The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
This verb is addressed to mankind as a whole (Razi).
The Qur
an
17: 9
176

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If you are good, He is most forgiving to those who return to Him.
26Give relatives their due, and the needy, and travellers–– do not
squander your wealth wastefully: 
27those who squander are the
brothers of Satan, and Satan is most ungrateful to his Lord –
–
28but
if, while seeking some bounty that you expect from your Lord, you
turn them down, then at least speak some word of comfort to them.
29Do not be tight-fisted, nor so open-handed that you end up blamed
and overwhelmed with regret. 
30Your Lord gives abundantly to who-
ever He will, and sparingly to whoever He will: He knows and
observes His servants thoroughly.
31Do not kill your children for fear of poverty
a
–– We shall provide
for them and for you –– killing them is a great sin. 
32And do not go
anywhere near adultery: it is an outrage, and an evil path. 
33Do not
take life, which God has made sacred, except by right: if anyone is
killed wrongfully, We have given authority to the defender of his
rights, but he should not be excessive in taking life, for he is already
aided [by God]. 
34Do not go near the orphan’s property,
b
except
with the best [intentions], until he reaches the age of maturity.
Honour your pledges: you will be questioned about your pledges.
35Give full measure when you measure, and weigh with accurate
scales: that is better and fairer in the end. 
36Do not follow blindly
what you do not know to be true: ears, eyes, and heart, you will be
questioned about all these. 
37Do not strut arrogantly about the earth:
you cannot break it open, nor match the mountains in height. 
38The
evil of all these actions is hateful to your Lord.
39[Prophet], this is some of the wisdom your Lord has revealed to
you: do not set up another god beside God, or you will be thrown
into Hell, blamed and rejected. 
40What? Has your Lord favoured you
people with sons and taken daughters for Himself from the angels?
c
What a monstrous thing for you to say!
41We have explained things in various ways in this Quran, so that
such people might take notice, but it has only turned them further
away. 
42Say, ‘If there were other gods along with Him, as they say
there are, then they would have tried to 
find a way to the Lord of
the Throne.’
43Glory to Him! He is far above what they say! 44The
seven heavens and the earth and everyone in them glorify Him.
There is not a single thing that does not celebrate His praise, though
a
See
81: 8–9.
b
Cf. 
4: 2.
c
See also 
16: 57–62.
The Night Journey
177
17: 44

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you do not understand their praise: He is most forbearing, most
forgiving.
45[Prophet], when you recite the Quran, We put an invisible
barrier between you and those who do not believe in the life to come.
46We have put covers on their hearts that prevent them from under-
standing it, and heaviness in their ears. When you mention your
Lord in the Qur
an, and Him alone, they turn their backs and run
away. 
47We know best the way they listen, when they listen to you
and when they confer in secret, and these wrongdoers say, ‘You are
only following a man who is bewitched.’
48See what they think you
are like! But they are lost and cannot 
find the right way. 49They also
say, ‘What? When we are turned to bones and dust, shall we really be
raised up in a new act of creation?’
50Say, ‘[Yes] even if you were [as
hard as] stone, or iron, 
51or any other substance you think hard to
bring to life.’ Then they will say, ‘Who will bring us back?’ Say, ‘The
One who created you the 
first time.’ Then they will shake their heads
at you and say, ‘When will that be?’ Say, ‘It may well be very soon:
52it will be the Day when He calls you, and you answer by praising
Him, and you think you have stayed [on earth] only a little while.’
53[Prophet], tell My servants to say what is best.
a
Satan sows
discord among them: Satan is a sworn enemy of man. 
54Your Lord
has the most knowledge about all of you: if He pleases He will have
mercy on you, and if He pleases He will punish you. [Prophet], We
did not send you to take charge of them. 
55Your Lord knows best
about everyone in the heavens and the earth. We gave some prophets
more than others: We gave David a book [of Psalms].
b
56Say, ‘Call
upon those you claim to be deities beside God: they have no power to
remove or avert any harm from you.’
57Those [angels]
c
they pray to
are themselves seeking a way to their Lord, even those who are
closest to Him. They hope for His mercy and fear His punishment.
The punishment of your Lord is much to be feared: 
58there is no
community