XXXI. The Chapter of Loqmân

The Qur'ân, part II (Sacred Books of the East volume 9), Palmer edition [1880]; at sacred-texts.com

THE CHAPTER OF LOQMÂN ².

(XXXI. Mecca.)

IN the name of the merciful and compassionate God.

A. L. M. These are the signs of the wise Book, a guidance and a mercy to those who do well, who are steadfast in prayer and give alms and who of the hereafter are sure; these are in guidance from their Lord, and these are the prosperous.

[5] And amongst men is one ³ who buys sportive legends, to lead astray from God's path, without knowledge, and to make a jest of it; these, for

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them is shameful woe! And when our signs are recited to him, he turns his back, too big with pride, as though he heard them not,--as if in his two ears were dulness. But give to him glad tidings of grievous woe!

Verily, those who believe and do right, for them are gardens of pleasure, to dwell therein for aye;--God's promise in truth, and He is mighty, wise.

He created the heavens without pillars that ye can see, and He threw upon the earth firm mountains lest it should move with you; and He dispersed thereon every sort of beast; and we send down from the heavens water, and we caused to grow therein of every noble kind.

[10] This is God's creation; show me what others beside Him have created;--nay, the unjust are in obvious error!

We did give unto Loqmân wisdom, saying, 'Thank God; for he who thanks God is only thankful for his own soul; and he who is ungrateful--verily, God is independent, worthy of praise!'

And when Loqmân said to his son while admonishing him, 'O my boy! associate none with God, for, verily, such association is a mighty wrong.'

For we have commended his parents to man; his mother bore him with weakness upon weakness; and his weaning is in two years;--'Be thankful to me and to thy parents; for unto me shall your journey be. But if they strive with thee that thou shouldst associate with me that which thou hast no knowledge of, then obey them not. But associate with them in the world with kindness, and follow the way of him who turns repentant unto

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me; then unto me is your return, and I will inform you of that which ye have done!

[15] 'O my son! verily, if there were the weight of a grain of mustard seed and it were (hidden) in the rock, or in the heaven, or in the earth, God would bring it (to light). Verily, God is subtle, well aware!

'O my son! be steadfast in prayer, and bid what is reasonable and forbid what is wrong; be patient of what befalls thee, verily, that is one of the determined affairs.

'And twist not thy cheek proudly, nor walk in the land haughtily; verily, God loves not every arrogant boaster: but be moderate in thy walk, and lower thy voice; verily, the most disagreeable of voices is the voice of asses!'

Have ye not seen that God has subjected to you what is in the heavens and what is in the earth, and has poured down upon you His favours, outwardly and inwardly? but amongst men are those who wrangle about God, without knowledge, and without guidance, and without an illuminating book!

[20] And when it is said to them, 'Follow what God has sent down;' they say, 'Nay! we will follow what we found our fathers agreed upon;'--what! though Satan calls them to the torment of the blaze?

But he who resigns his face unto God, and does good, he has grasped the firm handle; unto God is the issue of affairs. But he who misbelieves, let not his misbelief grieve thee; to us is their return, and we will inform them of what they do;--for, verily, God knows the nature of men's breasts!

We will let them enjoy themselves a little; then we will force them to rigorous woe!

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And if thou shouldst ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will surely say, 'God.' Say, 'Praise be to God!' but most of them do not know.

[25] God's is what is in the heavens and what is in the earth; verily, God, He is the independent, worthy of praise.

And were the trees that are in the earth pens, and the sea (ink) with seven more seas to swell its tide, the words of God would not be spent; verily, God is mighty, wise!

Your creation and your rising again are but as that of one soul; verily, God both hears and sees!

Dost thou not see that God joins on the night to the day, and joins on the day to the night, and has subjected the sun and the moon,--each of them runs on unto an appointed time? and that God of what ye do is well aware?

That is because God, He is true, and because what ye call on beside Him is falsehood, and because God, He is the high, the great!

[30] Dost thou not see that the ship rides on in the sea by the favour of God, that He may show you of His signs? verily, in that are signs to every grateful person.

And when a wave like shadows covers them, they call on God, being sincere in their religion; and when He saves them to the shore, then amongst them are some who halt between two opinions. But none gainsays our signs save every perfidious misbeliever.

O ye folk! fear your Lord and dread the day when the father shall not atone for his son, nor shall the child atone aught for its parent.

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Verily, the promise of God is true! Say, 'Let not the life of this world beguile you; and let not the beguiler beguile you concerning God.'

Verily, God, with Him is the knowledge of the Hour; and He sends down the rain; and He knows what is in the wombs; and no soul knows what it is that it shall earn to-morrow; and no soul knows in what land it shall die; verily, God is knowing, well aware!

Footnotes

131:2 This sage is generally identified with the Aesop of the Greeks. The legends current in the East concerning him accord exactly with those of the Greek fabulist.

131:3 An Na.dhr ibn al ‘Hareth had purchased in Persia some of the old legends of Rustam and Isfendiâr, which were afterwards embodied in the Shâh-nâmeh of Firdausî. These he read to the Qurâis as being more wonderful than the Qur’ân.