Page:Koran - Rodwell - 2nd ed.djvu/152

 But when that is announced to any one of them, which he affirmeth to be the case with the God of Mercy, his face settleth into darkness and he is silent-sad.

What! make they a being to be the offspring of God who is brought up among trinkets, and is ever contentious without reason?

And they make the angels who are the servants of God of Mercy, females. What! did they witness their creation? Their witness shall be taken down, and they shall hereafter be enquired at. And they say: “Had the God of Mercy so willed it we should never have worshipped them.” No knowledge have they in this: they only lie.

Have we ere this given them a Book? and do they possess it still? But say they: “Verily we found our fathers of that persuasion, and verily, by their footsteps do we guide ourselves.” And thus never before thy time did we send a warner to any city but its wealthy ones said: “Verily we found our fathers with a religion, and in their tracks we tread.”

Say,—such was our command to that apostle—“What! even if I bring you a religion more right than that ye found your fathers following?” And they said, “Verily we believe not in your message.” Wherefore we took vengeance on them, and behold what hath been the end of those who treated our messengers as liars! And bear in mind when Abraham said to his father and to his people, “Verily I am clear of what ye worship. Save Him who hath created me; for he will vouchsafe me guidance.” And this he established as a doctrine that should abide among his posterity, that to God might they be turned.

In sooth to these idolatrous Arabians and to their fathers did I allow their full enjoyments, till the truth should come to them, and an undoubted apostle:

But now that the truth hath come to them, they say, “’Tis sorcerv, and we believe it not.”

And they say, “Had but this Koran been sent down to some great one of the two cities ...!”