The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

b
See
2: 25.
c
Arabs described beautiful women as being as precious as the ostrich eggs they
protected from the dust with feathers.
d
The disbelievers said, scornfully, ‘How can there be a tree in the Fire?’
The Qur
an
37: 28
286

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68then return to the blazing Fire. 69They found their forefathers
astray, 
70and rushed to follow in their footsteps–– before the dis-
believers [of Mecca], 
71most men in the past went astray, 72even
though We sent messengers to warn them.
73See how those who were
warned met their end! 
74Not so the true servants of God.
75Noah cried to Us, and how excellent was Our response! 76We
saved him and his people from great distress, 
77We let his offspring
remain on the earth, 
78We let him be praised by later generations:
79‘Peace be upon Noah among all the nations!’ 80This is how We
reward those who do good: 
81he was truly one of Our faithful
servants. 
82We drowned the rest.
83Abraham was of the same faith: 84he came to his Lord with a
devoted heart. 
85He said to his father and his people, ‘What are you
worshipping? 
86How can you choose false gods instead of the true
God?
87So what is your opinion about the Lord of all the Worlds?’
88then he looked up to the stars. 89He said, ‘I am sick,’ 90so [his
people] turned away from him and left. 
91He turned to their gods
and said, 
92‘Do you not eat? Why do you not speak?’ 93then he
turned and struck them with his right arm. 
94His people hurried
towards him, 
95but he said, ‘How can you worship things you carve
with your own hands, 
96when it is God who has created you and all
your handiwork?’
97They said, ‘Build a pyre and throw him into the
blazing 
fire.’ 98They wanted to harm him, but We humiliated them.
99He said, ‘I will go to my Lord: He is sure to guide me. 100Lord,
grant me a righteous son,’
101so We gave him the good news that he
would have a patient son. 
102When the boy was old enough to work
with his father, Abraham said, ‘My son, I have seen myself sacri-
ficing you in a dream. What do you think?’ He said, ‘Father, do as
you are commanded and, God willing, you will 
find me steadfast.’
103When they had both submitted to God, and he had laid his son
down on the side of his face, 
104We called out to him, ‘Abraham,
105you have fulfilled the dream.’ This is how We reward those who
do good –
–
106it was a test to prove [their true characters]–– 107We
ransomed his son with a momentous sacri
fice, 108and We let him be
praised by succeeding generations: 
109‘Peace be upon Abraham!’
110This is how We reward those who do good: 111truly he was one of
Our faithful servants.
112We gave Abraham the good news of Isaac–– a prophet and a
righteous man –
–
113and blessed him and Isaac too: some of their
Ranged in Rows
287
37: 113

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o
ffspring were good, but some clearly wronged themselves. 114We
also bestowed Our favour on Moses and Aaron: 
115We saved them
and their people from great distress; 
116We helped them, so they were
the ones to succeed; 
117We gave them the Scripture that makes things
clear; 
118We guided them to the right path; 119We let them be praised
by succeeding generations: 
120‘Peace be upon Moses and Aaron!’
121This is how We reward those who do good: 122truly they were
among Our faithful servants.
123Elijah too was one of the messengers. 124He said to his people,
‘Have you no fear of God? 
125How can you invoke Baal and forsake
the Most Gracious Creator, 
126God, your Lord and the Lord of your
forefathers?’
127but they rejected him. They will be brought to pun-
ishment
a
as a consequence; 
128not so the true servants of God. 129We
let him be praised by succeeding generations: 
130‘Peace be to Elijah!’
131This is how We reward those who do good: 132truly he was one of
Our faithful servants.
133Lot was also one of the messengers. 134We saved him and all his
family –
–
135except for an old woman who stayed behind–– 136and We
destroyed the rest. 
137You [people] pass by their ruins morning
138and night: will you not take heed? 139Jonah too was one of the
messengers. 
140He fled to the overloaded ship. 141They cast lots, he
su
ffered defeat, 142and a great fish swallowed him, for he had com-
mitted blameworthy acts. 
143If he had not been one of those who
glori
fied God, 144he would have stayed in its belly until the Day when
all are raised up, 
145but We cast him out, sick, on to a barren shore,
146and made a gourd tree grow above him. 147We sent him to a
hundred thousand people or more. 
148They believed, so We let them
live out their lives.