The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

96
The Quran 7: 28
28 Yet when [these people] do something disgraceful, a they say,
‘We found our forefathers doing this,’ and, ‘God has commanded us
to do this.’ Say [Prophet], ‘God does not command disgraceful
deeds. How can you say about God things that you do not know [to
be true]?’ 29 Say, ‘My Lord commands righteousness. Direct your
worship straight to Him wherever you pray; call on Him; devote
your religion entirely to Him. Just as He first created you, so you
will come back [to life] again.’ 30 Some He has guided and some are
doomed to stray: they have taken evil ones rather than God as their
masters, thinking that they are rightly guided. 31 Children of Adam,
dress well b whenever you are at worship, and eat and drink [as We
have permitted] but do not be extravagant: God does not like
extravagant people. 32 Say [Prophet], ‘Who has forbidden the
adornment and the nourishment God has provided for His servants?’
Say, ‘They are [allowed] for those who believe during the life
of this world: they will be theirs alone on the Day of Resurrection.’
This is how We make Our revelation clear for those who
understand.
33 Say [Prophet], ‘My Lord only forbids disgraceful deeds –
whether they be open or hidden – and sin c and unjustified aggression,
and that you, without His sanction, associate things with Him,
and that you say things about Him without knowledge.’ d 34 There is a
time set for every people: they cannot hasten it, nor, when it comes,
will they be able to delay it for a single moment.
35 Children of Adam, when messengers come to you from among
yourselves, reciting My revelations to you, for those who are conscious
of God and live righteously, there will be no fear, nor will they
grieve. 36 But those who reject Our revelations and arrogantly scorn
them are the people of the Fire and there they will remain. 37 Who is
more wrong than the person who invents lies against God or rejects
His revelations? Such people will have their preordained share [in
this world], but then, when Our angels arrive to take them back,
a It has been suggested that this could refer to the pagan custom of men and women
walking round the Kaba naked (Razi).
b Literally ‘wear your adornment’, but this is clearly a reference to clothes and not to
jewellery; cf. 7: 26. See also references to food in 6: 135, 145, 148.
c Razi identifies this as intoxicants because of their link with ‘sin’ in 2: 219 and the
preceding verse about food.
d Revealed knowledge, cf. 6: 148.