The Koran Part 101

17 That is, the Pentateuch and the Koran.

18 The Meccan Jews and Christians who had formerly embraced Islam, and could now affirm that they had always held the same faith. This pa.s.sage could not have been written after Muhammad's experience of Jewish unbelief at Medina.

19 Lit. the guidance with thee.

20 But their own imaginations and pa.s.sions.

21 Lit. the account shall be blind or dark to them. Sie werden vor Besturzung keine Rechenschaft geben. Ullm.

22 Potestas judiciaria. Mar. Richteramt. Ullm.

23 Ar. Karun. "Joseph concealed three treasures in Egypt, one of which became known to Korah ... the keys of Korah's treasure chambers were a burden for 300 white mules." Midr. Jalkut on Eccl. v. 12, "Riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt,"-which may have furnished Muhammad with the nucleus of this story. Compare also Tract. Psachim. fol. 119 a.

24 Or, against G.o.d.

25 Probably to Paradise, according to others to Mecca, as a conqueror. But this latter interpretation involves the revelation of this verse at least, at Medina.

SURA x.x.xIX.-THE TROOPS [Lx.x.x.]

MECCA.-75 Verses

In the Name of G.o.d, the Compa.s.sionate, the Merciful

THE Book1 sent down from G.o.d, the Mighty, the Wise!

We have sent down the Book to thee with the truth: serve thou G.o.d then, and be sincere in thy wors.h.i.+p:

Is not a sincere wors.h.i.+p due to G.o.d?

But they who take others beside him as lords saying, "We serve them only that they may bring us near to G.o.d"-G.o.d will judge between them and the faithful, concerning that wherein they are at variance.

Verily G.o.d will not guide him who is a liar, an infidel.

Had G.o.d desired to have had a son, he had surely chosen what he pleased out of his own creation. But praise be to Him! He is G.o.d, the One, the Almighty.

For truth2 hath he created the Heavens and the Earth: It is of Him that the night returneth upon the day and that the day returneth upon the night: and He controlleth the sun and the moon so that each speedeth to an appointed goal. Is He not the Mighty, the Gracious?

He created you all of one man, from whom He afterwards formed his wife; and of cattle He hath sent down to you four pairs.3 In the wombs of your mothers did He create you by creation upon creation in triple darkness. It is He who is G.o.d your Lord: the kingdom is His: There is no G.o.d but He. How then are ye so turned aside from Him?

Suppose ye render him no thanks! yet forsooth is G.o.d rich without you: but He is not pleased with thanklessness in His servants: yet if ye be thankful He will be pleased with you. The soul burdened with its own works shall not be burdened with the burden of another: hereafter shall ye return to your Lord, and he will tell you of all your works,

For he knoweth the very secrets of your b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

When some trouble toucheth a man, he turneth to his Lord and calleth on him: yet no sooner hath He enriched him with his favour than he forgetteth Him on whom he before had called, and setteth up peers with G.o.d, that he may beguile others from His way. SAY: Enjoy thou thyself yet a little in thine ingrat.i.tude! but thou shalt surely be one of the inmates of the fire.

Shall he who observeth the hours of the night, prostrate or standing in devotion, heedful of the life to come, and hoping for the mercy of his Lord .

. .? SAY: Shall they who have knowledge and they who have it not, be treated alike? In sooth, men of understanding only will take the warning.

SAY: O my believing servants, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world there is good: and broad is G.o.d's earth4-verily those who endure with patience shall be repaid: their reward shall not be by measure.

SAY: I am bidden to serve G.o.d with a sincere wors.h.i.+p: and I am bidden to be the first of those who surrender themselves to him (Muslims).

SAY: Verily I fear if I rebel against my Lord the punishment of a great day.

SAY: G.o.d will I serve, presenting him with a sincere wors.h.i.+p:

And serve ye what ye choose beside Him. SAY: The losers truly will they be who shall lose their own souls and their families on the day of resurrection: Is not this the clear ruin?

Canopies of fire shall be over them, and floors of fire beneath them. With this doth G.o.d alarm his servants: Fear ye me, then, O my servants!

But good tidings are there for those who shun the wors.h.i.+p of Thagout and are turned to G.o.d. Cheer then with good tidings those my servants who hearken to my word and follow its excellence. These are they whom G.o.d guideth, and these are men of insight.

Him then on whom the sentence of punishment hath justly lighted-him who is doomed to the fire canst thou rescue?

But for those who fear their Lord are storied pavilions beneath which shall the rivers flow: it is the promise of G.o.d, and G.o.d will not fail in his promise.

Seest thou not that G.o.d sendeth down water from heaven, and guideth it along so as to form springs in the earth-then bringeth forth by it corn of varied sorts-then causeth he it to wither, and thou seest it become yellow-then crumbleth it away? Lo! herein is teaching for men of insight.

Shall he then whose breast G.o.d hath opened to Islam, and who hath light from his Lord ...? But woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of G.o.d! They plainly err.

The best of recitals hath G.o.d sent down a book in unison with itself, and teaching by iteration.5 The very skins of those who fear their Lord do creep at it! Then do their skins and their hearts soften at the remembrance of their Lord! This is G.o.d's guidance: by it will He guide whom He pleaseth; and, whom G.o.d shall mislead, no guide shall there be for him.

Shall he who shall have nought but his own face to shelter him with from the torment of the punishment on the day of the resurrection ...? Aye, to the evil doers it shall be said, "Taste what ye have earned."

They who were before them said it was a lie; but a punishment came upon them whence they looked not for it:

And G.o.d made them taste humiliation in this present life: but greater surely will be the punishment of the life to come. Did they but know it!

Now have we set before man in this Koran every kind of parable for their warning:

An Arabic Koran, free from tortuous wording, to the intent that they may fear G.o.d.

G.o.d setteth forth the comparison of a man with a.s.sociates6 at variance among themselves, and of a man devoted wholly to a man. Are these to be held alike?

No, praise be to G.o.d! But the greater part of them understand not.

Thou truly shall die, O Muhammad, and they too shall die:

Then, at the day of resurrection, ye shall wrangle with one another in the presence of your Lord.

And who acteth more unjustly than he who lieth of G.o.d, and treateth the truth when it cometh to him as a lie? Is there not a dwelling-place in h.e.l.l for the infidels?

But he who bringeth the truth, and he who believeth it to be the truth: these are the G.o.d-fearing.

Whatever they shall desire, awaiteth them with their Lord! This is the reward of the righteous;

That G.o.d may do away the guilt of their worst actions, and for their best actions render them their reward.