IZQ

034

Sheba

By the Name

God

the Fount-of-All-Mercy
the Ever-Merciful

grateful praise
belongs to God

to Hu belongs
whatever is in
the heavens and the earth

to Hu belongs praise also
in the world to come

Hu is
the Wise
the All-Aware

Hu knows
what goes into the earth
and what comes out of it

what comes down
from heaven
and what goes up
into it

Hu is
the Ever-Merciful
the Most-Forgiving

those who are
ungrateful
say

"The Hour will never come"

say

"Yes
by my Liege"

Hu knows the unseen

not as much as
the weight of an ant
in the heavens and the earth
escapes from Hu

nor is there anything

smaller than that
or greater than it

that is not in
a Clear Book

so Hu may repay
those who believe
and do good deeds

they shall have forgiveness
and a generous providing

and those who struggle
against Our Signs

to make them as nothing

theirs will be a punishment
of painful suffering

those who have been
given knowledge
see

that what has been
sent down to you
from your Liege
is the truth

and guides
to the path of
the All-Powerful
the Most-Praiseworthy

those who are
ungrateful
say

"Shall we point you
in the direction of
a man who will tell you

that when you have been
completely torn to pieces

then you will be
in a new creation?"

has he invented
a lie against God

or is he possessed?

no

but those who do not
believe in the world to come
live in punishment
and are far astray

have they not seen
what lies before them
and what lies behind them
in the heavens and the earth?

if We wished
We would make the earth
swallow them

or make pieces of heaven
fall on them

surely in that is a Sign
for every sorry servant

and We gave David
reward from Us

"O mountains echo
God's praises with him

and you birds"

and We made iron soft for him

so make long coats of mail

and measure the links
with care

and do what is right

for I see what you do

and to Solomon
We gave the wind

travelling a month's journey
in the morning

and a month's journey
in the evening

and We made a fountain
of molten brass
flow for him

and the jinn

some worked for him
by permission of his Liege

and any of them
that turned away
from Our command
We let them taste
the punishment of
the Blaze

they made for him
whatever he wanted

places of worship
statues
bowls as large as
water troughs
and giant cooking pots

"House of David
be thankful in your work

for very few of My servants
are thankful"

and when We decided
that he should die
nothing showed them
that he was dead

except that
the worm ate his staff

and when he fell down
the jinn saw clearly

that if they had only
known the unseen

they would not have needed
to stay there
in shameful punishment

for Sheba also
there was a Sign

in their home
two gardens

one on the right
and one on the left

"Eat of what
your Liege provides

and be thankful to Hu
for a generous land
and a Liege Most-Forgiving"

but they turned away

so We set loose on them
the flood from the great dam

and We gave them
in exchange for
their two gardens

two gardens growing
bitter plants

and tamarisk bushes
and a few lote trees

and so We repaid them
because they were
ungrateful

are any but those who are
ungrateful
repaid like this?

and We set between them
and the cities
We have blessed
other cities you can see

and We measured out
the journey between them

"Travel between them
by night and day
in safety"

but they said

"Our Liege
let us take longer
on the stages of our journey"

and they did wrong
to themselves

so We made them
no more than legends

and We tore them apart
into scattered pieces

surely in that are Signs
for everyone
patient and thankful

the opinion of Iblis
about them
was proved right

and they followed it

except for
a group of
those who believe

but it had no
authority
over them

it was only
that We might know

who believes in
the world to come

from
who doubts it

your Liege is
Guardian
over everything

say

"Call on those you
make claims for
apart from God

they do not have
so much as
the weight of
a speck of dust
in the heavens
or in the earth

they have no share
in either of them

Hu has no need of
their support"

it will be no use
for anyone
to plead with Hu

apart from those
to whom Hu gives
permission

until
when the terror
is lifted from their hearts
they will say

"What did your Liege say?"

they will say

"The truth

and Hu is
the Highest
the All-Great"

say

"Who provides for you
out of
the heavens and the earth?"

say

"God

and clearly
one or the other of us
is right guided
or gone astray"

say

"You will not be asked
about our evils

nor will we be asked
about what you do"

say

"Our Liege will
bring us together
then judge between us
by the truth

Hu is
the Just-Decider
the All-Knowing"

say

"Show me those
you have joined with Hu
as partner-gods"

no
indeed

Hu is God
the All-Powerful
the Wise

We have only sent you
to all of humankind
bringing good news
and a warning

but most do not know

they say

"When
will this promise happen
if you are telling the truth?"

say

"You have
a promised appointment

on a day
which you cannot put back
by a single hour

nor put it forward"

those who are
ungrateful
say

"We will not believe
in this Reading

nor any from
before it"

if only you could see
when those who do wrong
stand in the presence
of their Liege

arguing
one against the other

those that were lowly
will say to
those great and proud

"If it had not been for you
we would have been
with those who believe"

those great and proud
say to
those that were lowly

"What

did we keep you
from being guided
after it came to you?

no

it is you who were
doing evil"

and those that were lowly
will say to
those great and proud

"No

not when you were
making plans
night and day

when you ordered us
to reject God
and to put others
alongside Hu"

when they see
the punishment
they will be silent
hiding their regret

and We put iron collars
around the necks
of those who are
ungrateful

will they be repaid
for anything other than
what they were doing?

We sent no warner
into any city
without those who
lived at ease there
saying

"We reject
what you have
been sent with"

they also said

"We have more wealth
and children

we shall not be punished"

say

"My Liege
spreads out
and holds back
Hu's providing
to whoever Hu wills

but most people
do not know"

it is not your wealth
or your children
that will bring you near

close to Us

apart from those who believe
and do what is right

for them awaits
a double reward
for what they did

and they will be
in high roofed rooms
in safety

and those who struggle
against Our Signs
to make them as nothing

those will be summoned
into the punishment

say

"My Liege
spreads out
and holds back
Hu's providing
to whoever Hu wills

and whatever you spend
Hu will replace it

Hu is the best of providers"

on the day when Hu shall
herd them all together

then Hu shall say
to the Angels

"Was it you
they were serving?"

they shall say

"Glory be to You

You are our Protector
not them

no

they were serving the jinn

most of them
had faith in them"

"Today you have no power
to help or harm one another"

and We shall say
to those who do evil

"Taste the punishment
of the Fire
which you called lies"

and when Our Signs
are spoken to them
Clear Signs
they say

"This is nothing but
a man who wants
to stop you serving
what your family
before you
served"

and they say

"This is nothing but
a lie he has invented"

and those who are
ungrateful
say to the truth
when it comes to them

"This is nothing but
an obvious sorcery"

We have not given them
any Books to study

nor have We sent them
a warner
before you

those that were before them
also called it lies

but they do not have
even a tenth
of what We gave them

they called
My Messengers
liars

and how was My horror

say

"I give you
one piece of advice

that you stand before God

in pairs
and on your own

and then think

your companion
is not possessed

he is nothing but
a warner to you

before
a terrible punishment"

say

"I have not asked you
for any reward

that will be yours

my reward depends
only on God

and Hu is witness
over everything"

say

"My Liege
sends out the truth

the Knower of the unseen"

say

"Truth has come

what is false
can neither
begin
nor bring back again"

say

"If I take the wrong way
the wrong way
only leads to
my own loss

if I am guided
it is by
what my Liege
reveals to me

Hu is
All-Hearing
close by"

if you could only see

when they are terrified
and there is no escape

and they are seized
from a place nearby

and they say

"We believe in it"

but how can they
reach out for it
from a place far away?

and a barrier
is set between them
and what they want

as was done with
the likes of them
before

they also were deep in
doubt and suspicion

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