The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
34We certainly tested Solomon,
reducing him to a mere skeleton on his throne.
b
35He turned to Us
and prayed: ‘Lord forgive me! Grant me such power as no one after
me will have –
– You are the Most Generous Provider.’
36So We gave
him power over the wind, which at his request ran gently wherever
he willed, 
37and the jinn
c
–– every kind of builder and diver 
38and
others chained in fetters. 
39‘This is Our gift, so give or withhold as
you wish without account.’
40His reward will be nearness to Us, and
a good place to return to.
41Bring to mind Our servant Job who cried to his Lord, ‘Satan has
a
fflicted me with weariness and suffering.’ 42‘Stamp your foot! Here
is cool water for you to wash in and drink,’
43and We restored his
family to him, with many more like them: a sign of Our mercy and a
lesson to all who understand. 
44‘Take a small bunch of grass in your
hand, and strike [her] with that so as not to break your oath.’
d
We
found him patient in adversity; an excellent servant! He, too, always
turned to God.
45Remember Our servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, all men of
strength and vision. 
46We caused them to be devoted to Us
e
through
their sincere remembrance of the Final Home: 
47with Us they will be
among the elect, the truly good. 
48And remember Our servants
Ishmael, Elisha, and Dhu ’l-Ki
fl,
f
each of them truly good. 
49This is a
lesson.
The devout will have a good place to return to: 
50Gardens of
lasting bliss with gates wide open. 
51They will be comfortably
a
Some say that the horses distracted Solomon from remembering his Lord and that
he slaughtered the horses in anger at his having forgotten the afternoon prayer.
b
According to Razi, quoting linguistic usage in Arabic, this is interpreted to mean
that Solomon became so ill that he was like a walking skeleton.
c
See
34: 12–13.
d
Qur
anic commentators explain that, when his wife blasphemed, Job swore that if he
recovered from his illness, he would beat her with one hundred lashes. When he
recovered, however, he regretted his hasty oath, so God gave him this instruction.
e
Alternatively, ‘We made them pure’.
f
See note to 
21: 85.
The Qur
an
38: 31
292

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seated; they will call for abundant fruit and drink; 
52they will have
well-matched [wives] with modest gaze. 
53‘This is what you are
promised for the Day of Reckoning: 
54Our provision for you will
never end.’
55But the evildoers will have the worst place to return to: 56Hell to
burn in, an evil place to stay –
–
57all this will be theirs: let them taste
it –
– a scalding, dark, foul 
fluid, 58and other such torments. 59[It
will be said], ‘Here is another crowd of people rushing headlong to
join you.’ [The response will be], ‘They are not welcome! They will
burn in the Fire.’
60They will say to them, ‘You are not welcome! It
was you who brought this on us, an evil place to stay,’
61adding, ‘Our
Lord, give double punishment to those who brought this upon us.’
62They will say, ‘Why do we not see those we thought were bad 63and
took as a laughing-stock? Have our eyes missed them?’
64This is how
it will really be: the inhabitants of the Fire will blame one another in
this way.
65[Prophet] say, ‘I am only here to give warning. There is no god
but God the One, the All Powerful, 
66Lord of the heavens and earth
and everything between, the Almighty, the Most Forgiving.’
67Say,
‘This message is a mighty one, 
68yet you ignore it. 69I have no
knowledge of what those on high discuss:
a
70it is only revealed to me
that I am here to give clear warning.’
71Your Lord said to the angels, ‘I will create a man from clay.
72When I have shaped him and breathed from My Spirit into him,
bow down before him.’
73The angels all bowed down together, 74but
not Iblis, who was too proud. He became a rebel. 
75God said, ‘Iblis,
what prevents you from bowing down to the man I have made with
My own hands? Are you too high and mighty?’
76Iblis said, ‘I am
better than him: You made me from 
fire, and him from clay.’ 77‘Get
out of here! You are rejected: 
78My rejection will follow you till the
Day of Judgement!’
79but Iblis said, ‘My Lord, grant me respite until
the Day when they are raised from the dead,’
80so He said, ‘You have
respite
81till the Appointed Day.’ 82Iblis said, ‘I swear by Your might!
I will tempt all 
83but Your true servants.’ 84God said, ‘This is the
truth –
– I speak only the truth –
–
85I will fill Hell with you and all
those that follow you.’
a
Cf. 
2: 30.
Sad
293
38: 85

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86[Prophet], say, ‘I ask no reward from you for this, nor do I claim
to be what I am not: 
87this is only a warning for all people. 88In time
you will certainly come to know its truth.’