truth, from Us,
They said, "Slay the sons
Of those who believe a
With him, and keep alive
Their females," but the plots
Of Unbelievers (end) in nothing
But errors (and delusions)!…