Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 9.djvu/64

48 celebrated be His praise !’ — Nay, honoured servants ; they do not speak until He speaks; but at His bidding do they act. He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they shall not intercede except for him whom He is pleased with ; and they shrink through fear.

And whoso of them should say, ‘ Verily, I am god instead of Him,’ such a one we recompense with hell; thus do we recompense the wrong-doers.

Do not those who misbelieve see that the heavens and the earth were both solid, and we burst them asunder; and we made from water every living thing — will they then not believe ?

And we placed on the earth firm mountains lest it should move with them, and He made therein open roads for paths, haply they may be guided ! and we made the heaven a guarded roof; yet from our signs they turn aside !

He it is who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, each floating in a sky.

We never made for any mortal before thee immortality; what, if thou shouldst die, will they live on for aye ?

Every soul shall taste of death! we will test them with evil and with good, as a trial ; and unto us shall they return !

And when those who misbelieve see thee, they only take thee for a jest, ‘ Is this he who mentions your gods ?’ Yet they at the mention of the Merciful do disbelieve.