Marmaduke Pickthall, The Meaning of The Glorious Koran. An Explanatory Translation (1930)
Muhammad) into any township but its luxurious ones said: Lo! we found our fathers following a religion, and we are following their footprints.
24. (And the warner) said: What! Even though I bring you better guidance than that ye found your fathers following? They answered: Lo! in what ye bring we are disbelievers.
25. So We requited them. Then see the nature of the consequence for the rejecters!
26. And when Abraham said unto his father and his folk: Lo! I am innocent of what ye worship
27. Save Him Who did create me, for He will surely guide me.
28. And he made it a word enduring among his seed, that haply they might return.
29. Nay, but I let these and their fathers enjoy life (only) till there should come unto them the Truth and a messenger making plain.
30. And now that the Truth hath come unto them they say: This is mere magic, and lo! we are disbelievers therein.
31. And they say: If only this Qur’ân had been revealed to some great man of the two towns?1
32. Is it they who apportion their Lord’s mercy? We have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of the world, and raised some of them above others in rank that some of them may take labour from others; and the mercy of thy Lord is better than (the wealth) that they amass.
33. And were it not that mankind would have become one community,2 We might well have appointed, for those who disbelieve in the Beneficent, roofs of silver for their houses and stairs (of silver) whereby to mount,
34. And for their houses doors (of silver) and couches of silver whereon to recline,
1 The two towns were Mecca and Ṭâ’if.
2 Through love of riches.
