The Koran Part 138

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 G.o.d announceth to thee the Word from Him: His name shall be, Messiah Jesus the son of Mary,19 ill.u.s.trious in this world, and in the next, and one of those who have near access to G.o.d;

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: G.o.d 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 G.o.d's leave, a bird.20 And I will heal the blind, and the leper; and by G.o.d'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 G.o.d, then, and obey me; of a truth G.o.d is my Lord, and your Lord: Therefore wors.h.i.+p Him. This is a right way."

And when Jesus perceived unbelief on their part, He said, "Who my helpers with G.o.d?"20-21 The apostles21 said, "We will be G.o.d's helpers! We believe in G.o.d, 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 G.o.d plotted: But of those who plot is G.o.d the best.

Remember when G.o.d 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 chastis.e.m.e.nt 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. G.o.d loveth not the doers of evil.

These signs, and this wise warning do we rehea.r.s.e to thee.

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

The truth from thy Lord! Be not thou, therefore, of those who doubt.

As for those 24 who dispute with thee about Him, after "theknowledge" hath come to thee, SAY: Come,25 let us summon our sons and your sons, our wives and your wives, and ourselves and yourselves. Then will we invoke and lay the malison of G.o.d on those that lie!

This recital is very truth, and there is no G.o.d but G.o.d; and verily G.o.d is the Mighty, the Wise.

But if they turn away, then verily G.o.d hath knowledge of the corrupt doers.

SAY: O people of the Book! come ye to a just judgment between us and you-That we wors.h.i.+p not aught but G.o.d, and that we join no other G.o.d with Him, and that the one of us take not the other for lords,26 beside G.o.d. Then if they turn their backs, SAY: Bear ye witness that we are Muslims.

O people of the Book! Why dispute about Abraham,27 when the Law and the Evangel were not sent down till after him? Do ye not then understand?

Lo! ye are they who dispute about that in which ye have knowledge; 28 but why dispute ye about that of which ye have no knowledge? G.o.d hath knowledge, but ye know nothing.

Abraham was neither Jew nor Christian; but he was sound in the faith,29 a Muslim; and not of those who add G.o.ds to G.o.d.

They among men, who are nearest of kin to Abraham, are surely those who follow him, and this prophet Muhammad, and they who believe on him. And G.o.d is the protector of the faithful.

A party among the people of the Book would fain mislead you: but they only mislead themselves, and perceive it not.

O people of the Book! why disbelieve the signs of G.o.d, of which yourselves have been witnesses?

O people of the Book! why clothe ye the truth with falsehood? Why wittingly hide the truth?

Others of the people of the Book say: "Believe in what hath been sent down to the believers, at daybreak, and deny it at its close"-Thus do they go back-

"And believe in those only who follow your Religion." SAY: True guidance is guidance from G.o.d-that to others may be imparted the like of what hath been imparted to you. Will they wrangle then with you in the presence of their Lord? SAY: Plenteous gifts are in the hands of G.o.d: He imparteth them unto whom He will, and G.o.d is Bounteous, Wise.

He will vouchsafe His mercy to whom He will, for G.o.d is of great bounteousness.

Among the people of the Book are some, to one of whom if thou entrust a thousand dinars, he will restore them to thee: And there is of them to whom if thou entrust a dinar, he will not restore it to thee, unless thou be ever instant with him.

This-because they say, "We are not bound to keep faith with the ignorant (Pagan) folk, and they utter a lie against G.o.d, and know they do so:"

But whoso is true to his engagement, and feareth G.o.d,-verily G.o.d loveth those that fear Him.

Verily they who barter their engagement with G.o.d, and their oaths, for some paltry price-These! no portion for them in the world to come! and G.o.d will not speak to them, and will not look on them, on the day of resurrection, and will not a.s.soil them! for them, a grievous chastis.e.m.e.nt!

And some truly are there among them who torture the Scriptures with their tongues, in order that ye may suppose it to be from the Scripture, yet it is not from the Scripture. And they say, "This is from G.o.d;" yet it is not from G.o.d: and they utter a lie against G.o.d, and they know they do so.

It beseemeth not a man, that G.o.d should give him the Scriptures and the Wisdom, and the gift of prophecy, and that then he should say to his followers, "Be ye wors.h.i.+ppers of me, as well as of G.o.d;" 30 but rather, "Be ye perfect in things pertaining to G.o.d, since ye know the Scriptures, and have studied deep."

G.o.d doth not command you to take the angels or the prophets as lords.31 What!

would he command you to become infidels after ye have been Muslims?

When G.o.d entered into covenant with the prophets,32 he said, "This is the Book and the Wisdom which I give you. Hereafter shall a prophet came unto you to confirm the Scriptures already with you. Ye shall surely believe on him, and ye shall surely aid him. Are ye resolved?" said he, "and do ye accept the covenant on these terms?" They said, "We are resolved;" "Be ye then the witnesses," said he, "and I will be a witness as well as you.

And whoever turneth back after this, these are surely the perverse."

Other religion than that of G.o.d desire they? To him doth everything that is in the Heavens and in the Earth submit, in willing or forced obedience! and to Him do they return.

SAY: We believe in G.o.d, and in what hath been sent down to us, and what hath been sent down to Abraham, and Ismael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and in what was given to Moses, and Jesus, and the Prophets, from their Lord.

We make no difference between them. And to Him are we resigned (Muslims).

Whoso desireth any other religion than Islam, that religion shall never be accepted from him, and in the next world he shall be among the lost.

How shall G.o.d guide a people who, after they had believed and bore witness that the apostle was true, and after that clear proofs of his mission had reached them, disbelieved? G.o.d guideth not the people who transgress.

These! their recompense, that the curse of G.o.d, and of angels, and of all men, is on them!

Under it shall they abide for ever; their torment shall not be a.s.suaged! nor shall G.o.d even look upon them!-

Save those who after this repent and amend; for verily G.o.d is Gracious, Merciful!

As for those who become infidels, after having believed, and then increase their infidelity-their repentance shall never be accepted. These! they are the erring ones.

As for those who are infidels, and die infidels, from no one of them shall as much gold as the earth could contain be accepted, though he should offer it in ransom. These! a grievous punishment awaiteth them; and they shall have none to help them.

Ye shall never attain to goodness till ye give alms of that which ye love; and whatever ye give, of a truth G.o.d knoweth it.

All food was allowed to the children of Israel, except what Jacob forbad himself, ere the law was sent down; SAY: Bring ye then the law and read it, if ye be men of truth.