By the star when it falls
your comrade errs not, nor is he deluded
nor speaks he out of lust
It is but an inspiration inspired
One mighty in power taught him
endowed with sound understanding, and appeared
he being in the loftiest tract
Then drew he near and hovered o'er
until he was two bows length off or nigher still
Then he inspired his servant what he inspired him
the heart belies not what he saw
What, will ye dispute with him on what he saw
And he saw him another time
by the lote tree none may pass
near which is the garden of the Abode
When there covered the lote tree what did cover it
The sight swerved not nor wandered
He saw then the greatest of the signs of his Lord
Have ye considered Allat and Al 'Huzza
and Manat the other third
Shall there be male offspring for Him and female for you
That were an unfair division
They are but names which ye have named, ye and your fathers! God has sent down no authority for them! They do but follow suspicion and what their souls lust after!- And yet there has come to them guidance from their Lord
Shall man have what he desires
But God's is the hereafter and the present
How many an angel in the heaven!- their intercession avails not at all, save after God has given permission to whomsoever He will and is pleased with
Verily, those who believe not in the hereafter do surely name the angels with female names!
but they have no knowledge thereof; they do but follow suspicion, and, verily, suspicion shall not avail against the truth at all
But turn aside from him who turns his back upon our remembrance and desires naught but this world's life
This is their sum of knowledge; verily, thy Lord knows best who has erred from His way, and He knows best who is guided
God's is what is in the heavens and what is in the earth, that He may reward those who do evil for what they have done; and may reward those who do good with good
those who shun great sins and iniquities,- all but venial faults,- verily, thy Lord is of ample forgiveness; He knows best about you, when He produced you from the earth, and when ye were embryos in the wombs of your mothers. Make not yourselves out, then, to be pure; He knows best who it is that fears
Hast thou considered him who turns his back
who gives but little and then stops
Has he then the knowledge of the unseen, so that he can see
Has he not been informed of what is in the pages of Mose
and Abraham who fulfilled his word?
that no burdened soul shall bear the burden of another
and that man shall have only that for which he strives
and that his striving shall at length be seen
Then shall he be rewarded for it with the most full reward
and that unto thy Lord is the limit
and that it is He who makes men laugh and weep
and that it is He who kills and makes alive
and that He created pairs, male and female
from a clot when it is emitted
and that for Him is the next production
and that he enriches and gives possession
and that He is the Lord of the Dog-star
and that He it was who destroyed 'Ad of yore
and Thamud, and left none of them
and the people of Noah before them,- verily, they were most unjust and outrageous
And the overthrown (cities) He threw down
and there covered them what did cover them
Which then of your Lord's benefits do ye dispute
This is a warner, one of the warners of yore
The approaching day approaches
there, is none to discover it but God
At this new discourse then do ye wonder
and do ye laugh and not weep
and ye divert yourselves the while
But adore God and serve (Him)