The Quran

109

Preface

أَفَمَن أَسَّسَ بُنيانَهُ عَلىٰ تَقوىٰ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضوانٍ خَيرٌ أَم مَن أَسَّسَ بُنيانَهُ عَلىٰ شَفا جُرُفٍ هارٍ فَانهارَ بِهِ في نارِ جَهَنَّمَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لا يَهدِي القَومَ الظّالِمينَ

Yusuf Ali

Which then is best? - he that layeth his foundation on piety to God and His good pleasure? - or he that layeth his foundation on an undermined sandcliff¹ ready to crumble to pieces? and it doth crumble to pieces with him, into the fire of Hell. And God guideth not people that do wrong.

A man who builds his life on Piety (which includes sincerity and the purity of all motives) and his hopes on the Good Pleasure of God, builds on a firm foundation of rock that will never be shaken. In contrast to him is the man who builds on a shifting sand cliff on the brink of an abyss, already undermined by forces which he does not see. The cliff and the foundations all crumble to pieces along with him, and he is plunged into the Fire of misery from which there is no escape.