J. F. Campbell Collection > Koran: or, Alcoran of Mohammed

CHAP. XXI. AL KORAN. 267
move swiftly, each in its respective orb. We have not granted unto any man
before thee eternal permanency in this world ; if thou die, therefore, -will
they be immortal 1 ' Every soul shall taste of death : and we will prove
you with evil, and with good, for a trial of you; and unto us shall ye
return. When the unbelievers see thee, they receive thee only with
scoffing, saying, Is this he who mentioneth your gods with contempt i Yet
themselves believe not what is mentioned to them of the Merciful.^ * Man
is created of precipitation.* Hereafter will I show you my signs, so that
ye shall not wish them to be hastened. They say. When will tliis threat
be accomplished, if ye speak truth ? If they who believe not knew that tJie
time will surely come, when they shall not be able to drive back the fire of
hell from their faces, nor from their backs, neither sliall they be helped, tftey
would n tt hasten it. But the day of vengeance shall come upon them sud-
denly, and shall strike them with astonishment : they sliall not be able to
avert it, neither shall they be respited Other apostles have been mocked
before thee ; but the punishment which they scoffed at fell upon such of
them as mocked. Say unto tlie scoffers, Who shall save you by night and
by day from the Merciful ? Yet they utterly neglect the remembrance of
their Lord. Have they gods who will defend them, besides us 1 They are
not able to help themselves ; neither shall they be assisted against us by
their companions. But we have permitted these men and their fathers to
enjoy worldly prosperity, so long as life was continued unto them. Do they
not perceive that we come unto the land of the unbelievers, and straiten the
borders thereof? Shall they therefore be the conquerors'? Say, I only
preach unto you the revelation of God : but the deaf will not hear thy call,
whenever they are preached unto. Yet if the least breath of the punish-
ment of thy Lord touch them, they will surely say, Alas for us ! verily we
have been unjust. We will appoint just balances for the day of resur-
rection ; neither shall any soid be injured at all : although the merit or guilt
of an action be of the weight of a grain of mustard-seed only, we will pro-
duce it publicly ; and there will be sufficient accountants with us. We
formerly gave unto IMoses and Aaron the law, being a distinction " between
good and evil, and a light and admonition unto the pious ; who fear their
Lord in secret, and who dread the hour of judgment. And this booh also is
a blessed admonition, which we have sent down from lieaven : will ye
therefore deny it 1 and we gave unto Abraham his direction ^ heretofore,
and we knew him to be worthy of the revelations wJierewith he was favoured.
' This passage was revealed when the infidels said, "We expect to see Mohammed
die, like the rest of mankind.
* Denying his unity; or rejecting his apostles and the scriptures which were given
for their instruction, and particularly the Koran.
* " And they dare to insult the Merciful I " — Savary.
' Being hasty and inconsiderate.* It is said this passage was revealed on account
of al Nodar Ebn al Hareth, when he desired Mohammed to hasten the divine ven-
geance with which he threatened the unbelievers.*
" Arab, al Forkan. See the Prelim. Disc, sect, iii. p. 40.
* Viz., the ten books of divine revelations which were given him.'
* See chap. 17, p. 228, &c ^ Al Beid^wL