The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
Cf. verse 
25.
The Qur
an
16: 32
168

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unimagined direction, 
46that it will not catch them suddenly in the
midst of their comings and goings –
– for they cannot frustrate God –
–
47or that it will not catch up with them gradually? Indeed your Lord
is kind and merciful. 
48Do the [disbelievers] not observe the things
that God has created, casting their shadows right and left, submit-
ting themselves to God obediently? 
49It is to God that everything in
the heavens and earth submits, every beast that moves, even the
angels –
– they are free from arrogance: 
50they fear their Lord above
them, and they do as they are commanded.
51God said, ‘Do not take two gods’–– for He is the One God––‘ I
alone am the One that you should hold in awe.’
52Everything in
the heavens and earth belongs to Him: everlasting obedience is His
right. Will you heed anyone other than God? 
53Whatever good
things you possess come from God, and when hardship a
fflicts
you, it is to Him alone you cry out for help, 
54yet when He has
relieved you of your hardship –
– lo and behold! –
– some of you
attribute partners to your Lord. 
55Let them show ingratitude for
the favours We have shown them; ‘Enjoy your brief time –
– soon
you will know.’
56They set aside part of the sustenance We give them, for [idols]
about which they have no true knowledge.
a
By God! You will be
questioned about your false inventions. 
57They assign daughters
to God
b
–– may He be exalted! –– and the [sons] they desire to them-
selves. 
58When one of them is given news of the birth of a baby girl,
his face darkens and he is 
filled with gloom. 59In his shame he hides
himself away from his people because of the bad news he has been
given. Should he keep her and su
ffer contempt or bury her in the
dust? How ill they judge! 
60Those who do not believe in the Here-
after should have the contemptible image, and God should have the
highest one:
c
He is the Mighty, the Wise. 
61If God took people to
task for the evil they do, He would not leave one living creature on
earth, but He reprieves them until an appointed time: when their
time comes they cannot delay it for a moment nor can they bring it
a
The pagan Arabs gave part of their crops and livestock to their deities (
6: 136).
b
Some of the pagan Arabs called angels the daughters of God. This is doubly
blasphemous because of the contempt in which daughters were held in a warrior
community, to the extent of female infanticide as described below.
c
Their image of God is that He can only have daughters, though they themselves
have contempt for their daughters.
The Bee
169
16: 61

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forward. 
62They attribute to God what they themselves dislike while
their own tongues utter the lie that the best
a
belongs to them. With-
out doubt it is the Fire that belongs to them: they will be given
priority there!
b
63By God,
c
We have sent messengers before you [Muhammad] to
other communities, but Satan made their foul deeds seem alluring
to them. He is the patron of these present disbelievers
d
too, and
a painful punishment awaits them all. 
64We have sent down the
Scripture to you only to make clear to them what they di
ffer about,
and as guidance and mercy to those who believe.
65It is God who sends water down from the sky and with it revives
the earth when it is dead. There truly is a sign in this for people who
listen.
66In livestock, too, you have a lesson–– We give you a drink
from the contents of their bellies, between waste matter and blood,
pure milk, sweet to the drinker. 
67From the fruits of date palms and
grapes you take sweet juice
e
and wholesome provisions. There truly
is a sign in this for people who use their reason. 
68And your Lord
inspired the bee, saying, ‘Build yourselves houses in the mountains
and trees and what people construct. 
69Then feed on all kinds
of fruit and follow the ways made easy for you by your Lord.’
From their bellies comes a drink of di
fferent colours in which
there is healing for people. There truly is a sign in this for those
who think.
70It is God who has created you and in time will cause you to die.
Some of you will be reduced, in old age, to a most abject state, so
that, after having knowledge, they will know nothing at all: God is
truly all knowing and all powerful. 
71God has given some of you
more provision than others. Those who have been given more are
unwilling to pass their provision on to the slaves they possess so that
they become their equals. How can they refuse to acknowledge
God’s blessings? 
72And it is God who has given you spouses from
amongst yourselves and through them He has given you children
and grandchildren and provided you with good things. How can they