Allah's Purpose with Man - III

[continued from Allah's Purpose with Man - II]

When men spread themselves over the earth,
And became many nations,

Speaking diverse languages,
And observing diverse customs and laws;

And evil becomes multiplied,
As one race or nation
Become alienated from another.

The Brotherhood of Man was now doubly forgotten -
First between individual, and secondly, between Nations.

Arrogance, selfishness and untruth,
Were sown and replace in larger fields;

And Peace, Faith, Love and Justice
Were obscured over masses of men,

As large tracts of land are starved
Of sunshine by clouds floating far on high,

But Allah, in His infinite mercy and love,
Who forgives and guides individuals and nations,

And turns to good even what seems to us as evil,
Never forsake the struggling soul that turns to Him.

Nor the group of man and woman,
Who joined together to obey His Will and Law,

And strengthen each other in unity and truth,
Nor the nations that dwells

In mountains or valley, heat or cold,
In regions fertile or arid,
In societies that roam over land or sea,

Or hunt, or tend flocks, or till the soil,
Or seeks the Seas for goods or oil or fat or gems,

Or dig out from the bowels of the earth
Precious stones or metals or stored up heat and energy

Or practice arts and crafts, or produce abundant wealth
By machines of ingenious workmanship,

Or live a frugal life of contemplation:

For all creatures of One Allah,
And share His loving care,
And must be brought within the pale,
of His eternal Unity and Harmony.

All three parts of this post are taken from The Holy Quran - Text Translation and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali