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

4 This verse is said (by Omar b. Muhammad, and Itq. 43) to be the expression of Muhammad's feelings at the injuries inflicted on Mecca. He is reported to have wept over it.

5 The first sign being the mission of Muhammad; the second, the splitting of the moon; the third, the smoke mentioned in Sura xliv. p. 89.

6 That is, commanding war against the infidels.

7 Unintelligible or affected words, applied to the new religion in contempt. See Sura [xci.] ii. 56, p. 343.

8 Matt. xxi. 43.

MEDINA.-200 Verses

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

ELIF. LAM. MIM.2 God! there is no god but He, the Living, the Merciful!

In truth hath He sent down to thee "the Book," which confirmeth those which precede it: For He had sent down the Law, and the Evangel aforetime, as man's Guidance; and now hath He sent down the "Illumination."3 (Furkan.)

Verily for those who believe not in the signs of God, is a severe chastisement! And God is Mighty, the Avenger!

God! nought that is in Earth or that is in Heaven, is hidden unto Him. He it is who formeth you in your mothers' wombs. There is no god but He; the Mighty, the Wise!

He it is who hath sent down to thee "the Book." Some of its signs are of themselves perspicuous;-these are the basis4 of the Book-and others are figurative. But they whose hearts are given to err, follow its figures, craving discord, craving an interpretation; yet none knoweth its interpretation but God. And the stable in knowledge say, "We believe in it: it is all from our Lord." But none will bear this in mind, save men endued with understanding.

O our Lord! suffer not our hearts to go astray after that thou hast once guided us, and give us mercy from before thee; for verily thou art He who giveth.

O our Lord! For the day of whose coming there is not a doubt, thou wilt surely gather mankind together. Verily, God will not fail the promise.

As for the infidels, their wealth, and their children, shall avail them nothing against God. They shall be fuel for the fire.

After the wont of the people of Pharaoh, and of those who went before them, they treated our signs as falsehoods. Therefore God laid hold of them in their sins; and God is severe in punishing!

Say to the infidels: ye shall be worsted, and to Hell shall ye be gathered together; and wretched the couch!

Ye have already had a sign5 in the meeting of the two hosts. The one host fought in the cause of God, and the other was infidel. To their own eyesight, the infidels saw you twice as many as themselves: And God aided with his succour whom He would: And in this truly was a lesson for men endued with discernment.

Fair-seeming to men is the love of pleasures from women and children, and the treasured treasures of gold and silver, and horses of mark, and flocks, and cornfields! Such the enjoyment of this world's life. But God! goodly the home with Him.

SAY: Shall I tell you of better things than these, prepared for those who fear God, in His presence? Theirs shall be gardens, beneath whose pavilions the rivers flow, and in which shall they abide for aye: and wives of stainless purity, and acceptance with God: for God regardeth his servants-

Who say, "O our Lord! we have indeed believed; pardon us our sins, and keep us from the torment of the fire;"-

The patient, and the truthful, the lowly, and the charitable, and they who seek pardon at each daybreak.

God witnesseth that there is no god but He: and the angels, and men endued with knowledge, stablished in righteousness, proclaim "There is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise!"

The true religion with God is Islam: and they to whom the Scriptures had been given, differed not till after "the knowledge"6 had come to them, and through mutual jealousy. But as for him who shall not believe in the signs of God-God will be prompt to reckon with him!

If they shall dispute with thee, then SAY: I have surrendered myself to God, as have they who follow me.

SAY to those who have received the Book, and to the common folk, Do ye surrender yourselves unto God?7 If they become Muslims, then are they guided aright: but if they turn away-thy duty is only preaching; and God's eye is on His servants.

But to those who believe not in the signs of God, and unjustly slay the prophets, and slay those men who enjoin uprightness,-announce an afflictive chastisement.

These are they whose works come to nought in this world, and in the next; and none shall they have to help them!

Hast thou not marked those who have received a portion of the Scriptures, when they are summoned to the Book of God, that it may settle their differences? Then did a part of them turn back, and withdrew far off.

This-because they said, "The fire shall by no means touch us, but for certain days:"-Their own devices have deceived them in their religion.

But how, when we shall assemble them together for the day of (which) whose coming there is no doubt, and when every soul shall be paid what it hath earned, and they shall not be wronged?

SAY: O God, possessor of all power,8 thou givest power to whom thou wilt, and from whom thou wilt, thou takest it away! Thou raisest up whom thou wilt, and whom thou wilt thou dost abase! In thy hand is good; for thou art over all things potent.

Thou causest the night to pass into the day, and thou causest the day to pass into the night. Thou bringest the living out of the dead, and thou bringest the dead out of the living; and thou givest sustenance to whom thou wilt, without measure.

Let not believers take infidels for their friends rather than believers: whoso shall do this hath nothing to hope from God-unless, indeed, ye fear a fear from them: But God would have you beware of Himself; for to God ye return. SAY: Whether ye hide what is in your breasts, or whether ye publish it abroad, God knoweth it: He knoweth what is in the heavens and what is in the earth; and over all things is God potent.

On that day shall every soul find present to it, whatever it hath wrought of good: and as to what it hath wrought of evil, it will wish that wide were the space between itself and it! But God would have you beware of Himself; for God is kind to His servants.

SAY: If ye love God, then follow me: God will love you, and forgive your sins, for God is Forgiving, Merciful. SAY: Obey God and the Apostle; but if ye turn away, then verily, God loveth not the unbelievers.

Verily above all human beings did God choose Adam, and Noah, and the family of Abraham, and the family of IMRAN, the one the posterity of the other: And God Heareth, Knoweth.

Remember when the wife of Imran9 said, "O my Lord! I vow to thee what is in my womb, for thy special service. Accept it from me, for thou Hearest, Knowest!" And when she had given birth to it, she said, "O my Lord! Verily I have brought forth a female,"-God knew what she had brought forth; a male is not as a female10-"and I have named her Mary, and I take refuge with thee for her and for her offspring, from Satan the stoned."11

So with goodly acceptance did her Lord accept her, and with goodly growth did he make her grow.12 Zacharias reared her. So oft as Zacharias went in to Mary at the sanctuary, he found her supplied with food.13 "Oh, Mary!" said he, "whence hast thou this?" She said, "It is from God; for God supplieth whom He will, without reckoning!"

There did Zacharias call upon his Lord: "O my Lord!" said he, "vouchsafe me from thyself good descendants,14 for thou art the hearer of prayer." Then did the angels call to him, as he stood praying in the sanctuary:15

"God announceth John (Yahia) to thee, who shall be a verifier of the word from God, and a great one, chaste, and a prophet of the number of the just."

He said, "O my Lord! how shall I have a son, now that old age hath come upon me, and my wife is barren?" He said, "Thus will God do His pleasure."

He said, "Lord! give me a token." He said, "Thy token shall be, that for three days thou shalt speak to no man but by signs: But remember thy Lord often, and praise him at even and at morn:"

And remember when the angels said, "O Mary! verily hath God chosen thee,16 and purified thee, and chosen thee above the women of the worlds!

O Mary! be devout towards thy Lord,17 and prostrate thyself, and bow down with those who bow."

This is one of the announcements of things unseen by thee: To thee, O Muhammad! do we reveal it; for thou wast not with them when they cast lots with reeds18 which of them should rear Mary; nor wast thou with them when they disputed about it.

Remember when the angel said, "O Mary! Verily God announceth to thee the Word from Him: His name shall be, Messiah Jesus the son of Mary,19 illustrious in this world, and in the next, and one of those who have near access to God;

And He shall speak to men alike when in the cradle and when grown up; And he shall be one of the just."

She said, "How, O my Lord! shall I have a son, when man hath not touched me?" He said, "Thus: God will create what He will; When He decreeth a thing, He only saith, 'Be,' and it is."

And he will teach him the Book, and the Wisdom, and the Law, and the Evangel; and he shall be an apostle to the children of Israel. "Now have I come," he will say, "to you with a sign from your Lord: Out of clay will I make for you, as it were, the figure of a bird: and I will breathe into it, and it shall become, by God's leave, a bird.20 And I will heal the blind, and the leper; and by God's leave will I quicken the dead; and I will tell you what ye eat, and what ye store up in your houses! Truly in this will be a sign for you, if ye are believers.

And I have come to attest the law which was before me; and to allow you part
of that which had been forbidden you; and I come to you with a sign from your
Lord: Fear God, then, and obey me; of a truth God is my Lord, and your Lord:
Therefore worship Him. This is a right way."

And when Jesus perceived unbelief on their part, He said, "Who my helpers with God?"20-21 The apostles21 said, "We will be God's helpers! We believe in God, and bear thou witness that we are Muslims.

O our Lord! we believe in what thou hast sent down, and we follow the apostle; write us up, then, with those who bear witness to him."

And the Jews plotted, and God plotted: But of those who plot is God the best.

Remember when God said, "O Jesus! verily I will cause thee to die,22 and will take thee up to myself and deliver thee from those who believe not; and I will place those who follow thee above those who believe not, until the day of resurrection. Then, to me is your return, and wherein ye differ will I decide between you.

And as to those who believe not, I will chastise them with a terrible chastisement in this world and in the next; and none shall they have to help them."

But as to those who believe, and do the things that are right, He will pay them their recompense. God loveth not the doers of evil.

These signs, and this wise warning do we rehearse to thee.

Verily, Jesus is as Adam in the sight of God.23 He created him of dust: He then said to him, "Be"-and he was.

The truth from thy Lord! Be not