Quran — Page 376

of what avail to them will be all their past enjoyments?

And withal, never have We destroyed any community unless it had been warned

and reminded: for, never do We wrong [anyone].

And [this divine writ is such a reminder:] no evil spirits have brought it down:

for, neither does it suit their ends, nor is it in their power [to impart it to man]:

verily, [even] from hearing it are they utterly debarred!

Hence, [O man,] do not invoke any other deity side by side with God, lest thou find thyself among those who are made to suffer [on Judgment Day].

And warn [whomever thou canst reach, beginning with] thy kinsfolk,

and spread the wings of thy tenderness over all of the believers who may follow thee;

but if they disobey thee, say, “I am free of responsibility for aught that you may do!” –

and place thy trust in the Almighty, the Dispenser of Grace,

who sees thee when thou standest [alone],

and [sees] thy behaviour among those who prostrate themselves [before Him]:

for, verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing!

[And] shall I tell you upon whom it is that those evil spirits descend?

They descend upon all sinful self-deceivers

who readily lend ear [to every falsehood], and most of whom lie to others as well.

And as for the poets [they, too, are prone to deceive themselves: and so, only] those who are lost in grievous error would follow them.

Art thou not aware that they roam confusedly through all the valleys [of words and thoughts],

and that they [so often] say what they do not do [or feel]?

[Most of them are of this kind] save those who have attained to faith, and do righteous deeds, and remember God unceasingly, and defend them­selves [only] after having been wronged, and [trust in God’s promise that] those who are bent on wrong­doing will in time come to know how evil a turn their destinies are bound to take!