Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 9.djvu/148

132 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