The Quran (Koran), 1st translation, - [red queen free ebook txt] 📗

Hadst thou spent all the riches of the earth, thou couldst not have united their hearts; but God hath united them, for He is Mighty, Wise.

O prophet! God, and such of the faithful as follow thee, will be all- sufficient for thee.

O prophet! stir up the faithful to the fight. Twenty of you who stand firm shall vanquish two hundred: and if there be a hundred of you they shall vanquish a thousand of the infidels, for they are a people devoid of understanding.

Now hath God made your work easy, for he knoweth how weak ye are. If there be an hundred of you who endure resolutely, they shall vanquish two hundred; and if there be a thousand of you, they shall vanquish two thousand19 by God's permission; for God is with those who are resolute to endure.

No prophet hath been enabled to take captives until he had made great slaughter in the earth. Ye desire the passing fruitions of this world, but God desireth the next life for you. And God is Mighty, Wise.

Had there not been a previous ordinance20 from God, a severe chastisement had befallen you, for the ransom which ye took.

Eat therefore of the spoils ye have taken what is lawful and good; and fear
God: God is Gracious, Merciful.

O prophet! say to the captives who are in your hands, "If God shall know good21 to be in your hearts, He will give you good beyond all that hath been taken from you, and will forgive you: for God is Forgiving, Merciful."

But if they seek to deal treacherously with you-they have already dealt treacherously22 with God before! Therefore hath He given you power over them. God is Knowing, Wise.

Verily, they who have believed and fled their homes and spent their substance for the cause of God, and they who have taken in the prophet and been helpful to him, shall be near of kin the one to the other. And they who have believed, but have not fled their homes, shall have no rights of kindred with you at all, until they too fly their country. Yet if they seek aid from you on account of the faith, your part it is to give them aid, except against a people between whom and yourselves there shall be a treaty. And God beholdeth your actions.

The infidels lend one another mutual help. Unless ye do the same, there will be discord in the land and great corruption.

But as for those who have believed and fled their country, and fought on the path of God, and given the prophet an asylum, and been helpful to him, these are the faithful; Mercy is their due and a noble provision.

And they who have believed and fled their country since, and have fought at your side, these also are of you. Those who are united by ties of blood23 are the nearest of kin to each other. This is in the Book of God. Verily, God knoweth all things.

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1 On this Sura, which relates mainly to the battle of Bedr, see Weil's M. der Prophet, p. 268.

2 At Medina.

3 The necessity for the combat and its probable result.

4 Muhammad had conceived the design of attacking an unarmed caravan belonging to the Koreisch on its way from Syria to Mecca. Abu Sofian, who had charge of it, sent to Mecca for succour, whence a body of nearly 1000 armed men at once set out to his assistance. Some of the Muslims were anxious to attack the caravan: others, notwithstanding the disparity of numbers, proposed to throw themselves upon the succours.

5 Idolatry.

6 In Sura [xcvii.] iii. the angels are said to be 3000.

7 Lit. thou didst not cast when thou didst cast, but God cast. This is explained of the miracle of the gravelstones and sand cast by God into the eyes of the Meccans at Bedr.

8 That is, by our victory over you.

9 Muhammad specially addresses the Mohadjers in this verse, i.e. those who had fled with him to Medin.

10 Twelve of the Koreisch had given camels and a large sum of money in aid of the Meccan succours.

11 Lit. hath preceded.

12 Before Islam it had been the custom among the Arabians to assign a fourth part of the booty to the leader of an expedition. See Freyt. Einl. p. 266.

13 That is, on the day of the battle of Bedr. See Sura xxi. 49, p. 154.

14 The mission of Gabriel to Muhammad with the promise of victory.

15 Compare the different account in Sura [xcvii.] iii. II. The commentators, however, get over the discropancy by explaining the apparent diminution of the Muslims at the commencement only of the battle, which had the effect of drawing on the enemy in self-confidence.

16 The angels fighting for the Muslims.

17 By inducing them to attack so greatly superior a force.

18 Thus Beidh. Or, more simply, render them the like.

19 Comp. Lev. xxvi. 8; Josh. xxiii. 10.

20 Authorising the ransom of captives.

21 That is, a disposition to become Muslims.

22 That is, on account of their infidelity.

23 See Weil. Life of M. p. 84, n.

SURA1 XLVII.-MUHAMMAD [XCVI.]

MEDINA.-40 Verses

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

WHOSO believe not, and prevent others from the way of God-their works will He cause to miscarry;2

But whoso believe, and do things that are right, and believe in what hath been sent down to MUHAMMAD-for it is the truth from their Lord-their sins will He cancel, and dispose their hearts aright.

This-because the infidels followed vanity, while those who believe, followed the truth from their Lord. Thus to men doth God set forth their likenesses.

When ye encounter the infidels,3 strike off their heads till ye have made a great slaughter among them, and of the rest make fast the fetters.

And afterwards let there either be free dismissals or ransomings, till the war hath laid down its burdens. Thus do. Were such the pleasure of God, he could himself take vengeance upon them: but He would rather prove the one of you by the other. And whoso fight for the cause of God, their works he will not suffer to miscarry;

He will vouchsafe them guidance, and dispose their hearts aright;

And he will bring them into the Paradise, of which he hath told them.

Believers! if ye help God, God will help you, and will set your feet firm:

But as for the infidels, let them perish: and their works shall God bring to nought:

This-because they were averse from the command which God sent down;
Fruitless, therefore, shall their works become!

Have they not journeyed through the land, and seen what hath been the end of those who flourished before them? God brought destruction on them: and the like of this doth await the infidels.

This-because God is the protector of those who believe, and because the infidels have no protector.

Verily God will bring those who believe, and do the things that are right, into the Gardens, beneath whose shades the rivers flow: but they who believe not, take their fill, and eat as the beasts eat! And their dwelling-place the fire!

And how many cities were mightier in strength than thy city, which hath thrust thee forth!4 We destroyed them, and there was none to help them.

Shall he who followeth the clear teaching of his Lord be as he, the evil of whose doings hath been made to seem good to him, or like those who follow their own lusts?

A picture of the Paradise which is promised to the God-fearing! Therein are rivers of water, which corrupt not: rivers of milk, whose taste changeth not: and rivers of wine, delicious to those who quaff it;

And rivers of honey clarified: and therein are all kinds of fruit for them from their Lord! Is this like the lot of those who must dwell for ever in the fire? and shall have draughts of boiling water forced on them which will rend their bowels asunder?

Some of them indeed hearken to thee, until when they go out from thee, they say with sneers to those to whom "the knowledge" hath been given, "What is this he said?" These are they whose hearts God hath sealed up, and who follow their own lusts.

But as to those who have the guidance, He will increase their guidance, and
He will teach them what to fear.

For what do the infidels wait, but that the Hour come suddenly on them? Already are its signs come,5 and when it hath come on them indeed, how can they be warned then?

Know, then, that there is no god but God: and ask pardon for thy sin, and for believers, both men and women. God knoweth your busy movements, and your final resting-places.

The believers say, "Oh, would that a Sura were sent down!"6 but when a peremptory Sura is revealed, whose burden is war, thou mayest see the diseased of heart look toward thee, with a look of one on whom the shadows of death have fallen! But better in them would be obedience and becoming language.

And if, when the command for war is issued, they are true to God, it will be assuredly best for them.

Were ye not ready, if ye had turned back from Him, to spread disorder in the land, and violate the ties of blood?

These are they whom God hath cursed, and made deaf, and blinded their eyes!

Will they not then meditate on the Koran? Are locks upon their hearts?

But as to those who return to their errors after "the guidance" hath been made plain to them, Satan shall beguile them, and fill them with his suggestions.

This-because they say to those who abhor what God hath sent down, "We will comply with you in part of what ye enjoin." But God knoweth their secret reservations.

But how? When the angels, in causing them to die, shall smite them on the face and back!

This because they follow that which angereth God, and abhor what pleaseth
Him: therefore will He make their works fruitless.

Think these men of diseased hearts, that God will not bring out their malice to light?

If such were our pleasure, we could point them out to thee, and thou surely know them by their tokens: and know them thou shalt, by the strangeness of their words.7 God knoweth your doings.

And we will surely test you, until we know the valiant and the steadfast among you: and we will test the reports of your conduct.

Verily they who believe not, and turn others from the way of God, and separate from the Apostle after that "the guidance" hath been clearly shewn them, shall in no way injure God: but their works shall he bring to nought.

Believers! obey God and the Apostle: and render not your works vain.

Verily those who believe not, and who pervert others from the way of God, and then die in unbelief, God will not forgive.

Be not fainthearted then; and invite not the infidels to peace when ye have the upper hand: for God is with you, and will not defraud you of the recompense of your works.

Surely this present life is only a play, and pastime! but if ye believe, fear God; He will give you your rewards: but He will not ask all your riches of you.

Should He ask them of you, and urge you, ye would shew yourself niggards: and
He would bring your grudges to light.

Lo! ye are they, who are called to expend for the cause of God: and some of you are niggards: but whoso is niggardly shall be niggard only to his own loss; for God is the Rich, and ye are the poor: and if ye turn back, He will change you for another people,8 and they shall not be your like!

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1 This Sura was revealed at a period after the victory at Bedr, when there was still some hesitation on the part of Muhammad's followers to take decided steps for securing their position. See 37.

2 Lit. will He cause to wander, that is, from their proper aim and end, the rewards of Paradise. See verse 5 ad f.

3 The Meccans and other unbelievers of Muhammad's time. The Hanefites suppose this law to apply only to the battle of Bedr. The Shiites