said:  ’Have the verses been sent down?’ Say ‘Yea, by Him Who is the Lord of the heavens!’ ’Hath the Hour come?’ ’Nay, more; it hath passed, by Him Who is the Revealer of clear tokens!  Verily, the Inevitable is come, and He, the True One, hath appeared with proof and testimony.  The Plain is disclosed, and mankind is sore vexed and fearful.  Earthquakes have broken loose, and the tribes have lamented, for fear of God, the Lord of Strength, the All-Compelling.’  Say:  ’The stunning trumpet-blast hath been loudly raised, and the Day is God’s, the One, the Unconstrained.’  And they say:  ’Hath the Catastrophe come to pass?’ Say:  ‘Yea, by the Lord of Lords!’ ‘Is the Resurrection come?’ ’Nay, more; He Who is the Self-Subsisting hath appeared with the Kingdom of His signs.’  ‘Seest thou men laid low?’ ’Yea, by my Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious!’ ‘Have the tree-stumps been uprooted?’ ’Yea, more; the mountains have been scattered in dust; by Him the Lord of attributes!’ They say:  ‘Where is Paradise, and where is Hell?’ Say:  ’The one is reunion with Me; the other thine own self, O thou who dost associate a partner with God and doubtest.’  They say:  ‘We see not the Balance.’  Say:  ’Surely, by my Lord, the God of Mercy!  None can see it except such as are endued with insight.’  They say:  ‘Have the stars fallen?’ Say:  ’Yea, when He Who is the Self-Subsisting dwelt in the Land of Mystery.(42) Take heed, ye who are endued with discernment!’ All the signs appeared when We drew forth the Hand of Power from the bosom of majesty and might.  Verily, the Crier hath cried out, when the promised time came, and they that have recognized the splendours of Sinai have swooned away in the wilderness of hesitation, before the awful majesty of thy Lord, the Lord of creation.  The trumpet asketh:  ‘Hath the Bugle been sounded?’ Say:  ’Yea, by the King of Revelation! when He mounted the throne of His Name, the All-Merciful.’  Darkness hath been chased away by the dawning light of the mercy of thy Lord, the Source of all light.  The breeze of the All-Merciful hath wafted, and the souls have been quickened in the tombs of their bodies.  Thus hath the decree been fulfilled by God, the Mighty, the Beneficent.  They who reject the truth have said:  ‘When were the heavens cleft asunder?’ Say:  ‘While ye lay in the graves of waywardness and error.’  Among the faithless is he who rubbeth his eyes, and looketh to the right and to the left.  Say:  ‘Blinded art thou.  No refuge hast thou to flee to.’  And among them is he who saith:  ‘Have men been gathered together?’ Say:  ’Yea, by My Lord! whilst thou didst lie in the cradle of idle fancies.’  And among them is he who saith:  ’Hath the Book been sent down through the power of the true Faith?’ Say:  ’The true Faith itself is astounded.  Fear ye, O ye men of understanding heart!’ And among them is he who saith:  ’Have I been assembled with others, blind?’ Say:  ’Yea, by Him that rideth upon the clouds!’ Paradise is decked with mystic roses,