Gems from the Holy Qur’an
From the translation by Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss)
About the translator:
Muhammad Asad, Leopold Weiss, was born of Jewish parents in Livow, Austria (later Poland) in 1900, and at the age of 22 made his first visit to the Middle East. He later became an outstanding foreign correspondent for the Franfurter Zeitung, and after years of devoted study became one of the leading Muslim scholars of our age. His translation of the Holy Qur'an is one of the most lucid and well-referenced works in this category, dedicated to “li-qawmin yatafakkaroon” (people who think). Forwarded by Dr Ismat Kamal.
Chapter 18, Verses 46-50
Wealth and children are an adornment of this world’s life: but good deeds, the fruit whereof endures forever, are of far greater merit in thy Sustainer’s sight, and a far greater source of hope.
Hence, [bear in mind] the Day on which We shall cause the mountains to disappear and thou shalt behold the earth void and bare: for [on that Day] We [will resurrect the dead and] gather them all together, leaving out none of them. And they will be lined up before thy Sustainer, [and He will say:] “Now, indeed as you have come unto Us [in a lonely state], even as We created you in the first instance – although you were wont to assert that We would never appoint for you a meeting [with Us]!”
And the record of [everyone’s deeds] will be laid open; and thou wilt behold the guilty filled with dread at what [they see] therein; and they will exclaim: “Oh, woe unto us! What a record is this! It leaves out nothing, be it small or great, but takes everything into account!”
For they will find all that they ever wrought [now] facing them, and [will know that] thy Sustainer does not wrong anyone.
And [remember that] when We told the angels, “prostrate yourself before Adam,” they all prostrated themselves, save Iblis: he [too] was one of those invisible beings, but then he turned away from His Sustainer’s command. Will you, then, take him and his cohorts for [your] masters instead of Me although they are your foes? How vile an exchange on the evildoer’s part!
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