they adored him, save only Iblîs, who was of the ginn, who revolted from the bidding of his Lord. ‘ What ! will ye then take him and his seed as patrons, rather than me, when they are foes of yours ? bad for the wrong-doers is the exchange !’
I did not make them witnesses of the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor of the creation of themselves, nor did I take those who lead astray for my supporters.
50 On the day when He shall say, ‘ Call ye my partners whom ye pretend :’ and they shall call on them, but they shall not answer them ; and we will set the vale of perdition between them; and the sinners shall see the fire, and shall think that they are going to fall therein, and shall find no escape therefrom. We have turned about in this Qurʼân for men every parable; but man is ever at most things a caviller.
Naught prevented men from believing when the guidance came to them, or from asking pardon of their Lord, except the coming on them of the course of those of yore, or the coming of the torment before their eyes[1].
We sent not prophets save as heralds of glad tidings and as warners; but those who misbelieve wrangle with vain speech to make void the truth therewith ; and they take my signs and the warnings given them as a jest.
55 Who is more unjust than he who, being
- ↑ This passage is aimed at the Qurâis. The ‘ course of those of yore ’ is the punishment inflicted on the ‘ people of Noah, Lot,’ &c. for similar acts of misbelief, and ‘ the torment ’ is said to refer to their losses at the battle of Bedr.
