The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

17: 105
The Night Journey 181
out all kinds of examples for people, yet most of them persist in
disbelieving. 90 They say, ‘We will not believe for you [Muhammad]
until you make a spring gush out of the ground for us; 91 or until you
have a garden of date palms and vines, and make rivers pour through
them; 92 or make the sky fall on us in pieces, as you claimed will
happen; or bring God and the angels before us face to face; 93 or have
a house made of gold; or ascend into the sky – even then, we will not
believe in your ascension until you send a real book down for us
to read.’ Say, ‘Glory be to my Lord! Am I anything but a mortal, a
messenger?’ 94 The only thing that kept these people from believing,
when guidance came to them, was that they said, ‘How could God
have sent a human being as a messenger?’ 95 Say, ‘If there were angels
walking about on earth, feeling at home, We would have sent them an
angel from Heaven as a messenger.’ 96 Say, ‘God is witness enough
between me and you. He knows and observes His servants well.’
97 [Prophet], anyone God guides is truly guided, and you will find
no protector other than Him for anyone He leaves astray. On the Day
of Resurrection We shall gather them, lying on their faces, blind,
dumb, and deaf. Hell will be their Home. Whenever the Fire goes
down, We shall make it blaze more fiercely for them. 98 This is what
they will get for rejecting Our signs and saying, ‘What? When we are
turned to bones and dust, how can we be raised in a new act of
creation?’ 99 Do they not see that God, who created the heavens and
earth, can create the likes of them [anew]? He has ordained a time for
them – there is no doubt about that – but the evildoers refuse everything
except disbelief. 100 Say, ‘If you possessed the very stores of my
Lord’s bounty, you would hold them back in your fear of spending:
man is ever grudging.’
101 In the past, We gave Moses nine clear signs – ask the Children
of Israel. When Moses came to [the Egyptians], Pharaoh said to him,
‘Moses, I think you are bewitched.’ 102 He said, ‘You know very well
that only the Lord of the heavens and earth could have sent these
signs as clear proof. I think that you, Pharaoh, are doomed.’ 103 So he
wanted to wipe them off the [face of the] earth, but We drowned him
and those with him. 104 After his death, We told the Children of
Israel, ‘Live in the land, and when the promise of the Hereafter is
fulfilled, We shall bring you to the assembly of all people.’
105 We sent down the Quran with the truth, and with the truth it
has come down – [Prophet], We sent you only to give good news and