The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
and then crucify the lot of you!’
50‘That
will do us no harm,’ they said, ‘for we are sure to return to our
a
See note to 
5: 33.
The Poets
233
26: 50

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Lord. 
51We hope that our Lord will forgive us our sins, as we were
the
first to believe.’
52Then We revealed Our will to Moses, ‘Leave with My servants
by night, for you will be pursued!’
53Pharaoh sent messengers into
the cities, proclaiming, 
54‘These people are a puny band––55they
have enraged us –
–
56and we are a large army, on the alert.’ 57So it was
that We made them leave their gardens and their springs, 
58their
treasures and their noble dwellings –
–
59We gave [such] things [later]
a
to the Children of Israel. 
60Pharaoh and his people pursued them at
sunrise, 
61and as soon as the two sides came within sight of one
another, Moses’ followers said, ‘We shall de
finitely be caught.’
62Moses said, ‘No, my Lord is with me: He will guide me,’ 63and We
revealed to Moses: ‘Strike the sea with your sta
ff.’ It parted–– each
side like a mighty mountain –
–
64and We brought the others to that
place:
65We saved Moses and all his companions, 66and drowned the
rest.
67There truly is a sign in this, though most of them do not
believe: 
68your Lord alone is the Almighty, the Merciful.
69Tell them the story of Abraham, 70when he asked his father and
his people, ‘What do you worship?’
71They said, ‘We worship idols,
and are constantly in attendance on them.’
72He asked, ‘Do they
hear you when you call? 
73Do they help or harm you?’ 74They
replied, ‘No, but this is what we saw our fathers doing.’
75Abraham
said, ‘Those idols you have worshipped, 
76you and your forefathers,
77are my enemies; not so the Lord of the Worlds, 78who created me.
It is He who guides me; 
79He who gives me food and drink; 80He
who cures me when I am ill; 
81He who will make me die and then
give me life again; 
82and He who will, I hope, forgive my faults on
the Day of Judgement. 
83My Lord, grant me wisdom; join me with
the righteous; 
84give me a good name among later generations;
85make me one of those given the Garden of Bliss–– 86forgive my
father, for he is one of those who have gone astray –
–
87and do not
disgrace me on the Day when all people are resurrected: 
88the Day
when neither wealth nor children can help, 
89when the only one who
will be saved is the one who comes before God with a heart devoted
to Him.’
90When the Garden is brought near to the righteous 91and the Fire
is placed in full view of the misguided, 
92it will be said to them,
a
Cf. 
7: 137.
The Qur
an
26: 51
234

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‘Where are those you worshipped 
93beside God? Can they help you
now, or even help themselves?’
94and then they will all be hurled into
Hell, together with those that misled them, 
95and all Iblis’s sup-
porters.
a
96There they will say to their gods, as they bicker among
themselves, 
97‘We were clearly misguided 98when we made you equal
with the Lord of the Worlds. 
99It was the evildoers who led us astray,
100and now we have no intercessor 101and no true friend. 102If only we
could live our lives again, we would be true believers!’
103There truly
is a sign in this, though most of them do not believe: 
104your Lord
alone is the Almighty, the Merciful.
105The people of Noah, too, called the messengers liars. 106Their
brother Noah said to them, ‘Will you not be mindful of God? 
107I am
a faithful messenger sent to you: 
108be mindful of God and obey me.
109I ask no reward of you, for my only reward is with the Lord of the
Worlds: 
110be mindful of God and obey me.’ 111They answered,
‘Why should we believe you when the worst sort of people follow
you?’
112He said, ‘What knowledge do I have of what they used to
do?
113It is for my Lord alone to bring them to account–– if only you
could see –
–
114I will not drive believers away. 115I am here only to give
people a clear warning.’
116So they said, ‘Noah, if you do not stop
this, you will be stoned.’
117He said, ‘My Lord, my people have
rejected me, 
118so make a firm judgement between me and them, and
save me and my believing followers.’
119So We saved him and his
followers in the fully laden ship, 
120and drowned the rest. 121There
truly is a sign in this, though most of them do not believe: 
122your
Lord alone is the Almighty, the Merciful.
123The people of  Ad, too, called the messengers liars. 124Their
brother Hud said to them, ‘Will you not be mindful of God? 
125I am
a faithful messenger sent to you: 
126be mindful of God and obey me.
127I ask no reward of you, for my only reward is with the Lord of the
Worlds. 
128How can you be so vain that you set up monuments on
every high place? 
129Do you build fortresses because you hope to be
immortal? 
130Why do you act like tyrants whenever you attack some-
one? 
131Be mindful of God and obey me; 132be mindful of Him who
has provided you with everything you know –
–
133He has given you
livestock, sons, 
134gardens, springs–– 135for I truly fear that the tor-
ment of a grievous day will overtake you.’
136They replied, ‘It makes