S.5 A.59-62
That most of you Are rebellious and disobedient?,,769 60. Say: "Shall I point out To you something much worse Than this, (as judged) By the treatment it received From Allah? Those who Incurred the curse of Allah And His wrath, those of whom some He transformed into apes and swine,no Those who worshipped Evil (Tagut)These are (many times) worse In rank, and far more astray From the even Path!" 61. When they come to thee,
They say: "We believe": But in fact they enter With a disbelief, And they go out With the same. But Allah knoweth fully All that they hide. Many of them dost thou See, racing each other In sin and transgression
769. There is the most biting irony in this and the next verse. You People of the Book! Do you hate us beeause we believe in Allah and not only our scripture. but yours also? Perhaps you hllte us because we ohey and you are in rehellion against Allah! Why hate us? There arc worse things than our ohedience lind our Faith. Shall I tell you some of them? Our test will be: what treatment Allah meted out to the things I mention. Who were the people who incurred the curse of Allah? (See Deut. xi. 28. and xxviii. 15-68: and numerous passages like Hosea viii. 14. and ix. 1). Who provoked Allah's wrath? (See numerous passages like Deul. i. 34: Mall. iii. 7). Who forsook Allah. and worshipped evil? (See Jeremiah. xvi. 11-13). That is your record. Is that why you hate us?'
no. For apes see O. ii. 65. For men possessed by devils. and the devils being sent into swine. see Matt. viii. 28-32.
- 305 •