A. J. Arberry - XLII Counsel lyrics

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compa**ionate 42:1 Ha Mim Ain Sin Qaf So reveals to thee, and to those before thee, God, the All-mighty, the All-wise. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth; and He is the All-high, the All-glorious. The heavens wellnigh are rent above them, when the angels proclaim the praise of their Lord, and ask forgiveness for those on earth. Surely God -- He is the All-forgiving, the All-compa**ionate. And those who have taken to them protectors apart from Him -- God is Warden over them; thou art not a guardian over them. 42:5 And so We have revealed to thee an Arabic Koran, that thou mayest warn the Mother of Cities and those who dwell about it, and that thou mayest warn of the Day of Gathering, wherein is no doubt -- a party in Paradise, and a party in the Blaze. If God had willed, He would have made them one nation; but He admits whomsoever He will into His mercy, and the evildoers shall have neither protector nor helper. Or have they taken to them protectors apart from Him? But God -- He is the Protector; He quickens the dead, and He is powerful over everything. And whatever you are at variance on, the judgment thereof belongs to God. That then is God, my Lord; in Him I have put my trust, and to Him I turn, penitent. The Originator of the heavens and the earth; He has appointed for you, of yourselves, pairs, and pairs also of the cattle, therein multiplying you. Like Him there is naught; He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing. 42:10 To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. He outspreads and straitens His provision to whom He will; surely He has knowledge of everything. He has laid down for you as religion that He charged Noah with, and that We have revealed to thee, and that We charged Abraham with, Moses and Jesus: 'Perform the religion, and scatter not regarding it. Very hateful is that for the idolaters, that thou callest them to. God chooses unto Himself whomsoever He will, and He guides to Himself whosoever turns, penitent. They scattered not, save after knowledge had come to them, being insolent one to another; and but for a Word that preceded from thy Lord until a stated term, it had been decided between them. But those to whom the Book has been given as an inheritance after them, behold, they are in doubt of it disquieting. Therefore call thou, and go straight as thou hast been commanded; do not follow their caprices. And say: 'I believe in whatever Book God has sent down; I have been commanded to be just between you. God is our Lord and your Lord. We have our deeds, and you have your deeds; there is no argument between us and you; God shall bring us together, and unto Him is the homecoming.' 42:15 And those who argue concerning God after that answer has been made to Him, their argument is null and void in the sight of their Lord; anger shall rest upon them, and there awaits them a terrible chastisement. God it is who has sent down the Book with the truth, and also the Balance. And what shall make thee know? Haply the Hour is nigh. Those that believe not therein seek to hasten it; but those who believe in it go in fear of it, knowing that it is the truth. Why, surely those who are in doubt concerning the Hour are indeed in far error. God is All-gentle to His servants, providing for whomsoever He will. He is the All-strong, the All-mighty. Whoso desires the tillage of the world to come, We shall give him increase in his tillage; and whoso desires the tillage of this world, We shall give him of it, but in the world to come he will have no share. 42:20 Or have they a**ociates who have laid down for them as religion that for which God gave not leave? But for the Word of Decision, it had been decided between them. For the evildoers there awaits a painful chastisement. Thou seest the evildoers going in fear of that they have earned, that is about to fall on them; but those who believe and do righteous deeds are in Meadows of the Gardens; whatsoever they will they shall have with their Lord; that is the great bounty. That is the good tidings God gives to His servants who believe and do righteous deeds. Say: 'I do not ask of you a wage for this, except love for the kinsfolk; and whosoever gains a good deed, We shall give him increase of good in respect of it. Surely God is All-forgiving, All-thankful. Or do they say, 'He has forged against God a lie?' But if God wills, He will set a seal on thy heart; and God blots out falsehood and verifies the truth by His words; He knows the thoughts within the breasts. It is He who accepts repentance from His servants, and pardons evil deeds; He knows the things you do. 42:25 And He answers those who believe and do righteous deeds, and He gives them increase of His bounty. And the unbelievers -- for them awaits a terrible chastisement. Had God expanded His provision to His servants, they would have been insolent in the earth; but He sends down in measure whatsoever He will; surely He is aware of and sees His servants. And it is He who sends down the rain after they have despaired, and He unfolds His mercy; He is the Protector, the All-laudable. And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and earth and the crawling things He has scattered abroad in them; and He is able to gather them whenever He will. Whatever affliction may visit you is for what your own hands have earned; and He pardons much. 42:30 You are not able to frustrate Him in the earth; and, apart from God, you have neither protector nor helper. And of His signs are the ships that run on the sea like landmarks; and if He wills, He stills the wind, and they remain motionless on its back. Surely in that are signs for every man enduring, thankful. Or He wrecks them for what they have earned; and He pardons much; and that those who dispute concerning Our signs may know they have no asylum. Whatever thing you have been given is the enjoyment of the present life; but what is with God is better and more enduring for those who believe and put their trust in their Lord. 42:35 And those who avoid the heinous sins and indecencies and when they are angry forgive, and those who answer their Lord, and perform the prayer, their affair being counsel between them, and they expend of that We have provided them, and who, when insolence visits them, do help themselves -- and the recompense of evil is evil the like of it; but whoso pardons and puts things right, his wage falls upon God; surely He loves not the evildoers. And whosoever helps himself after he has been wronged -- against them there is no way. 42:40 The way is only open against those who do wrong to the people, and are insolent in the earth wrongfully; there awaits them a painful chastisement. But surely he who bears patiently and is forgiving -- surely that is true constancy. Whomsoever God leads astray, he has no protector after him; and thou shalt see the evildoers, when they see the chastisement, saying, 'Is there any way to be sent back?' And thou shalt see them, as they are exposed to it, abject in humbleness, looking with furtive glance; and the believers shall say, 'Surely the losers are they who lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection; surely the evildoers are in lasting chastisement. 42:45 They have no protectors to help them, apart from God, and whomsoever God leads astray, no way has he.' Answer your Lord, before there comes a day from God that cannot be turned back; upon that day you shall have no shelter, no denial. But if they turn away, We sent thee not to be a guardian over them. It is for thee only to deliver the Message. And when We let man taste mercy from Us, he rejoices in it; but if some evil befalls him for that his own hands have forwarded, then surely man is unthankful. To God belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth; He creates what He will; He gives to whom He will females, and He gives to whom He will males or He couples them, both males and females; and He makes whom He will barren. Surely He is All-knowing, All-powerful. 42:50 It belongs not to any mortal that God should speak to him, except by revelation, or from behind a veil, or that He should send a messenger and he reveal whatsoever He will, by His leave; surely He is All-high, All-wise. Even so We have revealed to thee a Spirit of Our bidding. Thou knewest not what the Book was, nor belief; but We made it a light, whereby We guide whom We will of Our servants. And thou, surely thou shalt guide unto a straight path -- the path of God, to whom belongs whatsoever is in the heavens, and whatsoever is in the earth. Surely unto God all things come home.