________________
THE QUR'ÂN.
XLIII, 86-XLIV, 17.
a people who do not believe; shun them then and say, "Peace!" for they at length shall know!'
218
THE CHAPTER OF SMOKE.
(XLIV. Mecca.)
IN the name of the merciful and compassionate God.
'H. M. By the perspicuous Book! verily, we have sent it down on a blessed night;-verily, we had given warning-wherein is decided every wise affair, as an order from us. Verily, we were sending (apostles)-[5] a mercy from thy Lord; verily, He both hears and knows: from the Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is between the two, if ye were but sure. There is no god but He, He quickens and He kills-your Lord and the Lord of your fathers of yore! Nay, they in doubt do play!
But expect thou the day when the heaven shall bring obvious smoke [10] to cover men-this is grievous torment!
Our Lord! remove from us the torment; verily, we are believers.
How can they have the reminder (now), when they have had a plain apostle, and when they turned their backs away from him and said, 'Taught! mad!' Verily, we will remove the torment a little, (but) ye will surely return!
[15] On the day when we will assault with the great assault, verily, we will take vengeance.
And we already tried the people of Pharaoh when there came to them a noble apostle: 'Send back to
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