Sura  40 - The Believer
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SURA XL (40) - THE BELIEVER      (Mecca - 85 Verses)       (LXXVIII - 240)     
 
       In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
 
40:1   Ha. Mim.  The Revelation (sending down) of the Book is from God the
Almighty, the All-knowing,
 
       Forgiver of sin, and receiver of penitence, - vehement in chastisement,
 
       Long-suffering!  There is no God but He: to Him shall be the final
gathering.
 
       None but infidels gainsay the signs of God: but let not their prosperity
in the land deceive thee.
 
       The people of Noah, and the confederates after them, have brought the
charge of imposture before these Meccans: each nation schemed against their
apostle to lay violent hold on him, and disputed with vain words to refute the
truth.  Therefore did I lay violent hold on them; and how greater was my
chastisement!
 
       Thus is it that thy Lord's sentence, that inmates shall they be of the
fire, was accomplished upon the infidels.
 
       They who bear the throne and they who encircle it, celebrate the praise
of their Lord and believe in Him, and implore forgiveness for the believers: -
"O our Lord! thou embracest all things in mercy and knowledge; forgive,
therefore, those who turn to thee and follow thy path; keep them from the pains
of hell:
 
       O our Lord! and bring them into the Gardens of Eden which thou hast
promised to them, and to the righteous ones of their fathers and their wives
and their children; for thou art the All-mighty, the All-wise:
 
       And keep them from evil: for on him hast thou mercy whom on that day
thou shalt keep from evil;" and this will be the great felicity.
 
40:10  But to the infidels shall a voice cry, "Surely the hatred of God is more
grievous than your hatred of yourselves, when ye were called to the faith, and
remained unbelievers."

       They shall say, "Twice, O our Lord, hast thou given us death, and twice
hast thou given us life: and we acknowledge our sins: is there no way to
escape?"
 
       "This hath befallen you, for that when One God was proclaimed to you, ye
believed not: but when partners had been united with him, ye believed:  But
judgment belongeth unto God, the High, the Great."
 
       It is He who sheweth you his signs, and sendeth down supplies to you
from Heaven: but none will receive warning save he who turneth to God.
 
       Call then on God, offering him a pure worship, though the infidels abhor
it.
 
       Of exalted grade, of the throne possessed, He sendeth forth the Spirit
at His own behest on whomsoever of His servants He pleaseth, that He may warn
of the day of meeting,
 
       The day when they shall come forth from their graves, when nought that
concerneth them shall be hidden from God.  With whom shall be the power supreme
on that day?  With God, the One, the Almighty.
 
       On that day shall every soul be recompensed as it hath deserved: no
injustice on that day!  Verily, God will be swift to reckon.
 
       Warn them, then, of the approaching day, when men's hearts shall rise
up, choking them, into their throats.
 
       The evil-doers shall have no friend or intercessor who shall prevail.
 
40:20  God knoweth the deceitful of eye, and what men's breasts conceal.
 
       And everything will God decide with truth:  But nothing shall those gods
whom men call on beside him, decide.  Verily, God! the Hearer, the Beholder,
He!
 
       Have they never journeyed in this land, and seen what hath been the end
of those who flourished before them?  Mightier were they in strength than these
Meccans, and their races remain in the land:  Yet God took them in their sins,
and there was none to defend them against God.
 
       This, because they apostles had come to them with proofs of their
mission, and they believed not: so God took them in hand; for He is mighty,
vehement in punishing.
 
       Moreover we had sent Moses of old with our signs and with clear
authority.
 
       To Pharaoh, and Haman, and Karun: and they said, "Sorcerer, impostor."
 
       And when he came to them from our presence with the truth, they said,
"Slay the sons of those who believe as he doth, and save their females alive;"
but the stratagem of the unbelievers issued only in failure.
 
       And Pharaoh said, "Let me alone, that I may kill Moses; and let him call
upon his Lord:  I fear lest he change your religion, or cause disorder to dhew
itself in the land."
 
       And Moses said, "I take refuge with my Lord and your Lord from every
proud one who believeth not in the day of reckoning."
 
       And a man of the family of Pharaoh, who was a believer, but hid his
faith, said, "Will ye slay a man because he saith my Lord is god, when he hath
already come to you with proofs of his mission from your Lord? and if he be a
liar, on him will be his life: but if he be a man of truth, part at least of
what he threateneth will fall upon you.  Truly God guideth not him who is a
transgressor, a liar.
 
40:30  O my people! this day is the kingdom yours, the eminent of the earth!
but who shall defend us from the vengeance of God if it come on us?"  Pharaoh
said, "i would have you see only what I see; and in a right way only will I
guide you."
 
       Then said he who believed, "O my people! truly I fear for you the like
of the day of the allies,
 
       The like of the state of the people of Noah and Ad and Themoud,
 
       And of those who came after them; yet God willeth not injustice to his
servants.
 
       And, O my people! I indeed fear for you the day of mutual outcry -
 
       The day when ye shall be turned back from the Judgment into hell.  No
protector shall ye have then against God.  And he whom God shall mislead no
guide shall there be for him.
 
       Moreover, Joseph had come to you before with clear tokens, but ye
ceased not to doubt of the message with which he came to you, until when he
died, ye said, 'God will by no means raise up an apostle after him.'"  Thus God
misleadeth him who is the transgressor, the doubter.
 
       They who gainsay the signs of the God without authority having come to
them, are greatly hated by the God and by those who believe.  Thus God sealeth
up every proud, contumacious heart.
 
       And Pharaoh said, "O Haman, Build for me a tower that I may reach the
avenues,
 
       The avenues of the heavens, and may mount to the God of Moses, for I
verily deem him a liar."
 
40:40  And thus the evil of his doings was made fair-seeming to Pharaoh, and he
turned away from the path of truth; but the artifice of Pharaoh ended only in
his ruin.
 
       And he who believed said, "O my people! follow me: into the right way
will I guide you.
 
       O my people! this present life is only a passing joy, but the life to
come is the mansion that abideth.
 
       Whoso shall have wrought evil shall not be recompensed but with its
life; but whoso shall have done the things that are right, whether male or
female, and is a believer - these shall enter paradise:  good things unreckoned
shall they enjoy therein.
 
       And, O my people! how is it that I bid you to salvation, but that ye bid
me to the fire?
 
       Ye invite me to deny God, and to join with him gods of whom I know
nothing; but I invite you to the Mighty, the Forgiving.
 
       No doubt is there that they to whom ye invite me are not to be invoked
either in this world or in the world to come: and that unto God is our return,
and that the transgressors shall be in the inmates of the fire.
 
       Then shall ye remember what I am saying unto you: and to God commit I my
case:  Verily, God beholdeth his servants."
 
       So God preserved him from the evils which they had planned, and the woe
of the punishment encompassed the people of Pharaoh.
 
       It is the fire to which they shall be exposed morning and evening, and
on the day when "the Hour" shall arrive - "Bring in the people of Pharaoh into
the severest punishment."
 
40:50  And when they shall wrangle together in the fire, the weak shall say to
those who had borne themselves so proudly, "It is your we followed: will ye
therefore relieve us from aught of the fire?"
 
       And those proud ones shall say, "Verily we are all in it; for now hath
God judged between his servants."
 
       And they who are in the fire shall say to the keepers of Hell, "Implore
your Lord that he would give us ease but for one day from this torment."
 
       They shall say, "Came not your apostles to you with the tokens?"  They
shall say, "Yes."  They shall say, "Cry ye then aloud for help:" but the cry of
the unbelievers shall be only in vain.
 
       Assuredly, in this present life will we succour our apostles and those
who shall have believed, and on the day when the witnesses shall stand forth;
 
       A day whereon the plea of the evil doers shall not avail them; but
theirs shall be a curse, and theirs the woe of the abode in Hell.
 
       And of old gave we Moses the guidance, and we made the children of
Israel the heritors of the Book, - a guidance and warning to men endued with
understanding.
 
       Therefore be steadfast thou and patient; for true is the promise of God:
and seek pardon for thy fault, and celebrate the praise of thy Lord at evening
and at morning.
 
       As to those who cavil at the signs of God without authority having
reached them, nought is there but pride in their breasts: but they shall not
succeed.  Fly thou for refuge then to God, for He is the Hearer, the Beholder.
 
       Greater surely than the creation of man is the creation of the heavens
and of the earth: but most men know it not.
 
40:60  Moreover, the blind and the seeing, and the evil doer and they who
believe and do the things that are right, shall not be deemed equal.  How few
ponder this!
 
       Aye, "the Hour" will surely come: there is no doubt of it: but most men
believe it not.
 
       And your Lord saith, "Call upon me - I will hearken unto you: but they
who turn in disdain from my service shall enter Hell with shame."
 
       It is God who hath ordained the night for your rest, and the day to give
you light: verily God is rich in bounties to men: but most men render not the
tribute of thanks.
 
       This is God your Lord, Creator of all things: no god is there but He:
why then do ye turn away from Him?
 
       Yet thus are they turned aisde who gainsay the signs of God.
 
       It is God who hath given you the earth as a sure foundation, and over it
built up the Heaven, and formed you, and made your forms beautiful, and feedeth
you with good things.  This is God your Lord.  Blessed then be Goid the Lord of
the World!
 
       He is the Living One.  No God is there but He.  Call then upon Him and
offer Him a pure worship.  Praise be to God the Lord of the Worlds!
 
       Say:  Verily I am forbidden to worship what ye call on beside God, after
that the clear tokens have come to me from my Lord, and I am bidden to
surrender myself to the Lord of the Worlds.
 
       He it is who created you of the dust, then of the germs of life, then of
thick blood, then brought you forth infants: then he letteth you reach your
full strength, and then become old men (but some of you die first), and reach
the ordained term.  And this that haply ye may understand.
 
40:70  It is He who giveth life and death; and when He decreeth a thing, He
only saith of it, "Be," and it is.
 
       Seest thou not those who cavil at the signs of God? how are they turned
aside!
 
       They who treat "the Book," and the message with which we have sent our
Sent Ones, as a lie, shall know the truth hereafter.
 
       When the collars shall be on their necks and the chains to drag them
into Hell: then in the fire shall they be burned.
 
       Then shall it be said to them, "Where are they whom ye made the objects
of joint worship with God?"  They shall say, "They have vanished away from us.
Yea, it was nought on which we called heretofore."  Thus God leadeth the
unbelievers astray.
 
       - "This for you, because of your unrighteous insolence and immoderate
joys on earth.
 
       Enter ye the portal of Hell to abide therein for ever.  And, wretched
the abode of the haughty ones!"
 
       `Therefore be thou steadfast in patience: for the promise of God is
truth: and whether we shall make thee see part of the woes with which we
threatened them, or whether we cause thee first to die, unto us shall they be
brought back.
 
       And we have already sent apostles before thee: of some we have told
thee, and of others we have told you nothing: but no apostle had the power to
work a miracle unless by the leave of God.  But when God's behest cometh,
everything will be decided with truth: and then they perish who treated it as a
vain thing.
 
       It is God who hath given you the cattle that on some of them ye may
ride, and of some may eat:
 
40:80  (Other advantages too do ye derive from them) - and that by them ye may
effect the projects ye cherish in your breasts; for on them, and on ships are
ye borne:
 
       And He sheweth you His signs: which, then, of the signs of God will ye
deny?
 
       Have they not journeyed in this land, and seen what hath been the end of
those who flourished before them?  More were they than these in number and
mightier in strength, and greater are the traces of their power remaining in
the land: yet their labours availed them nothing.
 
       And when their apostles had come to them with the tokens of their
mission, they exulted in what they possessed of knowledge; but that retribution
at which they scoffed, encompassed them.
 
       And when they beheld our vengeance they said, "We believe in God alone,
and we disbelieve in the deities we once associated with Him."
 
       But their faith, after they had witnessed our vengeance, profited them
not.  Such is the procedure of God with regard to his servants who flourished
of old.  And then the unbelievers perished.
-- Sura  40 - The Believer