Edward Palmer, The Qur’ân (1880)
mortals like yourselves; but God is gracious unto whomsoever He will of His servants, and it is not for us to bring you an authority, save by His permission; but upon God do the believers rely!’ [15] What ails us that we should not rely on God when He has guided us in our paths? we will be surely patient in your hurting us; for upon God rely those who do rely.
And those who misbelieved said to their apostles, ‘We will drive you forth from our land; or else ye shall return to our faith!’ And their Lord inspired them, ‘We will surely destroy the unjust; and we will make you to dwell in the land after them. That is for him who fears my place and fears my threat!’
Then they asked for an issue; and disappointed was every rebel tyrant! Behind such a one is hell, and he shall be given to drink liquid pus 1 ! [20] He shall try to swallow it, but cannot gulp it down; and death shall come upon him from every place, and yet he shall not die; and behind him shall be rigorous woe!
The likeness of those who disbelieve on their Lord, — their works are as ashes whereon the wand blows fiercely on a stormy day. They have no power at all over that which they have earned. — That is the remote error!
Dost not thou see that God created the heavens apd the earth in truth? If He please He can take
1 Sale and Rodwell have softened down this filthy expression, one rendering it ‘filthy water’ and the other ‘tainted water;’ the Arabic, however, will not bear this rendering. The first word meaning ‘water’ or ‘liquid,’ and the second, in apposition with it, ‘pus,’ or purulent matter oozing from a corpse or a sore.
