The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

160
The Quran 14: 23
been decided, Satan will say, ‘God gave you a true promise. I too
made promises but they were false ones: I had no power over you
except to call you, and you responded to my call, so do not blame
me; blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I
reject the way you associated me with God before.’ A bitter torment
awaits such wrongdoers, 23 but those who believed and did good
deeds will be brought into Gardens graced with flowing streams,
there to remain with their Lord’s permission: their greeting there is
‘Peace’.
24 [Prophet], do you not see how God makes comparisons? A good
word is like a good tree whose root is firm and whose branches are
high in the sky, 25 yielding constant fruit by its Lord’s leave – God
makes such comparisons for people so that they may reflect – 26 but
an evil word is like a rotten tree, uprooted from the surface of the
earth, with no power to endure. 27 God will give firmness to those
who believe in the firmly rooted word, a both in this world and the
Hereafter, but the evildoers He leaves to stray: God does whatever
He will.
28 [Prophet], do you not see those who, in exchange for God’s
favour, offer only ingratitude and make their people end up in the
home of ruin, Hell, 29 where they burn? What an evil place to stay!
30 They set up [false deities] as God’s equals to lead people astray
from His path. Say, ‘Take your pleasure now, for your destination is
the Fire.’ 31 Tell My servants who have believed to keep up the
prayer and give, secretly and in public, out of what We have provided
them, before a Day comes when there will be no trading or
friendship.
32 It is God who created the heavens and earth, who has sent down
water from the sky and with it brought forth produce to nourish you;
He has made ships useful to you, sailing the sea by His command,
and the rivers too; 33 He has made the sun and the moon useful to
you, steady on their paths; He has made the night and day useful to
you 34 and given you some of everything you asked Him for. If you
tried to count God’s favours you could never calculate them: man is
truly unjust and ungrateful.
35 Remember when Abraham said, ‘Lord, make this town safe!
Preserve me and my offspring from idolatry, 36 Lord, the [idols] have
a Possibly the Scripture, firmly rooted in knowledge from God.