But for those who fear their Lord are storied pavilions beneath which shall the rivers flow: it is the promise of God, and God will not fail in his promise.
Seest thou not that God sendeth down water from heaven, and guideth it along so as to form springs in the earth-then bringeth forth by it corn of varied sorts-then causeth he it to wither, and thou seest it become yellow-then crumbleth it away? Lo! herein is teaching for men of insight.
Shall he then whose breast God hath opened to Islam, and who hath light from his Lord . . .? But woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of God! They plainly err.
The best of recitals hath God sent down a book in unison with itself, and teaching by iteration.5 The very skins of those who fear their Lord do creep at it! Then do their skins and their hearts soften at the remembrance of their Lord! This is God's guidance: by it will He guide whom He pleaseth; and, whom God shall mislead, no guide shall there be for him.
Shall he who shall have nought but his own face to shelter him with from the torment of the punishment on the day of the resurrection . . .? Aye, to the evil doers it shall be said, "Taste what ye have earned."
They who were before them said it was a lie; but a punishment came upon them whence they looked not for it:
And God made them taste humiliation in this present life: but greater surely will be the punishment of the life to come. Did they but know it!
Now have we set before man in this Koran every kind of parable for their warning:
An Arabic Koran, free from tortuous wording, to the intent that they may fear
God.
God setteth forth the comparison of a man with associates6 at variance among themselves, and of a man devoted wholly to a man. Are these to be held alike? No, praise be to God! But the greater part of them understand not.