And never have we sent a warner to any city whose opulent men did not say, “In sooth we disbelieve your message.”

And they said, “We are the more abundant in riches and in children, nor shall we be among the punished.”

SAY: Of a truth my Lord will be liberal or sparing in his supplies to whom he pleaseth: but the greater part of men acknowledge it not.

Neither by your riches nor by your children shall you bring yourselves into nearness with Us; but they who believe and do the thing that is right shall have a double reward for what they shall have done: and in the pavilions of Paradise shall they dwell secure!

But they who shall aim to invalidate our signs, shall be consigned to punishment.

SAY: Of a truth my Lord will be liberal in supplies to whom he pleaseth of his servants, or will be sparing to him: and whatever ye shall give in alms he will return; and He is the best dispenser of gifts.

One day he will gather them all together: then shall he say to the angels, “Did these worship you?”

They shall say, “Glory be to thee! Thou art our master, not these! But they worshipped the Djinn: it was in them that most of them believed.

On this day the one of you shall have no power over others for help or hurt. And we will say to the evil doers, “Taste ye the torment of the fire, which ye treated as a delusion.”

For when our distinct signs are recited to them, they say, “This is merely a man who would fain pervert you from your father’s Worship.” And they say, “This (Koran) is no other than a forged falsehood.” And the unbelievers say to the truth when it is presented to them, “Tis nothing but palpable sorcery.”

Yet have we given them no books in which to study deeply, nor have we sent any one to them before thee, charged with warnings.

They also flourished before them, treated our apostles as impostors in like sort: but not to the tenth part of what we bestowed on them,⁶ have these attained. And yet when they charged my apostles with deceit, how terrible was my vengeance:

SAY: One thing in sooth do I advise you:—that ye stand up before God two and two, or singly,⁷ and then reflect that in your fellow citizen is no djinn:⁸ he is no other than your warner before a severe punishment.

SAY: I ask not any wage from you: keep it for yourselves: my wage is from God alone. And He is witness over all things!

SAY: Truly my Lord sendeth forth the Truth:—Knower of things unseen!

SAY: Truth is come, and falsehood shall vanish and return no more.

SAY: If I err, verily to my own cost only shall I err: but if I have guidance, it will be of my Lord’s revealing, for He is the Hearer, the near at hand.

Couldst thou see how they shall tremble and find no escape, and be taken forth from the place that is so near;⁹

And shall say, “We believe in Him!” But how, in their present distance, shall they receive the faith,

When they had before denied it, and aimed their shafts at the mysteries from afar?¹⁰

And a gulf shall be between them and that which they shall desire—