Those drawn up in Ranks

He said, 'Do you serve what you hew,

and God created you and what you make?'

What ails you then, how you judge?

What, and will you not remember?

Or have you a clear authority?

And he turned upon them smiting them with his right hand.

Then came the others to him hastening.

By the rangers ranging

and the scarers scaring

and the reciters of a Remembrance,

surely your God is One,

Lord of the heavens and the earth, and of what between them is Lord of the Easts.

We have adorned the lower heaven with the adornment of the stars

and to preserve against every rebel Satan;

they listen not to the High Council, for they are pelted from every side,

rejected, and theirs is an everlasting chastisement,

except such as snatches a fragment, and he is pursued by a piercing flame.

So ask them for a pronouncement -- Are they stronger in constitution, or those We created? We created them of clinging clay.

Nay, thou marvellest; and they scoff

and, when reminded, do not remember

and, when they see a sign, would scoff;

and they say, 'This is nothing but manifest sorcery.

What, when we are dead and become dust and bones, shall we indeed be raised up?

What, and our fathers, the ancients?'

Say: 'Yes, and in all lowliness.'

For it is only a single scaring, then behold, they are watching

and they say, 'Woe, alas for us! This is the Day of Doom.'

'This is the Day of Decision, even that you cried lies to.

Muster those who did evil, their wives, and that they were serving,

apart from God, and guide them unto the path of Hell!

And halt them, to be questioned:

"Why help you not one another?"

No indeed; but today they resign themselves in submission

and advance one upon another, asking each other questions.

These say, 'Why, you of old would come to us from the right hand.'

Those say, 'No; on the contrary, you were not believers;

we had no authority over you; no, you were an insolent people.

So our Lord's Word is realised against us; we are tasting it.

Therefore we perverted you, and we ourselves were perverts.'

So all of them on that day are sharers in the chastisement.

Even so We do with the sinners;

for when it was said to them, 'There is no god but God,' they were ever waxing proud,

saying, 'What, shall we forsake our gods for a poet possessed?'

'No indeed; but he brought the truth, and confirmed the Envoys.

Now certainly you shall be tasting the painful chastisement,

and not be recompensed, except according to what you were doing.'

Except for God's sincere servants;

for them awaits a known provision,

fruits -- and they high-honoured

in the Gardens of Bliss

upon couches, set face to face,

a cup from a spring being passed round to them,

white, a delight to the drinkers,

wherein no sickness is, neither intoxication;

and with them wide-eyed maidens restraining their glances

as if they were hidden pearls.

They advance one upon another, asking each other questions.

One of them says, 'I had a comrade

who would say, "Are you a confirmer?

What, when we are dead and become dust and bones, shall we indeed be requited?"

He says, 'Are you looking down?'

Then he looks, and sees him in the midst of Hell.

He says, 'By God, wellnigh thou didst destroy me;

But for my Lord's blessing, I were one of the arraigned.

What, do we then not die

except for our first death, and are we not chastised?

This is indeed the mighty triumph,

for the like of this let the workers work.'

Is that better as a hospitality, or the Tree of Ez-Zakkoum?

We have appointed it as a trial for the evildoers.

It is a tree that comes forth in the root of Hell;

its spathes are as the heads of Satans,

and they eat of it, and of it fill their bellies,

then on top of it they have a brew of boiling water,

then their return is unto Hell.

They found their fathers erring,

and they run in their footsteps.

Before them erred most of the ancients,

and We sent among them warners;

and behold, how was the end of them that were warned,

except for God's sincere servants.

Noah called to Us; and how excellent were the Answerers!

And We delivered him and his people from the great distress,

and We made his seed the survivors,

and left for him among the later folk

'Peace be upon Noah among all beings!'

Even so We recompense the good-doers;

he was among Our believing servants.

Then afterwards We drowned the rest.

Of his party was also Abraham;

when he came unto his Lord with a pure heart,

when he said to his father and his folk, 'What do you serve?

Is it a calumny, gods apart from God, that you desire?

What think you then of the Lord of all Being?'

And he cast a glance at the stars,

and he said, 'Surely I am sick.'

But they went away from him, turning their backs.

Then he turned to their gods, and said, 'What do you eat?

What ails you, that you speak not?'

They said, 'Build him a building, and cast him into the furnace!'

They desired to outwit him; so We made them the lower ones.

He said, 'I am going to my Lord; He will guide me.

My Lord, give me one of the righteous.'

Then We gave him the good tidings of a prudent boy;

and when he had reached the age of running with him, he said, 'My son, I see in a dream that I shall sacrifice thee; consider, what thinkest thou?' He said, 'My father, do as thou art bidden; thou shalt find me, God willing, one of the steadfast.'

When they had surrendered, and he flung him upon his brow,

We called unto him, 'Abraham,

thou hast confirmed the vision; even so We recompense the good-doers.

This is indeed the manifest trial.'

And We ransomed him with a mighty sacrifice,

and left for him among the later folk

'Peace be upon Abraham!'

Even so We recompense the good-doers;

he was among Our believing servants.

Then We gave him the good tidings of Isaac, a Prophet, one of the righteous.

And We blessed him, and Isaac; and of their seed some are good-doers, and some manifest self-wrongers.

We also favoured Moses and Aaron,

and We delivered them and their people from the great distress.

And We helped them, so that they were the victors;

and We gave them the Manifesting Book,

and guided them in the straight path,

and left for them among the later folk

'Peace be upon Moses and, Aaron!'

Even so We recompense the good-doers;

they were among Our believing servants.

Elias too was one of the Envoys;

when he said to his people, 'Will you not be godfearing?

Do you call on Baal, and abandon the Best of creators?

God, your Lord, and the Lord of your fathers, the ancients?'

But they cried him lies; so they will be among the arraigned,

except for God's sincere servants;

and We left for him among the later folk

'Peace be upon Elias!'

Even so We recompense the good-doers;

he was among Our believing servants.

Lot too was one of the Envoys;

when We delivered him and his people all together,

save an old woman among those that tarried;

then We destroyed the others,

and you pass by them in the morning

and in the night; will you not understand?

Jonah too was one of the Envoys;

when he ran away to the laden ship

and cast lots, and was of the rebutted,

then the whale swallowed him down, and he blameworthy.

Now had he not been of those that glorify God,

he would have tarried in its belly until the day they shall be raised;

but We cast him upon the wilderness, and he was sick,

and We caused to grow over him a tree of gourds.

Then We sent him unto a hundred thousand, or more,

and they believed; so We gave them enjoyment for a while.

So ask them for a pronouncement -- Has thy Lord daughters, and they sons?

Or did We create the angels females, while they were witnesses?

Is it not of their own calumny that they say,

'God has begotten?' They are truly liars.

Has He chosen daughters above sons?

Bring your Book, if you speak truly!

They have set up a kinship between Him and the jinn; and the jinn know that they shall be arraigned.

Glory be to God above that they describe,

except for God's sincere servants.

But as for you, and that you serve,

you shall not tempt any against Him

except him who shall roast in Hell.

None of us is there, but has a known station;

we are the rangers,

we are they that give glory.

What though they would say,

'If only we had had a Reminder from the ancients,

then were we God's sincere servants.'

But they disbelieved in it; soon they shall know!

Already Our Word has preceded to Our servants, the Envoys;

assuredly they shall be helped,

and Our host -- they are the victors.

So turn thou from them for a while,

and see them; soon they shall see!

What, do they seek to hasten Our chastisement?

When it lights in their courtyard, how evil will be the morning of them that are warned!

So turn thou from them for a while,

and see; soon they shall see!

Glory be to thy Lord, the Lord of Glory, above that they describe!

And peace be upon the Envoys;

and praise belongs to God, the Lord of all Being.