Who standing, and sitting, and reclining, bear God in mind, and muse on the creation of the Heavens and of the Earth. "O our Lord!" say they, "thou hast not created this in vain. No. Glory be to Thee! Keep us, then, from the torment of the fire. O our Lord! surely thou wilt put him to shame whom thou shalt cause to enter into the Fire, and the wrong-doers shall have none to help them. O our Lord! we have indeed heard the voice of one that called. He called us to the faith–’Believe on your Lord’–and we have believed. O our Lord! forgive us then our sin, and hide away from us our evil deeds, and cause us to die with the righteous. O our Lord! and give us what thou hast promised us by thine apostles, and put us not to shame on the day of the resurrection. Verily, Thou wilt not fail thy promise." And their Lord answereth them, "I will not suffer the work of him among you that worketh, whether of male or female, to be lost. The one of you is the issue of the other.57 And they who have fled their country and quitted their homes and suffered in my cause, and have fought and fallen, I will blot out their sins from them, and I will bring them into gardens beneath which the streams do flow." A recompense from God! and God! with His is the perfection of recompense! Let not prosperity in the land58 on the part of those who believe not, deceive thee. 'Tis but a brief enjoyment! Then shall Hell be their abode; and wretched the bed! But as to those who fear their Lord–for them are the gardens 'neath which the rivers flow: therein shall they abide for aye. Such their reception with God– and that which is with God is best for the righteous. Among the people of the Book are those who believe in God, and in what He hath sent down to you, and in what He hath sent down to them, humbling themselves before God. They barter not the signs of God for a mean price. These! their recompense awaiteth them with their Lord: aye! God is swift to take account. O ye who believe! be patient, and vie in patience, and be firm, and fear God, that it may be well with you. _______________________