The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
See note to 
37: 173.
The Poets
235
26: 136

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no di
fference to us whether you warn us or not, 137for we only do
what our forefathers used to do: 
138we shall not be punished.’
139They denounced him as a liar, and so We destroyed them. There
truly is a sign in this, though most of them do not believe: 
140your
Lord alone is the Almighty, the Merciful.
141The people of Thamud, too, called the messengers liars.
142Their brother Salih said to them, ‘Will you not be mindful of
God?
143I am a faithful messenger to you: 144be mindful of God and
obey me. 
145I ask no reward from you, for my only reward is with the
Lord of the Worlds. 
146[Do you think] you will be left secure for ever
in what you have here –
–
147gardens, springs, 148fields, palm trees
laden with fruit –
–
149carving your fine houses from the mountains?
150Be mindful of God and obey me: 151do not obey those who are
given to excess 
152and who spread corruption in the land instead of
doing what is right.’
153They said, ‘You are bewitched! 154You are
nothing but a man like us. Show us a sign, if you are telling the
truth.’
155He said, ‘Here is a camel. She should have her turn to
drink and so should you, each on a speci
fied day, 156so do not harm
her, or the punishment of a terrible day will befall you.’
157But they
hamstrung her. In the morning they had cause to regret it: 
158the
punishment fell upon them. There truly is a sign in this, though
most of them will not believe: 
159your Lord alone is the Almighty, the
Merciful.
160The people of Lot, too, called the messengers liars. 161Their
brother Lot said to them, ‘Will you not be mindful of God? 
162I am a
faithful messenger to you: 
163be mindful of God and obey me. 164I
ask no reward from you, for my only reward is with the Lord of the
Worlds. 
165Must you, unlike [other] people, lust after males 166and
abandon the wives that God has created for you? You are exceeding
all bounds,’
167but they replied, ‘Lot! If you do not stop this, you will
be driven away.’
168So he said, ‘I loathe what you do: 169Lord, save me
and my family from what they are doing.’
170We saved him and all his
family, 
171except for an old woman who stayed behind, 172then We
destroyed the others, 
173and poured a rain of destruction down upon
them. How dreadful that rain was for those who had been fore-
warned! 
174There truly is a sign in this, though most of them will not
believe: 
175your Lord alone is the Almighty, the Merciful.
176The forest-dwellers, too, called the messengers liars. 177Shu ayb
said to them, ‘Will you not be mindful of God? 
178I am a faithful
The Qur
an
26: 137
236

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messenger to you: 
179be mindful of God and obey me. 180I ask no
reward of you, for my only reward is with the Lord of the Worlds.
181Give full measure: do not sell others short. 182Weigh with correct
scales:
183do not deprive people of what is theirs. Do not spread
corruption on earth. 
184Be mindful of God who created you and
former generations,’
185but they replied, ‘You are bewitched! 186You
are nothing but a man like us. In fact we think you are a liar. 
187Make
bits of the heavens fall down on us, if you are telling the truth.’
188He
said, ‘My Lord knows best what you do.’
189They called him a liar,
and so the torment of the Day of Shadow came upon them –
– it was
the torment of a terrible day. 
190There truly is a sign in this, though
most of them will not believe: 
191your Lord alone is the Almighty, the
Merciful.
192Truly, this Quran has been sent down by the Lord of the
Worlds: 
193the Trustworthy Spirit
a
brought it down 
194to your heart
[Prophet], so that you could bring warning 
195in a clear Arabic
tongue. 
196This was foretold in the scriptures of earlier religions.
197Is it not proof enough for them that the learned men of the
Children of Israel have recognized it? 
198If We had sent it down to
someone who was not an Arab,
b
199and he had recited it to them,
they still would not have believed in it. 
200So We make it pass straight
through the hearts of the guilty: 
201they will not believe in it until
they see the grievous torment, 
202which will suddenly hit them when
they are not expecting it, 
203and then they will say, ‘Can we have
more time?’
204How can they ask that Our punishment be brought to
them sooner? 
205Think, if we let them enjoy this life for some years
206and then the promised torment came upon them, 207what good
would their past enjoyment be to them? 
208Never have We destroyed
a town without sending down messengers to warn it, 
209as a reminder
from Us: We are never unjust.
210It was not the jinn