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XV, 3-19.
THE CHAPTER OF EL 'HAGR.
245
Leave them to eat and enjoy themselves and let hope beguile them, but they at length shall know!
We never destroyed a city without it had its noted doom.
[5] No nation can hasten on its appointed time, nor put it off.
But they say, 'O thou to whom the Reminder has been sent down! verily, thou art possessed. Why dost thou not bring us the angels if thou dost tell the truth?'
We sent not down the angels save by right; nor even then would these be respited.
Verily, we have sent down the Reminder, and, verily, we will guard it.
[10] And we sent before thee among the sects of those of yore. But there never came an apostle to them but they mocked at him. Such conduct also will we put into the hearts of the sinners.
They will not believe therein, but the course of those of yore is run. But had we opened to them a door of the sky and they had mounted up into it all the while; [15] then also had they said, 'Our eye-sight is only intoxicated; nay, we are an enchanted people!
And we have placed in the sky the signs of the zodiac, and have made them seemly to the beholders; and we have guarded them from every pelted devil"; save from such as steal a hearing, and there follows him an obvious shooting-star.
And the earth we have stretched out and have thrown on it firm mountains, and have caused to
· See note 2, pp. 50, 51.
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