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SELECTIONS FROM 
 "THE KORAN" 
 
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53 
 
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757 copies of this edition are printed 
 for advance subscribers only 
 
 HBHR^ 
 
 Copyright, igo4 
 By Nathan Haskell Dole 
 
 I^OCi^i^ STEPllBtiW 
 
AL KORAN 
 
 A PRAYER 
 
 In the Name of the Most Merciful God 
 
 Praise be to God, the Lord of all 
 creatures; the most merciful, the king 
 of the day of judgment. 
 
 Thee do we worship, and of thee do 
 we beg assistance. 
 
 I 
 
 515094 
 
Direct us in the right way, in the way 
 of those to whom thou hast been gra- 
 cious; not of those against whom thou 
 art incensed, nor of those who go astray. 
 
 DIRECTION TO THE PIOUS 
 
 A. L. M. There is no doubt in this 
 book ; it is a direction to the pious, who 
 believe in the mysteries, who observe 
 the appointed times of prayer, and dis- 
 tribute alms out of what we have be- 
 stowed on them ; and who believe in 
 that revelation, which has been sent 
 down unto thee, and that which has 
 been sent down to the prophets before 
 thee, and have firm assurance in the life 
 to come: these are directed by their 
 Lord, and they shall prosper. 
 
 As for the unbelievers, it will be 
 equal to them whether thou admonish 
 them, or do not admonish them ; they 
 will not believe. God has sealed up 
 their hearts and their hearing ; a dimness 
 covers their sight, and they shall suffer 
 a grievous punishment. There are some 
 who say. We believe in God and the 
 
last day, but are not believers ; they seek 
 to deceive God, and those who do be- 
 lieve, but they deceive themselves only, 
 and are not sensible thereof. There is 
 an infirmity in their hearts, and God has 
 increased that infirmity ; and they shall 
 suffer a most painful punishment because 
 they have disbelieved. 
 
 When one says unto them. Act not 
 corruptly on the earth, they reply, Verily, 
 we are men of integrity. 
 
 Are not they themselves corrupt doers ? 
 but they are not sensible thereof. And 
 when one says unto them, 
 
 Believe ye as others believe ; they 
 answer. Shall we believe as fools be- 
 lieve ? 
 
 Are not they themselves fools ? but 
 they know it not. When they meet 
 those who believe, they say. We do 
 believe : but when they retire privately 
 to their devils, they say. We really hold 
 with you, and only mock at those people : 
 God shall mock at them, and continue 
 them in their impiety ; they shall wander 
 in confusion. 
 
 These are the men who have pur- 
 3 
 
chased error at the price of true direc- 
 tion : but their traffic has not been 
 gainful, neither have they been rightly 
 directed. They are like unto one who 
 kindles a fire, and when it has enlight- 
 ened all around him, God takes away 
 their light and leaves them in darkness, 
 they shall not see ; they are deaf, dumb, 
 and blind, therefore will they not repent. 
 Or like a stormy cloud from heaven, 
 fraught with darkness, thunder, and 
 lightning, they put their fingers into their 
 ears, because of the noise of the thunder, 
 for fear of death ; God encompasses the 
 infidels: the lightning wants but little 
 of taking away their sight ; as often as 
 it enlightens them, they walk therein, 
 but when darkness comes on them, they 
 stand still; and if God so pleased, he 
 would certainly deprive them of their 
 hearing and their sight, for God is al- 
 mighty. 
 
 TO THE MEN OF MECCA 
 
 O men of Mecca ! serve your Lord 
 who has created you, and those who 
 4 
 
have been before you : pcradventure ye 
 will fear him ; who has spread the earth 
 as a bed for you, and the heaven as a 
 covering, and has caused water to de- 
 scend from heaven, and thereby pro- 
 duced fruits for your sustenance. 
 
 Set not up therefore any equals unto 
 God, against your own knowledge. If 
 you be in doubt concerning that revela- 
 tion which we have sent down unto our 
 servant, produce a chapter like unto it, 
 and call upon your witnesses, besides 
 God, if ye say truth. But if ye do it 
 not, nor shall ever be able to do it, justly 
 fear the fire whose fuel is men and stones, 
 prepared for the unbelievers. 
 
 But bear good tidings unto those who 
 believe, and do good works, that they 
 shall have gardens watered by rivers; 
 as often as they eat of the fruit thereof 
 for sustenance, they shall say. This is 
 what we have formerly eaten .of; and 
 they shall be supplied with several sorts 
 of fruit having a mutual resemblance to 
 one another. There shall they enjoy 
 wives subject to no impurity, and there 
 shall they continue for ever. 
 5 
 
CREATION OF MAN 
 
 How is it that you believe not in 
 God? Since you were dead, and he 
 gave you life; he will hereafter cause 
 you to die, and will again restore you to 
 life; then shall you return unto him. 
 
 It is he who has created for you 
 whatsoever is on earth, and then set his 
 mind to the creation of heaven, and 
 formed it into seven heavens ; he knows 
 all things. When thy Lord said unto 
 the angels, I am going to place a substi- 
 tute on earth, they said. Wilt thou place 
 there one who will do evil therein, and 
 shed blood ? but we celebrate thy praise, 
 and sanctify thee. 
 
 God answered. Verily I know that 
 which you know not; and he taught 
 Adam the names of all things, and then 
 proposed them to the angels, and said. 
 Declare unto me the names of these 
 things if you say truth. 
 
 They answered. Praise be unto thee, 
 we have no knowledge but what thou 
 teachest us, for thou art knowing and 
 wise. 
 
 6 
 
God said, O Adam, tell them their 
 names. And when he had told them 
 their names, God said. Did I not tell 
 you that I know the secrets of heaven 
 and earth, and know that which you dis- 
 cover, and that which you conceal ? 
 
 And when we said unto the angels. 
 Worship Adam, they all worshipped 
 him, except Eblis, who refused, and was 
 puffed up with pride, and became of the 
 number of unbelievers. 
 
 And we said, O Adam, dwell thou and 
 thy wife in the garden, and eat of the 
 fruit thereof plentifully wherever you 
 will ; but approach not this tree, lest you 
 become of the number of the trans- 
 gressors. 
 
 But Satan caused them to forfeit para- 
 dise, and turned them out of the state 
 of happiness wherein they had been ; 
 whereupon we said. Get you down, the 
 one of you an enemy unto the other; 
 and there shall be a dwelling-place for 
 you on earth, and a provision for a 
 season. 
 
PROMISE OF SALVATION 
 
 Be constant in prayer, and give alms ; 
 and what good you have sent before 
 for your souls, you shall find it with 
 God; surely God sees that which you 
 do. 
 
 They say. Verily none shall enter 
 paradise, except they who are Jews or 
 Christians : this is their wish. 
 
 Say, Produce your proof of this, if you 
 speak truth. Nay, but he who resigns 
 himself to God, and does that which is 
 right, he shall have his reward with his 
 Lord ; there shall come no fear on them, 
 neither shall they be grieved. 
 
 The Jews say, The Christians are 
 grounded on nothing ; and the Christians 
 say. The Jews are grounded on nothing : 
 yet they both read the scriptures. So 
 likewise say they who know not the 
 scripture, according to their saying. But 
 God shall judge between them on the day 
 of the resurrection, concerning that about 
 which they now disagree. Who is more 
 unjust than he who prohibits the temples 
 of God, that his name should be remem- 
 8 
 
bered therein, and who hastes to des- 
 troy them ? 
 
 Those men cannot enter therein, but 
 with fear : they shall have shame in this 
 world, and in the next a grievous punish- 
 ment. To God belongs the east and the 
 west ; therefore, whithersoever you turn 
 yourselves to pray, there is the face of 
 God ; for God is omnipresent and om- 
 niscient. 
 
 UNITY OF GOD 
 
 Surely they who believe not, and die 
 in their unbelief, upon them shall be the 
 curse of God, and of the angels, and of 
 all men ; they shall remain under it for 
 ever, their punishment shall not be allevi- 
 ated, neither shall they be regarded. 
 
 Your God is one God, there is no 
 God but he, the most merciful. Now 
 in the creation of heaven and earth, and 
 the vicissitude of night and day, and in 
 the ship which sails in the sea, laden 
 with what is profitable for mankind, and 
 in the rain-water which God sends from 
 heaven, quickening thereby the dead earth, 
 and replenishing the same with all sorts 
 9 
 
of cattle, and in the change of winds, 
 and the clouds that are compelled to do 
 service between heaven and earth, are 
 signs to people of understanding : yet 
 some men take idols beside God, and 
 love them as with the love due to God ; 
 but the true believers are more fervent 
 in love toward God. Oh that they 
 who act unjustly did perceive, when 
 they behold their punishment, that all 
 power belongs unto God, and that he is 
 severe in punishing ! 
 
 When those who have been followed, 
 shall separate themselves from their fol- 
 lowers, and shall see the punishment, and 
 the cords of relation between them shall 
 be cut in sunder ; the followers shall say. 
 If we could return to life, we would sep- 
 arate ourselves from them, as they have 
 now separated themselves from us. So 
 God will show them their works ; they 
 shall sigh grievously, and shall not come 
 forth from the fire of hell. O men, 
 eat of that which is lawful and good on 
 the earth ; and tread not in the steps of 
 the devil, for he is your open enemy. 
 Verily he commands you evil and wicked- 
 lO 
 
ness, and that you should say that of 
 God which you know not. 
 
 TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS 
 
 It is not righteousness that you turn 
 your faces in prayer toward the east and 
 the west, but righteousness is of him 
 who believes in God and the last day, 
 and the angels, and the scriptures, and 
 prophets; who gives money for God's 
 sake unto his kindred, and unto orphans, 
 and the needy, and the stranger, and those 
 who ask, and for redemption of captives ; 
 who is constant at prayer, and gives alms ; 
 and of those who perform their covenant, 
 when they have covenanted, and who 
 behave themselves patiently in adversity, 
 and hardships, and in time of violence : 
 these are they who are true, and these are 
 they who fear God. 
 
 It 
 
DEATH TO INFIDELS 
 
 Consume not your wealth among 
 yourselves in vain ; nor present it unto 
 judges, that you may devour part of 
 men's substance unjustly, against your 
 own consciences. They will ask you 
 concerning the phases of the moon. 
 Answer, They are times appointed unto 
 men, and to show the season of the pil- 
 grimage to Mecca. It is not righteous- 
 12 
 
ncss that you enter your houses by the 
 back part thereof, but righteousness is of 
 him who fears God. Therefore enter 
 your houses by their doors; and fear 
 God, that you may be happy. And 
 fight for the religion of God against those 
 who fight against you, but transgress 
 not by attacking them first, for God 
 loves not the transgressors. And kill 
 them wherever you find them, and turn 
 them out of that whereof they have dis- 
 possessed you ; for temptation to idolatry 
 is more grievous than slaughter : yet 
 fight not against them in the holy temple, 
 until they attack you therein; but if 
 they attack you, slay them there. This 
 shall be the reward of the infidels. But 
 if they desist, God is gracious and mer- 
 ciful. Fight therefore against them, 
 until there be no temptation to idolatry, 
 and the religion be God*s : but if they 
 desist, then let there be no hostility, 
 except against the ungodly. A sacred 
 month for a sacred month, and the holy 
 limits of Mecca, if they attack you 
 therein, do you also attack them therein 
 in retaliation ; and whoever transgresses 
 13 
 
against you by so doing, do you trans- 
 gress against him in like manner as he 
 has transgressed against you, and fear 
 God, and know that God is with those 
 who fear him. Contribute out of your 
 substance toward the defence of the 
 religion of God, and throw not yourselves 
 with your own hands into perdition ; and 
 do good, for God loves those who do good. 
 
 AN INFIDEL 
 
 There is a man who causes thee 
 to marvel by his speech concerning this 
 present life, and calls God to witness 
 that which is in his heart, yet he is most 
 intent in opposing thee; and when he 
 turns away from thee, he hastens to 
 act corruptly in the earth, and to destroy 
 that which is sown, and springs up : but 
 God loves not corrupt doing. And if 
 one say unto him. Fear God ; pride seizes 
 him, together with wickedness ; but hell 
 shall be his reward, and an unhappy 
 couch shall it be. There is also a man 
 who sells his soul for the sake of 
 those things which are pleasing unto 
 
God; and God is gracious unto his 
 servants. O true believers, enter into 
 the true religion wholly, and follow not 
 the steps of Satan, for he is your open 
 enemy. If you have slipped after the 
 declarations of our will have come unto 
 you, know that God is mighty and wise. 
 Do the infidels expect less than that 
 God should come down to them over- 
 shadowed with clouds, and the angels 
 also ? but the thing is decreed, and to 
 God shall all things return. 
 
 Ask the children of Israel how many 
 evident signs we have showed them; 
 and whoever shall change the grace of 
 God, after it shall have come unto him, 
 verily God will be severe in punishing 
 him. The present life was ordained for 
 those who believe not, and they laugh 
 the faithful to scorn ; but they who fear 
 God shall be above them, on the day of 
 the resurrection : for God is bountiful 
 unto whom he pleases without measure. 
 
 15 
 
WARS 
 
 Thus God declares his signs unto 
 you, that you may understand. Have 
 you not considered those who left their 
 habitations (and they were thousands) 
 for fear of death ? And God said unto 
 them, Die; then he restored them to 
 life, for God is gracious toward man- 
 kind; but the greater part of men do 
 not give thanks. Fight for the religion 
 of God, and know that God hears and 
 knows. Who is he that will lend unto 
 God on good usury ? verily he will 
 double it unto him manifold; for God 
 contracts and extends his hand as he 
 pleases, and to him shall you return. 
 
 Have you not considered the assembly 
 of the children of Israel, after the time 
 of Moses ; when they said unto their 
 prophet Samuel, Set a king over us, 
 that we may fight for the religion of 
 God? 
 
 The prophet answered. If you arc 
 enjoined to go to war, will you be near 
 refusing to fight ? 
 
 They answered. And what should ail 
 i6 
 
us that we should not fight for the relig- 
 ion of God, seeing we are dispossessed 
 of our habitations, and deprived of our 
 children ? 
 
 But when they were enjoined to go to 
 war, they turned back, except a few of 
 them : and God knew the ungodly. 
 
 And their prophet said unto them. 
 Verily God hath set Saul king over you : 
 they answered. How shall he reign over 
 us, seeing we are more worthy of the 
 kingdom than he, neither is he possessed 
 of great riches ? 
 
 Samuel said, Verily God has chosen 
 him before you, and has caused him to 
 increase in knowledge and stature, for 
 God gives his kingdom unto whom 
 he pleases; God is bounteous and 
 wise. 
 
 And their prophet said unto them. 
 Verily the sign of his kingdom shall be, 
 that the ark shall come unto you : 
 therein shall be tranquillity from your 
 Lord, and the relics which have been 
 left by the family of Moses, and the 
 family of Aaron ; the angels shall bring 
 it. Verily this shall be a sign unto you, 
 17 
 
if ye believe. And when Saul departed 
 with his soldiers, he said, Verily God 
 will prove you by the river : for he who 
 drinks thereof, shall not be on my side 
 (but he who shall not taste thereof he 
 shall be on my side) except he who 
 drinks a draught out of his hand. And 
 they drank thereof, except a few of 
 them. And when they had passed the 
 river, he and those who believed with 
 him, they said. We have no strength to- 
 day against Jalut and his forces. 
 
 But they who considered that they 
 should meet God at the resurrection, 
 said. How often has a small army dis- 
 comfited a great army, by the will of 
 God ? and God is with those who 
 patiently persevere. And when they 
 went forth to battle against Jalut and 
 his forces, they said, O Lord, pour on 
 us patience, and confirm our feet, and 
 help us against the unbelieving people. 
 Therefore they discomfited them, by the 
 will of God, and David slew Jalut. 
 And God gave him the kingdom and 
 wisdom, and taught him his will ; and if 
 God had not prevented men, the one by 
 I8 
 
the other, verily the earth had been cor- 
 rupted : but God is beneficent toward 
 his creatures. 
 
 These are the signs of God : we re- 
 hearse them unto thee with truth, and 
 thou art surely one of those who have 
 been sent by God. 
 
 THE DIVINE MAJESTY 
 
 O true believers, give alms of that 
 which we have bestowed on you, be- 
 fore the day comes wherein there shall 
 be no merchandizing, or friendship, or 
 intercession. The infidels are unjust 
 doers. 
 
 God ! there is no God but he ; the 
 living, the self-subsisting : neither slum- 
 ber nor sleep seizes him j to him belongs 
 whatever is in heaven, and on earth. 
 Who is he that can intercede with him, 
 but through his good pleasure ? He 
 knows that which is past, and that 
 which is to come unto them, and they 
 shall not comprehend anything of his 
 knowledge, but so far as he pleases. 
 His throne is extended over heaven and 
 
 19 
 
earth, and the preservation of both is 
 no burden unto him. He is the high, 
 the mighty. 
 
 Let there be no violence in religion. 
 Now is right direction manifestly dis- 
 tinguished from deceit : whoever there- 
 fore shall deny Tagut, and believe in 
 God, he shall surely take hold on a 
 strong handle, which shall not be 
 broken ; God is he who hears and sees. 
 God is the patron of those who believe ; 
 he shall lead them out of darkness into 
 light : but as to those who believe not, 
 their patrons are Tagut ; they shall lead 
 them from the light into darkness ; they 
 shall be the companions of hell fire, they 
 shall remain therein for ever. Hast thou 
 not considered him who disputed with 
 Abraham concerning his Lord, because 
 God had given him the kingdom ? When 
 Abraham said. My Lord is he who gives 
 life, and kills : he answered, I give life, 
 and I kill. 
 
 Abraham said. Verily God brings the 
 sun from the east, now do thou bring it 
 from the west. 
 
 Whereupon the infidel was con- 
 20 
 
founded i for God directs not the 
 ungodly people. 
 
 Or hast thou not considered how he 
 behaved who passed by a city which had 
 been destroyed, even to her foundations ? 
 He said, How shall God quicken this 
 city, after she has been dead ? And 
 God caused him to die for an hundred 
 years, and afterward raised him to life. 
 And God said. How long hast thou tar- 
 ried here ? 
 
 He answered, A day, or part of a day. 
 
 God said. Nay, thou hast tarried here 
 an hundred years. Now look on thy 
 food and the drink, they are not yet 
 corrupted ; and look on thine ass : and 
 this have we done that we might make 
 thee a sign unto men. And look on 
 the bones of thine ass, how we raise 
 them, and afterward clothe them with 
 flesh. 
 
 And when this was shown unto him, 
 he said, I know that God is able to do 
 all things. 
 
 And when Abraham said, O Lord, 
 show me how thou wilt raise the dead ; 
 God said, Dost thou not yet believe ? He 
 
 21 
 
answered, Yea ; but I ask this that my 
 heart may rest at ease. God said, take 
 therefore four birds, and divide them; 
 then lay a part of them on every moun- 
 tain ; then call them, and they shall 
 come swiftly unto thee: and know that 
 God is mighty and wise. 
 
 The similitude of those who lay out 
 their substance for advancing the religion 
 of God, is as a grain of corn which pro- 
 duces seven ears, and in every ear an 
 hundred grains; for God gives twofold 
 unto whom he pleases : God is bounteous 
 and wise. 
 
 22 
 
GIVING OF ALMS 
 
 A FAIR speech, and to forgive, is 
 better than alms followed by mischief. 
 God is rich and merciful. O true be- 
 lievers, make not your alms of none 
 effect by reproaching, or mischief, as he 
 who lays out what he has to appear unto 
 men to give alms, and believes not in 
 God and the last day. The likeness of 
 such a one is as a flint covered with 
 23 
 
earth, on which a violent rain falls, and 
 leaves it hard. They cannot prosper in 
 anything which they have gained, for 
 God directs not the unbelieving people. 
 
 And the likeness of those who lay out 
 their substance from a desire to please 
 God, and for an establishment for their 
 souls, is as a garden on a hill, on which 
 a violent rain falls, and it brings forth its 
 fruits twofold j and if a violent rain falls 
 not on it, yet the dew falls thereon : and 
 God sees that which you do. Does any 
 of you desire to have a garden of palm- 
 trees and vines, through which rivers 
 flow, wherein he may have all kinds of 
 fruits, and that he may attain to old age, 
 and have a weak offspring ? then a violent 
 fiery wind shall strike it, so that it shall 
 be burned. Thus God declares his signs 
 unto you, that you may consider. 
 
 O true believers, bestow alms of the 
 good things which you have gained, and 
 of that which we have produced for you 
 out of the earth, and choose not the bad 
 thereof, to give it in alms, such as you 
 would not accept yourselves, otherwise 
 than by connivance : and know that God 
 24 
 
is rich and worthy to be praised. The 
 devil threatens you with poverty, and 
 commands you filthy covetousness ; but 
 God promises you pardon from himself 
 and abundance : God is bounteous and 
 wise. He gives wisdom unto whom he 
 pleases; and he unto whom wisdom is 
 given, has received much good : but 
 none will consider, except the wise of 
 heart. And whatever alms you give, or 
 whatever vow you vow, verily God 
 knows it; but the ungodly shall have 
 none to help them. 
 
 If you make your alms to appear, it is 
 well ; but if you conceal them, and give 
 them unto the poor, this will be better 
 for you, and will atone for your sins : 
 and God is well informed of that which 
 you do. The direction of them belongs 
 not unto you; but God directs whom 
 he pleases. The good that you shall 
 give in alms shall redound unto your- 
 selves; and you shall not give unless 
 out of desire of seeing the face of God. 
 
 And what good thing you shall give in 
 alms, it shall be repaid you, and you shall 
 not be treated unjustly ; unto the poor 
 25 
 
who are wholly employed in fighting for 
 the religion of God, and cannot go to 
 and fro in the earth ; whom the ignorant 
 man thinks rich, because of their mod- 
 esty : you may know them by this mark, 
 they ask not men with importunity ; and 
 what good you shall give in alms, verily 
 God knows it. They who distribute 
 alms of their substance night and day, in 
 private and in public, shall have their 
 reward with the Lord ; on them shall no 
 fear come, neither shall they be grieved. 
 They who devour usury shall not 
 arise from the dead, but as he arises 
 whom Satan has infected by a touch : 
 this shall happen to them because they 
 say. Truly selling is but as usury : and 
 yet God has permitted selling and for- 
 bidden usury. 
 
 THE KINGDOM OF GOD 
 
 Say, O God, who possessest the 
 kingdom ; thou givest the kingdom unto 
 whom thou wilt, and thou takest away 
 the kingdom from whom thou wilt : 
 thou exaltest whom thou wilt, and thou 
 26 
 
humblest whom thou wilt : in thy hand 
 is good, for thou art almighty. Thou 
 makest the night to succeed the day : 
 thou bringest forth the living out of the 
 dead, and thou bringest forth the dead 
 out of the living ; and providest food for 
 whom thou wilt without measure. 
 
 Let not the faithful take the infidels 
 for their protectors, rather than the 
 faithful : he who does this shall not be 
 protected of God at all ; unless you fear 
 any danger from them : but God warns 
 you to beware of himself; for unto God 
 must you return. Say, Whether you 
 conceal that which is in your breasts, or 
 whether you declare it, God knows it : 
 for he knows whatever is in heaven, and 
 whatever is on earth : God is almighty. 
 
 On the last day every soul shall find 
 the good which it has wrought, present ; 
 and the evil which it has wrought, it 
 shall wish that between itself and that 
 were a wide distance : but God warns 
 you to beware of himself; for God is 
 gracious unto his servants. 
 
 Say, If you love God, follow me : then 
 God shall love you, and forgive you 
 27 
 
your sins ; for God is gracious and 
 merciful. 
 
 Say, Obey God, and his apostle : but 
 if you go back, verily God loves not the 
 unbelievers. 
 
 PUNISHMENT OF INFIDELS 
 
 Whoever follows any other religion 
 than Islam, it shall not be accepted of 
 him : and in the next life he shall be 
 of those who perish. How shall God 
 direct men who have become infidels 
 after they had believed, and borne wit- 
 ness that the apostle was true, and mani- 
 fest declarations of the divine will had 
 come unto them? for God directs not 
 the ungodly people. Their reward shall 
 be, that on them shall fall the curse of 
 God, and of angels, and of all mankind : 
 they shall remain under the same for 
 ever; their torment shall not be miti- 
 gated, neither shall they be regarded; 
 except those who repent after this, and 
 amend ; for God is gracious and merci- 
 ful. Moreover they who become infidels 
 after they have believed, and yet increase 
 28 
 
in infidelity, their repentance shall in no 
 wise be accepted, and they are those who 
 go astray. Verily they who believe not, 
 and die in their unbelief, the world full 
 of gold shall in no wise be accepted from 
 any of them, even though he should give 
 it for his ransom; they shall suffer a 
 grievous punishment, and they shall 
 have none to help them. 
 
 You will never attain unto righteous- 
 ness, until you give in alms of that which 
 you love : and whatever you give, God 
 knows it. All food was permitted unto 
 the children of Israel, except what Israel 
 forbade unto himself before the Penta- 
 teuch was sent down. Say unto the 
 Jews, Bring hither the Pentateuch and 
 read it, if ye speak truth. Whoever 
 therefore contrives a lie against God 
 after this, they will be evil-doers. Say, 
 God is true : follow therefore the religion 
 of Abraham the orthodox ; for he was no 
 idolater. 
 
 REWARDS 
 
 And you shall not be denied the 
 reward of the good which you do ; for 
 29 
 
God knows the pious. As for the un- 
 believers, their wealth shall not profit 
 them at all, neither their children, against 
 God: they shall be the companions of 
 hell fire ; they shall continue therein for 
 ever. The likeness of that which they 
 lay out in this present life, is as a wind 
 wherein there is a scorching cold : it 
 falls on the standing corn of those men 
 who have injured their own souls, and 
 destroys it. And God deals not unjustly 
 with them; but they injure their own 
 souls. 
 
 O true believers, contract not an in- 
 timate friendship with any besides your- 
 selves : they will not fail to corrupt you. 
 They wish for that which may cause 
 you to perish : their hatred has already 
 appeared from out of their mouths ; but 
 what their breasts conceal is yet more 
 inveterate. We have already shown you 
 signs of their ill will toward you, if 
 you understand. Behold, you love them, 
 and they do not love you : you believe in 
 all the scriptures, and when they meet 
 you, they say, We believe; but when 
 they assemble privately together, they 
 30 
 
bite their fingers' ends out of wrath 
 against you. Say unto them, Die in 
 your wrath : verily God knows the in- 
 nermost part of your breasts. 
 
 If good happen unto you, it grieves 
 them J and if evil befall you, they rejoice 
 at it. But if you be patient, and fear 
 God, their subtlety shall not hurt you at 
 all; for God comprehends whatever 
 they do. 
 
 To God belongs whatever is in 
 heaven and on earth : he spares whom 
 he pleases, and he punishes whom he 
 pleases ; for God is merciful. 
 
 O true believers, devour not usury, 
 doubling it twofold ; but fear God, that 
 ye may prosper : and fear the fire which 
 is prepared for the unbelievers; and 
 obey God, and his apostle, that you may 
 obtain mercy. And run with emulation 
 to obtain remission from your Lord, and 
 paradise, whose breath equals the heavens 
 and the earth, which is prepared for the 
 godly ; who give alms in prosperity and 
 adversity; who bridle their anger and 
 forgive men : for God loves the benefi- 
 cent. 
 
 31 
 
And who, after they have committed 
 a crime, or dealt unjustly with their 
 own souls, remember God, and ask par- 
 don for their sins (for who forgives sins 
 except God ?) and persevere not in what 
 they have done knowingly : their reward 
 shall be pardon from their Lord, and 
 gardens wherein rivers flow, they shall 
 remain therein for ever : and how excel- 
 lent is the reward of those who labour ! 
 
 32 
 
PREDESTINATION 
 
 Did you imagine that you should en- 
 ter paradise, when as yet God knew not 
 those among you who fought strenuously 
 in his cause ; nor knew those who per- 
 severed with patience ? Moreover you 
 did sometime wish for death before that 
 you met it ; but you have now seen it, 
 and you looked on, but retreated from it. 
 
 Mohammed is no more than an 
 33 
 
apostle ; the other apostles have already 
 deceased before him : if he die therefore, 
 or be slain, will you turn back on your 
 heels ? but he who turns back on his 
 heels, will not hurt God at all ; and God 
 will surely reward the thankful. No 
 soul can die unless by the permission of 
 God, according to what is written in the 
 book containing the determinations of 
 things. And whoever chooses the re- 
 ward of this world, we will give him 
 thereof: but whoever chooses the re- 
 ward of the world to come, we will give 
 him thereof; and we will surely reward 
 the thankful. 
 
 TRUST IN GOD 
 
 O true believers, be not as they who 
 believe not, and said of their brethren, 
 when they had journeyed in the land or 
 had been at war. If they had been with 
 us, those had not died, nor had these 
 been slain : whereas what befell them 
 was so ordained that God might make it 
 matter of sighing in their hearts. God 
 gives life, and causes to die : and God 
 34 
 
sees that which you do. Moreover if 
 you be slain, or die in defence of the 
 religion of God; verily pardon from 
 God, and mercy, is better than what 
 they heap together of worldly riches. 
 And if you die, or be slain, verily unto 
 God shall you be gathered. 
 
 And as to the mercy granted unto the 
 disobedient from God, thou, O Moham- 
 med, hast been mild toward them; but 
 if thou hadst been severe and hard- 
 hearted, they had surely separated them- 
 selves from about thee. Therefore 
 forgive them, and ask pardon for them : 
 and consult them in the affair of war; 
 and after thou hast deliberated, trust in 
 God; for God loves those who trust in 
 him. If God help you, none shall con- 
 quer you ; but if he desert you, who is it 
 that will help you after him ? Therefore 
 in God let the faithful trust. And let 
 not the unbelievers think, because we 
 grant them lives long and prosperous, 
 that it is better for their souls : we grant 
 them long and prosperous lives only that 
 their iniquity may be increased ; and they 
 shall suflFer an ignominious punishment. 
 35 
 
God is not disposed to leave the faithful 
 in the condition which you are now in, 
 until he sever the wicked from the good ; 
 nor is God disposed to make you ac- 
 quainted with what is a hidden secret, 
 but God chooses such of his apostles as 
 he pleases, to reveal his mind unto : 
 believe therefore in God, and his apos- 
 tles ; and if you believe, and fear God, 
 you shall receive a great reward. 
 
 AVARICE 
 
 And let not those who are covetous 
 of what God of his bounty has granted 
 them, imagine that their avarice is better 
 for them : nay, rather it is worse for 
 them. That which they have covetously 
 reserved shall be bound as a collar about 
 their neck, on the day of the resurrec- 
 tion : unto God belongs the inheritance 
 of heaven and earth; and God is well 
 acquainted with what you do. 
 
 God has already heard the saying of 
 those who said. Verily God is poor, and 
 we are rich : we will surely write down 
 what they have said, and the slaughter 
 
 36 
 
/ 
 
 which they have made of the prophets 
 without a cause; and we will say unto 
 them, Taste you the pain of burning. 
 
 This shall they suffer for the evil 
 which their hands have sent before 
 them, and because God is not unjust 
 toward mankind; who also say, Surely 
 God has commanded us, that we should 
 not give credit to any apostle, until one 
 should come unto us with a sacrifice, 
 which should be consumed by fire. Say, 
 Apostles have already come unto you 
 before me, with plain proofs, and with 
 the miracle which you mention: why 
 therefore have you slain them, if you 
 speak truth ? If they accuse thee of 
 imposture, the apostles before thee have 
 also been accounted impostors, who 
 brought evident demonstrations, and the 
 scriptures, and the book which enlight- 
 ened the understanding. 
 
 37 
 
AFTER DEATH 
 
 Every soul shall taste of death, and 
 you shall have your rewards on the day 
 of resurrection ; and he who shall be far 
 removed from hell fire, and shall be 
 admitted into paradise, shall be happy : 
 but the present life is only a deceitful 
 provision. You shall surely be proved 
 in your possessions, and in your persons ; 
 and you shall bear from those unto whom 
 
 38 
 
the scripture was delivered before you 
 and from the idolaters, much hurt : but 
 if you be patient, and fear God, this is a 
 matter that is absolutely determined. 
 And when God accepted the covenant of 
 those to whom the book of the law was 
 given, saying. You shall surely publish it 
 unto mankind, you shall not hide it ; yet 
 they threw it behind their backs, and 
 sold it for a small price; but woeful is 
 the price for which they have sold it. 
 Think not that they who rejoice at what 
 they have done, and expect to be praised 
 for what they have not done ; think not, 
 O prophet, that they shall escape from 
 punishment, for they shall suffer a pain- 
 ful punishment; and unto God belongs 
 the kingdom of heaven and earth ; God 
 is almighty. 
 
 Now in the creation of heaven and 
 earth, and the vicissitude of night and 
 day, are signs unto those who are en- 
 dued with understanding ; who remember 
 God standing, and sitting, and lying on 
 their sides ; and meditate on the creation 
 of heaven and earth, saying, 
 
 O Lord, thou hast not created this in 
 
 39 
 
vain ; far be it from thee : therefore de- 
 liver us from the torment of hell fire : O 
 Lord, surely whom thou shalt throw into 
 the fire, thou wilt also cover with shame ; 
 nor shall the ungodly have any to help 
 them. 
 
 EVIL COMPANIONSHIP 
 
 Serve God, and associate no creature 
 with him; and show kindness unto 
 parents, relations, and orphans, and the 
 poor, and your neighbour who is of kin 
 to you, and also your neighbour who is 
 a stranger, and to your familiar compan- 
 ion, and the traveller, and the captives 
 whom your right hands shall possess; 
 for God loves not the proud or vain- 
 glorious, who are covetous, and recom- 
 mend covetousness unto men, and con- 
 ceal that which God of his bounty has 
 given them (we have prepared a shame- 
 ful punishment for the unbelievers) ; and 
 who bestow their wealth in charity to 
 be observed of men, and believe not in 
 God, nor in the last day ; and whoever 
 has Satan for a companion, an evil 
 companion ! And what harm would 
 40 
 
befall them if they should believe in 
 God and the last day, and give alms out 
 of that which God has bestowed on 
 them ? since God knows them who do 
 this. 
 
 Verily God will not wrong any 
 one even the weight of an ant : and if it 
 be a good action, he will double it, and 
 will recompense it in his sight with a 
 great reward. 
 
 BELIEF 
 
 O you to whom the scriptures have 
 been given, believe in the revelation 
 which we have sent down, confirming 
 that which is with youj before we 
 deface your countenances, and wring 
 your necks; or curse them, as we 
 cursed those who transgressed on the 
 sabbath day ; and the command of God 
 was fulfilled. 
 
 Surely God will not pardon idolatry ; 
 but will pardon any other sin, except 
 that, to whom he pleases : and whoever 
 gives a companion unto God, has de- 
 vised a great wickedness. 
 
 Hast thou not observed those who 
 41 
 
justify themselves ? But God justifies 
 whomever he pleases, nor shall they 
 be wronged a hair. Behold, how they 
 imagine a lie against Godj and therein 
 is iniquity sufficiently manifest. Hast 
 thou not considered those to whom part 
 of the scripture has been given ? They 
 believe in false gods and idols, and say 
 of those who believe not. These are 
 more rightly directed in the way of truth 
 than they who believe on Mohammed. 
 
 Those are the men whom God has 
 cursed ; and he whom God shall curse, 
 shall surely find no helper. Shall they 
 have a part of the kingdom, since even 
 then they would not bestow the smallest 
 matter on men ? Do they envy other men 
 that which God of his bounty has given 
 them ? We formerly gave unto the 
 family of Abraham a book of revela- 
 tions and wisdom ; and we gave them a 
 great kingdom. There are among them 
 those who believe on him ; and there are 
 among them those who turn aside from 
 him ; but the raging fire of hell is a sufii- 
 cient punishment. Verily, those who dis- 
 believe our signs, we will surely cast to 
 42 
 
be broiled in hell fire ; as often as their 
 skins shall be well burned, we will give 
 them other skins in exchange, that they 
 may taste the sharper torment ; for God 
 is mighty and wise. 
 
 But those who believe and do that 
 which is right, we will bring into gar- 
 dens watered by rivers ; therein shall they 
 remain for ever, and there shall they en- 
 joy wives free from all impurity ; and we 
 will lead them into perpetual shades. 
 
 Moreover God commands you to 
 restore what you are trusted with, to the 
 owners; and when you judge between 
 men, that you judge according to equity: 
 and surely an excellent virtue it is to 
 which God exhorts you ; for God both 
 hears and sees. 
 
 O true believers, obey God, and obey 
 the apostle, and those who are in author- 
 ity among you : and if you differ in any- 
 thing, refer it unto God and the apostle, 
 if you believe in God and the last day : 
 this is better, and a fairer method of 
 determination. 
 
 43 
 
OF WAR 
 
 O true believers, take your necessary 
 precaution against your enemies, and 
 either go forth to war in separate 
 parties, or go forth all together in a 
 body. There is of you who tarries 
 behind; and if a misfortune befall you, 
 he says. Verily God has been gracious 
 unto me, that I was not present with 
 them : but if success attend you from 
 God, he will say (as if there was no 
 friendship between you and him). 
 Would to God I had been with them, 
 for I should have acquired great merit. 
 Let them therefore fight for the religion 
 of God, who part with the present life 
 in exchange for that which is to come ; 
 for whoever fights for the religion of 
 God, whether he be slain, or be vic- 
 torious, we will surely give him a great 
 reward. 
 
 And what ails you, that you fight not 
 for God's true religion, and in defence 
 of the weak among men, women, and 
 children, who say, O Lord, bring us 
 forth from this city, whose inhabitants 
 44 
 
arc wicked ; grant us from before thee a 
 protector, and grant us from thee a 
 defender. They who believe fight for 
 the religion of God ; but they who 
 believe not fight for the religion of 
 Taghut. Fight therefore against the 
 friends of Satan, for the stratagem of 
 Satan is weak. 
 
 Hast thou not observed those unto 
 whom it was said. Withhold your hands 
 from war, and be constant at prayers, 
 and pay the legal alms ? But when war is 
 commanded them, behold, a part of 
 them fear men as they should fear God, 
 or with a greater fear, and say, O Lord, 
 wherefore hast thou commanded us to 
 go to war, and hast not suffered us to 
 wait our approaching end ? 
 
 Say unto them. The provision of this 
 life is but small; but the future shall be 
 better for him who fears God ; and you 
 shall not be in the least injured at the day 
 of judgment. Wherever you be, death 
 will overtake you, although you be in 
 lofty towers. If good befall them, they 
 say. This is from God ; but if evil befall 
 them, they say. This is from thee, O 
 45 
 
Mohammed : say, All is from God j and 
 what ails these people, that they are so 
 far from understanding what is said unto 
 them ? 
 
 Whatever good befalls thee, O man, 
 it is from God ; and whatever evil 
 befalls thee, it is from thyself. Fight 
 therefore for the religion of God, and 
 oblige not any to what is difficult, 
 except thyself; however, excite the faith- 
 ful to war, perhaps God will restrain 
 the courage of the unbelievers ; for God 
 is stronger than they, and more able to 
 punish. 
 
 SALUTATION 
 
 When you are saluted with a saluta- 
 tion, salute the person with a better sal- 
 utation, or at least return the same ; for 
 God takes an account of all things. 
 
 God ! there is no God but he ; he will 
 surely gather you together on the day of 
 resurrection ; there is no doubt of it : 
 and who is more true than God in what 
 he says ? Why are you divided con- 
 cerning the ungodly into two parties; 
 since God has overturned them for 
 
 46 
 
what they have committed ? Will you 
 direct him whom God has led astray ; 
 since for him whom God shall lead 
 astray, thou shalt find no true path ? 
 
 They desire that you should become 
 infidels, as they are infidels, and that you 
 should be equally wicked with them- 
 selves. Therefore take not friends from 
 among them, until they fly their country 
 for the religion of God ; and if they turn 
 back from the faith, take them, and kill 
 them wherever you find them ; and take 
 no friend from among them, nor any 
 helper, except those who go unto a 
 people who are in alliance with you, or 
 those who come unto you, their hearts 
 forbidding them either to fight against 
 you, or to fight against their own people. 
 And if God pleased he would have per- 
 mitted them to prevail against you, 
 and they would have fought against 
 you. But if they depart from you, and 
 fight not against you, and offer you peace, 
 God allow not you to take or kill 
 them. 
 
 You shall find others who are desirous 
 to enter into a confidence with you, and 
 47 
 
at the same time to preserve a confi- 
 dence with their own people : as often 
 as they return to sedition, they shall be 
 subverted therein; and if they depart 
 not from you, and offer you peace, and 
 restrain their hands from warring against 
 you, take them and kill them wherever 
 you find them ; over these have we 
 granted you a manifest power. 
 
 It is not lawful for a believer to kill 
 a believer, unless it happen by mistake ; 
 and whoever kills a believer by mistake, 
 the penalty shall be the freeing of a be- 
 liever from slavery, and a fine to be paid 
 to the family of the deceased, unless they 
 remit it as alms : and if the slain person 
 be of a people at enmity with you, and 
 be a true believer, the penalty shall be the 
 freeing of a believer; but if he be of a 
 people in confederacy with you, a fine 
 to be paid to his family, and the freeing 
 of a believer. And he who finds not 
 wherewith to do this, shall fast two 
 months consecutively, as a penance 
 enjoined from God ; and God is know- 
 ing and wise. 
 
 But whoever kills a believer design- 
 
 48 
 
cdly, his reward shall be hell ; he shall 
 remain therein for ever ; and God shall 
 be angry with him, and shall curse him, 
 and shall prepare for him a great punish- 
 ment. 
 
 O true believers, when you arc on a 
 march in defence of the true religion, 
 justly discern such as you shall happen 
 to meet, and say not unto him who 
 salutes you. Thou art not a true 
 believer ; seeking the accidental goods of 
 the present life ; for with God is much 
 spoil. Such have you formerly been; 
 but God has been gracious unto you; 
 therefore make a just discernment, for 
 God is well acquainted with that which 
 you do. 
 
 49 
 
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 ^Ai 
 
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 ^['Jl!^ 
 
 W^ 
 
 ■ 
 
 i 
 
 JUSTICE 
 
 Dispute not for those who deceive 
 one another, for God loves not him who 
 is a deceiver or unjust. Such conceal 
 themselves from men, but they conceal 
 not themselves from God; for he is 
 with them when they imagine by night a 
 saying which pleases him not, and God 
 comprehends what they do. Behold, 
 you are they who have disputed for 
 50 
 
them in this present life ; but who shall 
 dispute with God for them on the day 
 of resurrection, or who will become 
 their patron ? yet he who does evil, or 
 injures his own soul, and afterwards 
 asks pardon of God, shall find God 
 gracious and merciful. Whoever com- 
 mits wickedness, commits it against his 
 own soul : God is knowing and wise. 
 
 And whoever commits a sin or 
 iniquity, and afterwards lays it on the 
 innocent, he shall surely bear the guilt 
 of calumny and manifest injustice. If 
 the indulgence and mercy of God had 
 not been upon thee, surely a part of 
 them had studied to seduce thee; but 
 they shall seduce themselves only, and 
 shall not hurt thee at all. Whoever 
 does evil, shall be rewarded for it ; and 
 shall not find any patron or helper, 
 beside God ; but whoever does good 
 works, whether he be male or female, 
 and is a true believer, shall be admitted 
 into paradise, and shall not in the least 
 be unjustly dealt with. 
 
 Who is better in point of religion 
 than he who resigns himself unto God, 
 51 
 
and is a worker of righteousness, and 
 follows the law of Abraham the ortho- 
 dox ? since God took Abraham for his 
 friend : and to God belongs whatever is 
 in heaven and on earth ; God compre- 
 hends all things. Whoever desires the 
 reward of this world, verily with God is 
 the reward of this world, and also of that 
 which is to come ; God both hears and 
 sees. O true believers, observe justice 
 when you bear witness before God, 
 although it be against yourselves, or your 
 parents, or relations ; whether the party 
 be rich, or whether he be poor ; for God 
 is more worthy than them both : therefore 
 follow not your own lust in bearing tes- 
 timony, so that you swerve from justice. 
 And whether you wrest your evidence, or 
 decline giving it, God is well acquainted 
 with that which you do. But they who 
 repent and amend, and adhere firmly 
 unto God, and approve the sincerity of 
 their religion to God, they shall be 
 numbered with the faithful ; and God 
 will surely give the faithful a great 
 reward. 
 
 52 
 
CALUMNY 
 
 God loves not the speaking ill of any 
 one in public, unless he who is injured 
 call for assistance; and God hears and 
 knows: whether you publish a good ac- 
 tion, or conceal it, or forgive evil, verily 
 God is gracious and powerful. They who 
 believe not in God and his apostles, and 
 would make a distinction between God 
 and his apostles, and say. We believe in 
 some of the prophets, and reject others 
 of them, and seek to take a middle way 
 in this matter ; these are really unbeliev- 
 ers, and we have prepared for the unbe- 
 lievers an ignominious punishment. 
 
 But they who believe in God and his 
 apostles, and make no distinction between 
 any of them, unto those will we surely 
 give their reward; and God is gracious 
 and merciful. 
 
 CHRIST 
 
 Verily those who believe not, and act 
 
 unjustly, God will by no means forgive, 
 
 neither will he direct them into any 
 
 other way than the way of hell; they 
 
 53 
 
shall remain therein for ever : and this is 
 easy with God. 
 
 O men, now is the apostle come 
 unto you, with truth from your Lord; 
 believe therefore, it will be better for you. 
 But if you disbelieve, verily unto God 
 belongs whatever is in heaven and on 
 earth; and God is knowing and wise. 
 O you who have received the scriptures, 
 exceed not the just bounds in your 
 religion, neither say of God any other 
 than the truth. Verily Christ Jesus the 
 son of Mary is the apostle of God, and 
 his Word, which he conveyed into Mary, 
 and a spirit proceeding from him. 
 
 Believe therefore in God, and his 
 apostles, and say not. There are three 
 Gods ; forbear this ; it will be better for 
 you. God is but one God. Far be it 
 from him that he should have a son ! 
 unto him belongs whatever is in heaven 
 and on earth; and God is a sufficient 
 protector. 
 
 Christ does not proudly disdain to be 
 
 a servant unto God ; neither the angels 
 
 who approach near to his presence : and 
 
 whoever disdains his service, and is puffed 
 
 54 
 
up with pride, God will gather them all 
 to himself, on the last day. Unto those 
 who believe, and do that which is right, 
 he shall give their rewards, and shall 
 superabundantly add unto them of his 
 liberality : but those who are disdainful 
 and proud, he will punish with a grievous 
 punishment ; and they shall not find any 
 to protect or to help them, besides God. 
 O men, now is an evident proof come 
 unto you from your Lord, and we have 
 sent down unto you manifest light. 
 They who believe in God and firmly 
 adhere to him, he will lead them into 
 mercy from him, and abundance; and 
 he will direct them in the right way to 
 himself. 
 
 FRIENDS 
 
 O true believers, take not the Jews 
 or Christians for your friends ; they are 
 friends the one to the other; but who- 
 ever among you takes them for his 
 friends, he is surely one of them : verily 
 God directs not unjust people. Thou 
 shalt see those in whose hearts there is 
 an infirmity, to hasten unto them saying, 
 
 55 
 
We fear lest some adversity befall usj 
 but it is easy for God to give victory, 
 or a command from him, that they may 
 repent of that which they concealed in 
 their minds. 
 
 And they who believe will say. Are 
 these the men who have sworn by God, 
 with a most firm oath, that they surely 
 held with you ? their works are become 
 vain, and they are of those who perish. 
 O true believers, whoever of you apos- 
 tatizes from his religion, God will cer- 
 tainly bring other people to supply his 
 place, whom he will love, and who will 
 love him ; who shall be humble towards 
 the believers, but severe to the unbeliev- 
 ers; they shall fight for the religion of 
 God, and shall not fear the obloquy of 
 the detractor. 
 
 This is the bounty of God, he 
 bestows it on whom he pleases : God is 
 extensive and wise. Verily your pro- 
 tector is God, and his apostle, and those 
 who believe, who observe the stated 
 times of prayer, and give alms, and who 
 bow down to worship. And whoever 
 takes God, and his apostle, and the 
 56 
 
believers for his friends, they arc the 
 party of God, and they shall be victori- 
 ous. 
 
 O true believers, take not such of 
 those to whom the scriptures were 
 delivered before you, or of the infidels, 
 for your friends, who make a laughing- 
 stock and a jest of your religion; but 
 fear God, if you be true believers ; nor 
 those who, when you call to prayer, 
 make a laughing-stock and a jest of it ; 
 this they do because they are people 
 who do not understand. Say, O you 
 who have received the scriptures, do you 
 reject us for any other reason than 
 because we believe in God, and that 
 revelation which has been sent down 
 unto us, and that which was formerly 
 sent down, and for that the greater part 
 of you are transgressors ? 
 
 THE CURSE OF GOD 
 
 Say, Shall I denounce unto you a 
 
 worse thing than this, as to the reward 
 
 which you are to expect with God ? He 
 
 whom God has cursed, and with whom 
 
 57 
 
he has been angry, having changed 
 some of them into apes and swine, and 
 who worship Taghut, they are in the 
 worse condition, and err more widely 
 from the straightness of the path. When 
 they came unto you, they said. We 
 believe : yet they entered into your 
 company with infidelity, and went forth 
 from you with the same ; but God well 
 knew what they concealed. Thou shalt 
 see many of them hastening unto iniquity 
 and malice, and to eat things forbidden ; 
 and woe unto them for what they have 
 done. Unless their doctors and priests 
 forbid them uttering wickedness, and 
 eating things forbidden ; woe unto them 
 for what they shall have committed. 
 
 The Jews say the hand of God is tied 
 up. Their hands shall be tied up, and 
 they shall be cursed for that which they 
 have said. Nay, his hands are both 
 stretched forth ; he bestows as he pleases : 
 that which has been sent down unto 
 thee from thy Lord, shall increase the 
 transgression and infidelity of many of 
 them ; and we have put enmity and 
 hatred between them, until the day of 
 
 58 
 
resurrection. As often as they shall 
 kindle a fire for war, God shall extinguish 
 it ; and they shall set their minds to act 
 corruptly in the earth, but God loves 
 not corrupt doers. Moreover, if they 
 who have received the scriptures believe, 
 and fear God, we will surely expiate 
 their sins from them, and we will lead 
 them into gardens of pleasure ; and if 
 they observe the law, and the gospel, 
 and the other scriptures which have been 
 sent down unto them from their Lord, 
 they shall surely eat of good things 
 both from above them and from under 
 their feet. Among them there are people 
 who act uprightly ; but how evil is that 
 which many of them do work ! 
 
 59 
 
PILGRIMAGE 
 
 O TRUE believers, kill no game while 
 you are on pilgrimage ; whoever among 
 you shall kill any designedly, shall restore 
 the like of what you shall have killed, in 
 domestic animals, according to the deter- 
 mination of two just persons among you, 
 to be brought as an offering to the Caaba ; 
 or in atonement thereof shall feed the 
 poor ; or instead thereof shall fast, that 
 60 
 
he may taste the heinousness of his 
 deed. 
 
 God has forgiven what is past, but 
 whoever returns to transgress, God will 
 take vengeance on him; for God is 
 mighty and able to avenge. It is lawful 
 for you to fish in the sea, and to eat 
 what you shall catch, as a provision for 
 you and for those who travel ; but it is 
 unlawful for you to hunt by land, while 
 you are performing the rites of pilgrim- 
 age; therefore fear God, before whom 
 you shall be assembled at the last day. 
 God has appointed the Caaba, the holy 
 house, an establishment for mankind ; and 
 has ordained the sacred month, and the 
 offering, and the ornaments hung thereon. 
 This has he done that you might know 
 that God knows whatever is in heaven 
 and on earth, and that God is omniscient. 
 Know that God is severe in punishing, 
 and that God is also ready to forgive and 
 merciful. 
 
 The duty of our apostle is to preach 
 only; and God knows that which you 
 discover, and that which you conceal. 
 
 Say, Evil and good shall not be equally 
 6i 
 
esteemed of, though the abundance of 
 evil pleases thee ; therefore fear God, O 
 you of understanding, that you may be 
 happy. 
 
 O true believers, inquire not concerning 
 things which, if they be declared unto 
 you, may give you pain ; but if you ask 
 concerning them when the Koran is sent 
 down, they will be declared unto you : 
 God pardons you as to these matters; 
 for God is ready to forgive and gracious. 
 
 god's omniscience 
 
 Praise be unto God, who created the 
 heavens and the earth, and ordained the 
 darkness and the light ; nevertheless they 
 who believe not in the Lord, equalize 
 other gods with him. It is he who created 
 you of clay ; and then decreed the term 
 of your lives ; and the prefixed term is 
 with him : yet do we doubt thereof. He 
 is God in heaven and in earth ; he knows 
 what you keep secret, and what you 
 publish, and knows what you deserve. 
 
 There came not unto them any sign, 
 of the signs of their Lord, but they 
 62 
 
retired from the same; and they have 
 gainsaid the truth, after it came unto 
 them : but a message shall come unto 
 them, concerning that which they have 
 mocked at. 
 
 Do they not consider how many gen- 
 erations we have destroyed before them ? 
 We had established them in the earth in 
 a manner wherein we have not established 
 you ; we sent the heaven to rain abun- 
 dantly upon them, and we gave them 
 rivers which flowed under their feet : yet 
 we destroyed them in their sins, and raised 
 up other generations after them. 
 
 Although we had caused to descend 
 unto thee a book written on paper, and 
 they had handled it with their hands, 
 the unbelievers had surely said. This is 
 no other than manifest sorcery. They 
 said. Unless an angel be sent down unto 
 him, we will not believe. But if we had 
 sent down an angel, verily the matter 
 had been decreed, and they should not 
 have been borne with, by having time 
 granted them to repent. And if we had 
 appointed an angel for our messenger, we 
 should have sent him in the form of a man, 
 
 63 
 
and have clothed him before them, as they 
 are clothed. Other apostles have been 
 laughed to scorn before thee; but the 
 judgment which they made a jest of, 
 encompassed those who laugh them to 
 scorn. 
 
 Say, Go through the earth, and behold 
 what has been the end of those who ac- 
 cused our prophets of imposture. 
 
 Say, Unto whom belongs whatever is in 
 heaven and earth ? 
 
 Say, Unto God. He has prescribed 
 unto himself mercy. He will surely gather 
 you together on the day of resurrection ; 
 there is no doubt of it. 
 
 They who destroy their own souls are 
 those who will not believe. Unto him 
 is owing whatever happens by night or 
 by day ; it is he who hears and knows. 
 
 Say, Shall I take any other protector 
 than God, the creator of heaven and 
 earth, who feeds all and is not fed 
 by any ? 
 
 Say, Verily I am commanded to be the 
 first who professes Islam, and it was 
 said unto me. Thou shalt by no means 
 be one of the idolaters. 
 
 64 
 
Say, Verily I fear, if I should rebel 
 against my Lord, the punishment of the 
 great day : from whomever it shall be 
 averted on that day, God will have been 
 merciful unto him ; this will be manifest 
 salvation. If God afflict thee with any 
 hurt, there is none who can take it ofF 
 from thee, except himself; but if he 
 cause good to befall thee, he is almighty ; 
 he is the supreme Lord over his servants ; 
 and he is wise and knowing. 
 
 UNBELIEVERS 
 
 Who is more unjust than he who 
 invents a lie against God, or charges his 
 signs with imposture ? Surely the unjust 
 shall not prosper. And on the day of 
 resurrection we will assemble them all; 
 then will we say unto those who asso- 
 ciated others with God, Where are your 
 companions, whom you imagined to be 
 those of God ? But they shall have no 
 other excuse, than that they shall say. 
 By God our Lord, we have not been 
 idolaters. Behold, how they lie against 
 themselves, and what they have blasphe- 
 6s 
 
mously imagined to be the companion of 
 God flies from them. There is of them 
 who harkens unto thee when thou readest 
 the Koran ; but we have cast veils over 
 their hearts, that they should not under- 
 stand it, and a deafness in their ears : 
 and though they should see all kinds of 
 signs, they will not believe therein ; and 
 their infidelity will arrive to that height 
 that they will even come unto thee, to 
 dispute with thee. The unbelievers will 
 say. This is nothing but silly fables of 
 ancient times. And they will forbid 
 others from believing therein, and will 
 retire afar off from it ; but they will 
 destroy their own souls only, and they 
 are not sensible thereof. 
 
 If thou didst see, when they shall be 
 set over the fire of hell ! and they shall 
 say. Would to God we might be sent 
 back into the world ; we would not 
 charge the signs of our Lord with impos- 
 ture, and we would become true believers : 
 nay, but that is become manifest unto 
 them, which they formerly concealed; 
 and though they should be sent back into 
 the world, they would surely return to that 
 66 
 
which was forbidden them ; and they arc 
 surely liars. 
 
 And they said, There is no other life 
 than our present life ; neither shall we be 
 raised again. 
 
 But if thou couldst see, when they shall 
 be set before their Lord ! 
 
 He shall say unto them. Is not this in 
 truth come to pass ? 
 
 They shall answer, Yea, by our Lord. 
 
 God shall say. Taste therefore the 
 punishment due unto you, for that you 
 have disbelieved. They are lost who 
 reject as falsehood the meeting of God 
 in the next life, until the hour comes 
 suddenly upon them. Then will they 
 say, Alas ! for that we have behaved 
 ourselves negligently in our lifetime j and 
 they shall carry their burdens on their 
 backs ; will it not be evil which they shall 
 be laden with ? 
 
 This present life is no other than a 
 play and a vain amusement ; but surely 
 the future mansion shall be better for 
 those who fear God ; will they not there- 
 fore understand ? 
 
 67 
 
FALSEHOOD 
 
 Now we know that what they speak 
 grieves thee : yet they do not accuse 
 thee of falsehood ; but the ungodly con- 
 tradict the signs of God. And apostles 
 before thee have been accounted liars : 
 but they patiently bore their being ac- 
 counted liars, and their being vexed, until 
 our help came unto them; for there is 
 none who can change the words of God : 
 and thou hast received some information 
 concerning those who have been for- 
 merly sent from him. 
 
 If their aversion to thy admonitions 
 be grievous unto thee, if thou canst seek 
 out a den whereby thou mayest penetrate 
 into the inward parts of the earth, or a 
 ladder by which thou mayest ascend into 
 heaven, that thou mayest show them a 
 sign, do so, but thy search will be fruit- 
 less J for if God pleased he would bring 
 them all to the true direction : be not 
 therefore one of the ignorant. He will 
 give a favourable answer unto those only 
 who shall hearken with attention : and 
 68 
 
God will raise the dead -, then unto him 
 shall they return. 
 
 The infidels say, Unless some sign be 
 sent down unto him from his Lord, we 
 will not believe: answer, Verily God is 
 able to send down a sign : but the greater 
 part of them know it not. There is no 
 kind of beast on earth, nor fowl which 
 flies with its wings, but the same is a 
 people like unto you; we have not 
 omitted anything in the book of our 
 decrees : then unto their Lord shall they 
 return. They who accuse our signs of 
 falsehood, are deaf and dumb, walking 
 in darkness : God will lead into error 
 whom he pleases, and whom he pleases 
 he will put in the right way. 
 
 Say, What think you ? if the punish- 
 ment of God come upon you, or the 
 hour of the resurrection come upon you, 
 will you call upon any other than God, 
 if you speak truth ? yea, him shall you 
 call upon, and he shall free you from 
 that which you shall ask him to deliver 
 you from, if he pleases ; and you shall 
 forget other Gods. 
 
 We have already sent messengers 
 
 69 
 
unto sundry nations before thee, and we 
 afflicted them with trouble and adversity 
 that they might humble themselves : yet 
 when the affliction which we sent came 
 upon them, they did not humble them- 
 selves : but their hearts became hardened, 
 and Satan prepared for them that which 
 they committed. And when they had 
 forgotten that concerning which they 
 had been admonished, we opened unto 
 them the gates of all things ; until, while 
 they were rejoicing for that which had 
 been given them, we suddenly laid hold 
 on them, and behold, they were seized 
 with despair; and the utmost part of 
 the people which had acted wickedly, 
 was cut ofF : praise be unto God, the 
 Lord of all creatures ! 
 
 Say, what think you ? if God should 
 take away your hearing and your sight, 
 and should seal up your hearts ; what 
 god besides God will restore them unto 
 you ? 
 
 70 
 
GOD'S MESSENGERS 
 
 See how variously we show forth the 
 signs of God's unity ; yet do they turn 
 aside from them. Say unto them, What 
 think you ? if the punishment of God 
 come upon you suddenly, or in open 
 view; will any perish, except the un- 
 godly people ? We send not our mes- 
 sengers otherwise than bearing good 
 tidings and denouncing threats. 
 71 
 
Whoever therefore shall believe and 
 amend, on them shall no fear come, 
 neither shall they be grieved : but who- 
 ever shall accuse our signs of falsehood, 
 a punishment shall fall on them, because 
 they have done wickedly. 
 
 Say, I say not unto you. The treasures 
 of God are in my power : neither do I 
 say, I know the secrets of God : neither 
 do I say unto you. Verily I am an angel : 
 I follow only that which is revealed unto 
 me. Say, shall the blind and the see- 
 ing be held equal ? do you not therefore 
 consider ? Preach it unto those who fear 
 that they shall be assembled before their 
 Lord : they shall have no patron or 
 intercessor, except him ; that peradven- 
 ture they may take heed to themselves. 
 
 Drive not away those who call upon 
 their Lord morning and evening, desiring 
 to see his face ; it belongs not unto thee 
 to pass any judgment on them, nor does 
 it belong unto them to pass any judgment 
 on thee : therefore if thou drive them 
 away, thou wilt become one of the un- 
 just. Thus have we proved some part 
 of them by other part, that they may say, 
 72 
 
Are these the people among us unto 
 whom God has been gracious ? Does 
 not God most truly know those who are 
 thankful ? 
 
 And when they who believe in our 
 signs shall come unto thee, say, Peace 
 be upon you. Your Lord has prescribed 
 unto himself mercy ; so that whoever 
 among you works evil through ignorance, 
 and afterwards repents and amends, unto 
 him will he surely be gracious and mer- 
 ciful. 
 
 Thus have we distinctly propounded 
 our signs, that the path of the wicked 
 might be made known. 
 
 Say, Verily I am forbidden to worship 
 the false deities which you invoke, besides 
 God. Say, I will not follow your desires ; 
 for then should I err, neither should I 
 be one of those who are rightly directed. 
 Say, I behave according to the plain de- 
 claration which I have received from my 
 Lord ; but you have forged lies concern- 
 ing him. 
 
 73 
 
god's time 
 
 That what you desire should be has- 
 tened, is not in my power : judgment 
 belongs only unto God ; he will deter- 
 mine the truth ; and he is the best dis- 
 cerner. Say, if what you desire should 
 be hastened were in my power, the matter 
 had been determined between me and 
 you : but God well knows the unjust. 
 With him are the keys of the secret 
 things; none knows them besides him- 
 self: he knows that which is on the dry 
 land and in the sea ; there falls no leaf, 
 but he knows it ; neither is there a single 
 grain in the dark parts of the earth, neither 
 a green thing, nor a dry thing, but it 
 is written in the perspicuous book. It is 
 he who causes you to sleep by night, 
 and knows what you merit by day; he 
 also awakes you therein, that the prefixed 
 term of your lives may be fulfilled ; then 
 unto him shall you return, and he shall 
 declare unto you that which you have 
 wrought. He is supreme over his servants, 
 and sends the guardian angel to watch 
 over you, until, when death overtakes 
 74 
 
one of you, our messengers cause him 
 to die; and they will not neglect 
 our commands. Afterwards shall they 
 return unto God, their true Lord : 
 does not judgment belong unto him ? 
 he is the most quick in taking an ac- 
 count. 
 
 Say, who delivers you from the dark- 
 ness of the land, and of the sea, when 
 you call upon him humbly and in private, 
 saying. Verily if thou deliver us from 
 these dangers, we will surely be thankful ? 
 Say, God delivers you from them, and 
 from every grief of mind ; yet afterwards 
 you return to your idolatries. Say, He 
 is able to send on you a punishment from 
 above you, or from under your feet, or 
 to engage you in dissension, and to 
 make some of you taste the violence of 
 others. 
 
 Observe how variously we show forth 
 our signs, that peradventure they may 
 understand. This people has accused 
 of falsehood, the revelation which thou 
 hast brought, although it be the truth. 
 
 Say, I am not a guardian over you : 
 every prophecy has its fixed time of ac- 
 75 
 
complishment ; and you will hereafter 
 know it. 
 
 THE TRUE DIRECTION 
 
 Abandon those who make their religion 
 a sport and a jest ; and whom the present 
 life has deceived ; and admonish them 
 by the Koran, that a soul becomes liable 
 to destruction for that which it commits : 
 it shall have no patron or intercessor 
 besides God; and if it could pay the 
 utmost price of redemption, it would not 
 be accepted from it. They who are de- 
 livered over to perdition for that which 
 they have committed, shall have boiling 
 water to drink, and shall suffer a grievous 
 punishment, because they have disbe- 
 lieved. 
 
 Say, Shall we call upon that, besides 
 God, which can neither profit us nor 
 hurt us ? and shall we turn back on our 
 heels, after that God has directed us; 
 like him whom the devils have infatuated, 
 wandering amazedly in the earth, and 
 yet having companions who call him to 
 the true direction, saying. Come unto us ? 
 
 16 
 
Say, The direction of God is the true 
 direction ; we are commanded to resign 
 ourselves unto the Lord of all creatures ; 
 and it is also commanded us, saying. 
 Observe the stated times of prayer, and 
 fear him ; for it is he before whom you 
 shall be assembled. It is he who has 
 created the heavens and the earth in truth ; 
 and whenever he says unto a thing. Be, 
 it is. 
 
 His word is the truth ; and his will 
 be the kingdom on the day whereon the 
 trumpet shall be sounded : he knows 
 whatever is secret, and whatever is public : 
 he is the wise, the knowing. 
 
 THE EXAMPLE OF ABRAHAM 
 
 Call to mind when Abraham said 
 unto his father Azer, Dost thou take 
 images for gods ? Verily I perceive that 
 thou and thy people are in a manifest 
 error. And thus did we show unto 
 Abraham the kingdom of heaven and 
 earth, that he might become one of those 
 who firmly believe. And when the night 
 overshadowed him, he saw a star, and he 
 77 
 
said, This is my Lord ; but when it set, 
 he said, I like not gods which set. And 
 when he saw the moon rising, he said, 
 This is my Lord; but when he saw it 
 set, he said. Verily if my Lord direct me 
 not, I shall become one of the people 
 who go astray. And when he saw the 
 sun rising, he said. This is my Lord, 
 this is the greatest ; but when it set, he 
 said, O my people, verily I am clear of 
 that which you associate with God : I 
 direct my face unto him who created the 
 heavens and the earth; I 2m orthodox, 
 and am not one of the idolaters. 
 
 And his people disputed with him : 
 and he said. Will you dispute with me 
 concerning God ? since he has now 
 directed me, and I fear not that which 
 you associate with him, unless that my 
 Lord will a thing; for my Lord com- 
 prehends all things by his knowledge : will 
 you not therefore consider ? And how 
 should I fear that which you associate 
 with God, since you fear not to have 
 associated with God that concerning 
 which he has sent down unto you no 
 authority ? which therefore of the two 
 
 78 
 
parties is the more safe, if you under- 
 stand aright ? 
 
 They who believe and clothe not their 
 faith with injustice, they shall enjoy 
 security, and they are rightly directed. 
 And this is our argument wherewith we 
 furnished Abraham against his people : 
 we exalt unto degrees of wisdom and 
 knowledge whom we please ; for thy 
 Lord is wise and knowing. And we gave 
 unto him Isaac and Jacob; we directed 
 them both : and Noah had we before 
 directed, and of his posterity David and 
 Solomon; and Job, and Joseph, and 
 Moses, and Aaron : thus do we reward the 
 righteous : and Zacharias, and John, and 
 Jesus, and Elias ; all of them were up- 
 right men : and Ismael, and Elisha, and 
 Jonas, and Lot ; all these have we fa- 
 voured above the rest of the world ; and 
 also divers of their fathers, and their issue, 
 and their brethren ; and we chose them, 
 and directed them into the right way. 
 
 This is the direction of God, he directs 
 
 thereby such of his servants as he pleases ; 
 
 but if they had been guilty of idolatry, 
 
 that which they wrought would have 
 
 79 
 
become utterly fruitless unto them. 
 Those were the persons unto whom we 
 gave the scripture, and wisdom, and 
 prophecy ; but if these believe not therein, 
 we will commit the care of them to a 
 people who shall not disbelieve the same. 
 Those were the persons whom God 
 directed, therefore follow their direction. 
 
 THE KORAN 
 
 Say unto the inhabitants of Mecca, I 
 ask of you no recompense for preaching 
 the Koran ; it is no other than an admo- 
 nition unto all creatures. They make 
 not a due estimation of God, when they 
 say, God has not sent down unto man 
 anything at all : Say, Who sent down 
 the book which Moses brought, a light 
 and a direction unto men ; which you 
 transcribe on papers, whereof you publish 
 some part, and great part whereof you 
 conceal ? and you have been taught by 
 Mohammed what you knew not, neither 
 your fathers. Say, God sent it down : 
 then leave them to amuse themselves 
 with their vain discourse. 
 80 
 
This book which we have sent down 
 is blessed; confirming that which was 
 revealed before it ; and is delivered unto 
 thee that thou mayest preach it unto the 
 metropolis of Mecca and to those who 
 are round about it. 
 
 And they who believe in the next life 
 will believe therein, and they will dili- 
 gently observe their times of prayer. 
 Who is more wicked than he who 
 forges a lie concerning God ? or says, 
 This was revealed unto me, when noth- 
 ing has been revealed unto him ? and 
 who says, I will produce a revelation 
 like unto that which God has sent down ? 
 If thou didst see when the ungodly are 
 in the pangs of death, and the angels 
 reach out their hands, saying. Cast forth 
 your souls ; this day shall you receive 
 an ignominious punishment for that 
 which you have falsely spoken concern- 
 ing God ; and because you have proudly 
 rejected his signs ! And now are you 
 come unto us alone, as we created you 
 at first, and you have left that which we 
 had bestowed on you, behind your backs ; 
 neither do we see with you your inter- 
 8l 
 
cessors, whom you thought to have been 
 partners with God among you : now is 
 the relation between you cut off, and 
 what you imagined has deceived you. 
 
 82 
 
GOD 
 
 God causes the grain and the date- 
 stone to put forth : he brings forth the 
 living from the dead, and he brings forth 
 the dead from the living. This is God. 
 
 Why therefore are you turned away 
 from him ? He causes the morning to 
 appear; and has ordained the night for 
 rest, and the sun and the moon for the 
 computing of time. This is the dispo- 
 
 83 
 
sition of the mighty, the wise God. He 
 has ordained the stars for you, that you 
 may be directed thereby in the darkness 
 of the land and of the sea. 
 
 We have clearly shown forth our signs, 
 unto people who understand. It is he 
 who has produced you from one soul ; and 
 has provided for you a sure receptacle and 
 a repository. We have clearly shown 
 forth our signs, unto people who are wise. 
 It is he who sends down water from 
 heaven, and we have thereby produced 
 the springing buds of all things, and have 
 thereout produced the green thing, from 
 which we produce the grain growing 
 in rows, and palm-trees from whose 
 branches proceed clusters of dates hang- 
 ing close together; and gardens of 
 grapes, and olives, and pomegranates, 
 both like and unlike to one another. 
 
 Look on their fruits, when they bear 
 fruit, and their growing to maturity. 
 Truly herein are signs, unto people who 
 believe. 
 
 Yet they have set up the genii as 
 partners with God, although he created 
 them : and they have falsely attributed 
 84 
 
unto him sons and daughters, without 
 knowledge. Praise be unto him; and 
 far be that from him which they attribute 
 unto him ! He is the maker of heaven 
 and earth : how should he have issue, 
 since he has no consort ? he has created 
 all things, and he is omniscient. This is 
 God your Lord; there is no God but 
 he, the creator of all things : therefore 
 serve him; for he takes care of all 
 things. The sight comprehends him 
 not, but he comprehends the sight ; he is 
 the gracious, the wise. 
 
 IDOLATRY 
 
 Now have evident demonstrations 
 come unto you from your Lord; who- 
 ever sees them, the advantage thereof 
 will redound to his own soul : and who- 
 ever is wilfully blind, the consequence 
 will be to himself. I am not a keeper 
 over you. Thus do we variously explain 
 our signs ; that they may say. Thou hast 
 studied diligently; and that we may 
 declare them unto people of understand- 
 ing. Follow that which has been re- 
 8s 
 
vcaled unto thee from thy Lord; there 
 is no God but he : retire therefore from 
 the idolaters. If God had so pleased, 
 they had not been guilty of idolatry. 
 We have not appointed thee a keeper 
 over them ; neither art thou a guardian 
 over them. Revile not the idols which 
 they invoke besides God, lest they ma- 
 liciously revile God without knowledge. 
 Thus have we prepared for every 
 nation their works : hereafter unto God 
 shall they return, and he shall declare 
 unto them that which they have 
 done. They have sworn by God, by 
 the most solemn oath, that if a sign came 
 unto them, they would certainly believe 
 therein : Say, Verily signs are in the 
 power of God alone; and he permits 
 you not to understand that when they 
 come, they will not believe. And we 
 will turn aside their hearts and their 
 sight from the truth, as they believed not 
 therein the first time ; and we will leave 
 them to wander in their error. And 
 though we had sent down angels unto 
 them, and the dead had spoken unto them, 
 and we had gathered together before 
 86 
 
them all things in one view j they would 
 not have believed, unless God had so 
 pleased : but the greater part of them 
 know it not. 
 
 Thus have we appointed unto every 
 prophet an enemy ; the devils of men, 
 and of genii : who privately suggest the 
 one to the other specious discourses to 
 deceive j but if thy Lord pleased, they 
 would not have done it. Therefore 
 leave them, and that which they have 
 falsely imagined ; and let the hearts of 
 those be inclined thereto, who believe 
 not in the life to come; and let them 
 please themselves therein, and let them 
 gain that which they are gaining. 
 
 Shall I seek after any other judge 
 besides God to judge between us ? It 
 is he who has sent down unto you the 
 book of the Koran, distinguishing be- 
 tween good and evil ; and they to whom 
 we gave the scripture know that it is 
 sent down from thy Lord, with truth. 
 Be not therefore one of those who doubt 
 thereof. 
 
 87 
 
THE WORD OF GOD 
 
 The words of thy Lord arc perfect 
 in truth and justice ; there is none who 
 can change his words : he both hears 
 and knows. But if thou obey the 
 greater part of them who are in the earth, 
 they will lead thee aside from the path 
 of God : they follow an uncertain 
 opinion only, and speak nothing but lies ; 
 verily thy Lord well knows those who 
 go astray from his path, and well knows 
 those who are rightly directed. 
 
 SIGNS 
 
 Shall he who has been dead, and 
 whom we have restored unto life, and 
 unto whom we have ordained a light, 
 whereby he may walk among men, be as 
 he whose similitude is in darkness, from 
 whence he shall not come forth ? Thus 
 was that which the infidels are doing, 
 prepared for them. And thus have we 
 placed in every city chief leaders of the 
 wicked men thereof, that they may 
 act deceitfully therein ; but they shall act 
 88 
 
deceitfully against their own souls only ; 
 and they know it not. And when a 
 sign comes unto them, they say. We 
 will by no means believe until a revela- 
 tion be brought unto us, like unto that 
 which hath been delivered unto the 
 messengers of God. God best knows 
 whom he will appoint for his messen- 
 ger. 
 
 Vileness in the sight of God shall fall 
 upon those who deal wickedly, and a 
 grievous punishment, because they have 
 dealt deceitfully. And whomever God 
 shall please to direct, he will open his 
 breast to receive the faith of Islam : but 
 whoever he shall please to lead into 
 error, he will render his breast straight 
 and narrow, as if he were climbing up 
 to heaven. 
 
 Thus God inflicts a terrible punish- 
 ment on those who believe not. This 
 is the right way of thy Lord. 
 
 Now have we plainly declared our 
 signs unto those people who will con- 
 sider. They shall have a dwelling of 
 peace with their Lord, and he shall be 
 their patron, because of that which they 
 
 89 
 
have wrought. Think on the day 
 whereon God shall gather them all 
 together, and shall say, O company of 
 genii, you have been much concerned 
 with mankind; and their friends from 
 among mankind shall say, O Lord, the 
 one of us has received advantage from 
 the other, and we are arrived at our 
 limited term which thou hast appointed 
 us. 
 
 God will say. Hell fire shall be your 
 habitation, therein shall you remain for 
 ever; unless as God shall please to 
 mitigate your pains, for the Lord is wise 
 and knowing. 
 
 Thus do we set some of the unjust 
 over others of them, because of that 
 which they have deserved. O company 
 of genii and man, did not messengers 
 from among yourselves come unto you, 
 rehearsing my signs unto you, and fore- 
 warning you of the meeting of this your 
 day ? 
 
 They shall answer. We bear witness 
 against ourselves : the present life de- 
 ceived them : and they shall bear witness 
 against themselves that they were unbc- 
 90 
 
lievers. Every one shall have degrees of 
 recompense of that which they shall do ; 
 for thy Lord is not regardless of that 
 which they do, and thy Lord is self- 
 sufficient and endued with mercy. If it 
 please him he can destroy you, and 
 cause such as it pleases him to succeed 
 you, in like manner as he produced you 
 from the posterity of other people. 
 
 Verily that which is threatened you 
 shall surely come to pass ; neither shall 
 you cause it to fail. 
 
 FOOD 
 
 Say, I find not in that which has 
 been revealed unto me, anything forbid- 
 den unto the eater, that he eat it not, 
 except it be that which dies of itself, or 
 blood poured forth, or swine's flesh : for 
 this is an abomination : or that which is 
 profane, having been slain in the name 
 of some other than of God. But who- 
 ever shall be compelled by necessity to 
 eat of these things, not lusting or wil- 
 fully transgressing, verily thy Lord will 
 be gracious unto him and merciful. 
 
 91 
 
Unto the Jews did we forbid every 
 beast having an undivided hoof; and of 
 bullocks and sheep, we forbade them the 
 fat of both; except that which should 
 be on their backs, or their inwards, or 
 which should be intermixed with the 
 bone. This have we rewarded them 
 with, because of their iniquity ; and we 
 are surely speakers of truth. 
 
 If they accuse thee of imposture, say, 
 Your Lord is endued with extensive 
 mercy; but his severity shall not be 
 averted from wicked people. The idola- 
 ters will say. If God had pleased, we 
 had not been guilty of idolatry, neither 
 our fathers; and pretend that we have 
 not forbidden them anything. Thus did 
 they who were before them accuse the 
 prophets of imposture, until they tasted 
 our severe punishment. 
 
 PROHIBITIONS 
 
 Say, Come ; I will rehearse that which 
 
 your Lord has forbidden you ; that you 
 
 be not guilty of idolatry, and that you 
 
 show kindness to your parents, and that 
 
 92 
 
you murder not your children for fear 
 lest you be reduced to poverty : we will 
 provide for you and them ; and draw not 
 near unto heinous crimes, either openly 
 or in secret ; and slay not the soul which 
 God has forbidden you to slay, unless 
 for a just cause. 
 
 This has he enjoined you that you 
 may understand. And meddle not with 
 the substance of the orphan, otherwise 
 than for the improving thereof, until 
 he attain his age of strength ; and use a 
 full measure and a just balance. We 
 will not impose a task on any soul, 
 beyond its ability. And when you pro- 
 nounce judgment observe justice, al- 
 though it be for or against one who is 
 near of kin, and fulfil the covenant of 
 God. This has God commanded you, 
 that you may be admonished; and that 
 you may know that this is my right 
 way : therefore follow it, and follow not 
 the paths of others, lest you be scattered 
 from the path of God. This has he 
 commanded you, that you may take heed. 
 
 We gave also unto Moses the book 
 of the Law; a perfect rule unto him 
 93 
 
who should do right, and a determination 
 concerning all things needful, and a di- 
 rection, and mercy ; that the children of 
 Israel might believe the meeting of their 
 Lord. And this book which we have 
 now sent down, is blessed ; therefore 
 follow it and fear God, that you may ob- 
 tain mercy : lest you should say, The 
 scriptures were sent down unto only two 
 people before us ; and we neglected to 
 peruse them with attention : or lest you 
 should say. If a book of divine revela- 
 tions had been sent down unto us, we 
 should surely have been better directed 
 than they. And now has a manifest 
 declaration come unto you from your 
 Lord, and a direction and mercy : and 
 who is more unjust than he who devises 
 lies against the signs of God, and turns 
 aside from them ? We will reward 
 those who turn aside from our signs 
 with a grievous punishment, because 
 they have turned aside. 
 
 Follow that which has been sent 
 
 down unto you from your Lord ; and 
 
 follow no guides besides him : how little 
 
 will you be warned ! How many cities 
 
 94 
 
have we destroyed ; which our vengeance 
 overtook by night, or while they were 
 reposing themselves at noonday ! And 
 their supplication, when our punishment 
 came upon them, was no other than that 
 they said, Verily wc have been unjust. 
 
 9S 
 
THE WORSHIP OF ADAM 
 
 We will surely call those to an ac- 
 count, unto whom a prophet has been 
 sent ; and we will also call those to 
 account who have been sent unto them. 
 And we will declare their actions unto 
 them with knowledge; for we are not 
 absent from them. The weighing of 
 men's actions on that day shall be just ; 
 and they whose balances laden with their 
 
 96 
 
good works shall be heavy, are those who 
 shall be happy ; but they whose balances 
 shall be light, are those who have lost 
 their souls, because they injured our 
 signs. And now have we placed you 
 on the earth, and have provided you food 
 therein : but how little are you thankful ! 
 
 We created you, and afterward formed 
 you ; and then said unto the angels. 
 Worship Adam ; and they all wor- 
 shipped him, except Iblis, who was not 
 one of those who worshipped. 
 
 God said unto him. What hindered 
 thee from worshipping Adam, since I 
 had commanded thee ? 
 
 He answered, I am more excellent 
 than he: thou hast created me of fire, 
 and hast created him of clay. 
 
 God said. Get thee down therefore 
 from paradise ; for it is not fit that thou 
 behave thyself proudly therein : get thee 
 hence; thou shalt be one of the con- 
 temptible. 
 
 He answered. Give me respite until 
 the day of resurrection. 
 
 God said. Verily thou shalt be one of 
 those who are respited. 
 
 97 
 
The devil said, Because thou hast 
 depraved me, I vjrill lay wait for men in 
 thy strait wayj then will I come upon 
 them from before, and from behind, and 
 from their right hands, and from their 
 left ; and thou shalt not find the greater 
 part of them thankful. 
 
 God said unto him, Get thee hence, 
 despised, and driven far away : verily 
 whoever of them shall follow thee, I will 
 surely fill hell with you all : but as for 
 thee, O Adam, dwell thou and thy wife 
 in paradise ; and eat of the fruit thereof 
 wherever you will ; but approach not 
 this tree, lest you become of the number 
 of the unjust. 
 
 And Satan suggested to them both, 
 that he would discover unto them their 
 nakedness, which was hidden from them ; 
 and he said. Your Lord has not forbidden 
 you this tree, for any other reason but 
 lest you should become angels, or lest 
 you become immortal. 
 
 And he sware unto them, saying. 
 Verily I am one of those who counsel 
 you aright. And he caused them to fall 
 through deceit. 
 
 98 
 
And when they had tasted of the tree, 
 their nakedness appeared unto them; 
 and they began to join together the 
 leaves of paradise, to cover themselves. 
 And their Lord called to them, saying. 
 Did I not forbid you this tree ; and did 
 I not say unto you. Verily Satan is your 
 declared enemy ? 
 
 They answered, O Lord, we have 
 dealt unjustly with our own souls ; and 
 if thou forgive us not, and be not merci- 
 ful unto us, we shall surely be of those 
 who perish. 
 
 God said. Get you down, the one of 
 you an enemy unto the other ; and you 
 shall have a dwelling-place upon earth, 
 and a provision for a season. He said. 
 Therein shall you live, and therein shall 
 you die, and from thence shall you be 
 taken forth at the resurrection. O chil- 
 dren of Adam, we have sent down unto 
 you apparel, to conceal your nakedness, 
 and fair garments; but the clothing of 
 piety is better. This is one of the signs 
 of God; that peradventure you may 
 consider. 
 
 99 
 
EVIL EXAMPLES 
 
 O children of Adam, let not Satan 
 seduce you, as he expelled your parents 
 out of paradise, by stripping them of their 
 clothing, that he might show them their 
 nakedness : verily he sees you, both he 
 and his companions, whereas you see 
 not them. We have appointed the devils 
 to be the patrons of those who believe 
 not : and when they commit a filthy 
 action, they say. We found our fathers 
 practising the same ; and God has com- 
 mandeth us to do it. 
 
 Say, Verily God commands not filthy 
 actions. Do you speak concerning God 
 that which you know not? Say, My 
 Lord has commanded me to observe 
 justice 5 therefore set your faces to pray 
 at every place of worship, and call upon 
 him, approving unto him the sincerity of 
 your religion. As he produced you at 
 first, so unto him shall you return. A 
 part of mankind has he directed ; and a 
 part has been justly led into error, because 
 they have taken the devils for their 
 100 
 
patrons besides God, and imagine that 
 they are rightly directed. 
 
 O children of Adam, take your decent 
 apparel at every place of worship, and 
 eat and drink, but be not guilty of excess ; 
 for he loves not those who are guilty of 
 excess. Say, Who has forbidden the 
 decent apparel of God, which he has 
 produced for his servants, and the good 
 things which he has provided for food ? 
 Say, These things are for those who be- 
 lieve, in this present life, but peculiarly 
 on the day of resurrection. Thus do 
 we distinctly explain our signs unto 
 people who understand. 
 
 Say, Verily my Lord has forbidden 
 filthy actions, both that which is discov- 
 ered thereof, and that which is concealed, 
 and also iniquity, and unjust violence; 
 and has forbidden you to associate with 
 God that concerning which he has sent 
 you down no authority, or to speak of 
 God that which you know not. 
 
 Unto every nation there is a prefixed 
 term; therefore when their term is 
 expired, they shall not have respite for 
 an hour, neither shall they be anticipated. 
 
 lOI 
 
WOES TO COME 
 
 Who is more unjust than he who de- 
 vises a lie concerning God, or accuses 
 his signs of imposture f Unto these 
 shall be given their portion of worldly 
 happiness, according to what is written 
 in the book of God's decrees, until our 
 messengers come unto them, and shall 
 cause them to die; saying. Where are 
 the idols which you called upon, besides 
 God? 
 
 They shall answer. They have dis- 
 appeared from us. And they shall bear 
 witness against themselves, that they 
 were unbelievers. 
 
 God shall say unto them at the re- 
 surrection. Enter with the nations which 
 have preceded you, of genii and of 
 men, into hell-fire; as often as one 
 nation shall enter, it shall curse its sister, 
 until they shall all have successively en- 
 tered therein. 
 
 The latter of them shall say of the 
 former of them, O Lord, these have 
 seduced us ; therefore inflict on them a 
 double punishment of the fire of hell, 
 
 102 
 
God shall answer. It shall be doubled 
 unto all ; but you know it not. And 
 the former of them shall say unto the 
 latter of them, You have not therefore 
 any favour above us j taste the punish- 
 ment for that which you have gained. 
 Verily they who shall charge our signs 
 with falsehood, and shall proudly reject 
 them, the gates of heaven shall not be 
 opened unto them, neither shall they 
 enter into paradise, until a camel pass 
 through the eye of a needle; and thus 
 will we reward the wicked doers. Their 
 couch shall be in hell, and over them 
 shall be coverings of fire ; and thus will 
 we reward the unjust. 
 
 But they who believe and do that 
 which is right (we will not load any soul 
 but according to its ability), they shall be 
 the companions of paradise; they shall 
 remain therein for ever. And we will 
 remove all grudges from their minds; 
 rivers shall run at their feet, and they 
 shall say. Praised be God who has directed 
 us unto this felicity ! for we should not 
 have been rightly directed, if God had 
 not directed us : now are we convinced 
 103 
 
by demonstration that the apostles of 
 our Lord came unto us with truth. 
 And it shall be proclaimed unto them, 
 This is paradise, whereof you are made 
 heirs, as a reward for that which you 
 have wrought. 
 
 And the inhabitants of paradise shall 
 call out to the inhabitants of hell fire, 
 saying. Now have we found that which 
 our Lord promised us to be true ; have 
 you also found that which your Lord 
 promised you to be true ? 
 
 They shall answer. Yea. 
 
 And a crier shall proclaim between 
 them. The curse of God shall be on the 
 wicked; who turn men aside from the 
 way of God, and seek to render it crooked, 
 and who deny the life to come. And 
 between the blessed and the damned 
 there shall be a veil; and men shall 
 stand on al Araf, who shall know every 
 one of them by their marks ; and shall 
 call unto the inhabitants of paradise, 
 saying. Peace be upon you : yet they 
 shall not enter therein, although they 
 earnestly desire it. And when they shall 
 turn their eyes towards the companions 
 104 
 
of hell fire, they shall say, O Lord, place 
 us not with the ungodly people ! 
 
 And those who stand on al Araf shall 
 call unto certain men, whom they shall 
 know by their marks, and shall say. 
 What has your gathering of riches availed 
 you, and that you were puffed up with 
 pride ? Are these the men on whom 
 you swore that God would not bestow 
 mercy ? Enter you into paradise ; there 
 shall come no fear on you, neither shall 
 you be grieved. 
 
 And the inhabitants of hell fire shall 
 call unto the inhabitants of paradise, say- 
 ing. Pour upon us some water, or of 
 those refreshments which God has be- 
 stowed on you. 
 
 They shall answer. Verily God has 
 forbidden them unto the unbelievers; 
 who made a laughing-stock and a sport 
 of their religion, and whom the life of 
 the world has deceived : therefore this 
 day will we forget them, as they did for- 
 get the meeting of this day, and because 
 they denied our signs. 
 
 And now we have brought a book of 
 divine revelations : we have explained it 
 105 
 
with knowledge ; a direction and mercy 
 unto people who shall believe. Do they 
 wait for any other than the interpreta- 
 tion thereof? 
 
 On the day whereon the interpreta- 
 tion thereof shall come, they who had 
 forgotten the same before, shall say. 
 Now are we convinced that the messen- 
 gers of our Lord came with truth : shall 
 we therefore have any intercessors, who 
 will intercede for us? or shall we be 
 sent back that we may do other than 
 what we did ? 
 
 But now have they lost their souls; 
 and that which they impiously imagined, 
 has fled from them. 
 
 io6 
 
GOD'S GOODNESS 
 
 Verily your Lord is God, who created 
 the heavens and the earth in six days; 
 and then ascended his throne : he causes 
 the night to cover the day ; it succeeds 
 the same swiftly : he also created the 
 sun and the moon, and the stars, which 
 are absolutely subject unto his command. 
 Is not the whole creation, and the empire 
 thereof, his ? Blessed be God, the Lord 
 of all creatures ! Call upon your Lord 
 107 
 
humbly and in secret ; for he loves not 
 those who transgress. And act not cor- 
 ruptly in the earth, after its reformation j 
 and call upon him with fear and desire : 
 for the mercy of God is near unto the 
 righteous. It is he who sends the winds, 
 spread abroad before his mercy, until 
 they bring a cloud heavy with rain, 
 which we drive unto a dead country ; 
 and we cause water to descend thereon, 
 by which we cause all sorts of fruits to 
 spring forth. Thus will we bring forth 
 the dead from their graves ; that perad- 
 venture you may consider. From a 
 good country shall its fruit spring forth 
 abundantly, by the permission of its 
 Lord ; but from the land which is bad, 
 it shall not spring forth otherwise than 
 scarcely. Thus do we explain the signs 
 of divine providence unto people who 
 are thankful. 
 
 We formerly sent Noah unto his 
 people ; and he said, O my people, wor- 
 ship God : you have no other God than 
 him. Verily I fear for you the punish- 
 ment of the great day. 
 
 The chiefs of his people answered him, 
 I08 
 
We surely perceive thee to be in a man- 
 ifest error. 
 
 He replied, O my people, there is no 
 error in mej but I am a messenger 
 from the Lord of all creatures. I bring 
 unto you the messages of my Lord ; 
 and I counsel you aright : for I know 
 from God that which you know not. 
 Do you wonder that an admonition has 
 come unto you from your Lord by a 
 man from among you, to warn you, that 
 you may take heed to yourselves, and 
 that peradventure you may obtain mercy ? 
 
 And they accused him of imposture : 
 but we delivered him and those who 
 were with him in the ark, and we drowned 
 those who charged our signs with false- 
 hood; for they were a blind people. 
 
 THE IDOLATERS AND THE PROPHET 
 
 Unto the tribe of Ad we sent their 
 brother Hud. He said, O my people 
 worship God : you have no other God 
 than him ; will you not fear him ? 
 
 The chiefs of those among his people 
 who believed not, answered, Verily we 
 109 
 
perceive that thou art guided by folly ; 
 and we certainly esteem thee to be one 
 of the liars. 
 
 He replied, O my people, I am not 
 guided by folly; but I am a messenger 
 unto you from the Lord of all creatures : 
 1 bring unto you the messages of my 
 Lord; and I am a faithful counsellor 
 unto you. Do you wonder that an 
 admonition has come unto you from 
 your Lord, by a man from among you, 
 that he may warn you ? Call to mind 
 how he has appointed you successors 
 unto the people of Noah, and has added 
 unto you in stature largely. Remember 
 the benefits of God, that you may 
 prosper. 
 
 They said. Art thou come unto us, 
 that we should worship God alone, and 
 leave the deities which our fathers 
 worshipped ? Now bring down that 
 judgment upon us, with which thou 
 threatenest us, if thou speakest truth. 
 
 Hud answered. Now shall there sud- 
 denly fall upon you from your Lord 
 vengeance and indignation. Will you 
 dispute with me concerning the names 
 IIO 
 
which you have named, and your fathers ; 
 as to which God has not revealed unto 
 you any authority ? Wait therefore, and 
 I will be one of those who wait with 
 you. 
 
 And we delivered him, and them who 
 believed with him, by our mercy; and 
 we cut ofF the uttermost part of those 
 who charged our signs with falsehood, 
 and were not believers. 
 
 And unto the tribe of Thamud we 
 sent their brother Saleh. He said, O 
 my people, worship God : you have no 
 God besides him. Now has a manifest 
 proof come unto you from your Lord. 
 This she-camel of God is a sign unto 
 you : therefore dismiss her freely, that 
 she may feed in God's earth ; and do her 
 no hurt, lest a painful punishment seize 
 you. And call to mind how he has 
 appointed you successors unto the tribe 
 of Ad, and has given you a habitation on 
 earth ; you build yourselves castles on the 
 plains thereof, and cut out the mountains 
 into houses. Remember therefore the 
 benefits of God, and commit not violence 
 in the earth, acting corruptly. The 
 III 
 
chiefs among his people who were puffed 
 up with pride, said unto those who were 
 esteemed weak, namely, unto those who 
 believed among them. Do you know 
 that Saleh has been sent from his Lord ? 
 
 They answered. We do surely believe 
 in that wherewith he has been sent. 
 Those who were elated with pride 
 replied. Verily we believe not in that 
 wherein you believe. And they cut off 
 the feet of the camel, and insolently 
 transgressed the command of their Lord, 
 and said, O Saleh, cause that to come 
 upon us, with which thou hast threat- 
 ened us, if thou art one of those who 
 have been sent by God. 
 
 Whereupon a terrible noise from 
 heaven assailed them ; and in the morn- 
 ing they were found in their dwellings 
 prostrate on their breasts and dead. 
 And Saleh departed from them, and said, 
 
 my people, now have I delivered 
 unto you the message of my Lord ; and 
 
 1 advised you well, but you love not 
 those who advise you well. 
 
 112 
 
THE FATE OF ROBBERS 
 
 Unto Madian we sent their brother 
 Shoaib. He said unto them, O my 
 people, worship God ; you have no God 
 besides him. Now has an evident dem- 
 onstration come unto you from your 
 Lord. Therefore give full measure 
 and just weight, and diminish not unto 
 men aught of their matters ; neither act 
 corruptly in the earth, after its reforma- 
 tion. This will be better for you, if 
 you believe. And beset not every way, 
 threatening the passenger, and turning 
 aside from the path of God him who 
 believes in him, and seeking to make it 
 crooked. And remember, when you 
 were few, and God multiplied you : and 
 behold, what has been the end of those 
 who acted corruptly. And if part of 
 you believe that wherewith I am sent, 
 and part believe not, wait patiently until 
 God judge between us; for he is the 
 best judge. 
 
 The chiefs of his people, who were 
 elated with pride, answered, Wc will 
 surely cast thee, O Shoaib, and those 
 113 
 
who believe with thee, out of our city ; 
 or else thou shalt certainly return unto 
 our religion. 
 
 He said, What, though we be averse 
 thereto ? We shall surely imagine a lie 
 against God, if we return unto your 
 religion, after God has delivered us from 
 the same : and we have no reason to 
 return unto it, unless God our Lord shall 
 please to abandon us. 
 
 Our Lord comprehends everything 
 by his knowledge. In God do we put 
 our trust. O Lord, do thou judge be- 
 tween us and our nation with truth ; for 
 thou art the best judge. And the chiefs 
 of his people, who believed not, said. 
 If you follow Shoaib, you shall surely 
 perish. 
 
 Therefore a storm from heaven 
 assailed them, and in the morning they 
 were found in their dwellings dead 
 and prostrate. They who accused 
 Shoaib of imposture became as though 
 they had never dwelt therein ; they who 
 accused Shoaib of imposture perished 
 themselves. And he departed from 
 them, and said : 
 
 114 
 
O my people, now have I performed 
 unto you the messages of my Lord ; and 
 I advised you aright : but why should I 
 be grieved for an unbelieving people ? 
 We have never sent any prophet into a 
 city, but we afflicted the inhabitants 
 thereof with calamity and adversity, that 
 they might humble themselves. Then 
 we gave them in exchange good in lieu 
 of evil, until they abounded, and said. 
 Adversity and prosperity formerly hap- 
 pened unto our fathers, as unto us. 
 Therefore we took vengeance on them 
 suddenly, and they perceived it not 
 beforehand. 
 
 But if the inhabitants of those cities 
 had believed and feared God, we would 
 surely have opened to them blessings 
 both from heaven and earth. But they 
 charged our apostles with falsehood ; 
 wherefore we took vengeance on them, 
 for that which they had been guilty of. 
 Were the inhabitants therefore of those 
 cities secure that our punishment should 
 not fall on them by night, while they 
 slept ? Or were the inhabitants of those 
 cities secure that our punishment should 
 115 
 
not fall on them by day, while they 
 sported ? Were they therefore secure 
 from the stratagem of God ? But none 
 will think himself secure from the strata- 
 gem of God, except the people who 
 perish. And has it not manifestly ap- 
 peared unto those who have inherited 
 the earth after the former inhabitants 
 thereof, that, if we please, we can afflict 
 them for their sins ? But we will seal 
 up their hearts; and they shall not 
 hearken. 
 
 Ii6 
 
PREDESTINATION 
 
 Evil is the similitude of those people 
 who accuse our signs of falsehood and in- 
 jure their own souls. Whomever God 
 shall direct, he will be rightly directed j 
 and whomever he shall lead astray, he 
 shall perish. Moreover we have created 
 for hell many of the genii and of men ; 
 they have hearts by which they understand 
 not, and they have eyes by which they 
 117 
 
see not, and they have ears by which 
 they hear not. These are like the brute 
 beasts ; yea, they go more astray : these 
 are the negligent. 
 
 God has most excellent names : there- 
 fore call on him by the same ; and with- 
 draw from those who use his names 
 perversely : they shall be rewarded for 
 that which they shall have wrought. 
 And of those whom we have created 
 there are a people who direct others with 
 truth, and act justly according thereto. 
 But those who devise lies against our 
 signs, we will suffer them to fall gradu- 
 ally into ruin, by a method which they 
 know not : and I will grant them to 
 enjoy a long and prosperous life ; for 
 my stratagem is effectual. Do they not 
 consider that there is no devil in their 
 companion ? He is no other than a 
 public preacher. Or do they not con- 
 template the kingdom of heaven and 
 earth, and the things which God has 
 created; and consider that peradventure 
 it may be that their end draws nigh ? 
 And in what new declaration will they 
 believe, after this ? 
 
 Ii8 
 
He whom God shall cause to err, 
 shall have no director; and he shall 
 leave them in their impiety, wandering 
 in confusion. 
 
 They will ask thee concerning the 
 last hour; at what time its coming is 
 fixed ? Answer, Verily the knowledge 
 thereof is with my Lord, none shall 
 declare the fixed time thereof, except 
 he. The expectation thereof is grievous 
 in heaven and on earth : it shall come 
 upon you no otherwise than suddenly. 
 They will ask thee, as if thou wert well 
 acquainted therewith. Answer, Verily 
 the knowledge thereof is with God 
 alone : but the greater part of men know 
 it not. 
 
 Say, I am able neither to procure ad- 
 vantage unto myself, nor to avert mis- 
 chief from me, but as God pleases. If 
 I knew the secrets of God, I should 
 surely enjoy abundance of good, neither 
 should evil befall me. Verily I am no 
 other than a denouncer of threats, and a 
 messenger of good tidings unto people 
 who believe. It is he who has created 
 you from one person, and out of him 
 119 
 
produced his wife, that he might dwell 
 with her; and when he had known her, 
 she carried a light burden for a time, 
 wherefore she walked easily therewith. 
 But when it became more heavy, they 
 called upon God, their Lord, saying, If 
 thou give us a child rightly shaped, we 
 will surely be thankful. Yet when he 
 had given them a child rightly shaped, 
 they attributed companions unto him, 
 for that which he had given them. But 
 far be that from God, which they associ- 
 ated with him ! 
 
 IDOLATRY 
 
 Will they associate with him false 
 gods which create nothing, but are them- 
 selves created; and can neither give 
 them assistance, nor help themselves ? 
 And if you invite them to the true direc- 
 tion, they will not follow you : it will 
 be equal unto you, whether you invite 
 them, or whether you hold your peace. 
 Verily the false deities whom you invoke 
 besides God, are servants like unto you. 
 Call therefore upon them, and let them 
 1 20 
 
give you an answer, if you speak truth. 
 Have they feet, to walk with ? Or 
 have they hands, to lay hold with ? 
 Or have they eyes, to sec with ? Or 
 have they ears, to hear with ? Say, Call 
 upon your companions, and then lay a 
 snare for me, and defer it not ; for God 
 is my protector, who sent down the book 
 of the Koran ; and he protects the right- 
 eous. But they whom you invoke be- 
 sides him, cannot assist you, neither do 
 they help themselves ; and if you call on 
 them to direct you, they will not hear. 
 Thou seest them look towards thee, but 
 they see not. 
 
 Use indulgence, and command that 
 which is just, and withdraw far from the 
 ignorant. And if an evil suggestion 
 from Satan be suggested unto thee, to 
 divert thee from thy duty, have recourse 
 unto God; for he hears and knows. 
 Verily they who fear God, when a 
 temptation from Satan assails them, re- 
 member the divine commands, and be- 
 hold, they clearly see the danger of sin, 
 and the wiles of the devil. But as for 
 the brethren of the devils, they shall con- 
 
 121 
 
tinue them in error ; and afterwards they 
 shall not preserve themselves therefrom. 
 And when thou bringest not a verse of 
 the Koran unto them, they say, Hast 
 thou not put it together ? 
 
 Answer, I follow that only which is 
 revealed unto me from my Lord. This 
 book containeth evident proofs from 
 your Lord, and is a direction and mercy 
 unto people who believe. And when 
 the Koran is read, attend thereto, and 
 keep silence j that ye may obtain mercy. 
 And meditate on thy Lord in thine own 
 mind, with humility and fear, and with- 
 out loud speaking, evening and morning ; 
 and be not one of the negligent. More- 
 over the angels who are with my Lord, 
 do not proudly disdain his service, but 
 they celebrate his praise and worship 
 him. 
 
 THE SPOILS 
 
 They will ask thee concerning the 
 spoils : Answer, The division of the 
 spoils belongs unto God and the apostle. 
 Therefore fear God, and compose the 
 
 122 
 
matter amicably among you ; and obey 
 God and his apostle, if you are true 
 believers. 
 
 Verily the true believers are those 
 whose hearts fear when God is men- 
 tioned, and whose faith increases when 
 his signs are rehearsed unto them, and 
 who trust in their Lord; who observe 
 the stated times of prayer, and give alms 
 out of that which we have bestowed on 
 them. These are really believers : they 
 shall have superior degrees of felicity 
 with their Lord, and forgiveness, and an 
 honourable provision. 
 
 PROMISE OF VICTORY 
 
 I will cast a dread into the hearts of 
 the unbelievers. Therefore strike off 
 their heads, and strike off all the ends 
 of their fingers. This, because they 
 have resisted God and his apostle : and 
 whoever shall oppose God and his 
 apostle, verily God will be severe in 
 punishing him. This shall be your 
 punishment ; taste it therefore : and the 
 infidels shall also suffer the torment of 
 123 
 
hell fire. O true believers, when you 
 meet the unbelievers marching in great 
 numbers against you, turn not your 
 backs unto them : for whoever shall turn 
 his back unto them on that day, unless 
 he turns aside to fight, or retreats to 
 another party of the faithful, shall draw 
 on himself the indignation of God, and 
 his abode shall be hell; an ill journey 
 shall it be thither ! And you yourselves 
 slew not those who were slain at Bedr, but 
 God slew them. Neither didst thou, O 
 Mohammed, cast the gravel into their 
 eyes, when thou didst seem to cast it ; 
 but God cast it, that he might prove the 
 true believers by a gracious trial from 
 himself ; for God hears and knows. 
 This was done that God might also 
 weaken the crafty devices of the un- 
 believers. 
 
 FORGIVENESS 
 
 O true believers, obey God and his 
 
 apostle, and turn not back from him, 
 
 since you hear the admonitions of the 
 
 Koran. And be not as those who say, 
 
 124 
 
Wc hear, when they do not hear. Verily 
 the worst sort of beasts in the sight of 
 God, are the deaf and the dumb, who 
 understand not. If God had known 
 any good in them, he would certainly 
 have caused them to hear : and if he had 
 caused them to hear, they would surely 
 have turned back, and have retired afar 
 off. O true believers, answer God and 
 his apostle, when he invites you unto 
 that which 'gives you life ; and know 
 that God goes between a man and his 
 heart, and that before him you shall be 
 assembled. 
 
 Beware of sedition j it will not affect 
 those who are ungodly among you par- 
 ticularly, but all of you in general ; and 
 know that God is severe in punishing. 
 And remember when you were few, and 
 reputed weak in the land ; you feared 
 lest men should snatch you away ; but 
 God provided you a place of refuge, and 
 he strengthened you with his assistance, 
 and bestowed on you good things, that 
 you might give thanks. 
 
 O true believers, deceive not God and 
 his apostle ; neither violate your faith, 
 125 
 
against your own knowledge. And 
 know that your wealth, and your chil- 
 dren are a temptation unto you ; and that 
 with God is a great reward. O true 
 believers, if you fear God, he will grant 
 you a distinction, and will expiate your 
 sins from you, and will forgive you ; for 
 God is endued with great liberality. 
 
 And call to mind when the unbelievers 
 plotted against thee, that they might 
 either detain thee in bonds, or put thee 
 to death, or expel thee the city, and 
 they plotted against thee : but God laid 
 a plot against them ; and God is the best 
 layer of plots. And when our signs are 
 repeated unto them, they say. We have 
 heard ; if we pleased we could certainly 
 pronounce a composition like unto this : 
 this is nothing but fables of the ancients. 
 
 And when they said, O God, if this 
 be the truth from thee, rain down stones 
 upon us from heaven, or inflict on us 
 some other grievous punishment. But 
 God was not disposed to punish them, 
 while thou wast with them; nor was 
 God disposed to punish them when they 
 asked pardon. But they have nothing 
 126 
 
to offer in excuse why God should not 
 punish them, since they hindered the 
 believers from visiting the holy temple, 
 although they are not the guardians 
 thereof. The guardians thereof are 
 those only vi^ho fear God; but the 
 greater part of them know it not. And 
 their prayer at the house of God is no 
 other than whistling and clapping of the 
 hands. Taste therefore the punishment, 
 because you have been unbelievers. 
 
 They who believe not, expend their 
 wealth to obstruct the way of God : 
 they shall expend it, but afterwards it 
 shall become matter of sighing and regret 
 unto them, and at length they shall be 
 overcome; and the unbelievers shall 
 be gathered together into hell ; that God 
 may distinguish the wicked from the 
 good, and may throw the wicked one 
 upon the other, and may gather them all 
 in a heap, and cast them into hell. These 
 are they who shall perish. Say unto the 
 unbelievers, that if they desist from 
 opposing thee, what is already past shall 
 be forgiven them ; but if they return to 
 attack thee, the exemplary punishment 
 127 
 
of the former opposers of the prophets 
 is already past, and the like shall be 
 inflicted on them. 
 
 Therefore fight against them until 
 there be no opposition in favour of idol- 
 atry, and the religion be wholly God*s. 
 If they desist, verily God sees that which 
 they do : but if they turn back, know that 
 God is your patron; he is the best 
 patron, and the best helper. 
 
 128 
 
PERSEVERANCE 
 
 O TRUE believers, when you meet a 
 party of the infidels, stand firm, and 
 remember God frequently, that you may 
 prosper : and obey God and his apostle, 
 and be not refractory, lest you be dis- 
 couraged, and your success depart from 
 you; but persevere with patience, for 
 God is with those who persevere. And 
 be not as those who went out of their 
 houses in an insolent manner, and to 
 129 
 
appear with ostentation unto men, and 
 turned aside from the way of God ; for 
 God comprehends that which they do. 
 
 And remember when Satan prepared 
 their works for them, and said. No man 
 shall prevail against you to-day ; and I 
 will surely be near to assist you. But 
 when the two armies appeared in sight 
 of each other, he turned back on his 
 heels, and said. Verily I am clear of you : 
 I certainly see that which you see not ; I 
 fear God, for God is severe in punish- 
 ing. 
 
 When the hypocrites, and those in 
 whose hearts there was an infirmity, said, 
 Their religion has deceived these men : 
 but whoever confides in God cannot be 
 deceived; for God is mighty and wise. 
 And if thou didst behold when the angels 
 cause the unbelievers to die : they strike 
 their faces and their backs, and say unto 
 them. Taste you the pain of burning : 
 this shall you suffer for that which your 
 hands have sent before you ; and because 
 God is not unjust toward his servants. 
 
 These have acted according to the 
 wont of the people of Pharaoh, and of 
 130 
 
those before them, who disbelieved in the 
 signs of God : therefore God took them 
 away in their iniquity; for God is 
 mighty, and severe in punishing. This 
 has come to pass because God changes 
 not his grace, wherewith he has favoured 
 any people, until they change that which 
 is in their souls ; and because God both 
 hears and sees. According to the wont 
 of the people of Pharaoh, and of those 
 before them, who charged the signs of 
 their Lord with imposture, have they 
 acted : wherefore we destroyed them in 
 their sins, and we drowned the people 
 of Pharaoh; for they were all unjust 
 persons. 
 
 OBSTINATE INFIDELS 
 
 Verily the worst cattle in the sight of 
 God are those who are obstinate infidels, 
 and will not believe. As to those who 
 enter into a league with thee, and after- 
 wards violate their league at every con- 
 venient opportunity, and fear not God ; 
 if thou take them in war, disperse, by 
 making them an example, those who 
 131 
 
shall come after them, that they may be 
 warned ; or if thou apprehend treachery 
 from any people, throw back their league 
 unto them, with like treatment ; for God 
 loves not the treacherous. And think 
 not that the unbelievers have escaped 
 God's vengeance, for they shall not 
 weaken the power of God. Therefore 
 prepare against them what force you are 
 able, and troops of horse, whereby you 
 may strike a terror into the enemy of 
 God, and your enemy, and into other 
 infidels besides them, whom you know 
 not, but God knows them. 
 
 And whatever you shall expend in the 
 defence of the religion of God, it shall 
 be repaid unto you, and you shall not be 
 treated unjustly. And if they incline 
 unto peace, do thou also incline thereto ; 
 and put thy confidence in God, for it is he 
 who hears and knows. But if they seek 
 to deceive thee, verily God will be thy 
 support. It is he who has strengthened 
 thee with his help, and with that of the 
 faithful ; and has united their hearts. If 
 thou hadst expended whatever riches are 
 in the earth, thou couldst not have 
 132 
 
united their hearts, but God united them ; 
 for he is mighty and wise. 
 
 O prophet, God is thy support, and 
 such of the true believers who follow 
 thee. O prophet, stir up the faithful to 
 war: if twenty of you persevere with 
 constancy, they shall overcome two 
 hundred, and if there be one hundred of 
 you, they shall overcome a thousand 
 of those who believe not ; because they 
 are a people which do not understand. 
 Now hath God eased you, for he knew 
 that you were weak. If there be a hun- 
 dred of you who persevere with con- 
 stancy, they shall overcome two hundred ; 
 and if there be a thousand of you, they 
 shall overcome two thousand, by the 
 permission of God; for God is with 
 those who persevere. 
 
 CAPTIVES 
 
 O prophet, say unto the captives who 
 are in your hands. If God shall know any 
 good to be in your hearts, he will give 
 you better than what has been taken 
 from you ; and he will forgive you, for 
 133 
 
God is gracious and merciful. But if 
 they seek to deceive thee, verily they 
 have deceived God before; wherefore 
 he hath given thee power over them : and 
 God is knowing and wise. Moreover 
 they who have believed, and have fled their 
 country, and employed their substance 
 and their persons in fighting for the re- 
 ligion of God, and they who have given 
 the prophet a refuge among them, and 
 have assisted him, these shall be deemed 
 the one nearest of kin to the other. 
 
 But they who have believed, but have 
 not fled their country, shall have no right 
 of kindred at all with you, until they also 
 fly. Yet if they ask assistance of you 
 on account of religion, it belongs unto 
 you to give them assistance; except 
 against a people between whom and your- 
 selves there shall be a league subsisting : 
 and God sees that which you do. 
 
 And as to the infidels, let them be 
 deemed of kin the one to the other. Un- 
 less you do this, there will be a sedition in 
 the earth, and grievous corruption. But 
 as for them who have believed, and left 
 their country, and have fought for God's 
 134 
 
true religion, and who have allowed the 
 prophet a retreat among them, and have 
 assisted him, these are really believers ; 
 they shall receive mercy, and an 
 honourable provision. And they who 
 have believed since, and have fled their 
 country, and have fought with you, 
 these also are of you. 
 
 IDOLATERS 
 
 It is not fitting that the idolaters 
 should visit the temples of God, being 
 witnesses against their own souls of their 
 infidelity. The works of these men are 
 vain ; and they shall remain in hell fire 
 for ever. But he only shall visit the 
 temples of God, who believes in God and 
 the last day, and is constant at prayer, 
 and pays the legal alms, and fears God 
 alone. These perhaps may become of the 
 number of those who are rightly directed. 
 
 Do you reckon the giving of drink to 
 the pilgrims, and the visiting of the holy 
 temple, to be actions as meritorious as 
 those performed by him who believes 
 in God and the last day, and fights for 
 135 
 
the religion of God ? They shall not 
 be held equal with God : for God directs 
 not the unrighteous people. They who 
 have believed, and fled their country, and 
 employed their substance and their 
 persons in the defence of God's true 
 religion, shall be in the highest degree 
 of honour with God ; and these are they 
 who shall be happy. Their Lord sends 
 them good tidings of mercy from him, 
 and good will, and of gardens wherein 
 they shall enjoy lasting pleasure; they 
 shall continue therein for ever : for God 
 is a great reward. 
 
 O true believers, take not your fathers 
 or your brethren for friends, if they love 
 infidelity above faith ; and whoever 
 among you shall take them for his friends, 
 they will be unjust doers. Say, If your 
 fathers, and your sons, and your breth- 
 ren, and your wives, and your relations, 
 and your substance which you have 
 acquired, and your merchandise which 
 you apprehend may not be sold off, and 
 your dwellings wherein you delight, be 
 more dear unto you than God, and his 
 apostle, and the advancement of his 
 
 136 
 
religion ; wait, until God shall send 
 his command : for God directs not the 
 ungodly people. 
 
 O true believers, verily the idolaters 
 are unclean ; let them not therefore 
 come near unto the holy temple after 
 this year. And if you fear want, by the 
 cutting off trade and communication with 
 them, God will enrich you of his abun- 
 dance, if he pleases ; for God is know- 
 ing and wise. Fight against them who 
 believe not in God, nor in the last day, 
 and forbid not that which God and his 
 apostle have forbidden, and profess not 
 the true religion, of those unto whom the 
 scriptures have been delivered, until they 
 pay tribute by right of subjection, and 
 they be reduced. 
 
 The Jews say, Ezra is the son of 
 Goda: and the Christians say, Christ is 
 the son of God. This is their saying 
 in their mouths : They imitate the saying 
 of those who were unbelievers in former 
 times. May God resist them. How 
 are they infatuated ! They take their 
 priests and their monks for their lords, 
 besides God, and Christ the son of 
 137 
 
Mary ; although they are commanded 
 to worship one God only : there is no 
 God but he ; far be that from him, which 
 they associate with him ! 
 
 They seek to extinguish the light of 
 God with their mouths ; but God wills no 
 other than to perfect his light, although 
 the infidels be averse thereto. It is he 
 who has sent his apostle with the direc- 
 tion, and true religion : that he may 
 cause it to appear superior to every other 
 religion ; although the idolaters be averse 
 thereto. O true believers, verily many 
 of the priests and monks devour the 
 substance of men in vanity, and obstruct 
 the way of God. But unto those who 
 treasure up gold and silver, and employ 
 it not for the advancement of God's true 
 religion, denounce a grievous punish- 
 ment. On the day of judgment their 
 treasures shall be intensely heated in the 
 fire of hell, and their foreheads, and their 
 sides, and their backs shall be stigma- 
 tized therewith; and their tormentors 
 shall say, This is what you have treas- 
 ured up for your souls ; taste therefore 
 that which you have treasured up. 
 
 138 
 
CALL TO WAR 
 
 Unless you go forth when you are 
 summoned to war, God will punish you 
 with a grievous punishment ; and he will 
 place another people in your stead, and 
 you shall not hurt him at all ; for God is 
 almighty. If you assist not the prophet, 
 verily God will assist him, as he assisted 
 him formerly, when the unbelievers 
 drove him out of Mecca, the second of 
 two : when they were both in the cave : 
 when he said unto his companion. Be 
 not grieved, for God is with us. And 
 God sent down his security upon him, 
 and strengthened him with armies of 
 angels, whom you saw not. And he 
 made the word of those who believed not 
 to be abased, and the word of God was 
 exalted : for God is mighty and wise. 
 Go forth to battle, both light and heavy, 
 and employ your substance and your 
 persons for the advancement of God*s 
 religion. This will be better for you, 
 if you know it. 
 
 If it had been a near advantage and a 
 moderate journey, they had surely fol- 
 139 
 
lowed thee ; but the way seemed tedious 
 unto them : and yet they will swear by 
 God, saying, If we had been able, we 
 had surely gone forth with you. They 
 destroy their own souls ; for God knows 
 that they are liars. 
 
 They who believe in God and the 
 last day, will not ask leave of thee to be 
 excused from employing their substance 
 and their persons for the advancement 
 of God's true religion ; and God knows 
 those who fear him. Verily they only 
 will ask leave of thee to stay behind, 
 who believe not in God and the last day, 
 and whose hearts doubt concerning the 
 faith : wherefore they are tossed to and 
 fro in their doubting. If they had been 
 willing to go forth with thee, they had 
 certainly prepared for that purpose a 
 provision of arms and necessaries : but 
 God was averse to their going forth; 
 wherefore he rendered them slothful, 
 and it was said unto them, Sit still with 
 those who sit still. If they had gone forth 
 with you, they had only been a burden 
 unto you, and had run to and fro be- 
 tween you, stirring you up to sedi- 
 140 
 
tion ; and there would have been some 
 among you who would have given 
 
 ear unto them 
 wicked. 
 
 and God knows the 
 
 141 
 
ALMSGIVING 
 
 Alms are to be distributed only unto 
 the poor and the needy, and those who 
 are employed in collecting and distribu- 
 ting the same, and unto those whose 
 hearts are reconciled, and for the re- 
 demption of captives, and unto those 
 who are in debt and insolvent, and for 
 the advancement of God's religion, and 
 unto the traveller. This is an ordinance 
 142 
 
from God : and God is knowing and 
 wise. 
 
 There are some of them who injure 
 the prophet, and say, He is an ear : 
 Answer, he is an ear of good unto you : 
 he believes in God, and gives credit to 
 the faithful, and is a mercy unto such 
 of you who believe. But they who 
 injure the apostle of God, shall suffer 
 a painful punishment. They swear unto 
 you by God, that they may please you ; 
 but it is more just that they should 
 please God and his apostle, if they are 
 true believers. Do they not know that 
 he who opposes God and his apostle, 
 shall without doubt be punished with 
 the fire of hell ; and shall remain therein 
 for ever ? This will be great ignominy. 
 
 Hypocritical men and women are the 
 one of them or the other : they command 
 that which is evil, and forbid that which 
 is just, and shut their hands from giving 
 alms. They have forgotten God; 
 wherefore he has forgotten them : verily 
 the hypocrites are those who act wickedly. 
 God denounces unto the hypocrites, both 
 men and women, and to the unbelievers, 
 143 
 
the fire of hell ; they shall remain therein 
 for ever ; this will be their sufficient re- 
 ward ; God has cursed them, and they 
 shall endure a lasting torment. As they 
 who have been before you, so arc you. 
 They were superior to you in strength, 
 and had more abundance of wealth and 
 of children ; and they enjoyed their por- 
 tion in this world j and you also enjoy 
 your portion here, as they who have pre- 
 ceded you enjoyed their portion. And 
 you engaged yourselves in vain dis- 
 courses, like unto those wherein they 
 engaged themselves. The works of 
 these are vain both in this world and 
 that which is to come; and these are 
 they who perish. Have they not been 
 acquainted with the history of those who 
 have been before them ? of the people 
 of Noah, and of Ad, and of Thamud, 
 and of the people of Abraham, and of 
 the inhabitants of Madian, and of the 
 cities which were overthrown ? Their 
 apostles came unto them with evident 
 demonstrations : and God was not dis- 
 posed to treat them unjustly ; but they 
 dealt unjustly with their own souls. 
 144 
 
And the faithful men and the faithful 
 women are friends one to another : they 
 command that which is just, and they 
 forbid that which is evil ; and they are 
 constant at prayer, and pay their ap- 
 pointed alms ; and they obey God and 
 his apostle : unto these will God be 
 merciful ; for he is mighty and wise. 
 God promises unto the true believers, 
 both men and women, gardens through 
 which rivers flow, wherein they shall 
 remain for ever ; and delicious dwellings 
 in gardens of perpetual abode ; but good- 
 will from God shall be their most excel- 
 lent reward. This will be great felicity. 
 
 O prophet, wage war against the 
 unbelievers and the hypocrites, and be 
 severe unto them : for their dwelling shall 
 be hell ; an unhappy journey shall it be 
 thither ! They swear by God that they 
 said not what they are charged with : 
 yet they spake the word of infidelity, 
 and became unbelievers, after they had 
 embraced Islam. And they designed 
 that which they could not effect; and 
 they did not disapprove the design for 
 any other reason, than because God and 
 145 
 
his apostle had enriched them, of his 
 bounty. If they repent, it will be better 
 for them ; but if they relapse, God will 
 punish them with a grievous torment, in 
 this world and in the next; and they 
 shall have no patron on earth, nor any 
 protector. 
 
 There are some of them who made a 
 covenant with God, saying. Verily if he 
 give us of his abundance, we will give 
 alms, and become righteous people. 
 Yet when he had given unto them of 
 his abundance, they became covetous 
 thereof, and turned back, and retired afar 
 off. Wherefore he has caused hypoc- 
 risy to succeed in their hearts, until the 
 day whereon they shall meet him; be- 
 cause they failed to perform unto God 
 that which they had promised him, and 
 for that they prevaricated. 
 
 Do they not know that God knows 
 whatever they conceal, and their private 
 discourses ; and that God is the knower 
 of secrets ? They who traduce such of 
 the believers as are liberal in giving alms 
 beyond what they are obliged, and those 
 who find nothing to give but what they 
 146 
 
gain by their industry ; and therefore 
 scofF at them : God shall scofF at them, 
 and they shall suffer a grievous punish- 
 ment. Ask forgiveness for them, or do 
 not ask forgiveness for them, it will be 
 equal. If thou ask forgiveness for them 
 seventy times, God virill by no means 
 forgive them. This is the divine pleas- 
 ure, because they believe not in God 
 and his apostle. 
 
 ACTIONS GOOD AND EVIL 
 
 Others have acknowledged their crimes. 
 They have mixed a good action with 
 another which is bad : peradventure 
 God will be turned unto them; for 
 God is gracious and merciful. Take 
 alms of their substance, that thou 
 mayest cleanse them and purify them 
 thereby ; and pray for them : for thy 
 prayers shall be a security of mind unto 
 them ; and God both hears and knows. 
 Do they not know that God accepts 
 repentance from his servants, and accepts 
 alms ; and that God is easy to be recon- 
 ciled and merciful ? Say unto them, 
 147 
 
Work as you will ; but God will behold 
 your work, and his apostle also, and the 
 true believers : and you shall be brought 
 before him who knows that which is 
 kept secret, and that which is made 
 public; and he will declare unto you 
 whatever you have done. And there 
 are others who wait with suspense the 
 decree of God ; whether he will punish 
 them, or whether he will be turned unto 
 them : but God is knowing and wise. 
 
 There are some who have built a 
 temple to hurt the faithful, and to 
 propagate infidelity, and to foment divi- 
 sion among the true believers, and for a 
 lurking-place for him who has fought 
 against God and his apostle in time past ; 
 and they swear, saying. Verily we in- 
 tended no other than to do for the best : 
 but God is witness that they do certainly 
 lie. Stand not up to pray therein for ever. 
 
 There is a temple founded on piety, 
 from the first day of its building. It is 
 more just that thou stand up to pray 
 therein : therein are men who love to be 
 purified; for God loves the clean. 
 Whether therefore is he better, who has 
 148 
 
founded his building on the fear of God 
 and his goodwill ; or he who has founded 
 his building on the brink of a bank of 
 earth which is washed away by waters, 
 so that it falls with him into the fire of 
 hell ? God directs not the ungodly 
 people. Their building which they 
 have built will not cease to be an occa- 
 sion of doubting in their hearts, until 
 their hearts be cut in pieces ; and God is 
 knowing and wise. Verily God has pur- 
 chased of the true believers their souls and 
 their substance, promising them the en- 
 joyment of paradise ; on condition that 
 they fight for the cause of God ; whether 
 they slay or be slain, the promise 
 for the same is assuredly due by the law, 
 and the gospel, and the Koran. And 
 who performs his contract more faith- 
 fully than God ? Rejoice therefore in 
 the contract which you have made. 
 This shall be great happiness. 
 
 The penitent, and those who serve 
 God, and praise him, and who fast, and 
 bow down, and worship ; and who com- 
 mand that which is just, and forbid that 
 which is evil, and keep the ordinances 
 149 
 
of God, shall likewise be rewarded with 
 paradise : wherefore bear good tidings 
 unto the faithful. 
 
 PRAYERS 
 
 It is not allowed unto the prophet, or 
 those who are true believers, that they 
 pray for idolaters, although they be of 
 kin, after it is become known unto them, 
 that they are inhabitants of hell. Neither 
 did Abraham ask forgiveness for his father, 
 otherwise than in pursuance of a promise 
 which he had promised unto him : but 
 when it became known unto him, that he 
 was an enemy unto God, he declared 
 himself clear of him. Verily Abraham 
 was pitiful and compassionate. Nor is 
 God disposed to lead people into error, 
 after he has directed them, until that 
 which they ought to avoid is become 
 known unto them ; for God knows all 
 things. Verily unto God belongs the 
 kingdom of heaven and of earth ; he 
 gives life, and he causes to die ; and you 
 have no patron or helper besides God. 
 
 150 
 
DUTY OF BELIEVERS 
 
 O true believers, fear God, and be 
 with the sincere. There was no reason 
 why the inhabitants of Medina, and the 
 Arabs of the desert who dwell around 
 them, should stay behind the apostle of 
 God, or should prefer themselves before 
 him. This is unreasonable : because 
 they are not distressed either by thirst 
 or labour or hunger, for the defence of 
 God*s true religion ; neither do they stir 
 a step, which may irritate the unbelievers ; 
 neither do they receive from the enemy 
 any damage, but a good work is written 
 down unto them for the same ; for God 
 suffers not the reward of the righteous 
 to perish. And they contribute not any 
 sum either small or great, nor do they 
 pass a valley, but it is written down unto 
 them, that God may reward them with 
 a recompense exceeding that which they 
 have wrought. The believers are not 
 obliged to go forth to war all together : 
 if a part of every band of them go not 
 forth, it is that they may diligently in- 
 struct themselves in their religion ; and 
 
 151 
 
may admonish their people, when they 
 return unto them, that they may take 
 heed to themselves. O true believers, 
 wage war against such of the infidels as 
 are near you ; and let them find severity 
 in you : and know that God is with 
 those who fear him. 
 
 152 
 
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 FAITH AND DOUBT 
 
 Whenever a Sura is sent down, there 
 are some of them who say, Which of 
 you has this caused to increase in faith ? 
 It will increase the faith of those who 
 believe, and they shall rejoice : but unto 
 those in whose hearts there is an infirmity, 
 it will add farther doubt unto their present 
 doubt ; and they shall die in their infidel- 
 ity. Do they not see that they are tried 
 every year once or twice ? Yet they 
 153 
 
repent not, neither are they warned. 
 And whenever a Sura is sent down, they 
 look at one another, saying, Does anyone 
 see you ? Then do they turn aside. 
 
 God shall turn aside their hearts from 
 the truth ; because they are a people who 
 do not understand. Now has an apos- 
 tle come unto you of our own nation, an 
 excellent person : it is grievous unto him 
 that you commit wickedness ; he is care- 
 ful over you, and compassionate and 
 merciful toward the believers. If they 
 turn back, say, God is my support : there 
 is no God but he. On him do I trust ; 
 and he is the Lord of the magnificent 
 throne. 
 
 TIMES AND SEASONS 
 
 Verily your Lord is God, who created 
 the heavens and the earth in six days; 
 and then ascended his throne, to take 
 on himself the government of all things. 
 There is no intercessor, but by his per- 
 mission. This is God, your Lord ; there- 
 fore serve him. Will you not consider ? 
 Unto him shall you all return, according 
 154 
 
to the certain promise of God ; for he 
 produces a creature, and then causes it 
 to return again ; that he may reward 
 those who believe and do that which is 
 right, with equity. 
 
 But as for the unbelievers, they shall 
 drink boiling water, and they shall suffer 
 a grievous punishment, because they have 
 disbelieved. It is he who has ordained 
 the sun to shine by day, and the moon 
 for a light by night ; and has appointed 
 her stations, that you might know the 
 number of years, and the computation of 
 time. God has not created this, but with 
 truth. He explains his signs unto people 
 who understand. Moreover in the vicis- 
 situde of night and day, and whatever 
 God has created in heaven and earth, are 
 surely signs unto men who fear h'lm. 
 Verily they who hope not to meet us at 
 the last day, and delight in this present 
 life, and rest securely in the same, and 
 who are negligent of our signs, their dwell- 
 ing shall be hell fire, for that which they 
 have deserved. But as to those who 
 believe, and work righteousness, their 
 Lord will direct them because of their 
 
 155 
 
faith; they shall have rivers flowing 
 through gardens of pleasure. Their 
 prayer therein shall be, Praise be unto 
 thee, O God ! and their salutation therein 
 shall be. Peace ! and the end of their 
 prayer shall be. Praise be unto God, the 
 Lord of all creatures ! If God should 
 cause evil to hasten unto men, accord- 
 ing to their desire of hastening good, 
 verily their end had been decreed. 
 Wherefore we suffer those who hope not 
 to meet us at the resurrection, to wander 
 amazedly in their error. 
 
 INGRATITUDE 
 
 When evil befalls a man ; he prays 
 unto us lying on his side, or sitting, or 
 standing : but when we deliver him from 
 his affliction, he continues his former 
 course of life, as if he had not called 
 upon us to defend him against the evil 
 which had befallen him. Thus was that 
 which the transgressors committed pre- 
 pared for them. We formerly destroyed 
 the generations who were before you, O 
 men of Mecca, when they had acted un- 
 
 156 
 
justly, and our apostles had come unto 
 them with evident miracles, and they 
 would not believe. Thus do we reward 
 the wicked people. Afterwards did we 
 cause you to succeed them in the earth ; 
 that we might see how you would act. 
 
 When our evident signs are recited 
 unto them, they who hope not to meet 
 us at the resurrection, say. Bring a differ- 
 ent Koran from this; or make some 
 change therein. Answer, It is not fit 
 for me, that I should change it at my 
 pleasure : I follow that only which is 
 revealed unto me, 
 
 THE REVELATION 
 
 Verily I fear, if I should be disobedient 
 unto my Lord, the punishment of the 
 great day. Say, If God had so pleased, 
 I had not read it unto you, neither had 
 I taught you the same. I have already 
 dwelt among you to the age of forty 
 years, before I received it. Do you 
 not therefore understand ? And who 
 is more unjust than he who devises a 
 lie against God, or accuses his signs 
 
of falsehood ? Surely the wicked shall 
 not prosper. 
 
 PRAYER IN DANGER 
 
 Verily that which is hidden is known 
 only unto God : wait therefore the pleas- 
 ure of God J and I also will wait for you. 
 ... It is he who has given you con- 
 veniences for travelling by land and by 
 sea ; so that you are in ships, which sail 
 with them with a favourable wind, and 
 they rejoice therein. And when a tem- 
 pestuous wind overtakes them, and waves 
 come upon them from every side, and 
 they think themselves to be encom- 
 passed with inevitable dangers ; they call 
 upon God, exhibiting the pure religion 
 unto him, and saying. Verily, if thou de- 
 liver us from this peril, we will be of 
 those who give thanks. But when he 
 has delivered them, behold, they behave 
 themselves insolently in the earth, with- 
 out justice. O men. Verily the violence 
 which you commit against your own 
 souls, is for the enjoyment of this pres- 
 ent life only; afterwards unto us shall 
 
 158 
 
you return, and we will declare unto you 
 that which you have done. 
 
 THE PRESENT LIFE 
 
 Verily the likeness of this present life 
 is no other than as water, which we 
 send down from heaven, and wherewith 
 the productions of the earth are mixed, 
 of which men eat, and cattle also, until 
 the earth receive its vesture, and be 
 adorned with various plants : the inhab- 
 itants thereof imagine that they have 
 power over the same ; but our command 
 comes unto it by night or by day, and 
 we render it as if it had been mown, as 
 if it had not yesterday abounded with 
 fruits. Thus do we explain our signs 
 unto people who consider. 
 
 God invites unto the dwelling of 
 peace, and directs whom he pleases into 
 the right way. They who do right shall 
 receive a most excellent reward, and a 
 superabundant addition ; neither black- 
 ness nor shame shall cover their faces. 
 These shall be the inhabitants of para- 
 dise ; they shall continue therein for ever. 
 
 159 
 
But they who commit evil shall re- 
 ceive the reward of evil, equal thereunto, 
 and they shall be covered with shame 
 (for they shall have no protector against 
 God) J as if their faces were covered 
 with the profound darkness of the night. 
 These shall be the inhabitants of hell 
 fire ; they shall remain therein for ever. 
 
 On the day of the resurrection wc will 
 gather them all together; then will we 
 say unto the idolaters. Get you to your 
 place, you and your idols : and we will 
 separate them from one another ; and 
 their idols shall say unto them. You did 
 not worship us ; and God is a sufficient 
 witness between us and you ; neither did 
 we mind your worshipping of us. There 
 shall every soul experience that which it 
 shall have sent before it ; and they shall 
 be brought before God, their true Lord ; 
 and the false deities which they vainly 
 imagined, shall disappear from before 
 them. 
 
 Say, Who provides you food from 
 heaven and earth ? or who has the abso- 
 lute power over the hearing and the 
 sight ? and who brings forth the living 
 l6o 
 
from the dead, and brings forth the dead 
 from the living? and who governs all 
 things ? 
 
 They will surely answer, God. 
 
 Say, Will ye not therefore fear him ? 
 This is therefore God, your true Lord : 
 and what remains there after truth, ex- 
 cept error ? How therefore are you 
 turned aside from the truth? Thus is 
 the word of thy Lord verified upon them 
 who do wickedly; that they believe 
 not. 
 
 Say, Is there any of your idols who 
 produces a creature, and then causes it 
 to return unto himself? Say, God pro- 
 duces a creature, and then causes it to 
 return unto himself. How therefore are 
 you turned aside from his worship ? Say, 
 Is there any of your idols who directs 
 unto the truth ? Say, God directs unto 
 the truth. Whether is he therefore, who 
 directs unto the truth, more worthy to 
 be followed ; or he who directs not, un- 
 less he be directed? What ails you, 
 therefore, that you judge as you do ? 
 And the greater part of them follow an 
 uncertain opinion only ; but a mere opin- 
 I6l 
 
ion attains not unto any truth. Verily 
 God knows that which they do. 
 
 THE KORAN 
 
 This Koran could not have been com- 
 posed by any except God; but it is a 
 confirmation of that which was revealed 
 before it, and an explanation of the 
 scripture; there is no doubt thereof; 
 sent down from the Lord of all crea- 
 tures. Will they say, Mohammed forged 
 it ? Answer, Bring a chapter like unto 
 it ; and call whom you may to your as- 
 sistance, besides God, if you speak truth. 
 
 But they have charged that with false- 
 hood, the knowledge whereof they do 
 not comprehend, neither has the inter- 
 pretation thereof come unto them. In 
 the same manner did those who were 
 before them, accuse their prophets of 
 imposture ; but behold what was the 
 end of the unjust. There are some 
 of them who believe therein ; and there 
 are some of them who believe not there- 
 in ; and thy Lord well knows the corrupt 
 doers. 
 
 162 
 
If they accuse thee of imposture, say, 
 I have my work, and you have your 
 work ; you shall be clear of that which 
 I do, and I will be clear of that which 
 you do. There are some of them who 
 hearken unto thee j but wilt thou make 
 the deaf to hear, although they do not 
 understand ? And there are some of 
 them who look at thee ; but wilt thou 
 direct the blind, although they see not ? 
 
 Verily God will not deal unjustly with 
 men in any respect : but men deal un- 
 justly with their own souls. On a certain 
 day he will gather them together, as if 
 they had not tarried above an hour of a 
 day : they shall know one another. Then 
 shall they perish who have denied the 
 meeting of God, and were not rightly 
 directed. Whether we cause thee to see 
 a part of the punishment wherewith 
 we have threatened them, or whether we 
 cause thee to die before thou see it ; unto 
 us shall they return : then shall God be 
 witness of that which they do. 
 
 Unto every nation has an apostle been 
 sent : and when their apostle came, the 
 matter was decided between them with 
 163 
 
equity; and they were not treated un- 
 justly. The unbelievers say, When will 
 this threatening be made good, if ye speak 
 truth ? 
 
 164 
 
1 
 
 ^w 
 
 1 
 
 H 
 
 
 THE COMING AWARD 
 
 Answer, I am able neither to procure 
 advantage unto myself, nor to avert 
 mischief from me, but as God pleases. 
 Unto every nation is a fixed term de- 
 creed; when their term therefore is 
 expired, they shall not have respite for 
 an hour, neither shall their punishment 
 be anticipated. 
 
 Say, Tell me ; if the punishment of 
 God overtake you by night, or by day, 
 165 
 
what part thereof will the ungodly wish 
 to be hastened ? When it falls on you, 
 do you then believe it ? Now believe, 
 and wish it far from you, when as you 
 formerly desired it should be hastened ? 
 Then shall it be said unto the wicked. 
 Taste the punishment of eternity : would 
 you receive other than the reward of that 
 which you have wrought ? They will 
 desire to know of thee whether this be 
 true. Answer, Yea, by my Lord, it is 
 certainly true ; neither shall you weaken 
 God's power, so as to escape it. Verily, 
 if every soul which has acted wickedly 
 had whatever is on the earth, it would 
 willingly redeem itself therewith at the 
 last day. Yet they will conceal their 
 repentance, after they shall have seen 
 the punishment : and the matter shall be 
 decided between them with equity; and 
 they shall not be unjustly treated. Does 
 not whatsoever is in heaven and on earth 
 belong unto God ? Is not the promise 
 of God true ? But the greater part of 
 them know it not. He gives life, and 
 he causes to die ; and unto him shall ye 
 all return. O men, now hath an admo- 
 166 
 
nition come unto you from your Lord, 
 and a remedy for the doubts which are 
 in your breasts; and a direction, and 
 mercy unto the true believers. 
 
 Say, Through the grace of God, and 
 his mercy : therein therefore let them 
 rejoice; this will be better than what 
 they heap together of worldly riches. 
 
 god's beneficence 
 
 Verily God is endued with beneficence 
 toward mankind ; but the greater part of 
 them do not give thanks. Thou shalt be 
 engaged in no business, neither shalt thou 
 be employed in meditating on any pas- 
 sage of the Koran ; nor shalt thou do 
 any action, but we will be witnesses 
 over thee, when thou art employed 
 therein. 
 
 Nor is so much as the weight of an ant 
 hidden from thy Lord, in earth or in 
 heaven : neither is there anything lesser 
 than that, or greater, but it is written 
 in the perspicuous book. Are not the 
 friends of God the persons, on whom no 
 fear shall come, and who shall not be 
 167 
 
grieved ? They who believe and fear 
 God, shall receive good tidings in this 
 life and in that which is to come. There 
 is no change in the words of God. This 
 shall be great felicity. Let not their 
 discourse grieve thee ; for all might be- 
 longs unto God : he both hears and 
 knows. Is not whoever dwells in heaven 
 and on earth, subject unto God ? What 
 therefore do they follow, who invoke 
 idols, besides God ? They follow nothing 
 but a vain opinion j and they only utter 
 lies. It is he who has ordained the night 
 for you, that you may take your rest 
 therein, and the clear day for labour: 
 verily herein are signs unto people who 
 hearken. 
 
 They say, God has begotten children : 
 God forbid ! He is self-sufficient. Unto 
 him belongs whatsoever is in heaven and 
 on earth : you have no demonstrative 
 proof of this. Do you speak of God 
 that which you know not ? 
 
 Say, Verily they who imagine a lie con- 
 cerning God, shall not prosper. They 
 may enjoy a provision in this world ; but 
 afterwards unto us shall they return, and 
 1 68 
 
we will then cause them to taste a griev- 
 ous punishment, because they were un- 
 believers. 
 
 MIRACLES AND BELIEF 
 
 Verily those against whom the word 
 of thy Lord is decreed, shall not believe, 
 although there come unto them every 
 kind of miracle; until they see the 
 grievous punishment prepared for them. 
 And if it were not so, some city, among 
 the many which have been destroyed, 
 would have believed; and the faith of 
 its inhabitants would have been of ad- 
 vantage unto them : but none of them 
 believed before the execution of their 
 sentence, except the people of Nineveh. 
 When they believed, we delivered them 
 from the punishment of shame in this 
 world, and suffered them to enjoy their 
 lives and possessions for a time. But if 
 thy Lord had pleased, verily all who are 
 in the earth would have believed in gen- 
 eral. Wilt thou therefore forcibly compel 
 men to be true believers ? No soul can 
 believe but by the permission of God : 
 169 
 
and he shall pour out his indignation on 
 those who will not understand. 
 
 Say, Consider whatever is in heaven 
 and on earth : but signs are of no avail, 
 neither preachers, unto people who will 
 not believe. Do they therefore expect 
 any other than some terrible judgment, 
 like unto the judgments which have fallen 
 on those who have gone before them ? 
 
 Say, Wait ye the issue ; and I also will 
 wait with you : then will we deliver our 
 apostles and those who believe. Thus is 
 it a justice due from us, that we should 
 deliver the true believers. 
 
 THE WORKS OF GOD 
 
 God raised the heavens without visible 
 pillars ; and then ascended his throne, 
 and compelled the sun and the moon 
 to perform their services : every of the 
 heavenly bodies runs an appointed course. 
 He orders all things. He shows his signs 
 distinctly, that you may be assured you 
 must meet your Lord at the last day. 
 He stretched forth the earth, and placed 
 therein steadfast mountains, and rivers ; 
 170 
 
and ordained therein of every fruit two 
 different kinds. He causes the night to 
 cover the day. 
 
 Herein are certain signs unto people 
 who consider. And in the earth are 
 tracts of land of different natures, though 
 bordering on each other; and also vine- 
 yards, and seeds, and palm-trees springing 
 several from the same root, and singly 
 from distinct roots. They are watered 
 with the same water, yet we render some 
 of them more excellent than others to eat. 
 
 Herein are surely signs unto people 
 who understand. If thou dost wonder at 
 the infidels denying the resurrection, 
 surely wonderful is their saying. After we 
 shall have been reduced to dust, shall we 
 be restored in a new creature ? These are 
 they who believe not in their Lord ; 
 these shall have collars on their necks, 
 and these shall be the inhabitants of hell 
 fire : therein shall they abide for ever. 
 
 They will ask of thee to hasten evil 
 rather than good : although there have 
 already been examples of the divine ven- 
 geance before them. Thy Lord is surely 
 endued with indulgence toward men, not- 
 i;i 
 
withstanding their iniquity ; but thy Lord 
 is also severe in punishing. The infidels 
 say, Unless a sign be sent down unto 
 him from his Lord, we will not believe. 
 
 Thou art commissioned to be a 
 preacher only, and not a worker of mira- 
 cles : and unto every people has a director 
 been appointed. God knows what every 
 female bears in her womb ; and what the 
 wombs want or exceed of their due time, 
 or number of young. With him is every- 
 thing regulated according to a determined 
 measure. He knows that which is hidden, 
 and that which is revealed. He is the 
 great, the most high. 
 
 He among you who conceals his words, 
 and he who proclaims them in public ; he 
 also who seeks to hide himself in the 
 night, and he who goes forth openly in 
 the day, is equal in respect to the knowl- 
 edge of God. Each of them has angels 
 mutually succeeding each other, before 
 him, and behind him ; they watch him 
 by the command of God. Verily God 
 will not change his grace which is in men, 
 until they change the disposition in their 
 souls by sin. When God wills evil on a 
 ' 172 
 
people, there shall be none to avert it ; 
 neither shall they have any protector 
 beside him. He causes the lightning to 
 appear unto you, to strike fear, and to 
 raise hope, and he forms the pregnant 
 clouds. The thunder celebrates his praise, 
 and the angels also, for fear of him. He 
 sends his thunderbolts and strikes there- 
 with whom he pleases, while they dispute 
 concerning God, for he is mighty in 
 power. He ought of right to be invoked ; 
 and the idols which they invoke besides 
 him, shall not hear them at all ; other- 
 wise than as he is heard, who stretches 
 forth his hand to the water that it may 
 ascend to his mouth, when it can- 
 not ascend thither: the supplication of 
 the unbelievers is utterly erroneous. 
 Whatever is in heaven and on earth 
 worships God, voluntarily or of force ; 
 and their shadows also, morning and 
 evening. Say, Who is the Lord of 
 heaven and earth ? Answer, God. 
 
 173 
 
IDOLS 
 
 Say, Have you therefore taken unto 
 yourselves protectors beside him, who are 
 unable either to help, or to defend them- 
 selves from hurt ? Say, Shall the blind and 
 the seeing be esteemed equal ? or shall 
 darkness and light be accounted the 
 same ? or have they attributed compan- 
 ions unto God, who have created as he 
 has created, so that their creation bear 
 
any resemblance unto his ? Say, God 
 is the creator of all things ; he is the 
 one, the victorious God. He causes 
 water to descend from heaven, and the 
 brooks flow according to their respective 
 measure, and the floods bear the floating 
 froth : and from the metals which they 
 melt in the fire, seeking to cast orna- 
 ments or vessels for use, there arises a 
 scum like unto it. Thus God sets 
 forth truth and vanity. But the scum is 
 thrown oflF, and that which is useful to 
 mankind remains on the earth. Thus 
 God puts forth parables. 
 
 PARADISE 
 
 Unto those who obey their Lord shall 
 be given the most excellent reward : 
 but those who obey him not, although 
 they were possessed of whatever is in 
 the whole earth and as much more, they 
 would give it all for their ransom. These 
 will be brought to a terrible account : 
 their abode shall be hell ; an unhappy 
 couch shall it be ! Shall he, therefore, 
 who knows that what has been sent 
 175 
 
down unto thee from thy Lord, is truth, 
 be rewarded as he who is blind ? The 
 prudent only will consider ; who fulfil 
 the covenant of God, and break not 
 their contract; and who join that which 
 God has commanded to be joined, and 
 who fear their Lord, and dread an ill 
 account; and who persevere out of a 
 sincere desire to please their Lord, and 
 observe the stated times of prayer, and 
 give alms out of what we have bestowed 
 on them, in secret and openly, and who 
 turn away evil with good : the reward 
 of these shall be paradise, gardens of 
 eternal abode, which they shall enter, 
 and also whoever shall have acted up- 
 rightly, of their fathers, and their 
 wives, and their posterity; and the 
 angels shall go in unto them by every 
 gate, saying. Peace be upon you, because 
 you have endured with patience; how 
 excellent a reward is paradise ! 
 
 But as for those who violate the 
 covenant of God, after the establishment 
 thereof, and who cut in sunder that 
 which God has commanded to be joined, 
 and act corruptly in the earth, on them 
 176 
 
shall a curse fall, and they shall have a 
 miserable dwelling in hell. God gives 
 provision in abundance unto whom he 
 pleases, and is sparing unto whom 
 he pleases. 
 
 IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL 
 GOD 
 
 The time may come when the unbe- 
 lievers shall wish that they had been 
 Moslems. Suffer them to eat and to 
 enjoy themselves in this world ; and let 
 hope entertain them : but they shall here- 
 after know their folly. We have not 
 destroyed any city, but a fixed term of 
 repentance was appointed it. No nation 
 shall be punished before their time shall 
 be come ; neither shall they be respited 
 after. The Meccans say, O thou to 
 whom the admonition hath been sent 
 down, thou art certainly possessed with 
 a devil : wouldst thou not have come 
 unto us with an attendance of angels, if 
 thou hadst spoken truth ? 
 
 177 
 
SCOFFERS 
 
 Answer, We send not down the angels, 
 unless on a just occasion ; nor should 
 they be then respited any longer. We 
 have surely sent down the Koran ; and 
 we will certainly preserve the same from 
 corruption. We have heretofore sent 
 apostles before thee, among the ancient 
 sects : and there came no apostle unto 
 them, but they laughed him to scorn. 
 In the same manner will we put it into 
 the hearts of the wicked Meccans to 
 scofF at their prophet : they shall not be- 
 lieve on him; and the sentence of the 
 nations of old has been executed hereto- 
 fore. If we should open a gate in the 
 heaven above them, and they should 
 ascend thereto all the day long, they 
 would surely say. Our eyes are only 
 dazzled ; or rather we are a people de- 
 luded by enchantments. 
 
 We have placed the twelve signs in 
 the heaven, and have set them out in 
 various figures, for the observation of 
 spectators : and we guard them from 
 every devil driven away with stones ; 
 
 178 
 
except him who listens by stealth, at 
 whom a visible flame is darted. 
 
 god's power 
 
 We have also spread forth the earth, 
 and thrown thereon stable mountains; 
 and we have caused every kind of vege- 
 tables to spring forth in the same, ac- 
 cording to a determinate weight : and 
 we have provided therein necessaries of 
 life for you, and for him whom you do 
 not sustain. There is no one thing but 
 the storehouses thereof are in our hands ; 
 and we distribute not the same otherwise 
 than in a determinate measure. We also 
 send the winds driving the pregnant 
 clouds, and we send down from heaven 
 water, whereof we give you to drink, 
 and which you keep not in store. Verily 
 we give life, and we put to death ; and 
 we are the heirs of all things. We know 
 those among you who go before; and 
 we know those who stay behind. And 
 thy Lord shall gather them together at 
 the last day; for he is knowing and 
 wise. 
 
 179. 
 
Wc created man of dried clay, of 
 black mud, formed into shape : and we 
 had before created the devil of subtle fire. 
 And remember when thy Lord said be- 
 fore the angels. Verily I am about to 
 create man of dried clay, of black mud, 
 wrought into shape ; when therefore I 
 shall have completely formed him, and 
 shall have breathed of my spirit into 
 him; do you fall down and worship 
 him. And all the angels worshipped 
 Adam together, except Iblis, who refused 
 to be with those who worshipped him. 
 And God said unto him, O Iblis, what 
 hindered thee from being with those who 
 worshipped Adam ? 
 
 GOD AND IBLIS 
 
 He answered. It is not fit that I should 
 worship man, whom thou hast created 
 of dried clay, of black mud, wrought 
 into shape. God said. Get thee there- 
 fore hence; for thou shalt be driven 
 away with stones : and a curse shall be 
 on thee, until the day of judgment. 
 
 The devil said, O Lord, give me res- 
 l8o 
 
pite until the day of resurrection. God 
 answered, Verily thou shalt be one of 
 those who are respited until the day of 
 the appointed time. 
 
 The devil replied, O Lord, because 
 thou hast seduced me, I will surely tempt 
 them to disobedience in the earth ; and 
 I will seduce them all, except such of 
 them as shall be thy chosen servants. 
 
 God said, This is the right way with 
 me. Verily as to my servants, thou 
 shalt have no power over them ; but over 
 those only who shall be seduced, and 
 who shall follow thee. And hell is 
 surely denounced unto them all : it has 
 seven gates ; unto every gate a distinct 
 company of them shall be assigned. But 
 those who fear God shall dwell in gar- 
 dens, amidst fountains. The angels 
 shall say unto them. Enter therein in 
 peace and security. And we will re- 
 move all grudges from their breasts; 
 they shall be as brethren, sitting over 
 against one another on couches : weari- 
 ness shall not affect them therein, neither 
 shall they ever be cast out thence. 
 
 Declare unto my servants that I am 
 i8i 
 
the gracious, the merciful God; and 
 that my punishment is a grievous pun- 
 ishment. 
 
 god's benefactions 
 
 The sentence of God will surely come 
 to be executed ; wherefore do not hasten 
 it. Praise be unto him ! and far be that 
 from him which they associate with him ! 
 He shall cause the angels to descend with 
 a revelation by his command, unto such 
 of his servants as he pleases, saying, 
 Preach that there is no God, except 
 myself J therefore fear me. He created 
 the heavens and the earth to manifest 
 his justice : far be that from him which 
 they associate with him ! He created 
 man of seed; and yet behold, he is a 
 professed disputer against the resurrec- 
 tion. He likewise created the cattle for 
 you : from them you have wherewith to 
 keep yourselves warm, and other advan- 
 tages ; and of them do you also eat. And 
 they are likewise a credit unto you, when 
 you drive them home in the evening, and 
 when you lead them forth to feed in the 
 182 
 
morning : and they carry your burdens 
 to a distant country, at which you could 
 not otherwise arrive, unless with great 
 difficulty to yourselves ; for your Lord 
 is compassionate and merciful. And he 
 also created horses, and mules, and asses, 
 that you may ride thereon, and for an 
 ornament unto you; and he likewise 
 creates other things which you know not. 
 It appertains unto God, to instruct 
 men in the right way ; and there is who 
 turns aside from the same : but if he 
 had pleased, he would certainly have 
 directed you all. He sends down from 
 heaven rain water, whereof you have to 
 drink, and from which plants, whereon 
 you feed your cattle, receive their nour- 
 ishment. And by means thereof he 
 causes corn, and olives and palm-trees 
 and grapes and all kinds of fruits to 
 spring forth for you. Surely herein is 
 a sign of the divine power and wisdom 
 unto people who consider. And he sub- 
 jected the night and the day to your 
 service ; and the sun and the moon and 
 the stars, which are compelled to serve 
 by his command. 
 
 183 
 
Verily herein are signs unto people of 
 understanding. And he also gave you 
 dominion over whatever he created for 
 you in the earth, distinguished by its 
 different colour. 
 
 Surely herein is a sign unto people 
 who reflect. He subjected the sea unto 
 you, that you might eat fish thereout, 
 and take from thence ornaments for you 
 to wear : and thou seest the ships plough- 
 ing the waves thereof, that you may seek 
 to enrich yourselves of his abundance, 
 by commerce ; and that you might give 
 thanks. And he threw upon the earth 
 mountains firmly rooted, lest it should 
 move with you, and also rivers, and 
 paths, that you might be directed : and 
 he likewise ordained marks whereby men 
 may know their way; and they are 
 directed by the stars. Shall God there- 
 fore who creates, be as he who creates 
 not ? Do you not therefore consider ? 
 If you attempt to reckon up the favours 
 of God, you shall not be able to com- 
 pute their number : God is surely gra- 
 cious, and merciful ; and God knows 
 that which you conceal and that which 
 184 
 
you publish. But the idols which you 
 invoke, besides God, create nothing, but 
 are themselves created. They are dead, 
 and not living; neither do they under- 
 stand when they shall be raised. Your 
 God is one God. 
 
 185 
 
THE LIFE TO COME 
 
 As to those who believe not in the 
 life to come, their hearts deny the plain- 
 est evidence, and they proudly reject 
 the truth. There is no doubt but God 
 knows that which they conceal and that 
 which they discover : verily he loves not 
 the proud. And when it is said unto 
 them. What has your Lord sent down 
 unto Mohammed ? they answer. Fables 
 of ancient times. Thus are they given 
 1 86 
 
up to error, that they may bear their own 
 burdens without diminution on the day 
 of resurrection, and also a part of the 
 burdens of those whom they caused to 
 err, without knowledge. Will it not be 
 an evil burden which they shall bear? 
 Their predecessors devised plots hereto- 
 fore ; but God came unto their building, 
 to overthrow it from the foundations : 
 and the roof fell on them from above, 
 and a punishment came upon them, from 
 whence they did not expect. 
 
 Also on the day of resurrection he 
 will cover them with shame ; and will 
 say. Where are my companions, con- 
 cerning whom you disputed ? Those 
 unto whom knowledge shall have been 
 given, shall answer. This day shall 
 shame and misery fall upon the unbe- 
 lievers. They whom the angels shall 
 cause to die, having dealt unjustly with 
 their own souls, shall offer to make 
 their peace in the article of death, say- 
 ing. We have done no evil. 
 
 But the angels shall reply. Yea ; verily 
 God knows well that which you have 
 wrought: wherefore enter the gates of 
 
 187 
 
hell, therein to remain for ever; and 
 miserable shall be the abode of the 
 proud. 
 
 And it shall be said unto those who 
 shall fear God, What has your Lord 
 sent down ? They shall answer. Good : 
 unto those who do right shall be given 
 an excellent reward in this world; but 
 the dwelling of the next life shall be 
 better; and happy shall be the dwelling 
 of the pious ! namely, gardens of eternal 
 abode, into which they shall enter ; rivers 
 shall flow beneath the same; therein 
 shall they enjoy whatever they wish. 
 Thus will God recompense the pious. 
 Unto the righteous whom the angels 
 shall cause to die, they shall say. Peace 
 be upon you ; enter into paradise, as a 
 reward for that which you have wrought. 
 Do the unbelievers expect any other than 
 that the angels come unto them, to part 
 their souls from their bodies ; or that the 
 sentence of thy Lord come to be exe- 
 cuted on them ? 
 
 i88 
 
THE BEE 
 
 Verily herein is a sign unto people 
 who understand. Thy Lord spake by 
 inspiration unto the bee, saying, provide 
 thee houses in the mountains, and in the 
 trees, and of those materials wherewith 
 men build hives for thee : then eat of 
 every kind of fruit, and walk in the 
 beaten paths of thy Lord. There pro- 
 ceeds from their bellies a liquor of various 
 colours : wherein is a medicine for men. 
 Verily herein is a sign unto people who 
 consider. God created you, and he will 
 hereafter cause you to die : and some of 
 you shall have his life prolonged to a de- 
 crepit age, so that he shall forget what- 
 ever he knew; for God is wise and 
 powerful. God causes some of you to 
 excel others in worldly possessions : yet 
 they who are caused to excel, do not give 
 their wealth unto the slaves whom their 
 right hands possess, that they may 
 become equal sharers therein. Do 
 they therefore deny the beneficence of 
 God ? God has ordained you wives 
 from among yourselves, and of your 
 189 
 
wives has granted you children and 
 grandchildren ; and has bestowed on you 
 good things for food. Will they there- 
 fore believe in that which is vain, and 
 ungratefully deny the goodness of God ? 
 They worship, besides God, idols which 
 possess nothing wherewith to sustain 
 them, either in heaven, or on earth ; and 
 have no power. Wherefore liken not 
 anything unto God : for God knows, 
 but you know not. 
 
 IDOLS 
 
 God propounds as a parable a possessed 
 slave, who has power over nothing, and 
 him on whom we have bestowed a good 
 provision from us, and who gives alms 
 thereout both secretly and openly : shall 
 these two be esteemed equal ? God for- 
 bid ! But the greater part of them know 
 it not. 
 
 God also propounds as a parable two 
 men ; one of them born dumb, who is 
 unable to do or understand anything, but 
 is a burden unto his master; whither- 
 soever he shall send him, he shall not 
 190 
 
return with any good success : shall this 
 man, and he who has his speech and 
 understanding, and who commands that 
 which is just, and follows the right way, 
 be esteemed equal ? Unto God alone is 
 the secret of heaven and earth known. 
 And the business of the last hour shall 
 be only as the twinkling of an eye, or 
 even more quick : for God is almighty. 
 
 God has brought you forth from the 
 wombs of your mothers ; you knew 
 nothing, and he gave you the senses of 
 hearing and seeing, and understandings, 
 that you might give thanks. Do they 
 not behold the fowls which are enabled 
 to fly in the open firmament of heaven ? 
 none supports them except God. Verily 
 herein are signs unto people who believe. 
 
 god's provision 
 
 God has also provided your houses 
 for habitations for you ; and has also 
 provided you tents of the skins of cattle, 
 which you find light to be removed on 
 the day of your departure to new quarters, 
 and easy to be pitched on the day of 
 191 
 
your sitting down therein : and of their 
 wool and their fur and their hair has he 
 supplied you with furniture and house- 
 hold-stuiF for a season. And God has 
 provided for you, of that which he has 
 created, conveniences to shade you from 
 the sun, and he has also provided you 
 places of retreat in the mountains, and 
 he has given you garments to defend you 
 from the heat, and coats of mail to 
 defend you in your wars. Thus doth 
 he accomplish his favour towards you, 
 that you may resign yourselves unto 
 him. 
 
 192 
 
THE KORAN 
 
 We have sent down unto thee the 
 book of the Koran, for an explication of 
 everything necessary both as to faith 
 and practice, and a direction, and mercy, 
 and good tidings unto the Moslems. 
 Verily God commands justice, and the 
 doing of good, and the giving unto 
 kindred what shall be necessary ; and he 
 forbids wickedness, and iniquity, and 
 oppression : he admonishes you that you 
 193 
 
may remember. Perform your covenant 
 with God, when you enter into covenant 
 with him J and violate not your oaths, 
 after the ratification thereof; since you 
 have made God a witness over you. 
 Verily God knows that which you 
 do. 
 
 And be not like unto her who undoes 
 that which she has spun, untwisting it 
 after she has twisted it strongly ; taking 
 your oaths between you deceitfully, be- 
 cause one party is more numerous than 
 another party. Verily God only tempts 
 you therein ; and he will make that 
 manifest unto you, on the day of resur- 
 rection, concerning which you now dis- 
 agree. If God had pleased, he would 
 surely have made you one people : but 
 he will lead into error whom he pleases, 
 and he will direct whom he pleases ; and 
 you shall surely give an account of that 
 which you have done. Therefore take 
 not your oaths between you deceitfully, 
 lest your foot slip, after it has been stead- 
 fastly fixed, and you taste evil in this 
 life, because you have turned aside from 
 the way of God ; and you suffer a griev- 
 194 
 
ous punishment in the hfc to come. 
 And sell not the covenant of God for a 
 small price; for with God is a better 
 recompense prepared for you, if you be 
 men of understanding. That which is 
 with you will fail; but that which is 
 with God is permanent : and we will 
 surely reward those who shall persevere, 
 according to the utmost merit of their 
 actions. 
 
 RIGHTEOUSNESS 
 
 Whoever works righteousness, 
 whether he be male or female, and is a 
 true believer, we will surely raise him to 
 a happy life; and we will give him his 
 reward, according to the utmost merit of 
 his actions. 
 
 FOOD 
 
 Eat of what God has given you for 
 food, that which is lawful and good ; and 
 be thankful for the favours of God, if 
 you serve him. He has only forbidden 
 you that which dies of itself, and blood, 
 195 
 
and swine's flesh, and that which has 
 been slain in the name of any, besides 
 God. But unto him who shall be com- 
 pelled by necessity to eat of these things, 
 not lusting nor wilfully transgressing, 
 God will surely be gracious and merciful. 
 And say not that wherein your tongues 
 utter a lie; This is lawful, and this is 
 unlawful ; that you may devise a lie con- 
 cerning God : for they who devise a lie 
 concerning God, shall not prosper. They 
 shall have small enjoyment in this world, 
 and in that which is to come they shall 
 suffer a grievous torment. 
 
 IGNORANCE 
 
 Moreover thy Lord will be favourable 
 unto those who do evil through ignorance; 
 and afterwards repent and amend : verily 
 unto these will thy Lord be gracious and 
 merciful, after their repentance. 
 
 Abraham was a model of true religion, 
 obedient unto God, orthodox, and was 
 not an idolater : he was also grateful for 
 his benefits : wherefore God chose him, 
 and directed him into the right way. 
 196 
 
And wc bestowed on him good in this 
 world ; and in the next he shall surely 
 be one of the righteous. We have also 
 spoken unto thee, O Mohammed, by 
 revelation, saying. Follow the religion of 
 Abraham, who was orthodox, and was 
 no idolater. Invite men unto the way 
 of thy Lord, by wisdom, and mild exhor- 
 tation ; and dispute with them in the 
 most condescending manner: for thy 
 Lord well knows him who strays from 
 his path, and he well knows those who 
 are rightly directed. If you take ven- 
 geance on any, take a vengeance propor- 
 tionable to the wrong which has been 
 done you; but if you suffer wrong 
 patiently, verily this will be better for 
 the patient. Wherefore bear opposition 
 with patience ; but thy patience shall not 
 be practicable, unless with God's assist- 
 ance. And be not grieved on account 
 of the unbelievers; neither be troubled 
 for that which they subtilely devise ; for 
 God is with those who fear him, and 
 are upright. 
 
 Verily this Koran directs unto the 
 way which is most right, and declares 
 197 
 
unto the faithful, who do good works, 
 that they shall receive a great reward; 
 and that for those who believe not in the 
 life to come, we have prepared a grievous 
 punishment. Man prays for evil, as he 
 prays for good ; for man is hasty. We 
 have ordained the night and the day for 
 two signs of our power : afterwards we 
 blot out the sign of the night, and we 
 cause the sign of the day to shine forth, 
 that you may endeavour to obtain plenty 
 from your Lord by doing your business 
 therein, and that you may know the 
 number of years, and the computation 
 of time ; and everything necessary have 
 we explained by a perspicuous explication. 
 
 THE BOOK OF LIFE 
 
 The fate of every man have we bound 
 about his neck; and we will produce 
 unto him, on the day of resurrection, a 
 book wherein his actions shall be 
 recorded : it shall be offered him open, 
 and the angels shall say unto him. Read 
 thy book ; thine own soul will be a suf- 
 ficient accountant against thee, this day. 
 198 
 
He who shall be rightly directed, shall be 
 directed to the advantage only of his 
 own soul; and he who shall err, shall 
 err only against the same : neither shall 
 any laden soul be charged with the burden 
 of another. We did not punish any 
 people, until we had first sent an apostle 
 to warn them. And when we resolved 
 to destroy a city, we commanded the 
 inhabitants thereof, who lived in afflu- 
 ence, to obey our apostle; but they 
 acted corruptly therein : wherefore the 
 sentence was justly pronounced against 
 that city ; and we destroyed it with an 
 utter destruction. And how many gen- 
 erations have we consumed since Noah ? 
 for thy Lord sufficiently knows and sees 
 the sins of his servants. 
 
 THIS LIFE AND THE NEXT 
 
 Whoever chooses this transitory life, 
 we will bestow on him therein before- 
 hand that which we please : on him, 
 namely, whom we please : afterwards 
 will we appoint him hell for his abode ; 
 he shall be thrown into the same to be 
 199 
 
scorched, covered with ignominy, and 
 utterly rejected from mercy. 
 
 But whoever chooses the life to come, 
 and directs his endeavour toward the 
 same, being also a true believer; the 
 endeavour of these shall be acceptable 
 unto God. On all will we bestow the 
 blessings of this life, both on these and 
 on those, of the gift of thy Lord ; for 
 the gift of thy Lord shall not be denied 
 unto any. Behold, how we have caused 
 some of them to surpass others in wealth 
 and dignity : but the next life shall be 
 more considerable in degrees of honour, 
 and greater in excellence. 
 
 TRUE LIBERALITY 
 
 Set not up another god with the true 
 God, lest thou sit down in disgrace, and 
 destitute. Thy Lord commands that 
 you worship none besides him ; and that 
 you show kindness unto your parents, 
 whether the one of them, or both of 
 them attain to old age with thee. Where- 
 fore say not unto them. Fie on you ! 
 neither reproach them, but speak respect- 
 200 
 
fully unto them ; and submit to behave 
 humbly towards them, out of tender 
 affection, and say, O Lord, have mercy 
 on them both, as they nursed me when I 
 was little. Your Lord well knows that 
 which is in your souls ; whether you be 
 men of integrity : and he will be gra- 
 cious unto those who sincerely return 
 unto him. And give unto him who is 
 of kin to you his due, and also unto the 
 poor, and the traveller. And waste not 
 thy substance profusely : for the profuse 
 are brethren of the devils : and the devil 
 was ungrateful unto his Lord. But if 
 thou turn from them, in expectation of 
 the mercy which thou hopest from thy 
 Lord ; at least, speak kindly unto them. 
 And let not thy hand be tied up to thy 
 neck ; neither open it with an unbounded 
 expansion, lest thou become worthy of 
 reprehension, and be reduced to poverty. 
 Verily thy Lord will enlarge the store of 
 whom he pleases, and will be sparing 
 unto whom he pleases; for he knows 
 and regards his servants. 
 
 20I 
 
PRECEPTS 
 
 Walk not proudly in the land, for 
 thou canst not cleave the earth, neither 
 shalt thou equal the mountains in stat- 
 ure. All this is evil, and abominable in 
 the sight of thy Lord. These precepts 
 are a part of the wisdom which thy Lord 
 has revealed unto thee. Set not up any 
 other god as equal unto God, lest thou 
 be cast into hell, reproved and rejected. 
 Has your Lord preferably granted unto 
 you sons, and taken for himself daugh- 
 ters from among the angels ? Verily in 
 asserting this you utter a grievous saying. 
 And now have we used various argu- 
 ments and repetitions in this Koran, that 
 they may be warned ; yet it only renders 
 them more disposed to fly from the truth. 
 Say unto the idolaters. If there were 
 other gods with him, as you say, they 
 would surely seek an occasion of making 
 some attempt against the possessor of the 
 throne : God forbid ! and far, very far, 
 be that from him which they utter ! The 
 seven heavens praise him, and the earth, 
 and all who arc therein : neither is there 
 202 
 
anything which does not celebrate his 
 praise ; but you understand not their cele- 
 bration thereof: he is gracious and mer- 
 ciful. 
 
 203 
 
THE UNITY OF GOD 
 
 When thou readest the Koran, we 
 place between thee and those who believe 
 not in the life to come, a dark veil ; and 
 we put coverings over their hearts, lest 
 they should understand it, and in their 
 ears thickness of hearing. And when 
 thou makest mention, in repeating the 
 Koran, of thy Lord only, they turn their 
 backs, flying the doctrine of his unity. 
 We well know with what design they 
 204 
 
hearken, when they hearken unto thee, 
 and when they privately discourse 
 together : when the ungodly say, You 
 follow no other than a madman. Behold ! 
 what epithets they bestow on thee. But 
 they are deceived ; neither can they find 
 any just occasion to reproach thee. 
 They also say. After we shall have 
 become bones and dust, shall we surely 
 be raised a new creature ? Answer, Be 
 stones, or iron, or some creature more 
 improbable in your opinions to be raised 
 to life. 
 
 But they will say. Who shall restore 
 us to life ? Answer, He who created 
 you the first time : and they will wag 
 their heads at thee, saying, When shall 
 this be ? 
 
 THE RESURRECTION 
 
 Answer, Peradventure it is nigh. On 
 that day shall God call you forth from 
 your sepulchres, and you shall obey, with 
 celebration of his praise ; and you shall 
 think that you tarried but a little while. 
 Speak unto my servants, that they speak 
 205 
 
mildly unto the unbelievers, lest you 
 exasperate them ; for Satan sows discord 
 among them, and Satan is a declared 
 enemy unto man. 
 
 IBLIS AND MAN 
 
 And remember when we said unto 
 the angels. Worship Adam; and they 
 all worshipped him except Iblis, who 
 said. Shall I worship him whom thou 
 hast created of clay ? And he said. 
 What thinkest thou, as to this man whom 
 thou hast honoured above me ? verily, 
 if thou grant me respite until the day of 
 resurrection, 1 will extirpate his offspring, 
 except a few. 
 
 God answered. Be gone, I grant thee 
 respite : but whoever of them shall 
 follow thee, hell shall surely be your 
 reward; an ample reward for your de- 
 merits ! And entice to vanity such of 
 them as thou canst, by thy voice; and 
 assault them on all sides with thy horse- 
 men and thy footmen ; and partake with 
 them in their riches, and their children ; 
 and make them promises; (but the 
 206 
 
devil shall make them no other than 
 deceitful promises :) as to my servants, 
 thou shalt have no power over them ; 
 for thy Lord is a sufficient protector of 
 those who trust in him. 
 
 GOD*S GENEROSITY 
 
 It is your Lord who drives forward 
 the ships for you in the sea, that you 
 may seek to enrich yourselves of his 
 abundance by commerce ; for he is mer- 
 ciful toward you. When a misfortune 
 befalls you at sea, the false deities whom 
 you invoke are forgotten by you, except 
 him alone : yet when he brings you 
 safe to dry land, you retire afar ofF from 
 him, and return to your idols ; for man 
 is ungrateful. 
 
 Are you therefore secure that he will 
 not cause the dry land to swallow you 
 up, or that he will not send against you 
 a whirlwind driving the sands to over- 
 whelm you ? then shall you find none to 
 protect you. Or are you secure that he 
 will not cause you again to commit your- 
 selves to the sea another time, and send 
 207 
 
against you a tempestuous wind, and 
 drown you ; because you have been un~ 
 grateful ? then shall you find none to 
 defend you against us, in that distress. 
 And now have we honoured the children 
 of Adam by sundry peculiar privileges 
 and endowments ; and we have given 
 them conveniences of carriage by land 
 and by sea, and have provided food for 
 them of good things ; and we have pre- 
 ferred them before many of our creatures 
 which we have created, by granting them 
 great prerogatives. 
 
 On a certain day we will call all men 
 to judgment with their respective leader : 
 and whoever shall have his book given 
 him into his right hand, they shall read 
 their book with joy and satisfaction ; and 
 they shall not be wronged a hair. 
 And whoever has been blind in this life, 
 shall be also blind in the next, and shall 
 wander more widely from the path of 
 salvation. 
 
 208 
 
PRAYERS 
 
 Regularly perform thy prayer at the 
 declension of the sun, at the first dark- 
 ness of the night, and the prayer 
 of daybreak; for the prayer of day- 
 break is borne witness unto by the 
 angels. And watch some part of the 
 night in the same exercise, as a work of 
 supererogation for thee; peradventure 
 thy Lord will raise thee to an honour- 
 able station. And say, O Lord, cause 
 me to enter with a favourable entry, and 
 cause me to come forth with a favour- 
 able coming forth; and grant me from 
 thee an assisting power. And say. 
 Truth is come, and falsehood is van- 
 ished : for falsehood is of short contin- 
 uance. 
 
 We send down of the Koran that 
 which is a medicine and a mercy unto the 
 true believers, but it shall only increase 
 the perdition of the unjust. When we 
 bestow favours on man, he retires and 
 withdraws himself ungratefully from us : 
 but when evil touches him, he despairs 
 of our mercy. 
 
 209 
 
Say, Every one acts after his own man- 
 ner : but your Lord best knows who is 
 most truly directed in his way. They 
 will ask thee concerning the spirit : an- 
 swer, The spirit was created at the com- 
 mand of my Lord : but you have no 
 knowledge given unto you, except a little. 
 If we pleased, we should certainly take 
 away that which we have revealed unto 
 thee ; in such case thou couldest not find 
 any to assist thee therein against us, un- 
 less through mercy from thy Lord ; for 
 his favour towards thee has been great. 
 
 THE DAY OF RESURRECTION 
 
 Whom God shall direct, he shall be 
 the rightly directed ; and whom he shall 
 cause to err, thou shalt find none to 
 assist, besides him. And we will gather 
 them together on the day of resurrection, 
 creeping on their faces, blind, and dumb, 
 and deaf : their abode shall be hell ; as 
 often as the fire thereof shall be extin- 
 guished, we will rekindle a burning flame 
 to torment them. This shall be their 
 reward, because they disbelieve in our 
 
 2IO 
 
signs, and say, When we shall have been 
 reduced to bones and dust, shall we 
 surely be raised new creatures ? Do 
 they not perceive that God, who created 
 the heavens and the earth, is able to create 
 other bodies, like their present ? And 
 he has appointed them a limited term ; 
 there is no doubt thereof: but the un- 
 godly reject the truth, merely out of 
 unbelief. 
 
 THE DIVISION OF THE KORAN 
 
 And we have divided the Koran, re- 
 vealing it by parcels, that thou mightest 
 read it unto men with deliberation ; and 
 we have sent it down, causing it to 
 descend as occasion required. Say, 
 Whether ye believe therein, or do not 
 believe, verily those who have been 
 favoured with the knowledge of the 
 scriptures which were revealed before it, 
 when the same is rehearsed unto them, 
 fall down on their faces, worshipping, 
 and say. Our Lord be praised, for that 
 the promise of our Lord is surely ful- 
 filled ! And they fall down on their faces 
 
 211 
 
weeping; and the hearing thereof in- 
 creases their humility. 
 
 Say, Call upon God, or call on the 
 Merciful : by whichever of the two 
 names you invoke him, it is equal ; for 
 he has most excellent names. Pro- 
 nounce not thy prayer aloud, neither 
 pronounce it with too low a voice, but 
 follow a middle way between these : and 
 say, Praise be unto God, who has not 
 begotten any child ; who has no partner 
 in the kingdom, nor has any to protect 
 him from contempt : and magnify him 
 by proclaiming his greatness. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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