The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

43: 35
Ornaments of Gold 317
birth of a daughter, such as he so readily ascribes to the Lord of
Mercy, his face grows dark and he is filled with gloom –
18 ‘Someone who is brought up amongst trinkets, who cannot put
together a clear argument?’ a 19 They consider the angels – God’s
servants – to be female. Did they witness their creation? Their claim
will be put on record and they will be questioned about it.
20 They say, ‘If the Lord of Mercy had willed it, we would not have
worshipped them,’ but they do not know that – they are only guessing
– 21 or have We perhaps given them a book before this one, to
which they hold fast? 22 No indeed! They say, ‘We saw our fathers
following this tradition; we are guided by their footsteps.’ 23 Whenever
We sent a messenger before you to warn a township, those
corrupted by wealth said, in the same way, ‘We saw our fathers
following this tradition; we are only following in their footsteps.’
24 The messenger said, ‘Even though I bring you a truer religion than
what you saw your fathers following?’ and they replied, ‘But we do
not believe the message you bring.’ 25 We punished them: think about
how those who rejected the Truth met their end. 26 Abraham said to
his father and his people, ‘I renounce what you worship. 27 I worship
only Him who created me, and it is He who will guide me,’ 28 and he
bequeathed these words to his descendants so that they might return
[to God].
29 I have let these people and their fathers enjoy long lives, and
now I have given them the Truth and a messenger to make things
clear – 30 yet when the Truth came to them, they said, ‘This is sorcery.
We do not believe in it,’ 31 and they said, ‘Why was this Quran not
sent down to a distinguished man, from either of the two cities?’ b
32 Are they the ones who share out your Lord’s grace? We are the
ones who give them their share of livelihood in this world and We
have raised some of them above others in rank, so that some may take
others into service: your Lord’s grace is better than anything they
accumulate. 33 If it were not that all mankind might have become a
single nation [of disbelievers], We could have given all those who
disbelieve in the Lord of Mercy houses with roofs of silver, sweeping
staircases to ascend, 34 massive gates, couches to sit on, 35 and golden
ornaments. All of these are mere enjoyments of this life; your Lord
a This was the pre-Islamic opinion. One poet boasted that he was inspired by a male,
rather than a female, shaytan.
b Mecca or Taif, the two main cities of the region.