XIV, 40-47- THE CHAPTER OF ABRAHAM. 243
[40] * O our Lord ! verily, I have made some of my seed dwell in a valley without corn, by thy Sacred House O our Lord ! let them be steadfast in prayer and make the hearts of men yearn towards them, and provide them with fruits, haply they may give thanks.
- O our Lord ! verily, Thou knowest what we hide
and what we publish ; for naught is hid from God in the earth or in the sky. Praise to God who hath bestowed on me, notwithstanding my old age, Ishmael and Isaac! — verily, my Lord surely hears prayer.
1 O my Lord ! make me steadfast in prayer, and of my seed likewise ! O our Lord ! and accept my prayer ! O our Lord ! pardon me and my parents and the believers on the reckoning day!'
So think not God careless of what the unjust do ; He only respites them until the day on which all eyes shall stare!
Hurrying on, raising up their heads, with their looks not turned back to them 2 , and their hearts void ; and warn men of the day when the torment shall come!
[45] And those who have done wrong shall say, ' O our Lord ! respite us until an appointed time nigh at hand, and we will respond to Thy call, and follow the apostles!' — 'What! did ye not swear before, ye should have no decline ?'
And ye dwelt in the dwellings of those who had wronged themselves ; and it was made plain to you how we did with them ; and we struck out parables
1 The Kaabah at Mecca.
8 I.e. with their looks fixed straight in front of them through terror.
R 2
Digitized by LiOOQ IC
