26: The Poets |
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It may be thou frettest thy soul with grief, that they do not become Believers. |
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If (such) were Our Will, We could send down to them from the sky a Sign, to which they would bend their necks in humility. |
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But there comes not to them a newly-revealed Message from (God) Most Gracious, but they turn away therefrom. |
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They have indeed rejected (the Message): so they will know soon (enough) the truth of what they mocked at! |
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Do they not look at the earth,- how many noble things of all kinds We have produced therein? |
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And verily, thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful. |
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Behold, thy Lord called Moses: "Go to the people of iniquity,- |
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He said: "O my Lord! I do fear that they will charge me with falsehood: |
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"My breast will be straitened. And my speech may not go (smoothly): so send unto Aaron. |
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"And (further), they have a charge of crime against me; and I fear they may slay me." |
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God said: "By no means! proceed then, both of you, with Our Signs; We are with you, and will listen (to your call). |
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"So go forth, both of you, to Pharaoh, and say: 'We have been sent by the Lord and Cherisher of the worlds; |
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(Pharaoh) said: "Did we not cherish thee as a child among us, and didst thou not stay in our midst many years of thy life? |
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"And thou didst a deed of thine which (thou knowest) thou didst, and thou art an ungrateful (wretch)!" |
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"So I fled from you (all) when I feared you; but my Lord has (since) invested me with judgment (and wisdom) and appointed me as one of the apostles. |
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"And this is the favour with which thou dost reproach me,- that thou hast enslaved the Children of Israel!" |
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Pharaoh said: "And what is the 'Lord and Cherisher of the worlds'?" |
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(Moses) said: "The Lord and Cherisher of the heavens and the earth, and all between,- if ye want to be quite sure." |
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(Pharaoh) said to those around: "Did ye not listen (to what he says)?" |
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(Moses) said: "Your Lord and the Lord of your fathers from the beginning!" |
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(Pharaoh) said: "Truly your apostle who has been sent to you is a veritable madman!" |
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(Moses) said: "Lord of the East and the West, and all between! if ye only had sense!" |
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(Pharaoh) said: "If thou dost put forward any god other than me, I will certainly put thee in prison!" |
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(Moses) said: "Even if I showed you something clear (and) convincing?" |
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So (Moses) threw his rod, and behold, it was a serpent, plain (for all to see)! |
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And he drew out his hand, and behold, it was white to all beholders! |
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(Pharaoh) said to the Chiefs around him: "This is indeed a sorcerer well-versed: |
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"His plan is to get you out of your land by his sorcery; then what is it ye counsel?" |
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They said: "Keep him and his brother in suspense (for a while), and dispatch to the Cities heralds to collect- |
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So the sorcerers were got together for the appointment of a day well-known, |
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"That we may follow the sorcerers (in religion) if they win?" |
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So when the sorcerers arrived, they said to Pharaoh: "Of course - shall we have a (suitable) reward if we win? |
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He said: "Yea, (and more),- for ye shall in that case be (raised to posts) nearest (to my person)." |
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Moses said to them: "Throw ye - that which ye are about to throw!" |
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So they threw their ropes and their rods, and said: "By the might of Pharaoh, it is we who will certainly win!" |
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Then Moses threw his rod, when, behold, it straightway swallows up all the falsehoods which they fake! |
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Said (Pharaoh): "Believe ye in Him before I give you permission? surely he is your leader, who has taught you sorcery! but soon shall ye know! |
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"Be sure I will cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will cause you all to die on the cross!" |
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They said: "No matter! for us, we shall but return to our Lord! |
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"Only, our desire is that our Lord will forgive us our faults, that we may become foremost among the believers!" |
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By inspiration we told Moses: "Travel by night with my servants; for surely ye shall be pursued." |
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Thus it was, but We made the Children of Israel inheritors of such things. |
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And when the two bodies saw each other, the people of Moses said: "We are sure to be overtaken." |
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(Moses) said: "By no means! my Lord is with me! Soon will He guide me!" |
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Then We told Moses by inspiration: "Strike the sea with thy rod." So it divided, and each separate part became like the huge, firm mass of a mountain. |
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And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful. |
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Behold, he said to his father and his people: "What worship ye?" |
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They said: "We worship idols, and we remain constantly in attendance on them." |
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He said: "Do they listen to you when ye call (on them), or do you good or harm?" |
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They said: "Nay, but we found our fathers doing thus (what we do)." |
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"For they are enemies to me; not so the Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds; |
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"And who, I hope, will forgive me my faults on the day of Judgment. |
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"O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me, and join me with the righteous; |
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"Grant me honourable mention on the tongue of truth among the latest (generations); |
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"And let me not be in disgrace on the Day when (men) will be raised up;- |
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"But only he (will prosper) that brings to God a sound heart; |
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"And to those straying in Evil, the Fire will be placed in full view; |
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"And it shall be said to them: 'Where are the (gods) ye worshipped- |
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"Then they will be thrown headlong into the (Fire),- they and those straying in Evil, |
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"'And our seducers were only those who were steeped in guilt. |
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"'Now if we only had a chance of return we shall truly be of those who believe!'" |
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And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful. |
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Behold, their brother Noah said to them: "Will ye not fear (God)? |
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"No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds: |
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They said: "Shall we believe in thee when it is the meanest that follow thee?" |
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"Their account is only with my Lord, if ye could (but) understand. |
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They said: "If thou desist not, O Noah! thou shalt be stoned (to death)." |
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"Judge Thou, then, between me and them openly, and deliver me and those of the Believers who are with me." |
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So We delivered him and those with him, in the Ark filled (with all creatures). |
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And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful. |
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Behold, their brother Húd said to them: "Will ye not fear (God)? |
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"No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds. |
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"Do ye build a landmark on every high place to amuse yourselves? |
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"And do ye get for yourselves fine buildings in the hope of living therein (for ever)? |
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"And when ye exert your strong hand, do ye do it like men of absolute power? |
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"Yea, fear Him Who has bestowed on you freely all that ye know. |
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They said: "It is the same to us whether thou admonish us or be not among (our) admonishers! |
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So they rejected him, and We destroyed them. Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe. |
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And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful. |
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Behold, their brother Salih said to them: "Will you not fear (God)? |
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"No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds. |
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"Will ye be left secure, in (the enjoyment of) all that ye have here?- |
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"And corn-fields and date-palms with spathes near breaking (with the weight of fruit)? |
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"And ye carve houses out of (rocky) mountains with great skill. |
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"Thou art no more than a mortal like us: then bring us a Sign, if thou tellest the truth!" |
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He said: "Here is a she-camel: she has a right of watering, and ye have a right of watering, (severally) on a day appointed. |
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"Touch her not with harm, lest the Penalty of a Great Day seize you." |
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But they ham-strung her: then did they become full of regrets. |
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But the Penalty seized them. Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe. |
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And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful. |
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Behold, their brother Lut said to them: "Will ye not fear (God)? |
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"No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the lord of the Worlds. |
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"And leave those whom God has created for you to be your mates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!" |
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They said: "If thou desist not, O Lut! thou wilt assuredly be cast out!" |
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"O my Lord! deliver me and my family from such things as they do!" |
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We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): and evil was the shower on those who were admonished (but heeded not)! |
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And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might Most Merciful. |
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"No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds. |
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"And withhold not things justly due to men, nor do evil in the land, working mischief. |
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"And fear Him Who created you and (who created) the generations before (you)" |
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"Thou art no more than a mortal like us, and indeed we think thou art a liar! |
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"Now cause a piece of the sky to fall on us, if thou art truthful!" |
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But they rejected him. Then the punishment of a day of overshadowing gloom seized them, and that was the Penalty of a Great Day. |
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And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful. |
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Without doubt it is (announced) in the mystic Books of former peoples. |
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Is it not a Sign to them that the Learned of the Children of Israel knew it (as true)? |
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And had he recited it to them, they would not have believed in it. |
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They will not believe in it until they see the grievous Penalty; |
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But the (Penalty) will come to them of a sudden, while they perceive it not; |
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Seest thou? If We do let them enjoy (this life) for a few years, |
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Yet there comes to them at length the (Punishment) which they were promised! |
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It would neither suit them nor would they be able (to produce it). |
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Indeed they have been removed far from even (a chance of) hearing it. |
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So call not on any other god with God, or thou wilt be among those under the Penalty. |
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Then if they disobey thee, say: "I am free (of responsibility) for what ye do!" |
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Shall I inform you, (O people!), on whom it is that the evil ones descend? |
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(Into whose ears) they pour hearsay vanities, and most of them are liars. |
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And the Poets,- It is those straying in Evil, who follow them: |
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Seest thou not that they wander distracted in every valley?- |
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Except those who believe, work righteousness, engage much in the remembrance of God, and defend themselves only after they are unjustly attacked. And soon will the unjust assailants know what vicissitudes their affairs will take! |