He replied: "Did I not tell thee that thou wilt never be able to have patience with me?"

Said [Moses]: "If, after this, I should ever question thee, keep me not in thy company: [for by] now thou hast heard enough excuses from me."

And so the two went on, till, when they came upon some village people, they asked them for food; but those [people] refused them all hospitality. And they saw in that (village] a wall which was on the point of tumbling down, and [the sage] rebuilt it [whereupon Moses] said: "Hadst thou so wished, surely thou couldst [at least] have obtained some payment for it?"

[The sage] replied: "This is the parting of ways between me and thee. [And now] I shall let thee know the real meaning of all [those events] that thou wert unable to bear with patience:,

"As for that boat, it belonged to some needy people who toiled upon the sea -and I desired to damage it because (I knew that] behind them was a king who is wont to seize every boat by brute force.

"And as for that young man, his parents were [true] believers - whereas we had every reason to fear that he would bring bitter grief upon them by [his] overweening wickedness and denial of all truth:

and so we desired that their Sustainer grant them in his stead [a child] of greater purity than him, and closer [to them] in loving tenderness.

"And as for that wall, it belonged to two orphan boys [living] in the town, and beneath it was [buried] a treasure belonging to them [by right]. Now their father had been a righteous man, and so thy Sustainer willed it that when they come of age they should bring forth their treasure by thy Sustainer's grace. "And I did not do (any of] this of my own accord: this is the real meaning of all [those events] that thou wert unable to bear with patience."

AND THEY will ask thee about the Two-Horned One. Say: "I will convey unto you something by which he ought to be remembered."

Behold, We established him securely on earth, and endowed him with [the knowledge of] the right means to achieve anything [that he might set out to achieve];

and so he chose the right means [in whatever he did].

[And he marched westwards] till, when he came to the setting of the sun, it appeared to him that it was setting in a dark, turbid sea; and nearby he found a people [given to every kind of wrongdoing]. We said: "O thou Two-Horned One! Thou mayest either cause [them] to suffer or treat them with kindness!"

He answered: "As for him who does wrong [unto others] - him shall we, in time, cause to suffer; and thereupon he shall be referred to his Sustainer, and He will cause him to suffer with unnameable suffering.

But as for him who believes and does righteous deeds - he will have the ultimate good [of the life to come] as his reward; and [as for us,] we shall make binding on him [only] that which is easy to fulfill."

And once again he chose the right means [to achieve a right end].

[And then he marched eastwards] till, when he came to the rising of the sun he found that it was rising on a people for whom We had provided no coverings against it:

thus [We had made them, and thus he left them; and We did encompass with Our knowledge all that he had in mind

And once again he chose the right means (to achieve a right end].

[And he marched on] till, when he reached [a place] between the two mountain-barriers, he found beneath them a people who could scarcely understand a word [of his language].

They said: "O thou Two-Horned One! Behold, Gog and Magog" are spoiling this land. May we, then, pay unto thee a tribute on the understanding that thou wilt erect a barrier between us and them?"

He answered: "That wherein my Sustainer has so securely established me is better [than anything that you could give me]; hence, do but help me with [your labour's] strength, [and] I shall erect a rampart between you and them!

Bring me ingots of iron!" Then, after he had [piled up the iron and] filled the gap between the two mountain-sides, he said: "[Light a fire and] ply your bellows!" At length, when he had made it [glow like] fire, he commanded: "Bring me molten copper which I may pour upon it."

And thus [the rampart was built, and] their enemies were unable to scale it, and neither were they able to pierce it.

Said [the King]: "This is a mercy from my Sustainer! Yet when the time appointed by my Sustainer shall come, He will make this [rampart] level with the ground: and my Sustainer's promise always comes true!"

AND ON that Day" We shall [call forth all mankind and] leave them to surge like waves [that dash] against one another; and the trumpet [of judgment] will be blown, and We shall gather them all together.

And on that Day We shall place hell, for all to see, before those who denied the truth-

those whose eyes had been veiled against any remembrance of Me because they could not bear to listen [to the voice of truth]!

Do they who are bent on denying the truth think, perchance, that they could take [any of] My creatures for protectors against Me? Verily, We have readied hell to welcome all who [thus] deny the truth!

Say: "Shall we tell you who are the greatest losers in whatever they may do?

"[It is] they whose labour has gone astray in [the pursuit of no more than] this world's life, and who none the less think that they are doing good works:

it is they who have chosen to deny their Sustainer's messages and the truth; that they are deseined to meet Him." Hence, all their [good] deeds come to nought, and no weight shall We assign to them on Resurrection Day.

That will be their recompense - [their] hell -for having denied the truth and made My messages and My apostles a target of their mockery.

[But,] verily, as for those who attain to faith and do righteous deeds - the gardens of paradise will be there to welcome them;

therein will they abide, [and] never will they desire any change therefrom.

SAY: "If all the sea were ink for my Sustainer's words, the sea would indeed be exhausted ere my Sustainer's words are exhausted! And [thus it would be] if we were to add to it sea upon sea."

Say [O Prophet]: "I am but a mortal man like all of you. It has been revealed unto me that your God is the One and Only God. Hence, whoever looks forward [with hope and awe] to meeting his Sustainer [on Judgment Day], let him do righteous deeds, and let him not ascribe unto anyone or anything a share in the worship due to his Sustainer!"

Kaf. Ha. Ya. `Ayn. Sad.

AN ACCOUNT of the grace which thy Sustainer bestowed upon His servant Zachariah:

When he called out to his Sustainer in the secrecy of his heart,

he prayed: "O my Sustainer! Feeble have become my bones, and my head glistens with grey hair. But never yet, O my Lord, has my prayer unto Thee remained unanswered.

"Now, behold, I am afraid of [what] my kinsfolk [will do] after I am gone, for my wife has always been barren. Bestow, then, upon me, out of Thy grace, the gift of a successor

who will be my heir as well as an heir [to the dignity] of the House of Jacob; and make him, O my Sustainer, well-pleasing to Thee!"

[Thereupon the angels called out unto him: "O Zachariah! We bring thee the glad tiding of [the birth of] a son whose name shall be John. [And God says,] `Never have We given this name to anyone before him."

[Zachariah] exclaimed: "O my Sustainer! How can I have a son when my wife has always been barren and I have become utterly infirm through old age?"

Answered [the angel]: "Thus. it is; [but] thy 'Sustainer says, `This is easy for Me -even as I have created thee aforetime out of nothing.

[Zachariah] prayed: "O my Sustainer! Appoint a sign for me!" Said [the angel]: "Thy sign shall be that for full three nights [and days] thou wilt not speak unto men.

Thereupon he came out of the sanctuary unto his people and signified to them [by gestures]: "Extol His limitless glory by day and by night!"

[And when the son was born and grew up, he was told,] "O John! Hold fast unto the divine writ with [all thy] strength!" - for We granted him wisdom "while he was yet a little boy,

as well as, by Our grace, [the gift of] compassion and purity; and he was [always] conscious of Us

and full of piety towards his parents; and never was he haughty or rebellious.

Hence, [God's] peace was upon him on the day when he was born, and on the day of his death, and. will be [upon him] on the day when he shall be raised to life [again].

AND CALL to mind, through this divine writ, Mary. Lo! She withdrew from her family to an eastern place

and kept herself in seclusion from them, whereupon We sent unto her Our angel of revelation, who appeared to her in the shape of a well-made human being.

She exclaimed: "Verily, 'I seek refuge from thee with the Most Gracious! [Approach me not] if thou art conscious of Him!"

[The angel] answered: "I' am but a messenger of thy Sustainer, [who says,] `I shall bestow upon thee the gift of a son endowed with purity.'"

Said she: "How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me? - for, never have I been a loose woman!"

[The angel] answered: "Thus it is; [but] thy Sustainer says, `This is easy for Me; and [thou shalt have a son,] so that We might make him a symbol unto mankind and an act of grace from US. And it was a thing decreed [by God]:

and in time she conceived him, and then she withdrew with him to a far-off place.

And [when] the throes of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree, she exclaimed: "Oh, would that I had died ere this, and had become a thing forgotten, utterly forgotten!"

Thereupon [a voice] called out to her from beneath that [palm-tree]: "Grieve not! Thy Sustainer has provided a rivulet [running] beneath thee;

and shake the trunk of the palm-tree towards thee: it will drop fresh, ripe dates upon thee.

Eat, then, and drink, and let thine eye be gladdened! And if thou shouldst see any human being, convey this unto him: `Behold, abstinence from speech have I vowed unto the Most Gracious; hence, I may not speak today to any mortal.

And in time she returned to her people, carrying the child with her. They said: "O Mary! Thou hast indeed done an amazing thing!

O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a wicked man, nor was thy mother a loose woman!"

Thereupon she pointed to him. They exclaimed: "How can we talk to one who [as yet] is a little boy in the cradle?"

[But] he said: "Behold, I am a servant of God. He has vouchsafed unto me revelation and made me a prophet,

and made me blessed wherever I may be; and He has enjoined upon me prayer and charity as long as I live,

and [has endowed me with] piety towards my mother; and He has not made me haughty or bereft of grace.

"Hence, peace was upon me on the day when I was born, and [will be upon me] on the day of my death, and on the day when I shall be raised to life [again]!"

SUCH WAS, in the words of truth, Jesus the son of Mary, about whose nature they so deeply disagree.

It is not conceivable that God should have taken unto Himself a son: limitless is He in His glory! When He wills a thing to be, He but says unto it "Be" -and it is!

And [thus it was that Jesus always said]: "Verily, God is my Sustainer as well as your Sustainer; so worship [none but] Him: this (alone] is a straight way."

And yet, the sects [that follow the Bible] are at variance among themselves [about the nature of Jesus Woe, then, unto all who deny the truth when that awesome Day will appear!

How well will they hear and see [the truth] on the Day when they come before Us! Today, however, these evildoers are obviously lost in error:

hence, warn them of [the coming of] the Day of Regrets, when everything will have been decided-for as yet they are heedless, and they do not believe [in it].

Behold, We alone shall remain after the earth and all who live on it have passed away, and (when] unto Us all will have been brought back.

AND CALL to mind, through this divine writ, Abraham. Behold, he was a man of truth, [already] a prophet

when he spoke [thus] unto his father: "O my father! Why dost thou worship something that neither hears nor sees and can be of no avail whatever to thee?

"O my father! Behold, there has indeed come to me [a ray] of knowledge such as has never yet come unto thee: follow me, then; I shall guide thee onto a perfect way.

"O my father! Do not worship Satan-for, verily, Satan is a rebel against the Most Gracious!

O my father! I dread lest a chastisement from the Most Gracious befall thee, and then thou wilt become [aware of having been] close unto Satan!"

He answered: "Dost thou dislike my gods, O Abraham? Indeed, if thou desist not, I shall most certainly cause thee to be stoned to death! Now begone from me for good!"

[Abraham] replied: "Peace be upon thee! I shall ask my Sustainer to forgive thee: for, behold, He has always been kind unto me.

But I shall withdraw from you all and from whatever you invoke instead of God, and shall invoke my Sustainer [alone]: it may well be that my prayer [for thee] will not remain unanswered by my Sustainer."

And after he had withdrawn from them and from all that they were worshipping instead of God, We bestowed upon him Isaac and Jacob, and made each of them a prophet;

and We bestowed upon them [manifold] gifts out of Our grace, and granted them a lofty power to convey the truth [unto others].

AND CALL to mind, through this divine writ, Moses. Behold, he was a chosen one, and was an apostle [of God], a prophet.

And [remember how] We called upon him from the right-hand slope of Mount Sinai and drew him near [unto Us] in mystic communion,

and [how], out of Our grace, We granted unto him his brother Aaron, to be a prophet [by his side].

AND CALL to mind, through this divine writ, Ishmael. Behold, he was always true to his promise, and was an apostle [of God], a prophet,

who used to enjoin upon his people prayer and charity, and found favour in his Sustainer's sight.

AND CALL to mind, through this divine writ, Idris. Behold, he was a man of truth, a prophet,

whom We exalted onto a lofty station.

THESE WERE some of the prophets upon whom God bestowed His blessings - [prophets] of the seed of Adam and of those whom We caused to be borne [in the ark] with Noah, and of the seed of Abraham and Israel and [all of them were] among those whom We had guided and elected; [and] whenever the messages of the Most Gracious were conveyed unto them, they would fall down [before Him], prostrating themselves and weeping.

Yet they were succeeded by generations [of people] who lost all [thought of] prayer and followed [but] their own lusts; and these will, in time, meet with utter disillusion.

Excepted, however, shall be those who repent and attain to faith and do righteous deeds: for it is they who will enter paradise and will not be wronged in any way:

[theirs will be the] gardens of perpetual bliss which the Most Gracious has promised unto His servants, in a realm which is beyond the reach of human perception: [and,] verily, His promise is ever sure of fulfilment!

No empty talk will they hear there-nothing but [tidings of] inner soundness and peace; and there will they have their sustenance by day and by night:

this is the paradise which We grant as a heritage unto such of Our servants as are conscious of Us.

AND [the angels say]: "We do not descend [with revelation], again and again, other than by thy Sustainer's command: unto Him belongs all that lies open before us and all that is hidden-from us and all that is in-between. And never does thy Sustainer forget [anything] –

the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them! Worship, then, Him alone, and remain steadfast in His worship! Dost thou know any whose name is worthy to be mentioned side by side with His?"

WITH ALL THIS, man [often] says, "What! Once I am dead, shall I again be brought forth alive?"

But does man not bear in mind that We have created him aforetime out of nothing?

And so, by thy Sustainer, [on Judgment Day] We shall most certainly bring them forth together with the satanic forces [which impelled them in life] and then We shall most certainly gather them, on their knees, around hell;

and thereupon We shall, indeed, draw forth from every group [of sinners] the ones that had been most determined in their disdainful rebellion against the Most Gracious:

for, indeed, We know best as to which of them is most deserving of the fires of hell.

And every one of you will come within sight of it: this is, with thy Sustainer, a decree that must be fulfilled.

And once again: We shall save [from hell] those who have been conscious of Us; but We shall leave in it the evildoers, on their knees.

AS IT IS, whenever Our messages are conveyed to them in all their clarity, those who are bent on denying the truth are wont to say unto those who have attained to faith: "Which of the two kinds of man is in a stronger position and superior as a community?"

And yet, how many a generation have We destroyed before their time-[people] who surpassed them in material power and in outward show!

Say: "As for him who lives in error, may the Most Gracious lengthen the span of his life! [And let them say whatever they say until the time when they behold that [doom] of which they were forewarned-whether it be suffering [in this world] or [at the coming of] the Last Hour -: for then they will understand which [of the two kinds of man] was worse in station and weaker in resources!

And God endows those who avail themselves of [His] guidance with an ever-deeper consciousness of the right way; and good deeds, the fruit whereof endures forever, are, in thy Sustainer's sight, of far greater merit [than any worldly goods], and yield far better returns.

And hast thou ever considered [the kind of man] who is bent on denying the truth of Our messages and says, "I will surely be given wealth and children"?

Has he, perchance, attained to a realm which is beyond the reach of a created being's perception? or has he concluded a covenant with the Most Gracious?

Nay! We shall record what he says, and We shall lengthen the length of his suffering [in the hereafter],

and divest him of all that he is [now] speaking of: for [on Judgment Day] he will appear before Us in a lonely state.

For [such as] these have taken to worshipping deities other than God, hoping that they would be a [source of] strength for them.

But nay! [On Judgment Day] these [very objects of adoration] will disavow the worship that was paid to them, and will turn against those [who had worshipped them]!

ART THOU NOT aware that We have let loose all [manner of] satanic forces upon those who deny the truth - [forces] that impel them [towards sin] with strong impulsion?

Hence, be not in haste [to call down God's punishment] upon them: for We but number the number of their days.

On the Day when We shall gather the Godconscious unto [Us,] the Most Gracious, as honoured guests,

and drive those who were lost in sin unto hell as a thirsty herd is driven to a well –

[on that Day] none will have [the benefit of] intercession unless he has [in his lifetime] entered into a bond with the Most Gracious.

As it is, some assert, "The Most Gracious has taken unto Himself a son„!

Indeed, [by this assertion] you have brought forth something monstrous,

whereat the heavens might well-nigh be rent into fragments, and the earth be split asunder, and the mountains fall down in ruins!

That men. should ascribe a son to the Most Gracious,

although it is inconceivable that the Most Gracious should take unto Himself a son!

Not one of all [the beings] that are in the heavens or on earth appears before the Most Gracious other than as a servant:

indeed, He has full cognizance of them, and has numbered them with [unfailing] numbering;

and every one of them will appear before Him on Resurrection Day in a lonely state.

VERILY, those who attain to faith and do righteous deeds will the Most Gracious endow with love:

and only to this end have We made this [divine writ] easy to understand, in thine own tongue, [O Prophet,] so that thou might convey thereby a glad tiding to the God-conscious, and warn thereby those who are given to [futile] contention:

for, how many a generation have We destroyed before their time - [and] canst thou perceive any one of them [now], or hear any whisper of them?

O MAN!

We did not bestow the Qur'an on thee from on high to make thee unhappy,

but only as an exhortation to all who stand in awe [of God]:

a revelation from Him who has created the earth and the high heavens

the Most Gracious, established on the throne of His almightiness?

Unto Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, as well as all that is between them and all that is beneath the sod.

And if thou say anything aloud, [He hears it] since, behold, He knows [even] the secret [thoughts of man] as well as all that is yet more hidden [within him].

God-there is no deity save Him; His [alone] are the attributes of perfection!

AND HAS the story of Moses ever come within thy ken?

Lo! he saw a fire [in the desert]; and so he said to his family: "Wait here! Behold, I perceive a fire [far away]: perhaps I can bring you a brand there from, or find at the fire some guidance."

But when he came close to it, a voice called out: "O Moses!

Verily, I am thy Sustainer! Take off, then, thy sandals! Behold, thou art in the twice hallowed valley,

and I have chosen thee [to be My apostle]: listen, then, to what is being revealed [unto thee].

"Verily, I - I alone - am God; there is no deity save Me. Hence, worship Me alone, and be constant in prayer, so as to remember Me!

"Behold, [although] I have willed to keep it hidden, the Last Hour is bound to come, so that every human being may be recompensed in accordance with what he strove for [in life].

Hence, let not anyone who does not believe in its coming and follows [but] his own desires divert thee from [belief in] it, lest thou perish!

"Now, what is this in thy right hand, O Moses?"

He answered: "It is my staff; I lean on it; and with it I beat down leaves for my sheep; and [many] other uses have I for it."

Said He: "Throw it down, O Moses!"

So he threw it - and lo! it was a snake, moving rapidly.

Said He: "Take hold of it, and fear not: We shall restore it to its former state.

"Now place thy hand within thy armpit: it will come forth [shining] white, without blemish, as another sign [of Our grace],

so that We might make thee aware of some of Our greatest wonders.

"[And now] go thou unto Pharaoh: for, verily, he has transgressed all bounds of equity.

Said [Moses]: "O my Sustainer! Open up my heart [to Thy light],

and make my task easy for me,

and loosen the knot from my tongue

so that they might fully understand my speech,

and appoint for me, out of my kinsfolk, one who will help me to bear my burden:

Aaron, my brother.

Add Thou through him to my strength,

and let him share my task,

so that [together] we might abundantly extol Thy limitless glory

and remember Thee without cease!

Verily, Thou seest all that is within us!"

Said He: "Thou art granted all that thou hast asked for, O Moses!

"And, indeed, We bestowed Our favour upon thee at a time long since past,

when We inspired thy mother with this inspiration:

Place him in a chest and throw it into the river, and thereupon the river will cast him ashore, [and] one who is an enemy unto Me and an enemy unto him will adopt him. "And [thus early] I spread Mine Own love over thee -and [this] in order that thou might be formed under Mine eye.

"[And thou wert under Mine eye] when thy sister went forth and said [to Pharaoh's people], 'Shall I guide you unto [a woman] who might take charge of him?'' And so We returned thee unto thy mother, so that her eye be gladdened, and that she might not sorrow [any longer]. "And [when thou camest of age, thou didst slay a man: but We did save thee from all grief, although We tried thee with various trials. "And then thou didst sojourn for years among the people of Madyan; and now thou hast come [here] as ordained [by Me], O Moses:

for I have chosen thee for Mine Own service.

"Go forth, [then,] thou and thy brother, with My messages, and never tire of remembering Me:

go forth, both of you, unto Pharaoh: for, verily, he has transgressed all bounds of equity!

But speak unto him in a mild manner, so that he might bethink himself or [at least] be filled with apprehension.

The two [brothers] said: "O our Sustainer! Verily, we fear lest he act hastily with regard to us, or lest he [continue to] transgress all bounds of equity."

Answered He: "Fear not! Verily, I shall be with you two, hearing and seeing [all].

Go, then; you two unto him and say, `Behold, we are apostles sent by thy Sustainer: let, then, the children of Israel go with us, and cause them not to suffer [any longer]. We have now come unto thee with a message from thy Sustainer; and [know that His] peace shall be [only] on those who follow [His] guidance:

for, behold, it has been revealed to us that [in the life to come] suffering shall befall all who give the lie to the truth and turn away [from it]!"'

[But when God's message was conveyed unto Pharaoh,] he said: "Who, now, is this Sustainer of you two, O Moses?"

He replied: "Our Sustainer is He who gives unto every thing [that exists] its true nature and form. and thereupon guides it [towards its fulfilment].

Said [Pharaoh]: "And what of all the past generations?"

[Moses] answered: "Knowledge thereof rests with my Sustainer [alone, and is laid down] in His decree; my Sustainer does not err, and neither does He forget."

HE IT IS who has made the earth a cradle for you, and has traced out for you ways [of livelihood] thereon, and [who] sends down waters from the sky: and by this means We bring forth various kinds of plants.

Eat, [then, of this produce of the soil,] and pasture your cattle [thereon]. In all this, behold, there are messages indeed for those who are endowed with reason:

out of this [earth] have We created you, and into it shall We return you, and out of it shall We bring you forth once again.

AND, INDEED, We made Pharaoh aware of all Our messages-but he gave them the lie and refused [to heed them].

He said: "Hash thou come to drive us out of our land by thy sorcery, O Moses?

In that case, we shall most certainly produce before thee the like thereof! Appoint, then, a tryst between us and thee - which we shall not fail to keep, nor [mayest] thou -at a suitable place!"

Answered [Moses]: "Your tryst shall be the day of the Festival; and let the people assemble when the sun is risen high."

Thereupon Pharaoh withdrew [with his counsellors] and decided upon the scheme which he would pursue; and then he came [to the tryst].

Said Moses to them: "Woe unto you! Do not invent lies against God, lest He afflict you with most grievous suffering: for He who contrives [such] a lie is already undone!"

So they debated among themselves as to what to do; but they kept their counsel secret,

saying [to one another]: "These two are surely sorcerers intent on driving you from your land by their sorcery, and on doing away with your time-honoured way of life.

Hence, [O sorcerers of Egypt,] decide upon the scheme which you will pursue, and then come forward in one single body: for, indeed, he who prevails today shall prosper indeed!"

Said [the sorcerers]: "O Moses! Either thou throw (thy staff first], or we shall be the first to throw."

He answered: "Nay, you throw [first]." And lo! by virtue of their sorcery, their [magic] ropes and staffs seemed to him to be moving rapidly:

and in his heart Moses became apprehensive.

[But] We said: "Fear not! Verily, it is thou who shalt prevail!

And [now] throw that [staff] which is in thy right hand -it shall swallow up all that they have wrought: [for] they have wrought only a sorcerer's artifice, and the sorcerer can never come to any good, whatever he may aim at!"

[And so it happened and down fell the sorcerers, prostrating themselves in adoration, [and] exclaimed: "We have come to believe in the Sustainer of Moses and Aaron!"

Said [Pharaoh]: "Have you come to believe in him ere I have given you permission? Verily, he must be your master who has taught you magic! But I shall most certainly cut off your hands and feet in great numbers, because of [your] perverseness, and I shall most certainly crucify you in great numbers on trunks of palm-trees: and [I shall do this] so that you might come to know for certain as to which of us [two] can inflict a more severe chastisement, and [which] is the more abiding!"

They answered: "Never shall we prefer thee to all the evidence of the truth that has come unto us, nor to Him who has brought us into being! Decree, then, whatever thou art going to decree: thou canst decree only [something that pertains to] this worldly life!

As for us, behold, we have come to believe in our Sustainer, [hoping] that He may forgive us our faults and all that magic unto which thou hast forced us: for God is the best [to look forward to], and the One who is truly abiding."

VERILY, as for him who shall appear before his Sustainer [on Judgment Day] lost in sin - his [portion], behold, shall be hell: he will neither die therein nor live;

whereas he who shall appear before Him as a believer who has done righteous deeds - it is such that shall have lofty stations [in the life to come]:

gardens of perpetual bliss, through which running waters flow, therein to abide: for that shall be the recompense of all who attain to purity.

AND, INDEED, [a time came when] We thus inspired Moses: "Go forth with My servants by night, and strike out for them a dry path through the sea; [and] fear not of being overtaken, and dread not [the sea]."

And Pharaoh pursued them with his hosts: and they were overwhelmed by the sea which was destined to overwhelm them.

because Pharaoh had led his people astray and had not guided [them] aright.

O children of Israel! [Thus] We saved you from your enemy, and [then] We made a covenant with you on the right-hand slope of Mount Sinai, and repeatedly sent down manna and quails unto you, [saying,]

"Partake of the good things which We have provided for you as sustenance, but do not transgress therein the bounds of equity lest My condemnation fall upon you: for, he upon whom My condemnation falls has indeed thrown himself into utter ruin!"

Yet withal, behold, I forgive all sins unto any who repents and attains to faith and does righteous deeds, and thereafter keeps to the right path.

[AND GOD SAID:] "Now what has caused thee, O Moses, to leave thy people behind in so great a haste?"

He answered: "They are treading in my footsteps while I have hastened unto Thee, O my Sustainer, so that Thou might be well-pleased [with me]."

Said He: "Then [know that], verily, in thy absence We have put thy people to a test, and the Samaritan has led them astray."

Thereupon Moses returned to his people full of wrath and sorrow, [and] exclaimed: "O my people! Did not your Sustainer hold out [many] a goodly promise to you? bid, then, [the fulfilment of] this promise seem to you too long in coming? Or are you, perchance, determined to see your Sustainer's condemnation fall upon you, and so you broke your promise to me?"

They answered: "We did not break our promise to thee of our own free will, but [this is what happened:] we were loaded with the [sinful] burdens of the [Egyptian] people's ornaments, and so we threw them [into the fire], and likewise did this Samaritan cast [his into it]."

But then, [so they told Moses, the Samaritan] had produced for them [out of the molten gold] the effigy of a calf, which made a lowing sound; and thereupon they said [to one another], "This is your deity, and the deity of Moses-but he has forgotten [his past]

Why-did they not see that [the thing] could not give them any response, and had no power to harm or to benefit them?

And, indeed, even before [the return of Moses] had Aaron said unto them: "O my people! You are but being tempted to evil by this [idol] -for, behold, your [only] Sustainer is the Most Gracious! Follow me, then, and obey my bidding!"

[But] they answered: "By no means shall we cease to worship it until Moses comes back to us!"

[And now that he had come back, Moses] said: "O Aaron! What has prevented thee, when thou didst see that they had gone astray,

from [abandoning them and] following me? Hast thou, then, [deliberately] disobeyed my commandment?"

Answered [Aaron]: "O my mother's son! Seize me not by my beard, nor by my head! Behold, I was afraid lest [on thy return] thou say, 'Thou hast caused a split among the children of Israel, and hast paid no heed to my bidding!"

Said [Moses]: "What, then, didst thou have in view, O Samaritan?"

He answered: "I have gained insight into something which they were unable to see: and so I took hold of a handful of the Apostle's teachings and cast it away: for thus has my mind prompted me [to act]."

Said [Moses]; "Begone, then! And, behold, it shall be thy lot to say throughout [thy] life, `Touch me not! But, verily, [in the life to come] thou shalt be faced with a destiny from which there will be no escape! And [now] look at this deity of thine to whose worship thou hast become so devoted: we shall most certainly burn it, and then scatter [whatever remains of] it far and wide over the sea!

Your only deity is God - He save whom there is no deity, [and whho] embraces all things within His knowledge!"

THUS DO WE relate unto thee some of the stories of what happened in the past; and [thus] have We vouchsafed unto thee, out of Our grace, a reminder.

All who shall turn away from it will, verily, bear a [heavy] burden on the Day of Resurrection:

they will abide in this [state], and grievous for them will be the weight [of that burden] on the Day of Resurrection -

on the Day when the trumpet is blown: for on that Day We will assemble all such as had been lost in sin, their eyes dimmed [by terror],

whispering unto one another, "You have spent but ten [days on earth]

[But] We know best what they will be saying when the most perceptive of them shall say, "You have spent [there] but one day!"

AND THEY WILL ask thee about [what will happen to] the mountains [when this world comes to an end]. Say, then: "My Sustainer will scatter them far and wide,

and leave the earths level and bare,

[so that] thou wilt see no curve thereon, and no ruggedness.

On that Day, all will. follow the summoning Voice from which there will be no escape; and all sounds will be hushed before the Most Gracious, and thou wilt hear nothing but a faint sough in the air.

On that Day, intercession shall be of no avail [to any] save him in whose case the Most Gracious will have granted leave therefor, and whose word [of faith) He will have accepted:

[for] He knows all that lies open before men and all that is hidden from them, whereas they cannot encompass Him with their knowledge.

And [on that Day] all faces will be humbled before the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsistent Fount of All Being; and undone shall be he who bears [a burden of] evildoing

whereas anyone who will have done [whatever he could] of righteous deeds, and was a believer withal, need have no fear of being wronged or deprived [of aught of his merit].

AND THUS have We bestowed from on high this [divine writ] as a discourse in the Arabic tongue, and have given therein many facets to all manner of warnings, so that men might remain conscious of Us, or that it give rise to a new awareness in them

[Know,] then, [that) God is sublimely exalted. the Ultimate Sovereign, the Ultimate Truth and [knowing this,] do not approach the Qur'an in haste, ere it has been revealed unto thee in full, but [always) say: "O my Sustainer, cause me to grow in knowledge!

AND, INDEED, long ago did We impose Our commandment on Adam; but he forgot it, and We found no firmness of purpose in him.

For [thus it was:] when We told the angels, "Prostrate yourselves before Adam!"- they all prostrated themselves, save Ibis, who refused [to do it];

and thereupon We said: "O Adam! Verily, this is a foe unto thee and thy wife: so let him not drive the two of you out of this garden and render thee unhappy.

Behold, it is provided for thee that thou shalt not hunger here or feel naked,

and that thou shalt not thirst here or suffer from the heat of the sun."

But Satan whispered unto him, saying: "O Adam! Shall I lead thee to the tree of life eternal; and [thus] to a kingdom that will never decay?"

And so the two ate [of the fruit] thereof: and thereupon they became conscious of their nakedness and began to cover themselves with pieced-together leaves from the garden. And [thus] did Adam disobey his Sustainer, and thus did he fall into grievous error.

Thereafter, [however,) his Sustainer elected him [for His grace], and accepted his repentance, and bestowed His guidance upon him,

saying: "Down with you all from this [state of innocence, and be henceforth] enemies unto one another! None the less, there shall most certainly come unto you guidance from Me: and he who follows My guidance will not go astray, and neither will he be unhappy.

But as for him who shall turn away from remembering Me - his shall be a life of narrow scope and on the Day of Resurrection We shall raise him up blind."

[And so, on Resurrection Day, the sinner] will ask: "O my Sustainer! Why hast Thou raised me up blind, whereas [on earth] I was endowed with sight?"

[God] will reply: "Thus it is: there came unto thee Our messages, but thou wert oblivious of them; and thus shalt thou be today consigned to oblivion!"

For, thus shall We recompense him who wastes his own self and does not believe in his Sustainer's messages: and, indeed, the suffering [of such sinners] in the life to come shall be most severe and most enduring!

CAN, THEN, they [who reject the truth] learn no lesson by recalling how many a generation We have destroyed before their time? - [people] in whose dwelling-places they [themselves now] walk about? In this, behold, there are messages indeed for those who are endowed with reason!

Now were it not for a decree that has already gone forth from thy Sustainer, setting a term [for each sinner's repentance], it would inescapably follow [that all who sin must be doomed at once].

Hence, bear with patience whatever they [who deny the truth] may say, and extol thy Sustainer's limitless glory and praise Him before the rising of the sun and before its setting; and extol His glory, too, during some of the hours of the night as well as during the hours of the day, so that thou might attain to happiness.

And never turn thine, eyes [with longing] towards whatever splendour of this world's life We may have allowed so many others to enjoy in order that We might test them thereby: for the sustenance which thy Sustainer provides [for thee] is better and more enduring.

And bid thy people to pray, and persevere therein. [But remember:] We do not ask thee to provide sustenance [for Us]: it is We who provide sustenance for thee. And the future belongs to the God-conscious.

NOW THEY [who are blind to the truth] are wont to say, "If [Muhammad] would but produce for us a miracle from his Sustainer! [But] has there not come unto them a clear evidence [of the truth of this divine writ] in what is [to be found] in the earlier scriptures?

For [thus it is:] had We destroyed them by means of a chastisement ere this [divine writ was revealed], they would indeed [be justified to] say [on Judgment Day]: "O our Sustainer! If only Thou hadst sent an apostle unto us, we would have followed Thy messages rather than be humiliated and disgraced [in the hereafter]!"

Say: "Everyone is hopefully waiting [for what the future may bring]: wait, then, [for the Day of Judgment] for then you will come to know as to who has followed the even path, and who has found guidance!"