Sykes' History of Persia Vol 2 (pdf) - Heritage Institute

24 HISTORY OF PERSIA
derided the impotence of the idols. The penalties of
hell and the pleasures of Paradise are graphically described,
and throughout, as Nicholson " says, his genius proclaims
itself by grand lyrical outbursts." As an example I quote
one of the early suras, which runs :
When the Sky shall be severed,
And when the Stars shall be shivered,
And when the Seas to mingle shall be suffered,
And when the graves shall be uncovered
A soul shall know that which it hath deferred or delivered. 1
O Man, what beguiled thee against thy gracious Master to rebel,
Who created thee and fashioned thee right and thy frame did fairly
build ?
He composed thee in whatever form he willed.
Nay, but you disbelieve in the Ordeal 2
!
Verily over you are Recorders honourable,
Your deeds inscribing without fail.
To conclude, the revelations at Medina deal with
what may be termed the business side of religion laws,
;
ordinances, and manifestos all finding place side by side
with occasional but rare outbursts of flaming genius.
Yet behind it all were the call to monotheism and the
denunciation of idolatry,
on which the Koran can claim,
and justly claim, to stand.
1
I.e. what it has done or left undone.
2
The Last Judgment.