The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

16: 61
The Bee 169
unimagined direction, 46 that it will not catch them suddenly in the
midst of their comings and goings – for they cannot frustrate God –
47 or that it will not catch up with them gradually? Indeed your Lord
is kind and merciful. 48 Do the [disbelievers] not observe the things
that God has created, casting their shadows right and left, submitting
themselves to God obediently? 49 It is to God that everything in
the heavens and earth submits, every beast that moves, even the
angels – they are free from arrogance: 50 they fear their Lord above
them, and they do as they are commanded.
51 God said, ‘Do not take two gods’– for He is the One God –‘ I
alone am the One that you should hold in awe.’ 52 Everything in
the heavens and earth belongs to Him: everlasting obedience is His
right. Will you heed anyone other than God? 53 Whatever good
things you possess come from God, and when hardship afflicts
you, it is to Him alone you cry out for help, 54 yet when He has
relieved you of your hardship – lo and behold! – some of you
attribute partners to your Lord. 55 Let them show ingratitude for
the favours We have shown them; ‘Enjoy your brief time – soon
you will know.’
56 They set aside part of the sustenance We give them, for [idols]
about which they have no true knowledge. a By God! You will be
questioned about your false inventions. 57 They assign daughters
to God b ––may He be exalted!––and the [sons] they desire to themselves.
58 When one of them is given news of the birth of a baby girl,
his face darkens and he is filled with gloom. 59 In his shame he hides
himself away from his people because of the bad news he has been
given. Should he keep her and suffer contempt or bury her in the
dust? How ill they judge! 60 Those who do not believe in the Hereafter
should have the contemptible image, and God should have the
highest one: c He is the Mighty, the Wise. 61 If God took people to
task for the evil they do, He would not leave one living creature on
earth, but He reprieves them until an appointed time: when their
time comes they cannot delay it for a moment nor can they bring it
a The pagan Arabs gave part of their crops and livestock to their deities (6: 136).
b Some of the pagan Arabs called angels the daughters of God. This is doubly
blasphemous because of the contempt in which daughters were held in a warrior
community, to the extent of female infanticide as described below.
c Their image of God is that He can only have daughters, though they themselves
have contempt for their daughters.