NAY! I call to witness this land –
this land in which thou art free to dwell
and [I call to witness] parent and offspring
Verily, We have created man into [a life of] pain, toil and trial
Does he, then, think that no one has power over him
He boasts, "I have spent wealth abundant!"
Does he, then, think that no one sees him
Have We not given him two eyes
and a tongue, and a pair of lips
and shown him the two highways [of good and evil]
But he would not try to ascend the steep uphill road..
And what could make thee conceive what it is, that steep uphill road
[It is] the freeing of one's neck [from the burden of sin]
or the feeding, upon a day of [one's own] hunger
of an orphan near of kin
or of a needy [stranger] lying in the dust –
and being, withal, of those who have attained to faith, and who enjoin upon one another patience in adversity, and enjoin upon one another compassion
Such are they that have attained to righteousness
whereas those who are bent on denying the truth of Our messages – they are such as have lost themselves in evil
[with] fire closing in upon them