“Follow those who do not ask you for any wage, and are guided.
اتَّبِعوا مَن لا يَسـَٔلُكُم أَجرًا وَهُم مُهتَدونَ
ittabi’oo mal-laa yas’alukum ajranw-wa hum muhtadoon
“Follow those who do not ask you for any wage, and are guided.
اتَّبِعوا مَن لا يَسـَٔلُكُم أَجرًا وَهُم مُهتَدونَ
ittabi’oo mal-laa yas’alukum ajranw-wa hum muhtadoon
“Why should I not worship the One who initiated me, and to Him is your ultimate return?
وَما لِىَ لا أَعبُدُ الَّذى فَطَرَنى وَإِلَيهِ تُرجَعونَ
wa maa liya laaa a’budul lazee fataranee wa ilaihi turja’oon
“Shall I set up beside Him gods? If the Most Gracious willed any harm for me, their intercession cannot help me one bit, nor can they rescue me.
ءَأَتَّخِذُ مِن دونِهِ ءالِهَةً إِن يُرِدنِ الرَّحمٰنُ بِضُرٍّ لا تُغنِ عَنّى شَفٰعَتُهُم شَيـًٔا وَلا يُنقِذونِ
‘a-attakhizu min dooniheee aalihatan iny-yuridnir Rahmaanu bidurril-laa tughni ‘annee shafaa ‘atuhum shai ‘anw-wa laa yunqizoon
“In that case, I would be totally astray.
إِنّى إِذًا لَفى ضَلٰلٍ مُبينٍ
inneee izal-lafee dalaa-lim-mubeen
“I have believed in your Lord; please listen to me.”
إِنّى ءامَنتُ بِرَبِّكُم فَاسمَعونِ
inneee aamantu bi Rabbikum fasma’oon
(The Righteous Go Straight to Paradise*)
(At the time of his death) he was told, “Enter Paradise.” He said, “Oh, I wish my people knew.
قيلَ ادخُلِ الجَنَّةَ قالَ يٰلَيتَ قَومى يَعلَمونَ
qeelad khulil Jannnah; qaala yaa laita qawmee ya’lamoon
*36:26 The righteous do not really die; they simply move on to the same Paradise where Adam and Eve lived. They join the prophets, saints and martyrs in an active and utopian life (see Appendix 17).
“That my Lord has forgiven me, and made me honorable.”
بِما غَفَرَ لى رَبّى وَجَعَلَنى مِنَ المُكرَمينَ
bimaa ghafara lee Rabbee wa ja’alanee minal mukrameen
We did not send down upon his people, after him, soldiers from the sky; we did not need to send them down.
وَما أَنزَلنا عَلىٰ قَومِهِ مِن بَعدِهِ مِن جُندٍ مِنَ السَّماءِ وَما كُنّا مُنزِلينَ
wa maaa anzalnaa ‘alaa qawmihee mim ba’dihee min jundim minas-samaaa’i wa maa kunnaa munzileen
All it took was one blow, whereupon they were stilled.
إِن كانَت إِلّا صَيحَةً وٰحِدَةً فَإِذا هُم خٰمِدونَ
in kaanat illaa saihatanw waahidatan fa-izaa hum khaamidoon
(Ridiculing The Messengers: A Tragic Human Trait*)
How sorry is the people’s condition! Every time a messenger went to them, they always ridiculed him.
يٰحَسرَةً عَلَى العِبادِ ما يَأتيهِم مِن رَسولٍ إِلّا كانوا بِهِ يَستَهزِءونَ
yaa hasratan ‘alal ‘ibaaad; maa ya’teehim mir Rasoolin illaa kaanoo bihee yastahzi ‘oon
*36:30 If the messenger presents solid proof of messengership, advocates the worship of God alone, and does not ask us for money, why should we not believe? (See Appendix 2.)