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18: The Cave
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1 |
Praise be to God, Who hath sent to His Servant the Book, and hath
allowed therein no Crookedness:
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(He hath made it) Straight (and Clear) in order that He may warn (the
godless) of a terrible Punishment from Him, and that He may give Glad
Tidings to the Believers who work righteous deeds, that they shall
have a goodly Reward,
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Wherein they shall remain for ever:
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Further, that He may warn those (also) who say, "God hath begotten a
son":
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No knowledge have they of such a thing, nor had their fathers. It is a
grievous thing that issues from their mouths as a saying what they say
is nothing but falsehood!
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Thou wouldst only, perchance, fret thyself to death, following after
them, in grief, if they believe not in this Message.
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That which is on earth we have made but as a glittering show for the
earth, in order that We may test them - as to which of them are best
in conduct.
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Verily what is on earth we shall make but as dust and dry soil
(without growth or herbage).
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Or dost thou reflect that the Companions of the Cave and of the
Inscription were wonders among Our Sign?
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Behold, the youths betook themselves to the Cave: they said, "Our
Lord! bestow on us Mercy from Thyself, and dispose of our affair for
us in the right way!"
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Then We draw (a veil) over their ears, for a number of years, in the
Cave, (so that they heard not):
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Then We roused them, in order to test which of the two parties was
best at calculating the term of years they had tarried!
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We relate to thee their story in truth: they were youths who believed
in their Lord, and We advanced them in guidance:
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We gave strength to their hearts: Behold, they stood up and said: "Our
Lord is the Lord of the heavens and of the earth: never shall we call
upon any god other than Him: if we did, we should indeed have uttered
an enormity!
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"These our people have taken for worship gods other than Him: why do
they not bring forward an authority clear (and convincing) for what
they do? Who doth more wrong than such as invent a falsehood against
God?
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"When ye turn away from them and the things they worship other than
God, betake yourselves to the Cave: Your Lord will shower His mercies
on you and disposes of your affair towards comfort and ease."
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Thou wouldst have seen the sun, when it rose, declining to the right
from their Cave, and when it set, turning away from them to the left,
while they lay in the open space in the midst of the Cave. Such are
among the Signs of God: He whom God, guides is rightly guided; but he
whom God leaves to stray,- for him wilt thou find no protector to lead
him to the Right Way.
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Thou wouldst have deemed them awake, whilst they were asleep, and We
turned them on their right and on their left sides: their dog
stretching forth his two fore-legs on the threshold: if thou hadst
come up on to them, thou wouldst have certainly turned back from them
in flight, and wouldst certainly have been filled with terror of them.
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Such (being their state), we raised them up (from sleep), that they
might question each other. Said one of them, "How long have ye stayed
(here)?" They said, "We have stayed (perhaps) a day, or part of a
day." (At length) they (all) said, "God (alone) knows best how long ye
have stayed here.... Now send ye then one of you with this money of
yours to the town: let him find out which is the best food (to be had)
and bring some to you, that (ye may) satisfy your hunger therewith:
And let him behave with care and courtesy, and let him not inform any
one about you.
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"For if they should come upon you, they would stone you or force you
to return to their cult, and in that case ye would never attain
prosperity."
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Thus did We make their case known to the people, that they might know
that the promise of God is true, and that there can be no doubt about
the Hour of Judgment. Behold, they dispute among themselves as to
their affair. (Some) said, "Construct a building over them": Their
Lord knows best about them: those who prevailed over their affair
said, "Let us surely build a place of worship over them."
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(Some) say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them;
(others) say they were five, the dog being the sixth,- doubtfully
guessing at the unknown; (yet others) say they were seven, the dog
being the eighth. Say thou: "My Lord knoweth best their number; It is
but few that know their (real case)." Enter not, therefore, into
controversies concerning them, except on a matter that is clear, nor
consult any of them about (the affair of) the Sleepers.
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Nor say of anything, "I shall be sure to do so and so tomorrow"-
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Without adding, "So please God!" and call thy Lord to mind when thou
forgettest, and say, "I hope that my Lord will guide me ever closer
(even) than this to the right road."
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So they stayed in their Cave three hundred years, and (some) add nine
(more)
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Say: "God knows best how long they stayed: with Him is (the knowledge
of) the secrets of the heavens and the earth: how clearly He sees, how
finely He hears (everything)! They have no protector other than Him;
nor does He share His Command with any person whatsoever.
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And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to thee of the Book of
thy Lord: none can change His Words, and none wilt thou find as a
refuge other than Him.
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And keep thy soul content with those who call on their Lord morning
and evening, seeking His Face; and let not thine eyes pass beyond
them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this Life; no obey any whose
heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who
follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds.
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Say, "The truth is from your Lord": Let him who will believe, and let
him who will, reject (it): for the wrong-doers We have prepared a Fire
whose (smoke and flames), like the walls and roof of a tent, will hem
them in: if they implore relief they will be granted water like melted
brass, that will scald their faces, how dreadful the drink! How
uncomfortable a couch to recline on!
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As to those who believe and work righteousness, verily We shall not
suffer to perish the reward of any who do a (single) righteous deed.
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For them will be Gardens of Eternity; beneath them rivers will flow;
they will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and they will
wear green garments of fine silk and heavy brocade: They will recline
therein on raised thrones. How good the recompense! How beautiful a
couch to recline on!
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Set forth to them the parable of two men: for one of them We provided
two gardens of grape-vines and surrounded them with date palms; in
between the two We placed corn-fields.
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Each of those gardens brought forth its produce, and failed not in the
least therein: in the midst of them We caused a river to flow.
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(Abundant) was the produce this man had : he said to his companion, in
the course of a mutual argument: "more wealth have I than you, and
more honour and power in (my following of) men."
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He went into his garden in a state (of mind) unjust to his soul: He
said, "I deem not that this will ever perish,
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"Nor do I deem that the Hour (of Judgment) will (ever) come: Even if I
am brought back to my Lord, I shall surely find (there) something
better in exchange."
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His companion said to him, in the course of the argument with him:
"Dost thou deny Him Who created thee out of dust, then out of a
sperm-drop, then fashioned thee into a man?
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"But (I think) for my part that He is God, My Lord, and none shall I
associate with my Lord.
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"Why didst thou not, as thou wentest into thy garden, say: 'God's will
(be done)! There is no power but with God!' If thou dost see me less
than thee in wealth and sons,
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"It may be that my Lord will give me something better than thy garden,
and that He will send on thy garden thunderbolts (by way of reckoning)
from heaven, making it (but) slippery sand!-
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"Or the water of the garden will run off underground so that thou wilt
never be able to find it."
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So his fruits (and enjoyment) were encompassed (with ruin), and he
remained twisting and turning his hands over what he had spent on his
property, which had (now) tumbled to pieces to its very foundations,
and he could only say, "Woe is me! Would I had never ascribed
partners to my Lord and Cherisher!"
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Nor had he numbers to help him against God, nor was he able to deliver
himself.
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There, the (only) protection comes from God, the True One. He is the
Best to reward, and the Best to give success.
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Set forth to them the similitude of the life of this world: It is like
the rain which we send down from the skies: the earth's vegetation
absorbs it, but soon it becomes dry stubble, which the winds do
scatter: it is (only) God who prevails over all things.
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Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this world: But the
things that endure, good deeds, are best in the sight of thy Lord, as
rewards, and best as (the foundation for) hopes.
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One Day We shall remove the mountains, and thou wilt see the earth as
a level stretch, and We shall gather them, all together, nor shall We
leave out any one of them.
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And they will be marshalled before thy Lord in ranks, (with the
announcement), "Now have ye come to Us (bare) as We created you first:
aye, ye thought We shall not fulfil the appointment made to you to
meet (Us)!":
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And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see
the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they
will say, "Ah! woe to us! what a Book is this! It leaves out nothing
small or great, but takes account thereof!" They will find all that
they did, placed before them: And not one will thy Lord treat with
injustice.
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Behold! We said to the angels, "Bow down to Adam": They bowed down
except Iblis. He was one of the Jinns, and he broke the Command of his
Lord. Will ye then take him and his progeny as protectors rather than
Me? And they are enemies to you! Evil would be the exchange for the
wrong-doers!
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I called them not to witness the creation of the heavens and the
earth, nor (even) their own creation: nor is it for helpers such as Me
to take as lead (men) astray!
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One Day He will say, "Call on those whom ye thought to be My
partners," and they will call on them, but they will not listen to
them; and We shall make for them a place of common perdition.
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And the Sinful shall see the fire and apprehend that they have to fall
therein: no means will they find to turn away therefrom.
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We have explained in detail in this Qur'án, for the benefit of
mankind, every kind of similitude: but man is, in most things,
contentious.
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And what is there to keep back men from believing, now that Guidance
has come to them, nor from praying for forgiveness from their Lord,
but that (they ask that) the ways of the ancients be repeated with
them, or the Wrath be brought to them face to face?
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We only send the apostles to give Glad Tidings and to give warnings:
But the unbelievers dispute with vain argument, in order therewith to
weaken the truth, and they treat My Signs as a jest, as also the fact
that they are warned!
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And who doth more wrong than one who is reminded of the Signs of his
Lord, but turns away from them, forgetting the (deeds) which his hands
have sent forth? Verily We have set veils over their hearts lest they
should understand this, and over their ears, deafness, if thou callest
them to guidance, even then will they never accept guidance.
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But your Lord is Most forgiving, full of Mercy. If He were to call
them (at once) to account for what they have earned, then surely He
would have earned, then surely He would have hastened their
punishment: but they have their appointed time, beyond which they will
find no refuge.
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Such were the populations we destroyed when they committed iniquities;
but we fixed an appointed time for their destruction.
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Behold, Moses said to his attendant, "I will not give up until I reach
the junction of the two seas or (until) I spend years and years in
travel."
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But when they reached the Junction, they forgot (about) their Fish,
which took its course through the sea (straight) as in a tunnel.
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When they had passed on (some distance), Moses said to his attendant:
"Bring us our early meal; truly we have suffered much fatigue at this
(stage of) our journey."
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He replied: "Sawest thou (what happened) when we betook ourselves to
the rock? I did indeed forget (about) the Fish: none but Satan made me
forget to tell (you) about it: it took its course through the sea in a
marvellous way!"
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Moses said: "That was what we were seeking after:" So they went back
on their footsteps, following (the path they had come).
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So they found one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed Mercy from
Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our own Presence.
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Moses said to him: "May I follow thee, on the footing that thou teach
me something of the (Higher) Truth which thou hast been taught?"
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(The other) said: "Verily thou wilt not be able to have patience with
me!"
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"And how canst thou have patience about things about which thy
understanding is not complete?"
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Moses said: "Thou wilt find me, if God so will, (truly) patient: nor
shall I disobey thee in aught."
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The other said: "If then thou wouldst follow me, ask me no questions
about anything until I myself speak to thee concerning it."
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So they both proceeded: until, when they were in the boat, he scuttled
it. Said Moses: "Hast thou scuttled it in order to drown those in it?
Truly a strange thing hast thou done!"
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He answered: "Did I not tell thee that thou canst have no patience
with me?"
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Moses said: "Rebuke me not for forgetting, nor grieve me by raising
difficulties in my case."
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Then they proceeded: until, when they met a young man, he slew
him. Moses said: "Hast thou slain an innocent person who had slain
none? Truly a foul (unheard of) thing hast thou done!"
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He answered: "Did I not tell thee that thou canst have no patience
with me?"
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(Moses) said: "If ever I ask thee about anything after this, keep me
not in thy company: then wouldst thou have received (full) excuse from
my side."
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Then they proceeded: until, when they came to the inhabitants of a
town, they asked them for food, but they refused them
hospitality. They found there a wall on the point of falling down, but
he set it up straight. (Moses) said: "If thou hadst wished, surely
thou couldst have exacted some recompense for it!"
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He answered: "This is the parting between me and thee: now will I tell
thee the interpretation of (those things) over which thou wast unable
to hold patience.
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"As for the boat, it belonged to certain men in dire want: they plied
on the water: I but wished to render it unserviceable, for there was
after them a certain king who seized on every boat by force.
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"As for the youth, his parents were people of Faith, and we feared
that he would grieve them by obstinate rebellion and ingratitude (to
God and man).
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"So we desired that their Lord would give them in exchange (a son)
better in purity (of conduct) and closer in affection.
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"As for the wall, it belonged to two youths, orphans, in the Town;
there was, beneath it, a buried treasure, to which they were entitled:
their father had been a righteous man: So thy Lord desired that they
should attain their age of full strength and get out their treasure -
a mercy (and favour) from thy Lord. I did it not of my own
accord. Such is the interpretation of (those things) over which thou
wast unable to hold patience."
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They ask thee concerning Zul-qarnain. Say, "I will rehearse to you
something of his story."
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Verily We established his power on earth, and We gave him the ways and
the means to all ends.
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One (such) way he followed,
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Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it set in a
spring of murky water: Near it he found a People: We said: "O
Zul-qarnain! (thou hast authority,) either to punish them, or to treat
them with kindness."
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He said: "Whoever doth wrong, him shall we punish; then shall he be
sent back to his Lord; and He will punish him with a punishment
unheard-of (before).
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"But whoever believes, and works righteousness,- he shall have a
goodly reward, and easy will be his task as We order it by our
Command."
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Then followed he (another) way,
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Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a
people for whom We had provided no covering protection against the
sun.
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(He left them) as they were: We completely understood what was before
him.
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Then followed he (another) way,
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Until, when he reached (a tract) between two mountains, he found,
beneath them, a people who scarcely understood a word.
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They said: "O Zul-qarnain! the Gog and Magog (People) do great
mischief on earth: shall we then render thee tribute in order that
thou mightest erect a barrier between us and them?
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He said: "(The power) in which my Lord has established me is better
(than tribute): Help me therefore with strength (and labour): I will
erect a strong barrier between you and them:
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"Bring me blocks of iron." At length, when he had filled up the space
between the two steep mountain-sides, He said, "Blow (with your
bellows)" Then, when he had made it (red) as fire, he said: "Bring me,
that I may pour over it, molten lead."
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Thus were they made powerless to scale it or to dig through it.
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He said: "This is a mercy from my Lord: But when the promise of my
Lord comes to pass, He will make it into dust; and the promise of my
Lord is true."
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On that day We shall leave them to surge like waves on one another:
the trumpet will be blown, and We shall collect them all together.
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100 |
And We shall present Hell that day for Unbelievers to see, all spread
out,-
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101 |
(Unbelievers) whose eyes had been under a veil from remembrance of Me,
and who had been unable even to hear.
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102 |
Do the Unbelievers think that they can take My servants as protectors
besides Me? Verily We have prepared Hell for the Unbelievers for
(their) entertainment.
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103 |
Say: "Shall we tell you of those who lose most in respect of their
deeds?-
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104 |
"Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they thought
that they were acquiring good by their works?"
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105 |
They are those who deny the Signs of their Lord and the fact of their
having to meet Him (in the Hereafter): vain will be their works, nor
shall We, on the Day of Judgment, give them any weight.
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106 |
That is their reward, Hell, because they rejected Faith, and took My
Signs and My Messengers by way of jest.
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107 |
As to those who believe and work righteous deeds, they have, for their
entertainment, the Gardens of Paradise,
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108 |
Wherein they shall dwell (for aye): no change will they wish for from
them.
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109 |
Say: "If the ocean were ink (wherewith to write out) the words of my
Lord, sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the words of my
Lord, even if we added another ocean like it, for its aid."
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110 |
Say: "I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come
to me, that your God is one God: whoever expects to meet his Lord, let
him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one
as partner.
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