The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

The Qur
an
21: 57
206

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the jinn
a
subservient to him, to dive for him and do other works
besides. We were watching over them.
83Remember Job, when he cried to his Lord, ‘Suffering has truly
a
fflicted me, but you are the Most Merciful of the merciful.’ 84We
answered him, removed his su
ffering, and restored his family to him,
along with more like them, as an act of grace from Us and a reminder
for all who serve Us. 
85And remember Ishmael, Idris, and Dhu’l-
Ki
fl:
b
they were all steadfast. 
86We admitted them to Our mercy;
they were truly righteous. 
87And remember the man with the whale,
c
when he went o
ff angrily, thinking We could not restrict him,
but then he cried out in the deep darkness, ‘There is no God but
You, glory be to You, I was wrong.’
88We answered him and saved
him from distress: this is how We save the faithful. 
89Remember
Zachariah, when he cried to his Lord, ‘My Lord, do not leave me
childless, though You are the best of heirs.’
90We answered him–– We
gave him John, and cured his wife of barrenness –
– they were always
keen to do good deeds. They called upon Us out of longing and awe,
and humbled themselves before Us. 
91Remember the one who
guarded her chastity.
d
We breathed into her from Our Spirit and
made her and her son a sign for all people.
92[Messengers],
e
this community of yours is one single community
and I am your Lord, so serve Me. 
93They have torn their unity apart,
but they will all return to Us. 
94If anyone does good deeds and is
a believer, his e
fforts will not be ignored: We record them for
him.
95No community destroyed by Us can escape its return,
f
96and
when the peoples of Gog and Magog are let loose and swarm swiftly
from every highland, 
97when the True Promise draws near, the
disbelievers’ eyes will stare in terror, and they will say, ‘Woe to us!
We were not aware of this at all. We were wrong.’
98You [dis-
believers] and what you worship instead of God will be fuel for
Hell: that is where you will go –
–
99if these [idols] had been real gods
they would not have gone there –
– you will all stay there. 
100There
a
Cf. 
34: 12–13.
b
Some commentators suggest this refers to the prophet Ezekiel. See Encyclopaedia
of Islam under Dhu’l-Ki
fl.
c
Jonah. Cf. 
37: 139–48.
d
Mary. Cf. 
66: 12.
e
Cf. 
23: 51–3.
f
Other interpretations are: ‘they will not return to the world’; ‘they will not turn
away from their misdeeds’.
The Prophets
207
21: 100

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the disbelievers will be groaning piteously, but the [idols] will hear
nothing.
101But those for whom We have decreed Paradise will be kept far
from Hell –
–
102they will not hear a murmur from it–– and endlessly
they will enjoy everything their souls desire. 
103They will have no
fear of the great Terror:
a
the angels will receive them with the
words, ‘This is the Day you were promised!’
104On that Day, We shall
roll up the skies as a writer rolls up [his] scrolls. We shall reproduce
creation just as We produced it the 
first time: this is Our binding
promise. We shall certainly do all these things.
105We wrote in the Psalms, as We did in [earlier] Scripture: ‘My
righteous servants will inherit the earth.’
106There truly is a message
in this for the servants of God! 
107It was only as a mercy that We sent
you [Prophet] to all people.
b
108Say, ‘What is revealed to me is that
your God is one God –
– will you submit to Him?’
109But if they turn
away, say, ‘I have proclaimed the message fairly to you all. I do not
know whether the judgement you are promised is near or far, 
110but
He knows what you reveal and conceal. 
111I do not know: this [time]
may well be a test for you, and enjoyment for a while.’
112He said,
c
‘My Lord, pass the true judgement.’ And, ‘Our Lord is the Lord of
Mercy. We seek His assistance against what you [disbelievers] say.’