Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 9.djvu/213

ⅩⅬ, 67-76 He is the living One, there is no god but He ! then call on Him, being sincere in your religion to Him ; praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds !

Say, ‘ Verily, I am forbidden to serve those whom ye call on beside God, since there have come to me manifest signs from my Lord, and I am bidden to be resigned unto the Lord of the worlds.’

He it is who created you from the earth, then from a clot, then from congealed blood, then He brings you forth a child; then ye reach to puberty; then do ye become old men, — though of you there are some who are taken away before, — that ye may reach an appointed time, and haply ye may have some sense.

He it is who quickens and kills, and when He decrees a matter, then He only says to it, ‘BE,’ and it is.

Hast thou not seen those who wrangle concerning the signs of God how they are turned away ? Those who call the Book, and what we have sent our apostles with, a lie, soon shall they know — when the fetters are on their necks and the chains, as they are dragged into hell ! — then in the fire shall they be baked.

Then it shall be said to them, ‘ Where is what ye did associate beside God?’ They shall say, ‘ They have strayed away from us ; nay, we did not call before upon anything!’ — thus does God lead the misbelievers astray.

There ! for that ye did rejoice in the land without right ; and for that ye did exult ; enter ye the gates of hell, to dwell therein for aye ; for evil is the resort of those who are too big with pride !