Fazlollah Nikayin, The Quran; The First Poetic Translation (2000)
"Who best knows? You or God?" The one who hides
The testimony that he has from God,
Is most unjust; and of your deeds,
Never is Allah Unaware!
141. Those people passed away; beware!
They shall be recompensed for what they earned,
And for you is the meed for your own deeds,
And you shall not be questioned,
About a single deed of theirs.
142. The fools among the people are to say:
"What really made them turn away
From the direction of their qiblah?"1
Tell them: Both East and West belong to Allah;
He guides whome'er He will to the Right Way.
143. And We have thus 2 made you an umma,3
Of'golden mean', that you, for every nation,
May serve as witnesses, and your Apostle,
A witness over you; and the direction,
Of the qiblah, that which you used to turn to,
We altered 4 only to distinguish,
The Messenger's adherents true,
From those who turn away in haste;
This was indeed a hard, momentous trial,
Except for those who had been blessed
By Allah's Guidance: God will never,
Let go this faith of yours to waste,
1. Qibla: The direction to which Muslims turn in prayer.
2. By granting you a qiblah of your own, as a new community.
3. Community, nation, people.
4. Also "appointed".
