HKB
But hereafter shall a direction come unto you from me:i and whosoever shall follow my direction shall not err, neither shall he be unhappy; but whosoever shall turn aside from my admonition, verily he shall lead a miserable life, and we will cause him to appear before us on the day of resurrection, blind.j And he shall say, O LORD, why hast thou brought me before thee blind, whereas before I saw clearly? c Or, Except unto him, &c. See chapter 19, p. 232. d The original word properly expresses the humility and dejected looks of captives in the presence of their conqueror. e Mohammed is here commanded not to be impatient at any delay in Gabriel's bringing the divine revelations, or not to repeat it too fast after the angel, so as to overtake him before he had finished the passage. But some suppose the prohibition relates to the publishing any verse before the same was perfectly explained to him.1 f Adam's so soon forgetting the divine command, has occasioned some Arab etymologists to derive the word Insân, i.e., man, from nasiya, to forget; and has also given rise to the following proverbial saying, Awwalo nâsin awwalo 'nnâsi, that is, The first forgetful person was the first of men; alluding to the like sound of the words g See chapter 2, p. 4, &c.; chapter 7, p. 105, &c. h See chapter 7, p. 106. i See chapter 2, p. 5. j See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV. p. 66. 1 Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin
God shall answer, Thus have we done, because our signs came unto thee, and thou didst forget them; and in the same manner shalt thou be forgotten this day. And thus will we reward him who shall be negligent, and shall not believe in the signs of his LORD: and the punishment of the life to come shall be more severe, and more lasting, than the punishment of this life. Are not the Meccans, therefore, acquainted how many generations we have destroyed before them; in whose dwellings they walk?k Verily herein are signs unto those who are endued with understanding. And unless a decree had previously gone forth from thy LORD for their respite, verily their destruction had necessarily followed: but there is a certain time determined by God for their punishment. 130 Wherefore, do thou, O Mohammed, patiently bear that which they say; and celebrate the praise of thy LORD before the rising of the sun, and before the setting thereof, and praise him in the hours of the night, and in the extremities of the day,l that thou mayest be well-pleased with the prospect of receiving favor from God. And cast not thine eyes on that which we have granted divers of the unbelievers to enjoy, namely, the splendor of this present life,m that we may prove them thereby; for the provision of thy LORDn is better, and more permanent. Command thy family to observe prayer; and do thou persevere therein. We require not of thee that thou labor to gain necessary provisions for thyself and family; we will provide for thee;