The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
Cf. 
22: 15, where sabab has the meaning ‘rope’.
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40: 38
The Forgiver

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the right path. 
39My people, the life of this world is only a brief
enjoyment; it is the Hereafter that is the lasting home. 
40Whoever
does evil will be repaid with its like; whoever does good and believes,
be it a man or a woman, will enter Paradise and be provided for
without measure. 
41My people, why do I call you to salvation when
you call me to the Fire? 
42You call me to disbelieve in God and to
associate with Him things of which I have no knowledge; I call you
to the Mighty, the Forgiving One. 
43There is no doubt that what
you call me to serve is not 
fit to be invoked either in this world or the
Hereafter: our return is to God alone, and it will be the rebels who
will inhabit the Fire. 
44[One Day] you will remember what I am
saying to you now, so I commit my case to God: God is well aware of
His servants.’
45So God saved him from the harm they planned.
A terrible punishment engulfed Pharaoh’s people; 
46they will be
brought before the Fire morning and evening.
a
On the Day the
Hour comes, it will be said, ‘Throw Pharaoh’s people into the worst
torment.’
47In the Fire they will quarrel with one another: the weak
will say to the haughty, ‘We were your followers, so can you now
relieve us from some share of the Fire?’
48but they will say, ‘We are
all in this together. God has judged between His creatures.’
49Those
in the Fire will say to the keepers of Hell, ‘Ask your Lord to lessen
our su
ffering for one day,’ 50but they will say, ‘Did your messengers
not come to you with clear evidence of the truth?’ They will say, ‘Yes
they did,’ and the keeper will say, ‘You can plead, then, but the pleas
of disbelievers will always be in vain.’
51We support Our messengers and the believers, in the present life
and on the Day when witnesses arise. 
52On the Day when excuses
will not pro
fit the evildoers, their fate will be rejection and they will
have the worst of homes. 
53We gave Moses guidance and passed
down the Scripture to the Children of Israel, 
54as a guide and a
reminder to people of understanding. 
55So be patient, Prophet, for
what God has promised is sure to come. Ask forgiveness for your
sins; praise your Lord morning and evening.
b
56As for those who,
with no authority to do so, dispute God’s messages, there is nothing
in their hearts but a thirst for a greatness they will never attain. Seek
refuge in God, for He is the All Hearing, the All Seeing.
a
‘Morning and evening’ can convey a sense of ‘all the time’.
b
See preceding note.
40: 39
304
The Qur
an

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57The creation of the heavens and earth is greater by far than the
creation of mankind, though most people do not know it. 
58The
blind and the sighted are not equal, just as those who believe and do
good works and those who do evil are not equal: how seldom you
re
flect! 59The Final Hour is sure to come, without doubt, but most
people do not believe. 
60Your Lord says, ‘Call on Me and I will
answer you; those who are too proud to serve Me will enter Hell
humiliated.’
61It is God who has given you the night in which to rest and the
day in which to see. God is truly bountiful to people, but most
people do not give thanks. 
62Such is God your Lord, the Creator of
all things: there is no god but Him. How can you be so deluded?
63This is how deluded those who deny God’s messages are. 64It is
God who has given you the earth for a dwelling place and the heavens
for a canopy. He shaped you, formed you well, and provided you
with good things. Such is God your Lord, so glory be to Him, the
Lord of the Worlds. 
65He is the Living One and there is no god but
Him, so call on Him, and dedicate your religion entirely to Him.
Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds.
66Say [Prophet], ‘Since clear evidence has come to me from my
Lord I am forbidden to serve those you call upon besides God: I am
commanded to submit to the Lord of the Worlds.’
67It is He who
created you from dust, then from a drop of 
fluid, then from a tiny,
clinging form, then He brought you forth as infants, then He allowed
you to reach maturity, then He let you grow old –
– though some of
you die sooner –
– and reach your appointed term so that you may
re
flect. 68It is He who gives life and death, and when He ordains a
thing, He says only ‘Be’ and it is.
69[Prophet], do you see how deluded those who dispute God’s
messages are –
–
70those who reject the Scripture and the messages We
have sent through Our messengers? They will 
find out 71when, with
iron collars and chains around their necks, they are dragged 
72into
scalding water, and then burned in the Fire, 
73and asked, ‘Where
now are those you called upon 
74besides God?’ They will say, ‘They
have abandoned us: those we called upon before were really nothing
at all.’ ‘This is how God lets disbelievers go astray, 
75all because on
earth you revelled in untruth and ran wild. 
76Enter the gates of Hell,
there to remain –
– an evil home for the arrogant.’
77So be patient [Prophet], for God’s promise is sure: whether We
305
40: 77